“Wake up Cindy,” Came a shake on her shoulder. The sun barely streamed through the windows as Cindy was roughly woken up by her mother.

“Mom? What time is it?” Cindy groggily asked as she looked around the small quaint room they were given to sleep in for the night. Though Cindy had begged to sleep in the same bed as her mother she could tell that as soon as she was asleep Mother had slipped from the bed to lay down on her own.

“We have to get a move on things Cindy, we have a lot to do and I don’t want to waste all of our time lazing about. Get up and get ready, I’ve spent all morning learning more about how this world works and if we want to eat you gotta slay monsters. Now get out of bed.” Mother stood and walked towards the door. She was still in her garb when she arrived in this world.

Cindy looked down. She had been so tired she hadn’t changed either. The clothes were like a second skin with how comfortable they were. She slid out of bed and walked after her mother as the woman stormed out of the room impatiently leading her daughter away from the safety of the inn.

Soon enough they were both standing at the quest board and her mother snatched three flyers. “Look, we have a few quests we can do. While you were still asleep I walked around the town and learned a few things. We need some Tennies and materials so we can get out of this trash they call clothes.”

Cindy hugged herself, mom abandoned me in the room alone? Came the unbidden thought. She must’ve known I was going to be safe. Yeah, that’s it.

Mother looked around and pointed to a gate. I looked out the gate and could see a collection of monsters that we can start the day with. It is the same kind of monster that tried to fight us yesterday. She grabbed Cindy’s wrist and half dragged her towards the gate.

“Mom, why are we rushing? Can’t we just enjoy the morning?” Cindy just wanted to spend some quality time with her mom and not have to be dragged around the town all morning.

“How do you expect me to relax?” Mother pointed a finger in Cindy’s face, “You brought me here to help fight this demon king. Every moment we waste and aren’t working towards that goal is time we won’t get back. I need you to focus and listen to me okay? You need to listen.” Mother’s tone was solid as stone and felt suffocating.

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Cindy could only nod, her throat tightening with her shame that she hadn’t been more considerate of her mother. Of course she was right? She’s just stressed, thats why she’s being this way. Dad gets snippy too when he is stressed. Cindy walked quickly after her mother as they headed outside of the town and looked upon the fields that stretched out before the two of them standing there.

The ground was nice and flat with grass nearly as tall as Cindy’s shoulders. Even from her angle she could see the tops of black creatures moving through the grass stalking around in silence as the wind made things sway. The sun was just now peaking over the horizon and everything was bathed in blood red light. Cindy shivered at the imagery.

“Ok, come with me Cindy.” Mother walked straight towards one of the creatures that Cindy could barely see in the grass. As soon as they were maybe a dozen paces from the creature it whirled at the two of them and started to walk to them both. Her mother spoke, it was in a voice so commanding that Cindy froze in her tracks, “STOP!” Cindy would swear that the light around her mother dimmed when she spoke.

“Mom?” Cindy asked as the monster froze in its tracks. She showed this power yesterday too.

She paid Cindy no attention, “Come.” The creature crawled to her. Its eyes smoked with black fumes as it was forced to move against its will. “Lay down,” The Elizard laid down in plain view, completely unprotected.

Cindy stood there flabbergasted. The thought that they could use one of these creatures as like a pet or something filled her mind and she smiled. She had never been able to have a dog or anything before. Maybe since it was a lizard her mom wouldn’t be allergic to it. “Wow we can take this and go play.”

“Kill it,” Mother said, looking at her.

“What? But look it's not attacking we could…”

“I said kill it. It’s a monster, it deserves to die.” Mother’s eyes bored into Cindy’s chest and stared at her judging her every move.

“It might not have attacked, it was walking towards us. We don’t have to kill it. Maybe we can keep it as a pet.” Cindy began to sweat down her back as she stared at her mother pleading not to have to do this. The one before was obviously attacking but with her mom’s power they didn’t have to go around slaughtering things.

“Either you kill it or I’m going to go without you and take the demon king on myself,” Mother’s voice was cold as ice and unyielding as a mountain.

Cindy’s hands shook as she raised them up palms pointing at the Elizard. She felt her sweat bead on her forehead as it looked at her with questioning eyes that were slowly clearing of smoke. A sense of curiosity filling them with a docileness that might just be able to fight against its nature.

“Cindy…” Her mother’s voice cut through her like a knife.

With a quavering voice she squeaked out, “Flame, Bolt, Pulse.” An arrow of pure fire slammed into the creature and knocked it on its side as it cried out in pain. Golden cracks of light spread where the bolt had hit the creature as it writhed on the ground.

“Again,” Came her mom’s voice.

Cindy felt tears run down her cheek, It’s just a game world. It’s a monster. It’s a monster. She kept repeating that mantra as she fired bolt after bolt into the creature until it shattered into a thousand motes of light.

Mother stroked Cindy’s head gently, “Good job Cindy. Remember to listen to momma. We have a long day ahead of us.”

Cindy wept and shook as her mom kissed her forehead. But it was a cold empty gesture, it didn’t feel like the love she knew.