Lilik

"Level twenty, my ass."

Lilik stomped her way off the teleporter and into the gray, smoggy hell that was the ninth floor. It was abysmally hot, and the air was sick enough that it could be cut with the proverbial knife. Lava bubbled and belched not far from where she walked, but the woman hardly noticed. Long legs carried her thin frame, which was held rigid with furious anger and unbending determination. Who cares if the quest had recommended she be level twenty? That was probably a suggestion for idiotic noobies who had no idea what they were doing. And sure, okay, she had never actually fought anything before. But she was no idiot, and she was far, far, from helpless. She had a weapon, she had a quest, and she was going to get stronger if it killed her.

With that thought, her voice of reason, a mere whisper in the back of her mind, finally reached her. You really could die, it reminded her. Grit could only get her so far. It was like trying to outrun a sports car in a race. Sure, she could want it, and even try her hardest. But without the right equipment, she would fail.

Lilik would not fail.

Water. That was as good a place to start, as the floor's heat finally registered. Tiny beads of sweat had broken out on her flushed skin, and her breathing was just a bit labored. Her violent red eyes swept her surroundings, and fortunately, landed on a man with just what she needed. She strode over, stopped before him, and put her hands on her hips.

"Where did you get the water?" she asked, by way of greeting.

"I'm going with you." The words snapped like a whip, and carried just as much sting, daring either of them to object. Lessa did.

"I really don't think that's a good idea," Lessa began slowly, her maternal nature peaking through. "I think-"

Lilik rounded on the blonde. "I don't give a damn what you think," she shot back. "I don't work in thoughts, I need hard facts. And the fact is, you need me. Rainey would never go with you."

Now it was Lessa's turn to harden, every line and curve of her face turning to rigid stone. The maternal tenderness was gone. "As I recall, Rainey didn't go with you, either. And it appears she's going to stay there, because I'm not going to help someone who doesn't want it." There was anger simmering in her blue eyes, something that Lilik had not expected from the seemingly soft woman. That went from zero to sixty real quick.

Panic fluttered in the pit of Lilik's stomach, but years of practice kept the tell-tale signs from creeping across her face. She drew in a long breath, then said, "Wait. Look, my bad, okay? I just want my friend back."

Lessa gave a small nod, but her stony expression remained in place. "And we're willing to help you with that, but not if you're going to bite our heads off. We're helping you, even when the situation could be potentially dangerous to us. We have no idea what we're walking into."

"Then let me go with you," Lilik countered, clearly unwilling to give up the fight. "Please. I know Rainey. She'd feel better if I were there. And maybe I can help. Somehow. Y'lknow?"

The armored woman turned to Bahr, and lifted one shoulder in a "well?" gesture.

Anger, hot and red, began to simmer in Lilik's gut. It was unnecessary, and border-line irrational, considering the man was willing to help her. But the nonchalant way in which he agreed rubbed her the wrong way. Further fanning the flame was the fact that she didn't have the answers to his question. Why hadn't she paid more attention, or completed a bit of recon work while she was there? Was she really so far behind these higher-level players only because of the time passed? Or were they really just smarter than her? The concept brought a warmth to her tattooed face, and that made her even madder.

"She's short," Lilik finally answered in a brisk, clipped tone. At least this she was confident in, and she could address it matter-of-factly. "Maybe five-foot even. Stocky, but not fat. Blonde hair, naturally curly. Blue eyes. Voice is higher pitched than mine, and she speaks both English and Japanese. Doubt she has any armor or weapons, and likes to wear dresses." The woman hesitated, gaze darting from Bahr to Lessa before she spoke again. "The guild is holed up in an old church. It's covered with vines."

That was the extent of her knowledge. Fortunately, Lessa stepped in before the silence could become stifling. 

"It's the Defiled Church, Bahr," the other woman explained, hints of excitement flavoring her words. "The guild must have figured out how to get inside. I have no idea how many people they have, but the leader must be a pretty intelligent guy to accomplish something like that."

"Uh, yeah, guess that's my cue." Lilik planted both hands on her hips, and paused long enough to look the newcomer up and down. His interactions with Lessa told her the pair had some sort of relationship. Of course they did, or else the blonde wouldn't have requested his presence. But their familiar back-and-forth, and the ease with which the players communicated, indicated something more intimate. They were comfortable with each other. Lilik felt a tinge of jealousy at that, but shoved it down just as quickly as it flared.

The willowy woman brushed back her long hair, a plum-colored waterfall that shimmered down to nearly her waist. Then she inhaled deeply, and plunged into her tale. "I have a friend, Rainey. She and I spent the past couple years hiding out in the safe zones." Lilik made no effort to hide the bitterness in her tone, and even if she had, the phrasing revealed how much she regretted the wasted time. "Rainey always been afraid of everything, and was content just... existing." She loosed a shrug. "I didn't get it, but whatever. A couple days ago, she up and left. Apparently she's found this guild, and she told me the people 'understand' her. I was honestly happy for her."

The woman paused, her gaze drifting to a spot just past Lessa and Bahr. "And part of me was glad that I could move on, you know? Do something different? Well, I decided to check in on her, just to see how she's doing. But there were loads of red flags. Rainey spoke to me through the door, and never even came out to see me. And after a minute, another player told me it was time for me to leave." Something dark, akin to a stormcloud, drifted across Lilik's face. "I didn't appreciate being bossed around, but Rainey didn't say anything else, and I couldn't get inside. So I went looking for help." Lilik's jaw worked until she finally looked back to Bahr. "I don't ask strangers for anything, but yeah, I'm worried about Rainey."

After Lilik fell silent, Lessa gave a small nod. "I'm going in to see what's going on. Are you interested?"

Written by Shelby