Adjusting her armor to fit better, Cire stood before the carriage. Her heart raced as she did her best to calm down. She focused on her hands and keeping her mind occupied in order for her thoughts to not wander. It wasn’t w all that well as her breathing sped up as her party funneled out of the carriage. Ana rushed to Cire’s side, seeing her shifting nervously.

  “C-cire? Are you going to be okay?” She asked meekly. was evident in her voice as she looked up to Cire. Cire snapped out of her spiral as she looked down at her ed lover.

  “I think so… maybe not at first, but I’ll get over it.” Cire said after a long exhale. She could feel her body rex as Ana’s hand grasped hers. It was something physical to focus on instead of her own thoughts. Ana’s warmth, her slight fidgeting and the sweat of her own nerves. Cire focused on those feelings to calm herself down.

  Elsie, Jasmine and Lily all watched on. None of them said anything as Ana helped calm Cire down. They waited patiently until Cire’s breathing was back to normal before joining the two. Jasmine was the first to speak up.

  “If you feel overwhelmed like this, let us know. We’d rather you sit out than harm yourself.” Jasmine whispered to her. Cire nodded in respo robably smart to sit out of bat. She knew deep down that it was. But another part of her wao push forward.

  “The enemies of my Goddess won’t wait for me… I o push through. I need all the experience I get if we’re going to stand a liberating men.” Cire said, her uneasiness vanishing for the moment as adrenaliarted flowing. Her words aimed mostly towards herself, but also to her party. She’d o overe far worse feelings iure.

  Jasmine and Elsie let out a sigh, almost in unison, before Lily spoke up. “True. But you could also bee far worse.”

  “Like walking on a broken ankle. You may not heal properly.” Ana said in a near whisper. Lily nodded in firmation.

  “Just… let us know.” Elsie said, with a seriousness in her voice. “If it overwhelms you, we’ll be there to support you.”

  “I promise.” Cire said, her resolve steeling as she gripped her shield. Her new shield was a grim reminder of what could have been. A lesson given to her by a woman she’d never know. She gazed at her refle in the shield as she bit back her fear.

  “Okay. I’ll be stig close this time around. Not only to monitor you, but to test my new skill.” Jasmine said, resting her hand on Cire’s shoulder. “I won’t make that mistake again.”

  “Well… let’s get going then.” Elsie said, grabbing Ana’s hand. She pulled her along as she held onto Cire. The two were dragged by Elsie as Jasmine held back.

  “Think she’ll be alright?” She asked her oldest friend. Lily pursed her lips and thought for a moment.

  “Yeah. She’s strong willed enough to push past it, we just o make sure she has an outlet for struggles. That's all we do besides supp her.” Lily said, rubbing her neck. She didn’t have the most experieh treating trauma like this. But her medical research helped quite a bit. “It be something that haunts her for the rest of her life… or it be something that haunts her for a week. We just have to watch her closely.”

  Jasmine hugged Lily, surprising her slightly. “Thank you… gods, I’m so gd you joined us. I doubt I could hahis by myself.” Her voice broke momentarily before she let go. Straightening up and taking a deep breath. “Wish us luck.”

  Lily nodded and Jasmine joined her party members. Lily let out a sigh as she returo the carriage, her mind rag for knowledge on how best to help Cire.

  Cire looked out on the woods, her mind clearer than before. It was silly, but her own words inspired her. She o overe this rea to fulfill her duties. It was her first real test as Her champion. She said a silent prayer toddess as she asked Her for strength. She .

  She stood before a hole in the wall, torches surrounded her. She felt the heat of the fmes as she stared out into the woods. Bushes and branches were destroyed making it clear where the cockatrices would e from. A hole in the foliage that she kept a close eye on. Jasmine was somewhere hat breach waiting for them to approach.

  Elsie and Ana watched on from their vantage point as they talked silently. ‘Keep her safe Ana… If she doesn’t move, ward her and call out to me.”

  ‘Of course… I’ll be watg her.’ Ana replied, her hand gripping tightly to her wand. Years of watg Cire train allowed her to read Cire’s movements almost perfectly. Any ge in her usual pattern would alert her. Elsie smiled as she looked at her sister.

  ‘Right… fot about your little hobby.’ Elsie chided her sister. Ana gave her a flustered look before reposing.

  ‘Elsie! This is serious. I was not ogling her.’ Ana said, she was clearly flustered.

  ‘I literally hear your thoughts.’ Elsie said her iion wasn’t to tease Ana. It was to ease her mind. Prevent her from panig and tunnel visioning on healing. She grabbed her sister’s hand, making her iions known.

  ‘Okay… I get it. I o make sure I don’t waste my mana.’ Ana ceded to her sister.

  “Watch her. Don’t tunnel vision on her.” Elsie said out loud this time. She let go of Ana’s hand as Jasmine reappeared before Cire.

  “They’re ing. Right from where May said they’d e from.” She pointed in the dire of the breach as Cire’s eyes focused on the movement. She couldn’t make out anything distinguishable as they raced down towards their position. They ran quite fast as they headed for the fence where Cire was.

  “Okay. War Cry to get their attentiohem occupied while you and Elsie whittle them down. Ana covers for me. Anything else?” Cire said, uhing her sword. She gripped her shield tightly as she stood in the way of the monsters.

  “If you feel their petrifying magic, cry out or make a noise.” Jasmine said, readying her bow. She’d pick off the fastest oo stall their progress. She knocked, aimed and then fired. Downing the one leading the charge. “If you freeze… drop to the ground if you .” She said before disappearing into the darkness.

  Cire felt her nerves resurface as the cockatrices recovered. They were heading her way. Her mi back to that troll’s smile for a moment as time slowed. Her heart rate increased, her mouth dried. Her fear was taking over as the monsters approached her.

  They looked just like roosters. Just with big, bulging eyes. Like eyes almost bigger than their heads that nearly popped out of their sockets. The book did not do their edic look justice. Cire felt her ugh break out as the light illumihe closest cockatrice. A three foot tall chick with wing-like arms and looked like the Leghorn chis back at the farm. She broke out in ughter as it screeched at her.

  They looked far too edic for her to take it seriously. She was able to ready her shield to block as the moriked. The unmistakable smell hit her as she ter attacked. The monster bellowed as she stabbed it, killing it.

  It went down far easier than she was expeg. Eight of the other cockatrices approached her cautiously, showing intelligence as they kept their distance. Cire had a wide smile on her face as more approached her. She ughed like a mad woman as their gangly bodies made even their walk funny. She stood in the light as Jasmine and her mages readied their attacks.

  She let out her taunt, enraging the monsters as they collectively rushed her. She bit back mhs as four more appeared from the shadows. She readied her body and shield as the fastest one approached her. She waited for it to pounce before hitting it with her deferike, sending it straight into the three behind it. She was surrounded on all sides as she felt their cws strike at her armor.

  “Fuck!” She cried out as she felt blood trickle down her shoulder. One had breached her armor and reached her skin. The wound didn’t impede her swing, but it did cause her panic to set ba. Jasmine was quick to bail Cire out, downing the cockatrice that scratched her shoulder, before pulling Cire back. Lightning strubsp; the moment they moved, stunning the five that swarmed Cire. She felt the warmth of Ana’s healing as she readied herself for more.

  She began to feel her extremities slow as she fought to trol her body, the paralyzing magic taking effe her. She tried to speak, to tell her party, but her mouth slowed. She cried out as best she could, signaling to Jasmine as she reappeared. Cire panicked as her body froze, she couldn’t move no matter how hard she tried. The cockatrices pounced again, still frenzied from her taunt.

  A wall of fmes erupted between her and the monsters, setting them abze as they rushed to get her. They smacked into Ana’s ward as they pouhey writhed on the ground and shrieked at Cire. Their singur focus on her.

  Jasmine worked quickly, cutting down the cockatrices as fast as she could. She focused on the most able bodied monsters first before moving on. She swept through the small horde, hoping to this up quickly. She didn’t want to prolong the fight any longer. Cire took a deep breath as Ana’s healing slowly chipped away at the paralysis. She started with small movements, swinging her sword and then finally attempting to take a step.

  She shrugged off the rest of the spell as Ana’s ward came dowotem appearing in a blinding light beside Cire. The mouro the totem, their singur focus allowing Cire and Elsie to strike. Cire used her deferike to set Elsie up for a massive fireball on three clumped together. Cire backed up and readied for more, only to find none.

  Jasmine appeared behind her, pulling her out of the light as more approached cautiously. They sloeared in the light, slightly bigger and more menag. Jasmine pulled Cire to the side, whispering in a voiearly inaudible. “Those are the adults, the others were their children.”

  Instead of 3 feet tall, these were nearly as tall as Cire. Their bodies were less gangly and more filled out. Their eyes no longer looked edic, but fitting. Their cries pierced Cire’s ears as she readied herself for more. The closest one swiped at the totem, destroying it instantly before it turned in Cire’s dire.

  “These are the real issue.” Jasmine said, before disappearing again. “Keep them occupied while Elsie and I hahem.”

  Cire gripped her shield, steeling herself as she tried to keep calm. She bit her inner cheek, biting back the panic as she cautiously walked towards the circle of light. The torches illuminated her as the cockatrices let out another cry, finding their target. She let out her own as she braced for an attack.