A True Rhombic Comes in Time

36

"Sure, dear. But Gomi, I'm trying to concentrate here, so let's try to keep very very quiet," I replied to her in a patient voice like she was a child and I was her mother. I know I sounded condescending, but this was an emergency.

We could both die if I lost my focus.

Or will Gomi die? I wasn't sure what would happen to her if I perished, but this wasn't the time to ponder about it.

I wanted Gomi to stop bothering me, but I obviously wasn't going to get any of my wishes to come true today. It distressed me to see that she was getting even more animated like she was having a sugar rush.

"Leah, picture the weapon you want in your head. Anything!"

"What?" This time, I couldn't help but show my frustration when I realized Gomi was asking me to play her favorite game. Since she learned how to speak in my head, Gomi came up with this game of having me think of an item so she could guess what it was.

Whenever I wasn't actively hunting, I tried to indulge her. But... this was definitely NOT the time to play guess-what-I'm-thinking.

I was actively trying not to think about two many different things or else, my barrier was going to weaken. I needed to concentrate on just two problems: Preserve the barrier and figure out how I was going to kill this seething group of gnomes if it came down to it.

Ugh! Will this ever end? Was this really how I am going to die?

"Leah, are you listening to me? Look at me! Look at me! Pay attention to me!"

Ackkk! This incessant child was literally going to be the death of me!

Seemingly ignorant of my growing exasperation, Gomi continued, "I told you I am a weapon. What kind of weapon would you like me to be? Picture it!"

"..." I gave her a scowl, but I decided that she wasn't going to let this go.

Okay, fine. In my head, I pictured a shiny new machine gun and yelled, "There, I'm doing it now! Happy?!"

Fwoosh.

Wait! What?

Why was the baby glowing?

"Gomi...?" I whispered. Could it be...?!

A tiny spark of hope flickered inside of me, daring to believe that I might really see a machine gun in my hands.

Gomi gleamed dimly, and...

Poof.

Nothing. Not a damn thing.

No machine gun appeared. I felt stupid, believing that it was actually going to happen. What did I expect? For Gomi to transform into tanks and bombs and flamethrowers just by me "thinking" about it?

When I sighed, a defiant look appeared on the chubby baby's face. I glared at her hopping and up and down while flailing her hands in all different directions.

She screamed, "You have to think of real weapons. The kind you can use in the Door, you dummy!"

Screech, screech, screech....

The gnomes were having a party outside my barrier. I stared at them with disgust before turning toward Gomi.

The modern weapons from the human world didn't work inside the Door. Was she really trying to do something for me?

I began shuffling through all the existing Rhombic weapons, but unfortunately, I didn't know many. Swords, bows and arrows, and spears... They were mostly medieval, and none of these weapons were going to help me because I was unfamiliar with using any of them.

The best thing I could think of was a chain mace. Maybe I could swing it around and around for 40 minutes?

The thought was such a comical scene failed to make me laugh for an obvious reason. I wasn't brave enough to face my impending doom with a bold smile.

[00:38:00]

Ding!

Fwoom!

Crackkkk.

I turned toward the ominous sound. It was coming from behind, and I saw that hundreds of gnomes were working together and butting their heads against my barrier. I could also feel the weight of god-knows-how-many gnomes crushing down on my shield from the top. It was almost completely dark inside my little dome, making me feel like I was in my own grave.

Sadly, this was a rather apt and realistic description of my situation.

"Think hard, Leah! Think, think, think!"

The cracking sounds, the "dings" and the "fwooms", and Gomi shrieking at me all at the same time...

I was going insane with confusion and fear.

Suddenly, it was then that I remembered something.

That woman from the movie, I mean the memory!

During the first floor test, that woman in Gomi's memory threw something that looked like a throwing star. I distinctly remembered it because it was such a cool weapon as it split into million stars.

Yes, if I had something like that, then I definitely would have a chance here. It was going to be the perfect kind of weapon in a situation like this.

I closed my eyes, half praying and half believing, and imagined that amazing weapon. It didn't save the woman or her partner, but it could be what got me out of this death trap.

"Oh, that!" Gomi sounded thrilled. It appeared that she figured out what I was thinking in my head.

"That's my specialty!" She whispered and her voice faded away.

It was pitch black in my dome except for Gomi glowing dimly again. The comforting warmth from her slowed down my heartbeat just a little.

It felt like I stayed like this for eternity, but I knew better because I didn't hear the bell or the drop of 10 more beasts down on my barrier. That meant that it didn't even take 10 seconds before I felt a cold and unfamiliar item in my hand.

Slowly, I opened my eyes. Gomi was gone and in my hand, I saw it.