STORY ARC #4 HERO OF PENDOWN

Encounter with Miishlo

“Suck on this, Fish-Face!”

This is a continuation of Servants of Miishlo by Jonathon Sawyer and Kobold Combat Crisis! by JF Danskin, part of a collaborative ‘Choose Your Own’ tale titled The Hero of Pendown. Check out how you can contribute, as well as read other amazing entries here.

“Come to me, Manling…”

You dip your toes into the cold water lapping at the open hatchway. Someone is in your head, calling to you, and it seems you cannot fight it!

You think you hear Eshami cry out faintly as you step down to the next rung on the slimy ladder. “Hero, no!” You are up to your waist in the water already.

“You’re mine, Manling,” comes the powerful telepathic boom that has come to both frighten and calm you. “Step into my realm. Yessss…”

Eshami looks frantic. You see her mutter some quick incantation, then she grabs your hand and pulls you forward for a forceful kiss before your head dives below the water.

Were you in control of all of your faculties, you might have wanted to linger longer, but Miishlo’s strength is terrible, and even resisting with all your willpower is proving insufficient.

You manage to pull your sword out of its sheath as you descend the slippery ladder. Its warm fiery glow brings you scant comfort. Glowing red eyes follow you hungrily from the dark water.

“You are either brave or very stupid,” the telepathic voice booms. “No matter, Miishlo shall feast on your brain today!”

You feel a thick tentacle grasping at your ankle. As it does, you feel a wave of pain as your life force is being drained from you. You breathe in sharply, knowing instantly that doing so will be your undoing.

You expect to begin choking, but you breathe in the water like it’s as natural as air! Your mind flashes back to Eshami, her frantic kiss as you were drawn into the water…

That sneaky elf snuck a water-breathing enchantment upon your lips! Now you have another reason to survive this battle — to give her one giant smooch back for saving your hide!

“You have a strong endurance, my land-walking friend,” Miishlo booms in your head, probably wondering why you haven’t drowned yet.

Guessing that your chance to act might slip away any second, you dive off the ladder by pushing off with your legs, sending you swimming like a bolt through the water.

Straight towards the beast's fearsome maw.

You grip your sword tightly and thumb a button on the hilt. The glowing blade radiates forth, extending to two or three times its original length. You now have a fiery lance, and bring it to bear upon Miishlo, who seems to have just realized that you have broken from his mind-control enchantments…

A green-orange blob of goop shoots forth from his tentacles, aimed directly at you. Miishlo looks to have coughed up an invocation, you realize. You’re committed to your charge, however, and cannot dodge out of the way.

You’re about to go blow-for-blow with this evil Leviathan, and you’re sure you’re gonna win!

The flaming sword-turned-lance pierces the mucous bubble before embedding itself into his long, toothed snout. You’re disoriented by his angry screams of rage inside your mind even as the mucous clings to your everything, and burns like acid.

“Suck on this, fish-face!”

You pull on the lance, and brace yourself with your legs to pull it out of his hide, only to drive it in deeper than before. You repeat this process over and over, driven by a rage you had never known before. All the while Miishlo is cursing and screaming your name in your head.

“I never should’ve trusted Koriya!” Miishlo barks meekly in your mind, his strength rapidly fading. “But you will find out… when you face… her…”

After a moment the fishy beast goes limp, floating in a soup of mucous and gore. Your lungs heave with adrenaline as you yank the lance from his scaly hide for the last time; you thumb the button to return it to its normal size and shape.

Exhausted, you paddle back to the ladder and pull yourself up.

Click to continue…

Miishlo is sorry he demanded that you follow his Medium account and subscribe to his email list to stay up-to-date. Miishlo is also sorry he demanded comments to hear about how great he is! Miishlo vows never to eat the hero without asking first again.

Miishlo also has a Ko-fi account set up here. Buy his resurrection for a Twonie! All money goes to the Fish Without Friends Fund (My bank account) so no other Miishlos have to suffer. ❤