Chapter 17: 17. Fighting as a Team

 

We say goodbye to the village of Givinghead with little fanfare. Although I do catch sight of an abnormal number of well-dressed individuals at the gate, and I wonder if they're there to report back to the Lady. Whether that's the reason or something else more innocent, they don't talk to us or interfere with our departure.

I do give one last glance at the barracks, knowing that beneath it that fighter is still stuck in the prison. Astra catches me and guesses what's on my mind, "If we'd had money left over I would have gone back for him. But don't worry we'll be back in a few days and will have plenty of money to get him out then."

Both of us are down to barest reserves. Kerda seems flushed with cash from her "work." But everyone else was fairly destitute and poorly equipped. We bought Morgan a better staff so their healing would be more effective. Suzy a better sword because we know we'll be relying on it. And Vladimir better armor to keep him alive longer. The rest of the money (our own money since the mission's gold was depleted) went toward health and magic potions. Sure we're bound to find some along the way, but that wouldn't do us much good if we lost people before then.

Still walking beside me, Astra says, "So, you seem a lot more relaxed this morning."

Without thinking, I glance back at Kerda.

"Ah!" she says. "So, you got a bit nasty with the goblin-girl." My only response is a deep blush. "Good for you! But try and keep it in your pants until the mission is over."

"I will," I mumble.

"Geez! I'm only joking. You two can screw as much as you want to." This turns up my blush another few notches. "But seriously, (and I only say this because I don't want you to get hurt) don't get too attached to her."

"Why not?"

"Well, she was working in that brothel. I mean she was working there even when she didn't have to. I'm guessing sex isn't the deep emotional bonding experience it is for you."

"Why do you think it is for me? Maybe I'm just as cavalier about, you know..." Them in a lower voice I say, "That stuff."

She bursts out laughing, and when she notices my hurt expression, she gives my shoulders a squeeze with her right arm. "No doubt, you'll seduce us all before the end, Now, come on, this road goes ever on and on."

* * *

A light but persistent rain falls for most of the morning. By midday, many of the others make a point of showing how cold and miserable they are. They wrap their arms around their bodies and gripe. Kerda comes up to me and hooks my arm around her, but then shakes her head in disbelief.

"Damn! I was hoping to get some warmth off of you, but if anything, your skin is colder than mine. How come you're not shivering like the rest of us?"

"Guess it's a Banshee thing. This seems to be my natural climate."

She mutters, "Weird." But keeps my arm around her.

So far we'd only encountered a couple of packs of wolves and the party was pretty effective against them. The fights gave us a chance to see everyone in action and although we didn't operate anywhere close to a well-oiled machine, we weren't bumping into each other either.

Our first real test comes when we skirt an some groves of woods and spot several dark figures standing off in the rolling grassland. When they see us, they turn and charge us. I count five of them charging across the rain sodden ground. They seem to be all black with horns on their heads. There a good deal taller than any of us, perhaps 7' or so. But they walk with an exaggerated stoop. I hit Detect.

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"Watch out for their horns I call out?"

Because we're wanting the experience (both in terms of working together and the actual points), the others tell me not to scare the monsters off with Wail. At least, not unless things start going bad.

We quickly form a line with Morgan hanging back to support us. Astra starts launching arrows as soon as they're in range, Vladimir follows suit with his darts a few moments later. I draw my Karambit, holding back on the Dance of Death until they're all in range. A bright light catches my eye, and I notice that Suzy has cast a spell to set her sword ablaze.

The Black Anguses converge and crash into us hooves flailing with murderous intent. 

There's something heart-stopping about this giant black beast blocking my entire view. It looks a little Minotaur-like but it's body is all black fur except for pink udders hanging down between it's legs. So, it's a cow not a bull, but the face is a whole lot more aggressive than any cow. I manage to score my first blow into it's ribs, and it rears back in pain, before stomping it's hoof down onto my shoulder. The pain slams through my entire body and a stagger. But I manage to turn this falter into the first step of my dance. I continue to glide and swirl as blows rain down on me.

The battle rages on around me in a confusion of noise, but at one point someone calls out, "You've got to be fucking kidding me!" I think it may be Suzy.

Not long after, a system message informs me I shared in a kill and that I'm now level 4. I suppose since all of them are taking damage from my dance, I'll share in all the kills.

I'm down to about half my health and the Angus isn't slowing, so I switch over to my life steal and start pulling Life Force points from her. I do this until she's a dried up husk collapsing on the ground. My next move is going to be to raise her from the dead, but as I glanced around dizzily I see the last one falling. It was over already.

"How is everyone?" Astra asks. There are a lot of murmurs of "good" or "okay" and everyone seems to be nodding,

Vladimir says, "My knife is fucking useless, but I'm okay. Morgan kept healing me so I didn't even need to use a health potion." From the way the others chimed in, it seemed that Morgan did a good job of healing folks when they needed it and staying out of the fray.

I ask, "Did anyone get poisoned with the venom."

Suzy looks sheepish. "Not poisoned. But the system said I had side-effects."

"What are the side-effects?"

"I'd rather not say."

Astra goes over to her, "Come on. We need to know in case it impacts the group. Also, we might be able to help."

She looks over at her brother, then the rest of us, looking uncomfortable as heck. "It won't impact the group and I can't imagine there's anything you can do, but so you don't stop trusting me... It said I was going to lactate for the next 48 hours."

"Oh!" A look of shock transforms Astra's face. "Umm.... Sorry! And sorry I made you tell us."

Morgan bursts out laughing. I feel bad for her. But I also can't help noticing how her breasts are swelling in her tight revealing top.

The monsters are little more than beasts and don't have a lair that we can see, so there's no loot. Unless we want to skin them, they have nothing of value. But even Astra, who's use to the work, says, "Don't bother. The pelts will just clog our inventory until we chuck them out for better stuff."

We continue through the afternoon and into a rain soaked early dusk. We planned to stop for the day at the entrance to the forest. The map we were given shows a dot at this point. On the landscape, it manifests as a spire of stone guarded by a flock of the biggest damn crows I ever saw.

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