“LIGHT BEAM!!!”
The Creeper Soldier shrieked, thrashing as it tried to release the dead man in its mandibles, but the other human was holding on too tight. The spell tore away at the side of the Demon’s head from either side, eating away at the protective shell each second she held on.
The monster switched tactics from pulling away and tried to dislodge her. It reared back high enough that the five-foot-four-inch woman could plant her feet on the stone floor. She wasn’t strong enough to hold back the monster as it fell back down, slamming her against the stone and driving the air out of her lungs.
Her vision swam and the spell started to die, but Penelope closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. This thing had killed Judah, and she wasn’t going to let it off that easy.
The dead man weighed against her as the monster shook her from side to side as it reared up a second time.
“MOVE!” Jeru boomed, pushing on her the best he could.
Penelope didn’t want to let go, but she canceled the spell and rolled out of the way just before the Demon slammed Judah’s body against the stone with a crunch.
“You weren’t going to stay conscious if you took another one of those!” Jeru already knew what she was about to yell at him over. He held his hands up. “Do you want to…”
Penelope ignored him as she dug into her pocket and pulled out another mana potion. Green acid bubbled in the mouth of the monster.
“LIGHT TORRENT!” Penelope twisted her finger up, slamming all the
The green poison hissed as it rained down on the burnt remains of the Carriopede Demon and the dead human.
“Light Torrent! Light Torrent!”
Penelope downed the potion, then threw the empty vial at the monster that was struggling to stand up.
“LIGHT BLAST!”
The flash of Light magic tore over the dying Demon.
DING!
Experience +1
Penelope closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Tears leaked out of her eyes anyway. She opened them and did her best to blot the water out of her eyes, then walked over and picked up her fallen wand. She kicked the Demon’s corpse before turning on Jeru.
“WHY DIDN’T YOU WARN ME THAT THING WAS COMING!!!!”
“I didn’t know!” The blue Elf held up his hands. “I was trying to keep an eye on everything else, and I lost track of it!” He glanced over at the man who’d sacrificed himself to protect her. “Do you want me to reset it?”
Penelope winced as a dying scream grated across her ears. She closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. “You can reset back to the beginning even if I make a new anchor here?”
His eyes widened. “Yes…” Jeru tilted his head. “That’s not what I thought you’d say.”
“I want to get an idea of what I’m up against–” Another dying scream faded into a gurgle, cutting off the rest of what she was going to say. Penelope looked down at the other Caster. “I really need to treat him better next time.”
“PENNY!!! HELP ME!!!”
Penelope turned to where the older woman had screamed. The blonde was on the ground with the Lupent Demon’s snake lower half wrapped around her legs. One of Frederica’s swords was sticking out of the monster’s side, and the other one was nowhere to be seen.
The monster’s jaw was being held back by the weakening woman’s stiff right arm, while it slashed at her with whichever claw could get past the desperate defense her other arm was mounting.
“LIGHT TORRENT!!!”
Penelope directed the balls of light into the creature’s side as she closed the distance.
DING!
Experience +1
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The Demon was still tightening around the other woman, which clued Penelope that one of the other monsters had fallen, but she didn’t have time to look around to see who had finished their fight.
“Ula got the Dragon Turtle.” Jeru announced. “But Oakley isn’t looking good, and the Scorb Demon has gotten to the surface.”
“Not now.” Penelope tried to focus on how she was going to help Frederica as she closed the space between them.
The demon tightened its grip around the captured woman. It rolled on the ground, putting the injured woman more in between it and the attacker like a living shield.
The yellow eyes of the predator smiled at her as it started to force its maw closer to the other woman’s face. It couldn’t get away from Penelope, but it knew that it could keep the dying woman between them long enough to finish her off.
Penelope jammed her wand into her belt and sped up, aiming instead for the handle of the sword.
“Wh,,, … you d…g?!” Frederica gasped as she strained.
Penelope wrapped both hands around the sword and pushed. “LIGHT BEAM!!!”
The spell shot down the blade of the sword, dumping Light Magic into the Demon.
The Lupent Demon screamed as it thrashed, flinging Frederica away, then tearing the hole in its side wider as it twisted and bucked, the gash opening up over half of its side by the time it was able to pull itself off the blade.
Steam leaked out of the gaping wound as Penelope backed up to where the older woman was still trying to get out a healing potion. Penelope pulled one out of her left pocket and twisted off the lid, offering it to the wounded woman.
“Thanks.” Frederica nodded as she tried to take the vial, but her fingers were shaking too hard for her to hold on to it.
“Here.” Penelope eyed the wounded monster that was drinking a potion of its own. “Let me help.”
She tipped the vial to the older woman’s lips, but only a few sips made it into the other woman’s mouth before she started coughing. Penelope pulled the vial back to save as much of the precious liquid as they could.
Frederica blinked back tears as the shaking in her hands subsided. After taking a few gulps of air, she held out her hand. “I think I can do it now.”
“Good.” Penelope handed over the potion, then put down the sword so she could get out her wand. “I think the two of us will be able to finish this one off... WAIT! LIGHT TORRENT!”
The Lupent Demon wasn’t interested in a two-on-one fight against a pair of level tens. It shot past them, slithering towards the entrance where there were easier prey to kill. The wound on its side was scabbed over, but it slithered with a limp, and its left arm was staying clutched tight to its side.
“What’s it doing!” Frederica tried to run but stumbled.
Penelope canceled the spell so she could grab the other woman’s arm. She looked over at Jeru, who shook his head as a response.
“It’s going on a killing spree. We’re the ones holding the invasion back at the moment, and the fewer of us there are, the easier time they’ll have breaking through.” She clenched her jaw. “It’s trying to kill as many of us as it can before we can get stronger.”
Frederica sat down. “What are you waiting for? Take…” Her gaze landed on the place where Judah was lying as she dug in her pocket for one of her own potions.
“Wha-what happened?”
Penelope blinked to hold back the tears. “We got ambushed, and he took the hit to protect me.”
“He…” Frederica opened the vial and downed it. “He was useful after all.”
Rage welled up inside Penelope, but she held it back with clenched fists. Now wasn’t the time to fight against each other. “He saved me and died a hero.” She looked the other woman over. “Are you good?”
Frederica used her sword to brace herself as she stood up and dusted herself off. “I think I can go.” She looked around. “OAKIE!!!”
The blonde woman took off towards where the Tank was lying. She pulled out another potion, drank it, then removed the prone man’s helmet and poured the red liquid down the man’s throat with her mouth.
Penelope grimaced as she walked over. Is he?
“He’ll live.” Jeru floated around to face Penelope. “But his injuries are pretty bad. Even with the potions, he’s out of the fight from blood loss alone.”
Penelope looked around at the lifeless floor. The three of them were the only three living things left in the Dungeon. The monsters had chased everyone back up to the surface, and that’s where the rest of their party was.
Penelope started to head for the entrance, but she was going to need more help than just Ula. “Frederica, is he going to be okay?”
“I don’t know!” Tears were streaming down the older woman’s face as she struggled to get the lid off of the third healing potion. “He’s not waking up!”
“Hey, hey, hey.” Penelope kneeled down next to the shivering woman and put her hand on the blonde’s arm. She felt for a pulse and was rewarded with the information that Jeru had given her. It was there. Weak but steady, just like his breathing.
“He’s going to live.” Penelope touched the other woman’s cheek and forced herself to look into the woman’s blue eyes. Penelope fought to keep her breathing under control as every cell in her body went into flight mode, but she knew that as difficult as it was for her, the other woman needed the comfort it and the direct eye contact and physical touch would bring. “But the only way that he’s going to stay alive is if we go up there and kill those last three—”
DING!
Experience +1
“…Two monsters.” Penelope motioned at the floor. “There is no one else down here. No monsters, no people. He’ll wake up once he heals more, but there won’t be anything for him to wake up to if we let those monsters kill everyone.”
“I can’t…” Frederica shook her head. “I can’t just leave him here.”
Penelope sighed as she stood up. “Then stay with him, because we can’t take him up there.” She paused. “But we have a much better chance of beating those last two monsters with your help.”
The older woman touched the sleeping man’s cheek, then kissed him. “I’m coming back for you.” She whispered in his ear. “Don’t you dare die on me.”
Frederica stood up and twirled her sword around in front of her. “I’m ready.” She looked over at Penelope. “Let’s finish this.”
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