James lay in the mud, shoulder throbbing from the vine's strike, his Barrier flickering but still holding against the sour mist that choked the forest. The massive plant loomed fifty yards away, its green core pulsing steadily, vines thrashing at forty soldiers swinging swords and axes. Each hit released clouds of poisonous gas, and fighters stumbled, coughing, boils forming on their exposed skin. The party leader, a tall woman with a broadsword strapped to her back, ran over with two others, their faces half-covered with tattered cloths. "You good?" she asked, eyeing his glowing dome. "How's that keeping the gas out?"
"It's a Barrier skill," James said, pushing himself up, brushing mud from his knees. He gripped the shortsword he'd grabbed, its weight unfamiliar but solid. "It blocks the poison. I'm a healer, but I can cast Barrier on others. I think I can shield three of you to get to that core. Time it right, and you can kill it."
The leader studied him, then nodded. "Alright. We'll hit the core. You shield us."
James steadied his breathing, focusing on the warmth in his palms, the essence pulse he'd learned to sync with his heartbeat. Dual casting Barrier and Mend had been hard enough; three Barriers at once would push him to his limit. He'd focus on precision. Small and targeted worked better than broad ones. "Barrier," he said, aiming at the leader first. The dome formed, faint and shaky. His head throbbed, essence low from the tent heals. He tried again, picturing the warmth splitting into three streams, like he'd done with Mend and Barrier. The second dome flickered on the soldier to her left, a burly man with an axe, but the third wouldn't form, his focus slipping.
"Come on," he muttered, shaking his hands out. He visualized his heartbeat, the pulse steady, and tried again. "Barrier." The warmth surged, splitting cleaner this time. The third dome formed around a wiry woman with a spear, but it wavered, his vision spotting from the strain. Sweat dripped into his eyes, his legs unsteady. He'd learned Barrier needed a clear target, like a wound or vine, and multiple casts meant dividing his essence carefully, like pouring water into cups without spilling.
"Now!" James called, voice hoarse. The leader and her two fighters charged, their barriers glowing faintly in the mist. Vines lashed out, but the domes held, deflecting the thorns. The burly man hacked through a thick vine, green fluid spraying, while the spearwoman darted past, aiming for the core. The leader swung her broadsword, carving a path. James watched, catching his breath, Barrier's strength depended on his focus, and splitting it three ways was like juggling while running.
A soldier nearby collapsed, boils spreading on his arm. James wanted to move to him, but he couldn't. He had to protect the three charging into the plant.
The leader shouted, "We're almost there!" A vine whipped at her, but her Barrier held. The core pulsed faster, as if sensing the threat. James focused, ready to recast if needed, but his essence was nearly gone. He tried Foresight, a flash showing a vine aiming for the spearwoman. "Watch left!" he yelled. She dodged, thrusting her spear into a vine's base.
The burly man roared, his axe splitting a thick vine, but gas erupted, his Barrier flickering. James ran closer, ignoring the ache in his shoulder. "Barrier," he cast, reinforcing the man's dome. The effort made his knees buckle, but he stayed up, learning that recasting on a weakened Barrier was easier than starting fresh. His essence was stretched thin, but he could feel its flow, like a muscle he was starting to understand.
The leader reached the core, raising her broadsword. She drove it deep into the green glow, and the plant shuddered, vines collapsing in a heap. Gas burst out, but the Barrier skills held, shielding the fighters. The core dimmed, its pulse stopping.
James sank to the ground, and scurried over to the collapsed man. He cast Mend, but nothing happened. The man was no longer breathing. He was dead. They had taken too long.
Anger burned in James's chest. He slammed his fist into the mud, splattering his face.
Still not strong enough.
He'd shielded the fighters, killed the plant, but still couldn't save everyone. He was a healer, this was his job. The forest quieted, mist thinning, soldiers catching their breath. James stayed kneeling, fists clenched, the weight of the death heavy on him.
He looked up, staring at the dead plant. The massive core was dark, its thorny tendrils limp, but the image of the dead soldier burned in his mind. Boils locked on his arm, eyes staring at nothing. James's fists stayed clenched, nails biting into his palms. He was too weak. He'd learned to dual cast Barrier and Mend, pushed Barrier to block gas, and figured out how to split his essence for dual casting. But it wasn't enough. His essence drained too fast, his heals too slow. If he'd been quicker, stronger, that soldier might be alive. I'm not good enough he thought, staring at the muddy ground. Astor was still out there, and James couldn't afford to fail him too.
A hand settled on his shoulder. James looked up, blinking. The party leader stood there, her broadsword sheathed, dirt streaking her face. "You can't save everyone," she said, her voice calm with a knowing look. "You did good. Those shields got us to the core. That's something."
He shook his head, standing, mud flaking off his boots. "It's not enough. That guy's dead because I couldn't keep up."
Mara's eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn't push back. "Come on. Let me show you something. The name's Mara by the way." James followed her, absentmindedly saying "James." He glanced at the system timer.
[Time left]: 13:28:42 hours.
"Thirteen hours?" James muttered, glancing at his system. Recalling the objective, he focused on the Levels of Success portion. There's more I can do. James paused remembering that he didn't know Mara's objective. "What are you fighting?" he asked, wiping mud from his shortsword. "What's your team looking for?"
Mara nodded toward a small tent across the clearing, its canvas worn but holding, a faint glow of lantern light spilling through the flap. "Let's talk inside." She turned, her two fighters, the burly axeman and wiry spearwoman, following her lead. James fell in step, his shortsword in hand, mind racing. The plant was down, but the trial wasn't over. More plants? Something worse? He'd overheard nurses mention the forest and gas, but Mara's team had a specific target, and he needed to know what.
They reached the tent, Mara pushing the flap open. Inside, a wooden table held crumpled maps and a few scattered knives, lanterns casting flickering shadows on the canvas walls. James stepped in, his fists still clenched, anger mixing with a stubborn need to keep going. He wasn't strong enough yet, but he'd figure it out, no matter what came next.