The Chimera Summoner – Ch 26 (1of 2) – Motivation
Ch 26–
These three girls were all members of the team that had gotten second place on the leaderboard, behind Jennie and I.
I trudged into the circle like I was heading to my execution.
My opponents regarded me with curiosity.
A sword and shield girl–some kind of brawler by the look of her. Which sucked for me.
A girl in a flowery dress, with LIGHT blonde hair that looked like she ate sunshine and rainbows for breakfast gave me a cute little wave, tinged with a slight apology.
Great she already feels bad for kicking my ass.
And Hera Edel.
Her.
“This is super unfair! What'd you do to piss off Valant?” Hera asked, immediately. She grinned at me, and offered a hand to shake.
I took it.
Strong.
So hot. Which does not help me, since I am about to get humiliated by her, and in front of her.
Hera. The girl everyone thought SHOULD be atop the leaderboard.
“I don't know.” I answered honestly.
She held her slender javelin, and wore brown leather armor reinforced with blue metal rivets, and had the kind of golden blond locks that I had always dreamed of. She looked like an errant demi-goddess. Or a beach volleyball pro. Damn. Those long, bare legs climbing up and up into her short, short, short skirt…! Jeez I could literally see the curve of her ass cheeks peeking out, was she even wearing-
I snapped my eyes up. It felt like lifting anchors.
I self-consciously tucked my own grey hair behind my ears. I will NOT blush, OR giggle. I won’t.
“The Eir that everyone says cheated on the leaderboard?” Hera asked brightly, placing her hand on one hip and slouching to the side, in a kind of effortlessly hot relaxation.
"That's me." I winced.
“You should know, my team doesn’t put stock in gossip.” Hera said, seriously.
“Oh...! Cool.” I giggled a little, and blushed.
FFFUCK.
One of her companions made a skeptical hum.
“We DON’T put stock in gossip.” Hera repeated sternly. “But we are–” her eyes went gold. Literally. With lightning crackling around her irises. “--Competitive!”
She grinned and hefted her Javelin.
Her companions likewise prepared for battle.
Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck.
Brown hair, who thought Jennie and I were cheaters, raised a shield and short sword and charged, boots pounding in the sand.
Hera coated her Javelin with crackling lightning. I felt the hairs on my skin stand on end.
I didn’t wait to see what the last one did.
I frantically activated my [Familiar Bond].
The circles were barely formed when the sword and board girl was upon me. I had to [spectral waltz] through her, out of sheer desperation. Miraculously, I timed it perfectly.
Desperation begets competency!
By blind luck, it also saved me from being struck down as Hera’s javelin thundered into the sand with a crash. It stuck in the desert, turning the obsidian sand to dark glass in a foot radius around the hissing projectile.
Nope. Just luck. Got it.
The two attacks would've landed just off simultaneously. So if I had blocked the sword charge in some normal way, I would've been defenseless against the javelin.
They had coordinated attacks. They had group timing. Wonderful.
Sword and board was on me, slashing and bashing. Now glowing with a yellow halo of energy. Buff magic. Of course. The third member of their team was a healer/support.
Exactly who I’d wanted to be, myself.
Hera must still be adjusting her roster. Cause they hadn’t had a Healer, last week. She was probably pissing off some very powerful families, by kicking their scions in favor of better teammates.
I liked Hera more and more.
I turned tail and ran.
The rest of the fight, if you could call it that, was an embarrassing display of me running around trying to avoid getting roasted by that damned javelin, while my Familiars did their best to fight a superior team.
Even with our bonds, Hera’s team’s coordination put us to shame.
How have they become such a fine tuned machine, in such a short time?!
Even missing two of their five members, the remaining three were a coordinated terror.
In the end, I got pinned, and Lucy, Lorna, and Violette immediately surrendered.
Sword and shield girl removed her knee from my neck with a snort and walked away.
Hera bent down and offered me a hand.
I took it, getting up as fast as I could. My cheeks burned, and not from the sharp, scalding sand I had just pulled myself out of. Half my body was bleeding lightly. I probably looked like a lunatic. And I felt like a chump.
Even as I rose, someone's healing magic hit me. I was surprised to find it was not the upperclassmen healer on duty for our ring, but the sunshine and rainbows girl who I'd just fought. She patched me up in seconds, with no apparent effort, just waving her wand at me with an adorable expression of concern.
"Thanks." I mumbled.
“Impressive.” Hera said, indicating our fight.
I bristled with betrayal. “I get it. You're better than me.”
I found myself shocked that she was mocking me, in front of everyone.
Sword and shield, I would've expected it from. But Hera had seemed so friendly.
Hera placed a hand on my shoulder, and I looked up into her earnest hazel eyes.
“It's three on one. THREE! We should've annihilated you. Instead, you ran us around, while your familiars nearly took out our support, even with Tess's pressure on you. We have a lot to learn from this. Thank you.”
I didn't know what to say. Did this damned girl have to be so genuine and warm and fair and good looking and somehow smell like summer?! Stupid.
“Let's spar again.” She said, releasing me, and holding out her hand.
I took it.
Of course it was strong, and a little rough. She gave me one, powerful shake, and then strode away to rejoin her team.
Fuck. You shouldn’t be able to give a handshake hotly. It should be banned.
FUCK, stop thinking about her stupid hands, Eir! Stupid, stupid, stupid!
My familiars clustered around me, protectively. It was nice, but it underlined my feelings perfectly.
“You all did amazing.” I said, as we left the circle. “I’m sorry I lost us the fight.”
I couldn't seem to pick my gaze up from the sand.
“You didn't lose us the fight.” Lucy insisted hotly, petting my shoulder. “Your teacher shouldn't have put us against three people!”
“We could have taken them!” Violette growled, fox ears laid flat, and her long tail whishing back and forth sulkily.
“You did lose us the fight.” Lorna said, solemnly.
I winced. I'd already known it. But the words really stung, delivered so matter of factly.
“You are still stuck in the mindset of a traditional healing role.” Lorna continued. “Until you find your true role, we will all be held back.”
I felt heat rising in my cheeks again.
“Agreed.” A new voice said. Professor Valant joined us. “What does this teach you?”
“That I suck?” I mumbled.
Valant's eyes went disapproving. It felt like a sword tip poised at my throat.
“Teamwork.” I corrected myself, hurriedly, hanging my head. “You wanted to show me what a real team can do, working together.”
Valant crossed her arms. “How can your familiars attack, and rush to your defence at the same time?”
“They can't.” I said, shamefaced.
“I say this to summoners, supports, and healers. You are all three.” Valant frowned. “You cannot wait for your team to win the fight for you.”
I nodded. That's exactly what I'd been doing.
Valant nodded sharply. “You have an incredible Class. I've rarely seen its like. Do not squander it, pretending to be something normal.”
She strode away, to give notes to another student who was leaving another ring in defeat.
“I like her.” Lorna remarked, approvingly. “She will make you strong, if you let her.”
I nodded, determined to do better. Be better.
“Next time, we win!” I said fiercely.
“Next time we beat their whole pack.” Violette huffed.
She and Lucy linked hands.
A reluctant smile stole onto my lips.
Lorna placed a rare, physical kiss on my cheek, startling me.
She gazed solemnly into my eyes, steady and peaceful as a distant lighthouse. I felt warm, immovable confidence from her, through our bond.
“Thanks.” I whispered.
She gave me a regal nod.
The following weeks, I worked with a hitherto unprecedented level of dedication.
Or maybe fanaticism.