The twins stood in the middle of the backyard, Tess and Zavier flanking them from a distance.
"Alrighty kids," Zavier said, "We're going to try to keep them coming. It's going to feel relentless but we want to keep the pressure up. The daytime creatures seem easier, so you should be able to handle it."
They both nodded without looking his way, so Zavier set a bluetooth speaker on the ground and plugged in his phone. A heavy bass started thumping and rap started blaring into the silent woods. A moment of this passed and then it was on.
Four Scamperers emerged in tandem and shot at random targets. Zavier whipped his chain around and Tess pulled out Nightfall, forcing the Scamperers to turn for easier targets. Both of the twins' eyes were wide with panic but Zavier watched with pride as they stiffened their shoulders.
Luna broke their silence by calling her shot like she'd seen her mother do, "FIRING! 3 O'CLOCK!" She spun that direction and Cass pivoted so they were back to back. He held the Dust Devil Rattler Scale Buckler in one hand and the larger riot shield in the other. They were both wearing Scamperer cloaks to further enhance their agilities. They'd considered wearing the Arcane Scamperer coats, but Zavier didn't want to risk them confusing each other with shadow versions of themselves moving all over the field.
With a double clang Cass bounced two Scamperers away from him as Luna fired at the one coming in her direction. Her first shots went wide but she homed in on it quickly and was soon launching glowing gears into its face.
"Behind!" Zavier yelled and Cass spun just in time to knock the fourth Scamperer away with a swing of the Rattler shield.
"Don't just block, attack with the shields!" Tess shouted and Cass burst forwards to shoulder check the riot shield into one of the squirrels, its face erupting with blood as it was hurled back into the underbrush. Then he was back next to Luna.
Zavier watched with pride as the two developed a smooth synergy that looked effortless. The bond between them had always been strong but it never seemed as much so as right now. They would pivot and turn, practically attached at the hip as they swiveled around the same center point, then snap back in seemingly random directions just in time for one to block or the other to fire. As the fight stretched on and more creatures came at them their movements turned from cooperation into a dance that they both led and followed. Cass used a combination of lightning-fast strikes to bash and deflect monsters while Luna fired over, around, or behind him. Over a dozen creatures fell in that first hour and Zavier turned the music off to give the twins a rest.
Tess moved to stand between them and the woods as Zavier checked them over. They'd both gained a level and he could see that they were barely winded, the break they needed was more mental than physical. He squatted in front of them with a smile.
"How you two feeling?"
"Good," Luna said. "This is getting too easy!"
"Yeah, real good, dad," Cass said. "I feel good about how it's going."
"Do you both feel comfortable with where you're at? Pretty confident in going for another round?"
His eyes went mischievous when they both nodded. "Good." He held out his hand, "Luna, please give me your bracer." Her eyes went wide and she hugged it to her chest. "Come on, you need to switch it up. And Cass," he turned him, "I'm going to take the riot shield."
Both of the twins looked shocked but he didn't relent. "You're doing well, but it's gotten too easy. You need to ramp up the pressure. You can take weeks getting your next two levels safely or you can push yourself past your limits now."
He considered that for a moment. "In fact, that needs to be your motto. OUR motto. We need to be pushing our limits every day. We can't afford to sit comfortably."
"Hey now," Tess said, looking over her shoulder. "We didn't agree to that - I don't know how I feel about it. If we're always at our limit then we're always one mistake away from something going really wrong. That's a huge risk."
"I know, Tess," he said with exasperation. "But either we push ourselves to our limits or something else is going to do it for us. I'd rather we were in control of our destinies."
"And how did pushing yourself to your limit work for you last time? How's your head?"
I've never gotten any complaints," Zavier replied with a grin.
"I'm serious, Z," she retorted. "You're not in top form because you pushed yourself irresponsibly."
"Look!" Zavier exclaimed in irritation, "Can we please not argue about this right now?"
Tess clenched her jaw in frustration and turned to stalk back to her position next to the house. "Fine. Kids, just do what you've been doing. Don't change it because of what we were just arguing about." Zavier may have shut the argument down but that didn't mean he got to choose the new path without talking with her first.
Zavier turned to focus on the twins again.
"Cass, keep a five-foot buffer between you and Luna. Only close the gap if she's in trouble," Zavier instructed, his voice tight with urgency. "You've been great at blocking the hits, but now, prevent them from getting close at all."
"Luna, you need to start fighting at close range. You're doing all ranged shots and relying on someone else to keep you safe. Cass may not always be able to get to you in time. Use this instead." He handed her the whip Tess had gotten her first night out. Luna inspected it.
Item Name: Rustling Creeper Vine Whip
Description: This whip is crafted from the flexible vines of the Rustling Creeper, adorned with sharp thorns along its length. It crackles with a faint energy, hinting at the potent toxins infused within.
Stats:
Attack: +2
Abilities:
Special Ability - Toxic Barb: The barbed tip of the whip is coated with a potent toxin extracted from the Rustling Creeper. On contact with flesh, the toxin induces paralysis, leaving enemies vulnerable to further attacks. Additional Notes: The Rustling Creeper Vine Whip is a versatile weapon, capable of inflicting both physical and poison damage. Its flexible nature allows for swift strikes and precise targeting, making it ideal for both offense and defense in close combat situations.
"This weapon is unpredictable and requires a lot of skill, so you're going to have to be careful with it. You have to be extra careful not to hit yourself or Cass."
She took it with trepidation but gave him a trusting look. "Ooookaaaay…" she said as she turned back to face the woods.
"Alright, you two ready?" he asked and moved to the speaker when they both nodded. Tess walked over to him just as he hit Play.
"Are you sure about this?" She asked with concern. "That whip is new for her and they both seem really under-powered for the situation they're in."
Zavier replied without taking his eyes off the pair. "I got this, Tess," he tapped his head. "This is part of my strategy. I've analyzed the situation and they'll be fine."
"So you can see into the system again?" Tess asked, no sarcasm or accusation in her voice.
"No," he caught the look of worry in his peripheral vision, "but I know enough about it to know that they can handle this. I remember what their screens looked like… mostly."
Their talk was interrupted when more of the creatures emerged from the woods.
Luna found herself constantly backpedaling, the whip slicing through the air in frantic, unpredictable arcs. Cass darted back and forth, a blur of movement as he shielded himself and lunged forward to knock creatures away from his sister. Twice she almost hit him with the venomous barbs, but both times they clanged off the shield.
Cass moved like he was running wind sprints, back and forth without pause, just as his soccer coach had drilled into him during practice. Sweat poured down his face, the tang of salt stinging his eyes. His breath came in ragged gasps, each sprint to block or parry a new threat leaving him more drained. Without Luna's gauntlet he felt the relentless press of creatures, a war of attrition he was slowly losing.
Luna, for her part, was giving it her best effort - she just didn't have the strength or skill with the whip to do any significant damage. Some of the creatures had jagged rips in their hides where she'd managed to hit, but nothing that was thinning the numbers.
Zavier stepped in to help, pulling out his chain. "Luna! Like this!" He whipped the chain around at a Scamperer that was heading for her. Instead of striking the head with the pinpoint accuracy he was used to, it landed a few inches behind, hurling into the base of its skull hard enough to send it rolling but not hard enough to kill it. Zavier looked at his chain in confusion. That wasn't supposed to happen, he thought to himself.
He tried again and this time was rewarded with the tip of the chain whipping downward with enough of an arc to make a loud pop followed instantly by the crack of the whip, the squirrel's skull slamming into the dirt with the chain sticking out of the top of its skull.
"And like this!" He whipped the chain around him in sweeping arcs, sometimes pulling in closer and sometimes letting it flow away further. It was creating a shield around him that punished anything that got close. He looked to see if she was getting it when he felt something slam into him, driving him to the ground, searing white hot pain into his shoulder.
He'd lost focus when he turned and one of the Scamperer had gotten past his chain, biting deep into his shoulder. He cried out and tried to push its face away but it was locked in tight. Suddenly Cass was there but none of his shield bashing could free Zavier from its jaws.
"Luna!" Zavier gasped and Cass looked up, then was off, leaping over the Scamperer. Zavier heard a thump and then Cass was back, smashing the edge of his shield into the back of the Scamperer's skull. Every hit made Zavier's eyes flash white and he wanted to push Cass away, but was having trouble making coherent thoughts. The squirrel whipped its head back and forth viciously, rending Zavier's shoulder even more.
Then Tess was there, shooing Cass away. She grabbed the thing by the fur on the back of its head and yanked, its jaw coming open and its teeth tearing free from Zavier. He cried out but Tess put a hand on his shoulder, pressing hard on his wound with one hand while holding the squirrel up like a misbehaving cat with her other.
"Here, Honey," she said, "kill this thing. Do you think you're close to a level?"
Zavier took the knife from her hand and jammed it into the Scamperer's jaw and up into its brain. Blood showered him even as the body started to disappear. "Not enough. Might take a bunch, these things aren't worth as much as they used to be."
"Don't I know it," Tess said. "Should we call it quits?"
"No," Zavier croaked. "It'll be good practice for Cass. Hey Cass," he shouted, "cover me too! Luna, get over here."
The three of them moved into a loose group as monsters harried their circle. Tess moved in next to them, smiling at Zavier. "Didn't want to miss out on the fun, Love," she said and he could only smile weakly back.
"Cass, Honey," Tess said, "funnel them towards your father. Luna, you get in front of Cass and weaken them. After a couple of hits let them through so Cass can push them into your father."
She turned to look at Zavier, not liking how pale his face was. "You need to level up, Love."