“So let me get this straight and clear in my head: You are all tracking various energy levels inside me, some of which have spiked to the point that I may be considered dangerous, and the only way to stop you from knocking me out and imprisoning me forever in a steel box is for you to send the three of us into the incredibly dangerous Decay Lord trials early, to prove that I am capable of surviving with these spiked energy levels?”
Itaviir nodded. Litvir shifted in his seat awkwardly, expecting there to be a bit more nuance to what was going on around him. Really, he and his companions were all in shock. They all kinda expected Arkay to be the one in this situation, not Litvir, who had felt he’d been relatively stable ever since he became a Decayling.
“That is an awfully huge ask you have placed on me…” Litvir sighed. “While in the past I would have been fine with sacrificing others for my own survival, it is far worse to do it to people one cares about. Especially when the chances are so low.”
A large bang interrupted Litvir’s concerns. The door blasted inwards, revealing a very small, very yellow and very angry Decayling.
“YOU BASTARDS! You said we were all clear! And now we’re dealing with the same shit I went through but for Litvir? This isn’t supposed to happen!”
Arkay stomped into the room, pulling some rather impressive weight for his size, and stood by Litvir’s side.
“You are all bastards and scum, can’t just allow people to have their ups and downs! Literally no one is perfectly stable, but Litvir is as stable as they come! I bet you all have unstable energy crap all the time!”
The Decay Lord frowned. “We do as our rules-”
“Screw your rules!”
“Arkay, please do not…” Litvir whispered. “We are already in enough trouble…”
Arkay though sneered. “No, fuck them and their rules. I already decided that I’m going to do these dumb trials for you. And if that doesn’t work, then we’ll find some other way out. I’m not gonna let them put you through the shit they put me through!”
“But… I cannot ask you or Retvik to risk…”
More stomping, but this time it was coming from the doorway. Retvik was standing in it, his simmering body stopping anyone else from leaving. “We have already decided, Litvir. We will help you.”
“You do realise you are risking your lives for me, someone who is, to put it nicely, an asshole, yes?” Litvir growled. “I have caused nothing but-”
“That was only ever between you and Retvik!” Arkay interrupted. “And you resolved that back in our old universe. Now things are different. Different rules, different locations, all that crap. Now? We’re bound to each other, we promised we’d stick together and work together, and I’m sticking to those promises.”
“Even if you die?”
Arkay sighed, then nodded. “Even if I might die. We’ve brushed up against death plenty of times lately. This is no different.”
Itaviir stood up, his presence dwarfing the Decaylings. “So you are all in agreement. You will do the Decay Lord Trials?”
“Yes.”
“Yeah.”
“Yes…”
“Very well…” Itaviir growled. “I will send out the message. You will have fifty hours to prepare yourselves. Starting now.”
With a snap, the Decay Lord disappeared, leaving the three Decaylings in silence.
“Well…” Litvir turned to his fellow Decaylings. “I do not know what to say…”
“Don’t say anything…” Arkay shrugged. “Just get your stuff in order, because we have a lot of work ahead of us…”