Relief washed over me as I watched the giant beast roar out in pain. I was so thankful that it worked, or at least looks like it's working. Now we had a good chance at beating this thing. Though a part of me (it was the majority, like eighty percent) was just happy I didn’t look like an absolute moron, shouting at the top of my lungs and throwing up on that woman’s sword for no good reason.

…Yeah, no way to get around. I looked like an idiot, but an idiot with purpose at least.

The Reptan twisted around, pulling it's now seriously injured arm away. It batted at the frontliners advancing on it with its train-car-sized tail.

But the relief only lasted so long. The shiver that went down my spine told me of Daila’s approach before my eyes did. Yet I found that I could slowly turn over to her. An improvement at least. Maybe it was the outburst. Just need to shout the personality problems away.

After she came up to me, Daila ruffled around in a pouch that sat on her hip. She pulled out an unbelievable number of empty glass vials of a variety of shapes and sizes apparently, Len’s magic bag wasn’t unique. Some vials, matching the ones on her bandolier, others much larger. They looked like beakers that had been ripped right out of a highschool chemistry classroom.

She lined the ground in front of me with them, gesturing to Tawny and Hait to come over. She shoved one of the small test tube sized ones into my hands.

“Fill these, please. All of them.”

I just blankly nodded my head. My hands trembled as I grabbed the vial, almost dropping it. I brought it to my lips, then looked up at her and the twins. All three of them wore the same expression of expectation. It felt weird, being watched so closely, waiting for me to spit into a bottle.

“ARGH!” A cry of pain rang out, coming from one of the melee fighters flying through the air. He’d been launched by the lizard’s tail. He landed, hard, behind the backline. Even though it was hurting, the beast was far from falling. Its attack pattern changed, focusing mostly on its tail. The fighters were having a tough time getting to the injured foot.

I shook my head. GET IT TOGETHER. People might start dying soon.

I built up some of the acidic spit and filled up the vial. The light orange acid bubbled and sizzled in the glass vessel. I handed it back to Daila. She popped a cork on top and slid it into one of the empty slots on her bandolier. She had me fill another ten or so until every empty slot was filled with vials of my acid.

“Floras!” Daila yelled out, just as I was about to finish.

The elf woman from earlier, the wood mage who shot out wooden stakes, turned from the battle and nodded.

“Keep fighting, but keep an eye out for these ones. I need to get out there.”

“You got it. I was already watching the handsome newbie. Closely.” She said with a wink directed at me. It made me cough and drip some acid on the ground.

Then Daila turned to twins, who diligently waited for more orders, each holding one of the larger beakers, the ones with a large base and narrow necks. Erlenmeyer flasks if I remember right. Daila waved the twins over.

“Once he fills these up, take them to the archers. They will know what to do. Do it with the whole lot,” she said while pointing at the beakers on the ground.

“Got it!”

“Yes Ma’am!”

Daila turned back to me. “Captain Foster, as soon as you are finished filling all of these, drop that form.”

I tilted my head. I went to ask why, but of course nothing came out aside from some acid I was building up. Hait ran up and caught the drippings before they fell to the ground.

“Do you think I can’t tell what’s going on? That form is making you unable to interact with women, or at least ones older than yourself. I noticed it during your encounter with Lirae. All your forms come with such traits, it only made sense that gynophobia was Salamandras.”

Ah, thought I got away with that one.

“It wasn’t so much of a problem then, but it is now a severe liability.” Daila continued, filling her fingers with more vials. Oddly she was only carrying one of my acid vials.

With his beaker about half full Hait piped up. “But what if we need more of his acid? This wave could have more monsters with regenerative abilities.”

She shook her head. “After we finish with this monster, I will send a messenger for some supplies. As is, Liam will die if he can’t fight properly around me or a large majority of the squad.”

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Daila crouched down, getting into a runners starting position. Then with the briefest little smirk and nose twitch, she added, “And it's terribly sad.” She bolted, going up front to join with the frontline that was getting battered.

Almost as if it sensed her presence, the Reptan’s tails seemingly aimed for the newcomer. Even with the wide arc heading straight for her, Daila didn't relent. She shouted something to two of the frontliners, both shield bearers. One turned his shield up horizontally while the other braced himself next first. Daila hopped on the shield. Then a split second before the tail swipe connected with the three of them, Daila jumped, her feet just barely clearing the monster's attack. The two fighters she used as a springboard were knocked away.

Daila hit the ground without losing even a modicum of speed, as she ran under its belly. Soon the monster’s belly was covered in a plethora of vibrant multi-colored explosions. Its legs whipped and scratched wildly as it tried to attack the small mouse-woman that assaulted it, not a single one coming even close to her. She practically danced around the beast's underbelly, throwing up bombs left and right. Yet there were no noticeable wounds or blood.

Is she not using my acid? I thought. Was that not the whole point of harvesting it from me?

Then I saw what she was up to. The frontliners took the chance she gave them to regroup, and ran to the side with the wounded leg. It was a marvel to see.

Yet before I watched anymore, a wave of fatigue slammed into my body along with a wicked sore throat. I coughed and held my throat. It felt like I just slept a whole night in the Sahara with my mouth wide open as someone fed me saltine crackers and cinnamon. I checked my stamina bar and saw that it was nearly empty, only ten percent remained.

“What the hell?”

I looked down, and found every single beaker Daila had brought out was full. “Wait how, cough cough. Ow,” I said, rubbing my throat.

Tawny ran up and grabbed another two filled containers. “You back?”

“What happened?”

“You kept leaking out the acid while you fawned over Ms. Underbrush. We decided not to disturb your leering and just filled them up.”

“I wasn’t leering.” I said, folding my arms, “I was admiring.”

Tawny shrugged. “Whatever helps you sleep at night Cap. Oh, you can drop the form now, lover boy. We’re good here. Me and Hait can handle it from here, rest up, using an ability like that must have done a number on your stamina. This fight will probably be over soon, but the raid isn’t. I’ll tell Marns to give you a boost.” She said with a wink before running off, arms filled to the brim with acid flasks.

I sighed. Then whispered to myself. “But I can’t.”

I tried to shift out of the form again, focusing on shifting into each form. No dice. Still the same weird no response. I thought about asking Tutor, but I really don’t have the time for her. And something tells me I’d get a less than useful response. My gut was saying it had something to do with mimicking it while bouncing in and out of consciousness was the cause. Maybe I didn’t feel the change properly or something.

What I did know was that it left only one option, the surefire way to drop the form. Stamina drain. I looked at the near drained stamina bar again. Just a few shots and I can empty it and lose the form. Also, pass out for an inordinate amount of time. Crap.

I crossed my arms and thought harder, there had to be a better solution. Something that didn’t force me out of the fight. Wait. Why does that matter? Maybe that is the better choice. Then I looked up. I read the new quest log that sat in the upper left of my vision. “Mimic the boss huh.”

Tutor went to great lengths for that line, so it's probably worth it. That and I don’t want to leave the twins behind. That and it was fun. This fighting was turning out to be a blast. The fact that even in this stupid form it had a tangible impact on the fight brought me immense joy. Especially now that there weren’t any women around, meaning I could enjoy my small victory in peace.

Then I need to find a way. A better way. But how? I need to pass out. Pass out. The phrase hung in my head. Pass Out, pass out…sleep.

“SLEEP!” I shout, slamming my mucus covered fist into my palm.

“Shit!” A startled voice came from behind me. I turned and saw a tall lanky human standing behind me, his arms held out to me. Dark circles surrounded his jet black beady eyes. I wasn’t sure if that was his gene trope or if he was just plain exhausted. His whole countenance gave off the vibe of an Amazon warehouse worker on their third double shift. He was one of the supports in Jaren’s squad, near the backline I think. This was my first time seeing him up close. Must be the “Marns” Tawny mentioned.

“Look man, no one here wants to sleep more than me, but it ain't gonna happen. Now let me get you fixed up. Oh, good job with the acid by—” He cut himself off with a huge yawn.

I stopped him before he healed me. “Wait, um quick question. If I were to say pass out from stamina drain, could you wake me up quickly?”

He tilted his head. “No, I’m a half decent Support, but stamina fatigue only recovers with sleep. Now let me heal you, we really don’t have time for this.”

“Okay. Sorry one more. Can anyone in the squad force me to fall asleep for like thirty seconds? Even less like, ten seconds.”

He squinted his blood shot eyes. ”I mean, yeah, but why?”

“It has to do with one of my abilities. It kind of resets them, if that makes sense?” I said while gesturing with my hands. The blank look on his face told me that it did not.

Marns rubbed his face. “Do you need it to fight better?”

“Yes,” I said with a quick nod.

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

“Alright,” Marns shrugged.

“Really, great! Does somebody have like a sleep inducing power or maybe—”

Before I knew it, the world went dark around me.