User blog:Carol of the bells/Days of Ruin --- Zen's exile, part 16-

Days of Ruin --- Zen's exile, part 16
Lancia dabbed at Zen's forehead with a wet cloth, trying in vain to keep her temperature down. "I don't understand..." The cook muttered, "I gave her the medicine, I'm keeping her warm....why wont the fever break? It's actually getting worse..."

Sergio looked over in concern, the shadow from the campfire dancing off of his face. "Shouldn't we take her to the village?"

She shook her head. "I was just thinking the same thing, but..." She held up Zen's hand. The beads of sweat that had gathered there were begining to crystalize. "In this state, Zen can't control her power. Peopl might get hurt, and she'd feel terrible about it..."

The water unit looked out into the forest. "All the same..." he tightened his grip on his ice sword, "You'd better heal her quick. Mifune is supposed to be out keeping the monsters back, but I can sense a few slipping past him. They'll be here soon."

Lancia nodded. "Zeln is helping him, isn't he?"

"Yes, but..." he narrowed his eyes. "I can't imagine those two working well together..."



"Wah!" Zeln ducked down as a wave of dark energy flew over head, taking out several monsters behind him. "Are you crazy!?" He pointed an accusing finger at Mifune, "You almost killed me!"

The samurai glanced his way briefly. "...Hmph..."

"Don't 'hmph' me, idiot!" He drove his fist into a beast's face, still yelling at Mifune, "Lan already said not to kill me, so don't!"

"Then stay out of my way, fool," Mifune sliced a goblin down the middle.

They were fighting back-to-back, doing their best to keep the monsters at bay, though many were already getting past them. "So many..." Zeln muttered, kicking a Polevik back, "I hope Sergio can manage!"

Despite the overwhelming force, they managed to sustain minimal damage. They continued to cut monsters down, one by one. Then Zeln stopped for a moment.

"What are you doing!?" Mifune demanded.

Zeln pointed at the ground ahead of them. "Isn't that...?"

Mifune followed his gaze. Approaching them was a small Mandragora, peering at them through glowing yellow eyes and a disturbing smile.

The thunder unit laughed, placing his hands on his hips. "Oh, it's only a small one. Hah!"

The mandragora's mouth suddenly flew open, letting out an ear-piercing screech.

Mifune and Zeln covered their ears. "Wah!" Zeln cried out, affected by his opposite-attribute. "So loud!"

"Why didn't you kill it...gah...when you had the chance....idiot..?!" Mifune shouted over the scream.

"It was tiny!" Zeln yelled back in protest, "I don't fight tiny things!!!"



"They'll be fine...I think..." Lancia tried to reassure herself, but she had a growing feeling that Mifune and Zeln were fighting with each other more than they were the monsters.

Sergio suddenly sat up, alert. "....here they come." He turned to Lancia. "I hold them off for as long as I can."

She nodded. "Okay."

Sergio rushed out into the open field as an ogre emerged from the forest. They clashed before the water unit cut it down, immediately engaging in battle with a Wendigo.

"Come on, Zen..." Lancia muttered, "Wake up...



True story time~

So, I think it was Frontier Hunter season 5. Or 4. Anyway, there I was, at the End Terminus, minding my own buisness, when a little Mandragora blocks my path. Not five, just one. So I think, 'What? That's it? No prob!'

....

....

WRONG!

It wiped out my whole squad...

My. Whole. Squad. A mandragora. Not Galant, not Stya, not Nemia. A mandragora.

As Mifune would say: "How disgraceful."

M'kay, thanks for reading~