Chapter 1.52 Dirt
It turned out a single creature to fight could be hard when it was at least thirty feet tall, fifteen wide, and covering the entire width of the narrow canyon. The group stood staring at it from a distance, Penthi waiting next to them.
"It must have been gorging itself, the canyon used to be thinner - and so did he" She whistled. "He's enormous. Right. Good luck - I'll wait here." She looked apologetic as she backed away.
Fiona steeled herself, waiting before charging in.
"Ok. Ash, come here." She needed to use all her abilities fully. Not just rush in. As Ash approached, Fiona lifted her hand with the key tattoo.
"I know it's sore, but I have to touch it to activate it, is that okay?"
Ash nodded - Fiona hadn't even told her what it did yet.
She laid her hand softly on her pet's chest, only slightly groping a breast on the way, placing her hand so the key was above the lock.
"Unleash' she commanded, a soft pink glow around her hand as her class activated with the profession. One of the linked parties had to be a [Berserker of Endless passion] for this to work.
Ash's chest glowed slightly, and her eyes went wide, before she grinned. That put her into battle mode, the submissive pet still there but the [Cannoneer] was front and center.
"What does it do" Liddy asked, curious.
"My entire Passion is added as strength for her next attack." Fiona said, trying ti be nonchalant. "Can you prepare that big shot?" She asked the fox girl, who was already preparing the special powder and oil on her cannon.
"Well done Fiona. I doubt it will immediately erase this elemental, but should give us an advantage. I am happy to see you consider things further before rushing in blind. Any other plans?" Qae' was observing Ash presenting her ammo, clearly curious as to the actual contents of the special shot. Ash had no idea, it just appeared in her inventory when she entered a new floor, to Qae's disappointment.
"First." She held her hammer in one hand and placed the other on her chest.
"[Enlarge]" She cast the spell on herself, and she surged upwards. Towered over Qae. Towered over Penthi, waiting a distance away. She was at least ten feet tall - nothing on the elemental, but enormous. She was glad to see her hammer had scaled up with her.
"Wow. You're big big." Liddy said, staring up at her enormous friend. Fiona tried to not think that Liddy looked right up her loincloth, not wanting to get excited at this size. Not wanting to check quite how big she was.
"Ready, pet?" She smirked looking down at the fox girl who nodded, hoisting her cannon. "Qae. Can you cast Accelerate on me? I want to finish this fast.
"Qae cast the spell, and Fiona felt herself think, move, everything faster than before. Even her hair swayed quicker in the wind.
"Right. Ash, fire."
Just as she heard the soft click she activated [Lost in Passion]
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Ash felt the benefit with the link of her beautiful mistress the pink glow settling around her as Fiona lost herself the cannonball flying out of the barrel towards the elemental, as her owner raced the projectile across the canyon floor.
She knew she wasn't meant to think of her as her owner in combat. And she hadn't known her long, only a few days. But it felt right. She felt complete the first time since... Well, for the first time. Her mistress was the most important person to Ash, and Ash could tell she really cared for her as well. It was nice. Unusual. Safe.
The projectile won - luckily, and Ash pulled her hand cannons out as she rushed forward. The implosion was enormous. She'd aimed for the creatures feet hoping to throw it off balance, the blackflame explosion expanded and swallowed its entire legs. And carved out a hole in the canyon floor, a dense mass of earth forcefully smashed together as the Earthen toppled over in a roar - what seemed to be its head with small glowing eyes toppling towards Fiona.
"Mistress!" She shouted!
But the enormous enhanced form of her mistress spun, the giant hammer swirling through the canyon as she wound up and a thunderous shockwave resounded through the canyon, and the impossibly heavy animated pile of dirt lifted slightly up in the air, before starting to fall the other way.
As Fiona swung again the dirt shifted and moved towards her before a dark shadowy bolt crashed into the Earthen, dark vines twisting out from Annabelle's spell, pushing into the dirt and forcing it to reform.
"How dare you!" A mouth formed and roared, a collection of boulders forming from compressed earth falling towards Fiona. Ash was sprinting now, pistols forward firing shots - two of the boulders dissolving into dust. Another shadowy bolt flew from Annabelle, sweat forming on her brow, four more boulders about to hit the uncaring berserker, winding up for another hammer swing. Liddy and her spirits appeared with a flying kick pushing another out of the way, three boulders seconds away from crashing into Fiona's head. Ash was desperately reloading, but she knew she had no chance to make it.
And then Qae was there, shield lifted to cover the enormous height of the berserker, a ring through the canyon as the boulders crashed into her shield - her powerful form shaking slightly, as she protected the human. Fiona had a wild grin on her face, laughing, and without waiting for the dust to settle from the boulders crashing into Qae, she spun back around from behind the wall of the dragon, hammer first, not a care in the world as another boulder crashed into her from the side, flinging her across the width of the canyon into the wall.
The earthen roared with the sound of a thousand avalanches, about to set off after Fiona as pieces of soil started to swirl away from it, the dragon paladin's [Black Hole] activated, holding it in place.
The raging elemental changed its focus, the fury of mountains unleashed at Qae, blow after blow of dirt and rock smashing into her shield as her [Flash Forward] let her predict the blows, feet in a flurry as she moved and twisted avoiding each hit. Ash fired her large pistols again, before back to loading her main cannon, Liddy and Annabelle sending blow after blow, chipping away at the creature.
It was smaller - significantly so, tonnes of dirt having been erased from its bulk. Ash packed the cannonball in, casting worried looks toward the crater in the canyon wall that was her Mistress. Fiona climbed out after another moment, the pink glow strong around her, dirt, grime, blood, and scratches covering her body, that unending grin plastered on her face as she shook off the dust, grasped her hammer, and sprinted towards the shrinking elemental.
Just as Ash's cannon was ready and she pointed it towards their adversary, ready to fire again, Fiona leaped somersaulting through the air, spinning hammer building momentum as she crashed clean through the elemental, landing on the other side skidding on bare feet.
Ash pulled her trigger.
Click
A soft woosh and a blackflame explosion blew another chunk out of the elemental, as barrages of attacks from the party kept erasing it. Before long the Earthen was sluggish, a fraction of its size - smaller than Fiona and Qae, panicking.
"We won't end you." Qae said, hoping Fiona could control herself as the berserker kept hammering chunks out of the elemental.
"We will move your core." The dragon dodged again, Ash taking the opening to fire another shot. It was nearly her height now.
"No! I AM MIGHTY THIS IS MY DOMAIN!" It was more like a pebble dropping than an avalanche and after a few more moments, another witch bolt, a last hammer swing, and a resounding, undignified plop the rest of the elemental compressed into a core.
Ash saw Fiona, mid-swing stop, glow disappearing as her enemy was gone.
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Fiona, still enormous was sitting on a rock wiping dirt off her with the [Cloth of the Refreshing Cleanse] as Penthi walked over to her. She still wished she could properly remember what happened when she was [Lost in Passion], but it felt good. Her muscles felt used. Well, all bar one that adrenaline had caused to stand at attention. Someone would surely help her before long though.
"Well met, warrior - that was impressive. And your new stature is... You are mighty." Penthi approached them, and Fiona handed her the Earthen's core.
"Were will you leave him?" She asked.
"There is a set of mountains, on the far side of the plains - this is were most Earthens reside, we're not sure what brought him here - but we are forever grateful for you and your friends. You are always welcome with any Thunderer, friend of centaurs. We have our run back."
Fiona bit her lip slightly, knowing what she should ask. Channeling Qae's constant pestering to use her ability. Her own refreshed desire to fully climb the tower. And the stiffened muscle in her legs.
"Any chance you could show me how the breeding run works?" She looked away, eyes flickering back and forth to Penthi. Trying to see if she'd offended.
"I thought you'd never ask." The blonde warrior grinned the next time Fiona looked at her.