Ashley
Alright. So I don't know what the hell is happening anymore.
I glance back at the entire fucking death march following me consisting of three mini bosses and a few hundred other monsters, many of whom are elites, and others change out for different monsters every now and then. Mostly from other monsters killing them and taking their place.
The kobold lord is still focused on me while avoiding attacks from the drachne lord, who is focused on him seemingly blaming him for destroying its nest. Meanwhile some other mini boss called an alpha dracoraptor seems to see the drachne lord as its lunch and is chasing the massive spider. Making for a very bizarre sight.
But no matter what, the kobold lord doesn't stop chasing me.
And it's infuriating.
What's next, some mini boss dra-
Actually, it's best not to jinx it.
"I can at least say that you're carrying the name of Chaos well," Chaos comments, sounding just as bemused as I am. Albeit with more than a little worry in his voice.
My eyebrow twitches at that irritating comment. But I don't say a word to him in response.
I just continue fleeing for my life. Slowly using up my mana all the way till I'm at just about two-fifths of my capacity remaining.
Ever since hitting half of my capacity, I started using mana less and less while trying to focus solely on just dodging. Even taking hits and using up some of my health just to avoid using more of my mana.
No matter what I do though, the death march just continues to grow larger. And larger. And larger.
Endlessly deadlier.
And I can't find a good place to stop and hide. Because every place I try to hide or lose them in so far has merely ended up destroyed with the monsters in it joining the chase.
Which isn't even considering the drachne nest that was destroyed, leading to its lord joining the chase.
I'd rather not bring in any more mini bosses by accident.
I grit my teeth as I continue flying, dodging one attack after another from the kobold lord. Briefly wondering when the hell that bastard is gonna run out of mana himself. Since he's both attacking me and blocking the drachne lord's attacks.
But he hasn't shown any signs of slowing down.
At this point there's only one thing I can think of doing.
I look at my skills before focusing on one in particular.
She looks confused for a second, likely because of his sudden arrival, then she eventually purses her lips for a few seconds and nods her head.
"Then do it," he says with a nod of his own. "And my apologies in advance."
His last statement seems to confuse her for a moment, but she quickly closes her eyes, just flapping her wings as she focuses on opening her mouth and beginning to chant. Startling him for a moment. Just a moment, though, since he almost immediately moves up to her and hugs her from behind while wrapping the two of them in a spatial cocoon. A process that takes over an entire minute to finish.
And during the start of that minute, he just listens to the chant his twin is speaking.
"I call upon the frigid tempests of the north, wrought with ice and snow, wind and storm. Bring the wrath of nature down on my foes and turn this land into a manifestation of Winter."
Blake's eyes widen a little bit as he recognizes the chant as the one belonging to the enforcer Ashley had killed during the council meeting. The chant his ability requires him to call out. Or skill, rather.
And the moment she finishes the chant, wind begins to blow all around them, sending any of the attacks that were moving their way off course. Then the temperature rapidly starts to drop, and the monsters down below start slowing down and focusing on sending attacks, finally getting closer to them. Specifically the kobold lord.
Blake shivers as he feels the frigid cold of the air around them mixed with the wind, only to see water and rain beginning to appear alongside clouds the moment Ashley's eyes open with a vivid blue glow to them. A glow that mixes in with the crimson light already shining from her eyes, along with the fading and reappearing crimson veins running through her body from one of her other skills.
Her eyes turn to look at him as he has his chin over her shoulder from behind in their hug, and he can tell that she is incredibly surprised and looks conflicted about his current position. Like she doesn't feel uncomfortable but feels uncomfortable because she's not uncomfortable.
Like she believes she should feel uncomfortable but isn't.
That sight makes a wave of both sadness and relief fill Blake, but he doesn't focus on those feelings at all.
He turns his attention to the winds and clouds, the snow and rain, ice and cold all around them. To the rapid surge it's doing outwards, with the two of them at the eye of the storm, where no damage is being received. Other than the cold.
And through the tempest he can see the skill devastating numerous monsters down below, freezing many of them and killing them with ease. The sole exception being the mini bosses who simply dig in and react in their own ways. With the drachne lord sealing itself up in a cocoon, the kobold lord placing multiple layers of destruction mana barriers around itself, and the alpha dracoraptor just attacking back to counter the part of the tempest sent towards it.
The tempest continues raging, turning the area of barren wasteland into a frozen wasteland instead. Truly proving the power of the skill taken from the Tempest Enforcer.
But the tempest slowly begins to die down after nearly an entire minute has passed. All the way till it vanishes entirely, leaving nothing behind but the frozen corpses of monsters, the snow and ice of the newly formed frozen wasteland, and the reemerging mini bosses. None of whom look pleased with Blake's twin.
Despite their displeasure, they all take a few moments to shake off the effects of Ashley's attack, following which they need more time to prepare their own attacks.
And right as waves of crimson silk, bolts of destruction mana, and black flames from the dracoraptor begin flying towards them, with Ashley having fallen limp in Blake's arms, his spatial cocoon finally wraps around the two of them.
Then he and his twin vanish from the area to reappear within his cavern, far away from the mini bosses.
Outside of their range of senses, much less their attack range.
Blake and his twin collapse onto the ground with his sister lying unconscious on top of him, and Blake feeling like he'll be joining her any second now as his mana is now at rock bottom.
But right before he does, he hears Etheria whisper in his mind, "Good job."
Then everything goes dark.