Be My Champion

Chapter IV - Changes

-Arlett-

The cold lessens, as Arlett looks back up from her braced state. Her head doesn't hurt, though it was thrown back a bit. The blob is inspecting it's segment, roaring. Arlett joins it's inspection from where she is, and gasps at the sight before her. The mush that was used to strike the prone warlock is now coated in frost, emitting a mist as it melts in the comparatively warm air. Applause can be heard to the side, as Miki smiles to Arlett, approvingly clapping without any words. Seizing the opportunity, Arlett tries again to make some distance.

Seeing her get up, the blob takes its chance and swings a different segment at Arlett's legs. Stumbling at the impact, Arlett catches herself and turns to see more of the glob covered in frost, which is all melting away very quickly. The cold that she felt seconds before the first hit has vanished, and even though she feels warmer, she just as much feels vulnerable again. Gripping the brush as she runs, she prepares to cast another blast of energy. Pivoting on her right leg, she holds the brush out towards the blob, which is still in pursuit. The frost is no longer there, it melted much quicker than expected, but it gave her the chance she needed. First a thought, then a spark, then a light, the blast meets the glob with a crack, and then a soft hum.

Steam rises from the creature as it's body deflates and boils away. It's stopped moving, roaring, or even convulsing. It's dead. All of the exhaustion catches up to the warlock as she starts walking back to Miki. Though the thought of ending an innocent creature's life sickened her, this wasn't exactly an innocent creature. It tried to kill her, and was only stopped because she fought back. In fact, Arlett felt more alive than ever before, and that scared her. 'Well done, darling!' Miki's voice fills Arlett's head again, who responds immediately and frantically, out loud to her patron, "What was that??"

Miki looks down, smirk unphased, "What, that? A simple little test, he was worthless and you needed some actual practice." Her smirk turns to a menacing glare, "Do you have a problem with that?" Arlett squeaks and shakes her head insistently, stemming the adrenaline left from the fight. Miki continues in a much more neutral tone, floating down to Arlett's side on the ground, "It worked, it seemed you used more than just the energy you practiced. That frost was armor. You surrounded yourself when you needed the protection, and the magic manifested as a shield that counters with ice. See? I knew you were fine when I saw you practicing." Arlett takes a deep breath, starting her seemingly never ending questions, "Then what was that thing? It was so... creepy..." Miki starts to walk over to the lump of once moving goop, still steaming away. "A lemure. They're worthless souls of people who were banished to the place I call home. They lose any intelligence they once had and are just clumps of rotten life."

Miki starts to create the circle she made to summon the lemure, as Arlett continues to ask about. "What did you two talk about when it arrived?" Miki doesn't look away from her magic as she responds, "I told him it was his only chance to become something above a shapeless glob. We made a deal before I came and found you, he agreed to fight for the chance to be promoted to a higher form. You had only half an hour to learn your abilities, and still he couldn't harm you." The circle glows as the spell is cast, as the body returns to where it came, half the size it was when it arrived.

Arlett looks up at the stars that came out of hiding behind the clouds. "I'm only alive because of your magic, master," she remarks, "but something isn't right. I know that adrenaline is a thing, but ever since I killed that thing, I've felt so... awake, I guess. It's strange, I don't have the words for it." Miki turns to face her servant, "Have you ever received a blessing before? And I mean an actual one, not a random prophet's verbal 'Oh dearest believer of whomever, I bless you with whatever it is you want, now pay up' garbage. Those people really tick me off."