"Alright," Zavier slapped his knees and the rest did the same. "I think we've graduated to level two - what do you guys think?"
The twins looked excited and Tess looked at him quizzically. He smiled at her and nodded towards the woods. "What do you think? Think they're ready for the big leagues?"
Tess looked at the woods and worry flashed across her face, but then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them there was determination in the gaze she leveled at the kids. "What do you guys think?"
"Oh hell yeah!" Luna pumped her fist in the air and Cass just smiled at it, then nodded.
"Okay then," Tess said, "let's do it. But we stick together and if I call a retreat we go. No questions, no arguing. Got it?"
Her glare did nothing to dull the excitement in the twins' eyes. Quite frankly, everyone was getting bored of these backyard fights.
She continued, "The daytime creatures don't seem as tough as the night ones, but we're not sure what we're going up against so we need to be ready for anything. We're not going to over-plan," she shot a glance at Zavier, "but we're going to follow sound strategies."
"Luna, if you're firing at something call your shots. Cass, take the two snake shields. The added bonuses to agility will help and the riot shield is just too big. Also, take your bat."
He looked at her with alarm but she didn't relent. "You can use the bat like you would a shield, but at some point you're going to have to kill something." She held up her hand to forestall the objections she saw coming. "I'm serious. We'll keep you from the worst of it, but you can't avoid it forever."
He took a deep breath then nodded his head with determination.
"Good. I'll take point. If I rush in and start killing it means there's something there that you can't handle - you stay back until I call you. If I call, come quickly. You two are going to do most of the fighting. This is about leveling you, not your father and me. Everyone got it?"
Cass looked stoic and determined, Luna like she was ready to jump up and run into the woods without waiting for them. Zavier just smiled at her and reached out to squeeze her hand. She leveled a look at him. "And you. You will NOT try to game the system or do any trickery. Use your chain or whatever you have, if you want, but you're here for emotional support. Got it?"
He looked chagrined and shame burned inside him, but he couldn't disagree.
Just a Family Hike
Tess led them into the woods without picking any direction in particular. Cass followed close behind, with Luna and Zavier bringing up the rear. Ten minutes into the walk, she held up her fist, signaling a stop. She faded into the woods soundlessly, then returned a few moments later to whisper to the kids.
"Something up there, some kind of big porcupine. If it's like the night one, it can shoot quills, so watch for that. Cass, defend and block the quills. Luna, use the gauntlet. Ready?"
They looked at her with trepidation but nodded, so Tess just stepped to the side and followed them into the clearing. Cass stepped hesitantly into the clearing, gripping his dual shields with a white-knuckled grip. His clenched jaw creaked in his head, and he almost jumped when he felt Luna bump into him from behind.
Tess's command came through the party interface, "Go!"
Cass leapt forward in a flash, crossing the distance in a moment. Luna was fast behind, leaves and twigs crunching under her feet. Everything around them went silent, making the thumping of their feet even louder. The mass of spines in front of them suddenly crunched into a tight ball, the formidable spikes making it look like a dog-sized cactus.
Cass was on it, not able to stop his charge. He flipped into a neat roll, shield set against his back to protect him from the spines as he rolled across its body to land neatly on the other side. He slid into a defensive position, both shields held out in front of him.
Luna slid to a stop, gauntlet launching glowing gears at the Thornback Porcupine. The porcupine uncurled, its eyes gleaming with malice. It rattled its spines and a volley of quills shot out, whistling through the air. Cass raised his shields just in time for the quills to thud against the metal with a series of sharp clinks.
"Luna, move left!" Cass shouted, the tension clear in his voice. Luna darted to the side, firing off more gears, but the porcupine was quick, rolling into a tight ball and deflecting the projectiles. It unfurled again, launching another barrage of quills. One struck Luna's arm, the barbed tip embedding in her flesh.
"Ah! Cass!" she cried out, stumbling backward. Cass's heart raced, his mind scrambling for a solution. He had to protect her. He couldn't let her get hurt again.
"Hang on, Luna!" Cass yelled, dropping one of his shields. He grabbed the baseball bat strapped to his back, the weight feeling unfamiliar in his tight grip. Choking down the emotions that were rising in his throat he charged at the porcupine.
The Thornback Porcupine rattled its spines again, preparing to launch another volley. Cass swung the bat with all his might, connecting with the porcupine's side. The impact sent it rolling across the clearing, spines snapping off in its wake. Luna raised a shaking arm to fire a concentrated burst from her gauntlet, the gears striking true and shredding its soft underbelly. Squeals and popping sounds echoed off the nearby trees as spines shot in every direction.
Cass flew in, skidding on his knees in front of Luna, shield held up to block another volley of quills. Then he was on his feet again, bat coming down in a brutal arc. The satisfying crunch of bone and quill echoed in the clearing and the porcupine screeched in pain, thrashing wildly before shuffling rapidly away.
"Cass, watch out!" Luna screamed, firing another round to distract the creature. The porcupine lunged at Cass, but he sidestepped, bringing the bat down in a powerful arc. The porcupine's movements grew sluggish, its attacks weaker.
"Now, Luna!" Cass shouted, his voice filled with determination. Luna focused, her gauntlet glowing with energy. She fired a final burst, the gears whizzing through the air and striking the porcupine's head. It collapsed with a final, pitiful squeal, its energy dissipating into Luna's gauntlet.
Cass and Luna stood panting, the adrenaline slowly ebbing away. Cass's shoulder ached from the effort and Luna clutched her arm where the quill had struck.
"You did it," Tess said, stepping into the clearing. Her voice was filled with pride and relief. "Both of you."
Zavier approached, scanning the surroundings for any additional threats. "Damned good job, kids. Damned good," he said, clapping a hand on Cass's shoulder.
Cass dipped his head, a small smile creeping onto his face. He looked at Luna, who returned his smile despite the pain.
Tess looked at her arm with concern, holding it close to her face. "I think I can get it out but it's going to hurt. Are you ready?" Luna looked pale but nodded. Tess pulled out the KA-BAR and with a few flashes too quick to follow, the skin around the barb parted and the quill was out. Luna gasped but Tess was already wrapping her arm in a piece of cloth torn from the bottom of her shirt.
"Should we go back?" Cass was looking at Luna with concern.
"Why?" Tess asked.
Cass's eyes went wide. "Because Luna's hurt!"
Zavier stepped forward. "Check the party screen. What is Luna's health at? What's her condition?"
They both checked. "Looks like I'm at 94%," Luna said, "and my status just says that my left arm is punctured."
"And your health isn't dropping," Tess said, "that means you're stable."
Her voice grew firm but still held compassionate undertones. "In this new world we have a clear, obvious way to tell how healthy we are. Right now we're all very healthy, it just hurts. We're going to have to start pushing through pain if we're healthy enough to go on."
"But isn't that dangerous?" Cass exclaimed.
"It can be," Zavier picked up where Tess left off, "but we're all going to have to find the balance between what's a responsible amount of pushing through pain and when a good time to stop is. You're going to have to learn those limits on your own, so, Luna," he turned to face her, "we'll respect your decision. Do you want to go back? There's no wrong answer. We can come back tomorrow if you can't continue."
Luna looked back and forth between her parents, Zavier with all his emotions on his face, Tess and her stoic, unreadable nature. She gripped her arm and winced slightly at the pain. She stretched her arm out and flexed her fingers experimentally.
Resolution set her jaw and she looked back at them. "I don't need to go back. Let's go." A small worm of fear crawled into her heart when her dad moved to walk in front of her. I need to get stronger. He's going to need me.