Streaming through the atmosphere, she approximates the distance to the ground trying to decide when to fire the thruster with only a limited burn time and no clear idea of how long it might take to stop.
Based on pure intuition she picks a time that seems about right and pulls the sword skyward with both hands to activate the field jet.
Starting low power to gauge the deceleration before realizing the ground is coming up faster than anticipated and overcompensating, now sent momentarily upwards.
Falling back down with a jerky cadence as the thrust ramps back up and then shuts off leaving her to fall the last couple of meters, fatigued from overdraw.
Syr - "Hphhh..!"
Not long after her landing..
Nyr - "Watch oouutt!"
Syr - "Waooh!"
The other half of the duo comes sailing in with significant horizontal velocity.
Syr manages to sidestep the human wrecking ball before a perceived fatal collision.
Nyr - "Wahhh..! Ooof! Ahh.. Bwehhh..!"
Various cries ring out while Syr watches her partner crash and burn, wincing as they reach her ears.
The momentum eventually halted by that of a firmly rooted tree.
Nyr - "Gwhhhhhh.."
She takes Syr's hand reached down to assist and is pulled upright, now covered in a spattering of dirt and leaves.
Nyr - "You.. You didn't see that, did you..?"
Syr - "Heh.. I was going to get mad at you, but after your rough landing, let's just call it even."
Nyr - "Sheeeesh.."
Syr - "What the hell was that anyway?"
Nyr - "Portable glider.. Everyone gets one.."
Syr - "Tch, 'everyone'.."
Syr - "How much experience do you have with that thing?"
Nyr - "Hwahh.. Not enough.."
She stretches out, trying to mend the dents in her body.
Syr - "[Sighs] Where are we now..?"
Nyr - "Somewhere in one of the valleys by the looks of it, thankfully. Navigating a mountain doesn't sound like the most fun right now.."
Nyr - "[Yawns] Man, I'm tired.. I'd say we should camp out until morning but that'd be a lot of risk. This whole situation is one big evolving wildcard, so let's just get it done as soon as possible."
Syr - "Right.."
Nyr - "Now what to do..?"
Syr - "This place is massive, how do we find one big-bad in this entire zone? And how do we even know which one it is?"
Nyr - "Ahh.. Well, we know it isn't an ordinary beast so.. It should be obvious if we see it, right..?"
Syr - "..Reassuring as ever.."
Nyr - "Ah c'mon, where's your sense of adventure?! At the end of the day, we're just out here, having a good time together, eh?"
Syr - "Hmm.."
Syr - "I guess.. If you put it that way.. It could be kinda.. fun..?"
Nyr - "Yes! Now you get it. Fun is the name of the game!"
Nyr - "We don't really have any responsibilities or strict requirements right now. Even if we fail this, it's kind of whatever. I mean, Lissly practically just sent us out here because she was bored and curious. And well, I am too, but you know what I mean. We can take care of ourselves."
Syr - "Yeah.. Alright.."
You can almost feel the tension leaking out of her body.
Nyr - "Funny to think Lissly was just in the other room during all that.."
Syr - "Oo, I forgot."
Nyr - "Heh.. Well, let's just get moving and look for tracks or signs of anything out of the ordinary. We can stop after a while and rethink things if we're not getting anywhere."
Syr - "Sounds good, just a nice hike.."
Nyr - "Yeah!"
Syr - "At night.."
Nyr - "Uh-huh..!"
Syr - "Deep in the mountains.."
Nyr - "Uhm.."
Syr - "With dangerous monsters lurking about.."
Nyr - "Syrrr..!"
Syr - "Hah.. Just messin' with you..!"
Nyr - "Ya' sure you're not messin' with yerself..?"
Syr - "W-Wah?! Over there! A ghost!"
She feigns a spooked expression and points behind Nyr.
Nyr - "W-What?! Where?! A haunted valley?! P-Protect mee!"
So taken by surprise at the sudden appearance of the specter, she jumps straight into Syr's arms, who catches her out of reflex.
Syr - "Guhahahahah!"
Nyr - "You little..!"
The current emotion somehow overpowers the lul of being held as she forces herself out of the cradle.
Nyr - "Why would you do that?!"
Syr - "Eheheh.. You said fun was the name of the game..!"
Nyr - "And what about that is fun?!"
Syr - "I-I thought it was funny..!"
Nyr - "Clearly! Having 'fun' at someone else's expense is just.. bullying..!"
Syr - "I-I'm sorry.. I didn't know it was that serious.."
Nyr - "..."
Syr - "I won't do it again, promise.."
Nyr - "[Sighs] It's fine.. I know you didn't mean to be cruel.."
Nyr - "And I did try to spook you earlier so.. It was kind of fair.. I just don't take it so well.."
She sets off following the natural path off the valley, Syr doing a quick jog to catch up before keeping pace.
Syr - "Sorry, again.. If any ghosts do show up, I won't let 'em touch you..!"
Nyr - "You don't need to do that.. But don't you think you owe me something else after that?"
Syr - "Uhhh.. H-Huh..?"
Nyr - "Well you know my ridiculous fear, ghosts aren't even real and yet here I am.. So, what about you..?"
Syr - "Oh, u-uhmm.. Idunno, there's not much really that I-"
Nyr - "Oh.. right.. Sorry.."
Syr - "N-No.. It's okay, there is one thing actually.."
Nyr - "W-Wha- Really..?!"
Syr - "You have to promise not to laugh..!"
Nyr - "Uuu.. Of course.."
Syr - "Hhh.. Whs.."
Nyr - "Huh..? I can't hear you if you mumble it.."
Syr turns her head away before blurting it out.
Syr - "Wasps..!"
Nyr - "Wah..? Wasps are freaks.. Why would I laugh at that..?"
Syr - "That's not all.."
Nyr - "Ooo..?"
Syr - "One time.. er, actually multiple times I think.. Wasps invaded while I was taking a bath.."
Nyr - "What..?!"
Syr - "I-I've never felt so violated in my own private sanctum.. At first it was just the one, but then like five of those things came crawling out the vents..!"
Nyr - "Holy moly.."
Syr - "Imagine laying there, exposed-"
Nyr ~ ...
Nyr ~ Not now, brain..!
Syr - "-and out of nowhere comes this buzzing hellspawn with a large stinger challenging you to a duel. Of course you can't accept because you're nude and wildly unprepared!"
Syr - "So then you have to somehow get out of the pool of liquid in a cramped space with your normal route blocked by the unwelcome demons, and rush out of there hoping you won't be chased down."
Syr - "And now I'm naked and wet-"
Nyr ~ Ahp, don't even try, brain. This is serious time.
Despite the thought, her face is redshifted, thankfully hidden by the dim nighttime lighting.
Syr - "-running around in a vague panic trying to find a way to deal with the situation..!"
Nyr - "Eheh.."
Syr - "H-Hey!"
Nyr - "Oh come on! It's not even about the wasps, that's just a silly story..! Don't you think?"
Syr - "A waking nightmare if you ask me.."
Nyr - "What happened then? What's the conclusion..?! How'd you deal with them..?!"
Syr - "I-Idunno.. I got my brother to deal with it.."
Nyr - "Oh, man.. Well, sorry you had to go through that.. This happened multiple times you said..?!"
Syr - "Once was a fluke.. Twice was an all out assault on my livelihood! We couldn't find anything off but.. I mean c'mon, how am I supposed to sleep soundly knowing that wasps can just invade into my space at any time..?!"
Nyr - "Aww.. You poor thing.."
Syr - "Do not infantilize me.."
Nyr - "I-I'm not..! I'm just expressing how I feel..!"
Syr - "Hmph.. I've moved past all that now.."
Nyr - "Oh, so you're not afraid of wasps anymore..?"
Syr - "I-I wouldn't say that.. I'm just a reasonable amount of afraid of them, like any normal person.."
Nyr - "Uhuhhh.."
Syr - "Have you seen anything yet on that silly gizmo of yours..?!"
Nyr - "Huh-? Oh, no, thermals are pretty quiet.."
Syr - "This is frivolous, we're never going to find anything out here like this..!"
Nyr - "It's only been a few minutes.."
Syr - "Hmph..!"
Nyr - "Calm back down ok, there's no wasps out here."
Syr - "You can't know that for sure.."
Nyr - "Well the ecology data would disagree with you."
Syr - "[Sighs] Fine.."
They continue their hike, making idle chit-chat.
⧖
Syr - "Shouldn't we like, test out these new abilities..?"
Nyr - "Mmm.. Naa, let's not dilly dally too much. Besides, it's not like I can really test mine without a proper target anyway..!"
Syr - "Then.. What're we gonna do..?"
Nyr - "We'll just wing it!"
Syr - "..."
She takes the moment to observe the device strapped to her arm, its design inspiring a bout of mischief.
As they pass by a sturdy tree, the business end of her field coupler is casually directed to the trunk.
Mentally holding the activation, the release is targeted to the back of the unsuspecting huntress.
Nyr - "Uweehhghh..!"
Her momentum is carried forward as the bits on her back are firmly coupled in place, limbs swing out from under.
The tree does a subtle shake, Nyr drops slightly without support, now held up in a goofy position by her shirt being pulled upwards.
Syr snickers at the result of her devious deed.
Nyr - "W-What the heck..!?"
Syr - "Eheheheh.."
Nyr - "What are you doing..?!"
Syr - "Well, you said to just wing it..!"
Nyr - "T-This is so degrading..!"
Nyr - "T-Turn it off..!"
Syr - "Oh, r-right, sure! Eheh.. off.."
Nyr - "Now..!"
Syr - "Sorry! I just can't think how to do it with how funny this is~!"
Nyr - "Y-You little..!"
At that moment, the coupling disengages, she falls on her tush, and Syr stumbles to the ground.
Nyr - "Hoof..!"
Syr - "Eghh.."
Syr - "Now I know that thing only lasts for like fifteen seconds.."
Nyr - "Fifteen seconds too long! Ya big jerk..!"
She picks herself up and dusts off the impact zone.
Syr - "Sorry.."
Nyr - "Do you just like to mess with me..?!"
Syr - "Jeeez, it's all in good fun! Or at least it's supposed to be.."
Nyr - "Do I look like someone who's having fun?!"
Syr takes a slightly unreasonably, sarcastically long amount of time to stare with great intent at the prankee's face, who itself moves through a series of questionable expressions.
Syr - "Well, you're smiling.. So, yes."
Nyr - "W-Wha- I am not..!"
Syr - "You can't lie about your own face right in front of me~"
Nyr - "T-This is-!"
Her hands shoot up to hold her face, partly to check for a smile, largely to hide her embarrassment.
Syr - "Think of it this way, this just sets you up with free prank karma to pull one over on me."
Nyr - "..."
Nyr - "You know I'm gonna hold you to that.."
Syr - "Of course."
Nyr - "Sheesh.. What's gotten into you? Did you all of a sudden remember pranks are your favorite pastime..?!"
Syr - "..Maybe~"
Nyr - "Hffff..!"
⧖
Nyr - "..."
Syr - "..."
Nyr - "Y'know.. I've been thinkin'.."
Syr - "Hm..?"
Nyr - "Even with the whole memory loss thing.. You still have some stuff in there, right..? Like, when we first met and you mentioned you would prefer a motorcycle over an airship.. Or all the stuff with the fluffy animals.. And weapon preferences too.."
Syr - "Ehhh I-I get it.. But Idunno.. I didn't 'know' those things.. It was just how I felt.."
Nyr - "Well.. How you 'feel' is a kind of memory too, isn't it..?"
Syr - "I-I guess..!"
Syr - "But.. How could I know if these feelings are the same ones I had before..?"
Nyr - "Woah.. Like someone just.. created you like this..?"
Nyr ~ The thought had crossed my mind she could be a new experimental artificial intelligence let loose in this world to observe its behaviour.. She's way too advanced for that though, right..? Please tell me I'm right..
Syr - "W-What..?! No..! Just like, what if somehow this whole thing changed me into someone I wasn't before.. Or something like that.."
Nyr - "Mmm.. Well.. I'd say it's unlikely, but in any case, you can only play the cards you're dealt y'know..? Even if you were different, that doesn't really mean anything without a reference. So, at least here.. you're just you..! I wouldn't be able to know any better."
Nyr - "Plus.. I like who you are now.."
Syr makes sure to tilt her head away in a redundant attempt to hide her blushing.
Syr - "What do you know.."
Nyr - "I know many things. A lot of which sometimes I wish I didn't know, and plenty that other people really would rather I not."
Syr - "That sounds kind of cryptic.."
Nyr - "[Shrugs] You live some, you learn some.."
Syr - "I.. I don't think that's a valid response to that.."
Nyr - "It was the first thing that came to mind alright..!"
Syr - "Maybe you shouldn't say the first thing that pops into your head!"
Nyr - "Oh, trust me, you would know if that were actually the case.."
Syr - "Ooo.. Now you're just admitting you have some spicy thoughts.."
Nyr - "N-No way! I didn't mean anything weird by it.."
Syr - "Hmm, c'mon then, let us hear one of your forbidden thoughts~!"
Nyr - "I c-can't just tell you what happens inside my brain.."
Syr - "..."
Syr - "Definitely spicy thoughts."
Nyr - "H-Hey! I bet you wouldn't want to tell me everything that comes to your mind, even if it's nothing bad..!"
Syr - "It's a fair point. Doesn't change my opinion though~"
Nyr - "Aghh, you're such a tease..!"
Syr - "Eheheh..!"
Nyr - "Let's hear some of your thoughts then, huh?!"
Syr - "Ohh, no way. My head is empty anyway."
Nyr - "Hmph..! 'You're just admitting you have some spicy thoughts'..!"
She spits back in a parroting, mocking tone.
Syr - "Haha, guilty as charged~"
Nyr - "Wah-?! Raghh..! Whatever, ya hooligan.."
The smile on her face states contrary to her words.
⧖
Syr - "So, like, what do you do for fun anyway? Besides hunting.."
Nyr - "Oh.. Uhmm.. Well ehh.. I'm sort've.. pretty into computers and tech stuff, programming and what not.."
Syr - "Oh.. I don't think I would've suspected that.."
Nyr - "Heh, yeah.. Idunno, I haven't been doing that much fairly recently what with all this.."
Nyr - "Why though..? Is that a bad thing..?"
Syr - "N-No.. It's just a bit surprising.. I think I tend to stay away from that kind of technology stuff, because of my parents.."
Nyr - "O-Oh.."
Syr - "It's fine.. I don't despise it or anything. It's just there. I use what's convenient to me."
Syr - "Though.. Idunno.. you don't seem like you've got bad intentions.. Maybe you can teach me some stuff sometime?"
Nyr - "O-Oohh! Of course!! I'd love to..!"
Syr - "Woah..! Well slow down there..! Just.. I trust you, and.. it could be interesting to learn about such complex things.. I haven't really done much of that so, my brain has plenty of space.."
Nyr - "Ooo.."
Syr - "My brother though.. Being the much older one and closer with our parents.. He took a lot more after them, wanting to get into that industry.."
Nyr - "Ooh yeah, you mentioned your brother briefly earlier.. I just realized, is that a new memory..?"
Syr - "I.. I-I'm not sure.. I guess so..?"
Nyr - "Ooo.. Well.. do you know specifically what he's into in the field..?"
Syr - "N-Not really.. I think part of me always resented his choice, but he was my brother so, you know.. Most of me just felt awful because having to take care of me almost certainly held him back.."
Nyr - "Oh.. I-I don't think you should-"
Syr - "Yeahhh, I get it. But it doesn't change how I feel."
Nyr - "..Well, do you maybe like remember where he is, or might be..? When the two of you were last together..?"
Syr - "I, eghh.. I-I don't-"
The questions send her brain recursively searching for answers it doesn't have, she reaches a hand to her head as her pace slows to a stop.
Syr - "A-All I remember are fragments from when I was younger.. The l-last time I saw him he- How could I-? I feel like it's there, if I could j-just-"
The air around them seems to shift all at once as she loses her structural integrity and collapses down to one knee, throwing out her other hand to break the fall and stop from toppling completely.
Syr - "Aghh..!"
Nyr - "S-Syr!"
She rushes to her partner's side to help stabilize her.
Nyr - "I-It's okay..! You don't need to think on that too hard.. alright..?"
Nyr - "You don't need to recall it all at once.. We'll figure it out..!"
Nyr - "..."
Not knowing what else to do, she embraces Syr with a quick squeeze.
Nyr - "C'mon..! S-Syr..! Are you okay..?"
Syr - "Egh.. Y-Yeah.. Yeah.. I'm okay, I think.."
Taking Nyr's hand, she uses the support to help herself back up.
Nyr - "Phew.. Guess we really need to be careful about trying to force remembering things huh..?"
Syr - "Hgnn.."
Nyr - "I-I'm sorry.. I feel like I kinda caused this with my dumb questions.."
Syr - "N-No.. It's okay.."
Nyr - "So.. Your brother was the one taking care of you as a kid then, but.. you couldn't remember that before.. That's progress, right..?!"
Syr - "Ah.. Yeah, I suppose so.."
Nyr - "Well.. Maybe it's time we change it up then..?"
Syr - "Huh..?"
Nyr - "With our search..!"
Syr - "Oh, right.."
Nyr - "I was going to use this once we found it anyways, but.."
She reaches into her pouch and pulls something out.
Nyr - "Maybe it'll be attracted to it and come to us instead..!"
Syr - "Ooo.. What is it..?"
Nyr - "Heh.. You'll see..!"
The small, round object is hurled into the sky before bursting, not literally, into an incredibly bright flare of light that appears to linger in the air, revealing a large area around them.
Syr - "Ahh..! It's bright..!"
Nyr - "Sorry..!"
Nyr - "It'll last about thirty minutes. But I have more where that came from..!"
Syr - "Isn't this really conspicuous.. We're supposed to be stealthy.."
Nyr - "Uhhmm.. Well.. It's too late now..!"
Syr - "[Sighs]"
Nyr - "The mountains probablyyy hide the view from any settlements.. And everyone is mostly snoozing now anyway. Besides, even if they see something weird, it's not like they know that we're here. Or what we're doing.."
Syr - "[Sighsss]"
Nyr - "Whaaat..?!"
Syr - "C-Can I just have my Biggs now..? I miss 'em.."
Nyr - "Oh.. Sure..!"
She motions to reach into her pouch but the topical critter lunges out of the pouch before she could get there.
Nyr - "Eee..!"
He flies right into Syr's arms who catches him with poise.
Biggs - "[Chirp!]"
Syr - "Ooohuhu.. I missed you too..!"
Biggs wiggles around with a certain fervor while Nyr watches on appreciating the adorable reunion.
Nyr - "Heheh..! It seems so unlike you..!"
Syr - "Ohh.. W-What do you know.."
Nyr - "Ehheh.. You already said that! But, fair.."
Syr - "..."
Nyr - "Hmm..? I-Is there something wrong.."
Syr - "Do you hear that..?"
Nyr tunes up her audio amplification to listen intently, picking up a low rumble.
Nyr - "..."
Nyr - "Oh no.."
Syr - "W-What is it..?"
Nyr - "U-Uh.. I'm sure it's nothing, let's just head that way..!"
She starts off in the opposite direction of the sound, stopping after a few steps realizing she isn't being followed.
Syr - "..It's getting closer, isn't it..?"
Nyr - "Yeah.."
Biggs - "[Chirp..]"
The two are frozen in the moment, slowly awaiting the inevitable.
Tensions rise as the buzzing hum continues to grow more clear.
Syr - "Y-You got anything..?"
Nyr - "Nothing on thermal.."
With the sound now difficult to pinpoint, echoing off the mountains and trees, they're enveloped in the low roar, nervously gazing around for the source.
Syr - "N-N-Nyr..?"
She points to something spotted up above.
Nyr - "Oh yeah.. That's just as bad as I was expecting.."
The beast now placed from their perspective between themselves and the bright downcasting lightsource, a menacing outline backlit in silhouette, invoking a primal fear.
Syr - "It's a g-gi-giant wasp..?!"
Nyr - "Yyyepp.."
Syr - "Y-You deceived me..!"
Nyr - "Look, this is the most cosmic of coincidences ok..?"
Nyr - "I guess she did say it would be something weird going on, because this guy, is not supposed to be here..!"
Syr - "It has like two stingers..! Twice the stinging power..!"
Nyr - "It sure does.."
Staring them down in a small eternity, the air seems to halt all at once, the trees and foliage snapping instantly to their default orientations.
Now certainly locked onto their position, perhaps homing in on the smell of their fear, the vespine creature unleashes a piercing barrage of stinging fast projectiles.
Nyr - "Looogouuttt..!"
She grabs Syr's arm and gives it a good yank to snap her out of the paralysis and spin her into running away, before hightailing it herself.
The transient stingers drive themselves into the ground where they were standing a split second before, imparting their terrific kinetic energy and kicking dirt several meters high.
They book it behind a nearby boulder to take cover and regroup.
Syr - "Oh, great..! It can just shoot a bunch of glowy stinger things! Why bother going in to sting personally anyway?!"
Biggs - "[Chirp!]"
Syr - "I know!"
Nyr - "They're field projectiles.. If it's any consolation, it takes a lot of energy and can only do that attack once a minute or so.."
Syr - "Oh, I guess that's not so bad.."
As if to prove them wrong, another round of projectiles batters the rock they're hiding behind.
Syr & Nyr - "Ahhh!"
Nyr - "Well! I guess it has two of them, so..!"
Syr - "Buhh..!"
Nyr - "I'm so sorry.. I never would've thought this could happen..!"
Syr - "N-No.. It's fine.. This is my chance to get back at those bastards..! Let's destroy this ugly insect and assert our dominance at the top of the food chain..!"
Nyr - "E-Eheh..! That's the spirit, I think..!?"
The droning sound of buzzing is now very close by as it descends towards them.
Syr - "This guy is mine..!"
Nyr - "W-Wait..!"
Disregarding the warning, Syr darts out of cover and immediately lunges into a rocketing thrust attack aiming straight for the large compound eyes on its head.
Neglecting to consider a furry friend nor inertia, Biggs is flung off, or rather left behind as she accelerates dramatically.
Biggs - "[Chweeeep..!]"
Just before impact, the body of the wasp flickers nearly imperceptibly.
But as soon as she notices, it brings attention to what she no longer can notice, the beast having completely vanished.
Syr - "Eh..?!"
Surprised and unprepared for this outcome, she tumbles to the ground with a less than graceful landing.
Syr - "Ughh..!"
Trying to make sense of it herself, Nyr rushes over and helps her up.
Syr - "Agh.. What the hell..?"
Nyr - "I-Idunno.. It like, teleported..! But that's not possible as far as I know.."
While talking, they frantically look around in all directions for the missing insect.
Syr - "A new ability..?"
Nyr - "This really doesn't seem like something they should be able to do.."
Nyr - "Besides, doesn't something just feel super off here..?!"
Syr - "What..? Other than there being a giant cyber wasp trying to kill us? Totally natural..!"
Nyr - "No.. I mean yes, but.. I felt it before too, there's a weird vibe..!"
Syr - "Idunno-"
The spontaneously disappeared monster phases behind Nyr, buzzing in for an attack with its sharp, physical stingers.
Syr - "-Behind you!"
Nyr reacts swiftly, but it's not fast enough to counteract a teleport.
The oversized needles slam into her stomach, imparting enough force to send her backwards, foreign spines dragging themselves out of the wounds along the way.
She lands a few meters away sprawled out on the ground.
Nyr - "Gaaghhh!!"
Syr - "NYR!!!"
Biggs - "[Chhyrrrp!]"
In a reactionary rage she immediately launches a furious strike.
But before it could connect, the beast evaporates without a trace.
Syr - "AGHHHHH! Damn it!"
The disorientation of not being able to find the monster snaps her out of the craze enough to realize Nyr still needs help.
Using her thruster, she jets over to where Nyr landed, sliding to a stop by her side.
Syr - "N-Nyr.. A-Are you okay..?"
In shock having witnessed two large spikes impale her friend, the question seems almost futile.
Nyr - "[-Cough-] Nn.. Never better....!"
She gives a weak thumbs up as Syr lifts the injured huntress' head into her lap.
Biggs wiggles up to her face to comfort.
Syr - "Nyr.."
Nyr - "I-It's alright, I'll be fine..!"
Syr - "H-How..?! Look at you.. W-W-We need to get you out of here..! I-I don't know if you'll even-"
Her eyes were starting to well up.
Nyr - "Shhh.."
Nyr clumsily lifts her hand up to caress Syr's face.
Nyr - "I can't believe you're about to cry over this, eheh.. [Cough]"
Her voice is weak.
Nyr - "Maybe you're more sensitive than I thought..!"
Syr - "W-Wah-"
Nyr - "It's really touching though.. You're gonna get me going too, if you don't stop that..!"
Syr - "W-Why are you talking like this..!?"
Nyr - "This.. might be a bad time to realize.. I forgot to teach you about healing on our tutorial quest..!"
Syr - "W-What..?!"
Nyr - "I know this looks bad, but I'll be fine, really.. Just let me-"
She pulls out an over-engineered heavy-duty syringe from her pouch.
Just as she brings it to her chest, the giant wasp phases back into vision above them, lighting up with another stinger missile attack.
Syr - "Agh!"
She quickly hoists Nyr up from under her arms and throws both of them to the side in a harsh roll, separating in the process.
Without wasting time, Syr finds her sword and fires off the grappling blade towards the wasp.
It was a gamble, but it pays off as it triggers another teleport.
Retracting the sword blade as she gets up, she spots the dropped syringe and runs to swipe it before moving back to Nyr.
Syr - "God.. We're lucky it seems that the stupid thing doesn't have very good control over that ability or we'd definitely already be dead.."
Nyr - "Hehyeahh.. It seems it just goes to a random nearb-"
Nyr - "HhhhGH!"
Nyr - "Oh god I'm not used to someone else doing that..!"
While she was distracted with her thoughts, Syr jabbed the syringe into the afflicted area.
Syr - "I-It's for your own good..!"
Nyr - "I mean, yeah.. But it's honestly easier to do it yourself.."
Syr - "Hmph..!"
Nyr - "B-But I mean..! Thank you.. For looking out for me.. Us.."
Syr - "Bah.. Not good enough.. You got stabbed, twice, double stabbed..! A-Are you sure you're okay..?"
Nyr - "Y-Yeah.. Look.. It doesn't hurt at all.."
Returning her gaze to the wounds a strange shimmering effect diffuses within, propagating outward, healing and repairing as it goes.
Syr - "Woah.. W-What's going on..?"
Nyr - "Nano machine goo.."
Syr - "Wah- Like the same stuff in the monsters..?!"
Nyr - "Pretty much.."
Syr - "B-But-"
Nyr - "They affect humans basically the same actually.. I only kind of lied before, they just degrade super quickly in our bodies.."
Syr - "You-!"
Nyr - "So..! You can use them as a temporary boost to heal wounds..! Pretty sweet huh..?!"
Syr - "This sounds highly dangerous!"
Nyr - "Please, it's standard practice, nothing bad has ever happened to anyone because of it.."
Syr - "Tch.. yet.."
Nyr - "Anyway, take some nano goo, combine it with some natural ingredients and whammo, high grade reparative nanopot!"
Syr - "Nanopot.."
Nyr - "Y'know like, just short for nano potion. Idunno, the terminology just stuck."
Syr - "Uhuh.."
Nyr - "Though I looked it up once, a 'potion' doesn't need to be taken orally, I think.."
Syr - "[Sighs]"
Nyr - "Most accomplished hunters will just set up small farms to grow ingredients and stuff for useful items, like nanopot stuff. Even training some small creatures to help out with the work..!"
Syr - "That sounds both adorable and like slave labor.."
Nyr - "Oh pleaseee, they love it..! They get treated nicely.. Most of the time.."
Syr - "Jeeeez.. Is now really the time for a lesson on all this..?!"
Nyr - "It's not like the dumb wasp is around right now anyway! And you needed to learn about healing!"
Syr - "I don't even have any of these stupid potions! Not that I have anywhere to put them anyway!"
Nyr - "Behh.. Well we'll figure something out later, for now, just uhhhh.. Don't get hit!"
Syr - "Oh!! Great plan!"
Nyr - "If you do, I'll just come and stab you myself! So don't worry!"
Syr - "How reassuring!"
Nyr - "Will you relax please, we need to focus!"
Syr - "But it's more fun if we scream at each other in a series of playfully escalating tensions!"
Nyr - "Wah-?! That's a little on the nose, isn't it?!"
Syr - "Being ironically straightforward is its own kind of humor!"
Nyr - "I-I Guess!"
Nyr - "Are you sure you're alright?!"
Syr - "Why wouldn't I be alright when there's only a giant-"
Possibly attracted to the commotion, the beast instantly reappears behind Nyr once more.
Syr - "WASP!!!"
Nyr - "Agh!"
This time she's fast enough to turn on the spot and counter the attacking mandibles with a slash of her own.
But of course it teleports away before any real damage could occur.
Nyr - "Ah, dang it!!"
Syr - "Great..! How the hell are we going to even attack it if it just zips out of existence every time we try..?!"
Nyr - "..Even if we could attack it, it has an insanely strong exoskeleton, making it very difficult to do any damage without weakening the armor first..!"
Syr - "Excellent..!"
Syr - "Well, I suppose there's another experiment we could try.."
Nyr - "Huh..?"
Syr - "I'll go hide, next time it shows up, distract it for me, okay..?!"
Nyr - "Uhh, alright..!"
Syr - "Counting on you!"
Syr runs off behind a nearby tree, dragging Biggs with her and leaving Nyr alone.
Nyr ~ She's.. depending on me..?
An array of spiny missiles appears in front of her.
Nyr - "Wehh..!"
Acting on gut reflex, she brings her hand up to block before a last second idea triggers the field disruptor in her palm.
A deep and abrupt thump is emitted, apparently muting all other sound briefly as it fades back in with a faint ringing.
About to make contact with her, the projectile's field is completely ripped apart by the intense localized energy pulse from the disruptor.
The remaining scattered energy is deflected around her as harmless particles.
Simultaneously, several other stingers slam to the ground around her, narrowly missing her body.
Nyr - "W-Way too close..!"
Syr ~ Not exactly the distraction I was expecting, but I'll take it..
With the beast's focus on Nyr, and its position placed between them, she launches her plan, and herself into action.
Barreling through the air once more, aiming for the most appropriate target, she twirls to drive the sharp edge of her sword between the joint on one of its legs where the thickness and armor is weakest.
In that moment, it disappears yet again, leaving it's writhing leg behind as it flops to the ground.
Nyr - "Ewww..! That's creepy..!"
Syr - "As if this whole situation isn't..?!"
Syr - "At least now we know the teleportation is a reactionary thing!"
Nyr - "Ooo.. Yeah..! But.. even with that, it would take forever to deal with it this way! Even cutting off legs like this won't deal lethal damage.. Not to mention how dangerous it is for whoever is doing the distracting.."
Biggs - "[Chirp..!]"
Syr - "No! You cannot be bait!"
Syr - "Ughh.. There's gotta be something we can do..! Think!"
Reappearing above them, the wasp drives its double-stinger downward into them, causing them to dodge away from each other as the barbs dig into the ground.
Syr reacts with an aggressive not-so-well-thought-out move of firing the grappling blade of her sword out, digging itself into the joint of one of the wings just deep enough for the barbs on the tip to catch.
Immediately following, the blown-up bug phases out again.. along with her sword blade..
The cable rips out of the attachment point on the hilt from the sheer inertia before disappearing out of sight as well.
Syr - "M-My sword..!"
Nyr - "Holy.."
Syr - "Sword..! Stuck in wing..!"
Nyr - "..On the bright side, I doubt it can fly anymore with that blade lodged in there..!"
Syr - "B-But.. Sword.."
Replaying the event in her head, something clicks as she hatches an instant plan.
Syr - "The sword!"
Nyr - "H-Huh..?"
Syr - "The sword, the sword!"
Nyr - "Use your words..!"
Syr - "You saw what happened..!"
Nyr - "What..?"
Syr - "It did what it did!"
Nyr - "C'mon!"
Syr - "It does what it has!"
Nyr - "You're not making any sense!!"
She gives up, too excited to clearly explain the idea, with only a vague intuition to go on anyway.
Syr - "Agghh..! Let's just hide before that thing comes back again!"
They dodge in behind a large rock with plenty of mass, posthaste, discussing what to do in hushed tones.
Syr - "I need access to that thing's head, without it teleporting away!"
Nyr - "That seems a little tricky..!"
Syr - "We just need to surprise it!"
She takes a peek around the rock to spot the giant wasp probing around for its two prey items.
Syr - "Good, it's right where we want it.."
Nyr - "It is..?"
Biggs - "[Chirp..]"
Syr - "Shush..!"
Syr - "Pop the tip of your sword above the rock, project a little lightshow or something. Get it curious enough to check it out, then I'll handle it from there..!"
Nyr - "U-Uhhh.. Okay..?!"
Doing as she's told, Nyr raises the tip of her sword to match the top of the stone they're hiding behind, putting up a small animated projection.
The strange bright phenomenon immediately catches attention from the wasp's huge wide angle eyes.
It starts moving towards the decoy, leg after leg, growing more cautious as it gets closer.
Being absolutely silent, Syr is set ready to spring into action.
As soon as she sees the hint of antennae over the edge, her field coupler locks onto a large section of the rock, and in one swift motion she lunges up to couple it to the gargantuan insect head.
The sudden startle triggers the wasp into a reactionary teleportation, however with its head locked in place, something has to give.
An insect head versus a dense, massive, firmly seated rock, combined with the distance and inertia of the teleport, it was no match.
With an ear rupturing crunchy snap, the beast's head bursts off, spewing a disgusting viscous liquid along with it.
The coupling is released, and the head tumbles down off the rock and in-between the huntresses now covered in a sparse spattering of the vile fluid.
Syr - "Yeeeaahhhhhh!!!"
Nyr - "EEEWWWW!!!"
Biggs - "[Cheeeeeep!!!]"
Syr - "Take that you vespine piece of shit!"
Nyr - "S-Syr..!"
Syr - "Eh-?"
The head on the ground seemingly wasn't through yet though, antennae and mandibles moving around trying to bite at their legs.
Nyr - "Aaaahh!"
She kicks at the head with a solid clonk sending it rolling away.
Biggs hocks up a fireball that hurdles into the head, exploding in a largely frivolous gesture.
Syr - "Hah, nice one, bud.."
Syr - "But ehhh, perhaps I celebrated too soon.. I forgot wasps can live without their head..!"
Nyr - "T-That was insane..!"
Syr - "Eheh.. I know right..!"
Nyr - "Not in a good way!"
Syr - "H-Huh..? I got 'em though..!"
Nyr - "You got us!"
She motions to the various spots of goo soiling their outfits.
At the same time a loud thud can be heard as the remaining flightless body of the wasp crashes back to the ground, apparently having teleported into the sky without ability to fly or see.
Syr - "W-We better go finish this..!"
Nyr - "[Sighs..]"
They run up to the decapitated bug as it writhes around on the ground, trying to decide what to do with it.
Syr latches onto her partner, confessing her fears.
Syr - "I-It's so creepy.."
Nyr - "I doubt it could do much to us now.."
In a seemingly intentional last move of desperation, the creature's abdomen curls up perhaps trying to find a target to sting.
Syr - "Eyehh..!"
The girls jump back in shock while the stingers find themselves pressing up against its own body, triggering a final response.
The stingers light up as an alternating battery of projectiles are shot point blank into the thorax.
An immense energy is released as the exoskeleton is pierced and shredded, sending more nano-infested hemolymph splattering around the place, its movement finally ceased.
Nyr - "Eeuuuhhuuuhuuuhuu.."
Nyr - "Could this get any worse?!"
Syr - "I'd call this an absolute success."
Nyr - "[Sighs] Nobody died, we killed a teleporting monster, first known of its kind mind you, and it didn't even take that long."
Nyr - "On paper it seems pretty good.. But it's sooo grossss! And now, I don't know if you realized it yet, we might've had a nice-ish way to get here but nobody thought for two seconds how we were going to get back!"
Syr - "Ooo.."
Nyr - "Even if we had the resources, we can't call anyone in to help!"
Syr - "It's just a fun hike back to the village..? Eheh.."
Nyr - "Ahh, whatever, let's just get what we can from this thing and get a move on.. Maybe we can make it back before morning if we get going right away.."
They get to work dealing with what remains of the wasp, Syr finds and reattaches the blade of her sword, Nyr photographing the mangled body and head to document the encounter.
Biggs samples some of the 'meat' before spitting it out, repulsed.
Nyr - "Now that we're up close, there is something a bit off about the body of this thing.. It's subtle, but all the tiny hairs covering it stick straight out and are abnormally stiff.. It doesn't seem natural.."
Syr - "Yeah, they're as hard as the exoskeleton.."
Syr - "And, I mean I know wasps are kinda smooth besides the hairs, but this is a bit much.."
Nyr - "It's almost mirror-like.."
Nyr - "Well, just add it to the report I guess.."
Syr carves up small sections of the exoskeleton for samples while Nyr delicately tries to salvage the stingers as well as the projectile components.
Nyr - "If we ever get around to it, these should make some cool mounted missile launchers!"
Syr - "Eheh.. Yeah..!"
Nyr - "But wait, Lissly said we have to give them to her.. Dang it.."
Syr - "Oh..Yeah.."
Nyr - "..Well.. let's just get going then.."
Syr - "Sure.."
With a disappointed mood, the two successful exterminators and a furry tagalong set off for a long trek back home, artificial light fading out behind them.
⧖
Nyr - "Ah y'know, I barely got to use my new ability in that fight!"
Syr - "You snooze, you lose."
Nyr - "Oh c'mere you..!"
She reaches out to grab onto the component on Syr's back, activating the field disruptor in protest of its disuse and her snide remark.
Sparks of field energy burst out as the wind shield is overloaded, causing an overdriven forced activation of the device.
Gale force winds explode from the surfaces as both of them are blown in opposite directions.
Syr & Nyr - "Hwghhhh!"
Syr manages to break her fall as she tumbles forward, and Nyr is knocked to her back.
Nyr - "H-Holy crap..!"
Syr - "What the actual hell, dude?!"
Feeling more guilty than ever, Nyr rushes over as fast as she can to help her friend up.
Nyr - "Oh my god! I-I didn't think that would happen..!"
She pulls Syr to her feet.
Nyr - "But uh.. You did leave a prank on the table..! You used yours on me earlier..!"
Syr - "Come on man, my pranks were way more harmless than that..!"
Nyr - "I-I'm so sorry!"
Syr - "Jeez.. This is why you shouldn't just 'wing it'.."
Nyr - "Well that's a bit hypocritical but.. I know..! Please forgive me..!"
Syr - "[Sighs] It's fine, it might've been a fun ride if it wasn't unexpected.."
Nyr - "E-Eheh.."
Nyr - "I-It's good to know this thing can force the activation of field components though..!"
Syr - "Yeah yeah yeah.."
⧖
Nyr - "[Yawns..]"
Nyr - "I'm so.. tired after all that.. And this walking.. Ughh.."
Nyr - "N-Not really.."
Nyr ~ Couldn't resist tinkering..
Syr - "Typical.."
Nyr - "..."
Nyr - "Ooh! Look at those mushrooms..!"
Syr - "Huh..?"
Nyr - "Don't they look weird..?"
Nyr - "There's little spikes on the caps.."
Syr - "Yeah so what.."
Nyr - "You ever seen that before..?"
Syr - "I guess not.."
Nyr - "Hmm.."
Syr - "I don't like that sound.."
Nyr - "Maybe.."
Syr - "Nope..!"
Nyr - "If I eat it-"
Syr - "Nuh-uh!"
Nyr - "-It'll give me more energy..!"
Syr - "Do not!"
Standing with a bit of sleight of hand, she conceals the picked mushroom.
Nyr - "Fineee.. Just for you, I won't eat it."
A moment after she
looks away:
Syr - "I cannot believe you!! What if it's poisonous?!"
Nyr - "Ahah.. Nahh.. The poisonous ones look different..!"
Syr - "You-!"
Nyr - "Relaxx will you, I'm not as dumb as I look alright.."
Syr - "Ughh.. I know.."
Nyr - "It's just exciting to see a 'shroom I haven't eaten yet..!"
Syr - "[Sighs..] What am I gonna do with you.."
Nyr - "Eheh.."
⧖
Nyr - "Uhmm.. H-Hey.."
Syr - "Y-Yeah..?"
Nyr - "I feel a little.. weird.."
Syr - "I wonder why?! I told you it could be poisonous..!"
Nyr - "N-No.. It definitely wasn't poison.. Depending on your definition of poison I guess.."
Syr - "What do you mean it- ..Is it.. a magic 'shroom..??"
Nyr - "Wooooo...."
Syr - "What am I gonna do with you..?!"
Nyr - "Uwehh.. Too wibbly.. Can you.. please give me a lift..?"
Syr - "Huh..?"
Nyr - "Lemme hop on your back.. Just for a little while, I promise..!"
Syr - "But-!"
She glances to her partner who even through the dim light is obviously making the saddest face imaginable.
It's a look she's seen before, but she herself is far more susceptible to it..
Syr - "..Fine.."
Nyr - "Yesss..! Hehe.."
Syr stoops down to let the tired child climb onto her back, hoisting her up by the legs.
Removing her armor to get more comfortable and easier to carry, she throws her arms around Syr's neck, resting on her own arm as their heads are lightly pressed together.
Syr - "Just don't drool or something.."
Nyr - "Yeah.. Sure.."
She's already dozing off in her reply.
Syr - "[Sighs]"
Not too long after
A sharp digital sound plays.
Syr - "H-Huh..?"
Syr - "You hear that?"
Syr - "..Nyr..?"
Syr - "Figures.."
Taking the time to reconfigure into a better position, she shifts around to carry the sleeping beauty normally, holding her in her arms.
She looks softly to Nyr's face.
Syr - "She almost looks kinda.. peaceful.. like this.."
Biggs - "[Chirp..!]"
Syr - "O-Oh who asked you..!"
Syr - "..."
Syr - "It's kinda cold.. Go like, be a living scarf or something.."
Biggs - "[Chirp..]"
He clambers down her shoulder, stamping all over Nyr's body before settling in around her neck to keep her just a touch warmer.
Syr - "Cute.. Heheheh.."
End of chapter eleven