Bladewarriors Book 1: Refresh

"What am I doing!"

Ivy questioned herself, huddled in the corner of one of the houses of Nehir, struggling to understand her own reaction. She had run – she had left her friends behind, at the mercy of that… thing. She cursed herself, shaking her head as she buried her face between her knees. What had she done?

"I left them…"

She had fled into the town, ducking between buildings, dashing around corners, trying to elude that strange girl that had attacked them. She had run for nearly ten minutes before she finally realized no one was pursuing her – that girl hadn't given chase. When the tomboy had realized that, she had stopped, and quickly made another realization: the town was completely abandoned. In the ten minutes she had run, she hadn't spotted a single soul in Nehir – everyone was gone. She had started to search for them – for someone to help her. But she had found every building empty and deserted, and every structure showed signs that their occupants had left in a hurry. All this meant only one thing to the girl sitting in the corner of that vacant house: there was no one left to help her.

Ivy sobbed, despite her attempts to hold back her own tears. She was angry with herself. How could she just turn and run! How could she not even try to fight! There was no excuse for fleeing the way she had – leaving her companions behind. Fear was no justification, and even though her friends had told her to run, she wasn't sure she could defend her actions that way, either. What kind of coward abandoned her friends?

"The worst kind…" She answered herself, shaking her head.

The girl lifted her eyes, moving a hand up to wipe away the tears as she stared about the dark and empty house where she had taken refuge. Her gaze shifted across the room, across all the objects that it held. There was nothing there that could help her – the best chance she had was the sword lying next to her.

The tomboy lowered her eyes, spying the double-helix blade lying on the ground beside her, a sensation of hatred welling up in her as she stared at it.

"Why me!" The green-haired girl shouted down at the sword, glaring at the vine-like blades. "Why did you choose me!"

The sword made no effort to respond, remaining lifelessly where it was upon the ground.

"There had to be someone else out there that would have been a better choice!' Ivy declared, staring down at the weapon. "There had to be someone out there that was stronger, or braver! A real warrior! Not… me…"

The tomboy turned her head away, staring at the grain of the wood floor in front of her, thinking of the dozens of different people she knew from her village that might have made a more suitable wielder of the sword. Her father, or her eldest brother, Woodward – either of them would have made a better choice. Or even her neighbor, Oran – even though the man was a prick – would have been a better selection. At least he never ran away.

"And why bring me into this quest?" Ivy turned her gaze back to the blade, wishing the sword would actually answer her. "Five seconds after I pick you up, you think I'm ready for something like this?"

Ivy scoffed, shaking her head as she returned to staring at the ground in front of her, finding as many answers in the surface of that wooden floor as she was finding from her sword.

"I think you have really bad judgment, Thorn Cutter." Ivy lowered her head, resting her chin between her knees as she hugged her legs toward her chest.

Of all the people in the Plant Realm, that sword had chosen her. And of all the people selected by the Mystic Blades, somehow she had been one of the ones to end up there. She was stuck on a hopeless quest with an annoying pervert, a delusional warrior, and… Myst.

She sighed, closing her eyes. At least Myst had been normal enough – the girl had shown her nothing but kindness; even lent her clothes. Ivy opened her eyes, staring down at the shirt and pants she had borrowed from the mage. She would usually have worried they would be getting dirty after about a week straight of wearing them, but with all the rain, she wasn't even sure if such a thing was possible.

Ivy lowered her gaze to the ground again, frowning. For all the frustrations the boys caused her, she couldn't really say she hated either of them, either. Frost was a constant pain in the ass, but… he had saved her in the battle against the Sentry. She had never even properly thanks him for that. In fact, Flare had saved her too. And she hadn't thanked him either.

The girl raised her head, her thoughts racing. Myst, too, had risked her life to save her – to save an entire town. But Ivy had never told her thanks, either. All of her friends… they had all stepped in to protect her when she couldn't defend herself. They had all rushed to her side – defended her against The Sentry's might. Flare had even tried to teach her. And how had she repaid them? She had left them at the mercy of that strange girl.

Ivy gritted her teeth, swinging her head to look down at the Thorn Cutter once more. The blade rested exactly where it had seconds ago, no sign of movement – no sign of response to her questions. But that didn't matter anymore.

The tomboy unwrapped her arms from around her legs, stretching a hand down to wind her fingers around the handle of that double-helix blade. She pushed herself to her feet, taking a deep breath as she stared toward the door of the house. They had all stepped in to protect her – to save her. She couldn't just sit there now. She had to try. The girl felt the fear welling up in her stomach – dread boiling within her at the thought of trying to face the creature that had taken down all of her friends in a matter of seconds – but she swallowed it down, forcing it to retreat back to its pit. She had run… but she wouldn't just sit there and cry. It was time to repay her companions.

Ivy stalked to the door, slowly opening it to peer outside. She scanned the street in both directions, making sure the girl was not around. When the tomboy was certain the coast was clear, she pulled the door open and exited, quickly running to one of the narrow passages between the houses, snaking her way back through town – back to where they had been ambushed. It was slow going – Ivy couldn't even remember exactly how to get back there, and was still doing her best to avoid being spotted, lest that strange girl was around the next corner. But she eventually found her way back to the main road, and back to the spot she had left her friends.

"They're gone…"

Ivy stared down at the ground, studying the depressions and scuffs drawn into the dirt road. There was no doubt about it – this was where the girl had attacked them. But there was nothing there now – just another desolate and deserted portion of the eerily vacant fishing town. The tomboy frowned, taking a step further out into the road, staring down at the footprints and skid marks, and the small depressions where her friends had fallen.

Ivy gasped, the beginnings of a smile gracing her face as she leaned down closer, getting a better eye on the area. As she studied it, she found one thing the scene had – or rather, didn't have – that gave her hope. There was no blood anywhere around. While it was no guarantee, it still meant there was a good chance her companions were still alive. Just… somewhere else.

The green haired girl nodded to herself, rising to her feet a moment to study the area once more. Ivy would be the first to admit she wasn't a warrior. She had no clue how to properly swing the sword attached at her side, and she was only just beginning to understand its power. But while she may have lacked the skills of a combatant, there was one skill she excelled at: tracking.

Surrounded by forests and brush, the people of the Plant Realm were skilled hunters, and the first part of any hunt came with tracking the prey. While Ivy had never excelled at using a bow or a knife and actually taking down an animal, once thing her father had always relied on her for was seeking the beast out. And as Ivy stared down at the surface of that dirt road, she could easily read the footprints and scuff marks – the imprints allowing her to rebuild the scene in her head. Though really, as she studied the earth, it became clear that the trail the attacker had left was far from being obscured. She had seen blind boars that did a better job of covering their tracks.

Ivy lifted her eyes, following the trails in the dirt road along their path, lifting her eyes and turning her head toward the distant port. There could be nowhere else they were heading. Balling her hands into fists, gulping down her hesitation, Ivy took off down the road. She no longer ducked and weaved between buildings, trying to hide herself. She had a good sense where her predator was – there was no reason to cower. Not yet, anyhow.

The tomboy covered ground quickly, dashing down the dirt path, her eyes always fixed ahead, watching the trail she was following. There were no surprises in the groove as it continued forward, straight toward the boats and ships gathered near the docks. As Ivy drew closer, she slowed, edging against the sides of the buildings. She was approaching the beast's den, now. She had to be a bit more cautious.

Ivy ducked between one of the buildings near the port, squeezing her way through the tight crevice that parted it from the structure it stood beside, pushing her way toward the opposite edge. There she stopped, hidden in the shadows of the narrow alley, taking a moment to peer our over the docks and ships.

The area was just as lifeless and silent as the rest of the town. No people, no animals – Nothing to disturb the creepy serenity that covered the piers as the waves gently lapped against the wooden poles supporting them, crashing gently against the beach below. The ships there stood quiet, swaying gently as the water rocked them. Their sails were down, their riggings scattered across their decks. Just like in the homes, it looked like the people here had left in a hurry.

Ivy turned, glancing toward her trail as it meet the wooden surface of the dock, eliminating her most prominent clue to her friends' location as it did. The tracker frowned, turning her eyes to follow the course of the dock as it traveled over the sea, branching off a few times as it did. The green-hair girl eyed the ships there, finding one that looked oddly out of place.

While most of the ships around seemed to follow a standard wooden design, with a large mast mounted to the deck, there was one that refused to adhere to the mold. Ivy couldn't place what the vessel was made from, but it was dark blue in color, and seemed to be decorated with different colored coral and barnacles. It also didn't appear to have any discernable mast, making the young tomboy wonder how exactly the ship propelled itself. Regardless of how the boat moved, though, Ivy didn't have to wonder if it was what she was looking for when, a moment later, the strange blue-haired girl that had ambushed her friends descended from the ship.

Ivy squeezed back, further into the shadows, trying not to be seen as the disguised beast moved toward shore, each of her footsteps resonating off the wooden pier. The tomboy watched closely, waiting for the strange woman to pass by, heading further into town. The green haired girl poked her head out, spying the back of the short warrior as the woman trekked further into the village. She had no doubt the strange girl was going to look for her. But that just meant she'd have to be quick.

The tracker lingered in the narrow alley, watching her friends' attacker until the woman vanished into the empty village, before darting out from her gap, rushing toward the distant and distinct looking ship. Ivy's feet pounded across the wooden dock as she ran down the length of the pier, twisting her way up the ship's plank, stopping as she reached the lip of the deck.

"Ivy!"

The tomboy beamed a smile as she laid eyes on her friends, propped up against the far side of the deck. She rushed forward as Myst called out, kneeling down as she reached the group.

"Are you guys alright?" Ivy stared down at the strange strands of blonde hair that were entwining her companions, unsure what to make of them. As she examined them more closely, she realized that while they looked to be skinny locks of hair, they were actually a singular band, almost like a tentacle.

"Oh, hey!' Frost shouted, putting on an excited face as he fought to lift his head and peer behind the girl. "It's funny, I don't see an army."

"What?" Ivy questioned, turning to look at the fool.

"An army." Frost repeated. The boy paused, turning his gaze toward Ivy as the levity vanished from his expression. "I figured when you ran away and left us to die, it was because you were going to gather up a massive army to avenge our untimely deaths."

Ivy paused, frowning as she turned her head away, staring back at the strange bonds holding her friends.

"Enough, Frost." Flare spoke, silencing the fool. "If she had stayed, she wouldn't be saving us now."

"I'm sorry." Ivy spat out, shaking her head, refusing to look any of them in the eyes.

"Touching." Frost replied, sighing.

"It's fine." Flare stated quickly, trying not to give Frost's response time to sink in. "Right now, though, we need to focus on getting the hell out of here."

Ivy turned here eyes up, staring at Flare after he spoke. Unlike the resentment and betrayal that filled the Arctican's gaze, his were still kind – understanding. She couldn't see any sign that he was angry or hurt by her cowardice, or disappointed with her. In a way, it hurt more.

"Right." She nodded, turning her eyes away as she reached out to undo Myst's bonds.

"No, don't—"

Myst's warning was cut short as Ivy hollered out, a wave of pain rushing through the tomboy's fingers as they brushed against the strange blonde strand wound around the blue haired nymph.

"… touch them." Myst completed, watching as Ivy pulled her hand back, shaking it vehemently.

The tomboy gripped her hand, holding it up to examine her finger tips. The ends were brushed red, and as she stared, the girl was slowly beginning to lose feeling in all her fingers. She clenched her fist a few times, hoping it would return sensation to the extremities, but the more she tried to move them, the more they refused to respond.

"What is this?" Ivy questioned, turning her eyes back down to strand of hair that encircled Myst.

"My venom."

Ivy gasped, quickly spinning around to face the ramp leading to the deck of the ship. Standing there was the strange woman, her short blue hair gently tossing in the light sea breeze that blew past, her cold black eyes piercing into Ivy as a malicious grin distorted her smile.

"Now's your chance, Ivy!" Frost shouted excitedly. "Quick! Run! Run and hide!"

"No escape."

The strange girl reached to her side, wrapping her fingers around the hilt of the rapier that rested there, quickly pulling it from its sheath. In the same smooth motion, the woman spun around, slashing down at the plank. As the blade rose back into the air on the opposite side of the strange girl, the ramp onto the ship collapsed, splashing into the water below.

Ivy gulped, staring at the short, blue-haired girl, a sudden urge to try and leap from the ship rising from within her. Unlike before, though, this time she fought the temptation back, standing defiantly against this woman. She wouldn't run – not this time. She would stand, and she would fight. And if she failed, then at least she could die knowing she tried.

"She's a Medusozoa." Myst whispered up at her, staring over at the strange woman as well.

"A what?"

"A jellyfish." Myst clarified for the green-haired girl. "Or she was created from one. Those blonde strands of hair aren't hair – they're her tentacles. If they touch you, well…"

"I end up like you three." Ivy finished the thought for the girl staring at the numerous strands that ran down from the girl's head, reaching her waist.

"Try to avoid those at all costs." Flare added, stating the obvious.

"Easier said than done." Ivy moaned, wrenching her grip against the hilt of her sword as she waited for something to happen. "She got all of you easily enough."

"We didn't know what we were up against." Flare replied, his tone encouraging. "You do. Just stay calm, and move quickly."

"It's not that simple." Ivy countered, her hands beginning to shake as she stared down this strange woman.

"Yes it is."

The green haired girl turned, looking down at Frost as the fool spoke, his demeaning and berating tone gone.

"Or it's gonna have to be." Frost added, sighing. "Like it or not… you're all we've got right now. So suck it up, pull yourself together, and show this fish what you're made of!"

The tomboy took a deep breath, letting the pest's words sink in. Though the fool was often no more than a never-ending annoyance, there were the occasional moments like these where Ivy was almost glad to have him around. The green-haired girl exhaled slowly, tightening her grip on her blade, staring down at her other hand as it continued to oppose her commands. She would have to make do.

As Ivy turned back, her determination renewed, she was knocked slightly off balance as the ship suddenly lurched. The tomboy stumbled back a step, nearly stomping down on the white-haired fool as the boat began to move out to sea. Ivy gasped, spinning to watch as the dock slowly moved away, and the town of Nehir along with it.

"No escape." The jellyfish replied, beginning to move toward Ivy.

The tomboy quickly moved away, circling around the deck opposite to the strange girl, trying to adjust her self to the rocking of the boat.

"Where are we going?" Ivy questioned, trying to stall as she attempted to come up with some sort of plan.

"The Serpent."

Ivy paused, frowning as she looked down at her friends. She really hoped it was going to be a long trip.

"So soon?" Frost spoke up. "I hope it's not for anything formal. I'm not dressed for anything extravagant."

Ivy bit at her lower lip, staring across the deck at the humanoid embodiment of a jellyfish that stared back at her, the beast grinning maliciously as it looked her up and down. What was she going to do? How was she going to fight this monster? She couldn't get close for fear of the creature's tentacles. She would have to try and keep it long distance. Grasping her sword tight, the tomboy took action.

Ivy lifted her sword, performing the only long distance attack she was capable of – swinging the sword to send out a spray of wooden needles at the monster girl. The jellyfish responded by quickly dashing to the side, moving with incredible speed as every wooden dart flew past her, missing her entirely. With a wicked grin, the creature dashed forward, closing the short distance that separated them.

Medusa giggled to herself, rushing toward the cowardly damsel that had wandered onto her ship. While the girl was doing her best to put on a brave face, the woman's fear still shined through her eyes, announcing to the jellyfish that she was not ready for this battle. Her victory would be quick. The creature raised her blade as she got close, swinging down at the green-haired girl as she gently flicked her head toward the target as well, grinning.

Ivy's eyes were drawn toward the glimmering blade as it slashed down toward her. She gritted her teeth, pulling her blade up toward it, preparing to intercept the attack.

"The tentacles!"

Ivy's concentration was broken as Flare hollered out to her, screaming a reminder of the real danger she faced. The tomboy's eyes quickly lowered, spotting the blonde strands that were swinging toward her as the blade swooped down from above. The girl gasped, pushing away to the side, rolling across the deck of the ship as she tried to avoid the jellyfish's tendril. Though some sheer stroke of luck, Ivy narrowly avoided the swing of the creature's weapon as well, the edge of the sword missing her leg by less than an inch as Ivy pulled it away.

Tumbling back to her feet, Ivy swung her eyes back at the strange girl as she moved toward her again. The tomboy groaned, pushing off of the deck, attempting to dash toward the stern of the boat. She had to keep this a long distance fight if she was to have any chance – not that it seemed to increase her odds of winning by very much.

"Behind you!"

The tomboy spun her head back as Frost shouted out this time, watching out for her the same way Flare had. As she did, she saw the monster girl was already on top of her again, moving with incredible speed as she whipped the blonde strands and her sword down at her once again.

Desperate and panicking, Ivy leapt forward, twisting around as she flew through the air. She used the twisting momentum to slash out with her sword, summoning up the same wave of wooden needles at the jellyfish once more. Much closer now, Medusa had no time to dodge, the wooden darts pelting her face and stabbing her eyes.

The jellyfish skid to a stop, her tentacles flailing away as she pulled her face back and screamed. The monster girl raised her hands to her eyes, clenching her eyelids shut tight as the pain swelled. Enraged, she began to swing out wildly with one hand as she tried to brush the thorns away with the other.

Ivy crashed to the deck of the ship, quickly scrambling back to get out of range of the girl as she began to go wild. Once she was at a relatively safe distance, she spun around, returning to her feet, and rushed to the far end of the boat, pressing herself against the cabin at the stern.

"Bitch!"

Medusa screamed out as she lowered her hand, blinking as tears of blood flowed from her eyes. The world was distorted – blurry and red, and every blink of her eyes was painful. Despite that, though, the monster had no trouble discerning the green blob at the far end of the ship. If that was how this girl wanted to play it…

Medusa maneuvered her sword, carefully returning it to its sheath at her side as she continued to try and clear the fog from her eyes. Growling, she lifted both hands, each grasping at a tentacle on either side of her face. The monster girl clasped each tendril between her thumb and forefinger, running them gently down the length before releasing her loose grip and tossing her hands toward the floor. Instantly, the blonde strands of her hair respond, shooting out, increasing in length. In a matter of seconds, the tentacles that had once been roughly three feet now stretched an incredible thirty feet, coiling up at the girl's feet.

Ivy gasped, eyeing the increased length of the beast's blonde hair with foreboding, shakily raising her sword in front of her as she tried to figure out what was about to happen, and what she could do in response. The monster girl didn't leave her waiting long as she lifted one hand up. Following the gesture, one of the lengthened strands on that side lifted as well, the tip rising into the air magically. With a twisted smile, Medusa flicked her hand toward Ivy, sending the tendril whipping out at the girl.

Ivy screeched, rolling hastily to the side, barely avoiding the strike as it whipped the wall behind her, leaving a noticeable gash in its surface. The tomboy gulped, staring at the wounded wall before quickly turning her gaze back toward the beast. Unsurprisingly, the girl was attacking again, flicking the hand towards her once more, and sending the strand of blonde spiraling her way yet again.

"Dodge and attack!"

Ivy gritted her teeth, taking in Myst's suggestion as she rolled back toward where she had just been, avoiding the paralyzing blow as she quickly lifted her blade. The tomboy swung upward, intercepting the tendril as it whipped against the wall. As tentacle and blade met, the sword won out, slicing through the strange hair with ease.

Once more the monster girl screamed, reeling as her tendril was cut. The blonde strand suddenly pulled back, retreating all the way back into the girl's hair, leaving no trace of it behind other than the squiggling bit next to Ivy's feet. Enraged, Medusa roared, glowering across the deck at the still blurry tomboy. How was the girl managing to cause her so much trouble! It was time to stop messing around. With a simple lift of both her hands, every last one of the extended blonde tendrils lifted into the air as Medusa glared across the deck of the ship at the frightened expression beginning to coat the green-haired girl's face.

A rising wave of trepidation built up within Ivy as she stared at the wavering tips of the jellyfish's tentacles, floating in the air around the monster girl. She wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but she knew enough to realize it wouldn't be anything good. As the monster girl flung her hands forward, the strands of strange blonde hair whipped out, slicing through the air on their path toward the terrified tomboy. The girl screamed, closing her eyes as the monster's tendrils grew dangerously close, flying at her from multiple angles, and leaving her no room to dodge.

As the girl from the Plant Realm clenched her eyes shut, predicting and preparing for the worst possible outcome, a force rose to save her. The double helix blade in the tomboy's hands flashed out with green light, a shimmer running down from the tip of the blade to the hilt. As the light reached the weapon's guard, a wooden sheet exploded outward in all directions, growing with incredible speed as it swung around the sword's wielder, encasing her in a protective bubble of timber just as the hostile tendrils reached out, striking against the surface.

Ivy gasped, jumping where she stood as she heard the sound, awaiting the accompanying pain… but it never came. Startled, the tomboy pulled her eyelids open, raising her head to glance around at the wooden walls that suddenly surrounded her, confused as to how they had come to be. She hadn't summoned them, but as she looked down to her hand, spotting the grip of her blade as it jutted into the wooden shield, Ivy had no doubt the protective dome had come from her sword. Another round of the slapping sound echoed through the dome, causing the tomboy to jump once again as she stared at her sword's handle. She couldn't be sure how – or why – but it was quite obvious to her that her blade had acted on its own, moving to keep her safe. Ivy grinned, wondering inwardly if this was its way of apologizing for dragging her into that situation.

Outside the dome, Medusa roared, waving each hand in turn at the fresh barrier of wood that had formed up around her target, screeching as her tentacles failed to penetrate its surface. Normally, the tendrils could pass through thin enough material, literally melting through them like water to slash at the skin beneath. But metal and wood were too solid for her aqueous tentacles to seep through. The monstrous girl raged, screeching as she dropped her arms, the strange strands dropping with them. She glared at the wooden structure, cursing the weedy woman hidden on the other side for causing her so much trouble. The Sentry had said nothing of the girl's strength – likening her to a timid pup. The squid had led her to believe this girl would fall quickest of the entire group, yet she was the one standing the longest against her strength.

Seething, the jellyfish exhaled, trying to force herself to calm. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to sooth her aggravated nerves. As she inhaled, the lengthy blonde strands retracted, returning to their original length – stretching near her hips. Emotions settled, Medusa opened her eyes once more, focusing on the wooden wall at the stern of her vessel. If her tentacles could not reach its depths, then she would have to rely on a different tactic. Reaching to her side, the monster girl withdrew her sword from its sheath once more, hefting the blade before her as she eyed the protective dome. If she could not incapacitate the girl, she would simply kill her.

Back within the dome, Ivy shook her head, unsure what to do. The slapping sounds on the outside had stopped, but the tomboy wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. With the all encompassing walls surrounding her, she had no clue what that jellyfish might be up to.

As the green-haired girl pondered what to do, a dull thud rang through the small area, nearly immediately followed by a silver blade penetrating her sanctuary. Ivy screamed, pressing her back against the ship's cabin wall as the metal blade thrust toward her, its tip slicing through the cloth that covered her chest. The tomboy gulped, staring down at the sharpened edge of the weapon as its tip stopped just short of reaching her – as Ivy took in each breath, she could feel the sharpened tip of the sword press lightly against her chest.

As suddenly as the sword entered, it was quickly retracted from her dome, leaving the young girl with her heart pounding as she stared at the sliver of light that poked in through the new gap in her shield. Whatever she was going to do, Ivy realized she was going to need to do it quickly. But what was she going to do?

Ivy shouted out as the blade once again shot into her dome, forcing her to scoot all the way to her right as the blade plunged in from the opposite side, nearly impaling her arm. The tomboy's mind raced, trying to figure out how to react. If she pulled down the wooden barrier, the jellyfish would be right there to skewer her with her sword, or just whip her with one of those strange blonde tentacles. Ivy moaned as the retreated from her sanctuary once more, eyes darting back and forth as she tried to anticipate where it would come from next.

The tomboy quickly scooted to the opposite side, where the blade had just entered, struggling to figure out what she would do in the monster girl's place. She seemed to predict correctly, though, as the piercing blade was thrust in, right from where she had been moments ago. Ivy knew she wouldn't be able to keep this up forever.

"Think, Ivy! Think!" Ivy provoked herself, trying to force her mind to work. "What do we know!"

The tomboy pondered the answer to her own question. She knew her opponent was more skilled than she was, and much faster. She also knew the jellyfish didn't need to actually hit her in order to win this battle – she just needed to whip her with one of the tendrils that flowed down from her hair. But, Ivy now knew something else: the tentacles couldn't penetrate through wood like she had seen them pass through Frost's clothing. The lumber based shield her sword had created was powerful enough to stop them.

"So how do I use that!" Ivy shouted to herself, watching as the blade was withdrawn once more.

Ivy spun, placing her back against the cabin wall once more, uncertain where the jellyfish might strike from next, and still unsure how to respond. She understood a little bit, now, how her blade actually worked. It could accomplish almost anything she imagined, as long as it was related to her element. If she imagined vines growing from the earth to grip her friend, they grew. If she pictured a shower of needles impaling her foe, they flew. So… how could she use that now?

The green-haired girl squealed and ducked as the monster girl's blade shot through her barrier once more, nearly finding its way into her skull. How could she put all of this information together? How could she use everything she knew? Ivy turned her eyes to the handle of her blade, gulping as she quickly reached out to wrap her fingers around it. As the digits of her hand touched the blade, the sword gave her, her answer. Ivy gasped, a grin covering her face as the Thorn Cutter her somehow relayed the information she needed. Gripping the weapon tighter as the jellyfish's sword was pulled back once more, the tomboy decided to trust in the weapon's suggestion.

Medusa growled, still finding no blood coating her sword as she pulled it out once more. The girl within was frustrating her to no end. Scowling at the wooden wall protecting the wench, Medusa pulled her sword back, preparing to strike once more.

As she did, the wooden structure sudden respond, the blade protruding from it shining green as wooden spikes shot out across the surface. The jellyfish gasped, startled as she leapt away from the structure, nearly finding herself skewered on the giant wooden barbs. Glaring at the structure, the monster watched as the spikes retracted as quickly as they formed, staring as the wooden barrier suddenly began to shrink and bend, forming an almost human shape.

Moments later, the wooden dome was gone, replaced by the irksome girl, now coated in rough looking wooden arm from head to toe. Medusa narrowed her eyes, watching as the girl's helmet finished forming, a small opening appearing to reveal the girl's face – her eyes suddenly lacking the fear that had been there before.

Ivy turned her head, staring down at the wooden armor that encased her. There were gaps here and there to allow her full range of motion, but the wood otherwise coated her from head to toe. She grinned, flexing her arms and shaking her legs, finding the armor to be surprisingly light, despite the dense material it was made from. The tomboy lifted her gaze, spying the jellyfish.

"I hope you're ready," Ivy declared, shifting her weight as she hefted her blade in front of her, "because, now, I am."