Severance lay flat on his stomach. He hadn't thought it possible, but he was almost as bad at push-ups in Eliona as he was in real life. It was a lot easier to hold the proper form in this body, but he only managed about ten before his arms gave out.

He rolled onto his back and stared up at the small bit of blue peeking through the trees. Why was he doing this again? Oh, right. Because Awesome Dude wasn't online yet, and he didn't feel like venturing out into Ervante-infested territory.

It would have been more fun to go on a leveling spree with Awesome Dude, even if it was just running around trees or doing somersault tag, which was a very strange Dude invention that was as fun as it was ridiculous. Besides, other players had begun doing similar things to level up. There was a group that regularly gathered in town and did nothing but calisthenics for hours on end. It was kind of funny to see how Elionans reacted to such a spectacle.

Severance's attention flickered to a System window that floated nearby. It wasn't often that he opened the World Chat, but he was bored enough to be curious about what other players were chatting about.

Quintens: Where did everyone go?

Frigerator: LOL, they ditched you

Quintens: Yo, ten. Where you at?

Yikes: Need two more for raid

AshlynnLovesAll: Trading boots, +6% wisdom for agility

To his disappointment, it looked like more of the usual. Earlier, there'd been a wild argument about which Valkyrie was more likely to date a player, and while that had been a little crude, it had evolved into a player actually trying to do just that. It didn't end well, but for Severance, it had been quite entertaining.

He was starting to understand why Awesome Dude was so enthralled with the Chat.

Yikes: Just two more. Come on people, help some noobs out
FedToTheLions: I can help, if you need a DPS
Yikes: Sweet, thanks man! Then we just need one more, a healer
Ten10Ten: In the canyon

Severance sat up, his eyes glued to the window. There were distant deja vu bells ringing in his head. Where had he heard the name Yikes before?

AshlynnLovesAll: Trading boots, +6% wisdom for agility
Whatsit: Need healer for raid
Quintens: Thanks ten
Frigerator: LOL, good luck

"Whatsit," Severance read the name over twice, before it struck him like a bolt of lightning. Wasn't Whatsit and Yikes the names of the people he'd met at the diner? They were weird enough that it was hard to forget. It had to be them.

He eagerly tapped on the Chat. And then he paused, because he'd never sent a message on the Chat before. Whatever he posted would be out there for all the players in Eliona to see. That was almost enough to make him back away.

But... they were looking for a healer, weren't they? This was his chance. He took a deep breath. He'd already told Mrs Beakor about these guys. It'd be embarrassing if he backed down now.

Severance: Hey. Sheesh, Yikes and Whatsit, right? I can heal for you

He waited, holding his breath. Did they see his message? Would they even respond?

Whatsit: Yay!
Whatsit: Wait
AshlynnLovesAll: Trading boots, +6% wisdom for agility
Yikes: Yes! Thanks man!
Whatsit: That name. Did you bring us food the other day?

Severance couldn't keep the grin off his face. They remembered him!

Severance: Yes, that was me
Frigerator: I want food
Yikes: LOL
Ripplybutt: Me too
Yikes: I tried to message you, but it didn't go through
AnnaGal: Anyone wanna carry me through the Chosen Den?
Whatsit: Probably didn't spell it right
Severance: It's okay
Ripplybutt: Can you bring us food too?
Severance: Should I meet you by the raid portal?
Whatsit: Yes, come now
AshlynnLovesAll: Trading boots, +6% wisdom for agility
Severance: Okay

Never had Severance thought he'd actually be going back into the Poseideous Raid, but here he was. He stood and brushed the needle-like leaves off his coat. It still had the holes from getting impaled, but with a fresh black shirt beneath it, it was hardly noticeable.

With a faint smile, he touched his teleport ring, and soon vanished in a flurry of pale sparks.

***

Poseideous roared and people died.

Severance could see two names go dark in the party list, but he wasn't in a position to do anything about it. With colorful spines of blue, violet and gray piercing the platform like a forest of trees, he knew the Boss's tsunami attack was imminent.

He pressed his back against a purple spine and watched the giant green-scaled Boss warily. Sure enough, the eel beast abruptly pulled back from the platform.

Here it comes...

"Hey!" The shout carried across the platform. "You gonna help Revive or what?"

That, unfortunately, was his co-healer. Mr. Bandaid wore a blinding-white knee length coat of a Battle Dancer, making him easy to spot in the chaos of battle. Right now, silvery white light swirled around his feet, shaded with wisps of green. He was casting Revive, but it was a wasted attempt because he'd never finish it in time.

Severance looked away, pointedly ignoring the other healer. He'd just about had enough of the guy. How foolish of him, thinking he'd finally get a chance to compare notes with another Battle Dancer, to see how another player handled the class. As it turned out, they couldn't be more different than night and day!

As it turned out, this team had already tried to do the Raid. But one of the healers and a few DPS had quit. Severance was starting to understand why.

"Fine. Be useless. I'll do it all myself." Mr Bandaid's irritated scoff could be heard by the entire party. Yet no one said anything.

Poseideous slammed its body down across the center of the arena. The impact trembled through the platform and generated a massive wave of water from beneath the Boss's body. It surged out in a tsunami, picking up players and carrying them away.

Most, like Severance, had positioned themselves in front of a spine, which was enough to stop them from getting washed off the platform entirely. Mr Bandaid yelped as he was shoved against his spine, his Revive cast interrupted. One player—Some Guy—got swept over the edge.

Severance eyed the party list. Three players were dead now. Some Guy, Yikes, and one of the tanks. This was their second attempt, and he was starting to suspect they'd fail this time as well.

"Radiant Dome," he muttered, and placed the dome over the biggest cluster of players. The others could move into the Dome for healing, if they were smart enough.

He focused on Yikes and began to cast Revive, figuring his super-pro cohealer would get the tank.

Poor Yikes had gotten smashed flat earlier, and the only thing that was recognizable of his body was his ginger hair and green evoker robes.

Severance's lips quirked briefly. Both Yikes and Whatsit were admirable copies of their real-life selves. He'd immediately recognized them as two of the young men from the diner. Yikes had the same freckles and brash personality, while Whatsit was blond and friendly. Sheesh had lost the glasses so he looked the most different, but his quieter, more polite attitude was still the same.

At least the three of them were decent players. Which couldn't be said for all of the party, sadly.

He glanced over at Mr Bandaid once more. The healer looked annoyed as he started to cast Revive all over again.

Severance rolled his eyes inwardly. I don't know why you tried to cast it when you knew a tsunami was coming.

His Revive finished, and Yikes was lifted from the ground. While the evoker was set upright, Severance took the time to pass out a few Mends to the surviving tank and a couple of the DPS who were getting low.

Then he trotted closer to the Boss. Once everyone was back up, he intended to use a Skyfall or two.

The air around him suddenly turned frigid, surrounding him with small ice crystals shimmering like a field of stars. His breath puffed into a cloud of mist.

Severance sucked in a breath and leaped back, barely escaping the cold spot before snow flurries filled the space. He jerked his gaze towards the only cryomancer on their team, because he knew a cryomancer skill when he saw it.

Why there? Why me? Shouldn't it be targeting the Boss?!

The cryomancer lowered his hands, icy flurries fading from his forearms. He met Severance's incredulous stare with a twisted smirk.

Then he gave a little shrug, as if to say Oops. Accident.

Severance didn't buy it. Angelo was a member of the Chosen clan, and proudly wore the red Chosen ribbon around his forehead like a headband. That was evidence enough for Severance to distrust him.

Accident? Yeah, right.

There already had been a few questionable instances of players getting clipped by a Freeze Storm. While once or twice could have been considered accidental, three times—now four—was more than suspicious. He moved further away from the cryomancer, resolved to keep one eye on the guy.

Why the team leader hadn't kicked Angelo from the party yet was a mystery to Severance.

"Sheesh!" Whatsit's sudden cry drew everyone's attention. A bubble had captured Sheesh, enveloping him entirely, and now floated towards the platform's edge. Severance knew that it would pop and drop the Tempest to his death if they didn't destroy it in time.

"Urgh." With an irritated sound, the closest player whirled on the bubble. "Slowing touch," he muttered.

The ground beneath the bubble flashed a deep violet, and the bubble abruptly slowed down, now inching its way towards the edge.

Whatsit grinned as he rushed over to save his friend. "Thanks!"

The player turned away, scowling. He snapped his fingers, and a great tiger bounded up to him. It was more brown than orange, with faded dark stripes and thicker fur around its head and neck hinting at a mane. It looked more like a lion than a tiger, which was kind of fitting since the player was named FedToTheLions.

"Go," said FedToTheLions. He didn't even look down at the tiger, nor at the bubble. Instead, he stood tall, blond hair casting shade over his blue eyes and tanned skin complementing the greens of his evoker robes. He would have cut quite the heroic picture if it weren't for the permanent scowl of annoyance.

His summoned tiger bounded off to the bubble. A second tiger joined it, courtesy of Yikes. This one looked more like a regular tiger, except its fur was more reddish-orange, almost the exact shade of Yikes' hair.

Between Whatsit and the two summons, the bubble didn't stand a chance.

Severance never got to see Sheesh freed, however, for Poseideous abruptly spat out a large water bullet at the main tank. She blocked most of it with her shield, but enough spilled over to cause significant damage to her.

"Ward." He immediately tossed on the weak shield like it was a band aid, then followed up with a Mend. It felt like he'd been doing nothing but Mend for most of the fight.

"Come on. You could at least help with Reviving," Mr Bandaid groused. He'd just finished getting their last fallen party member back on his feet.

It made Severance grit his teeth, annoyance flaring. He'd been keeping everyone healed while Mr Bandaid did the Reviving. If he hadn't, they'd both be Reviving endlessly as players fell left, right, and center until the Boss flattened them all.

Poseideous roared right then, and a shockwave of sound hit every player. Some Guy, who was nicely back on his feet with a sliver of his health returned, dropped dead again.

"Aargh!" Mr Bandaid threw a glare at Severance. "You Revive him. I'm not doing it again!"

Severance exhaled slowly, fighting the urge to take off his boot and chuck it at the other healer's head. Did the guy think he was doing nothing over here?

"Radiant Dome." He slashed his war fans through the air more aggressively than needed. A new transparent dome appeared over the tanks.

"Didn't you hear me? I said, I'm not Reviving him. You can at least manage that, right?"

At that moment, Poseideous lifted its head straight up. Knowing what that meant, Severance narrowed his eyes, focusing. He needed to be ready to move.

"Oh, so you're ignoring me then. Is that it?"

Several balls of water shot out of Poseideous' open jaws, arcing up before falling straight to the platform. Severance saw one coming his way and deftly side-stepped, only moving just enough to get out of the way.

Cool wind brushed past his elbow, leaving a scattering of snowflakes in their wake. Severance jerked his head towards Angelo, who was innocently turned away, face upturned as if he were very studiously watching the Boss.

For crying out loud. What is wrong with these people?!

"You know what?" Mr Bandaid's voice raised in pitch. "Let's see how you handle it on your own." The Battle Dancer in white snapped his fans closed, transferred them both to one hand, and folded his arms defiantly.

When Severance turned to stare incredulously at him, Mr Bandaid lifted his chin defiantly. His body language was clear—he wasn't going to lift another finger to help.

Really? That's what you're going to do? Was this player twelve years old? Severance ground his teeth, but he had no time to give a response either way.

One of the puddles left behind by the globs of water erupted into a towering geyser. The off tank was launched into the air, his limbs flailing comically.

"Uh oh." Mr Bandaid smirked. "Looks like the tank's gonna die. You might actually have to heal now."

A strange, unfamiliar feeling began to unfurl within Severance. It was more than annoyance, and absent of the usual guilt he felt when being scolded by others. It grew like a flame doused in fuel. Static buzzed in his mind, stifling all thought, and for a long second, he stood very still, staring at his cohealer with a blank sort of expression.

Then slowly, his fingers tightened around his war fans. His brow knit together, eyes narrowing just a touch. Then without a word, Severance whirled around.

He's wrong.

A nudge in his awareness informed him that Ward was off cooldown, so Severance immediately tossed it on the airborne tank. The tank hit the ground, losing only a small chunk of health as Severance had predicted.

"Mend."

I know this fight. I can do it without him.

"The tail!" Yikes shouted, just as a shadow fell across the arena. A glance up showed Poseideous' shimmering green-scaled tail arched over them. Somehow, it had quietly snaked up from beneath the platform without anyone noticing until now. Players instantly scattered.

A few snowflakes spun past Severance's face. He turned his head to follow them with his gaze, even as he sped further away.

"What the -?!" Yikes' cry came a moment before the Boss's tail slammed down. A dull boom echoed throughout the arena. A plummeting health bar indicated that someone had been caught too close to the impact, and Severance didn't have to look twice to know that it was Yikes.

Once the dust settled, the fiery Evoker pointed at their cryomancer. "Watch it, Angelo! You almost got me killed!!"

Angelo just tilted his head, lips curled upward. "Sorry. I was going for the tail."

"You can't target the tail!"

"Oh. Really?"

"No! Use your brain! And be more careful!"

"Okay." The little gleam in Angelo's eyes told Severance that the cryomancer had absolutely zero intentions of being more careful.

Severance's lips pressed into a thin line. If they were going to successfully complete this Raid, then something had to be done about Angelo.