221 Melted hear (1/2)

That's not to say that Detra was a particularly cheerful person, nor that she didn't already have a lot of reasons to dread her own day to day life, or even less that today had been even close to a good day for her with all the demons that kept trying to rip her apart, having to get stabbed by Daren without being allowed to fight back, or having to listen to Mia's mockery.

But there was one thing, in particular, that could just completely destroy any last traits of her will to live.

”Behold!! This is the start of my story as the greatest hero who ever lived!!!”

Or rather, someone.

”UUUUUGHHHHH!!!!” she groaned with  a very powerful sense of self-defeat every time any word would come out from Joseph's mouth.

[Mother!! Focus!!] Marcus tried to warn her.

”Whyyyy...?? Clearly there is no point in trying to save the human race... Just let Mia kill us all...” she replied trying to wonder if fighting by Joseph's side was a less dreadful fate than falling in battle while staring at the boy's behavior.

[MOTHER!!!] Marcus screamed inside her mind.

”Fine... Fine...” she whispered while pouting.

The woman finally dropped her crying act and began to cast her spell again.

”Do not fear, my princess!! I'll stand here and guard you against any evil that would dare bear its fangs upon your lovely face!” Joseph commented while unleashing his electric whips on any demon or monster that dared to approach them.

Detra wanted to grab her staff and just stab the kid with each passing second they spent together, but she tried her best to contain her anger and focus on her mission.

”Grant me the power to freeze these lands...” she said while trying to start her chanting, ”Grant me the strength to overcome my foe...”

[MOTHER!! MOVE!!]

”Eh...?”

Before she could continue, though, a fireball dropped from the sky and almost fell on her. The woman broke her chant and created an ice shield to block the attack that almost crushed her.

”What the hell was that!!??” she shouted, followed by glaring at the young mage ”hey kid!! You're supposed to be protecting me!!”

”I'm trying!! But this is not enemy fire!!” Joseph explained.

”Wha...?” Detra replied. She then paid closer attention to the field and noticed that Leona had summoned her fire ape again and was brawling with the water hydra.

To Detra's surprise, this time her gorilla was actually putting up a fight. The hydra kept trying to blast the beast and stab its torso with one of its heads, but every time it tried, her flames would just make the water and ice evaporate.

”What the... What happened to the fire mage??” Detra pondered.

”A god...? You mean the new east goddess??” Detra wondered.

[Probably...]

”...” Detra began to lose herself in her thoughts. She was very curious about this new goddess of the east and really wished she could meet her.

[MOTHER!!!] Marcus yelled once again.

”Huh!? OH!!” her son's voice alerted the woman to another incoming fireball that was about to fly towards her. It seemed like the battle between the giant elemental beasts was making Leona drop a couple of fireballs all over the field.

Detra used her ice magic once again to stop the fire, but a second one was coming right behind it. She was about to cast a platform to move out of the way but a group of red mages started to appear from behind her.

”Oh, great...” she mumbled while pondering what problem she should try to deal with first.

But before she could react, Joseph used his whips to explode the fireball before it could reach her.

”Sensei!! Did you see that!!? I just saved a goddess!!!” Joseph boasted.

”Former goddess, my pupil!” Xadi corrected him while still sitting on the kid's head.

”Oh! Right! She's not a goddess anymore... Sorry, miss Evlin's maid!”

Detra just glared at the boy and the stuffed toy, ”can I kill them...? Just a little?”

[NO!!!] her son stated, [and pay attention!!]

The red mages finally reached her while shouting ”give us the living weapon!!!” and tried to aim at her with a barrage of elemental spells.

Detra aimed her staff at them to cast a freezing spell but Joseph was quicker and just zapped all of them with his whips.

The kid just started to grin while watching the red mages falling on the ground unconscious.

”Did you see her face, sensei!?? I just stole her kill!!!” the boy boasted again.

”I hate him... So much...” Detra whispered.

She did however finally realized that she could probably trust in him to keep her safe so she, at last, decided to focus on her task at hand.

”Grant me the power to freeze these lands...” she started her chant again, only this time, she was trying to focus all her magic energy remaining to make sure it would affect every single demon present on the field.

Marcus also tried to send as much blessed energy as he could to help his mother.

”Grant me the strength to overcome my foe...” Detra continued.

The magic kept gathering all around her, large pieces of frozen shards started to appear and float around her.