"Goddamnit Oliver, what have you done? You've killed him!" Zack cried out, rushing over to Robert's side with Oliver. "Well done, your first kill! You must be thrilled with yourself right now..."
Oliver's eyes blazed with fury, as he pinned Zack with a glare that could freeze blood. "Shut your damn word hole, you psycho! This is all your fault - your stupid argument distracted me!" Oliver's anger momentarily gave way to concern, and he knelt beside Robert, placing his ear close to his nose and mouth, trying to check for signs of life. "Wait, he's still breathing," he said, relief very evident in his voice. After verifying Robert's heartbeat and pulse, Oliver regained his composure and rose to his feet, "He's okay, just a bit of out of breath... suffocated apparently, nothing to worry about. Though, you might need to carry him carefully, as he might slow us down for a while." Oliver turned to walk away, but Zack grabbed his arm, pulling him back.
"Oh, I'm sorry, but did I just hear you say I'd be carrying him?" Zack asked, his eyes narrowed mockingly. "Allow me to remind you, few minutes ago, you were bragging about wizards having stronger bodies and being physically superior to regular folks. Seems to me you'd be perfect for the job. You should carry him, since you wizards have... 'stronger bodies'," Zack grinned, his fingers dancing in air quotes.
"You're throwing my words back at me, huh?" Oliver growled.
Zack's grin widened. "I'm just asking you to put your gold where your mouth is, that's all," he retorted.
"How about you, magic technologist extraordinaire?" Oliver shot back. "Few minutes ago, you claimed you could build anything, so why don't you prove it now, huh? Whip up something to carry him, or better yet, pull out something from that damn ring of yours to do the work!"
Zack laughed, "I'd need time and materials, but you're full of 'wizard strength' right now, aren't you? So why don't you stop wasting our time, lift Robert up to your 'superior' shoulders, and carry him while we continue our journey, until he wakes up?"
Oliver was about to retort, but he paused. He watched Zack's face, as his expression returned to it's usual mask of indifference. He looked away, and a dry chuckle escaped his lips. "Arguing with you makes me feel like I'm the one who's stupid."
"Oh, you don't need to argue with me to figure that out."
Oliver's gaze snapped back, "What did you just say?"
Just then, unexpectedly, Robert suddenly sprang to his feet, a deep, irritated scowl painted across his face. "Would you two knock it off?! I'm trying to sleep... err, I mean, suffocate here!" he snapped, throwing his hands up in mock frustration.
"..." Zack and Oliver exchanged bewildered glances.
"So if you two would just keep your voices down, I could go back to being suffocated without any distractions!" Robert flopped back down to the forest floor with a huff, and shut his eyes.
Zack turned to Oliver with a wide grin. "I knew it! I knew Robert couldn't be suffocated by your stupid dome, I knew it!" He burst out excitedly, "He was just resting his eyes. I'm sure if he wanted to, he could've easily use his 'Hand of God' spell and smashed out of your ice dome like the insignificant oversized bowl it is!"
Oliver snorted in response, "Even if I gave you thirty minutes, your little contraptions wouldn't be able to leave as much as a scratch on my Ice dome spell."
"Even the Zack's Laser Turret?"
"Even the Zack's... I mean, even the laser turret!"
"Damnit, you two!" Robert roared, rising and stomping his feet on the ground. "Since the both of you have sworn that I'll never enjoy a short nap, I..." Oliver cut him off.
"There's a spider on your nose."
Robert's eyes went wide, and he let out a loud "Aaaah!!!" as he frantically swatted at his face. Zack giggled, while Oliver sighed resignedly.
"Alright, time to get serious guys, we've got a long way to go. The sun's approaching the horizon and we've barely covered a quarter of the distance. Let's pick up the pace and cover more ground before nightfall. And remember, I've got the map, so follow my lead, unless you'd like to step into a red marked area and tango with another swarm of beasts before nightfall." With that, Zack led the way, heading east, his laptop in hand, and Oliver falling into step behind him.
Robert let out a frustrated sigh before following, his eyes rolling in irritation. All he wanted was a brief nap, was that really too much to ask?
The sun dipped towards the western horizon, it's orange rays painting the forest in a warm glow. The first moon emerged, followed soon after by the second, and together, they cast a gentle silver glow over the forest, reflecting the sun's light long after it had set.
Finally, after what seemed like an endless trek, the boys emerged into a clearing, a welcome respite from the dense trees and foliage that had surrounded them all day. With a weary yawn, Zack signalled it was time to stop for the night, and they halted at the center of the clearing, bringing a much-needed end to their long and eventful day.
"Anyone pack a tent?" Zack asked, splashing his face with cold water from a bowl to ward off sleepiness.
Robert glanced at Oliver, "Tents? Ha! Who needs those?" Oliver, with a subtle knowing smile, chimed in, "When you have Ancestor souls with nearly limitless magic energy!"
Robert and Oliver raised their hands in unison, releasing a surge of shimmering brown and blue magic energy. The energy coalesced into blocks of ice and rock, which rapidly assembled themselves into a spacious structure. Within minutes, a building large enough to fit six king-sized beds was formed. As a final touch, Robert roofed the top with very thick mud, which Oliver then encased in ice.
One had to be at least a Legendary wizard to produce enough magic energy to do what Robert and Oliver had just done. Luckily, the immense magic energy of their Ancestor souls - once God-level wizards Poison and Xolomon - helped them accomplish such a feat without succumbing to magic exhaustion. The magic energy reserve of a God wizard was virtually boundless, allowing them to cast powerful spells for months on end without suffering magic exhaustion.
"Ta-da!" Robert exclaimed as they finished, dramatically flailing his arms. Oliver chuckled and rolled his eyes good-naturedly, then headed inside the building with Robert.
Zack lingered outside, grumbling, "An ice castle would've been way cooler though..."
"Oh, just shut up and get in here. We wanna close the entrance!"
Inside the building, the darkness was so thick, it almost felt tangible. Oliver sealed the entrance with a thick layer of ice, plunging the space into even deeper darkness. The faint moonlight trickling in through the ice bricks did little to pierce the shadows, leaving the boys staring blankly into the darkness.
"Man, it's freezing and pitch black in here," Zack whispered, his hands rubbing together in a soft rustling sound that was amplified by the stillness and the darkness.
Oliver's voice echoed off the walls, "Can't use my Blinding Light spell, it'll illuminate the room... and probably blind us too."
Robert, whose body was flashing with lightning, providing brief moments of light, spoke up, "My phone's drained, you two?"
"Same here."
"Mine too."
"Zack, you got a flashlight or something?"
Zack grinned, or it sounded like he was, "Ah, I've got something even better - Zack's Light Bulbs!" His silver space ring glowed, and three light bulbs materialized in his hands.
Oliver arched an eyebrow as the white glow from Zack's ring disappeared and the room was plunged back into darkeness, "How are these supposed to work without electricity?"
Zack replied casually, "Not to worry, they're rechargeable."
"Well, then turn them on already!" Oliver urged.
"I will, but first... hey Robert, mind stopping the lightning show on your body for a sec?" Zack requested.
The lightning flashing on Robert's body ceased, shrouding the space in an inky blackness.
"Alright... now," Zack began, but before he could finish, WHACK! WHACK!, Oliver and Robert each received a sudden blow in their torso.
Then the light bulbs in Zack's hands promptly flickered to life, illuminating the shocked faces of the other two. Robert and Oliver, both clutching their bellies, glared at Zack with expressions that screamed 'what-the-heck?!'
Zack feigned innocence, "Whoa, wasn't me!" but Oliver and Robert were already onto him. They chose to let it slide, though, knowing now wasn't the time to squabble.
Zack's eyes surveyed the space, before settling on the wall to their left. "Oliver, make some kinda bulb holder with your Ice magic and find a way to attach it to that wall..."
"Incase it escaped your little mind," Oliver cut him off, "I'm not a Legendary wizard. I can't shape my magic into anything I want."
"Oh, right. Okay, Robert, condense some mud and mould it into a bulb holder, and then, Oliver, freeze it in place!" Within minutes, the task was completed, and the room was brightly lit by three gleaming light bulbs - or rather, Zack's Light Bulbs. At a one end of the room, three sizable snow beds beckoned, while the trio huddled at the other end.
Zack busied himself preparing the bird meat he had gathered. He had taken out a charcoal grill from his space ring, and presently, succulent grilled bird flesh roasted atop, filling the building with a savory aroma that mingled with the sizzle of juices dripping down onto the coals. Oliver and Robert meanwhile, were seated in wooden chairs - courtesy of Zack - and reminiscing about the days they had spent in their respective magic schools, apparently lost in conversation.
"Oh my, can you smell that incredible aroma?" Zack said to no in particular, deliberately wafting the savory steam towards Oliver and Robert with a hand fan. They had refused to help him gather the birds earlier, and now he was going to make them pay! The mouthwatering scent of grilled meat filled the space, and their stomachs rumbled with hunger.
Oliver and Robert's last meal had been some wild fruits they had scavenged in the afternoon, after their fight with the Burrowing White Wild dogs, and now their stomachs were growling with hunger, with nothing to satiate it. They had underestimated the duration of their trip and had neglected to pack some food, likely thinking it was going to slow them down. Zack's devices could be used to melt Oliver's ice for water, but food...
Zack teased them further, "Mmm, you can almost taste the juicy flesh, seasoned with leaves from the healthiest branch of the multi-flavored fairy tree, and a healthy touch of magical deliciousness!" Zack's words made the other two's hunger pangs worse, causing them to salivate without even knowing.
Oliver and Robert locked eyes, their hunger almost palpable. No telepathy was needed to know they were on the same page - both knew they had to find a way to score some grub from Zack. The challenge now was to ask Zack for some meat without sacrificing their pride or dignity... should be easy enough.
Robert took the lead, rising from his seat and attempting a carefree stride toward Zack, but his forced casualness was undercut by the desperation in his eyes. "Hey, Zack, hehehe, what's up, buddy?" he said, clapping Zack playfully on the back.
"Finally!" Zack exclaimed, putting away the hand fan. "I'm sick of fanning this smell at you two."
Oliver joined them, his expression a mask of total indifference that betrayed no hint of the hunger that gnawed at him. As he tried to speak, Zack cut him off, his eyes gleaming with mirth. "Let me guess, you two are finally ready to gobble down your pride and beg for some of my meat, huh? And just to be clear - the same meat I asked you two to help me gather?" Zack's grin grew wider, evidently relishing their discomfort.
Oliver scoffed, "Yeah, any fool would know that already." He said dryly, but Robert shot him a warning glance, urging him telepathically to soften his tone. They were in no position to antagonize Zack; not when dinner was on the line.
Robert attempted to salvage the situation, quoting Zack's own words back to him: "What he meant to say was that we would love to have a taste of some of your delectable meat, expertly seasoned with leaves from the healthiest branch of the multi-flavored fairy tree and a healthy touch of magical deliciousness." Robert's tactful approach aimed to appease Zack, aware that they couldn't afford to antagonize him further.
A telepathic message from Oliver, just then, made Robert scowl. Extort the meat from Zack? No way. Robert knew better than to try. He could predict the outcome - Zack wouldn't let them have it, and if it came to worse, he'd most likely take out a bomb or his laser gun and blow everything to smithereens rather than let them force the meat from him. Either way, Robert was certain that he and Oliver would be the ones left with growling stomachs at the end. Besides, Zack's space ring was stocked with an abundance of the birds, preserved in a timeless state, ensuring a steady supply for later. He could just whip up another meal in no time - his eventual win, their loss.
"Hmm, you two can have some," Zack said, smiling slyly. Robert breathed a sigh of relief, thinking they had won him over.
But Zack's grin turned devious, and he added, "Right after the two of you do something. Something really, really... humiliating!" His eyes sparkled with mischief, rendering Oliver and Robert wordless as they traded uneasy looks.