"My Lady Erica!"

The sickly frame of Derek rushed through the doorway, sword in hand and a determined gleam in his eyes. Wood splinters flew all around him, kicked up by the force of his entrance. He charged forth, prepared and ready to protect his Sorceress.

"Don't worry, My Lady! I shall rescue―gya!"

Erica resisted the urge to palm her face when Derek ran straight into the chains that were targeting her. She watched, silently, as chains coiled around her Knight like deadly serpents. Then she watched as he fell to the ground, flopping and wiggling around like a fish out of water.

As the gaunt figure squirmed and bounced about on the floor, shaking and jerking in spastic and uncoordinated motions, Erica felt her right eye twitch.

"Derek, dear, you're supposed to be in bed. What are you doing here?"

Derek shuddered.

"I was..."

Erica smiled.

"Yes?"

His face paled.

"I was just..."

The smile grew larger.

"Go on."

"I WAS TRYING TO SAVE YOU!"

"I see, I see."

The smile was now so wide it literally split her face in half. There was also a very large vein pulsing on her forehead, timed to the beat of her heart. Both of her eyebrows twitched violently. It went without saying, but Erica was not happy, as Derek would soon find out.

"In that case, I have just one question for you, Derek dear."

"Um..." Derek squirmed. Whether this was from fear or something else, Erica could not tell. She was personally hoping for fear. "What it is, My Lady?"

Like an erupting volcano, Erica exploded. "How in the Spirits' names could you possibly be expected to save me when you're bedridden?! Huh?! You barely even have enough energy to lift that hulking chunk of metal you call a sword! What made you believe you could protect me when you can't even protect yourself?! And now look at you! All tied up and incapable of doing a thing!" Raven hair bounced as she huffed and crossed her arms under her bust. "You see, this is why I didn't take you with me when I went to the Meeting of Sorceresses. You'd have just been a liability."

Derek's eyes watered. He sniffled. Once.

Then he started crying―no, bawling. Large streams resembling rivers poured out of his eyes. There was also a good deal of snot coming out of his nose, dripping down his face, leaving a sticky trail in its wake. By this point in time, even the elf was distracted from their battle by morbid curiosity―and more than a little disgust―as he stared at the crying human.

"N-no! T-this is just too cruel! Oh, cruel world! My Lady Erica doesn't need me anymore! I'm just a liability! Waaa!"

"Don't be such a baby, Derek! And stop crying! You're getting snot all over my carpet!"

"But you said... you said..."

"I said to grow up! Now do so!"

"Yes, My Lady!"

"Good." Erica nodded her head. "Now then, be a good boy and stay put. I shall deal with you later, after I have dealt with this nuisance."

She turned from Derek and pointed at the elf, her face marred by a rather magnificent scowl.

"You have been a pain in my sexy ass for long enough! It's time you learned why no one has dared to cross me in the last two-hundred years!"

The elf shook himself from his stupor. He knelt on the ground, a magic circle appearing beneath his hands. Erica started to chant, verse after verse issuing from her red lips. Knives formed from stone lanced out of the circle. A powerful wind knocked them aside. Lightning burst from Erica's fingertips and was consequently demolished when, just like last time, the elf deconstructed the lightning and sent it back at her. Erica moved aside more easily this time, having been expecting it, but it still miffed her to have her own attack reflected back at her.

That is a very unpleasant ability.

Erica knew she was in a bind. Thanks to their location, she couldn't afford to use her more powerful attacks, lest she destroy Dorehan Tower. That meant she had to rely on weaker two and three verse chants, which this elf was clearly capable of defeating. Yes, bind was definitely the word to perfectly describe her situation.

Caspian, you had better get your cute little ass up here soon.

Erica continued to fight. Disadvantaged due to their location, Erica fought and prayed. She prayed that Caspian would come soon.

Because if Caspian didn't arrive, and quickly, then Erica wasn't sure she'd live out the night.