«Hey!»
Imp opens the eyes and startles, narrowly missing hitting her head on the small cage's ceiling. She looks over to where a bright, bluish energy floats, vaguely humanoid in shape. Apparently only she can see the Dungeon Core presence.
Jimbo asks why everything is so empty. The imp clarifies that in the lab the mages usually conduct their experiments. Talking about it causes Dowmy to remember the constant punishments and her scars itch, she sticks her face under the armpit to nibble on a wing stump.
The Dungeon Core agrees to talk to the wizards about her and perhaps release her. Dowmy has doubts, but deep down she wants to believe in him.
Being complimented on the work by the Dungeon Core affects her greatly. It's the first time someone congratulates her, and Jimbo doesn't stop with that kind gesture, but is interested enough to ask about her name, something Dowmy had never thought of.
«Dimp, Pimp, Glimp, Wimp, so many choices»
Another possible name was Rose.
Imp was around roses at least a time or two in her life. They are pretty and smell nice, characteristics she feels someone like her can only aspire to in dreams. But in the end the name chosen by the Dungeon Core is Dowmy.
Dowmy liked the name of Rose much better. But as the minutes passed in silence and reflection, the imp brought her hands a little closer over her heart as she felt something warm, strange, but not entirely unpleasant.
The name Dowmy meant nothing to her. But since she received it the punishments stopped, she began to feel useful, wounds healed, and wings returned to her. Soaring again beyond what her skinny legs would allow, felt free and content with herself again. She was no longer a grieving bundle wishing to die, but a living being, almost as valid as roses.
That was the best day in her life.
She was still an ordinary imp, but under the Dungeon Core's guidance, her chest for the first time felt full, discovered how satisfying life is when you have a purpose. Jimbo wasn't the best at conveying his ideas, but he always seemed to be building somewhere, and she was happy to collaborate, to assist him.
But even with her wings returned and feeling that her life holds some meaning, Dowmy has her limits and insurmountable mountains. The shadow of Arrax, the human sorcerer who brings pain and death, continues to loom over her. Dowmy understands that Arrax is an impossible opponent to defeat or bite, in fact, her numb muscles are unable to do anything more than tremble.
"[Minor Flare]!" Arrax exclaims.
Spell: Minor Flare.
Requirement: None.
Cost: 10 ether minimum.
Description: Concentrates a small flame of compressed heat from repeated fireballs, and then fires it at a single target. The power of this spell is usually linked to the user's level and the amount of ether imbued.
A yellow flame emerges in front of Arrax's index finger, fire that dances and reflects in Dowmy's pupils. Before the invasion, the imp would have gladly accepted the fire's embrace, but now....
The imp's gaze confronts the wizard's. Arrax frowns as he perceives that the imp's expression is not from a broken animal or a test subject on its last legs, but willingness inside in that small skull, it almost even looks like a person challenging him.
Arrax's lips wield an annoyed grimace, and he adds another portion of ether to the flame. The color of the Minor Flare turns from orange to blue. The fire shoots out.
The hot spot hits the small body, covers the green flesh and turns it into a screaming, writhing torch. Dowmy watches speechless and paralyzed as the goblin turns to ash in front of her.
Arrax grits his teeth and angrily turns to the crystal.
"Are you trying to hinder me?!" He says, and notices the three shadows rising around, but he doesn't move.
The undead's clubs are swung in tandem at Arrax, but fail to touch him. Once again, a red light illuminates the inside of Arrax's cloak, and a barrier appears and pushes the skeletons back, smashing them to the floor and turning them into splinters.
"Dare you go against your father, your creator?!" Arrax is still stupefied, one of his eyes suffering a deep twitch, though slowly his mouth twists into a trembling smile, "Is your potential so enormous, that you would rebel at our second meeting?!"
A man roars and the floor creaks. The caveman in the distance, rips up a chunk of floor with his gnarled hand and throws it. Arrax takes a step back, the projectile passes inches from his face, scraping his cheek before cracking against the far wall. Jimbo doesn't overlook such a detail.
«Direct attacks don't seem to affect him. More rock throwers, that is»
Despite the anxiety of his fast sinking ether tank, he summons another caveman who teams up with the first and together prepare to hurl more floor chunks.
"[Fireball]!"
The spinning sphere of fire is hurled from Arrax's open palm and collides with the cavemen, exploding like a grenade that obliterates the summons and raises a cloud of smoke and pebbles. Hilda recoils and shields herself with one arm from the leaping debris.
Arrax laughs.
"My son, you are still far from matching the naive human, but still-!"
Arrax's words are cut off as he feels it go sideways and falls. Jimbo opened a square pit just below the wizard, with spikes five meters at the bottom.
"[Fly]!"
Arrax's cloak flutters as if moved by a mysterious wind, and gravity fails to pull him into the pit.
«My move isn't over yet!»
Jimbo raises the spikes to smash Arrax against the roof, but seconds before the spikes can reach the target, Arrax directs his hand towards the core and conjures [Obedient Doctrine] again.
The spikes freeze as does Jimbo. Arrax whistles, impressed, looking satisfied.
"My son, your talent corroborates my talent. I am so proud. You are the greatest creation of the united kingdoms... This makes me, your creator, a magical practitioner on the level of the wizard king"
Jimbo wants to tell Arrax to fuck off, but even if he could articulate words, Arrax wouldn't hear him.
Arrax's smile fades to a smirk.
"But even as a success, this futile attempt at rebellion is unacceptable and a sign that you are imperfect" Arrax says and flicks his wrist.
The pain is amplified and the crystal shudders again as if threatening to explode. Jimbo screams.
"The wise thing to do will destroy you and create a new core from the remains. I will make sure that with the second core, the loyalty to me is engraved in fire"
Jimbo loses the ability to think and even his screams stop sounding human. Thin cracks appear on the crystal surface.
"No, let him go!" Dowmy screams helplessly.
Arrax ignores the imp's complaints and keeps his eyes fixed on the core. There is a trace of sadness in his eyes at having to destroy his precious work.
"Believe me, this hurts me more than it hurts you-"
Arrax's words are cut off again.
[Doctrine Obedient] is completely extinguished and the mage's arm goes down and lies limp at his side. Arrax, eyes wide open, looks down unable to believe that the tip of a longsword is stuck out of his chest.