Lycan Matron Round Two

Lycan matron. In other words, a female lycan that stands above other lycans.

It's there in the name, of course it would be able to summon more lycans. Lycan matrons are small fry enemies that barely show up later on in the game, so I'd forgotten about their abilities. However, I should have guessed what it could do from its name.

But I didn't, and now we're surrounded. They creep out of the foliage slowly, in concert with each other. They all look eager to rip our flesh from our bones.

Wyll gulps, "This is… a little bit unfair."

Contrary to my expectations, Perri grins, "Yeah, unfair for them! I'll have them focus on me, you guys kill them in the meantime!" She raises her axe high and shouts, "Provoke!" Then she slams the butt of her axe against the ground, and instead of hearing a weapon smack dirt, I hear the sound of a loud gong.

It shakes the air, and all the lycans seem to perk up as one. They all turn to look exclusively at Perri before breaking out in a mad scramble towards her. Only the lycan matron resists, though it shakes its head like it's trying to get the sound out of its brain, so it's not entirely unaffected.

This situation is better, I'll admit. If they coordinated an attack after having surrounded us, we would have been in trouble. Now that they're rushing just one person with no semblance of strategy, I can take out maybe half of them in a single Abyssflame Slash.

But only half. The direction I'm not facing will still be vulnerable, the Abyssflame Slash unfortunately cannot span three hundred and sixty degrees. But then, as I activate my Abyssflame, Wyll jumps in behind me and casts, "Waterlog!"

The resulting cone of blue encompasses most of the enemies behind me, and for a moment I expect it not to work. Wyll already told me that his Waterlog skill isn't strong enough to slow lycans.

But then it does work. Not as effectively as against flame monkeys or the flame gorilla, but still enough that there is a noticeable difference in the speed of their charge. First comes confusion, but then realisation. Right, I levelled up when we defeated the lycan matron yesterday. Why would Wyll not have as well? His Waterlog skill must have been strengthened since he probably levelled up twice yesterday.

Perri and Wyll begin their attack on the slowed lycans, and I decide to focus on my side. I swing my blade in a wide arc, shouting, "Abyssflame Slash!" A wave of black flame flies at the approaching lycans and strikes them dead-on. They were all going for a single target so they're all bunched up, which proves to be their downfall. The black flames spread among them, and in seconds they are reduced to nothing.

I look behind me and see Perri swing wildly through multiple lycans at a time, and Wyll helping out. Then I hear angry barks and the gnashing of teeth from the side. I turn to look and see the lycan matron now charging us. I don't know how, but I can somehow tell it's enraged. I am the closest to it, so it's coming for me, but then Perri shouts again, "Provoke!"

She slams the butt of her axe on the ground again, and once more the gong-like sound rings out. The lycan matron instantly changes direction and leaps towards her, but this is all too easy now. I know what the lycan matron is aiming for, and it isn't even looking at me.

A single smooth stab is all it takes to skewer the lycan matron in midair, and Perri and Wyll finish up the rest of the lycans on their side.

-

70 EXP

-

Yeah, that's about what I expected since I've already defeated a lycan matron before. I deactivate my Abyssflames, and the exhaustion hits me all at once. I wipe the sweat from my forehead as I force myself to keep breathing normally, despite my burning lungs. I don't want to show weakness to Perri or Leila.

Leila saunters over to us, "My, my, could you people take any longer? I was about to fall asleep there."

Perri shoots her a nasty side eye, "Big words from someone who didn't help at all."

Leila isn't even paying any attention to her anymore, a fact that causes Perri's eye to go through a twitching frenzy. Instead, she takes one look at me and smirks, "That powerful attack takes a lot out of you, huh?"

She really is far too sharp. Since she has already seen through my act, I let myself breathe heavily as Perri asks confusedly, "What?"

"Have no fear, the healer is here," Leila says in a sing-song voice. She puts a hand on my arm and declares, "Reinvigorate."

All the exhaustion in my body abruptly vanishes. I might as well have never used my Abyssflames at all. I take a few breaths and they all come out normally, my lungs are completely fine now.

"Anyone else in dire need of aid?" Leila asks, casting a superior look over us.

"No one was in dire need of aid!" Perri growls, "Nothing in this party will change if you leave right now! I encourage it, in fact!"

Leila looks more amused at Perri's anger than anything, "Oh my, are you calling the shots now? Are you calling our illustrious leader stupid for bringing me on?"

"Th-that's not—!" Perri looks at me panickedly, "I swear, Thomas, I didn't mean it that way."

"She's winding you up," I wave her off, "Don't let her."

I turn and begin picking up the gems dropped by the lycans and lycan matron, and as I do, I see Perri shoot Leila another glare. I put them out of my mind, that battle went far more smoothly than yesterday, even when the lycan matron pulled out a move I hadn't seen before (or perhaps I had a long time ago, but I'd just forgotten).

Gathering this party was the right choice. Now, if only Leila would stop antagonizing everyone. In comparison, Perri has actually been relatively problem-free.

Just as I think that, I hear her say to Wyll, "You should be the one picking up the bounty, peasant. It's shameful to make nobles do your work."

Ah, there it is. I resist the urge to sigh and say without turning, "It'll go faster if we all work together."

I hear Perri's abashed squeak, and then the shuffling of clothes. I glance back after a while and see everyone picking up the gems.

I stifle a smile and continue picking up gems. Once we're done, we continue on, towards the end of level two.