Anastasia Pascal
She tried her best to copy everyone’s normalcy. Treating fights with monsters as if it wasn’t abnormal. Just another day. Sweating with the effort to confront these abominations with the same stoicism or excitement as the rest. She was trying her best to show anything, anything, other than the terror quaking inside. Her hands trembled in contrast to their smooth action.
They’re all loonies, thought Anastasia. And that crazed redhead is the worst of them all! She’s dragged me along with the most fucking bonkers of parties.
Malachi’s party was currently preparing to take down one of the vomitous Ratsins. Those horrid things that waddled along the edges of the phosphorescence gloom. They looked completely diseased, nothing bothered them and the Sixty had planned to follow suit. They were the sort to be happy to devour whatever they came across. Fungus, dead, or the living
Unfortunately, the one ahead couldn’t be ignored.
Some of the bloated creatures followed paths that wandered too close. It would be a huge risk to allow the monsters to join a battle at random. Suddenly appearing at their flanks could the fight into a devastating spiral..
The redhead grinned and nudged her again to give the spell a try. Grimacing, Anastasia focused on the sore-covered monster. Tried her best not to think about what happened to Leon. That was all she could think about. The man was bleeding from several orifices, but the barrier acolyte had calmly insisted that he was good to continue. After just a little healing.
Malachi hadn’t bought a single word of it. He sent Leon back to the Hall immediately.
The result had been twofold, group formations had changed and Anastasia had gained a new wonderful dread. Instead of just being terrified of being ripped apart by monsters, she was now also worried about being torn apart from the inside because of some misuse of Mana.
All of this is frankly preposterous, grumbled Anastasia. I didn’t want to waste away, allowing others to do all the work. Waiting in poisonous leisure. Left to worry a pace or two into the floor of my room… that would have been hell! But! This expectation! Gah! This expectation that something is certainly going to kill me… whether a slobbering monster or my fool self… that expectation might just really kill me! Of the three options, I couldn’t say which is worse.
“Yo, girlie, let’s get this show on the roooaaad,” whined the pouting Clarissa. “We’re all ready to do some monster slaying... and I’m getting bored.”
“I, I, I’m um getting there!” flushed Anastasia. She straightened her back and, by side glance, tried to emulate the archer. Then realized that Damian would be a better person for her to reflect. Blushing, she changed from a side stance to simply facing the target. A rat thing that was messily eating another Ratsin.
Her stomach roiled in rebellion.
While taking a deep breath, Anastasia tried to focus on all the people protecting her in this moment of insanity.
There was of course Malachi’s supergroup. After watching several battles, she could be confident in those five. Julia to block for her, Malachi to lead, Harken to heal, Damian to bring out the magic, and the crazed redhead to cackle as she makes pincushions of monsters. It wouldn’t end there either, sighed Anastasia. I’ve got the Sisters and Reuben making sure the young Ratsins don’t join a battle in the middle. Phelian’s party now has Vincent to help with any backup we need. I am not going to die… I am not likely going to die...
Anastasia took one last calming breath and her tan skin returned to its normal shade. Focusing on what she needed to do, chanted her spell.
“Show Me The Truth,
Uncloud My Vision,
World’s Face Revealed,
Discerning Sight!”
Silver Mana swirled around her creating a glow like a halo. Anastasia’s normal sight allowed her to see Mana without any effort, but this spell was a deeper look. Time seemed to slow down while she saw the workings of power. Not just the energy. The meaning in all constructs was unveiled to her. She believed that Discerning Sight gave insight, or perhaps just expanded the connection to her subconscious. Understanding what was seen came easily during the effect. Even Damian's highly developed Mana was visible to her. An overload of information was the main drawback. Filtering sudden influx was a desperate act.
She peered into the bloated Ratsin, racing against the coming headache.
To her sight, the circulating Mana was a poisonous green that pooled at the mouth, claws, and diseased areas. There didn’t seem to be any extra protection drawn from the Mana, but the foulness of the monster was definitely enhanced. Her eyes flickered about to see the scope of the flow. Satisfied, Anastasia cast the next spell.
“Slow,
Constrict,
Lessen,
Diminished Flow”
An invisible cloud of Mana flew from her towards the rat thing. It struck with no noticeable effect to those without Mana enhanced sight.
To Anastasia, it was a miniwar as her spell lashed out at the internal energies of the Ratsin. Slowly it bound the enemy Mana and slowed the flow. The diseased monster gave out a strangled cry and tried to shake off the effect. When that didn’t work, it decrepitly sniffed at the air. It was a slow, agonizing moment for her as the monster seemed to trace the spell back to her.
Its milky green eyes locked on hers. Even half-hidden by fatty flesh, Anastasia could feel that stare. The rat thing screeched in rage. Stumbling but the Ratsin charged forward into a lurch of speed. Julia stood in the way with the shield ready, but the angry eyes glared through the shieldmaiden.
“Um, uh, eek!” squeaked Anastasia. “Why um is coming after uh me?”
Rolling her eyes, the redhead gestured at Damian, “Come on now, you know why and what to do next. They can sniff out Mana. Now juice up the magic man!”
Green fluid gushed from the monster’s sores and boils approached. On the edge of panic, Anastasia recited the spell in a high-pitched voice.
“Hasten,
Surge,
Enhance,
Amplify Effect!”
The spell struck Damian and he gasped. His Mana surged like a river threatening to break its banks. To her eyes, the obsidian man’s power was a bright violet saturated with stars. The energy circulated through the acolyte’s body like a frame of circuitry. Her spell joined the structure to raise the speed and thickness of the inner Mana. Becoming a bonfire of violet light. Damian’s spell chant boomed across the cavern.
Large shards of violet starlight shot forward with a hum. Glinting by their own internal light, the spell homed in on the Ratsin. Blood and pus spurted into the air. The star shards impaled the monster to the ground like staking a tent. Some of the flabby flesh was sheared off from shards that gouged more than impaled. Pinned, the bloated Ratsin violently shuddered trying to rip free. Its focus rapidly changed between the party, escaping, and drooling over its own flesh with gluttonous snaps.
The entire time the rat screamed.
Anastasia only had eyes for Damian. It wasn’t only for the distraction from an ugly sight. She felt the shape of his spell for an instant. The blond woman leaned into the knowledge and almost found the words on her lips. They were lost when a spike of pain suddenly drove through her temple. The shutting down of Discerning Sight followed.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
That’s alright, thought a dizzy Anastasia. My part of the plan is over.
The fight continued while she cradled the painful ball that was her head. Malachi and Julia moved in to finish off the pinned beast. They were forced back by fits of coughing that spread the foul blood and pus. Where the two met was a violent reaction. Vapor rippled the air above the reaction. The blonde woman felt panic rising from her gut as she watched the two front liners on their knees hacking loudly. The fear dulled the pain, but still distantly present.
Harken moved over to the two sickened teammates as Damien maintained the star shards. Anastasia could hazily remember that the structure of the spell would make this difficult. Sweat poured down the obsidian man’s skin as he forced the spell to its limits. Many of the shards had already dissipated. Only the impaling shards were held by the caster’s sweat. Cracks formed as the spell was pushed beyond the frame of intention.
A whisper cut through the noise as Harken prayed.
“I Beseech Purpose,
Alleviate Our Pains,
Return us To The Path,
Shepherd's Restoration!
Golden light shone down upon them as if from the sun itself. Malachi and Julia both took in a deep clear breath. Under the heavenly light, their features were elevated. Even when the shaft of light disappeared there was a lingering glow to their form. The two of them stood up fighting ready. When they took a step forward the Ratskin began to scramble to get free. Damian fell to a knee and his spell shattered into dissipating stardust. The frontliners paused in anticipation of an attack, but the monster dove on its own disconnected flesh with zest.
Frozen in horror, the whole party watched as it consumed every last bite. The Ratsin howled as its body quivered and twitched. Wounds rapidly sealed up, but mutated. A lost arm was replaced with a blocky bulb of flesh. The new limb was made more for bashing than the threshing of the original. The tears across the torso shrunk to strange barnacle-looking sores that were oozing a yellow substance.
I’m going to die, thought Anastasia with a laugh.
Clarissa gave her a concerned look, but only briefly. The archer’s attention was on where the next arrow would go.
I’m going to die, repeating the phrase to herself like tasting a new wine. These damn things are going to get worse and worse… I fucking hate this place… A shiver was rolling through her body. Her mind was lashing out at her with images of being devoured by rats. Big and small.
“I… I don’t want to die,” she said listlessly. “Why... um, am I even here? In this damn uh place…”
A warm hand fell upon her shoulder. With a strangely warm smile on his gaunt face, Harken answered, “For a Purpose. I know that doesn’t take the sting of fear from your heart. It is hard to accept what has happened to us. The gravity of the situation can be disheartening. It takes a leap of faith in the end, for better or ill. There are horrors and trials ahead. but there is also the promise of joy. We have entered a world of miracles and wonders.”
“You’re um crazy,” replied Anastasia with a twitch. “This is uh a world of death!”
“Death is its own miracle,” proposed Harken mildly. “If you can not find assurance in my words or this world’s wonder, then find it in them. In us.” The priestly man gestured to the rest of the party. They were moving warily into position. The Ratsin was getting to its feet after the rapid change. “We haven’t gone far yet, but this isn’t the first monster to fall. Nor the last, my friend. Let us aid our comrades.”
On the last word, Harken turned towards the battle and opened his mouth to cast.
“Aegis of Purpose
Bolster the devoted
Stronger together
Reinforce”
Translucent energy formed around everyone, including Anastasia. He didn’t look at her, but she felt like it was an invitation to join. The blonde woman squirmed with indecision. Fear only wavering before a sense of social duty.
Fuck! grumbled Anastasia. I don’t even know what I can do to help, but I guess I’ll have to try to do something… at least the headache has faded some.
Continuing to grumble to herself, the acolyte stepped up beside Harken to think of something. The priestly man glanced at her, but said nothing. They both kept to their own thoughts.
Malachi opened the renewed attack with a salvo of Fire Blast. It exploded upon the brutish limb that the Ratsin raised in defense. The new flesh seemed more durable as the limb was reddened rather than charred. Though the flames did successfully burn away the noxious vapors. The air around the monster became clear while the bodily fluids dried or turned to ash.
Next came Clarissa assaulting the monster with a salvo of arrows. A few clattered uselessly on the defensive limb, but the archer still made her mark. An eye was gone in a splash of dark blood and the hind legs collapsed. Rendered too weak with arrows piercing the joints. Most importantly, it gave the frontliners time to move in. Adding to the distraction, Damian called out Star Shot. The arcane shards impacted in spurts of blood, servere with the hope to delay the monster another handful of seconds.
Julia kept ahead with her shield up while Malachi summoned lightning to his sword. The Ratsin twitched in their direction with a snarl. It pivoted with an awe-inspiring toss of the body by using the large limb. Now the broad side of the monster's torso was facing them. The barnacles shook and spurt out yellow gunk. A barrage of gelatinous yellow rained down on them. Just before impact, the shieldmaiden raised her shield and there was a flicker of light.
Anastasia squeaked with sympathetic terror as the yellow ooze splattered. The substance hardened almost immediately.
To her surprise, instead of two yellow statues there was simply a crusty dome. Malachi and Julia could be seen huddling within from an opening on the backside. The brutish limb slammed down on the yellow substance. It shattered aside to reveal a shell of blue Mana slowly concaving to the blow. Cracks formed as the Ratsin battered the barrier in a hiss of rage.
Fear was threatening to overwhelm Anastasia. She closed her eyes with a fervent wish for everything to change. Reopening them over and over in desperate need to see a change that would not come.
Fuck, fuck, fuck! she screamed inside. Indignation started to flood over the fear. I don’t deserve this! Damnit!
Her eyes locked onto the lightning playing along Malachi’s sword. Almost yelling the words, she enabled Discerning Sight. Forcing the enchantment into place even as her eyes began to sting.
“Um Malachi!,” Anastasia screamed, her throat burning. The outburst inflamed her cheeks into a blush, as much for the act as the certainty no one would hear anyways. No one did when it mattered.
She took in a big breath before trying again. The ginger man’s eye flickered to her with a raised eyebrow. “Um, get ready!” she called out. “Boost coming to you!” He nodded and adjusted his grip on the sword. While Malachi whispered to Julia, Anastasia recited Amplify Effect. This time the target had Mana like a river, running sure within its course.
At the moment of connection, an image of a sword crossed with a rose appeared in her mind.
The sword acolyte activated the power in his blade, but she didn’t feel any different this time. There was only the distant impression of the spell. No depth of familiarity like with Damien. The blonde woman decided it was like seeing something common, but lacking the understanding of how it worked.
On the opposing beat of the hammering, the shielding dome dropped. Stepping in together, Julia shielded and Malachi attacked. The sword impaled the Ratsin in the neck. There was a flash of white and a boom followed. When her vision came back, everything had finally changed.
Malachi and Julia had been thrown from the Ratsin. Both looked frazzled as they sat up from the stone ground. Anastasia had only been able to stay on her feet thanks to Harken. Somehow the priestly man had kept his feet while also holding her steady. A new sense of respect grew for him despite the teary grin he was giving her. Like a skull trying to be cheery. Best of all was the stiff corpse of the Ratsin. It was stuck in the pose from before the blink of light. Trails of electricity passed across the body, following along charred pathways.
They all quietly watched the monster statue. When it collapsed a few moments later, there were sighs of relief. No one expected it to rise again. With a gurgling cry, the Ratsin shuttered up on shaking limbs. The bulky one swung wildly and. The rat thing blindly shifted in their general direction. Nose sniffing aggressively, mewing with pain.
Everyone snapped back into positions and stances. Anastasia found she was mad rather than afraid. An indignation had consumed the fear, there was only anger left. Snarling, she directed her piercing sight into the Ratsin. The Mana flow was spurting and weak. Barely circulating.
I can do something with this, thought Anastasia.
She reached towards her Heartsong. Ignoring the ball of thoughts that was Diminished Flow. It wouldn’t do enough for what Anastasia desires. Listening became an active effort to find the right tune. There was a grin when the knowledge flowed into her. Confidently, she spoke the words.
“Sunder My Foe,
Break Their Will,
Shatter the Flow,
Chaos Injection!”
silver needles of Mana appeared in the air. They jerked in place, covering the Ratsin. Like acupuncture, the needles struck at key points of power. The monster bucked and began to scream. To Anastasia’s eyes, the rat thing’s flow had become erratic. Worsening as the needles slid deeper inside. The internal Mana began to lash out at the body. Organs boiled and flesh quaked. To the rest of the party, the Ratsin seemed to seize up as the needles disappeared into the monster.
It was a painful way to go, even she was shocked by the effect. These spells are a reflection of ourselves… considered Anastasia. I didn’t think I had something like this inside me. I wanted it to die... not me… but this is horrible.
“Better it, than you,” said Clarissa as if reading her mind. “Let’s see if I put it out of its misery though. I think I got something to bring me back into the game. You jerks! All of you have these crazy spell shit and I’m stuck with just arrows. Gotta get good, right blondie?”
The archer raised her bow, an arrow already slotted. A second passed before a hum of light grew from within the arrow. It was tinged green and burst into life as the arrow flew. A streak of green passed through the head of the Ratsin. Silence.
No one moved or made any sound for several seconds until the monster began to powder. Then everyone relaxed. Anastasia sat down and rubbed her head. She doubted that this headache would go away anytime soon.
Still, it’s good… I didn’t die this time, thought the acolyte.