In that brief two second window, she determined a radical tactical change was required.
Corvin most likely had an ability that allowed him to shear through her roots and other obstacles. Either by sheer strength, or something that allowed him to maintain momentum. That meant trying to restrain him entirely wasn't feasible.
She needed to buy time to meet the ‘win’ condition. She also theorized that if she could dunk him in the moat, that would also constitute a win in his books, but she wasn’t about to test that one just yet.
She had to run out the clock, and had already started counting down. He doesn’t want me to hold back. So, how do I play this out?
Venom, of course. He was likely at least her Tier, or higher. He’d be resistant to it, but not immune. But should she open with her new tactics?
No. The professors likely had already reviewed her moves after the battle with the sand construct. Time to stick to the tried and true, first.
Corvin charged with a blunted sword meant for training, but even with the edge reduced, it still cut through her hexes. She waited for him to get close, then spat out a [Blinding Venom] as he committed to the attack.
At the same time, she used her [Spring Scales] to dodge to the side, controlling her motion to land back in the middle of the arena. Putting him on the shorter distance to the edge would work to her advantage. Corvin had to divert his gaze to avoid the blinding shot, wincing as the fluid made contact, but it wasn’t enough to slow him down.
He swerved mid-stride at a speed Neska thought was impossible. He was already bearing down on her, wearing a confident smirk, chopping at her left, then right, each attack dodged by her body, sidewinding or arching backward to avoid the blows.
Training sword or not, it would hurt to get hit by it. Injuries increased downtime, which decreased training time, which left her less prepared. None of those outcomes were acceptable.
“You still holding back?” He asked, now looking smug.
“No. Evaluating performance.” She arched her body backward and felt the uniform tear, but the blade missed her body as it swung by.
It also left him slightly off-balance. She used her coiled position to launch a [Coiled Strike], slamming into him with all of her body weight.
It felt like she slammed into a brick wall, and he didn’t topple, not fully. He staggered backward, regaining his footing and launching an awkward skyward swing, missing her as she slid to the side.
She used her tail to grab his outstretched arm, enough to slow him, and she felt her whole body almost lift off the ground. He was strong!
It also allowed her to get in one [Venomous Bite] on his exposed hand, then she sprang away using [Spring Scales] to avoid his grab.
He grunted, examining the bite, and didn’t pursue her right away. “You know that’s not going to stop me.”
That was likely the case. Most opponents she fought would have had muscle twitches or tissue damage spreading from the wound within seconds. He shrugged it off like a bee sting and continued his attack. Theoretically, he must have invested in significant Endurance and Vitality gains. His lack of magical attacks was strange. At Tier three, even warriors gained some pseudo-magical abilities depending on the class. She baited out a response.
“Wasn’t planning on it. What’s your endurance at?”
Corvin laughed. “High enough.” He held his weapon in one hand, and then outstretched his hand. Neska at first thought he was taunting her, until she felt herself sliding, her scales no longer gripping the grass.
No, worse. She was sliding towards Corvin, feeling herself falling forward. What is this? Does he have some gravity magic, or is that telekinesis to an extreme level?
She didn’t have time to analyze. Only react. She cast out a [Woven Root hex] not to entangle Corvin, but to put up a barrier between herself and him. The pull became a force tugging her entire body, and she gripped into the woven roots with her claws and wrapped her tail around a protruding vine.
Then, she constricted the weave soundly around her body, locking her in position against the flow of force that threatened to pull her towards Corvin’s awaiting grasp, and holding steady. He even tilted his head in curiosity.
“What are you doing?”
“Basket weaving. I hear it’s great stress relief. I even have the materials on demand!” She wore a fanged smile to sell her point further. She ignored the gasps from the crowd as she demonstrated her powers in ways that no one had anticipated in the slightest, and the cheers from Juni in the crowd. It felt good to have at least one person who had full confidence in her nearby.
Corvin frowned. “Well, can’t make it too easy.” He flexed his fingers closed and clenched his hand tightly, little creases of strain evident on his face.
The force pulling her–and the roots–intensified, and it felt like a gale was whipping against her body. The instructor stood poised, readying his weapon with a quick flip along his wrist.
Okay, if I were a person using gravity or force-based powers, what’s the one thing I would do to trip someone up? If I’m bracing against it, and he lets go–
She channeled power to her hand and formed one of her [Mana Bolts], feeling the energy crackling across her palm. But this one was different–it glowed a vibrant green, not dissimilar to her scale patterning. Oh, right, the venom bolt. Let’s give it a try!
Corvin stood there, trying to pull her toward him even as she sent more roots to tie herself down–and then activated the roots that slowly wound around his ankles, just as he opened his fist.
His momentum was temporarily halted as the roots snapped like twigs. But just long enough that her [Venom Bolt] flew forward, impacting him in the chest, and bits of green energy crackled from the site of injury.
He coughed but still kept his momentum, and the force affecting her suddenly reversed direction. She was now being pushed away, in the opposite direction she had been bracing against. She tried to correct, but roots and vines snapped in the sudden change of force.
But there was a weakness in his technique, same as her [Ember hex]: It likely needed to be channeled, as the force magnitude had dropped off then increased steadily, in tune with his hand motions. Disrupting him might end the effect.
She shot another venom bolt his way, impacting again. It was enough for her to use her [Spring Scales] to leap to the side, out of the field of effect, and she quickly slithered toward him. He grimaced against it but wore an edged smile. “That’s new. A venom effect?”
She threw a third bolt, but this time Corvin deflected the projectile with his sword–a rather precise interception on his part. She slid low to the ground, momentum carrying her to slide tackle him, knocking him to the ground, and followed up with a grab of her roots.
This time, her roots held him in place, if only for a second. He spun his weapon, and the bladed edge took a bright white gleam, just as she closed to strike another hit.
Her perception was telling her that this ability was dangerous, and she triggered her [Sudden molt.]
The blur of white energy of his attack, now twenty feet away, felt like someone had hit her with a stinging lash even though it didn't directly connect. The roots and brambles that had anchored him had all been sheared cleanly through, crumpling to the ground.
As had her molt, both halves of the mimicry fell apart, and crumbled to dust. Wait, not the uniform, though. That just got a large gash through the fabric.
She looked down and sighed internally. Annoying cat calls from a feline Awakened echoed from the stands as a new inconvenience sank in.
Her [Sudden molt] stripped off her outer layer of scales…and apparently, didn’t let her take her clothing with her. Lovely.
Corvin tilted his head, blushing slightly. “Well, uh…”
A chime sounded nearby. A full minute had passed, though it had felt far longer.
Neska let out a measured hiss of relief, even though she was tired from the effort, and gestured to the uniform split in two. “You owe me one of those,” she said calmly. “The test is concluded, and I’m still on the arena platform.”
He picked up the uniform and brought it over to her, looking proud. “I honestly thought you’d last maybe five or ten seconds. Not bad for your first effort. Was that all your moves?”
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“No.” It wasn’t all her moves, but some would have been risky, including her [Constricting Coils] against a man well established in melee combat. “That last one…sheared through my roots. And probably would have sheared through me.”
“It would have hurt. Not lethal, but it would have been not fun at all to walk to the medical center on your first day.” He glanced at the uniform, frowning. “Nice evasion ability, by the way. You have more than one.”
Vivi also had something to say, as her notifications slowly rolled in.
Ability Proficiencies Increased
Woven Root Hex 11 > 12
Venom Bolt 9 > 10
Coiled Strike 8 > 9
Sudden Molt 1 > 2
Venomous Bite 7 > 8
Spring Scales 5 > 6
Seeing those notifications brought a smile to her face, despite the lack of garment. Thanks for the heads-up, Vivi.
It’s your actions, not mine. Though this was a brief combat session, some of these were close to improving incrementally already.
The hecklers had mostly been silenced, and Juni was already rushing forward with another uniform she’d found somewhere. “So, bare scales and all?” she asked slyly, while giving a glare of doom aimed at Corvin. “That was quite dangerous, for the record.”
Corvin shrugged softly. “It’s not really training if there’s no danger involved. Would you go in underprepared against the Varadur?”
“Speaking from experience? No. I believe you and I are next?” she asked.
“Oh, Miss Semou? I look forward to this. Cassia, I must ask, those powers…” Corvin grunted and grabbed a bottle of fluid on his belt, but Neska put an arm out.
“Venom bolts. I have some unusual lamia variant spells,” she explained in as little detail as possible. “With your permission, I’d like to bite you.”
Juni’s jaw gaped, and Corvin blinked, nearly dropping the vial. “Come again?”
“I have another ability. An unusual one.”
“Cassia,” Juni said with an edged smile so sharp she could cut steel, “Have you thought about how this will look, in front of our peers, applying what most would surmise as a venomous attack, on your instructor?”
The mouse had a valid point: it probably wouldn’t look good to anyone witnessing it without context. “Medical center?” Neska proposed.
“Yeah, I think your venom might be a touch stronger than I’m used to.” He had broken out into a light sweat and looked a little dizzy. “Class, break into pairs, continue sparring. Cassia, why don't you come with me, there’s a triage room in the barracks over there. If Darci is on staff today, she just might kill me.”
Five minutes later of helping the man amble to the barracks, Neska coiled low while he extended his arm. A healer stationed there this morning watched this warily. “Corvin, this is highly irregular–”
“She has my permission to affect me with a currently untested ability. I’ll waive any harm that befalls me should this not go as intended,” he snapped. “But also keep the antivenom handy. Her prior bites kick like a mule.”
Is it that potent already? I don’t see how, it’s not my most used ability. [Mana bolts] and the [Woven Root Hex] are my regular go-tos. She’d have to examine that discrepancy later.
Meanwhile, she extended her fangs while the healer held an empty vial over one of them. “I can hold it,” Neska said calmly.
With reluctance, she put the vial in Neska’s hand. It was a little awkward, but she was able to deliver a small dribble of her [Love Bites] venom into the vial, which the healer took in hand begrudgingly. “That should reverse the effect of the venom, or repair the damage. Uncertain if it will do both,” she relayed.
Love bites. Really, Vivi, this ability is so awkwardly named.
It's your ability. You like the name.
Alright, maybe a little. But I’m not advertising the real name. We’ll call it an antitoxin bite.
Sighing in resignation, the healer waved her hand over the vial, a soft glow of green motes now hovering over her hand. She peered at the vial with the intensity of a hawk, frowning and rubbing her finger over the glass. “It…doesn’t seem to react the same way a venom would.”
She then took a dropper, extracted a small amount, and rubbed it on her fingers. She let out a small hmm sound. “No on-contact pain reaction. No corrosive effect, nothing. Slight numbness, in alignment with regenerative effects.”
“It heals,” Neska explained again. “I have evolutions as a lamia that mimic the witch class power set, to an extent.”
Darci raised her brow at this. “Yes, the witch class is known for hexes and blessings. Care to detail more?”
“Not at this time.” She should be more careful about revealing her abilities unless necessary. Not showing her entire fighting kit might be the thing that kept her one step--well, slither ahead of her foes.
Darci nodded. “Well, Corvin, your burial, then, if you want to try this. I get your office if you die."
He gave her a small wave while chuckling. "Small consolation prize. Go ahead.”
Holding her breath, she dripped the venom over one of the still bleeding bite wounds. It must have taken effect right away, as Corvin’s teeth clenched, and he dug his fingers tightly into his leg for a few seconds.
Then, he let out an exclamation of relief, and all the tension on his face disappeared. “Wow. Kicks just like the venom, but in…reverse?”
Indeed, everyone stared as the small fang marks slowly scabbed and fresh skin smoothed over them. In seconds, it was as if they were never there.
The healer stared. “I’ll be damned.” She put two fingers to Corvin’s neck, checking his pulse presumptively. “Well, your heart rate is a little elevated, but pretty stable, for having been envenomated. Did you really tell your student on her first day not to hold back? You idiot.”
She smacked him upside the head, even as he broke out into a hearty chuckle. “Yeah, love you too, Darci. I knew the risks. Looks like this one paid off.”
“Oh no, Corvin, the berating has just started. Why can one of your students–a venom-bearing species–bite people and heal them?”
“Still here, still trying to pretend this isn’t awkward,” Neska said in a begrudged tone.
Darci patted her shoulder, smiling proudly. “Oh dear, you’re fantastic, this is amazing! Does Selkie know about this?” she asked, positively beaming.
“Uh…not yet. It’s new.” Neska pointed to the bottle. “You have my permission to take that sample, on the promise it will be used only to benefit others.”
“Done. I’m glad some people here have ethical and safety standards in mind,” she added, shooting a nasty look at Corvin. He chuckled softly and rubbed at the now fully healed wound. “You should not continue your class, for the record. I should hold you here in observation.”
“Darci, I’m fine,” he protested.
“For now.” Neska would comment that grinding her teeth like that might put undue strain on them, but Darci wasn’t in a proper talking mood.
She coughed softly to get her attention. “Healer Darci? With your permission–”
“Oh goodness, yes, of course, off you go! I presume you want me to keep this in confidence with Chief Healer Selkie?”
“Yes. To map out my unusual…lamia variant,” she finished. Technically, it wasn’t a lie. It just omitted a far greater amount of details than she was prepared to explain.
Leaving the triage center with the instructor taking a slower pace, Neska felt the piercing eyes of Kasfew again. What is with that hawk-eyed look? She thought about confronting him, but decided against it for now.
“Juni, you up for a round?” Neska asked.
The mouse laughed at the idea. “I think we did enough damage to our instructor, as it were.”
Corvin smiled regardless of the affliction he'd just endured, if temporarily. “Appreciate the sentiment. I’ve shrugged off worse, and I still need to evaluate you and others. Miss Semou, platform center, one minute.”
The next evaluation was equally flashy. Juni made good use of her burrow to evade the force strikes until he began directing it towards the ground, creating large indents into the earth. Ultimately, she only landed a few grazing blows with hit-and-run tactics, diving back into the earth when he turned to counterattack, and popping out when he attempted to crush her burrow tunnels.
Neska had to admit, Juni knew how to make effective use of her abilities and was never caught by the gravity strike. Her stone skin gave her sufficient weight that he couldn't pull her toward him, and anytime she anchored underground, he was unable to dislodge her. [Stone Spine] also disrupted his channeled attack, with him tumbling out of the way.
The chime sounded just as they had been winding up for another attack, Juni’s breath coming out in ragged gasps. “No offense, that was easier, now that I knew how to prepare.”
“Just the first round. Class, big applause for our new arrivals, not many pass my evaluation on the first try.” Corvin jotted something on a notepad. "But your objectives will rarely be so straightforward in the field. Always be aware."
But not all were impressed. The firebird that had been focusing on Neska during the class whispered something to an elementa that looked like it was made of clumped earth. Even now, she could see patchy grass and stony limbs extended from his uniform.
Maybe Juni was right. Maybe he was trouble. And not even considering the last bird monster that had tried to turn her into a meal.
But the class wasn't over yet. Corvin had the students meet him at the seating area after testing a few others, with most of them failing to stay in the ring. Neska discovered that the moat was intended to protect against falls, but still carried a cost.
The foam left stains on clothing, fur, scales, and skin alike. A few students took delight in the bright coloration on the peers who had been tossed from the platform and laughed. One boy shaped like a badger fumed visibly and tried fruitlessly to get the dye out. His brawler strategy had not worked against Corvin's unwavering stance.
Tycus performed better, making a valliant effort to last almost the full minute. He tucked into a scaly ball and used evasion methods, spinning across the arena and dodging Corvin’s strikes. Tycus couldn't successfully bowl into him after a few attempts. Corvin merely sidestepped the first few, then body slammed Tycus, sending him sprawling.
Tycus switched tactics and flung his scales like throwing daggers, littering the arena with sharp projectiles. Corvin dodged them with some difficulty, but Tycus eventually slipped up and got flung by Corvin's gravity blast, unable to evade.
He took the dunking in pride after climbing up the access ladder. “Blue looks good on me!” He proclaimed. “Now I just need to get my red shoes.” At least he seemed to be in good spirits, and he glanced Juni’s way. “Guess I should grab some burrowing abilities. Those might help.”
"You can take that ability?" she asked, whiskers twitching.
"Seems so. The claws aren't just for show," he added.
Eventually, Corvin finished his evaluations. He congratulated everyone and gave a few pointers to those who still needed improvement. Most took it well.
Then, he pointed to Neska. “So, question. When we have new abilities from the Varadur to battle against, what do we do?”
Great. Using me as an example. This hiding-in-plain-sight gambit is going to drive me up a tree.
Neska saw Kasfew extend one wing. “Read their abilities. Find their limits, drag out a fight to evaluate a weakness.”
Corvin pointed to him. “Solid answer. What can you tell me about Miss Cassia’s fighting style?”
“Tactical,” Kasfew shrugged. “Each motion was calculated. No hesitation to commit. She deliberately slowed you down to run out the clock, and chose not to engage except when she had the upper hand, and struck hard when she did.”
“And if you were to conjecture why that is?”
“Casting implies a heavy reliance on intelligence and soul. With her maneuvering and reliance on evasion, this also suggests high agility, and possibly a splash of perception.” Neska had to admit, he had a chillingly good read on her.
Corvin nodded. “For obvious reasons, Miss Cassia, we do not divulge nor require students to display anything of their Interface. But I tend to agree with Stoltz’s assessment.”
“No comment.” She had plenty to comment on, including how Kasfew deduced so much. “If you were to face me or another lamia like myself,” she asked him directly, “what would you use to maximum effect?”
“Ranged firepower. An overwhelming amount.” The bird's beak creased into an unsettling smirk. “You can't dodge the ground when it's all on fire, and you’re likely short on endurance and vitality. You are, in effect, a glass cannon. Or a glass snake, in this case.”
What a jerk. Neska realized that he was neither trouble nor practice. He was something worse.
A prospective rival.
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