trials by fire, n then some

In da morning, there is moar food courtesy of Luna n da fancy room we got. Shortly after breakfass, Bricky hands me the thing he was workin on while we all slept – a sheath fer my sickle! (Another gift, aaahh why spoil a thing like me? It must be nice ta have so much time ta get things done,,, but Bricky also deserves a real rest. Whatever form dat means fer him.) i excitedly promise him ill take real good care of it, and he points out a werd he engraved into da side of it: “mädrescher” or “harvester.”
As Drexla heads to werk, da rest of us head to da market ta restock alls we need. Luna did me a huge help n talked to da shopkeeper for me. I thinks people charge pretty people less dhan weird ones, so while i thought of all da stuff i wanted i just called ‘em out ta her. As we all had our chance ta shop, da group notices a commotion gathering n a pillar of shmoke rising across town. We rush ta check it out or hopefully help in some way, n when we arrive we see our frien Drexla has crash landed one-a dem drones from outside da city. (wow she gets paid ta do dis? Best job ever). Tobias helps assist da few shocked n injured bystanders, but udderwise Drexla seems ta have it all under control as she flashes a shiny badge n directs pepol quickly.
 
Tobias gets permission ta set up his food cart fer business, so Luna Bricky n me follow along. V n Golkir followed wif Drexla. Im sittin on Brickyfrien’s shoulder when all a sudden there’s a lurch in his gait. Im surprised n ask what could be wrong, but Bricky is calm n knowing. He splains how he knew he would need a recharge soon.. n Dr. Matthias was da only one who could provide dat. I look at him – at his coat where inside he keeps da map Smiles gave him.
I reach out ta Luna n splain. She is hopeful that maybe she can find another way, but prodding and poking Bricky in da park doesn’t learn us anything.. Even after reuniting with da rest of our group, most of us agree he has ta go see tha Doctor n should probably not go alone. Mr. V doesnt seem ta care, yet still comes along.
We set out towards Mathias’ place, n head through da real fancy side of town. One house stands out among da rest: harsh design elements made with dark metals, with pipes sprouting from all over, flowing wif glowing yellow liquids. (Its real pretty in a way, but i dont liek it in da same way i learned not ta eat bright colored frogs.)
We make our way past da huge long line n into a different entrance where Bricky speaks to a woman dressed in all white wif white hair too n a permanent smile. Bricky warns those of us who speak sylvan dat tha guards are crafted as he is, n dis is our last chance ta let him carry this out hisself. “sicher und zusammen” ‘member?
We are lead to a big room full of dusty books n garish paintings of dat no-good-nasty-man. While we wait, i rummage through some books n flip through da pages. There are so many many drawings of lil green dimin, all different shapes n sorts, but all younger than bogbean.. N all were cut open. Guts, eyes, brains, everything had drawings and notes alongside.. (deep breath. no time ta read into it now, ill stash it while no one is lookin..) Dr. Mathias finally arrives and he teases us fer all accompanying our friend. I shmell somethin sweet building in da room, n befoar i can mention it, one by one our group is falling asleep! Im scared to tears as i drop limp, but Bricky catches my fall. I cant bear ta think dat dis same gentle Bricky could be ordered ta witness my dissection, or whatever fucked up shit hes got planned today..
 
I awake wif a gasp, immediately checking all over fer fresh sutures. (Thank gods, not today!) i see it’s only Bricky n me in dis room, plus a strange corpse lying in da corner. Bricky made double sure it was dead, n found a couple items on it. One was a potion bottle dat functioned as a sword (finally, Bricky has moar than a hammer fer a weapon~) and da other was a chest of living plants! New plants to keep, and log in da journal yayy. Thanks, corpsey~
An image projects onto da wall, making us ta watch da other group while they solved a puzzle room. At one point Bricky sacrificed hims right arm ta help them along – crushed it in one of Dr. Smiley’s twisted contraptions. But still a smile on hims face, n through it he says “Ze others would do ze same for us”.. I wumder if hes right. I forget he dont feel regular pain but still, now he’s lost even moar promefium n i worry. whats waiting fer us behind the only door in the room?

Each room only leads to anovver, but we figure if we can find the end of one row of rooms, we could then find da center. Each door we pass through brings an ominous rumbling, a test, n moar doors. One was a buncha levers used to restart a timer, but we just had to trust n wait fer it ta run out (i held ma breath da last couple seconds aaahg). Another room was pitch black, thickest darkness i ever seen! Thankfully, if dere was somethin inside we managed ta avoid it by walking along da walls. I felt most scared fer Bwicky in da fire room, an on toppa dat i ficked up disarming a trap n got us blasted wif a flamethrower- shit! I took da brunt of da flames, bein in front as i was. (Is only fair.. I put us in dis situation. A few burns dont matter when i know my freen in probably terrified fer hims life.. I will do what it takes fer us all ta make it outta here.) Bricky musta felt da same, as da next room was a giant sponge and i was pulled into it. At first i held onto Bricky’s arm, but da force was boutta rip it off so i let go. I sunk deeper n lost comsciousness, but he musta saved me n found another door as i woke up beside him. I made sure to check dat hims arm was otay n still attached, but it was not long befoar we was swarmed by little demon creatures. Not knowing how many moar rooms we hadda endure, we avoided fighting dem n made a run fer da next room. Wait, dis room finally only has one door..
 
As we enter da final room, we see da big metal chair in da middle wif so many wires n pipes n tubes connecting to it. I look up at Bricky. He dont eat, but da way he looks at dis chair is one a starving animol gives – he needs it. No matter how scary it looks, we will proceed.
Dr. Mathias mustntve been satisfied wif our puzzles, as a hydra monster made of bones n blood is conjured into da room wif us. Its just liek da one we fought at Arknoka! It likes ta grab wif its tendrils, so i move forward as Bwicky moves back so we can protects him. A shute opens off to da side – its Drexla n Captain V! I dunno what we woulda done wifout their help! Drexla’s shmoke bomb put da monster at disavdantage as all drei of dem pelted it from a range. I did my best to keep biting chunks out of it as it held me, until it decided to throw me aside n focus on da others. Mr. V is down, n things are looking bad! I ‘member da chest Bricky gave me had healing spores inside, so i grab a handful n throw it towards my friends. We last just long enough to defeat da creature.
Luna and Tobias are allowed ta join us now, so da whole group is back together to witness dis process we werked so hard for. (Tobicat has a new thingamajig on hims arm.. Must be Dr. Smiley’s doing, definitely Undabawian.) Bricky is practically dead weight as i pull hims body towards da chair. He has scorch marks, bruises, dents n cuts all over.. as weak as he was, he still sent his last bits of energy to help me in battle.. He trusted me to get him here.
We manage to situate him in da big chair, n as we step away he is lifted up an a dome is lowered overtop to complete da machine. As it turns on n builds power, da awful sounds of pained humanoid wailing grows. A chorus of wails n screams become indiscernible from any one voice, n as da tubes begin to channel black promefium into Bricky its liek da screams are gargled n swirling wifin da liquid itself..
Da rest of us are transfixed, helpless but to watch this process happen. Dis is what we wanted, it was our only choice…