Daryl had a heavy sense of guilt in his chest as he watched Cindy ready herself to leave. She rapidly flashed through the most recent set of equipment to absorb all the runes with her cheat skill. Her insistence that she be strong was no doubt derived from his complete compartmentalization of his own emotions and how he was handling the most recent loss and changes in his life.
If I open up will she also open up? He asked himself as he followed her out of town. Everyone waved at them and thanked them profusely for all the help they had rendered this last week of constant questing. Both of them had stock piled potions and healing supplies. A plethora of cooked meat ready to eat and several traveling meals for lesser full day buffs from the restaurant.
Daryl had his own set of new equipment labeled the Savage Savior set. Its skills ranged mostly as defensive abilities that focused monsters on him. It definitely cut down on his damage output but in return gave him the ability to instantly get a monster’s attention for a small amount of time. The most important ability though was a damage reflection skill that drained stamina in return for doing damage every time he took a blow. It looked like a thorny set of vines layered over leather in the shape of a toga. The sandals wrapped up to his knees and a laurel of thorns. It gave quite a boost to physical damage resistance and would make him a much better tank. It seemed he was taking further steps away from the massive damage the first set had started him off with.
Daryl tried more and more to get Cindy to ride upon his shoulder again where he knew she was safe but she denied him at every turn. Turned away from his offer and walked on her own feet. Her constant insistence on being strong and stoic ate away at him. She was too young for that attitude.
So they walked now further into the wilds towards the next town. Headed the direction the monsters had come from in hopes of finding more places that they could help. Cindy was trying to wear the cloak of being a hero like armor against the emotions she must be feeling and Daryl just wanted to let her process it all instead of hiding from it.
Again that sense of powerlessness that filled him. When he was holding her in her meltdown and could do nothing to help, now was there with her denying every attempt to get her to talk about things. From her confusion about this imposter of Marilyn, to her watching people die. It was all so important to talk about, and she wouldn’t acknowledge any of it.
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How would Marilyn handle this? Daryl asked himself as they walked through the plains on the path that was well worn. She would take Cindy and set her in her lap, hold her gently and talk in soothing tones. Let Cindy naturally open up about it, but she had never done that with Daryl. She just wanted to play with him, wherever she struggled with friends she always went to Marilyn and not him. Cindy would always seek her mother out for her emotional needs. How long till she realizes I’m all she has left?
Daryl kept his mind running as they walked. The cobblestones passed beneath their feet as they made their way through the lands. The earth showed no signs of the black cracks those monsters had left beneath their feet. Unlike Cindy it had healed and returned to what it was. Thinking about those cracks running along her chest underneath her robe plagued his mind.
Instead of watching for danger all Daryl could think about was his daughter. Looking at her tiny form in comparison to his giant one. She was wearing her new armor, her Serious Savior set. It also had a roman feel to it, with a long flowing women’s toga with emerald studded clasps barely scraped against the ground but never staining. It was pure white like fresh snow, You couldn’t see her gold laced sandals halfway up her calves. Her bracers shone with dozens of cut gems with two central emeralds of deep green like her eyes. Her own laurel of pure white bone and gold leaf was laced inside her long mane of raven black hair.
When he asked about it she told him very little about the skills it offered. Though from the amount of spells she could now expel was much larger so an obvious boost to mana or regeneration was there. Plus when a monster went around them she was able to let loose a bubble of blue energy that repulsed the monster that was charging her.
Walking together they finally saw signs of the next town. Before them lay a destroyed wall, devastation of a massive order as signs of destroyed homes. The few people that moved around seemed defeated and exhausted. Hunters moved about with their weapons already drawn as they searched the streets for signs of small monsters that must have invaded the town when the wall fell. Thankfully there were no signs of larger monsters causing any more havoc.
Cindy stopped and Daryl could see her fists clench in tight determination and anger as mana flowed off her as some part of her triggered some spell in her mind without thinking about it. Cindy shook there for a moment seething as Daryl knelt down next to her and set a hand on her back.
“Badger,” He said. “You have to breathe.”
A dozen shaking breaths later Cindy unclenched and started to walk towards the destroyed town. Her voice didn’t show the anger that she had felt moments before, “They need heroes Dad. Let’s go be those heroes.”
Cindy started to run and it was simple for Daryl to follow as they entered the town. Seeing the devastation helped set Daryl’s mind into business mode. It was going to be even harder for him to talk Cindy into them trying to find a way home instead of helping. Her good intentions and kindness made her set herself aside for the needs of others.