Then you burn out, you slip, you make a mistake. You don't notice the Variant until after it takes you apart. You push for one more cave and don't have the Energy left to handle what you find. You spend so long you forget to relax and unwind.
And then you're another statistic. Another critically wounded Diver, if you're lucky, another loss if you aren't.
Take breaks, enjoy your life. Progress is worth nothing if you don't get a chance to make use of it.
~ * ~
Anya felt the goblin's skull shatter under her fist even as she spun to find her next foe. Seb had similarly finished dispatching his most recent opponent and they both stared at the lone goblin racing for the passage deeper into the cavern.
It's going to get away! she sent, frustration causing her thoughts to come out in a near scream.
She saw Seb lunge forward and whip his arm around. She saw his sword fly end over end, wobbling horribly as at did, and crash into the goblin just as it reached the corner. A burst of Energy flared out, the remaining imbuement discharging from the impromptu slash, slicing through its neck and preventing its escape.
Anya turned to Seb and saw him staring at his blade, mouth agape in surprise.
You got it? she asked.
I- he shook himself and then grinned. I got it!
Unlike earlier levels where the creatures fought and died easily, the 6th level Depths had them facing tactics that had left them exhausted, especially when they were still only level 4. Goblins would take cover to fire bows or throw rocks at them, slimes would drop from crevices in the ceiling to catch them by surprise. Even the rabbits were more coordinated, timing their leaps to minimize avenues of escape.
Worst of all the caverns were deeper. No longer was it always a single chamber with all the enemies, there were additional passages and rooms where creatures waited in ambush, or for an escapee to turn them into reinforcements. Reinforcements that often included variants that demanded immediate attention.
You threw your sword? she asked. What were you thinking?
That if it got away we wouldn't be standing here catching our breath. That I had to try something.
What if you'd missed and it got away?
I would have run over and picked my sword up before they got back, he answered.
And if it somehow carried your sword away?
He frowned, looking down at his empty hand then over at the blade.
Then we would have gotten it back, he answered.
She had to admit he had a point. They would have found a way to get it back, they would have had to be more careful without Bladesong, without a weapon for him to use for hindrances and imbuements. But they would have managed.
Speaking of Bladesong though, she could still hear it despite him not holding the weapon.
Since when does your sword sing when you don't hold it?
It- She could feel his surprise over the band as he answered. We never tested that.
He was right, the hadn't tested to see if the effect would continue once he let go of the sword. Because what good were his weapon techniques if he didn't have a weapon? Who would think to test that.
She could feel his growing confusion as he stood there, still not having made a move the retrieve his weapon.
Seb? she sent.
One second.
He held his hand out towards the blade. She was about to ask what he was doing, why he was making such a silly face with his eyes half closed, when the sword spun on the cavern floor, the pommel turning to face him before it flew into his hand nearly as fast as he had thrown it.
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As the hilt hit his palm he opened his eyes and flourished the blade.
What!? she sent, unable to help herself.
I felt something. The connection to the blade changed, it felt like I could pull it to me. So I… he trailed off with a shrug.
The connection changed? She'd felt something midway through this last fight but facing off against 5 goblins was hardly the time to stop and explore a strange feeling. They'd been attacking her, she'd been dodging, she'd spun between three of the blows and the last two somehow caught the edges of her robe rather than hit her.
Then they'd kept missing, not every strike, not entirely, but as she moved between them they seemed to focus on the part of her robe that she wasn't in. She'd still had to blow a few nastier strikes, and parts of her robe were now tattered, but that was better than the bruises she might have had otherwise.
Anya! Seb sent, pulling her out of her distraction. My sword's description has updated.
Stepping over to him she pushed his arm up so she could slip under it, taking advantage of the moment to be close to him.
Let me see, she sent before focusing on both his blade and her robe.
Flowing Robe (Growth) - Lysanya Syl
Provides no benefit when weapons are wielded
Automatically repairs itself with infusion of Energy from bond
Can transition between Husk and War Husk
Helps disguise the Awakened's location within the robe while fighting
Is considered part of self for the purpose of enhancements
Singing Sword (Growth) - Sebastian Syl
Blade deals no physical damage
Automatically repairs itself with infusion of Energy from bond
Can transition between Husk and War Husk
A chain of Energy connects the pommel to the Awakened
Emits Bladesong when bond desires
They both changed! she sent after the briefest of glances.
Look different too, he said and held the blade out for her to inspect.
She lifted her hand to take it and paused as she saw the change to her robe. Where before it was a solid dark grey, it now had hints of green growing along the trim. Looking down she saw the same on ever edge.
Your green, she said.
Anya?
My robes, the trim, she answered. The green matches your eyes.
Your green too, he answered with a smile.
Taking a closer look she thought she saw what he meant. The metallic braid had flashes of green to it now. It still looked metallic as opposed to emerald, but when it caught the light it was almost distracting. The pommel had clearly grown larger as well, no longer an understated bump but now an orb over an inch in diameter.
The balance has shifted, he sent before flinging the sword back towards the same goblin.
This time the blade flew point first. It still wobbled, although that seemed more a matter of Seb's technique than anything. As it hit the ground she saw the pommel start to glow green, faintly enough she would have missed it if there was more light. As he caught the blade the glow vanished once more.
Why does yours glow? she asked, her tone playful even if filled with disappointment.
You're just standing there, maybe it does when you fight?
Then we should go surprise those reinforcements, don't you think? she said even as she jogged past the dead goblin and down the tunnel.
~ * ~
Seb caught up to Anya moments after she charged into the waiting ambush. She hardly slowed as the goblins jumped out at her, leaning past one wild swing before rolling under the next.
By the time she regained her feet she was surrounded, nearly a dozen goblins crowding one another trying to get to her. The first one that had swung at her fell screaming as he slashed down its spine, dropping it before it could recover from its failure.
Taking in the room he was relieved to see that there were no further caverns, this would be the last of their enemies, one last fight to test the change to Anya's robes. He had ideas for his sword but those could wait until they returned to their camp and trained.
Sure enough, her robe now glowed almost as brightly as his sword had. She spun and wove between the creatures, flashes of green filling the space between them like lightning dancing between clouds. For a moment he almost lost himself watching the display, only barely parrying his own blow before turning his focus back to the fight.
On their own the goblins were little threat even with the difference in levels. On their own they fell to the simplest of footwork and well placed blow. Pulling his blade free of the corpse he saw a third fall to his partner before he fell into their rhythm.
He circled the group, striking each goblin in turn with the flickering flames that imbued his blade. He'd yet to manage to do more than leave burning Energy as a hindrance, something more of a nuisance than actually threatening.
But a hindrance was a hindrance and he switched imbuements with little more than a thought. Now his strikes burst with energy, weaker than the full technique blasts he'd first used to turn this blade into a useful weapon, but enough to maim or kill outright. His Path sang to him as he did, each burst staggering the remaining foes ever so slightly as echoes of the burst bounced between them.
Between the bursts and the blurring storm that was Anya the creatures never stood a chance. Where the previous group had split in two, a third focusing on him and the others on Anya, preventing his Bladesong from striking them all, this melee left them all vulnerable.
The few who managed to swing true were parried, the majority interfering with one another or striking green air. Anya took her time, exploiting the most obvious openings to crush one goblin after another. His blade was just as deadly, particularly when the vermin remained focused on Anya despite the song of death at their backs.
You glow too Anya, he sent once the last creature fell between them.
I do?
Storm cloud flashes of green lightning, he confirmed. They kept swinging at the flashes.
He could feel her satisfaction, her happiness at the change to her robes.
Back to camp for dinner and then some practice? he suggested.
Don't forget celebration, our bonded equipment grew.
He smiled and turned to head back. I'm happy celebrating being with my love, you know that.
Seb!
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