Catg the rat by surprise and hitting its critical spot, Cire was able to dow instantly. She abandoned her sword for now as she turo face the three remaining rats. One was screeg while on its back, while the other two were looking at her. Their pelts were burning off as their skin started to melt. Cire had to pull her colr up not to gag on the smell.

  She readied her shield and hit the closest oh it, stunning it, as the other was hit by Elsie’s fireball. That rat fell as the fire ed it. Cire backed up to the rat she killed previously as the stunned rat recovered. She grasped her sword and used her foot to pull it from the rat. She was able to pull it as the rat ran towards her. She met the rat’s attack with her shield before stabbing into its chest. She k to the side as it let out o screech before dying.

  She spun around to check the hole only to see two rats jammed up against Ana’s ward. She held out her sword, signaling to Ana that she was ready, as the barrier fell. She readied herself as two more rats charged her. She dodged the faster one before using her deferike on the slower one. She heard a fireball hit behind her as she stuhe sed rat. She pressed the advantage and started stabbing into the rat’s chest and neck.

  She was hit from behind by the first rat, but was able to roll and recover from its tail attack. She felt Ana’s healing spell surround her as she faced the first rat. It was on fire but still standing. Cire still had a few seds of cooldown as the rat pounced on her. She met it with her shield as it crashed into her. They tumbled into each other as she started stabbing with her sword.

  She pushed its motionless body off her as its blood coated her armor. She looked back to the hole again and none of the rats were there. She immediately retreated back to her party members as their safety was the most important. She made it to the twins without spotting any more rats. They had defeated six so far, meaning nine were left outside the barn. She looked to Jasmine’s hiding spot and found her outside.

  “What are they doing?” She asked.

  “Cirg the barn and cutting off the exits. We’ll be ambushed if we use either of the doors.” Jasmine replied. Cire thought about what to do as Jasmine tinued. “They didn’t leave any by the hole though.”

  She bit her lip as she started to form a pn. They were spread out now so if they could isote them in pairs or trios, it’d be easier to take out. She turo Elsie and Ana and began to rey her idea. “We’re leaving the barn, the hole is closest to the batrance so we take the rats there. Stay close to the hole and watch your backs.”

  Both twins nodded as all three moved to the hole in the wall. Elsie had an idea for her mine as Cire crawled through. She went ht after Cire and helped Ana as all three sed their surroundings. No rats on this side of the barn.

  “Okay, stay here and I’ll bring them over.” Cire said before moving. She had her back to the wall as she shifted towards the back of the barn. She made it to the er and peaked to find three rats by the back door. She held up three fingers and then readied herself. She gnced baake sure her mages weren’t in trouble, finding them both ready. She took her sword hilt and hit the face of her shield creating a g sound that caught the rats’ attention.

  All three scurried to chase Cire as she backed up to give Elsie a clear line of sight. As the rats rouhe er, a wall of fire appeared setting them abze. Cire hit the first oh her deferike, smming it into the other two. All three were pushed bato the firewall as Cire was nearly set on fire as well. She backed off after feeling the singi of Elsie’s spell.

  Their screeg would attract other rats so they had to be fast. Cire stabbed the first rat in the chest before the one farthest from her was killed by Elsie’s fireball. The st remaining rat tried to retreat, but Ana’s ward trapped it. Cire was able to kill it with one final stab before she hurried tes.

  “Get behind me.” She ahe twins as she pressed them against the wall. She had them behind her as she looked left and right, looking for any movement. She didn’t have to wait long as a rat rouhe er from the frora ran towards the three before hitting Elsie’s trap. It exploded in fire as it let out a gargled screech. Cire had to end Elsie as that trap covered their blind spot when they focused on the batrance.

  Five more, they were either on the opposite side of the barn or by either of the entrances. Cire thought of what to do, but she was beaten to it. “We should retreat.” Ana whispered to her.

  Elsie nodded before adding, “We don’t know where they are now. Let’s regroup as they e towards the hole.”

  Cire nodded as she covered for the twins’ retreat. She crawled baside the barn herself as all three grouped up at the twins’ inal spot. They were a bit tired and had used at least half of their mana so far, but they could take care of the remaining rats. Cire looked to Jasmine again as she reyed intel.

  “They’re grouping up outside the hole again. Our intel was right, five remaining rats.” Jasmine said. Cire nodded as she decided her move.

  “I’ll use my taunt to get them inside, Elsie wait for the fifth one before using your firewall. Ana, cover me while I corral them.” Cire anded as the two nodded. She moved back towards the room with the hole before taking a deep breath and using her war cry. She heard a chorus of screeg as the rats scrambled to crawl through the hole. Her taunt had worked on them.

  She stood with her shield readied as rats funneled into the room, a fireball flew past her and hit the first rat to pass through. It was set on fire and nearly killed, giving enough time for two more to ehe three charged at Cire as she steeled herself. She waited until the first rat was in the air before she hit it with a deferike. It nded on the sed rat and tumbled into the third. All three were stopped momentarily as the fourth oered. Cire took this time to stab the weakened rat, killing it.

  She quickly backed up as the fourth pou her. It hit Ana’s ward and bounced off. Finally, the fifth ehrough the hole. Cire backed up slowly as Ana’s ward fell, the rats were more cautious now as they approached. It worked perfectly as their movements were slower. She passed backwards through the door of the room and sigo Elsie. A wall of fire erupted right in front of her all the way to the hole. All four rats’ pelts were set abze as they began to panic.

  The four rats thrashed and charged at Cire. Ana’s ward was on cooldown so she o block all four herself. She readied her shield as the first rat jumped to her. She smashed its head with her shield and braced for the sed one. She rolled the sed one off her shoulder and flung it behind her. She heard a fireball hit it before its screeg turo a gargle. The third one charged right as her deferike came off cooldown, she used it and stu. That left the first and fourth rat. They both jumped at Cire as she blocked the first and stabbed at the fourth.

  She tumbled onto her back as both rats hit her. She felt the fourth one’s blood run down her sword a ance when she moved it. The first rat, however, was g at her shield and exposed armor. Her right arm inned uhe fourth rat, so she had to improvise. She released both her shield and sword before tug her arms into her chest. She used her arms to push up against her shield, using it to push the first rat off her. It worked as she rolled out from uhe fourth and readied her fists.

  The first rat’s head was hit by a fire ball leaving one final rat, the third o fully recovered aowards Cire. Thankfully, Jasmiaught her unarmed bat as well. She caught the rat us mouth, redireg its bite before she used her other hand to grab its underbelly. She shifted her weight and arms with its momentum before smming it to the ground. She uhed Jasmine’s gift from her belt ahe rat on the ground. She stabbed its chest multiple times before it stopped moviirely.

  Out of breath and covered in blood, she stood triumphant. She didn’t notice her wounds yet as the adrenaline was still pumping. She retrieved her shield from the first rat before turning the fourth rat over for her sword. She glowed a radiant yellow as Ana healed her scratch wounds. Thankfully, the scratches didn’t damage any of her metal armor, just some of the leather.

  She retures with a smile on her face. Jasmine jumped down from the sed floor and joihe three. “You girls smell horrible.” Jasmine said, ping her nose. “But good job, didn’t even need me to step in. Cire, nice work taking and and improvising a pn. Elsie, good job not hitting Cire. And Ana, good job plugging up any holes.”

  Cire felt her heart flutter at Jasmine’s pliment. She shifted iance as Elsie grumbled to herself. Ana hugged her sister before whispering encements in her ear. All three felt satisfied in their first true victory in bat.

  “Now, did any of you level up?” Jasmine asked.

  All three checked their sheets and nodded, Cire found a new skill called parry that stuhe enemy. She smiled as she thought of how best to use it. Ana gained a taunting totem and Elsie was shocked to find a lightning spell instead of a new fire spell. Usually mages specialize in one element until they reach the teens, but Elsie got one ohird level up. Both twins looked at each other’s sheets, both were close to another level up as well.

  “Yeah, Ana and I are almost level 4 now too.” Elsie spoke for them. She hugged her sister before Cire responded.

  “I’m just under halfway to five, got a new parrying skill, should be handy to trol enemies.” She smiled at Jasmine as she nodded.

  “Alright, let’s get ed up ao bed. Won’t need a watch tonight, but let’s take it easy.” She said before turning to leave.

  Cire:

  Level: 4

  HP: 20/22

  Mana: 11/11

  Exp: 40

  New skill: Parry: Use your sword or shield to parry your enemy’s strike causing them to lose their bance. Cooldown 15s.

  Strength: 9    Magic: 1

  Dexterity: 8   Resistance: 10

  stitution: 6   Wisdom: 7

  Charisma: 6    Divinity: 7

  Defense: 12

  Elsie:

  Level: 3

  HP: 14/11

  Mana: 21/21

  Exp: 80

  New Skill: Lightning Strike: Strike an enemy with the power of lightning, shog and stunning the target. Damage done based on magic stat. Cooldown 15s

  Strength: 2    Magic: 10

  Dexterity: 2   Resistance: 9

  stitution: 4   Wisdom: 7

  Charisma: 8    Divinity: 3

  Defense: 6

  Anastasia:

  White Mage, Bestowed Lover: Aid your lover in bat and defend her with yic.

  Level: 3

  HP: 17/14

  Mana: 18/18

  Exp: 78

  New Skill: Weak Totem: Create a totem of pure light that attracts targets. Health of the totem is ? your defeat. Cooldown 200s

  Strength: 2    Magic: 3

  Dexterity: 2   Resistance: 10

  stitution: 4   Wisdom: 7

  Charisma: 4    Divinity: 11

  Defense: 9