Maid with Necromancy

“Harmony, how could you?”  Light faded from familiar eyes, including flickers of a blue flame deep within them.

Tyler’s voice coming out of the mimic was disturbing. That shocked disbelief as her sickle carved one of his skills in half felt a little hammed up. Tyler should know there were plenty of times when she could and would gut him like a fish if needed.

He was only eighty percent formed anyway. If it had mastered Jessica like the last one, this fight would have been a different story.  The body broke down, the more formed parts slower than the unfinished bits, to leave the rewards of a large vial of healing water and the meal ration.

“Do you know where Owlsley and Milo went?” Harmony asked the real Tyler, as this one continued to dissolve, gutted and half-covered in frost and ice to restrict its movement.

“They went after their copies inside the tunnels.”

“Ashes.”  They’d just gotten out of that bloody place. This trip was full of surprises. The ground dropping out under them hadn’t been planned. That wasn't the worst. They still hadn’t found Kenny in that maze of tunnels and rooms. “Light the way, Jessica. “

Her projection flared to life in the tunnel as the pair dived back in.  A maze full of mimics. What gave the monsters away was that they still needed to be in proximity to the person they’re copying.  Which meant the moment you moved out of range, they’d have to follow. The twisty warren made getting far enough difficult until Tyler broke down a few walls.

The closer quarters made it easier to kill the half-formed ones, but enough of them were getting close that they had to leave to pull them outside to make sure no more of them were completed.  That Tyler-mimic was the least formed one. The impostors of Owlsley and Milo managed to become fully functioning copies. Even that metal sword to match the gear. Only the spider lights strapped to them were inactive shells with no luminescent aspect.  The more she’d watched those lights form, even before skills inside the mimic’s solidified, Harmony knew it wasn’t the complexity that stopped the copying.  

None of the mimics had tried to copy her. Was [Eternal Fable’s Heart] too dangerous, and how did they know?  But they even avoided the blood to light the lights?  

No splitting up on this search. Harmony kept behind Tyler. In the third cavern, Owlsley’s body ripped open as a bloody smear spread across the room from the entrance to the wall.  A second Owlsley held a Milo draped in a prismatic sphere of energy as she stood behind a Milo holding shut a wound just above the spider light attached to her.  

The captured Milo yelled. “They stole my light and killed Ows. Get me out of here!”

Completed mimics weren’t turning into rewards. A sign of further adaptation or something to do with the current challenge?

The corpse wasn't a clue; more worrying was the possibility that competitor corpses wouldn't be whisked away. Was this an increase in difficulty and danger? Had she actually killed Eric?

There was a remarkable lack of guilt at that possibility.  Anger at whoever put her in that situation,  but was it acceptable to feel bad about not feeling bad? Kill or be killed.

Only one lit spider light among the trio was a different problem, attached to the Owlsley who maintained the prismatic prison. The caged Milo had a chance of telling the truth. Ignoring that Harmony went over to the wounded Milo and cast [Mend], sealing up his wound.

“What happened to the light?” Harmony asked.

“The mimics target them for destruction. Owlsley managed to keep mine with a set barrier. I’d say we got one mimic captured.”

Tyler kept quiet, ready to strike if needed. Their simple plan had been completely ruined. How committed was the mimic to this bit?

Harmony walked up to the caged man. “You swear that you’re the real Milo?”

“Absolutely. Don’t kill me.” Milo-two answered.

“Then don’t run. Release the cage, Owlsley.” Harmony kept her tone cool, yet was ready for violence.

“That’s the burning mimic, Harmony!” Owlsley barked

“Says the impostors!”

“And if he runs or attacks me, he’ll be dead. As long as this Milo behaves, we’ll be fine.”

Reluctantly, Owlsley relaxed.

“Thanks…” Milo-two started.

Harmony grabbed his armor. [Manipulate Dead] changed its shape and turned it from armor to a restraint. Too bad that without [Beautician] unsealed, she couldn’t add color to properly mark the spider carapace. Some distinctive lumps added would have to do. “You’ll get a chance to prove yourself later. Now walk and behave.”

The healed Milo started to stretch. “What if we can’t figure out which one of us is the Mimic back at camp?”

“Fun times,” Harmony answered flatly, already exhausted from this outing.

“I suppose we should find Kenny now,” Tyler said.

Milo-two and Milo-one spoke simultaneously. “He’s dead.”

Milo-one clarified. “I think we should head back since we have the prize. Kenny wasn’t the most combat-capable of us and has been lost alone in this maze the longest.”

Harmony wasn’t about to leave the child behind after possibly killing his kingdom’s other competitor. “There are enough of us to make a quick sweep before leaving. I won’t have us leave without checking. If you were in his situation, I doubt you’d want us to leave you.”

Tyler stood firm with her. It was the two Milos and one Owlsley that looked conflicted. They really wanted to get home because as soon as they were in the thick of it, the warnings from camp started.

Hyacinth? Harmony asked through [Familiar Bond].

Hunted, He answered back.

“Loap says half the camp is still missing, after Benny freaked when his pet disappeared.”

“Pappi says he’s confused about why there are two of us, but they’ve still got half the camp around the stew pot.”

“Socks is afraid.” Owlsley pleaded.

‘I’m honestly glad that we don’t have the official imposter with us here. We’ll get back as soon as we can. With our bonded helping the sane ones who didn’t take off, they should be able to last until we return. Owlsley, what’s your strongest skill?”

The question seemed to shock the competitor for a moment, “My prismatic barrier.”

“And for my first test.” Harmony walked over to the body and pulled out the [Intruder Sense] she’d [Claimed] and let it decay.  The mimic’s adaptations made the skill nearly useless.  

Crouching over what was hopefully a dead mimic, Harmony activated [Claim the Remains of Power]. There hadn’t been time to do this with the other ones. Harmony tried not to let the fact that it felt like any other dead body get to her as she plucked out the skill. The idea that she could be accessing the real Owlsley made her gut twist, but if she had died, Ows would want her to save Socks if possible.

“What are you doing?” Owlsley asked, with disgust plain on her face as Harmony accessed the corpse.

“I’m checking the dead mimic’s skill to see if I can find any flaws that will give it away.” Harmony stored the skill inside herself, trying to trust the bubble separating the bit from her soul to keep away any nasty mimic bits if that is what it was. Even if you don’t have confidence, it was best to act like you do. That old lesson from her mother bubbled to the surface..

“Can we find Kenny now? I’d rather get this done quickly so we can get back and I can prove my innocence.” Milo-Two asked.

Milo one smacked him.

“Control yourself.” Harmony reminded him with a hint of authority.  

The group of five squeezed back into the tight, dark maze they’d been dropped into. A mess, this was a total mess. Harmony readied herself for the worst.

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