01.16 - One Orange Brain Cell

Sascha was the first through the doorway. Her orange hair, cut short to frame her sharp, teal eyes, caught the light. Her tail swayed lazily behind her, and her cat ears matched the easygoing smirk on her lips.

She was one of the group's close combatants. She used an Energy Creation spell to shock targets with electricity and a regenerative Body Augmentation spell to heal herself. Hit harder. Tank longer. One orange brain cell, hard at work.

Behind her followed Rafe, his shoulders slightly hunched, his wolf ears slightly lowered. His blue-grey hair was short, and his teal eyes held a calm, steady gaze.

He could employ a Matter Manipulation spell to create blades of compressed air. To top it off, he could even act as a healer, but not in the usual way. He couldn’t really heal anyone directly by mending their body. Instead, his Time Manipulation spell could reverse time for an entity within a short window. Time Manipulation spells like his were rare and powerful, all the more reason for self-confidence. Yet he had little to none.

“Sascha. Rafe. There you are,” Mary said.

“Sorry we’re late,” Rafe said, rubbing the back of his neck as his ears twitched. “We got held up…”

“Don’t apologize,” Sascha interrupted, cutting him off with a flick of her tail. “We’re exactly on time.”

They weren’t.

“So, what’d we miss?” asked Sascha.

There, she even admitted it without admitting it.

“Not much,” Rogue said, leaning back against the wall with a lazy grin.

“Alright,” Mary said, clasping her hands together. “Now that everyone’s here, we need to discuss tomorrow night. We’re heading out again, another round of Lesser Shadow Fiends.”

“Finally.” Luc’s eyes widened. “My first real hunt!”

“Exactly,” Mary said. “Which means the rest of you will need to keep an eye out. Lesser Shadow Fiends are fast, strong, and unpredictable. On top of that, they can melt into the shadows like Lily does. They’re tricky to pin down, especially for a first-timer.”

“The Core is embedded in the white masks they wear on their faces. Sever the Core, and they go down. But until you do that, they’ll keep coming.”

“Remember,” Mary said. “Their Body Transmutation spell makes them stronger the longer they fight, as long as they don’t run out of Aura. Don’t give them the chance to overwhelm you. If they get too strong, force them to hide back into the shadows to reset their spell.”

Hannah crossed her arms, her earlier embarrassment fading as her focus shifted. “What’s the objective this time? Standard culling?”

“‘The Ruler of the Forest’ issued an ongoing quest to thin their numbers. This is just the next stage.”

“Really? Lesser Shadow Fiends again?” asked Rogue.

“Yes,” Mary said. “If their population grows unchecked, they’ll start spilling into the suburbs. That’s the last thing we need.”

“Since Lesser Shadow Fiends usually stay hidden during the day, we’ll have to fight them while they have the upper hand. We’ll head out in the afternoon and meet with Terra by evening. I’d tell you to get enough sleep, but sleeping till noon isn’t exactly a challenge for teens.”

Her gaze swept over the group, lingering just long enough on each member to drive her point home. “That’s all,” she said, clapping her hands once. “Spend the rest of the night as you see fit, but go to bed early enough to be ready for tomorrow. Dismissed.”

The group began to disperse.

Rafe made his way to Lily’s basket.

Ann jumped out on her own, slowly moving toward him.

Rafe knelt down and reached out to gently pat her head, slightly above her white horn, then scratched her behind her ears.

He noticed Luc watching him in silence from a distance.

“Still the same, huh?”

Luc just nodded.

“Luc is nice,” said Rafe. “You can trust me.”

Ann shook her little head. “mean… in a dream…” her voice echoed through Rafe’s head.

“In a dream?” asked Rafe. “He did something mean in a dream? But dreams aren’t real!”

“Let her be,” Lily’s voice echoed through their heads. “She’s still so young. She will understand soon enough.”

Rafe looked back to Luc, who just gave him a forced smile.

“It’s fine,” Luc said. “I guess Lily is right. If Ann doesn’t like me because of a nightmare, there’s not much I can do about it now. I am sure she’ll warm up to me in time. Mom said so too.”

Rafe just mirrored Luc’s earlier nod, then focused back on Ann.

Meanwhile, Sascha, still seated near the table, leaned back with a curious expression, her teal eyes narrowing as she glanced at Hannah. Her ears twitched slightly, her tail curling around her chair.

“Something’s different about you,” Sascha said. She tilted her head, studying Hannah intently. “You look… mostly the same, but not quite. Did you have a glow-up or something?”

Hannah blinked. Her arms dropped to her sides as she stumbled over a reply. “What? No! It’s… no, I just…” She clamped her mouth shut, her cheeks coloring once more as she avoided Sascha’s penetrating gaze.

Sascha grinned, her sharp teeth flashing. “I knew it. There’s something different. What is it?” Her tail swished lazily behind her, the motion almost teasing.

“It’s makeup,” Uriah said smoothly, leaning against the doorframe with a satisfied smirk. He crossed his arms, looking entirely too pleased with himself. “Subtle. Effective. A job well done, if I do say so myself.”

Sascha let out a low chuckle. “Ah, that explains it. Don’t worry, it’s a good look. Almost makes you seem approachable.”

Hannah gave her a glare.

Sascha reciprocated.

“Catfight?” asked Rogue with a smirk on his face.

Their stares focused on him.