We Can Be Heroes ...?

37

"Oh. That's just ... oh, god! Does it have to be so graphic? I ..." Jova turned her head away, burying her face in the arm of Shion that she clung to so tightly. "That's just wrong on so many levels."

Mila had insisted on testing all the new abilities in order to better understand their limitations and strengths, starting with Trevor. They had encountered new creatures, zombies, that were noticeably more powerful than those that had come before. Luring away the first two with the promise of sumptuous Bobs to dine upon, Mila dismissed the little blue rabbits and unleashed Trevor, the honey badger, upon the enemies. It was not pretty, the badger's claws ripping deep into rotted flesh.

The excited, grinning, wide-eyed expression on Mila's face gave Shion great cause for concern. It looked bloodthirsty, Trevor giving Mila the ability to finally dish out some real damage and she appeared to enjoy it. A lot. Perhaps too much, though Shion doubted Mila would listen even if she did voice the concerns she had.

Next up they needed Shion to cast her new ability. Her Apex-Ability that she had learned required charging up every time she used it. It wasn't something directly tied to how much magical energy she had available, but its own store and that store only held enough energy for one casting. To refill that store, Shion needed only to fight using her staff, replenishing both fonts of magic at the same time.

More use of Mila's Bobs brought more zombies for them to fight, relying on the shields created by their armour, allowing Shion to draw the energy she needed and, when she heard a 'ting' she knew the Apex-Ability stood ready for use and Shion let it loose, feeling the different energy flow from her, carpeting the street before them with a field of warm, yellow energy that revitalised everybody. The effect would last up twenty seconds, healing all her allies upon the field for the entire time. It felt exhilarating.

Dave took advantage of that situation by taking his time to cut and swipe at one zombie with little strikes until he could use his new 'Merciful blade' ability, killing the zombie in one stroke and leaving Dave's health bar, above his head, completely full with red. It was all quite impressive, but none more so than the sheer, vicious ferocity of Mila's badger, Trevor, and Shion felt glad that the regular badgers, back home were mostly slothful, nocturnal creatures. She wouldn't want to meet Trevor on a dark night without Mila there to control him.

"Oh, he's a beauty, isn't he? All claws and teeth and nasty temperament. He's a good boy, yes he is, yes he is." She didn't get too close to the animal, but Mila gave him a great deal of verbal affection. Trevor had become her favourite and, every time he disappeared, she summoned him again. "And you all thought being a summoner sucked. Well, who's laughing now, eh? Who's laughing now?"

No-one. No-one was laughing now, just as no-one had laughed before. The only one who had disparaged summoner abilities was Mila herself. But, in her mind, she had been a victim of unfair, insulting comments. In fact, Shion quite liked this version of Mila. She smiled more. Albeit in a swivel-eyed loon sort of fashion, but it made a difference from the brooding, kill-you-as-quick-as-look-at-you Mila. This was progress, of a sort.

"So, now what? We just have Shion cast her Apex-Ability and just go toe-to-toe with everything?" After the zombies had faded away, none carrying the yellow glow that indicated loot to plunder from their dead forms, Jova had stopped shrinking into Shion's arm. "That doesn't sound like much of a plan."

"Fuck no. The plan is the same, we lure away one or two mobs, slaughter them, lure more, yada-yada. The usual. No point making things difficult for ourselves. No, the new abilities come in when we fight the boss monsters." Mila seemed chirpy, excited for, perhaps, the first time since they entered the city. "With NPC's healing field, and Dave's 'Merciful blade', we can beat this! We could get out. We could ... am I fucking boring you, Dave?"