Zet grabbed my arm and spun me against her too flat chest and pressed her lips to mine. It lasted but a moment but my heart was pounding from desire now as well as fear.  She pushed me away, "Give me some space, hun. This is gonna be a clusterfuck."

 

A thought crossed my mind and now was as good a time as any to try I figure. I readied a bolt of Holy Fire in each hand, twinned and ready to fire. With a smile I sprinted away from Zet to give her space and fired the twin bolts of light into some rat things as they were still rising, searing the top halves of their bodies away. I looked back at Zet and she stood apart from everyone clenching her free hand repeatedly, she was definitely stressing. Me too my love, me too. 

 

The wailing finally stopped all at once, the silence proved more freaky than the screams had. As I was prepping another volley to fire, purple shadows flew across the room and grabbed each of the rat creatures. The purple shadows returned rapidly to Zet, each bringing with it a shadowy form of the rats they had touched. The shadows stood before Zet for a moment, unmoving and she placed the head of her spear inside the head of one of the shadows. Suddenly, bodies were flying through the air as the rats snapped to where their shadows stood, one must have found a spear in its head for I heard a loud crack and something gooey splattered all over the roof above Zet. 

 

The air distorted around the rats and my husband and suddenly blood, or ichor? Whatever the rat things have burst from their bodies and poured towards Zet. I launched my bolts of light and incinerated another two which gave a glimpse of my partner coated in what looked like blood. A rat managed to land a hit with its dagger and the blood seemed to redirect the strike so it slid to her side while also becoming more thin at the same time. A burst of flame enveloped several of the rats leaving only scorch Mark's in its wake and suddenly the orc was there cutting down rat zombies, zombats? Ratbies? I dunno. I even saw a few arrows strike several rats down.

 

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. A chorus of wailing rose from behind me and I looked back to see another horde of rats rushing me from behind. I turned to call out to Zet and saw another horde rushing her from behind. "Zet behind you!"

 

She looked back and saw the horde. "I got them, can you manage the other alright? Roknar, Pyria give her a hand I have this."

 

I shouted my agreement and ran to the incoming wave of rats. I threw two more bolts into their ranks as they rushed in. A fireball eliminated another large section. I equipped my shield as they drew close and felt a not unfamiliar weight landed on my shoulder. "I got your back friend!"

 

Friend who stole money? Sure, I feel safe now. Not that I said that, I just hummed noncommittally. 

 

"Try and hold still a sec, k?" A warmth started above my head and was rapidly building. I threw several more bolts into the rats but dozens still swarmed towards us.

 

"You want to hurry up with whatever you're up to up there?"

 

"Almost……" The heat dissipated at the same time the wave of enemies reached us, I swept out with my shield and wished I'd bothered with my sword. I guess that counts as equipping because suddenly a weight settled in my right hand and I saw a familiar blade of blue and silver, a perfect match to my armor. I lashed out and lopped the head off one of my assailants while blocking a strike for my otherside. Light erupted just behind my current focus, I ran my blade through the creature and looked up to see balls of fire raining down from the ceiling, any rats caught in the rain of fire turned to ash. Unfortunately too few were caught.

 

"Damn! The cast took too long and they got inside my range. Behind you!" I spun with my shield raised in time to see a burning rat collapse. "I got your back sister! Let's clear a space."

 

"Agreed." I set about me slicing with my blade as the sound of small explosions erupted behind me, the little fox's jumping from one shoulder to the other was tipping me a bit and I missed a few swings, thankfully these creatures weren't too coordinated and struck my shield when that happened. It was during a stumble it happened. Pain seared through my leg as one of them got close enough to land a blow. I cried out and heard a curse above before heat seared the stabber from existence. Warmth blossomed from my side as another blade pierced me. Then another and another, my blood warm as it flowed down my body slicing my armor. The ground suddenly impacted my face, so weak. So tired. Where is Zet? I tried to cry out but couldn't, it was too hard. A memory tickled me as I coughed something thick and wet, not knowing what I was doing I reached inward mentally. So tired. Just need to close my eyes a moment. My thoughts drifted to my children, to Zet playing with them. Us on the couch together smiling and laughing. The twins were teasing their little brother about something silly. Zet and I had coffee and watched them play, it was perfect. Peaceful. I could stay here, stay with my family. Why would I leave?

 

Something struck my side, I looked at Zet but he had his hands on his coffee and didn't seem to have noticed. I decided it was my imagination but it happened again from my other side, I looked over but didn't see anything except the kids little fox plushie. And a ball of light? I felt drawn to it, I was so cold all of a sudden and everything seemed dark. Except this little light ...It seemed so warm and bright. As I touched it I felt warmth and light and pain seared through my body. In a sudden rush I crashed back to reality.

 

I was still on the ground surrounded by burnt corpses of rats piled high. I felt energy coursing through me. To my left stood Pyria, blood running from multiple rooms and she was launching one fireball after another, as she spun and launched one behind me she kicked me in the side. "Get up dammit! I'm not losing someone out here! Don't you fucking die on me damnit!"

 

"Fox?" Though I felt energy coursing through me I felt weak at the same time. I pushed myself up to my feet, a little unsteady.

 

She looked at me with tears in her eyes. "I thought you were dead but a light enveloped you a moment ago-"

 

She cut off and launched another volley of fire behind me. Right. Battle now, talk later. Maybe this fox wasn't too bad…Remembering a skill I'd never had cause to use before, I stomped my foot down and thought of light coursing through my leg. The ground erupted with light around us and the rats closest cried out as the light burned at their feet leaving them blackened. 

 

Pyria fell to her knees as the creatures stood on the edge of the circle, wailing but unwilling to come into it. Seeing her more clearly now, I could see her fur was matted with blood and one of her ears was completely missing. "Pyria. Hey, stay with me. I've got you."

 

I began casting a heal, "I'm glad you're not dead, my friend. I just...need a little nap I think. Gonna lay down a moment…"

 

Almost done casting. Hurry up dammit! "Stay with me little fox.  If I can't die then neither can you!" 

 

I laid my hand on her and light coursed from my hand into her. She gasped sharply and her wound began to close in rapid succession. She looked at me with an open mouthed fox smile, the blood still matting her fur but no longer expanding in area. Her ear, I noticed with sadness, healed but at the point it was cut rather than regrowing. "Oh little fox…"

 

She pushed herself to her feet, "That feels loads better! Thanks!" She wiggled her ears but only one flopped back and forth. She reached up and felt the place her ear once was. "Oh… guess I'll save a ton on q-tips huh?"

 

Despite her quip, tears rimmed her eyes. "I'll see if we can figure out some way to fix this when we get out of here."

 

She nodded and summoned flames to her hands, "I'd like that, my friend. Let's deal with this rabble first huh?"

 

With that she summoned a wall of flame that completely wiped out the mob of rats standing before us and opened a path to the nearest wall. Seeing a better chance I grabbed the fox and set her on my shoulder again, "I'll take the left if you got the right?"

 

She nodded and began casting fire into the enemy ranks as I ran us to the wall and put my back to it. With a thought my blade became infused with light, I probably would have done this sooner if we'd practiced outside a dungeon to learn a bit..

 

I don't know where the rats were all coming from but we fought like banshees and with my sword ablaze with holy fire I was just as proficient at vaporizing the little shits as my little fox friend was. Yeah, I think we can be friends, she did kind of save my life ...I don't know how long we fought but eventually it was just… over. I guess Zet joined the fight at some point because she stood across from me with a pile of corpses up to her waist. She climbed up them and ran to me, piercing her spear into the ground beside us. "Are you ok, I saw you get stabbed repeatedly and fall but I couldn't make it to you. And…."

 

Tears were running from her eyes now and I hushed her with a kiss. I leaned to whisper in her ear, "I'm alright, I'm the best healer remember? But when we get to town I'm nibbling those little nipples of yours and riding the shit out of you.."

 

She chuckled, "If you don't, I will…"

 

Cold enveloped us once more and Zet fell silent. The Reaper floated before us with a posture as if it were waiting. "I don't know how my mana is doing. How do I check?"

 

"That's easy my faithful steed!" Ugh, I'd forgotten she was on my shoulder still… "Look up and your left with your eyes, not your head."

 

I did as instructed and saw my UI come into view. Huh, that's rather convenient without breaking immersion, I had to look pretty far over to see it and "Damn it. I'm nearly out of mana."

 

Pyria chirped a similar problem. Zet looked grim, "Let's focus on you two getting mana before we deal with this… Reaper."

 

Thank God. I sat down and saw the orc. Roknar? And Greg the dick whispering to themselves. A little furry hand poked my cheek I looked over and found some gold pieces extended to me. I looked at Pyria with a raised eyebrow. "Your share of the other boss, those two were trying to steal it but I managed to grab both of your cuts."

 

She seemed so proud. And now I feel like a piece of shit. I accepted the gold and Zet did the same. "I uh...I thought you were stealing it...sorry."

 

Pyria chuckled which kind of sounded like a yip? "I get that a lot. Some reason people tend to not trust foxes I guess. Anyways. When we get to town did you wan-"

 

"ONLY THE WORTHY SHALL PASS!" The Reaper shouted, I heard Zet curse and looked back to see the other idiots were fighting the robed figure. Greg's arrows seemed to pass through it with no effect and the Orc's axe passed through it like air. The Reaper raised it's enormous axe, as it began its descent to cleave the orc in two, a purple shadow grabbed the orc and suddenly his soul was in front of Zet. The save came a moment to slow and when he snapped into position before my husband his stomach was split open and several organs seemed to be hanging out. Zet yelled at me over the orc's screams, "Get him healed. I'll keep the boss busy. "

 

"Be careful I don't know how many heals I can cast!" Zet nodded and was off. 

 

"Help me get his insides back in and hold the wound closed while I heal." Pyria jumped off my shoulder and set to the grisly task. I heard a lot of cussing coming from the fight and wanted to see how Zet was doing but couldn't spare the attention. I poured holy light into the orc while Pyria held the wound closed, it sealed without so much as a scar and his screams finally stopped. He appeared to be unconscious now though and a quick check of the party window confirmed he was still alive. "Let's go help Z-"

 

I hear a splat from the wall and looked to see the Ranger stuck to the wall in a puddle of his own blood which was pretty chunky. Oh, I might vomit...I turned to leave him when he moaned, barely audibly. Fucking really? I ran to him and checked his status in the party window,  a sliver of health and he was still losing more. I threw a quick heal on him that provided a small heal over time. It seemed to work in halting the bleed damage. I conjured my strongest heal in each hand and prepared the cast. When I unleashed the twin healing streams I was nearly blinded from the power. The elf fell to the floor, looking whole once more. "Want to cut it closer next time? Fucking shit tier healer."

 

Pyria was suddenly on top of the elf and cracked him in the back of the head with a rock. He slumped to the floor and I checked his status, alive but unconscious. I guess that's one way to shut a dick up. "What a piece of crap. Try 'thank you' next time?"

 

Pyria lifted his head and used her fingers to work his jaw and spoke in a deep tone "Thank you wonderful healer for saving my uncontributing little ass."

 

I laughed at her antics, silly fox. I schooled my face and gave her a stern look, "I just saved him! Try not to break him so quickly?"

 

"Nah! Let's help your hubby!" I looked at Zet, she was covered in little wounds and barely dancing out of the path of the scythe. I looked at my mana, oh this isn't good. 

 

"Zet I'm out of mana! Get out of there!" Zet looked me for a moment and nearly lost her head for the distraction. 

 

"Stay back, both of you! I have an idea…"She rolled under the boss and came up behind it, rather than striking she slammed her right foot behind her in a power stance. Blue runes formed around her feet and more began lighting up all over her body. Her entire figure was alight with blue runes. She spun her spear in front of her into a position like she was about to thrust it. The runes from her body faded and her weapon began to glow with a few of the runes reappearing on the blade. A cold light seemed to suck light in around it, making the room darker, formed around the tip of the spear. As the Reaper spun towards Zet with its scythe raised, she let out a yell and dashed forward, everything went dark as she began her thrust. Even the runes disappeared a moment later.

 

A ripple of pale blue light rippled in my vision and I heard Zet scream as though in rage or pain a heartbeat later. My heart pounded in my chest as images of what could have happened flashed through my mind. A slash the same color as the runes cut through the dark in the distance and suddenly light returned to the world. The Reaper floated before set still as she stood with her back to the boss, her spear tip resting on the ground. The Reaper's robe was torn in two with nothing revealed inside. Suddenly, a screech like hell itself had opened up and all the damned screamed at once assaulted my ears. I fell to the ground holding my head but after mere seconds it ended. I looked up and the Reaper was gone.  Before Zet was a single, worn scroll. She knelt down and picked it up with a reverent touch. "Mark of the Reaper? It doesn't say what it is…"

 

"You need to roll for that! Fucking ninja!" Oh yay, the douche was conscious again. He shoved me to the ground as he ran past me to Zet. "I did all the work, you just danced around like a fucking ballerina!"

 

Zet stared at the idiot then slowly, pedantically looked at the wall he had been smeared against. "Was the work interior design of a serial killer's house? It's personal loot, I couldn't give it to you if I wanted to..."

 

Her tone clearly said she didn't want to. "We need to roll! That's how groups work idiot!"

 

"Uh huh. Ok. Roll a die, use a 20 sided one. If it's a 20 you critically succeeded in being a dumbass and if it's a 1 you critically failed at life." Staring at the idiot dead in the eye, the idiot who was currently working his mouth like a dying fish, Zet crushed the scroll in her hand. The same cold blue light from earlier enveloped her hand and quickly lit up her entire body. She cried out suddenly and look at me. Her skin blanched completely white and began to shrink against her skin as though she were a mummy. "Frost…?"

 

"Zet!" Nononononono! I ran towards Zet but I didn't reach her in time. Her skin, hair, armor...everything became a powdery white and with a breeze I couldn't feel she was torn apart like a snowdrift, little white flakes blowing apart and settling in a little pile on the ground. I reached the pile and feel to my knees. Tears already forming. My breath coming in ragged pulls "Zet?.....Stephan?!"