The early morning sun cast rays of warmth on the tired pedestrians of Aegis's streets. At The Fool's Carol Jamie had taken a seat in the dining area of the second floor. The vibe on the second floor was more serious than the floor below. It seemed to be filled with adventurers planning out their days and other people holding meetings over meals. Jamie positioned himself with his back to the massive sliding glass doors that lead out to the balcony. He had himself dressed to the nines in a fine blue suit and slacks. In front of him sat four adventurers. Are these guys going to be okay? They look like they didn't get a wink of sleep. Oh well, let's get this party started. Jamie was the first to break the silence.
"Alright, let's all order something to eat before we head out."
"That does sound nice." Holly replied.
The group waited for a server and all took turns placing their orders. Taiga, the newest member, addressed Jamie.
"Can you explain why you're coming with us? I thought you mostly worked alone."
Jamie leaned back, "Oh, no one told you?"
"Nope."
"Yes we di-" Nepped responded but was quickly cut off by Jamie.
"Well that's simple, it's because you are ranked as a hatchling and your party doesn't have a Crowdell ranked member." Jamie stated.
"So?" Taiga shrugged. Nepped shot Taiga a dirty look.
"I don't feel like explaining all the intricacies of the guild's ranking system, Usually that's Vladimir or Betty's job. But in order for a party to have a hatchling with them, one of the members must be at least Crowdell rank."
"You're Wyvern right?" Holly asked.
Jamie smiled, "Eh, something like that."
"If that's the case how long will you be working with us for?" Terra reached for their glass of water.
"That depends on you guys," Jamie pointed at Holly, "I'm proctoring Holly's Crowdell exam for today's quest. If she passes you won't need anyone else to hold your hand."
The server returned with their food and placed each dish neatly in front of them.
Nepped stabbed a discolored potato on their plate and dumped it on Terra's, "Basically it's your fault we need this guy." Nepped pointed at Taiga.
"It's not my fault you guys needed another frontliner." Taiga stuck their tongue out.
Nepped stood up quickly, their fists balled.
"Relax," Holly said calmly, "She doesn't know."
"Know what?" Asked Taiga.
Jamie shook his head, "I think some things are better left as they are."
"I agree." Holly took the discolored potato from Terra's plate and shoved it in her mouth, "Bethidesh, you're cute."
Terra groaned and Nepped rolled their eyes, "Creepy hag," they said in unison.
Holly's cheeks were puffed out from the potato stashed in her mouth but it was clear she was smiling.
"Today's objective," Jamie cleared his throat, "Clear out the nest of dire wolves and return safely. Easy enough."
"Right!" The group cheered in unison before munching at their meals. After several minutes of slurping and crunching away all five of them steadily began to finish up.
"That was delicious as always." Jamie patted his belly, "Now that that's settled. Have any of you been to Mimic Forest yet?"
Holly's eyes widened, "Yes, I have. And we are not ready for any quests in that forsaken woodland."
"We? Who's we?" Terra laughed.
Nepped looked blankly at Holly, "I've never seen someone as hot as you get cold feet before."
"Flirting?" A smug smile spread across Taiga's face, "That's cute."
"No fresh meat," Nepped spat, "She's literally a ball of fire when she fights."
The two continued bickering for a while somehow managing to drag Terra into their foolishness. Jamie ignored them and redirected his attention to Holly.
"You do realize if you don't take the quest, you'll fail and Taiga cannot join the three of you, right?"
Holly nodded slowly, "I'm not sending anyone to their death just so I can get a new rank."
Jamie's left eyebrow raised, "Admirable, but who said anything about dying? Sure, I won't help you in battle or give advice but if I think anyone's life is in danger I'll step in."
With a slight frown Holly lowered her voice, "You do know the nature of Mimic Forest do you not?"
"Yeah, I used to spend some weekends and holidays out there as a boy," Jamie reached into the back of his slacks, "Plus if it makes you feel any better this is my rank. No one will die." Jamie gave a warm smile.
Holly felt sweat roll down the back of her neck as she examined his guild card, "I-Impossible."
"That's what I said." Jamie quickly pulled it away and returned it to his pocket, "Trust in yourself and in your team. Or don't and fail. That's up to you."
He quickly sprung from his seat and began walking towards the stairs, "I'll be downstairs at the cafe's counter. I need to see someone before we head out."
Holly gave him a nod and walked behind her bickering party members. Nepped and Taiga both looked up at Holly momentarily releasing their hands from each other's throats. Terra started picking up their stuff.
Holly took a deep breath before addressing her rag tag group, "I know we all have some... Interesting personalities but I need each of you on your best today." Nepped and Terra's faces quickly shifted as they became laser focused on their leader. Taiga took note and adjusted her posture so she could see Holly better.
"We could go the entire day without incident," Holly reasoned, "Sure, mimics are rare and often avoid confrontation. But I can't be the only one to feel such discomfort with the state of the world's mana right now. I'm sure the more beastly species feel it too."
"Even if we run into a mimic," Nepped tried to make their voice sound more animated, "We could easily beat them with the right matchups."
Terra nodded, "Yeah, Nepped could take me, You could Taiga or Nepped, Taiga could probably handle their own until one of us finished up, and I could take you."
Holly looked them over for a moment, "No, we'd have to put Taiga on me."
"What?!" Nepped stood up, "They'd die instantly."
Holly eyed the shield resting at the side of Taiga's chair. "Yeah, I don't know about that. Anyway, Here's the lineup if we get the choice. Me on Terra, Terra on Nepped, Nepped on Taiga, Taiga on me."
Nepped shrugged, "If you say so boss."
Terra sighed, "Finee."
Taiga sat silently studying her new group's interactions. Her serious expression caught Holly's attention.
"Got something on your mind Taiga?"
Taiga sighed, "You still haven't told me our team name yet."
"Team name?!" Nepped cackled, "Oh that's a good one."
Taiga looked away and pouted.
"Well," Holly hesitated, "Generally speaking groups are only granted composition names when they've accomplished great feats. Party structures are usually pretty fluid as it's not uncommon for someone to retire, change teams, leave the area or... Ya know."
The group sat in uncomfortable silence for a few moments.
Nepped stretched, "Plus team names are for kids anyway."
"Well, I think they're cool." Taiga complained.
Holly nodded, "I get the appeal, but for now let's head out so we can get this over with."
Holly and the others took their belongings and walked down the stairwell leading to the first floor. Holly waved at the older looking man working the guildhall counter before making her way to the entrance of the cafe. Once they crossed over they saw Jamie at the cafe counter talking with Lucky and Karyl.
"Do you have to go already?" Lucky whined.
Jamie pointed at the terminal on the counter, "You shouldn't complain on the job, ya know?"
"Don't tease her too much now," Karyl warned, "She's going to be one of my star maids so you better behave!"
"I don't see no costume..." Jamie grumbled.
Karyl leaned over the counter, "What was that?"
"I said, 'I don't see why that matters.' She's not a freeloader anymore!"
Lucky remained silent and began fidgeting with her black dress. I forgot, she has a hard time out of the house. Jamie reached across the counter and showed her his phone.
"Remember what I said? If you get too lonely you can always shoot me a message."
Karyl crossed her arms, "Neither one of you should be texting on the job."
"Blegh," Jamie waved his hand across his face, "Besides, if you do well today I'll take you someplace nice later."
Lucky raised her head and her tail began wagging, "Fried seafood vendor?"
Jamie began to walk away, "It'll be a surprrriissse!" He waved to Karyl and Lucky as he caught up to Holly's group.
"I miss him already." Lucky grabbed a rag and began cleaning the shelving units behind her.
*****
After a quick ride east on some Wyverns, Holly's group found themselves right outside of Mimic Forest. Its massive gumoaks sprawled endlessly into the distance. Terra raised their right hand and closed their eyes for a moment.
"Good chance for a storm today." She said.
Taiga looked up from the wyvern they were petting, stopping momentarily. "The skies are clear, how can you tell?"
"Terra specializes in water magic," Nepped said dryly.
"Oh, my bad." Taiga looked back at the Wyvern and began petting it, the Wyvern nuzzled her hand happily.
"What are you babbling about now, furball?" Nepped teased.
Taiga smiled, "Oh, she just wanted me to keep rubbing her head. That's all."
"Uh... Okay?" Nepped shrugged.
"Ahem. Anyway, for a Sparrow class adventurer like Terra it's unusual to have such a range of supporting magic too." Holly gave Terra a smile.
"So," Taiga gave the wyvern a pat goodbye, "If Holly is a Raven and Terra is a Sparrow... Are you a Hatchling like me?" Taiga asked Nepped.
Nepped grabbed their gear, "In your dreams furball. I'm leagues above you, in fact I'm already a Raven."
Taiga's smug grin returned with a vengeance, "Oh is that so? Then how come Holly is taking the promotion exam and you aren't?" Taiga covered her mouth with her hand.
"Why you little-"
"I suggest we get moving," Jamie stepped between the two girls, "I've got a date later."
Nepped rolled her eyes, "Does she know that?"
Jamie ignored Nepped's jab and whistled the tune of Ankhos theme song.
"Oh, you watch her too?" Taiga rushed to Jamie's side.
Jamie nodded, "Yeah, it's something of a nightly ritual."
Taiga grinned, "Same!"
As they entered the forest Holly instructed Nepped to stay a bit ahead of the group. Nepped found their way up into the understory of the trees. Terra assumed their position at the back of the group and Taiga kept pace with them. Holly took point of the grounded members, sandwiching Jamie in the center.
"Taiga, if we get attacked from the front I want you up here with me. Otherwise stick to Terra like glue."
"Roger that." Taiga gripped her sword Broadfeather, and shield Cinnabarrier tightly.
"Ease up a bit," Terra said, "You're going to wear yourself out before we fight anything."
"R-right." Taiga loosened their grip and continued walking.
Holly smiled and pressed on explaining, "Fortunately the den isn't too far from here. It seems these wolves got a little ahead of themselves and set up shop nearby so they could easily get into the outskirts of the city."
"That explains why the guild made this an extermination mission instead of a defense mission." Taiga reasoned.
Jamie ran his hand through his hair, "Yepper, sometimes things just can't wait." His eyes scanned the area impatiently.
Nepped called out from the trees above, "It's directly to our right."
Holly let out a sigh of relief, "Alright, remember the plan?"
The group nodded and they took up their formation in the front of a cave-like structure. Terra began channeling mana throughout their body. Blue lines scattered across their skin like veins and their robes began to flutter. Terra took a deep breath. Don't let your magical circuits get overloaded. She reminded herself.
"Alright, this should get their attention." Terra channeled more mana into their right palm.
Water droplets formed a few inches away from her hand and began swirling viciously. In the blink of an eye a sphere of water the size of a barstool materialized. With a push of her will, the water based spell rushed towards the cave entrance and crashed within its dark maw. After a few moments, overlapping howling could be heard echoing from within. Nepped had positioned themselves on top of the rocky entrance and Holly stood tall several feet from its embrace. Taiga readied their shield and held the tip of their blade over the top of it. Terra produced a scythe waiting patiently behind the two of them.
"Where did Jamie go?" Taiga wondered aloud.
"Don't worry about him, stay focused." Holly ordered before filling their lungs with air, "COME AND GET IT!!!"
Holly's voice seemed to shake the air. As if to answer her call, two dire wolves measuring 135cm each leapt from the cave.
Nepped's eyes glinted, "Leave it to my Ouroboros!"
Nepped called upon a purple and black chain-like Breaker with bladed heads on either side. It slithered through the air, digging itself into the first wolf. As it cried out in pain the chain began moving quicker dicing the beast into parts. Taiga darted forward towards the second wolf, breaking formation.
"Wait you idiot!" Terra called out.
Taiga responded by thrusting their Broadfeather forward. I won't let Nepped show me up. Propelling in a straight line following the blade's trajectory, Taiga flew at the beast. Her blade cleanly ran through the side of the second wolf, causing it to die instantly. I overshot! Taiga's momentum blew beyond their targeted destination. I screwed up, I can't change directions like this. In an effort to slow themselves they tried dropping their feet but accidentally smashed their toes into a melon sized rock. Their flight path skewed causing them to tumble on the ground into the rocky exterior of the cave.
"ACK!" Taiga lost her breath as her back bounced from the wall onto the ground.
"Whelp," Holly sighed, "Guess I'm up." Holly deliberately walked calmly, raising her right hand perpendicular to her body. "Bonk Bonk."
Holly's voice echoed as a massive chrominium hammer with the word 'BAN' on its strike plate spawned in her right hand. On the opposite side an exhaust shaped hole began glowing like the embers of a fire. Her pace gradually quickend but the hammer never seemed to weigh her down. Once she got closer to the entrance three wolves pounced at her. She quickly jumped towards them and twisted her body with terrifying speed. Rotating the hammer around her center point to gain maximum rotations per second. Once her hammer connected with the first wolf, its body turned into a mist of blood and fur. Without giving the second a chance to react, Holly delivered a killing blow by bludgeoning its spine. The third wolf was strung up by Nepped and quickly eviscerated by her Ouroboros.
Holly's gaze shifted to the left momentarily to inspect her fallen party member, She seems fine. Holly refocused on the entrance, but just like she thought Taiga returned to her feet. Taiga wiped the sweat from her brow and tried remedying her double vision.
"It's not over yet! Don't let your guard down!" Holly ordered.
A jarring growl bounced off the cavern's walls and into the opening where Holly's party was stationed. It didn't take long for a multitude of howls to reciprocate the cry.
Holly readied her Breaker and placed her pointer and middle fingers over a lever, "Steady now! The real fight starts here! Terra, set up the jumpads!"
Terra moved her arms in an arc causing an assortment of square shield like tiles to appear at strategic points around the area.
Holly looked over to her stunned comrade, "Taiga!"
"Yeah?!" Taiga heaved.
"Don't let anything get near Terra, if you do this will become a lot harder than it needs to be."
Taiga snapped out of her daze and dashed back to Terra, "R-right!"
"Nepped, I don't think I need to tell you-"
Nepped looked down on Holly and ran her thumb across her neck, "Handle the small ones, right?"
Holly nodded and took one last look at the jumpad locations scattered across the area. Listening carefully Holly stayed perfectly still, a drop of rain fell on her cheek running down her chin. Aren't we fortunate today? Holly mused as the rain began to pick up its pace. It wasn't by much but the area had grown darker as the clouds continued to race overhead.
Finally, a paw the size of a tractor wheel slammed into the newly wet ground. It sank a few inches as its razor sharp claws tore up the earth. The beast seemed to have crawled out of the cave, too large to simply strut out. It measured several wyverns in height, a true behemoth. Taiga took yet another step back, readying their shield as more than a dozen or so of the monster's kin appeared from its shadow. Yeah, I'm not one shotting this bastard. Holly clenched her jaw. Staring the beast down, neither her nor it moved a muscle. A flash of lighting lit the arena up, revealing that Nepped had already begun strangling two of the smaller dire wolves in the rear.
The Alpha's roar reverberated in the party's ribcages. Terra could feel the weight of its mana clawing at her throat. However she was soon released upon hearing Holly's voice.
"Let's clean up and go home!" Holly kicked off of a tile Terra had placed behind her, causing her to rocket forward.
She clenched down on her hammer's lever causing its exhaust to explode with flame. This propelled her even more and caused her rotations to double. She aimed for the Alpha's head looking to concuss it immediately. Once within striking range she performed a somersault. She brought her gigahammer from behind her back downwards in a helm splitter motion. Two of the pack leapt at Holly grabbing hold of her legs. This caused her momentum to shift, throwing her off target. I underestimated their speed. No, the first set of wolves were a trap to get us to let our guard down. I need to get them off of me. I don't want to, but I'm going to have to do IT.
Holly began channeling her mana but her eyes widened as Taiga flew past her at a blistering pace. Taiga's shortsword pierced through the wolf on Holly's left side and plunged deep into the Alpha's right eye. Taiga's laser focused expression fueled a fire deep within Holly. She ripped on the lever again and twisted her body recklessly. I feel like my spine is going to rip into pieces! Gritting her teeth she spun violently causing the other wolf to whip around her. A distorted popping sound dully echoed through the air as the wolf fell to the ground. Its neck was bent into an unnatural position.
At the same time the Alpha had reared its head back, reeling from the pain. Another pair of wolves jumped on either side of Taiga as she was free falling in the air. Holly adjusted her trajectory to intercept but Taiga thrust her arm once more, splitting through another wolf. Aiming for a floating tile she kicked off of it pushing her way back to Terra's side. Good, Nepped is finishing up on the backend and Taiga gave me an opening.
Holly refocused on the massive beast still in front of her. It took a wild swing at her, its paw was large enough to crush her entire body in an instant. However, as she spun she managed to knick one of the jumpads causing her to veer off in another direction, completely avoiding the beast's attack. Holly's gaze quickly shifted to the monster's rear as its tail came towards her. Oh no. She raised her hammer in a defensive position to intercept the spiny end of its tail. It was faster than expected but it suddenly careened in the opposite direction. Holly lowered her hammer from her line of sight and saw a wall of tiles arranged neatly in front of her. I owe Terra one now too. The Alpha's spiked tail dug into its chest. Screeching, it began rampaging and indiscriminately attacking everything in the area. That's huge, however... Holly signaled Nepped to regroup with the others. Terra had begun to wobble and the tiles rapidly disappeared from the field. Taiga caught Terra and threw them over her shoulder. Nepped had already returned to their side.
"Not bad, furball." Nepped said coldly.
Taiga shifted her weight making it easier to maneuver with Terra on her back, "Thanks, turns out you weren't all talk either." She couldn't hold back her smile.
"I'll take things from here." Holly declared.
Aptly dodging the Alpha's wrathful strikes, Holly made her way to the right side of the beast. In one swift motion Holly once more was airbourne above the behemoth's head. The group watched as Holly brought her hammer down one last time, crushing the Alpha's skull. She raised her head and leaned back gasping for air. With a massive grin on her face she reached back out, returning her hammer to its pocket dimension. The group walked towards Holly all with smiles on their faces, except Terra who was napping on Taiga's back.
"You got a little something on your face," Nepped pointed at her own cheek while addressing Holly.
Holly used the back of her hoodie to wipe blood from her cheek, "Yeah, you did a good job too Nepped." Holly glanced over at Taiga, "Despite breaking formation, I'm impressed. Your quick thinking made up for your inexperience today. It won't always be like that, but we got lucky."
"Aren't you gonna praise me too?" Terra mumbled sleepily.
Holly smiled warmly, "Of course! The boost you got from the rain was well employed, thank you for saving my life."
Nepped took a battle stance and Taiga jumped slightly as Jamie reappeared in front of the victorious party.
"Good job guys!" Jamie gave them a thumbs up.
"I uh... Forgot you were here for a bit. I wouldn't have spent myself like that if I remembered." Terra mumbled.
Jamie laughed, "It's a good thing you forgot then. If I had to intervene to save Holly, I would have failed her immediately. Day's still young though~" Jamie hummed.
Holly began walking towards the Wyvern dropoff, "We need to get moving-"
Holly's nose wiggled and her face turned fierce. Fire engulfed her and catlike ears burst from her head. "MIMICS!" With a quick flick of her wrist she opened her palm and let loose a torrent of billowing flames on Jamie.
"RUN!" Holly screamed, the others reacted instinctively. Taiga slipped in the mud but took off after Nepped.
Holly seemed to move more freely in this form as she rushed after her party. Before she could get caught up three figures stood in her way. The first looked exactly like Jamie, the second resembled Terra, and the third was Nepped. Holly eyed them carefully and tried to get her breathing under control, With Terra down, this got a lot more complicated. Holly looked side to side looking for an opportunity to escape. I'll have to deal with Terra first, otherwise I can't regroup and we won't be able to play to our strengths. But Terra will make it impossible to hit him... She felt her heart drop as she saw a plume of flames light up the forest in the distance. No! It seems like they have to fight me... Holly shook her head, I just have to trust in them. Holly charged at the fake Terra hoping to eliminate it early, removing its supporting prowess from the equation. But Jamie appeared in front of Holly, catching her off guard. A quick left jab to her chin shocked her and Jamie clinched the back of neck. It managed to land a sharp knee to her gut but quickly let go of her. Holly's aura crackled with flame.
"Aww, did my flames give ya a lil smooch?" Holly teased between gulps of air.
The fake Nepped's Ouroboros snagged Holly's ankle pulling her leg back. Losing balance, Holly fell onto her face before getting pulled towards Nepped. The chain wrapped around Holly's entire body, cutting into her. This isn't good. Holly writhed in pain as the chain grew tighter.
*****
CLANG! Taiga deflected a strike from their double and jumped back multiple feet. Their movements had slowed from the poor conditions and awkwardness of carrying Terra.
"We need to make a swap!" Taiga yelled breathlessly.
"Yeah I know that furball!" Nepped yelled back. "I can't find an opening!"
Nepped swung and jumped from tree to tree with their Ourobors avoiding the mimic Holly's fiery blasts. Nepped slipped off a branch but aptly shot their chain into another tree, narrowly dodging certain death.
Nepped called out to Taiga, "If we survive this, remind me to avoid making Holly mad!"
"You're not making me want to make that swap now!" Taiga side stepped a wild swing from their copy.
Once again she jumped multiple feet away from her copy. She ascertained the distance and quickly shifted their weight expecting an onslaught. Their copy rushed them down and swung widely, almost grazing her neck. I thought as much. Taiga thrust their Broadfeather launching their way upwards landing next to Nepped. Taiga hunkered down in front of them with her Cinnabarrier placed between them and a massive ball of flame.
"I don't think their Breakers have any special properties!" Taiga shouted over the sound of their shield warbling as it absorbed the flames. Nepped took a moment to gauge their surroundings.
"If that's the case that makes this whole thing less of a hassle." Nepped signaled at Taiga's copy.
"Oh in that case, can you use your Ouroboros to hold on to Terra? I mean since fighting me without actual breakers wouldn't be a hassle."
Nepped opened their mouth to object but instead grabbed Terra and quickly chained them up.
"Don't make me clean up your mess." Nepped sighed before jumping down to the fake Taiga.
"Ya know, I'd be willing to trade you in for our furball. Ours is too noisy." Nepped said to the mimic.
The mimic tilted its head slightly before charging at Nepped thrusting for her head. Unskilled but physically impressive. Nepped managed to sidestep the attack but the mimic's blade gazed their cheek. The minor wound did not go unpunished however.
"Punish my enemies, Clover!" Nepped raised their arm in a slashing motion revealing a chrominium rod roughly 107cm in length. Beyond the hilt on either side of the metallic substance, a glowing purple blade formed from pure mana. It seemed to be contained by the apparatus' form and magical engravings. The blade flashed through the mimic's side causing a gash a few inches deep. Flailing, the mimic's shield arm heavily connected with Nepped's chest, dropping them to their rear.
About hundred meters away Taiga was buckling under the weight of Holly's maniacal assault. Attacks came from seemingly every direction. No matter where Taiga flung themself to with Broadfeather; or what blazing attack they blocked with their Cinnabarrier, it seemed impossible for them to launch any kind of offensive. This is ridiculous. I can't close the distance. It's taking longer and longer to absorb their fire magic too. Eventually I WILL lose this battle of attrition. I need to change my strategy. After absorbing one more blast from Holly, Taiga pulled a one eighty and thrust their blade away from Holly back towards Nepped. They took a look over their shoulder verifying they were creating a gap in the distance. Scanning the environment Taiga noticed Nepped deftly evading their foes' moves. But it seemed they too couldn't land a decisive blow. Taking note of Taiga's approach, Nepped repositioned themselves, forcing the clone's back towards its original. Don't screw this up. Nepped's face twisted in agony as they blocked a full powered slash from the mimic's blade before being countered by another shield strike. The mimic raised their sword arm to ready a finishing blow, SWOOSH! Taiga flew beyond both the clone and Nepped their sword arm in front of them. The clone's head fell from its body, rolling to Nepped's feet. The mimic quickly dissolved back into the ground disappearing from view. Nepped turned tail and ran towards Taiga.
"Got lead in your boots?" Nepped yelled, "Let's go!"
Taiga kept pace with Nepped constantly scanning their surroundings, "Where are we going?!"
Nepped shrugged, "Uh, I don't know! I forgot where I left Terra."
Taiga's jaw dropped, "SERIOUSLY?!"
"Shhhh! We need to regroup and come up with a plan for taking down Holly! I want to get this over with quickly so we can get back to the real one."
Taiga bit her tongue and continued following Nepped.
"Wait, stop here." Taiga slid into some underbrush whipping their bag around their body.
"Are you crazy? We'll get caught if we stay here." Nepped looked around worriedly. "Now's not the time to be fiddling with your bag."
"Big Smol Bag," Taiga's voice was defensive, "And that chain of yours... Is it shiny?"
Neped stared at Taiga blankly, "Okay, you've lost it."
"Is. It. Shiny?" Taiga doubled down.
"Well yeah, I guess so."
"Sweet!" Taiga ripped a well used compass from their bag and gave it a quick thwack, "Alright Avarice, where is it?"
She opened the tiny device revealing each of the cardinal directions. A jittery needle rotated out of control for a moment before locking in slightly to the North East. Nepped had been nosily lurking over Taiga's shoulder.
Nepped sighed, "That's back the way we came."
Taiga nodded and raised Avarice up to Nepped, "If I give you it can you promise me you'll bring it back to me without a scratch." Taiga's eyes locked on Nepped's.
Nepped pushed Taiga's hand away, "Wouldn't it just be faster for you to go get Terra with your Broadfeather?"
"We both know you can't dodge Holly's attacks without Ouroboros... And if I'm being completely honest." Taiga leaned back and rubbed her sword arm. "I don't know if I can thrust all the way there and back... I'm spent."
Nepped closed her eyes, "I wish the real Holly were here with us, we should have stayed with them."
"I can tell you two have a lot of faith in her," Taiga began to stand up. "But I have a feeling we would have gotten in the way."
"I know, you're right." Nepped nodded.
Taiga smiled, "Sorry, can you say that again?"
"Shut up and die." Nepped walked out from the underbrush. "Don't die until I get back, I want to be able to see you cry like a bitch when you do."
"Just go get your pile of junk back and wake Terra up already." Taiga threw Avarice into Nepped's hands.
Nepped took off in a b-line following the compass and Taiga closed her eyes to focus. My arms are heavy and I'm starting to have a hard time breathing. I can't remember the last time I moved around so much with Broadfeather. With a quick stretch Taiga took off in the direction she thought she would find the mimic Holly.
*****
Explosions rocked the woodlands as Holly let out a cannonade of intense fiery arcs. Jumpads scattered the area shattering against the force of Holly's assault. Jamie appeared behind Holly attempting to strike her. She quickly spun her heel over her head sending a pillar of flame behind her, scorching several trees. He's too fast. Holly contorted her body narrowly dodging being impaled by Nepped's bladed chain. She then managed to wrap her thigh around the chain. Spinning her body she reeled Nepped in like a fish on a line. Before attempting to strike Nepped she wildly shot a wall of fire behind her. That'll keep that creep off of me while I ash this fake. On the wrong side of Holly's rage the fake Nepped's chest was caved in by Holly's right arm. With a surge of mana Nepped's skin bubbled up for a moment before erupting into chunks of burning flesh.
Each breath Holly took was even and deliberate. I need to pace myself. I could take out Terra right now but I'd be burning through too much mana. The chain that was wrapped around her thigh dissolved, leaving behind nothing more than a puddle of goop. I can win if the others take down their foes. If they fail, I'll be forced to go all out and I don't know what kind of outcome that will bring. She swayed to the left, allowing a blast of water magic to fly harmlessly beyond her. At least the rain isn't powering up the mimic. Seems they can't truly replicate our abilities.
With one Mimic defeated the other two distanced themselves from Holly. The drops of rain turned to a torrential downpour, however not a single drop could reach Holly's skin. Steam poured from her obscuring the area with a hot fog. The three combatants all used this as an excuse to take a breather. But Holly wouldn't wait for long. Running parallel to Terra's last known location, she began rhythmically launching orbs of compact flame in that direction. Terra raised tile after tile stopping Holly's magic from ever reaching them. Jamie would occasionally appear taking a swing at Holly only for her to dodge each one more aptly than the last. I've got it now. Holly planted her feet, ceasing all her momentum instantaneously. With a single push she covered more than half the distance between her and Terra. It's time to finish this.
*****
"NGH!" Taiga buckled under the weight of Holly's firestorm. She had her sword sheathed and used her right hand to brace her shield arm. Ever so slightly she slid backwards on the slippery terrain. Nepped, where are you?! Her Cinnabarrier slowly ate away at the flames as the faux Holly walked her down, continuing its billowing beam of flame. Taiga's body was drenched in sweat and her jacket rippled providing little relief from the heat. I might be able to do this by myself at this rate. Taiga grunted as they took a step forward. I just need to get closer. The Cinnabarrier began to shine with a reddish hue. Will I make it in time? The fake Holly pressed on increasing the volume of mana it poured into its flames. Taiga winced as the flames seared her clothes and licked her body causing light burns. Just a little more. Grimacing at the overwhelming pressure, she coughed as smoke began filling her lungs. She snuck a look beyond her shield seeing the blurry outline of her foe. The mimic had stopped moving. I can't, my legs feel like rubber. I can't do this. I was so close, just one more step. Taiga's chest rattled with every breath, and her body trembled under its own weight. A picture flashed through her mind of something familiar yet foreign. She felt a nudge behind her, forcing her forward one more step. Huh? Her vision refocused for a moment allowing her to pinpoint Holly's exact location. She filled her lungs with air and channeled what little mana she had into her trusty shield.
Her voice was hoarse as it echoed through the burning trees. "BACKDRAFT!!!"
With a flash of white a magical sigil appeared a few feet beyond the shield. An eerie crackling sound spat out, heralding the devilish might that was to follow. Within a split second a flood of mana rang through the air piercing through the mimic and a great many trees behind it. Taiga was blown back two and a half meters, landing on her upper back. She managed to barely lift her head to confirm the kill. However all that was left was a molten death bed. Scorched earth traveled from where Taiga had been standing in a cone shape. The fauna much like the Mimic had been seared from existence. Nice, I'm going to nap now. Taiga felt a slight twinge of irritation as she saw two more people approaching her. Whelp, guess I'll die. It was nice while it lasted. Clinging tightly to her beloved Broadfeather and Cinnabarrier she fell into a well deserved slumber.
Two pairs of boots stepped on either side of her.
"Damn, she did all of this?" Terra surveyed the wasted area.
"Don't you dare tell her I said this, but..." Nepped smiled slightly, "She's alright."
Terra lifted Taiga up and followed Nepped towards where they had left their Holly earlier. However, they didn't get far.
"Yo," A familiar warm voice called out to them.
"Holly? Is it really you?" Nepped turned to get a better look.
"Yeah, Jamie too." Holly pointed next to Nepped.
Nepped jumped, "Ah! Stop doing that."
"Sorry, I just can't help it when you react like that." Jamie chuckled.
"Wait," Terra said cautiously, "How do we know you aren't Mimics?"
Holly raised her hoodie revealing a massive hole in her midsection, "'Cause mimics don't bleed." Holly smiled warmly before collapsing to the ground.
The newly formed party rushed over to Holly leaving Jamie by himself. Gently picking her up, they hurriedly headed for the exit and their ride. Jamie examined the cone of destruction Taiga had caused. Well, color me surprised. All of them had more guts than I expected. Casually walking away from the warzone he pondered. Now where exactly should I take Lucky after I file my report?
*****
Once back at The Fool's Carol, Jamie walked to the back where the guild counter was. He had already seen Holly and her party off at a local hospital for medical attention. An older man with pale skin and a silver ponytail stared at him in shock as he finished his report. The man's golden nametag glistend, it read "Vladimir"
"Are you serious?" His voice was smooth for his apparent age. His blood red eyes seemed to dance with interest.
"Yeah, it's like I said. Holly managed to beat my mimic and two others by herself." Jamie said absentmindedly.
Vladimir frowned, "I'm not talking about that. Why did you interfere?"
Jamie sighed, "Pops, I could have lied to you, I just thought you'd want to know that there were well over thirty aggressive mimics. That doesn't bode well."
"Then you should have evacuated the party and reported it as a failure." Vladimir clenched his fist.
"Are you sure? Not only did they masterfully handle the dire wolves but there was an abnormally large alpha."
"Right..." Vladimir said softly.
"AND," Jamie continued, "They beat a group of mimics totally outnumbered after that. I'd go so far as to say that what Holly pulled off is Wyvern material. And each of them should be considered for reexamination. It wasn't just their strength either. They had almost everything. Heart, coordination, creativity, planning. It was refreshing to watch." Jamie stated excitedly.
"Hmmmm." Vladimir pondered for a moment, scratching his chin. "Well son, considering your recommendation and support feel free to give them the good news. Although, I feel as a Phoenix rank it may be difficult at times for you to accurately gauge the lower ranking members. As Guild Master I just don't want to see them get killed over a hasty promotion."
Jamie nodded, "I understand, oh and one last thing."
"Yes?"
"I'd trust them with Lucky, OH speaking of Lucky. I'm taking off for the rest of the day."
Vladimir raised his brow, "But why? What's that got to do with her?"
Jamie grinned, "I'm taking her on a date!"
Vladimir sat down in anguish, "That boy... does she even know that it's a date?"
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(Uploaded version is the initial draft of the work LxD. The final edited version will be available for purchase in the future and you can check the progress of the book by visiting Lucky's streams twitch.tv/TheLuckyTempest)