"What the fuck, Sami?!" Lyra screamed, her voice filled with disbelief as she struggled to get to her feet. She used her other hand to press against her side, fighting to stop the bleeding from the small wound. "When did you develop magical abilities, bookworm?"
Sami made a nervous chuckle as he rubbed his hands together, his body language revealing a mix of fear and confusion. Sami's form began flickering before fully becoming solid once again, as if the spell he had accidentally cast had ended.
The Gbahali took a step back, its two red eyes glaring at Sami with a combination of anger and confusion, puzzled as to why its prey's scent kept disappearing.
"So, funny story..." His voice trembled while he tried to convey his thoughts. "I don't know any magic. Magic has been unknown to me my entire life, something that only happens in the imagination."
Sami took a deep breath, his form flickering once more. "Of course, fiction doesn't count because who doesn't dream of having powers? I just... I just wanted to help you, but I was scared of being injured. I just thought, 'What if I can just disappear?'" He finished, moving his hands uncertainly while his mind struggled to understand what had happened.
"YOU DUMBASS! THAT'S EVEN WORSE!" Lyra roared, her face contorted in a mixture of agony and exasperation. "You cannot put yourself in danger, especially when you have never been in a fight before. Being a warrior is more than just sacrifice; sometimes it's about knowing when to retreat, to survive for the next fight."
Sami winced at her outburst and the undeniable logic of her words, shifting his weight uncomfortably. He didn't want to face the full brunt of her anger, knowing she just wanted to protect him.
He turned toward the now very angry and very confused monster as a way to ignore Lyra. Sami could feel a strange tingling sensation coursing through his veins. It went with the small pulse coming from the ring on his finger.
The Gbahali noticed Sami's distraction and raised its claws to attack. Charging forward, it became a blur as it went to slice through Sami. Sami hurriedly raised his arms in a defensive position as he tried to activate his intangibility. As the Gbahali went to land its attack on Sami, it bounced off something an inch before his head.
Sami kept his hands up as the monster kept trying to attack him. A shield glowing blue would pop up every time it tried to injure him. With every attack, Sami felt the brunt, as it slowly pushed him back, his feet sliding against the dirt as he held the defense. After each hit, a headache formed.
The Gbahali was confused about what was happening, not being able to see the barrier at all. Every time it went to attack, it felt an iron wall scraping against its nails. Rage began to overtake the Gbahali as it continued to attack even harder, trying to break through whatever was stopping it from killing its prey. Sparks flew in the air after each attack.
"Duck now!" Lyra said to Sami as she began to chant. "Percute ferro, rege! Flue velox!"
With no hesitation, Sami activated his intangibility as a sword went flying through his head. Catching the Gbahali off guard, it raised its hand to block the weapon. It was too late; the sword, with all its force, cut the hand clean off, as green blood began to drip to the ground. The sword disappeared now that the attack was done.
Sami ran to Lyra's side as she struggled to stay standing. "How... what, um, I'm lost on what just happened," Sami lamely finished, as he tried to help Lyra stand so they could try and get away from the Gbahali while it stayed distracted.
Lyra slapped away his hands as she chanted once again, "Lux Sana, Ferrum Exsurge! (Healing Light, Iron Arise!)" Lyra began to wave her hand across her injuries as a small sword extended from her palm.
Sami stepped back and looked on with awe as he saw a golden glow envelop Lyra's body. With small grunts, her skin began to knit closed, and soon Lyra's face looked less pale as color returned to her skin. Sami noticed that her armor didn't repair, but the injuries she had sustained were fully gone.
"Done gawking at me yet?" Lyra smirked, raising an eyebrow at Sami.
Sami quickly became embarrassed and stammered, "I... I wasn't, um, ugh. I'm not looking at you like that."
"Yeah, yeah, sure you weren't," she teased before getting serious. "So, quick rundown: I have the ability to summon weapons, as you can see. My specialty is summoning swords with special properties. In this case, as you just saw, I summoned one that can heal."
Sami just nodded at her explanation. In the background, the Gbahali was still screaming in pain. It was kneeling on the ground as it tried and failed to reattach its lost limb. The holy light of the sword used not allowing it to reconnect the severed limb.
"I don't know if you noticed it yet, bookworm, but magic takes a huge toll on the user. In some cases, it drains stamina, so most mages rely on warriors to protect them. The worst-case scenario for a huge spell is that it can age a user tremendously," Lyra lectured as she began to stretch her limbs.
"Age? Like it makes you older if overused?" Sami asked.
"Yes, large attacks, if the user doesn't have the magical capacity for them, can make a user age, though that's mainly time magic. The majority of the time, you'll just use your life force or stamina to fuel a spell. Until the spell is finished, it'll use up your life force until you die." Lyra explained.
"So do all people have a chance at learning magic? If so, is it important to be able to chant spells out?" Sami questioned, trying to wrap his head around how he can use his without a chant.
A plain steel sword appeared in Lyra's hand and vanished just as quickly. "Summoning a normal sword like that is easy," she commented. "Hardly a drain at all on my stamina."
"The other sword, like the one you used to heal, is different?" Sami asked.
"Massively," Lyra confirmed. "That's why learning to chant is crucial. It teaches you to efficiently wield your magic without wasting it and gives you more control over the spell being used. The words also help you picture the magic, to guide it precisely."
She elaborated, "Just thinking of a spell and throwing it out there? While in some cases it can be just as strong, it'll end up costing you way more energy, and if not cast correctly, you could end up dying because the spell won't stop."
"Interesting," Sami chirped excitedly at the prospect of learning more about magic.
"Yes, it can be," Lyra acknowledged, her face settling on determination. "For now, we'll have to drop the topic of magic at the moment. There's a monster we have to defeat, and I won't let it win. I want to end its pitiful existence by killing my friends."
Lyra's eyes radiated intense focus as she turned and walked menacingly towards the Gbahali. In fluid motion, she summoned a glowing golden sword into her hand. A gentle light emanated from the blade, creating a stark contrast against the increasingly dark forest.
Sami remained quiet, his heart pounding against his ribs as he tried to process the upcoming fight. He glanced at his hand, at the dull ring that occasionally pulsed with a faint inner light. He wondered how he could be useful, not knowing how to summon a spell. Yet, he found it strange that he wasn't tired at all after using the shield and intangibility spells.
The creature looked up, sensing Lyra's anger. Its eyes blazed with fury as it let out a frustrated roar that echoed through the darkened woods.
Lyra didn't flinch at the sound. With a huge exhale, she drew back her arm before sending the golden sword flying towards the Gbahali. As the evening shadows deepened, the swift-moving blade spun through the air, leaving a brilliant golden streak in its wake.
The massive Gbahali, with surprising agility, twisted its bulk to narrowly dodge the flying sword. The edge briefly scratched against its fur, sending sparks into the air as it moved out of the way.
With a frustrated snarl, the Gbahali advanced towards Lyra, completely ignoring the golden sword now circling back. The beast moved at an alarming pace, extending its obsidian claws from its only functional hand to attack. Lyra pulled her arm back, clenching her fist, as she locked eyes with the creature.
The Gbahali didn't realize it had been struck until the last second. A wet, tearing sound punctuated its roar as the sword plunged through its shoulder from behind. The golden sword was being controlled by Lyra, changing directions when she moved her arm. The Gbahali roared in pain as the sword disappeared.
Moving quickly, Lyra summoned the sword back to her hand and rushed at the now-distracted monster. She jumped high into the air, bringing the sword down in a wide, slashing arc towards the creature's neck. The creature didn't react in time, and the sword bounced harmlessly off its fur, sending more sparks up into the dark night sky.
The creature tried to swipe at her in mid-air with its claws, but its attack slammed into an invisible barrier. Sami had pictured protecting Lyra, a shimmering shield materializing around her just as it had around himself when the creature tried attacking him moments earlier. Lyra landed safely on the ground, raising the sword up, readying it for another attack.
"How long can you keep the shield up?" Lyra asked, her eyes fixed on the monster, her sword still raised defensively. "Better yet, how tired are you feeling?"
Sami paused to consider before replying, "Um, I could hold it longer. As long as the monster doesn't keep attacking the shield, I don't really feel any strain at all."
"Got it. When you're getting tired, let me know," Lyra commanded, taking off again towards the monster in a near blur as she launched her attack.
Sami didn't even have a chance to reply. He quickly brought his hands up, thinking of placing another invisible barrier around Lyra. Lyra ignored the creature's attacks, focusing on delivering strike after strike. Each slice of her sword bounced harmlessly off its thick fur, sparks flying into the night sky with every failed attempt, briefly illuminating the scene.
The Gbahali also tried attacking, but like Lyra's blows, each of its strikes bounced off the invisible shield. Its claws failed for the first time, and the creature seemed momentarily confused. The Gbahali then attempted a kick at Lyra, which she swiftly dodged. With Lyra being just as fast as the monster, neither side could gain a clear advantage.
Lyra finally broke the stalemate, jumping back near Sami, sweat pouring down her face as she tried to catch her breath. Unlike Lyra, Sami still looked fresh, if a little out of breath. The creature looked worried, facing both of them and unsure how to kill what it had once thought was easy prey.
"Sigh, I hate using this," Lyra muttered to herself as she let the sword in her hand disappear. "De Finis Terrae, Surge Martellus Belli! (From the Depths of the Earth, Arise War Hammer!)"
Sami didn't stay quiet as he watched a green glow surround Lyra before a weapon began to emerge from the ground. A massive, iron warhammer slammed into Lyra's hand. Its rough, stone-veined head promised brutal impact, and its thick wooden haft felt solid and unyielding.
"So you can summon hammers too?" Sami questioned.
Lyra quickly took a couple of practice swings before getting into a stance with the hammer resting on her shoulder. "Yeah, I can," she clarified, her voice sounding slightly strained. "I'm not a fan of using this spell; it takes more energy out of me than the swords I usually summon."
"Wow, there is so much to learn about magic," Sami burst out, full of excitement.
"Bookworm, focus," Lyra sighed, shaking her head as she moved closer to the creature again. "Just keep your shields up, please. I need the extra defense."
"Yes, ma'am," Sami mumbled, raising his hand as he prepared the invisible barrier once again.
Lyra moved slightly slower with the warhammer, but still, to Sami's eyes, quickly became a blur as she reached the monster's head. The monster didn't have time to dodge as the hammer slammed into the side of its head, sending it tumbling backward. For the third time, it finally took damage in this fight.