User blog:Carol of the bells/Days of Ruin --- Zen's exile, part 17

Days of Ruin --- Zen's exile, part 17
Sergio swung his sword through the air, unleashing a barrage of ice on the nearby monsters. He lowered his weapon, breathing hard. The seemingly endless waves had stopped--for now.

He limped back to Lancia, where she was still tending to Zen. "How is she?" He asked.

She shook her head. "Not good..."

The water unit saw why. Her right arm, where the crystal had been growing, was now up to her elbow, and it wasn't showing any signs of stopping. A second crystal had spounted on both of her ankles, and were now up to her mid-calf. "This is more than just a simple fever...what in the world is wrong with her?"

The cook shrugged. "I wish I knew....well, there is this one thing..."

"What? What is it?"

"It's almost like she's...growing physically stronger, and her body can't keep up with it." She tapped the crystal on her arm. "That's why this thing is here. I suspect she should be encased completely, by now, but she's fighting it." She sighed. "But I'm not so sure she should be."

Sergio furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

"How can I put this..." Lancia tapped her chin thoughtfully, "It's like when you're in water."

"If this is just because I'm a water unit, then--"

"No, no, I'm being completely serious. Let me finish, geez." She huffed impatiently before continuing. "Think about it. When you're in water, what happens when you struggle, or flail around?"

"You start to sink," He answered.

"Exactly." She looked down at Zen, brushing a loose strand of hair away from her face. "Zen's power is the water, and she's struggling against it."

They paused their conversation as the crystal grew another inch, climbing up Zen's arm. The summoner groaned in her sleep, stirring slightly.

Suddenly, Zeln and Mifune emerged from the forest, sprinting towards them as fast as their tired bodies could move.

"What happened?!" Sergio demanded.

Zeln keeled over, gasping for air. "Hah...hah...too...many....we couldn't....mandragora....hah...so loud..."

"We were outnumbered," Mifune translated, "But...there's a small problem..."

Before anyone could ask what form this 'problem' took, a rumble shook the earth beneath them.

"....I don't wanna ask...but I'm going to do it anyway," Lancia sighed, "What was that?"

Mifune and Zeln glanced at each other. "Okay, so maybe it was a big problem," Zeln muttered as another boom traveled through the ground.

They didn't have to wait long to see what it was. Moments later, a rogue Golem unit appeared through the trees, causing the earth to tremble each time he took a step.

Lancia whacked Zeln and Mifune over the head with her frying pan. "That's your idea of a 'small problem'?!?!"

Zeln rubbed his head. "Ach, I'm sorry!"

"How much longer can you last?" Mifune asked Sergio.

Sergio grunted. "Not as long as I'd like..." He glanced over his shoulder at Zen. "Lancia, see if you can get Zen to wake up long enough to summon Aem and Selena." He turned back to the approaching rogue. "We're going to need their help..."