Fighting through the consternation, between waves of fright and dismay. At an unknown time, she had started to grip hard. Appearing from her grasp was a nameless looking sword. Not everything happened meaningfully. Two heads were better than one, when the two were starting at the same point.
By reflex, she gathered mana sending it into the sword. When the two forces collided, her mana was barred entry. In place, mana already circulated around the edge of the sword, the two didn’t have the ability to mix. Having never stopped her actions from beginning to end. The strange flow of mana didn’t abstract her ability to think or move. Only slight stagnation arrived as promptly as it left, mana smoothly flowed back to her heart.
Given a new hold, Jessica wasn’t thrown wildly. This, however, didn’t mean all was well. Not having any experience, Leo’s mana was more than enough to pierce the skin. What didn’t work, was stabbing into a target without a stabilized foundation. Lacking any means of producing thrusting force from contact with something like the ground. Being inefficient, was problematic. At most, at least three inches of blade at best made into flesh. At an unknown cost.
Making matters worse was the next series of actions taken by the fox. Taken but seconds, had felt so prolonged. Being unaware, things had taken an unfortunate turn. Coming up was the end of this prolonged charge, in front of them was a wall. As such, while their speed slowed. Once majestic, now became lackluster at best.
With meaning, or without. A power slide occurred that allowed the fox to use its large paws and claws to dig into the surface level of dirt. Using it to pivot its entire body into a position suitable to twist and turn. Uncanny bodily control, this twist and turn included using its massive body to create a large amount of force to jerk certain parts of its body.
What transpired in the end was a single figure being flung, regardless of how hard they tried to brace for this coming impact. As the two fought, there wasn’t much that could be done. Much of what one did was canceled out by what the other did.
With incredibly accuracy, she was able to unstick herself by recalling. Doing so made any stability holding her in place to disappear of her own volition. There wasn’t a very good reason to not do so, as it was an inevitability. Instead, using this method to give herself control over some of the force being thrust her way. Using perfect timing to perform an extraordinary maneuver. As there was no longer any force holding her in place, she was flung around by the remaining force.
Alternative to the reality, most might believe this would spell trouble. However, with timing and good instincts, not all control was lost. The angle at which she flew combined with the object of her obsession had in a sense correlated. Willing the blade back into existence, Jessica stabbed down, using all her body weight to lean forward.
Learning a lesson quick was part of her survival classes growing up as a child. Not leaving everything to chance, she cycled mana through her body. Meeting resistance, being prepared this time, new energy was fed into her arm to add proper force to this stab. Not having much choice, focusing as best her physical restraints allowed. A deep growl mixed with a bit of a yelp was the result.
A new hold was granted as dissimilar to the first stab, this time Jessica had embedded the blade deeply into the body of the leader. Not taking any chances, without any immediate actions. After a few turns mixed in between long stretches of bull like movements. It wasn’t possible to know when, only once she was in position she finally stood up.
Doing so caused a large obstruction of air resistance to shove her back. Instead of falling off. She learned back as she seemed to be held in place by unknown force. At an impossible angle, she was leaning back as her feet told the entirety of the story. One was position on the soft auburn fur that smelled differently to how it felt. The other was taut with force as she applied all her weight to it.
That foot was also placed against fur, important was not what was under it, but what lay next to it. Turned at a slight angle was the dagger that had originally been in her left hand. Failing once, Jessica wasn’t willing to risk it a second time. Ensuring this attempt ended correctly, she fed string and used the dagger as a handle, she tangled ring after ring of string.
Once loosely wrapped three times, with a bit of effort, waiting for a perfect moment. Success always lay between success and failure. While one was just a single moment, the other was all except that one moment. Seizing time between a jerk and thrust. A moment between both was met with silent momentum forward.
Using all the weight she could possibly generate from her weight using its own body as counterweight. Once one side was dealt with, there was a slight bit of resistance as she hammered the dagger in. Using a small bit of extra fiber, Jessica made a small bit of a protrusion. This was what kept the dagger from possibly dislodging itself from the fox's back.
From start to finish, everything aside from a smooth journey occurred. As her body became taut, less than forty percent of her mana remained. Jerking and jumping became more prominent as the fiber started to tightly ripe into its neck. When a heavy scent of iron started to become more pronounced, there was no longer any momentum as she lost a bit of tension as the neck drew back. As her body began to fall back, she was able to stay on its back, much to her dismay.
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Almost unquestioning with purpose, there was a lift of its back half. Thus, when met, a large amount of force was generated. First smelling, now became a tasting. Not sure if her grinding her teeth caused her gums to bleed. Possibly much worse, her insides felt completely jarred and blended. With too many possibilities, truth became an unknown.
Holding on, the fox was as desperate as her. With one last gambit. She was coming close to empty in her reserves. Praying desperately for the fox to cease moving. Desperate pleads aside, rushing forward, without any intention of stopping, it became clear what was to come. There was no stopping or slowing down. Soon, a wall that started out distant, became ever so apparently close.
Unable to see it herself, as the wall was about to meet. Eyes that once held a tiny light dimmed. Inertia at work, the two collided heavily. A soft rumbling could be heard, possibly felt. Only, with no longer having a connection to the ground, Jessica didn’t feel any of it. Not even hearing, while probably being there, the information was lost as other more prominent knowledge took precedent.
With very little choice, doing the best possible action, spreading mana thinly throughout her body. The bark being worse than the bite, she soon met wall. If not for the departing of the fox’s spirit, inadvertently causing the force being produced caused the kinetic energy to drop drastically. As forced forward by inertia, the body of the fox wasn’t able to produce any more force. What took place, in its place, was a dragging. Adding insult to injury, while saving her life, the result ended in a comical manner.
Questioning her once three dimensions, currently feeling rather two-dimensional. This impact caused her insides to feel even harsher than before. When she finally came back, after losing consciousness. Finding herself tasting dirt. Opening her eyes, she was able to realize that time hadn’t gotten away from her. A mass of mana was being taken as the body was slowly disappearing. Not completely sure how herself. While feeling in pieces, her insides were badly beaten, only still somehow in one piece.
Unknown adrenaline coursed roughly through her broken feeling body. Sitting up slightly, eyes stuck with no shift in attention. Slowly as piece by piece was eaten. Being so large, caused the dungeon, to be unable to instantaneously devour such a large corpse. As each piece was taken, she started to get more nervous. Everything to this point was for this very moment. Knowing and seeing were two different matters.
Failing to realize the true horror. Not being prepared, everything from a tiny nook or cranny screamed out in pain. Everything came down to this very moment. Pale with fright, she watched as all but the tail had been eaten. Horror filled her eyes and mind. Closing her eyes, taking a large breath of air. Knowing from the start, this indeed was a possibility. She was completely unsure if she could do it again. Worst being the fact she overestimated herself. Now she could leave and try again somewhere easier. Then again, the worst part of this situation was not damage, instead, the difficult issue was coming up with a better solution.
Massively in pain, didn’t mean she couldn’t go again. Only, being forced to, Jessica didn’t like leaving her survival up to her instincts alone. Having no ability to do anything, needing to survive off instinct instead of intelligence. With one false move, the pain she felt would have been the last. Thoughts racing, her eyes opened and all could be seen was turbulence.
Standing up, with a deadpan look, hiding as much of her desperation as she could. One last look at the empty spot where the gigantic body once lay. Turning painfully, she was forced to move slowly. Doing so caused her to pause at a corner where the end of the fox once laid. Her entire face twitched malevolently.
Seeing a crystal, milky white with the size of a small fist. What was first excitement was soon destroyed by the hysterical laughing. “That look on your face, the desperation and depression. I tried so hard to hold it in. Yet that face in between dark to happy. I am so sorry… HAHAHAHAhahahahaha…”
She could tell how hard he tried to control himself. Unexpectedly, used to it, she knew his sanity was a facade. From time to time, Leo burst out with uncontrollable emotions. His words were split between speaking common human, common elf, combined in the end with him sharing his honest thoughts through the seal. There was a clear attempt to control himself, but in the end the truth spilled out. With little choice, she could only sigh helplessly.
The good mood wasn’t completely ruined. Instead, what replaced it was a look of meaning. She only had a few days. In that time she had to complete her breakthrough, if she failed everything would end poorly. Worst case scenario would be filling the crystal while finish refilling her own reserves. Only to have the crystal break into tiny pieces as she was about to begin her breakthrough. Now it was a race against time.
As Leo attempted to control himself, she had no choice but to ignore him and anything she was felling. From unstable emotions to the pain. Pulling out a small mound of blue stones. In total was around ten. Using three, she controlled the mana into her nearly empty heart. Within a short period of time, she was able to refine the mana herself with record time. By this point, her mana reserves filled around a quarter of her heart.
As more mana filled her heart, the easier it was to use a very small fraction to give some relief from the pain. Once this was done, meditation became possible. From there, the pain was possible to numb naturally. Slowly, time ticked by. Seconds turning into minutes, before dissolving unknowingly into hours. Opening her eyes, there was a clear indication that she was starting to become exhausted.
Cold to touch, this crystal was perfect to fit in her palm. Without time, Jessica had to ignore her wants, no time to explore this strange existence. Indiscriminately slow at first, Jessica’s heart started to beat wildly, building up over time as it was possibly to see her fingers starting to jerk uncontrollably. Gritting her teeth, she controlled her mana to leave her light-headed as she started to wobbly as everything was emptied into the crystal. From a white, colorless form. Soon became bright pulsing blue.