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Liam just had to prep the spell, no big deal. Yet it was (in his opinion) because Max in all his perceived intelligence decided to tell him to get god knows how high in the air with flying magic. He was cold and annoyed, he could barely see the landscape below.
There were blasts getting sent through the land from what Liam could see, both Max's and Arvid's. He assumed the booming noise was Isack with his large as hell axe.
"Fuckin' Max making me go up here. I'm not even the long range guy, it's fucking Arvid."
Liam muttered to himself, setting up said spell finally. He'd aim his staff, an old wooden thing adorned with silver cuffs along it where it'd been repaired. The small string that held a dark blue gem and a cyan gem lightly clinked in the wind as he pointed his staff down.
The familiar glow of the circular white-blue rune of the spell would emit into the air, growing larger in size as Liam set it to go further and further down. The hum of the spell echoed in his ears as he aimed, setting his body into an almost deadly rhythm, like a sniper's gun getting ready to strike. His blue eyes flitted along the landscape watching the blasts below get closer and closer to the point where Liam had to strike. Then,
"Zoltraak."
A loud zap then bang went through the air, and the land below exploded in a wave of rock and dirt getting sent through the air with the familiar crackle of a spell settling.
Liam would blink, coming back into his head, noting he'd done it. He'd killed the beast from this high up. He'd slowly come back down, immediately landing with shaky feet, having to lean on his staff for support.
"I'm never doing that shit again."
"Oh you will. Your strike went through the beast's core and made that."
Max said in reply after Liam landed. Liam would watch Max's hand point over to where Liam's spell went. Liam blinked in confusion and shock.
"What the hell? I made a hole that big?"
Liam blurted out, before being promptly yanked by Arvid.
"Yeah! Bigger hole than i've ever made, surprised you could make a crater so big mate."
Arvid said with a laugh following it. Liam continued to stare at the crater he'd made, eventually getting out of Arvid's arms to look at it. He'd peer down into the crater, watching as water from the nearby river began to flow into it.
"Oh god i've made a watering hole."
"More like a lake."
Max said, going Liam's side. Max's staff still sat in his hands, the gold gently glinting in the silvery light of the moon. It looked far more fancy than Liam's old thing, Liam internally wondered how Max had kept it in such good condition for so many years, the guy was an elf after all.
"Yeah, a lake I guess. The locals are gonna be pissed their river is now, diverted."
Liam muttered, finally taking his eyes off of Max's staff, un-summoning his own staff in the process.
"They'll get used to it, once the rain fills it. The lands here are known for rain after all."
Max replied, making Liam sigh. Considering the amount of times the group had been rained on when they got to this region was too often. It usually resulted in Liam using a spell to keep everyone dry.
"Can't wait to get away from rain for a bit."
Liam commented, making Max hum. He'd turn slightly glaring at him.
"You and your lack of concern for time."
Liam light-heartedly commented. Max only chuckled at that. After a few moments of silence he'd speak.
"I guess I should be used to human concepts of time by now."
Max said, which Liam paused a little at. It wasn't unknown that Max never got the time to be with the one he did love, not realising such feelings until the person was dead.
"Well, I keep you in check at least. But, it won't be like last time for you. We, even if I get annoyed at you, we do show we care about you Max."
Liam said, watching as the river continued to fill into the crater he'd made. The moonlight gently gilting onto the water.
"I, I think I'm aware of it. I'm just not sure how to show that care myself."
"Well you do. Even if it takes a second to realise."
Liam mumbled, fiddling with one of the silver rings Max had gotten him. So far he had two, one on each middle finger. Two birthdays, meaning two years travelling with the elf. It was more than Liam could ever ask for really, he was originally raised by a group of nuns that were nice, but, rather, poor as per the lifestyle really. So any gift was great.
"I do?"
Max mumbled, looking over at Liam in a slight surprise. Liam paused at that, shrinking away slightly. He wasn't used to direct attention like this.
"Uh, yeah. The, birthday gifts you get me. They're nice, more than I'd ever had really."
Liam confessed, opening up just a little bit. He figured Max should probably know more about him, if they were going to be around each other for a while on this journey.
"So if I got, more jewellery you'd wear it?"
"Yeah. Probably."
Liam replied, earning a small almost contented nod from Max. Liam would make a noise at that, managing to keep looking at Max.
"Don't blow our money on a gift."
"I wouldn't I know how much the money is valuable for supplies."
Max replied, before idly making his way away from the slowly filling crater Liam made, walking in the direction of where Isack and Arvid were.
"Oh, Isack needs some healing also. He decided to get bit by the beast."
Max would say, earning a noise of some sort of 'of course he'd end up like that' from Liam.
"How bad is it."
Liam mumbled, as he took out the holy book out of the satchel on his side. Being a prior priest had it's perks he guessed.
"Luckily just the arm. Puncture wound mostly."
"You're kidding."
Liam muttered, before walking over to an injured Isack, carefully beginning to heal the man.
"You need to stop gettin' bit by every beast we face."
"But I wouldn't get to ragebait you more."
Isack replied earning a light shove from Liam as the man continued to heal his arm wound. Max was idly observing from the sidelines seeming to take in how the rest of the group interacted.
"You shoulda seen what the beast nearly bit."
Arvid chimed in, hovering over Liam as he healed Isack's arm wound. Currently the bite was now not bleeding and Isack's tanned skin was slowly coming together.
"What did it nearly bite?"
"Isack's legs."
Liam regretted asking that. He didn't exactly want the vision of some beast trying to bite Isack's legs off. That was something Liam most definitely could not heal.
"Well, I was fast enough so, no issues."
"Yet your arm got bit and Arvid is fine."
Liam mumbled, leaving Arvid looking a little smug. Isack whined in response, nudging Liam with his now healed arm, as Liam put his holy book back into his satchel.
"But I fought well, and no one else got injured."
Liam would blink down at Isack, he was aware Isack occasionally asked for praise, scratch that, he asked for praise often, Liam just minimally gave it. Considering Max tended to not praise anyone much really, and Arvid was the youngest of the group.
"Fine, I'll hand you that, you didn't let anyone else get injured."
Liam said with a sigh, earning a noise of celebration from Isack. Then Liam would nearly get knocked over as Isack suddenly stood up.
"We should get going then, back to the local village to inform them of our success!"
Isack announced, before promptly walking off, Arvid quickly followed making sure Isack wasn't alone.
"And to inform them they now have a lake instead of a river."
Liam mumbled to himself as the two walked off. He'd turn to Max, who was still stood nearby.
"We're off then I guess."
Liam said to Max, before walking in the direction of where Isack and Arvid where going, gesturing for Max to walk alongside him.
"It would seem so."
Max said, walking alongside Liam, a successful side quest was now done. The journey continued on.