"Protect all I find dear! There!"

I slam my fist into my palm, and a ghostly glowing bubble of crackling red light erupts around my good friend, Kali.

S'tavi Kaliasta Meenaora launches forwards like a ballista bolt, dramatically sliding straight under the legs of the huge nine foot tall skeleton knight clad in rusted chainmail with a giant axe and a gothic shield.

Her trust in me warms my heart, as she doesn't guard the incoming overhead swing that should surely split her mostly unarmoured chest in twain.

My heart is still in my throat, but my barrier, ever my speciality, holds true, reducing the momentum of the strike that impacts Kali to basically nothing before popping in an explosion of flames that makes the skeleton hesitate and stagger.

It's the window we needed.

Kali shouts a vicious roar, and effortlessly rolls from her slide into a low, wide stance with a stomp that shakes the ground, surging back and upper-cutting the spine of the skeleton from behind, her gauntleted fist and trailing red hair making her almost resemble a phoenix in flight.

The giant skeleton roars silently as it is blown three feet upwards, losing the grip of its axe along with its footing.

Then, before it can guard again, out of nowhere, a barrage of six arrows, blazing black fire appear. Four accurately pierce its arm and leg joints from left and right, and two slam into its head from the back and the front simultaneously, like a skewer.

Blazing arrows from all angles at once. That is the work of 'Quickdraw' Kurono. I still don't get how, but she can effortlessly teleport projectiles launched from her longbow, changing their trajectory whilst maintaining their momentum.

The arrows are enough to bring a second death to the undead abomination, shattering and melting the blue crystal inside the skull, and making the glow of its eyes fade away. It almost appears to cry blue tears as it collapses in a heap of bones and metal.

Delivering death from the shadows, Kurono then appears in shimmer, wielding a dark steel long-bow nearly her own height in her trademark gothic funeral fashion. Sweat is on her brow, and she sighs.

I let out a breath as well. We did it. Three skeleton knights was a hell of a battle, and I think all of us are exhausted. This place seems to be on high alert for some reason today.

I heal Kali. I was never as good as Rishya at this, so I focus on preventative measures.

"Ta mushily, Yuuzu-chan! Kali owez ya more dan one!" She says, patting me on the shoulder as I heal her. I'll never get used to her speaking in third person, in her broken Jezzathan.

"You're too reckless, Kali! If I hadn't of... hah... you're still gonna have a few new scars." I sigh, noticing the line of blood along her leg and shoulder.

She rolls her shoulder as I heal it.

"Aw, it be fine! Scars are like hats. You need one for every occasion!" Kali retorts.

"Do not attempt to understand the subtleties of hat selection, you mad Veranian bitch." Kurono retorts, adjusting her own black wide-brim in the process.

"Hey! Kali isn't a dog! She's a hawk!" Kali replies, most of the insult passing right by her.

I sigh. These two are always at each other’s throats. But somehow, our dysfunctional trio works like a finely tuned magic tool in a fight. At least that's something.

Father... Douglas... I think that soon, I can proudly call myself a proper mercenary. Even if doing this kills me, the alternative; spending my entire life as a baby-machine for another nobleman, is just not worth considering.

But I miss Rishya. I wonder if I'll ever be able to go home?