The Matriarch's Daughter

Chapter Twenty-Six: A New Strike Team

As the team began to stir, Thepa focused her attention on Wilran. She watched the elf's brown eyes squint in discomfort as she tried to adjust to the sudden brightness of the sun. She raised a hand to her temple, massaging it gently. A part of Thepa could only imagine how jarring it must have felt to wake up in an unfamiliar place, with no memory of how long they'd been out. The sun's heat beat down on them, its brightness unrelenting as they tried to shake off the grogginess.

Somewhat confused by their state, Thepa inquired, "Something wrong?"

Skydane's laugh cut through the air. "We drugged them. Ran them ragged around the tarmac and when they begged for water, well... we gave them a nice sleeping potion."

Nel chuckled. "Like I said, Father, you've always had a mean streak even the Arcadia can't outrun."

"Mean streak?" Skydane snorted. "Like you were an afternoon picnic."

Wilran unfastened her shield from her arm, letting it clatter to the ground. Thepa watched her fingers move in precise motions, casting a routine she'd likely performed countless times.

"They are the best of the best. We're not going to trust our city to just anyone. Let's give them a little prodding." Nel touched her throat and her voice boomed out once again, "Not off to a good start, maggots... Let's see some hustle!"

Thepa's gaze drifted back to Wilran, who moved cautiously as she rose to her feet, retrieving her weapon with deliberate slowness. The elf approached the platform's edge, peering down. Suddenly, she recoiled. Thepa squinted, estimating they were at least fifty feet above the ground. Without any landmarks to gauge, it was hard to tell.

Wilran's attention shifted upward toward the Arcadia, but a deafening roar erupted from the bugbear in the center, causing her to flinch. The beast strained against its cage, its guttural cries echoing against the haul. Just outside its reach was a club, one Thepa was sure would be soon put to good use.

"Good thing she stepped back," Skydane remarked with a dry smirk.

Thepa nodded silently, a flicker of unease stirring, though not for Wilran. She swallowed it, saying nothing.

"Welcome to shol, team." Nel's voice boomed. "It's time to put your training to good use. Beat the bugbear and win. Fail and well... at least your broken bodies will be used to teach the next ones.'"

The team, still sluggish, struggled to balance. Their movements were clumsy, heads shaking to clear the potion's fog.

"One more thing to make it interesting," Nel added, her voice dripping with mischief. "The platform's balanced. I suggest you keep it that way."

Thepa shot Nel a blank stare. "Balanced?"

Nel shrugged. "Any group of soldiers worth their salt can take down a bugbear. But teamwork? Adaptation? Let's see if they can handle something unpredictable." Her eyes gleamed with a hint of challenge. "Besides, what's the point of a test without a little risk?"

With a fierce roar, the bugbear burst from its cage, gripping a massive club as it charged toward Wilran. The elf's eyes widened in terror as she raised her shield, bracing for the attack. The ground beneath her violently groaned as the platform tilted, but Wilran quickly adapted, using the momentum to her advantage. She dodged the creature's strike with a nimble sidestep, planting her back foot firmly before countering with a swift, blow of her own.

Unfortunately, the elf overcalculated. Wilran's mace arched high over the bugbear's head. It seized the moment, its massive paw-like hand swiping her shoulder, sending her staggering back. A short cry escaped Wilran's lips, but rather than succumb to it, she shifted her stance into a defensive crouch as the beast loomed over her. She barely had time to recover before Zuna swept in from behind, slashing at the bugbear with fluid strikes. Now free, she let Zuna take the lead, her nimble fingers tracing a spell across the air, healing her shoulder with a soft glow.