“Ooh! Cake!”
Galyn couldn’t help but smile a little at how happy the three Decaylings all seemed. They had just finished a brief quarantine period and, for once, everything was somewhat okay. To celebrate, Galyn had ordered a very nice vanilla cake, complete with a large array of confectionery and chocolates. But the cake was here for more than just celebratory reasons. The Decay Lord had some uneasy news to tell, and wanted to not sour the mood too much.
Still smiling, but more weakly, Galyn placed the cake in the centre of the table, then waved his hand, closing the door behind him. The other Decay Lords on board would not be a distraction, for at least an hour or so.
“What is the occasion, boss?” Retvik asked as he eyed the large cake.
“You never bring us cake. Not even on special occasions…” Litvir immediately helped himself to some cake. “While I appreciate the gesture, what is going on?”
Arkay, the smallest of the Decaylings, eyed Litvir instead of the cake. “Maybe the cake is drugged.”
Litvir paused, then put his small plate back down, turning to Galyn. “Is the cake drugged?”
“No…” Galyn shook his head. “I brought the cake because I have important information I am passing on to you. Information that, in all honesty, I should not be giving to you. I am doing this under the guise of celebrating my ‘birthday’, even though I do not actually have one. So please, sit down and eat some cake.”
The Decaylings all did as requested, all of them immediately pulling uneasy faces. Galyn stretched himself out then joined the Decaylings at the table, pretending to look happy.
“The three of you have come a long way and have done so very quickly. You are all actually incredibly close to actually becoming Decay Lords yourselves. But in order to, well, certify you… you will have to do a series of both randomly chosen rather harrowing tasks. Every Decayling must go through a test to prove that they are strong enough to survive out in the Space Between Universes. This test, assuming you pass, will have a permanent effect on who you fundamentally are.”
Arkay swallowed a large slice of cake and quickly began to cut himself some more. “I can see why you brought the cake…”
“Just how bad are we talking here?” Litvir asked. “Are we talking something akin to schizophrenia or physical mutations, or something far worse?”
“I…” Galyn hesitated. “I cannot really tell you. Each test is different for each group of Decaylings. But because you three are slated to be replacing us, your test will be particularly difficult.”
“Oh…” Litvir paused, glanced at his fellow Decaylings, then blinked in confusion. “We are replacing you?”
Galyn simply nodded. “That was the other thing I was not supposed to tell you. Itaviir wants to retire for a bit. Vikalos desires a holiday. I am tired as well. You three are basically perfect replacements for us, which is why we have been training you up. We had considered having Seimeni and a few others replace us, but they simply do not live up to the standards we require. But you do. Which is why I am breaking protocol and informing you of this test.”
“What is the actual test though?” Retvik asked, holding a piece of cake in his hand. “Because you are giving us very little actual information here. Just vague concerns that are going to keep us up at night.”
Galyn leaned forward, pulling everyone closer. “I cannot tell you much at all. These tests are heavily randomized, generally involving a dangerous situation, rescuing hostages, trying to escape danger and even potentially dealing with Corruption. They will require you to use everything you have learned so far. But you will also have to be quick on your toes and, well, adapt as much as you can.”
“Well… we can adapt at least…” Arkay sighed. “How much time do we have?”
The Decay Lord got up, frowning. “I really wish I could tell you more. I simply do not know. I will give you more information when I can. Please, enjoy your cake.”
With a snap of his fingers, Galyn disappeared, leaving three very confused Decaylings.
After a moment of silence, the Decaylings all looked at each other, then turned to the cake.
“At least we’ve got some nice food to eat!” Arkay smiled reluctantly. “Hopefully things won’t be too bad…”