Levi found Peter deep in the maze that formed the bulk of the Nature dungeon, only after almost a half hour of taking wrong turns and getting lost in the greenery. He missed having Crackle or Bladefin around to do the split scouting. He’d gotten used to having that layer of information constantly available, making what once would have been ordinary feel interminable.

Peter stood with his scythe in one hand and the Beast Bite shortsword in his other, facing off against a Cactus Hare. Centi lay across the wall, blocking the rabbit’s escape route into the hedge-like wall, while Greg stood behind Peter with his massive sword raised as though ready to smite down at any moment.

Levi remained still, in the shadow of the wall, observing without interrupting.

Peter swiped out with the scythe, a sweeping motion unstable and clumsy with only one hand’s strength behind it.

The Cactus Hare bounded aside, throwing itself forward in a rush as it bared its teeth and prepared to bite into the boy’s leg.

Peter slashed at it again, the scythe missing completely, then hissed as the monster’s heavy teeth crunched through his armor.

Levi checked his nametag, tensing for action.

Peter Morrison: Level 12

(Tamer)

Health: 96%

Reassured, he did his best to relax the inclination to rush forward. His heart was racing just watching, body constantly prepared to act, though there was no real danger here.

Between Centi and Greg, anything that came close to actually hurting Peter would be dead long before Levi could reach it.

Even if he knew it, he couldn’t convince his body to fully believe.

Greg grunted, slapping his sword with one hand.

“Gah, I know, okay!” Peter snapped, whirling to face the rabbit monster.

The creature’s prickly green hide bunched up as it prepared to spring.

Peter took a quick, heavy breath, then dropped to one knee and thrust straight outward at the monster with the stabby tip of the scythe.

“Three, two,” he counted aloud, then dropped the scythe and swung the shortsword with both hands, a bit awkwardly since he was still kneeling, in a sideways arc. “ONE!”

Mana pulsed. The spectral jaws of Beast Bite snapped down on the Cactus Hare’s ears. Its forward momentum tore it free, but left half its right ear behind and left a deep bleeding gash down the other.

Peter jumped back to his feet, not quickly enough to avoid a bite to the knee.

"I can do this!" He all but screamed, as Greg took a half step forward. "I can. Just wait." He was breathing hard, clearly had been at this a while, sweat visible on his forehead.

"Peter?" Levi called, stepping forward. "You alright back here?"

"Dad!" Peter turned slowly, clearly trying to get a handle on his emotions. "I'm just practicing."

Centi quietly pinned down the cactus hare with four claws, holding it fully immobile, curling up around it like a smug cat with a mouse.

"I see that. Be sure that you're practicing something worth learning. You generally don't want to limit your mobility like that unless you're certain it's going to pay off."

Peter looked confused, so Levi demonstrated the kneeling lunge he'd just been using. "Generally, you can deal with a lower to the floor opponent better by using a longer weapon, rather than limiting yourself. Especially if there's the chance of other enemies nearby. You need to let them be constantly in your mind. Even if there isn't anyone, you don't want to leave yourself vulnerable. Dungeons especially love throwing ambushes at you when you're not paying attention."

"Okay."

"You okay?"

"Of course."

"Do you want to practice together a bit?"

"Sure."

Yeah, there was definitely something up. Peter didn't normally do the curt, short replies. He tended to talk more than necessary, not less.

"What's bothering you?"

"It's fine. I can do better. I'll do this right. Just wait."

"What is it you think you're doing wrong?"

He picked back up the scythe, then waved the shortsword. "Switching weapons mid-fight. I messed it up every time. Almost got us all killed. I can do better." His voice was tight, restrained, but Levi could hear the tremor.

"You're doing just fine. Everyone makes mistakes. It's how you learn. You can't expect to be perfect the first time you set foot in a dungeon."

"I'm not expecting to be perfect, and it's not the first time. I spent a whole month training people, and here I can't even do it myself!"

"You don't have to beat yourself up over it either."

"How else am I going to learn not to ever do it again?" Peter waved a hand to Centi, turning to face the monster again. "I'll learn."

"Not yet. Right now, you need to relax. You're too emotionally invested in this fight, and that's going to make you sloppy. You need to be focused, alert. Sure, you can channel your emotions in some instances, but if you run on them all the time you'll make mistakes and keep making them. Take a step back. Take a deep breath. Think through everything, move through your attacks before you commit to them."

"I won't have time to make practice swings in a real fight."

"No, which is why you do them now. Build up the patterns for doing it right."

"Practice makes perfect."

"Practice makes pattern. Only perfect practice makes perfect. It's very easy to cement bad habits if you don't stay constantly aware of what you're doing and, more important, why."

Peter nodded, taking a physical step back from the rabbit and taking several breaths. "Okay. How do I do it right?"

"First, you don't dual-wield with a scythe. It's a two-handed weapon. The strength and the flexibility come from the ability to leverage your other hand, pivoting it quickly and smoothly. Here."

Levi reached for the weapon, and Peter handed it over.

Levi swung it a few times with one hand, showing the limitations of its movement arcs, then added his second hand to direct. "See? Much more control."

"You use a weapon in each hand. Wouldn't the same thing be true of a sword?"

"Yes, a two-handed sword stance is more powerful and flexible in ordinary circumstances. But that changes when you get magical attack bonuses on each weapon. Why use one sword that can slice your enemies from inside when you can use that and one to set them on fire?"

Levi did his best to inject some levity into the conversation, but Peter barely managed a dull chuckle.

Peter took back the scythe and looked down at it impassively. "Is this a bad weapon?"

"No. Any dungeon-made weapon will be effective with practice. You've got decent reach and once you learn to swing it with full power, you'll be able to do more at a better range than I could. I think it suits you well. Just remember to switch to the sword when anyone gets in too close."

"Yeah. It's so hard to think when everything is happening, you know? It just happens and keeps happening and then the next thing I know it's over and I've ruined everything--"

Levi closed the distance between them, taking Peter's shoulder. "You haven't ruined anything. You're going very well. You can keep doing very well and still improve. I'm alive, you're alive, your mother's alive. The minions, we can bring them back. It's okay."

Peter's hitching breath dissolved into helpless tears, despite his obvious attempts to hold back.

Levi pulled him close against his chest, the weapon clanging forgotten to the floor. “It’s okay. You’re doing well and improving fast. You don’t have to blame yourself when things go wrong. It happens.”

“What if it happens too many times?” Peter’s voice was muffled against Levi’s chest, not looking up. “What if next time it’s you or Mom who doesn’t make it out?”

“We’re not going to let that happen. That’s why we’re a team. That’s why we’re Tamers. To protect one another.”

Peter’s grip tightened around Levi’s middle, voice even quieter. “I want to protect everyone. But I can’t even protect myself.”

“None of us is going to be able to do this alone. We’re a family, we all need each other. That’s how it always is, whether in mundane living or fighting the apocalypse. Let me worry about the logistics. You focus on your own team, integrating into our overall tactics, and reacting to commands. If you make a mistake, learn from it, but don’t make it worse than it needs to be.”

Peter nodded, face still hidden in Levi’s damp shirt.

They stood quietly for a time, until Peter was able to reclaim his dignity. He stepped back, wiping his face, and picked up his weapon with a determined nod. “I’m ready.”