"Do you want to talk about it?" Hera asked as she and Blue set up the makeshift kitchen outside the cabin with some cooking supplies Shane and Mylo found during the day. It was a large stone support with some dry wood to fuel the fire. Besides that, a few iron slabs were also used as a grill. Having those things could help a lot since making the fire on the raft floor was dangerous. Blue had already created the storm barrier around them, and Hera placed some monster-repellent stones on the perimeter before making a soundproof bubble.
"I just felt bad… and embarrassed," Blue replied as she started the fire.
"Embarrassed?" Hera tilted her head.
"Yeah. I mean, c'mon, 'I am the storm' is soo fucking cringe," Blue sighed and started preparing the fish on top of one of the grills.
"Well… I can't say much. I keep trying to find cool ways to call my court, but right now it's just 'Everybody out,'" Hera chuckled, "But it's ok if you wanted to make a signature move or something. And if you don't like that one, we can workshop something else. How about 'Crash Down'?"
"I rather not say anything," Blue kept her eyes on the fish.
"Then why don't you?" Hera asked.
"I can't. I'm guessing it's like how you call your court. It has to have a phrase for the cloud to echo."
"The cloud? So you weren't the one who yelled that?"
"No!" Blue gasped and turned to the explorer, "It was the cloud. Instead of thunder, my voice booms out of the storm I created. It's part of the condition for the skill."
"Really? What exactly is that skill?" Hera had her arms crossed while trying to think. Even if she had something similar, when she called her court, it didn't have to be something she said out loud.
"Well. It's something that I can do with one of my clouds. The cooldown takes a couple of days, but basically, when I make a cloud, I can designate it as the Storm's End. With that, every attack or skill I use through that cloud leaves a bit of power behind. Then as the Storm's Last Breath, I can unleash the energy to make an attack that will either cover an area and be around 20 times stronger than if I was using that energy for something else or a single target blast that will be 50 times stronger."
"Damn!" Hera gasped, "That seems amazing! Shit, 50 times? Do you have a limit on how much power each cloud can store?"
"I do. Each cloud can only store a percentage of the mana I used to create them. Like if I used 100 mana to make one, the cloud could only store 40 mana, but I would need to spend around 800 mana to store that much in the cloud."
"Got it, still. Even if we are going by that math, you are spending close to a thousand mana to make an attack that would require double that amount. It is a powerful thing. Especially when you start scaling up the cost. Add one or two extra zeroes to those numbers, and you are already dealing with something stupid," Hera said with a smile, "But I still don't understand what the problem with telling everyone about it was. Was it just the cringe?"
"The other problem was that I got those skills last night. Well, saying those is kind of unfair. It's all a single skill but split into two parts. I felt bad because I didn't want to have a discussion with everyone like you did," Blue explained when she finally cleaned one of the fish.
"So? Just because I did that doesn't mean everyone has to. Besides, I asked for your help and ended up getting what I wanted anyway," Hera shrugged with a laugh.
"Still, you were thinking about the group while I was thinking about what would be fun. I think I'm not taking all of this seriously enough."
"What's the problem with that? We could all afford to be less stressed about everything that is going on. Besides, this is just a temporary thing. We will figure out a way to go back home eventually. I think we might need to go the long way around now," Hera smiled and started to mix the fish with some of the spices they got from the dungeon.
"Really?" Blue stopped for a moment, "Yeah, I think I agree with you. Even if we find that doorway again, we would have to deal with the whirlpool. Sure, maybe we can breathe underwater there, but maybe we can't."
"You are also counting on the idea that we can figure out a way to open the door the way Alex did quickly. I have no clue if there is a lever or something. Maybe there was, but I honestly can't remember," Hera started cooking the first of the fish. They were going to try to cook one first to see if they got it right and then make it in bulk for everyone.
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"Right. I forgot about that. Yeah, going the long way around sounds better. We might even be able to find a connection back to the Wailing Valley or someplace else," Blue nodded, feeling a bit better about it.
They continued talking about their plans and any new skills they got from their legacies while cooking the fish. Nimbus, Daskka, and the court were on patrol duty, moving close to the storm to make sure no monsters were approaching while still staying inside the soundproof bubble. Hera didn't want them to be forced to hear the fake screams coming from the slimes. After about fifteen minutes, Blue walked inside the cabin with some cooked fish. It wasn't a five-star meal, but it was a welcomed change from the usual. That kept going for a while, and when Hera was cooking the last batch of fish, Shane came out of the cabin with one of the empty iron slabs instead of Blue.
"Hey. This bubble is working, right?" Shane pointed to the surrounding area.
"I mean, you can't hear their screams, can you?" Hera asked.
"Fair point. Listen… Do you think you could call the guide tomorrow? I don't like the idea of having to go through this every night."
Hera nodded, "Yeah. I was already thinking about it. I wanted to see if we could find a way to go to the flying city and if there are any monsters in there at night. Then, if I'm lucky, I wanted to see if I can find out more about the doorways."
"That's a good call. Whatever you can't find out, I'll try to," Shane smiled, "Oh… and sorry if I'm being annoying. Mylo and I were talking, and I realized that I started to default to being bitchy every now and then. I didn't even realize I was doing that. If I can ask for a favor. Could you tell me if I start acting like that again?"
Hera stopped to stare at Shane for a moment, "I honestly didn't realize that was happening. But sure. I mean, we are all under a lot of stress, and everyone has been a bit snappy lately. Understandably so. But I'll let you know if I notice something odd. Changing the subject for a bit, do you have any new legacy skills you want help with?"
"Not really. I got a couple of new ones a few days before we started our trip, and I'm saving for a big one now. It will let me make long-term enchantments on items, and it won't ask me to be close to most of them. Like I could enchant one of your weapons, and we could be in different rooms while the skill is still working. Or at least that's what the herald tells me," Shane sat by Hera's side, "Want me to finish this up? That way, you can eat."
The Empress smiled, "The person who is grilling the meat usually is who eats the most. Also, is there a reason why you don't mention the herald's name?"
"Not really. I just find it easier to explain like this. Besides, my herald is just mine. It's not like Daskka, who can interact with a bunch of people," Shane replied and leaned back, "Their name is Dartra, by the way."
"Dartra? Any reason for that name?"
"I tried to make it a mix of Darni and Lantra. It felt fitting."
Hera smiled, and she noticed that Daskka was happy with that too. The snake wasn't outside the bubble but sitting on the corner, watching the cloud barrier that Blue created on the lookout for any monsters.
When the last fish was done, Hera called everyone back and went inside the cabin. She gave Nimbus and Daskka some of her share. Even if they didn't have to eat, they could enjoy food. More time passed, and everyone went to bed. Someone was always up to keep a lookout, and they would sleep in shifts, but thanks to Hera's bubble, which was still up when she slept, nothing happened until the morning came.
After waking up, Hera first brushed her teeth and headed to a nearby cabin where she would activate her Safety Cube and set everything up. She told everyone where she was going but asked them not to follow. To make sure things wouldn't go south, she grabbed a couple of monster-repellent stones and placed them around the cabin she was using. With everything ready, she took a deep breath and said.
"I call upon the Guide of the Abyssal Deep. As an explorer, I have proven that my motives are pure."
She waited a moment while nothing happened. Then a tiny pink sphere appeared in front of her, coming from the shadows created by the safety cube. That round ball started to spin slowly and glow within a mix of multicolored sparkles, and then it started to change. It stretched slowly, taking a different shape. Little by little, that ball became humanoid, but it started to twist even more. Large tendrils were coming out from the head and going all the way to the feet, almost like a new set of limbs. The waist became bigger and bigger, stopping midway where the legs were supposed to be, but forming heavy armor or some sort of swollen limbs. It was insect-like, small limbs reaching for a much bigger body, and Hera was starting to get worried. She never saw a guide with such an alien shape, and they were still glowing for whatever reason. Could she even understand this guide?
With a cutesy 'pop' sound, the feet took their final form, a pair of high heels with a small bow resting on the tip and a pair of knee-high dark pink socks. That large waist that Hera believed to be armor became a ball gown full of frills that seemed to be flowing in the nonexistent wind and dropped a few centimeters beyond her knees. The hands became white gloves, and the chest had a beautiful top shirt with a puffy cravat and a light pink bow on top adorned with a single amethyst. What Hera thought to be extra limbs was revealed to be actually this guide's hair, a very long and silky hair that formed small drills in the end.
"When the light of the world is in danger, only those with a pure heart can fight against the forces of evil," the glowing face started to move and spoke in a slightly high-pitched voice, "I heard your cries, adventurer, and your soul is bright. For that," the left hand moved to make a sideways V and place it in front of their face. In contrast, the right hand went forward with the finger as far apart as humanly possible, "I have answered your call!"
The glow stopped, revealing the guide's face. It was still pink, more pink than any person should be, and in a way, it reminded Hera of Peaches. The way the skin was moving, it seemed almost malleable, like some soft clay or play dough.
"To fend off the evild and darkness, I am the warrior of love. Magical Guide Lodi!"