Headed by a Snake

Willow held her arm to prevent Imperia from falling. She'd caught her leg onto something in the waist deep water.

Getting splashed on was uncomfortable... but it wasn't something unexpected, considering their location.

"Oof. Sorry I'm not a better elf, sister," Imperia blushed with embarrassment.

"I wouldn't know," Willow shrugged. "You're the best elf I've ever met?"

"Humu~" Imperia smirked, "I suppose you're the best human I've ever met... you're far better company than the others I keep around."

Imperia liked to complain... a lot. Everything she complained about was fair, though. It was just conversation, really.

It was cold. It was hot.

Water was wet.

Her family wasn't the best.

Willow thought having some family was better than none... She didn't have any family left-- minus Sprig, of course.

The Captain of the ship Imperia was sailing on was an absolute prick. The guy she was crushing on totally ignored her. There was a handsome guy she hung out with that was really mature and really strict... and would probably be a better match for her.

As for Willow... there were zero boys in Thorne Village that were her age.

Hearing about... what she assumed was a more-normal life was... really nice.

The good news was... that Imperia was more than willing to take her and Sprig away from Thorne, provided they didn't die horrible gruesome deaths in the swamp.

The bad news was... a Level 13 and a Level 22, even when working together, were really, really likely to be killed before then.

"Imperia..."

The elf narrowed her eyes, "Sister Willow... I... really don't like the way you said my name just now."

Willow pursed her lips, "I'm gonna need you to.. um-- s-stay calm."

"If you're trying to play a cruel joke on me, girl," Imperia glared. "I'm going to disown you."

"Just..." Willow bared her teeth... "just hold still, okay?"

Imperia followed Willow's gaze... and when she saw it, her entire body tensed up and she stifled a scream.

It was... a leech. A giant, black leech bigger than Willow's forearm was stuck to Imperia's waist, above her armored leggings.

Normal leeches weren't anything to worry about. They didn't have any diseases and they'd fall off after 10 or 15 minutes. They were supposed to have healing properties, too-- Elder Thorne used them when people were sick.

The giant leeches, though... they'd take way too much blood and could be stuck for bells.

Also, they *did* have diseases.

Willow gripped the haft of her stone axe, "I'm... I'm gonna pry it off by its teeth."

"Y-you're going to what?!" Imperia shouted. "I forbid you from cutting me, girl!"

"What do you want me to do, then?!" Willow shouted back.

"Something DIFFERENT!"

"Look," Willow held her palms out, "I'm just going to... slide the flat part of the axe under where its teeth should be. It's not like this thing is sharp enough to cut you."

".....Okay, fine. But if you cut me, I'm going to cut you back."

Willow took care not to roll her eyes. Imperia didn't have any weapons *to* cut her with.

...She sounded awful serious, though.

Using the bladed part of her stone axe, Willow carefully... caaarefully pried the leech off and tossed it away.

Success.

The hole on Imperia's waist started to bleed, though... and it bled... a lot.

"Tch," The elf scoffed. "It itches... Is this normal?"

"I dunno," Willow sighed. There was something in leechbites that made it bleed more than normal...

It was really worrisome... but Imperia would be alright.

"You're a Cleric, though, right, Sis?"

"Y-yeah," Imperia nodded. "How did you know?"

Seven hecks.

Willow cursed in her mind as she looked away.

Imperia had never said what Class she had... and Willow only knew because she asked her System.

"L-lucky guess? You have a Priestess-y aura?"

"Hmmm~" Imperia tilted her head, "I guess I do have a noble air around me."

Willow breathed a sigh of relief as she sloshed her way to higher ground. It couldn't be helped, wading in some parts of the swamp, but it would be better if they tried to avoid it when they could.

Being careful not to let Imperia see her chest, Willow turned away to take off her shirt. She'd tear off the other sleeve to bandage her new sister...

The only cloth Imperia was wearing was covering her boobs-- and since it barely even did that, it wasn't useful for anything else.

"So..." Willow turned her head back to her elf sister, "can you use... um... magic? To heal yourself?"

Imperia checked her blood-covered hand and the still-bleeding wound with a frown, "Don't you think I would have done so already, if I could?"

"Um. That's fair," Willow bowed her head apologetically.

"No... sorry. I shouldn't take it out on you. I'm just-- no, nevermind," Imperia shook her head... "I'm... not that kind of Cleric, Sister. My abilities have more to do with... water bending and dealing with sea creatures."

"Are... you going to be alright?"

Willow pursed her lips. She could heal Imperia if she needed to... but she'd have to put points into ⌈Healing Breath⌋...

...If she did that, she wouldn't be able to point into ⌈Emerald Scales.⌋ A healing Skill was useful, yes-- but it wouldn't be if a monster bit her head clean off.

"Hmph," Imperia turned her nose up. "Just this level of injury is barely enough to inconvenience your sister."

She let out a long sigh... "I'll take that bandage, though."

Willow put her stylishly sleeveless shirt back on and handed the torn sleeve over, "Mhm."

"Thanks."

"Yup."

"Willow."

"Yeah?"

Imperia's eyes sharpened to thin slits, "To my side. Now."

A chill ran down Willow's back. Was... she... upset?

"Sis..."

"Get over here if you don't want to die," Imperia urged.

She stood tall, taking her hand off of her injury. Blood soaked through her new bandage and dripped down her side.

She moved her hands, making a series of magical gestures... and four spheres of water mana lifted up to float above her head.

It took until then for Willow to realize that Imperia wasn't joking around. She half-crawled half-scrambled over to hide behind her Elven sister's back.

⟬ Issuing new quest... ⟭

⟬ Level 30 Quest. Defeat a powerful enemy. ⟭

...Willow pursed her lips as she channeled her thoughts at her System.

« You serious? Level 30?!? New quest, please, Miss System! »

⟬ Understood. Recalculating... Issuing alternate quest: Escape from a powerful-- ⟭

« I get it!! »

It started off as a dark shape wading underneath the waters-- not necessarily bigger than a crocodilian, but Willow would have much rather had one of those.

Crocs live in the swamps. A croc makes sense.

A human-looking torso and faceless head that emerged from the water-- that didn't.

⟬ Bog Creature, Level 30 Aberration. ⟭

The Bog Creature's chest had a huge hole in its center, where a person's heart should be... and its skull was misshapen, like the top half had been torn off at some point.

Its body looked like it was made out of old, congealed blood or soiled sludge that had been left stagnant for a dozen years. It had something like skin... but it wasn't formed fully and dripped down, blackening the clear waters it stood in.

It reached forward menacingly with two long arms that ended in three-fingered claws... and its rough voice scratched the insides of Willow's skull.

"bLoooOddd... the SeA godd... HE deMandddss!!! Buh-LuuUuuhhhdddd..."

Blood.

Willow's blood-- or maybe her mana, froze in her veins. She knew that voice.

She really... really wished she didn't.

"What is this... disgusting, filthy thing?" Imperia waved her hand, "⌈Fourfold Water Lance.⌋"

"No, Imperia, don't!!" Willow shouted-- but it was too late.

With four bright-blue flashes of mana, Imperia's water spheres shot forward, piercing through the Bog Creature.

The thing staggered back... but even though there were four new holes in its body besides the fifth in its chest, its flesh regenerated in only seconds.

It... it was Level 30. Imperia wasn't strong enough to beat it-- not alone.

Willow needed to do something... and even if she got hurt in the process, at least Imperia would be able to take them both to safety.

It was kinda a big step, testing the limits of her and Imperia's recent sisterhood-- but Willow didn't have much of a choice.

The creature roared-- making a sound between a snake's hiss and a human's throaty shriek of pain. It pointed its claws arms at Imperia... and they shot forward, even faster than her ⌈Water Lances.⌋

"Dad, no!!" Before she was able to think it through, Willow stepped in front of Imperia and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

...It occurred to her at that exact moment in time, that she was probably going to die. If she was thinking like a calm, rational person, then she would have pointed into ⌈Emerald Scales⌋ before doing something so unbelievably stupid.

*PAP*

Willow felt her head spin.

Something had hit her... and she was falling towards the water.

Her cheek.

Im... peria...? Imperia had hit her?