Devon had us clear the ground of every stray rock or pebble. With the stones removed, leaving a grassy circle, he had everyone step out.

"Cain. Burn the grass; do not disturb the ground."

I raised my arm and closed my eyes, conjuring the spark. Control was needed, so I kept the flame low and restarted when it grew too big. A new flame took its place, small, barely a match's worth of heat and light.

Runic lines appeared and blazed brightly once settled in. My mana came to life, flowing down my arm but forced to crawl as it neared my palm. I let it connect to the rune in my head, and the flame grew larger but still well within control.

“Ek kalla heiðarloga.”

Flames shot out and landed on the grass. It lit up like a wildfire, and bright green turned black instantly. I smelled burnt dew, but the flames didn't mind the liquid as they turned the black grass into white ash.

I lowered my palm and rubbed at the skin – smooth, not bleeding or cracked, only a little dry.

I'm getting better at this. Maybe after another dozen tries, I'll stop self-immolating.

"Do we need to clear the ash?" I asked.

He shook his head and pulled out a different vial, one I had seen him prepare earlier. The liquid had changed from a bright yellow to a crimson red, but I recognized the stem from a plant he had put in the vial.

After pulling off the stopper, he poured the contents onto the ash, dyeing it pink. When he stepped back, the liquid moved on its own, spreading out like a creeping wave until it covered the ground within the circle.

"That's not right. Liquids shouldn't come to life."

Devon ignored me and pulled out another vial, this one a murky grey. He repeated the process, and the circle now looked dusty.

"What exactly are you doing?"

"Preparing the spell circle. The ash will be the binding while the liquid primes it," he answered.

He pulled out a third vial, and the circle became a muted black. Devon didn't look worried, but he never smiled to begin with.

Alice, for her part, had her axe out and a small cloth soaked in oil.

I shook my head and unsheathed my axe, adjusting my cloak. It tightened, squeezing onto my shoulders before relaxing.

That, at least, brought a genuine smirk to my face.

Devon clapped, and I turned as he rubbed his hands together. Something crushed between his palms and started to flake to the ground. The particles joined the black ash and faded away. But a change took place, and I felt it create a buzz in the air.

He stepped inside, his feet leaving the ground undisturbed until he reached the middle. As he stood in the center, the buzzing grew louder, which triggered my cloak to envelop me in an energy shell. Once the cloak formed the shell, the buzzing subsided, and I rubbed my aching jawbone.

Alice's mouth twitched spasmodically. She hastily wrapped the rag into a bundle of leather skin and shoved it back into her satchel.

Devon shouted, but his words came out distorted, like he spoke from inside a bubble. "I'll be starting in the next click. Ready yourself. Do not let anything disturb the circle."

He placed both hands into the ground, and they sank to his elbows, far deeper than they should have. The buzzing intensified even with my cloak protecting me.

Alice's eyes were no longer human. They glowed red, bright. Her fangs were exposed in a vicious snarl. She swept her head around and saw me staring. I tensed, but she squinted her eyes shut and pulled up her hood.

Her face partially relaxed, looking strained but no longer savagely angry.

I moved closer so I didn't have to yell. "Are you okay?"

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She showed gritted teeth. "I'll be fine. Pieces of my cloak are made from the Red's cloak; it'll be enough to protect me from the effects as long as my hood is up."

I flexed my fingers and rubbed at the red fabric draped behind me.

Thanks again for the protection.

The sudden feeling of my wolf leaving my shadow forced me to whip around, bringing my axe up.

A loud cry trilled out as my wolf leaped and latched its black fangs onto the side of a creature's neck. They crashed to the ground, sliding forward, while my summon melded into the shadows. Despite the fall, the deer kept its momentum, gliding across the grass and sending up a spray of dirt in its wake.

"Protect the circle!"

Alice rushed forward and swung her axe, cleanly cutting through the creature's neck. The deer hit her legs, bowing her over, but it stopped the corpse from sliding further. I quickly stood and held out my arms.

Small clumps of dirt smacked into my front, and my cloak flared out behind me, intercepting another.

With the circle protected, Alice got up and used her axe to drag the corpse further away. "No more talking. Focus."

I let out the breath I had been holding and tightened my grip on my axe. My summon raised its head from the ground beneath my feet, and I flashed a smile.

"Good job. Let out a warning if you sense more; don't worry about protecting me right now."

It barked and rose from the ground, solidifying into a pseudo-solid state. I observed as it sniffed the air and walked out of the clearing. Through our connection, I could track its position even after the wolf vanished among the thick trees.

For over three minutes, nothing else attacked. Then the connection flared, and I tensed. "Alice! Incoming!"

I closed my eyes and let the void pull me in. My vision moved to the side as I gained my wolf's sight.

Damn. That's a lot.

They resembled kobolds, crafted not from stone and fire but from green grass and thick brown roots. Eight charged through the trees, mouths agape, revealing rock chunks that were neither sharp nor round but jagged and rough. They brandished wooden picks, each twice as thick as those from the cave.

"Earth Kobolds!"

She nodded, and that savage smile reappeared. It transformed my anxiety into an excited energy that surged through my limbs.

Hunt! Hunt! Crush the prey!

I shook my head and awaited my summon's return. Its blurry form emerged from the tree line, and I moved to join Alice.

Once the sound of thumping reached our ears, she set off, and I joined her. We sprinted, and the sound became a vibration beneath our feet.

My shadow wolf kept up, but I quickly pointed it behind us.

Couldn't leave the circle unguarded.

When the first of the monsters came into view, Alice raised her arm, and I readied myself.

I expected frost, but instead, the air around her palm began to hum, and I braced myself for the impact.

The monsters turned and swung, but she thrust her arm forward, releasing the accumulated mana. A wave of energy rippled through the air. Roots and stone collided with the projectile, only to be scattered by an explosive burst of force.

Rocky forms tumbled, while others merely leaned backward. None of it mattered. Alice was upon them, her heavy axe crashing into the legs of those who remained standing.

I swung my axe, clipping the beard behind another's arm, and dragged the teetering elemental to the ground.

The explosion devastated the kobolds, and I shoved the handle of my axe into one's neck. An ear-scratching creak filled the air, and I ground my teeth as it took everything I had to decapitate the monster.

Its head popped off, and a spurt of putrid brown liquid splashed against the ground. I nearly vomited from the smell but forced it down and moved on to the next prey.

The creature attempted to swing its massive pickaxe, but I stomped on its arm, driving it into the dirt and causing the weapon to drop.

Bending down, I lifted the pickaxe, surprised by its lightness. It descended, tearing the monster's arm off at the shoulder. As I raised it again, a rough grip seized my leg, pulling me backward.

My chin hit the dirt.

"Aargh!"

The stone grip on my ankle tightened, eliciting a protest from my bones.

No!

Without aiming, I swung the pickaxe and smashed it into the arm, forcing it to release its grip. I swung again and again. Each hit sent more splatters of the putrid liquid across my clothes, but I kept swinging.

I stood up. Only an arm remained attatched to the monster's body.

Die already!

I jammed the pickaxe into the gap between its chin and neck, lunging forward. Stone crumbled and wood splintered as both monster and axe shattered. The dim brown-yellow glow in its eyes faded to black, and I rose to my feet.

My breath came out ragged, and I turned to see Alice dodging the wide swings of the last standing elemental. The one I had disarmed struggled to rock itself off the ground, so I sheathed my axe and dragged the pickaxe behind me with both hands on the shaft.

It turned. I lifted the pickaxe up. Screeching gravel and vibrating stone pierced my eardrums, and I screamed in unison.

The heavy pickaxe met its shoulder, and it crashed to the floor. I raised it again and let it fall towards the center of its back. The head broke off and went flying away. That didn't stop me.

I climbed over it, bending low. My hands grabbed at the eye sockets, hooking my fingers in place. One foot stomped on its upper back, and I pulled.

It screeched again, and I pulled harder.

With a final twist, the head came off in a shower of goop, and I tossed it away. A heavy thump blew some fallen leaves into the air, and I turned to see Alice wedge the shaft of her axe into the final monster's neck and pop its head free.

Her smile made me realize how wide my own stretched across my face.

"Good job. Let's return to the circle."

Yeah. I guess we should.

A loud wolf howl rang through the trees, and our eyes widened. I reached down to grab another pickaxe and rushed back to the circle, where I felt my wolf take a hit.