I ambush yet another rabbit drawn to the smell of blood. The small critters have been swarming our way ever since that one extra disturbing howl and adding more corpses to the pile probably doesn’t help change that one bit.
Listening to the ruckus the rabbit makes rushing through the bushes I emerge from behind a tree and make the earth precisely clamp down on its frontal legs while it's in full sprint. Needless to say, the bones don’t do too well but the follow-up wind blade delivers swift mercy right as its head buries into the ground.
“Valka Gods damn it, where are you!” I speak a lot louder, preparing a good scolding.
After seconds she pops out where the rabbits came from with blood dripping from her arms.
“Quiet down! There was one more.” She hisses.
The ire doesn’t disappear, it just gets stuck because I know that complaining now would be stupid. We move separately to avoid getting encircled but my position is a lot more vulnerable so I just can’t help but worry.
At least we know we’re on the right track.
We decide to keep the quiet approach, as much as possible after the previous confrontations, and continue onwards. Mom and Dad appear just when we’re about to move, jumping down from a nearby tree. I tend to forget my parents are nearby.
“That was… something.” Dad comments, and I don’t know if I want to agree. “Do you girls don’t really plan or communicate to reach your goals? You know, teamwork?”
“Exactly. I thought you fought together constantly and would rely on one another’s strengths properly instead of just fighting separately together.” What does that even mean Mom?
Despite basically winning I look away in embarrassment and see Valka do the same.
“We never had to talk really. Things just flowed naturally.” I pull out a weak excuse. “This is all…”
“New.” Dad nods. “Exactly why we’re here. A quick advice, don’t split up until you certainly know more about the enemy than they know about you. I understand you tried to focus on maneuverability but if one of you got bogged down by a few while they slowly overwhelmed the other…”
There’d be nothing we can do.
Truth be told the two of us aren’t exactly the perfect duo. I hit really hard in many ways and Valka also hits hard while having the tenacity of a cockroach. We’re strong in a head-to-head fight but that’s it. I think we’d fold in the face of overwhelming ranged fire, a stealthy opponent or even a speedy one… Things to consider for my second Class. It really feels like a waste just to let it sit like that.
Of course, experience is what we need the most but I’m of the opinion that overwhelming strength can substitute for most lacking aspects pretty well. Not that I’m averse to learning but I’d like both if possible.
Just as we’re about to decide on where exactly the ugly critters are coming from the sound of furious trot approaches our way. Heavy, powerful and following a different rhythm than… the combination of wolf paws and hooves.
“Doesn’t sound like the rabbits to me.” Valka assesses and I have deep trust in her when it comes to instincts.
Just in case, we approach on an interception course because killing more stuff never hurts and we don’t want whatever that is jumping us from behind in case it returns. Also after coming face to face with like twelve of the small abominations so far, we’re sure that with their numbers everything in these woods has something to do with them.
In seconds a frightened deer zips past us and I almost tear it to shreds with the ice lances I prepared. It doesn’t even glance our way as it disappears into the woods again but that only increases the tension. We don’t even move a muscle, there is something else coming.
Then it bursts forth from the greenery.
[Rabbit lvl 165]
There’s very little about this fiend resembling a rabbit. Not the two massive horse legs it walks on, nor the long-clawed front pawns and let’s not even count the two snake tails growing out of its long crooked spine like some scaly tentacles. Only the beady red eyes on its long-snouted head, the only thing rabbit. This one’s fur isn’t patchy but sickly gray, adorned by bones sticking through its skin and of course blood.
Parents are nowhere in sight so either they’re already dead or want to see us deal with the big abomibunny. We glance at each other with Val and nod in agreement.
This thing goes down.
Careful of its speed I keep my ice weapons around to protect me if things go south and instead turn to lightning. I let it run down my arms, feeling it dance all around me as I move to its rhythm and hearing a soft buzzing sound growing around me. Then I push it all out, directing the burst of energy between the trees and right into the sizable monster.
Its muscles lock mid-leap, still chasing after its prey, and so it crushes right into a tree. Stunned, for now. Valka sprints out from her cover to capitalize on the opportunity while I prepare my next move. We have to time the attacks well, give the thing no breathing room, and keep pushing until something breaks.
My brute leaps up to deliver the same crushing heel kick I saw yesterday when the monster twitches and the tails swing into action. Valka wisely abandons the strike on the neck halfway through as the oozing venom fangs fly at her, and instead settles on crushing a leg. The tails still ruthlessly smack her but that much she can weather.
I don’t worry about her, I don’t have time to and if she dies this easy then I’ll kill her myself. While the abomination is pained and still down I grab my two icicle spears and hurl them at it, not missing an easy shot.
Just as the freezing air departs my side the monster blurs backward, moving almost too fast for my eyes to follow. Almost fast enough to call my parents. My projectiles naturally miss, flying through a few trees before finally coming to a halt however the beast seems just as graceful in its movement. The loss of a leg didn’t impact the rabbit’s speed too much, the maneuverability on the other hand…
Standing on the two hind legs with one arm limp and the tails whipping around behind it its maw opens wide. The lower and upper jaws stretch like that of a snake and instead of the high-pitched shriek its lesser kin tend to make, this thing roars deep and throaty with little clicks in it.
I only let my mind wander for so long. Two blades of wind fly out from my arms before the sound is even cut from its throat, mainly to test the waters. It turns out that it is actually the fire I’m testing. The working arm swats the blades away accompanied by small explosions, as magic touches its skin and the beast steps forward, ready to leap.
Val is gonna have a tough time with that…
And she does appear on cue, roaring at the monster to draw its attention. To both of our surprise, her cutesy act gets ignored and the beast instead dashes at me with mouth wide open, dripping with saliva.
I know I can’t outrun it so I stall, stomping and raising a pillar to meet its midsection before the claw reaches me. Which is still too close for comfort. I duck to the side and as expected a small explosion blasts forth from the long bone blades where my face was not a second ago.
Fire is out of the picture so another bolt of lightning strikes just in time for Val to arrive. She kicks one of its knees sidewards, bringing the damn thing to the ground before bashing its face with a well-aimed hook. The one working arm is about to retaliate so I butt in, raising a spike and showing it in the monster’s armpit.
“Don’t let it get up!” I yell.
Valka links her fingers and is about to slam down on the already skewered shoulder when the tails interfere again, this time hitting her with an explosion. I’ve backed off enough to only feel some heat but Val… She goes flying again.
Left to do the work alone again I encase the shin brought to the ground with rocks to win a little more time and slam a bolt of lightning into its chest again. It’s resilient, fast, and hits quite hard. My chances up close are pretty dim. What’s also apparent is that this one isn’t as dumb, the eyes are observing us with a glint of intelligence betray as much.
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I raise a few more spikes of earth, trying to both pierce its hide and make sure that the monster doesn’t move anywhere. Sadly the tails get to work once again, blasting every piece of its prison to tiny bits one after the other until the abomination is free once again. My tricks and efforts are simply demolished.
But the rabbit does not jump at me right away and that is concerning news. To brighten up our day the shrieks of regular abomibunnies reach our ears, coming from far closer than I’d like. Oh and that broken knee and shoulder I injured? Yeah, they’re already regenerating. I don’t know if we can win this.
“The spine where the tails join.” Valka says in the end confidently. “I’ll make a window so aim there.”
And in which ocean did you gather these pearls of wisdom, huh? Did that ugliness whisper into your ear? Or was it the way it screamed? I mean, I know it’s most likely a hunch but I fucking hate maybes, especially in situations like this.
Valka's clothes are already mostly in tatters yet her wounds are mostly healed, meaning she’s at full strength at least. I trust she can take a few more of those blows so I nod and cook up something devastating.
No, not blue fire again. Val is nearby and will likely get even closer to the rabbit, not to mention I still need my mana in case anything else shows up to answer the initial roar. It’s a proper tool for ending a fight but bringing this one down won’t be the end of it.
What I need is something that has the power of an explosion but way way way more concentrated. Steam does not have the kick, maybe those new wind blades with the tiny gnomes… Or the cone-shaped charges. But I need to get close for those to work.
Sadly my brute has no idea about my inner dilemma and decides to tackle the rabbit, or so Identify says. All I can do before they get tangled up is grab the pair of hunting knives I have on me and load them to the brim with positive charges before sending them into the creature. The blades sink deep but are treated as nothing more than a nuisance as the two sides clash.
Despite running at it head first I know Valka has a plan. She might not be as sharp as me but when it comes to combat she just has this natural understanding of the flow. A claw swipes at her approaching form and instead of blocking it or taking the hit since she can heal anyways, she dodges.
Nice job Bennett. I don’t know what methods you used but she finally understands.
She slides under the claws, grabbing the wrist to yank the opponent closer and replying with a hook the monster dodges just as swiftly. The thing raises its other, still mostly dysfunctional hand but Val is quick enough to punch the elbow, making it bend the wrong way before kicking out a leg once again. The rabbit goes down with a cry and Val starts punching, going for the face and sides, hitting down only to then kick upward.
The thing tries to bite in hopes of breaking the deadlock and Val wisely backs down as an explosion bursts forth from its mouth not a second later. The rabbit capitalizes on its moment which is exactly when I interject.
I swing a bolt of lighting I’ve been cradling for a few seconds now their way and hit exactly what I was aiming for. Well… not entirely. There’s no aiming necessary, as the arc of electricity finds its target all by itself, thanks to being of the opposite charge. Opposites attract I guess.
My assistance is golden and stuns the monster for a second which in an intense fight might as well be a minute. Val takes the opportunity, and some teeth, reclaiming the momentum and driving the creature back down to the ground.
Honestly, if she were ten or twenty levels stronger I think she could win all by herself. But she’s not and we’re on a time-crunch. The only problem is she can’t hit hard enough and I can’t get close enough. If I tried killing it from a distance Val would have to back away, in which case nothing would prevent the bunny from charging at me… Fuck this is irritating, like fighting against a crazed and much deadlier Val.
Fire is the obvious pick for destruction but if only it had the precision of lighting. It’s speed and malleability… I mean, what exactly is holding me back from combining the two? Not the best time to experiment I know, except I forgot once again that Mom and Dad are nearby.
Since I already have some lighting dancing around me in case Val finds herself on the backfoot once more igniting the air is the next step. Then mix and stir and… I get fire with lighting. Like cooking stone soup.
Obviously not the way to go about it.
“A little help!” Val’s voice brings me back to reality as a series of explosive smacks send her crashing through a tree. Another bolt of lighting brings the rabbit to the ground, and then a handful of ice needles appear right before its eyes, claiming one before an explosion washes it all away. “Anything?” My partner inquires.
“A moment!”
But even asking for a day wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
It’s clear I can’t just smash the two together and call it a day so how about combining their certain aspects? Fire is mostly about heat and lightning is guided charges. Maybe I could use fire magic to create lightning and then control it… somehow.
Valka’s once again going ham, shedding blood and weathering hits like a living shield. Now or never. First I create heat, pumping the air so full of energy that it begins to shimmer and take on a slight orange hue before moving on to step two. Creating an imbalance of charges, just like whenever I zap.
[The general Skill [Savant] has reached lvl 81.]
It turns into something scary. Frothing energy, white, blue, and purple, haphazardly thrashing about in arcs melting the ground wherever they touch. I panic for a second, reach first for fire mana to reign it in, only to fail miserably but find a little more success with lightning. Or more accurately magnetism.
This new abomination I created sucks up my mana like there’s no tomorrow and glows so bright I almost question whether I just created light mana or not.
“Val!” I yell, not confident on my hold, or ability to replicate this feat.
Reigning in the electric-blue tendril lashing out all over the place gets a little easier as I discover its habits but the heat is becoming unbearable. The air around me is basically boiling.
To top it off that certain headache is already dawning on me as the fearsome fourth fundamental state of matter forces its way into my head. Plasma.
Val goes reckless, charging headfirst and basically allowing the claws the rake across her side, carving deep lines through her flesh. This opening allows her to sink her thumbs into the rabbit's eyes, blinding it momentarily. Now that she has a solid hold she drags the ugly snout down and properly shatters it with her knee.
Brutal yet efficient, especially compared to her previous bash it till it breathes style.
Lastly, she locks her arms around the wailing creature’s neck, probably breaking its windpipe for good measure, and pulling up, presenting me with a glaringly open target. Her eyes meet mine, resolute and ready for what’s to come.
But she’s still too close. This thing I made… it’s a little more obedient than blue flames but I don’t know what to expect once it lands. Besides the impact most likely reaching Val. Once again I have to hurt someone… Not because I want to but because it’s the best decision.
Sure, I could beg my parents to spare me this burden but what if the next time I’m faced with the same dilemma without them holding my hand… What if the hesitation costs me more than I’m prepared to lose…
I know what I should do and I know that Val is tough as a nail. She proved that during our spar. Yeah, she sure did… because the world is not too fragile to handle me.
Fuck it, I’ll give her the trust she deserves.
The cloud of plasma whips out from my embrace with a low rumble, charring the forest as it travels on an arc, hitting that spine with pinpoint accuracy. I do my best to limit its rampage, to confine the heat and unbelievable energy ravaging anything it touches until it’s all too much and goes up in a fabulous explosion.
Without concern for my safety, I run through the smoke. My head feels like its about ti rip in half and I can barely see through the tears however there are more pressing matters at hand now. With my remaining mana I try to eliminate the dust while dissipating the heat, looking for two things in particular.
“Val, if you’re dead can I get your share of the Solermo loot?” I shout as the dust settles. I might be joking but I’m truly concerned.
Instead of an answer, the shivering howl of the rabbit replies to my voice. Nowhere as vigorous or confident as at the start when it first came at us, rather… pained.
“Only if you use it to buy back my people!” Grumbles the voice I wanted to hear. “And how is that shit still alive?”
I stumble to her and check her up and down. One forearm is clearly broken, some blood dripping from her ear, her skin a bit reddish, and hair… there isn’t much left. She’ll be fine. Also, we really need to find a solution for her self-destructive fighting style, the clothes have suffered once again. Most of the time she protects her chest so nothing revolting shows but I just can’t let her walk away looking like this every damn time.
Another weaker roar draws our attention again. The rabbit is flat on the ground crawling forward with its one remaining arm. The rest of the rabbit, from the chest down, is thankuflly left somewhere else.
We were on a time limit and the gamble paid off. The initial roar was sure to draw the attention of many smaller critters and dealing with them together with this bigger ugliness would’ve been a little tight. If Val suffered any serious damage or got knocked out then protecting her and fighting the smaller rabbits seems even worse.
Except my parents are here…
“You wanna do the honors?” I ask Val and gesture toward the now hunter-turned-prey.
“Nah,” She waves. “you need the levels more than I do.” Which is objectively false. Just because she won our duel doesn’t mean I’m the one falling behind.
“You did more though.” I point out, since I am higher level, even if that’s thanks to the events in Salermo.
Finishing it off would indeed earn me a bit larger contribution but taking someone else’s hard work just doesn’t sit well with me.
“Rock, paper, scissors?” She suggests with a cheeky smile and I’d be a boring fool if I didn't agree.
The thing about the simple game of luck is that at our level it is no longer just about luck. Merely by the first twitch of the hand, the way muscles tense under the skin, one can already gauge the outcome. Or at least I’m able to and I have no doubt Val can do the same.
So I resort to petty tricks.
I move my three fingers necessary to show scissors on ‘Go!’ and fake sneeze not a second later, opening my palm entirely as the noise surprises my opponent. As expected Val shows rock to counter my supposed scissors and I grin madly showing paper to seal the deal.
Mind games… my favorite. Even when I double vision and the next fight is on our neck. I think we did enough for Mom and Dad to pick up some slack already.
“You cheated!” She hisses. “Can’t change what you show.”
“Nuh-uh. You assuming I was going to show scissors doesn't mean I actually did.” I counter and we descend into a small argument.
I quickly forget my earlier generosity as my competitive spirit takes control. It’s not about taking others’ achievements anymore, it's about winning and I won.
“I think we have more pressing matters at hand girls!” Shouts Dad’s voice from the woods. “More is coming!”