Danmachi: Exception

They walked toward Babel together, keeping a professional distance between them. The morning crowd parted naturally around them - though whether due to Cyrus's presence or Tessia's elven grace was debatable.

"So." Cyrus glanced at his companion. "Tell me about your combat style. Need to know what I'm working with before we head down."

Tessia's fingers brushed the recurve bow slung across her back. "I specialize in ranged combat. My magic complements that - I can create barriers and control the battlefield to maintain distance."

"Plant magic, right?"

"Mm." She demonstrated by touching a nearby flower box. Blue-tinted vines sprouted instantly, weaving into an intricate pattern before dissolving. "Sylvan Genesis. It's... unusual for an elf."

"How so?"

"Most elven magic focuses on elements - wind, fire, that sort of thing. Creation magic is rare, especially with plants." Her lips curved slightly. "My mother said it meant I was destined for something different."

"And the bow?"

"Custom work." Pride colored her tone as she drew the weapon. Sunlight caught the pale wood, highlighting intricate carvings along its length. "Lightweight elven design, but reinforced for dungeon use. I named her Whisperwind."

Cyrus studied the weapon with genuine interest. The craftsmanship was exceptional - clearly expensive, but not flashy. Functional beauty rather than mere decoration.

"Effective range?"

"Depends on the arrow type." She returned the bow to her back. "Standard shots, about forty meters with good accuracy. With Wind Whisper active, I can push it to sixty."

"Wind Whisper?"

"My second magic." She ducked under a merchant's banner as they walked. "Enhances arrows with wind element, lets me control their trajectory. Also provides some defensive capabilities through air disturbance detection."

"Useful combination."

"When it works properly." Her ears drooped slightly. "I'm still learning to balance the mind cost. Using both magics together tends to..." She made a vague gesture.

"Drain you quickly?"

"Exactly." A hint of frustration crept into her voice. "Lord Miach has been helping me develop specialized potions to extend my mind capacity, but..."

"But?"

"But I hate relying on them." The admission came quietly. "It feels like cheating somehow. Like I'm not strong enough on my own."

Cyrus considered her words carefully. "Would you say the same about my staff? Or your bow?"

"That's different."

"Is it?" He adjusted Serpiente del Sol's position across his back. "Tools are tools, Tessia. Whether they're potions or weapons. What matters is how you use them."

She mulled this over as they approached Babel's entrance. The massive structure cast long shadows across the plaza, its white stone gleaming in the morning sun.

"What about you?" she asked finally.

"Hm?"

"Your fighting style. I've heard rumors, but..."

"But?"

Her ears reddened slightly. "Well, the stories vary. Some say you're a pure mage. Others swear you're a fighter who just happens to use fire. A few claim you're actually a dragon in human form."

That startled a laugh from him. "A dragon?"

"Your eyes," she explained, gesturing vaguely toward his face. "They change color sometimes, especially during combat. And there's the fire..."

"Not a dragon. Just someone who prefers keeping his options open."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I adapt to what's needed." They joined the short line for dungeon access. "Sometimes that's magic. Sometimes it's hand-to-hand. Often it's both."

Her turquoise eyes studied him with scholarly interest. "That's unusual. Most adventurers specialize."

"Most adventurers limit themselves unnecessarily. The dungeon doesn't play fair. Why should we?"

"Lord Miach says something similar about healing." She followed him toward the stairs. "That true recovery requires addressing the whole person, not just the obvious wound."

"Smart man."

"He is." Warmth filled her voice. "Though sometimes I think he's too kind for his own good."

"That why you're pushing yourself so hard? To protect him?"

She paused on the steps, causing a minor traffic jam until Cyrus guided her to the side. Other adventurers flowed past while she gathered her thoughts.

"He saved me," she said finally. "Not just my life, though that too. But he gave me purpose when I was lost. A home when I had none. The least I can do is help ease his burdens."

"Even at the cost of your own safety?"

"You're one to talk." Her eyes narrowed. "I've heard about some of your solo expeditions. The risks you take."

"That's different."

"Is it?" She threw his earlier words back at him. "Or do you just think your life is worth less than others?"

The question hit uncomfortably close to home. He resumed walking, forcing her to follow or be left behind.

"We should focus on today's goals," he said after a moment. "Upper floors first. Get a feel for how we work together before attempting anything ambitious."

She allowed the deflection, though her expression suggested the conversation wasn't over. "What should I expect from you as a partner?"

"Clear communication. Defined roles. No heroics from either of us." They reached the dungeon entrance - a massive hole descending into darkness. "I'll take point since I'm better equipped for close combat. You maintain range and watch our backs."

"And if something goes wrong?"

"Then we adapt." He drew Serpiente del Sol, its emerald core pulsing in response. "But first, let's see how you handle the basics. Ready?"

She nocked an arrow with fluid grace, turquoise eyes sharp with focus. "Lead the way."

Together they descended into the dungeon's depths, leaving the safety of Babel behind. The familiar blue walls cast their usual phosphorescent glow, creating moving shadows as they walked.

"One more thing," Cyrus said as they reached the first floor.

"Yes?"

"That comment about my eyes..."

"Mm?"

"They don't actually change color, do they?"

Her laugh echoed off the walls, bright and genuine. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Before he could press further, the sound of approaching goblins demanded their attention. Time to see if their partnership would work as well in practice as in theory.

The first goblins emerged from behind a corner - three of them, their beady eyes glinting in the phosphorescent light. Basic formation. Predictable attack patterns. Perfect for assessing his new partner's capabilities.

Cyrus kept Serpiente low, its emerald core casting subtle shadows. "Your show. Let's see what you can do."

Tessia's bow sang. The first arrow caught a goblin mid-stride, dropping it instantly. Clean shot. The remaining two split up, one charging forward while the other circled wide.

"Not bad." He tracked the flanking goblin with peripheral vision. "But now they've adapted. What's your play?"

Her response came in the form of rapid spellcraft. "Through ancient roots that bind our souls-" Blue-tinted vines erupted from the dungeon floor, forcing the charging goblin to leap awkwardly. Her next arrow caught it mid-jump.

Good instincts, Cyrus noted. She'd used the spell not just as a barrier, but to control enemy movement. Create predictable patterns. The kind of tactical thinking that separated survivors from statistics.

The last goblin proved more troublesome, keeping to the shadows while searching for an opening. Tessia tracked it with steady aim, but held her shot. Smart. No point wasting arrows on low-percentage targets.

"You know," Cyrus said conversationally, "most new adventurers would be panicking right about now."

"Who says I'm not?" But her hands remained steady on the bow. "I just hide it better than- there!"

The goblin broke cover, charging straight at Cyrus. He didn't move. Didn't need to. Tessia's arrow took it through the throat before it closed half the distance.

"Three shots, three kills." He nudged one of the dissolving corpses with his boot. "Efficient."

Her ears pinked at the praise, but her expression remained focused. "They were just goblins. Basic monsters."

"Basic doesn't mean harmless. Plenty of adventurers die underestimating 'just goblins.'" He gestured at the fallen monsters. "Besides, your technique is solid. You maintained awareness, controlled the battlefield, didn't waste movement or resources."

"But?"

"But you're holding back. Second-guessing yourself." He pointed to where she'd conjured the vines. "That spell could have ended the fight instantly if you'd pushed it harder. Instead you used it defensively. Minimal commitment."

"Mind management is important-"

"So is trusting your instincts." He started walking, prompting her to fall in step. "You've got good ones. Better than most I've seen. But you keep pulling your punches."

She was quiet for several steps. "Lord Miach says similar things."

"Smart man."

"He also says I'm too hard on myself." Her fingers traced patterns on her bow. "That I focus too much on what could go wrong instead of what could go right."

"And?"

"And maybe he has a point." She sighed. "But it's difficult. Every time I try something ambitious, I hear this voice in my head listing all the ways it could fail."

"Want to know a secret?" Cyrus spun Serpiente in a casual arc. "That voice never goes away. Not completely. The trick is learning when to tell it to shut up."

A small group of kobolds appeared ahead - five of them, already moving to surround. Cyrus adjusted his grip on Serpiente.

"My turn to demonstrate." He smiled, the kind of smile that made smart opponents reconsider their life choices. "Watch closely."

The first kobold never saw the strike coming. Serpiente's emerald core blurred as Cyrus stepped past its guard, the staff's weighted end connecting with surgical precision. The monster dissolved before it hit the ground.

Two more rushed him from opposite sides. He dropped into a low spin, sweeping one's legs while using Serpiente's length to block the other's claws. A quick thrust crushed the fallen one's skull. The blocked attacker stumbled back, off-balance. Perfect target for Tessia's arrow.

"Three left." He straightened, staff held loose but ready. "Care to join in?"

Her response was another spell, this time creating a wall of thorned vines behind the remaining kobolds. No retreat. They charged forward, exactly as planned.

Cyrus met the first with a vertical strike, driving it back into its companions. The tangle of limbs made perfect targets. Two more arrows found their marks.

The last kobold proved smarter than its kin, breaking right instead of forward. But that just led it straight into Serpiente's waiting arc. One clean hit, one less monster.

"See?" He turned to Tessia as the bodies dissolved. "No magic needed. Just proper technique and-" He paused. "You're staring."

She blinked, ears reddening. "Sorry! It's just... that was..."

"Basic staff work?"

"That was not basic anything." She gestured at where the kobolds had fallen. "The way you moved, how you created openings for my shots without even looking... I've never seen anyone fight like that."

He shrugged, though pleasure at her praise warmed his chest. "It's just practice. Learning to read opponents, predict movements. Anyone can do it with enough time."

"Is that why you're not using magic? To practice basics?"

"Partly." They resumed walking, deeper into the dungeon. "Magic's useful, but relying on it exclusively is dangerous. What happens when you run out of mind? Or face an opponent with magic resistance?"

She nodded thoughtfully. "Like having multiple tools in your kit."

"Exactly. The more options you have, the harder you are to counter." He glanced at her bow. "Speaking of which, how are you on arrows?"

"Still good. I recover most of them when monsters dissolve." She patted her quiver. "And I brought extras just in case."

"Smart. But what about close combat? What happens if something gets past your range?"

Her ears drooped slightly. "I... try not to let that happen."

"Try isn't good enough." He stopped walking, turning to face her fully. "Show me your knife work."

"What?"

"The boot knife. I saw you check it earlier. Draw it."

She hesitated, then pulled the small blade from her boot. Her grip was technically correct, but stiff. Uncertain.

"Okay." He set Serpiente aside, just out of reach. "Attack me."

"What? No! I could hurt you!"

His laugh echoed off the dungeon walls. "Trust me, you won't. Come on. Show me what you've got."

She bit her lip, then lunged. Her form was decent - clearly she'd had some training. But her strikes lacked conviction, pulled back just enough to telegraph her moves.

He dodged each attempt easily, not bothering to counter. Let her work through the motions, get comfortable with the rhythm. After the fifth miss, he spoke.

"Not bad fundamentals. But you're fighting scared again." He stepped inside her guard, gently redirecting her blade with one hand. "See how I did that? You gave me the opening because you didn't commit."

She frowned, adjusting her grip. "Again?"

"Again."

This time she came in faster, with more purpose. He still avoided her strikes, but had to work slightly harder to do so. Progress.

"Better." He caught her wrist on the next attempt, using her momentum to spin her past him. "But you're still thinking too much. Fighting isn't about perfect technique. It's about reading the flow and adapting."

"Easy for you to say." She rubbed her wrist where he'd grabbed it. "You move like... like..."

"Like?"

"Like you've been doing this for centuries." Her eyes narrowed. "Are you sure you're not actually a dragon?"

That startled another laugh from him. "Still on that theory?"

"Well you haven't actually denied it." She sheathed her knife. "And it would explain a lot."

"Such as?"

"Such as how you seem to know exactly what I'm going to do before I do it. Or how you never seem surprised by anything. Or-" She gestured vaguely at him. "You know. The whole... you-ness of you."

"The me-ness of me?"

"You know what I mean!" Her ears were practically glowing now. "The way you carry yourself. How you always seem to know more than you're saying. That thing you do with your eyes when you're analyzing something..."

"What thing?"

"That thing! Right there! Like you're seeing straight through to someone's soul." She crossed her arms, pushing up her chest. "It's unsettling."

He retrieved Serpiente, using the motion to hide his amusement. "Not a dragon. Just observant."

"Hmph." But there was a smile tugging at her lips. "Fine. Keep your secrets. But at least tell me this - why are you really helping me train?"

Cyrus studied her for a long moment. Despite her self-doubt, there was steel in her spine. Potential waiting to be unleashed. All she needed was a push in the right direction.

"Because," he said finally, "someone once did the same for me. Showed me that the only real limits are the ones we place on ourselves." He gestured down the corridor. "Ready to continue?"

She straightened, squaring her shoulders. "Lead the way."

Not a dragon, he thought as they walked deeper into the dungeon. But maybe something close. After all, every hero's journey had to start somewhere. Why not here? Why not now?

The sound of approaching monsters echoed ahead. Time for another lesson.