Timber, the dirty beaver, ambled hastily toward me. I could not flee fast enough as he lunged at me with the spear. What surprised me was that Alice's furry foot stuck out and smashed down on Timber's tail. He jolted to a stop and then let out a horrifying shriek of frustration. "Alice you traitor!"

From behind me, Geraldine shouting angrily and a rock flew past, but the arc was low and it thudded into the wood of the dam and plunked down into the water.

I had to think of something to do to either stop him or to protect myself. I had zero combat skills.

I did the only thing I could think of. I tsked.

Level up! Cantrip Minor Globes of Light. Somatic and verbal components required. Duration of 75 seconds at this level of the spell.

I couldn't even celebrate the upgrade of the spell because as soon as the lights appeared, I shot them into dirty Timber's eyes. The balls of light weren't actually substantial or fire, but just some kind of illusion of light, but it seemed effective enough because he closed his eyes and hissed angrily. He slashed his weapon from range. The spear tip connected with my upper right arm and I felt it slice the skin.

My combat log filled up.

You are hit! You have taken 1 point of piercing damage from a spear wielded by Timber - Tier 0 Giant Beaver Elite 🌲.

I grabbed my arm at the slice.

You cast Minor Healing Touch. You have healed yourself for 1 damage.

The wound actually closed under my fingers. The smarting pain disappeared.

We were located about halfway across the dam. I wasn't sure how fast Suze could run and whether she'd get to me before I took more damage than just 1 point.

I also hoped Geraldine stayed behind with the cats. Did beavers eat cats? I then thought about Matt and how he would have made some crude joke about pussies and beavers. Not the time Kaylee!

Timber pulled his tail free, then he began to whine this unreal and ear-splitting childish keen, and I saw him spin around, whirling like a furry brown dervish, and then he stopped suddenly, his tail undulated almost as if in slow motion. It rose into the air and then slapped down against the water. A wave that looked like ripples of water, but was made of air, flew out from where his tail connected with the water.

The noise was deafening. Literally. It was a throbbing rush of noise, I felt a pop, and sudden silence.

You have been deafened by Timber - Tier 0 Giant Beaver Elite 🌲Tail Slap. Deafness debuff for 45 seconds.

Shocked by the deafness, I barely saw as Timber got his furry feet under him and he lunged at me. His giant, yellowish square teeth flashed across my vision. He clamped down on my shoulder.

I have never felt pain like it. I'd never broken a bone or had anything worse than the one time I cut my finger while chopping carrots. This was ten million times worse pain than that had been and I had to have about 10 stitches.

You are critically hit! You have taken 4 points of piercing damage from Timber - Tier 0 Giant Beaver Elite 🌲 Teeth Chomp.

The teeth were lodged in my shoulder and Timber reeked of animal musk, mud, wet dog, and outhouse.

Your health is critically low.

You will die soon.

I screamed. I'm sure it was really loud, but I had no idea because I could not hear a thing. I hurt so much I couldn't believe I was still able to read the combat log. The minimap angrily glowed red and showed Timber as a red dot and Alice as yellow. Suze coming from behind me was blue. Heavenly blue. Help me blue.

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Alice had come up to us both now and she shouted at Timber though I could hear nothing. Her mouth moved soundlessly, but at a speed that only could mean she shouted a blue streak at him. She seemed to be trying to pull him away.

Whatever she shouted, he dislodged his teeth from my shoulder and his mouth moved as if he shouted something back at her. I reeled with the agony of the pain. Alice reached out, but her stubby little beaver arms missed him completely as he danced away.

I think I must have dropped to my knees and fallen over to the ground because there were tree branches and mud in my face and everything smelled like really strong piss. A far away thought hoped that the pee smell wasn't coming from me.

I tried to cast my heal by moving my hand to my shoulder. It felt wet and slimy. I could feel there was a chunk of sliced skin, something fleshy and hard and touching it made the pain exponentially worse.

Your spell is on cooldown. Please wait to cast in 20 seconds.

I knew I was bleeding. It pooled around my fingers. The combat log didn't show me losing any more health. It did, however, show that Suze had finally arrived to save the day. I tried desperately to turn my head to see what was happening but I also needed to move so he couldn't hit me again. I didn't know my maximum health. I could be almost dead.

I re-read the ominous:

You will die soon.

It felt real and scary and painful and I did not feel like I was about to resurrect in some graveyard or reincarnation circle. It felt very, very final.

I began to count to 20. The pain throbbed and blood poured out with each heartbeat, but the combat log didn't remove any health from me. Instead it was full of the combat around me that I couldn't directly see.

Suze Tier 0 - High Rise Window Cleaner hits Timber - Tier 0 Giant Beaver Elite 🌲 for 2 damage with cudgel.

Timber - Tier 0 Giant Beaver Elite 🌲 hits Suze Tier 0 - High Rise Window Cleaner with Beavertail attack. Suze is stunned.

Timber - Tier 0 Giant Beaver Elite 🌲hits Suze Tier 0 - High Rise Window Cleaner with spear for 1 piercing damage.

Suze Tier 0 - High Rise Window Cleaner is no longer stunned.

Suze Tier 0 - High Rise Window Cleaner attacks Timber - Tier 0 Giant Beaver Elite 🌲 with Bright Hair Cudgel's Strangle Golden Hair Attack. Hair entangles Timber - Tier 0 Giant Beaver Elite 🌲.

Timber - Tier 0 Giant Beaver Elite 🌲 is restrained.

Suze Tier 0 - High Rise Window Cleaner punches Timber - Tier 0 Giant Beaver Elite 🌲 for 3 bludgeoning damage.

Alice - Tier 0 Giant Beaver pushes Timber - Tier 0 Giant Beaver Elite 🌲 and shoves him into the water.

Timber - Tier 0 Giant Beaver Elite 🌲 is still restrained.

Timber - Tier 0 Giant Beaver Elite 🌲 will drown.

I attempted to heal myself.

You cast Minor Healing Touch. You have healed 1 point of damage.

Deafness debuff is removed.

"Suze! Suze!" I cried out but it didn't sound very loud. The pain was excruciating. I tried to move my head, but everything hurt so much that I couldn't see beyond the screens. The whole world was blurry. I agonised as I rolled over onto my back.

"Kaylee? Kaylee!" I felt Suze's hands on me, trying to pull me up.

It felt so difficult to talk. Why was my tongue so huge? I tried hard to make noise above a whisper. "Let him go. He's going to drown. Let him go."

"Fuck him," she said and I knew she meant it. "Heal yourself. Why aren't you healing yourself?"

"Cooldown." I tried to heal and got a warning about 14 seconds to go.

Timber - Tier 0 Giant Beaver Elite 🌲 is still restrained.

Timber - Tier 0 Giant Beaver Elite 🌲is drowning.

"Let him go."

"He's a beaver. He can hold his breath." She said and boy was she pissed and worried.

Alice the Beaver was still shouting at her friend. I caught something about not respecting the memory of Buzz, but I wasn't quite sure what she was saying.

I cast the heal again.

You cast Minor Healing Touch. You have healed 1 point of damage.

I felt a rush of relief like a wave of golden warmth in my body. It still hurt, but it was worlds better. "Please let him go, Suze." I looked her in her brown eyes and could see the anger and fear there. "I don't think he can breathe with the hair restraining him."

"We're going to have kill people Kaylee. He was going to kill you." Her voice was full of anger.

"I scared him. He was just protecting Alice. And Alice could have attacked me, but she was trying to get him to stop. Their friend was killed by Funnelers. He just thought we would kill them too. Please let him go."

Suze frowned but I saw that she twisted the cudgel and the long strands of hair retreated from the water, pulling themselves back into the wooden weapon.

Bright Hair Cudgel's Strangle Golden Hair Attack wanes.

Timber - Tier 0 Giant Beaver Elite 🌲 is no longer restrained.

I heard gasping and splashing as Timber surfaced.

Timber - Tier 0 Giant Beaver Elite 🌲 is no longer drowning.

"Stay in that water or I'll castoreum your ass Timber!" Alice was shouting just a little ways away. "You're lucky I pushed you in the water!"

COMBAT ENDED

I tried healing and got a warning.

Cooldown for Minor Healing Touch has increased to 4 hours out of combat.

I couldn't understand the warning. That made zero sense. That massive cooldown was new and not welcome.