From a distance, Reeve couldn’t see exactly how many bees still swarmed Helia and Dawn, but the mother and daughter’s less hurried and more coordinated effort suggested to her that there weren’t many remaining. Reeve ran nearly to the vertical wall of bees before she angled for the pairs’ exposed backs. As she neared them, she could see that the two had again erected a spherical shield, which was keeping the bees at bay as they used fire magic to slowly exterminate the tiny attackers. Reeve held her naginata like a lance, preparing for what she hoped would be a swift end to Helia. With only a few steps left between them, she drew back the weapon, but as she began to thrust, she sensed that Helia had become aware of her presence, and she knew the elf’s next move.

No. Way. Reeve thought, even as Helia turned, used a flick of one hand to create an opening in the magical shield, and used her other hand to shove Dawn out and into Reeve’s path.

“Worst mother ever!” Reeve yelled, face distorted with disgust as she halted the thrust of her blade and spun the butt of the shaft up to catch Dawn below the jaw. Dawn’s head snapped back sickeningly, and the half-elf crumped to the ground as Reeve rotated the naginata to the horizontal, catching herself against the re-sealed shield, arresting her momentum and then pushing herself back to stand staring at Helia, a last few bees bouncing against the invisible barrier between them. “Seriously uncool,” Reeve said. Calling on a technique for breaching doors that she’d practiced extensively while defending a village during a goblin raid event, Reeve lunged and kicked her raised heel into the shield, grinning as cracks spidered from the point of impact. Dropping her foot, she swung the butt of her naginata into the same point and watched the shield splinter further and then fade. She met Helia’s eyes. “You can’t win,” Reeve said, her triumph giving her the confidence to state the words matter-of-factly. She raised the enchanted staff of the naginata. “I know what you’ll do before you do it. This is over.”

Helia pursed her lips and tilted her head. “Is it?” She dropped to one knee.

Reeve’s smile evaporated and her eyes widened as she felt Helia’s intent. “Oh, fuuuudgeee,” she said, rotating her naginata to the vertical but knowing it wouldn’t be an effective shield and that she couldn’t dodge the coming attack.

Helia brought her arms across her chest until her hands were almost hugging each shoulder, then swung them back across and out to the sides, a razor-thin shockwave following them and arcing out on a plane that met Reeve’s body just above the knees, where the spell cut both thighs to the bone.

Muscles severed, Reeve screamed and collapsed under her unsupported weight, the naginata flying from her hand as she tried to keep her balance and then cushion her fall, both attempts unsuccessful. No longer able to sense her foe’s intentions, she squeezed her eyes tight for a moment, fighting the pain, and opened them to find Helia over her, a small smile on the elf’s lips. Reeve called up her UI and quickly scanned her logs, hoping she could stall until another member of the party arrived.

You are bleeding out.

Thank you, Captain Obvious, she thought.

She hopscotched down the list.

Leaf is afflicted with Paralytic Shock. If left untreated, the affliction will last for five minutes.

A long string of entries then chronicled what must’ve been Bunce’s increasingly desperate efforts to keep the enslaved souls from finishing off Thomanji’yheri, Leaf, and Devon’s twins where they lay. Even in print, seeing the sheer volume of damage the honey badger had taken from the bone swords added to the nausea Reeve already felt from her own wounds. She looked farther down.

A Level 2 Pixie shoots Reavyr (II) with a shortbow for 3 points of damage.

What? Where did that come from?

A Level 2 Pixie shoots Reavyr (II) with a shortbow for 2 points of damage.

A Level 2 Pixie shoots Reavyr (II) with a shortbow for 3 points of damage.

A Level 2 Pixie shoots Reavyr (II) with a shortbow for 4 points of damage. Reavyr (II) is unconscious.

Reeve jumped down farther, even as she saw through her UI that Helia was bending to grasp the abandoned naginata.

Giant bludgeons a Level 9 Elf Warrior for 4 points of damage.

Giant bludgeons a Level 6 Elf Warrior for 5 points of damage.

A Level 8 Elf Warrior clubs Giant with a mace for 12 points of damage.

A Level 4 Elf Warrior shoots Giant with a crossbow for 6 points of damage.

A Level 9 Elf Warrior slashes Giant with a shortsword for 11 points of damage.

Giant bludgeons a Level 4 Elf Warrior for 13 points of damage.

Her mother’s foray into the elf ranks ran on for pages, until:

A Level 10 Elf Warrior impales Giant with a rapier for 9 points of damage. Giant is unconscious.

Reeve glanced at her nearly depleted health and dismissed the UI. Helia stood over her, the naginata held casually in one hand, its blade pointing at Reeve’s chest.

“You can’t win,” Reeve said.

“Don’t bluff, Child,” Helia said with a frown. “It is all the more unbecoming on someone already so unattractive as you.” She leaned forward and used her weight to drive the naginata’s blade into Reeve’s chest.

A soft chime sounded.

Reavyr has died. Respawn in 30 seconds.

Floating in the void, Reeve gasped and reflexively clutched at her chest, which bore no sign of the fatal injury Helia had inflicted.

Two prompts floated before her.

Lobby

Recall Party

She brushed aside the prompts and waited to respawn.