Cindy looked up at her mother as they walked towards the town in the distance. She kept up a quick pace in order to keep from being pulled by her mother constantly. Her mother looked ever onward, never glancing back as she almost rushed to the city in the distance. The sun was rising quickly into the sky.

A monster came into the road though, causing them to both freeze in place. It was a dog sized reptile with black scales along its sides. A smattering of yellow scales mixed in with them all. Its head had a massive unhinging jaw as it swiveled its face towards the two of them. Great claws dug into the earth as it gazed at them with cold, hungry malice.

Cindy raised her arms, hands cupped together and called out her spell. The hope to impress her mother flaring in her chest, “Force Bolt Pulse!” Energy collected in her outstretched palms. She took a moment to aim it and… sneezed. The sudden movement pointed her hands down into the earth and kicked up a mighty dust blast into her face.

Coughing she watched as it charged at them both and her heart sank. Her mother might not know what to do. What if she was too scared to act? Cindy struggled to try and control herself and recover so she could fight to save them both.

Her mother stepped forward and brought one hand back as the lizard leapt at her with claws extended. In a flash and a clap of sound she watched as the beast was swatted out of the air and sent back tumbling through the dirt. The creature whined and scrabbled at its face as some of it seemed to melt away at the simple contact with her mother.

With a voice like thunder her mother roared, “Bad! Sit!” The creature's eyes glazed over as it stilled and sat down like a chastised dog. It looked with so much fear at her mother as she stalked closer to it. “Lay down!” Her mother growled at the back of her throat.

The beast laid down and closed its eyes letting out a hissing whimper. Cindy was still coughing as she watched her mom lift one foot and bring it down so hard it crumpled the creature's head with black lines of energy spreading through its body before it burst into dark black motes. Cindy struggled to recover as she watched her mom stand there.

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She was so strong now, stronger than she had ever been in life. She saved Cindy, and with ease. Cindy struggled to her feet and looked at her mother, “Wow, how did you do that?” Her eyes were watering and full of tears as she fought off another coughing fit.

Her mother’s face was in a manic grin showing far too many teeth for just a flash before it melted into something much softer as she looked at Cindy. “I… I have the command skill. If my concentration is stronger than their focus they have to listen.” It must have had low hit points for me to beat it in two strikes.”

“What are your stats? We can figure out what hit points it had.” Cindy burned with curiosity at the build that her mother had. It must be much more balanced than her own magic skewed one.

“It doesn’t matter Cindy. Come on, I got some loot but let's go.” Her mother brushed her off as she snatched Cindy’s hand and started to march once more. Her grip was almost too tight for Cindy to stand.

As she watched she coughed and stumbled scraping her knee hard on the ground.

You’ve taken 1 point of fall damage

Motes of light filtered off her knee as pain flared in her leg. “Ouch! Mom, you're going too fast.”

The mother’s voice was so cold as she spoke back, “Don’t blame me for your failure. Get up I don’t want to fight another monster because you’re too slow to let us get to safety.”

“Mom! What’s wrong with you? You’re never like this!” Cindy looked hurt and tears formed in her eyes as she gazed at her mother.

Her mom sighed and stepped closer to Cindy kneeling down and brushing hair from her face, “You have to understand what it is like to be me right now. I’m in a new world, not of my own choice and am out in the open where it is dangerous. What would have happened if I wasn’t able to take care of that monster? Would you have wanted to watch it attack and hurt me?”

“No,” Cindy’s voice was so meek as she looked at the ground ashamed she had snapped at her mother. She hadn’t fully considered what it would be like for her mom. “I’m sorry,” She whispered to the ground.

“Now come on, I want to get to town and find out what is going on.” This time Cindy didn’t take her mom’s hand as she followed behind her ashamed.

Cindy watched her feet as she half ran and sniffed back her tears.