D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

"So, you remember the plan?" asked Marigold once more.

"Look, I DO remember the plan I just don't like it," retorted Lily.

Marigold shrugged, not particularly concerned with Lily's distaste. "Look, if we wanted to win the fight there are much better plans… but we want to win the round. I can guarantee you that even if for some weird reason they both team up on me, they can't do enough damage to kill me… and hopefully not enough damage to be sent to medical,"

Lily grimaced down at the two storage rings that now rested on her fingers. One for 'her' treasures and one for Marigold's. It was a ridiculous amount of trust even before you consider the fact that Marigold was going to be the one doing the real fighting. The expectation weighed heavily on Lily.

Her stomach felt like it was tying itself in knots. Part of the reason she was arguing against the plan wasn't just that that she thought it was risky, but that the pressure on it was getting to her. Lily's ears were stuck flat against her head and her tail was twitching erratically as she tried to suppress her concern.

"That seems like a real problem though. Thyme might send you out if things get bad…" offered Lily as way of an excuse.

Marigold laughed and retorted, "Thyme probably knows my limits better than I do. I'm sure they can sense my mana levels from a distance and as someone with regeneration affinity as long as I don't pull a Gareth I can come back from almost nothing. I wouldn't want to risk it with just my own abilities, but I could probably keep myself alive and then return to full health as just a head,"

"Hey… that's a question. If someone cuts your head off and it rolls away, do you regrow from your head? Or from your torso?" asked Lily.

"I know you're just trying to distract me to give you time to come up with a better plan… but you won't be able to. Still it is a thing I was curious about when I was little. Sadly, the answer is much less interesting then you might hope. It's whichever piece of the body your soul ends up in. You can influence it a bit with practice, but usually the default is the larger body part. Sadly, while I can survive having my brain mostly destroyed, I can't regrow a missing head by myself yet. I can reconnect them though," explained Marigold.

"Right…" mumbled Lily as she struggled to find something else to say… when the water around them started to move a bit oddly. It wasn't anything major, but the current had definitely picked up.

"Looks like things are starting Lily. No more arguments. I trust you with those rings, and with sneaking around for a while at least. Collect whatever you can. Don't take too much from one spot, and I'll be ready to jump in front of you if I really need to. Don't worry about me, just get distance if you have to. Probably head up into the air, I know you said you can't fly that high, but if you can pretend it might work well enough. You are the only one who can properly fly after all," said Marigold in a rush, words spilling from her mouth.

Lily wanted to say something, but before she could get so much as an 'I understand' out Marigold was already swimming off and straight through the steam. Lily couldn't help but wince at that. She couldn't see Marigold anymore, but she had no doubt that Marigold's… everything had been scalded. Lily couldn't help but shiver as she transformed into her Memphis form and headed off.

She moved as swiftly as she dared upwards and she could feel the water moving around her. She didn't dare look at the specifics just yet though, and kept climbing. At least until a shockwave past through the water. Lily felt it buffet her rattling her body and throwing her slightly of course.

Lily returned to swimming upwards as soon as she could, ignore the light but deep feeling of pain that seemed to pervade everything that she was right now. Heck, Lily could feel bruising throughout her wings AND horns. She didn't even know they could bruise like this before now… and this was just the after effects. Lily was suddenly much less sure about the 'safety' of her job.

*Still… I'd hate to be right in the middle of that. I don't know if March found some crazy technique she can use amongst all this steam, or if Blue was the source of that ridiculous attack. I mean… I felt it all the way back here and my bones hurt. I'm actually not sure how much of that I could take. Even if the pain is fading fast.*

Lily couldn't help but shiver. It really was a scary attack to think about. Though Lily was missing the damage it did to the caster… at least until Blue realised that she could avoid a large portion of the damage by hardening the water around her to absorb the impact. Blue would get there. Eventually.

The main reason that Lily wasn't more worried about the attack is that Marigold was probably enjoying something like that a little too much. Lily couldn't see Blue or March using the attack often if Marigold moaned like a dog in heat every time it went off… and Lily could certainly see Marigold playing up that angle if she thought it would give her an advantage.

As this thought crossed Lily's mind she reached the top of the ocean and burst out of the water. From there she flew as fast as she could manage, skimming across the top of the water until she was above the fight. Dipping back down into the water revealed March and Marigold in a stand off with each other. Marigold was clearly knitting her neck back together as her head snapped back into place. Lily tried not to throw up at the sight. March didn't look all that well watching it.

On the side Blue had spun up two tightly packed whirlpools that covered the mage's arms a bit like gloves. Judging by the fact Marigold and March hadn't charged her, they must be at least somewhat effective at keeping the two at bay. Lily didn't want to be near those two… and luckily she didn't have to be. Blue had moved a big chunk of her treasures into the space directly behind her, which was of course, further away from the fight. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Lily kept watch as she swam down. Things didn't stay quiet long. Marigold charged in, spear in hand. The spear met March's knuckledusters and clanged off. Marigold, for all her training and regeneration simply wasn't at the same level as March strength wise. This meant that when March dashed forward using steam propelled from her feet and lashed out at Marigold with a kick, Marigold could do nothing but take the impact.

Marigold was shot away threw the water… but the momentum bled off quickly as Marigold spread herself out and the injury healed up, going from massive bruise to perfect skin in barely a second. Blue was content to watch this. She didn't dare interfere and draw their ire… but she didn't want to give them too much space either.

From where she was Lily could see Marigold and March say something at each other… but it was entirely unclear what that something was. Lily's ears were good, and the chokers did help with talking underwater… but they were still underwater and Lily was quite far from the conversation. Whatever it was, Marigold had a big smirk on her face and March looked like she was ready to throw down… which was pretty much normal for both of them so it probably wasn't that interesting.

Once Lily convinced herself of that she started to work on the highest of the floating treasures. Lily didn't bother to pay much attention to them. She just got close enough, transformed quickly, put the item into one of her new storage rings, and then moved on. Lily made sure to only grab one or two in an area before swimming away. Lily found herself sticking mostly towards the back of the pile. It just seemed like the best way to avoid Blue's notice…

But Blue was so much less invested in the fight then both March and Marigold. She was on the edge. She was watching and ready for them sure… but to Lily it felt like only a matter of time. More than once Lily paused, hiding behind a painting or some other large piece of treasure that obscured her form. Only to duck around it a few seconds later and see that Blue hadn't moved. *Am I just worried over nothing? Is she glancing back when I can't see her? I just can't tell. This is nerve wracking… but nobody is launching more of those strong attacks just yet so for now I'll count myself lucky. Even if I waste a few seconds here and there.*