Chapter 1.09 – Floor One VI
Liddy could tell the exact moment Fiona activated her Rage - or whatever it was called for her weird Berserker variation. They had agreed to use it immediately, and Liddy wanted to know what it did. She'd seen Berserkers before - but with Fiona, the abilities were a bit - weird.
She supposed it made sense. Rage and Passion could be the same emotion from a different angle.
Fiona was suddenly covered in a pink glow - almost like a pink flame, raging around her. Her eyes went white as she charged past Liddy, with a big, stupid grin, laughing the whole way. Not quite a rage, but equally blind.
Liddy followed behind, summoning Timmy and getting ready to join the fray, as Fiona reached the first wave of sporelings. Fiona in her rage, instead of attacking the sporelings directly, slammed her hammer into the rocky ground, cracking it, knocking the small creatures over as a shockwave spread around her.
Liddy almost stumbled as she followed her friend - How much did that ability increase her strength? She was level one.
Fiona immediately leaned back, and spun her hammer in a whirlwind attack, knocking little mushroom creatures back, sending them flying across the large cave.
The pink flame raged around her, every swing and action she took fanning them as Liddy tried to find an opening to join the fight. Timmy was doing his best, but he relied on Liddy to build up her [Flow], but Fiona just did not need them. She was a wrecking ball, a force of nature with no control as she shoulder charged into the massive shroom man, brushing off a swipe on her back that left a gash in her shoulder, before throwing the creature back with her charge. She followed with a barrage of attack, and an avalanche of muscles, hammers, and giant tits descending onto the creature.
As every single Fungi was focusing on her Liddy sped around the edges of the fight, picking off smaller sporelings where she could.
She jumped onto one of the smaller creatures and used it as a springboard to get closer to one of the Mushwitches, her fists and feet flying in rapid, controlled succession. Each strike placed flawlessly, her flow building up, Timmy's buffs strengthening. The familiar feeling flowed through her limbs, empowering her as she finished off the creature.
She kept to the edge of the battle as Fiona's joyous laugh filled the cave, the thunderous slams of her hammer punctuating following every giggle, lost in a swirl of violence and joy. She was terrifying and beautiful - Liddy hadn't thought of her friend much as a berserker until this very moment.
Her hammer was a blur, and she'd stopped even attempting to avoid attacks. Liddy tried keeping an eye on her as she moved towards the other Mushwitch, just as the creature shot a spore towards Fiona. Liddy spun into action, flipping through the air and kicking the spore away with a spinning kick, sending it to harmlessly burst against the wall before she stanced up before the creature. Clenching her fist she charged ahead, sweeping low and knocking the legs of the creature out from under it, before crashing down in a wave of kicks and punches, her claws puncturing the mushroom before it fell over still. The giant Shrooman the only one left, Fiona a wind of destruction at its feet.
Liddy tried to find a way to enter the fray, but she just couldn't find an opening. And, if she was honest she was a bit afraid. The ability said she couldn't stop.
But Fiona was taking damage. Small gashes were building up, and while the giant was damaged - bits had been hammered away, chunks missing, a broken leg, he still seemed to have quite a bit left.
Fiona was unbelievably powerful. Powerful, but reckless. In this state, she was all offense and it was not sustainable. Liddy was worried her friend would get seriously hurt in this battle.
After a moment of hesitation she darted in, weaving in and under Fiona's swings - intently focused, the small gnome had to avoid both her opponent's and her friend's strikes, deftly slipping between either. Her focus wasn't on damage - she had no doubt Fiona dealt much, much more than she ever could. Evidenced by chunks of fungi blasting in every direction with each swing of the giant hammer. Liddy instead focused on attacking the Shrooman's limbs, making sure his attacks didn't hit her partner or turn them into glancing blows. The sea-gnome leaped around the battlefield, deflecting blows as Fiona threw herself completely and fully into the battle, pushing the giant creature further and further back. Frustrated, the fungi upped its intensity trying to catch the little gnome, long, strange fingers grabbing her mid-air as she jumped off Fiona's shoulder.
Liddy panicked and struggled to get free as suddenly the strong grasp went limp, with a heavy thud. She looked up and saw Fiona's hammer chucked into the head of the creature, again having been thrown with immense power. Fiona stood still, pink fire raging around her, and her laughing stopped. Her chest and shoulders heaving, and she was breathing heavily. Suddenly the giant creature collapsed to the floor with a bang - and a second later, so did Fiona.
"FIONA!" Liddy rushed to her side, as the tall woman's eyes rolled back and she passed out.
She slid to a sudden stop next to her friend and quickly checked her breath. She was still breathing - probably a bit too heavy, her large breasts moving up and down rapidly, but still alive. Her worst fear was alleviated.
Though she was not in a healthy state, most of her wounds were superficial, but there were a lot of them. Small scratches throughout, with a few larger gashes. The berserker was losing blood quickly.
TIMMY Liddy commanded her spirit, silently activating [Empower Spirit].
Fiona's head in her lap, she watched as her ethereal octopus friend slowly descended and sat on top of Fiona's stomach, glowing a soft sea green colour that slowly spread alongside.
"Come on, come on" She was a support, technically - but healing was her weakest ability. Hopefully with [Empower Spirit] it would be enough, she couldn't lose another party member. She couldn't lose her new friend. She stroked Fiona's pink hair, fighting back tears. She's the one who told her to use that ability, she's the one who made her push herself.
Timmy's tentacles wrapped around Fina's torso, holding onto her, at least metaphorically. Liddy knew the spirit could just pass through her. The soft glow spread over her body and the smaller wounds started closing up, the bleeding stopping.
There was a large wound on her back and her thigh, and what worried Liddy the most - a puncture, where the creature's sharp claws had stuck into Fiona's stomach. The small wounds shut, Timmy's glow focused on the larger wounds. Intensifying, the large gouges in her muscles stitched together, leaving only the faintest scar.
Liddy's spirit seemed to turn, focusing entirely on the puncture wound - however deep it went. The glow that was evenly spread before now, focused on a single, intensely bright point almost turning a pure white. As soon as the focus changed, Liddy could tell Fiona's breathing had calmed down. It was less erratic, more normal breaths. Liddy hoped, hoped beyond hope that Timmy could do it. That he could make sure she didn't lose her... whatever Fiona was. Friend.
Seconds felt like minutes, minutes like hours, and suddenly the glow fainted. Timmy disappeared to wherever he went when Liddy didn't use him, and all that was left was a little circular scar, a pockmark, on Fiona's abs. The berserker had changed from an unconscious, dangerous, fainting, and was now just sleeping in Liddy's lap. Snoring softly, she turned and cuddled into Liddy's stomach. The sea-gnome cradled her head, definitely not crying, just happy Fiona would be okay. She'd be okay.