The Chimera Summoner

“Candy caves.” Jennie grunted, looking around.

It was the name our class had dubbed the common dungeon biome when it came up in class. In person I admitted that the moss did look a bit like cotton candy. 

The whole place has a kind of eerie beauty to it. 

“Let’s get moving.” I said. “Scout?” 

Lucy saluted and dashed away down one of the three tunnels that lead away from our starting cave. She came back in less than a minute. 

“Two big frog monsters this way!” She said brightly. “Want me to check another?” 

“No, that’ll do.” I said. “Jennie?” 

She shrugged. 

It was well known that Wayfinding was less about solving a maze and more about finding a path that you could traverse. If a way had monsters you could beat, that was the right way. 

The big frog monsters were pink and green, poisonous, and the size of large dogs. 

They croaked angrily the moment we came into view. We leapt into action. They literally leapt into action. 

Lucy darted forward, trying to pull aggro, while Jennie started working around the edge of the rocky room. The Frogs leapt into the air and crashed down in front of Lorna, Lucy and I. Tongues lashed out, long and barbed. I dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. Spectral waltz would’ve been smarter. But I just didn’t quite trust it yet. 

Lucy crashed into the side of one with a boom, bowling it into the other. She got their attention and started kiting them back away from Lorna and I. 

Her arm sizzled like bacon in a pan from where she’d touched the frog’s flank. I sent her a [Paramore’s mending] and felt a spike of gratitude down our bond. 

Lorna drifted into the air, hair billowing in a breeze only she could feel. Icy blue runes wheeled around her hands and the frogs slowed, frost forming on their skin like they were out in an invisible blizzard. They croaked pitifully, their mobility greatly hampered. 

Jennie appeared on cue, using her cross strike skill on a frog’s back. Her daggers sliced through the frog, ice cracking and shattering under her blades for an even more savage wound. Her frog went down, splattering her with frozen toxic fluid. Thankfully, being frozen, it simply fell off, rather than stick and burn. 

One on one, Lucy went on the offensive and threw a swift barrage of thunder punches, landing each with a bassy thud. 

The second frog made a last ditch attempt to get her, leaping once again and deploying it’s tongue midflight. 

A barb clipped her cheek but she dodged the worst of it, and Jennie finished off the battered frog.

And all at once it was over. 

We stood, panting, and scanning our surroundings for hidden dangers. But none appeared. 

“Well done.” Lorna praised us all. 

I nodded. My heart was pounding in my chest. It hammered in my ear making everything seem far away. We’d fought dungeon monsters. Real dungeon monsters in the actual dungeon. It was unreal. I wanted to cheer and scream and flee and plant a flag of victory over the whole Dungeon. The world spun.

“Eir, I’m hurt.” Came a pitiful voice.

Lucy sidled up to me with a pouting lip and a finger pointed at the shallow cut on her cheek. It was about the severity of a cat scratch, but looked red and angry. 

“Can my big strong healer pleaaaaase patch me up?” She pleaded, pressing herself into me. I groaned as her breasts squished into mine. “I’ll be sure to pay her back for it?” 

I couldn’t help it. I grinned. Lucy grinned back. I loved her playfulness. And just like that, my heart was back to normal, and the distant feeling like I was floating outside my body had disappeared. 

I ruffled her long ears fondly. She hummed, cheeks dimpling happily. Then she winced. 

I healed her cheek. 

“Uuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhh!!!” She squirmed and sighed.

She clutched me, shuddering. 

I chuckled. She deserved it. She hurled herself at me, grabbing my face and shoving her tongue into my mouth as she ground against me enthusiastically. Then she pulled back with a loud pop. 

“Thank you, daddy.” She purred happily. 

“Good girl.” I praised her. She beamed. “You did really well. Everyone did really well. Good job team!” 

Jennie gave me and Lucy a huge eyeroll but flashed a thumbs up and started examining the dissolving monsters. They were going up in iridescent smoke as their bodies returned to the dungeon. And they left behind…! 

“Lesser Dungeon crystals.” Jennie announced, tossing me one. 

It was blue, and the size of my pinky nail. I marvelled at its glowing facets. 

“A common crafting reagent. A worthy find.” Said Lorna solemnly.