Fantasy Realms of Nymserine: Main Thread [[CLOSED]]

[Reis]

Sol was systematically killing the demons. His nimble body dashed past the long-fingered claws of many shadowy monsters. Although several events were happening around him, his mind was in a trance-like state, unable to process anything other than the battle between his brilliant fire and the shadows they formed. He sought to dominate the shadows in a dance between light and dark, using his blade to purify the evil creatures one thrust at a time. Every swing of his weapon seemed to bring inevitable death upon the demons, and he fluttered between them as he spread their ichor across the battlefield in a wave of fiery heat.

The demi-god paused at a booming laugh. His eyes flicked towards the monstrosity that would dare interrupt his dance, and his blade hungered for its life. He was surprised to see the demons fuse into an aberration of leathery flesh, able to deal with the Circle's elite warriors as if they were children. Adrenaline flooded his body when he watched the monster destroy, and he trembled in anticipation. Where others saw a terrifying cluster of demons, Sol simply saw a bigger target.

The excitement transformed into horror, however, when he saw the girl approach it. He felt helpless when it grabbed her in its demonic hands and started to slink back into the shadows. He poured all of his mana into his feet, charring the ground with enough flames to launch him into the air. He flew just above Roland's attacks, readying his sword and staring at the demons with a blank, disgusted glare. "Give her back..." His voice, though barely above a whisper, held the power of the gods within it.

Zazz @everybody

 

[Zazz]

At first, Cassia was too far in shock to do anything as she was snatched up with ease. But when she felt herself moving with the creature, her face covered, she frowned and started to wiggle. "Ow.. you're crushing... " Frustrated, the little one sunk her sharp canines into the demon's hand and tore flesh, spitting it out as her vision was uncovered. Glaring up at the creature, she shouted, "That wasn't very nice! You could have just asked! Put me down, you rice puddle!" Cassia squirmed and kicked and snapped her teeth at whatever she could, snarling at the big meanie. "Let me go!"

 

[SilverFlight]

Pyrrhus slowed as the grell swarmed him. He hacked and slashed and kicked them back, but they caught up his legs and made him stumble. Their claws raked his fur but the centaur found that the scratches were not as deep as they should have been. If he had a moment to think he would have recalled the small armoured plate he had been given as a mercenary, and its resistance to dark magic. He saw the demon snatch up little Cassia and suddenly he gave a snarl of frustration. He gathered his legs underneath him and leapt, soaring over the heads of the imps, sending some flying as he jumped clear. He saw Roland taking up the chase and cantered level with his friend.
"Get on!" He yelled, offering Roland a hand. Together they would run the demon down and rescue the strange young girl.
Pyrrhus proceeded to tear through the ranks of lesser monsters, keeping his flanks clear and covering Roland to better allow him the freedom to cast.

 

[Purize]

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

There was a knock outside of Azaria's chambers and a gruff voice sounded from the other side. "Miss Eldyvira?" He asked, fumbling with the pronunciation of her last name. "Maximus has asked for you to meet him at the front gates."

The man didn't bother to wait for a response and his boots could be heard padding down the hall until the sound faded all together.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Maximus greeted passing circle members with a solemn nod as a few trickled in and out of the gates. Most of them were always busy doing something, only coming back to headquarters in between jobs or to relay crucial intel. Some came back on stretchers and covered in burlap blankets in the back of wagons... Death and loss was nothing new to any of them, but they seldom made it easier when a comrade fell. So, it wasn't too hard to imagine that Maximus hated waiting at the Circle's gates.

Though his arms were crossed neatly and vigilantly in front of his broad chest, his hands itched to be doing something. Normally he would be running around running negotiations, reading letters, handling and distributing jobs or meeting with the king... but no. There he stood waiting for the dark-haired half-elf. And when she arrived they would head off towards the lower ring to search around for prostitutes... An unusual task that he was by no means excited for.

How long had it been since he'd been in the lower ring? Years, surely. He grew up in Aeredale and he loved the city, but the lower ring held no fond memories. They rarely had any business there, but on the off chance there was something within its walls to attend to, he would always be sure to assign someone else besides himself... until now. Of course, he could have gotten someone else to accompany Azaria if he so wished, but this was his investigation. And, admittedly, he worried for her safety among the other members who were still bitter about her involvement in Döthrangus's murder.

So, here he waited. To pass the time, she turned his gaze out over the city. Headquarters sat on top of a tall hill, much like the castle did, and from here you could see the rings stretch out like colorful auras, tinted by the lively hues of day-to-day traffic of the inner-city.
Zazz

 

[Zazz]

Azaria waited quietly as the footsteps faded. To be honest, she hated being associated with her mother, so she cared little about the mispronounced name. The halfling checked her handiwork with the belt and made sure it was secure. She rubbed the tips of her ears in black to blend them into her hair and left the room. She could pass for a particularly small, angular human.

She approached Maximus at the gate, noting how uncomfortable he looked. She stepped up beside him, having come up behind him, and said abruptly, "Shall we?"

 

[Purize]

Maximus didn't scare easy, and when Azaria popped up beside he nodded and started on the road through the innermost ring. Getting to the lower ring would be a bit of a walk, so it was best they got an early start. "I hope you know some contacts that will be willing to stand trial for you," he said, giving her a brief sideways glance.

 

[Zazz]

With a sigh, she followed along. She'd hoped to catch him off guard, not that she had been really trying. Oh well. "I believe I do." Kaeli would take her side, no doubt. It was a matter of whether the others would, too.

Unlike Maximus, Azaria relaxed the further they got from the inner city. There were more people to get lost in, even in the early hours of sunlight. Shops were set up, and customers lined the streets this way and that. The halfling slipped a few coins from a well-dressed man's pocket and promptly dropped them in the open hat of a homeless child without breaking her stride. She took Maximus gently by the arm and steered him through quieter alleys until finally, they reached the Sultry Pearl.

The door creaked a little as she let him in first. A voice called from the bar, "Sir, we're not open-" The woman's eyes widened at the sight of the Circle leader, just as Kaeli came around the corner with freshly baked goods.

Kaeli looked between the two Circle members curiously and set down the tray of goodies. "Maximus Powwel, to what do we owe your presence?" The fae woman approached them gently, taking one of the man's hands and one of Azaria's in welcome. Relaxed by her lover's touch, Azaria's gaze drifted towards the breakfast laid out by the wall.

 

[Purize]

Maximus didn't say much else as they passed through the tiers of the city. He noted the elf's stride became more confident the closer they got. The little slight of hand with the rich man to the poor child was not lost on him, of course. A knot tied in his gut and he had to swallow back a wave of emotion from past memories. More and more he was silently regretting this trip.

Ever since he'd taken on the investigation he'd watched her closely without making it obvious. It wasn't necessarily because he distrusted her, but it was certainly precautionary. Or... at least it started out that way. Now, he caught himself observing her out of sheer interest. With a blink, he tore his attention away to other things. What was he thinking?

She certainly knew how to navigate the lower ring, he noted, not that he would make a comment of it. She guided them expertly through the lower ring until they eventually arrived at the Sultry Pearl. On first sight, it really didn't look unpleasant. It was more like an inn than a brothel... In any case, Azaria walked through the front door like she owned the place. But perhaps that was simply due to her personality, he thought.

They were more or less "greeted" by a bartender. He dipped his head respectively to her. "Good morning milady. I apologize for the intrusion." A fae approached them then and took their hands as a sort of welcome. He gave her a faint, business-like smile, but it wasn't unkind. Simply reserved.

Azaria left to go pick at the freshly baked goods the woman had just set down and he almost rolled his eyes at her. "Good day, Miss. I know this is a sudden visit, but if I could talk to a few of your ladies about an investigation I'm leading I would appreciate the cooperation." He paused for a moment, glancing again at Azaria. "Do any of you happen to recall the name Döthrangus?" He continued, he voice a little quieter.
Zazz

 

[Zazz]

Kaeli glanced over her shoulder. "Er... Well, the owner isn't in... ah... But... I suppose...?" The horned fae looked to the bartender, who shrugged, equally unaware of how to handle the situation. Kaeli returned her silver gaze to Maximus's face and gave him a charming, gentle smile.

At the name of the deceased elf's name, a woman with dark hair poked her head in the beaded doorway. "...What about him?" Her voice was small, and nervous. Kaeli frowned and glanced at Azaria, who was in heaven over by the pastries. Through sweet treats she explained that there was a trial. Understanding came over the fairy's face and she tugged Maximus towards the entertainment room.

"Come, we can discuss this in private."

Azaria quickly stuffed her face and followed after the other three.

 

[BugDozer73]

Roland saw the centaur pull up beside him and offer him a hand. With a smile, Roland through his palm in the centaurs and was hauled onto his back, and together they charged the shadows. "WE'RE COMING" He called after the little one, willing her hope.

Pyrrhus moved swiftly through the shadows, pursuing the demon creature, and with some effort, managed to buy Roland time to cast. Roland held out both his hands and began chanting loudly in his Merfolk tongue, conjuring two sea green run circles to form around his arms. As he chanted, Salt water geysers began to erupt around the field, pouring water over the creatures and soaking the ground. Overlaid with his merfolk magic was the crackle of electricity, as his mothers blood in his veins darkened the sky. The rain began to pour harder, and flashes of lightning illuminated the world overhead.

The demon watched with irritation as the girl bit its finger, and hissed at her.
"Silence Urchin. The master has plans for you." It squeezed tighter to keep her restrained, and looked back and Pyrrhus and Roland now riding through his shadows.

"Pests" It muttered, and held out two of it's six arms. From the pool of shadows trailing it, tendrils of darkness shot out, smashing into the earth, sending water and mud in all directions, with now soaked wheat stocks. Roland held out his hands and sent surges of electricity over and over into the crowd or demons trying to slow them, the arcs trailing through multiple enemies in the blink of an eyes, disintegrating them, but more and more kept coming.

"WE NEED TO GET CLOSER!" He cried, his voice seeming to echo from the wind itself, almost as if the storm itself was mirroring him.

 

[Zazz]

Cassia struggled in its grasp. She bit at whatever she could of the foul beast's leathery fingers. Anger and frustration surged within her, and she wished that she knew how to control her magic, how to use it at will. Distantly, she could hear shouting. "Nobody likes rice puddles!" She informed the demon, in case he didn't know. She screamed as loud and high-pitched as she could, and she could feel the demon's body falter as her magic pierced one of the creatures' minds. Outside of her finger prison, the others could see one of the supporting demons attempt to rip away from the main baddie. But together, they were too strong for the young girl, and she whimpered, her mana nearly depleted. "Let me go," she sobbed.

 

[SilverFlight]

Pyrrhus was too preoccupied with the demons to take much notice of what Roland was doing, he kept running, surging through the thickening tide. It was becoming more and more clear they would be overwhelmed before they reached the monster. Then suddenly the path lit up before them as Roland's lightning cleared the way, but it was short lived.
He heard Roland yell: "We need to get closer!"
"Right! hang on!" Pyrrhus sped up, trampling the smaller minions as they tried to grab his legs. They became thicker suddenly up ahead, but they were so close! A shadow passed over them and Pyrrhus looked up, then grinned.
"Roland!...I'm going to have to throw you!"
Without saying anything more he twisted his torso and grabbed his friend even as he gave a short jump and crouched for the largest spring he could muster. The leap cleared the heads of their attackers, mud and water flying from his hooves as they soared. In the air he pulled Roland before him and in the same movement used his momentum to swing the pirate forward. Pyrrhus began to fall back towards the horde, but as Roland flew the shadow descended upon him and Tura stretched out her talons to catch the warrior and right him before he hit the ground, placing him on his feet, directly before their foe.

((Lemme know if this is too extra, I'll edit.))

 

[Purize]

Verity, temporarily dumbstruck without her sword, snapped back to attention when Cassia was plucked from the ground like a flower and waved around by the demon melting-pot tower. Gritting her teeth, she flicked her wrists and blue magic sang up her arms in a line of wispy smoke. It almost looked like blue fire, but much more ethereal and shimmering. She held out her arms in front of her and crossed them, making a sort of quick, scissor motion towards the demon. Light shot forward and magic crackled through the air like thunder as a blue glyph etched itself onto the muddled ground below the beast.

The blue light rose like smokey tendrils that attached to anything in the range of the circle. The ether zone lashed at whatever it came into contact with causing whatever damage it could for roughly five seconds before the light of the glyph faded to nothing. The demons that were clumped together let out a synchrony of shrill screams that make Verity smile. Luckily she'd never felt the effect of the ether zone herself, but from watching her victims befall it, it looked like it hurt. Her attack was timed with Roland's landing in front of the abomination and she used it's split second distraction to get closer.

She stood next to Roland, maybe a foot behind and gave him a small nod.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~


Maximus followed Kaeli and the other woman into the room. If being in an "entertainment room" in a whore house bothered him, he didn't show it. He simply sat down on a rather plush sofa and looked at the woman expectantly. "Tell me what you know."
Zazz

 

[Zazz]

Azaria sat in one of the loveseats adjacent to Maximus, and the dark-haired whore timidly took a seat on a sofa across from him. The redhead stood brought water for all three of them and stood behind Azaria, softly running her fingertips along the halfling's scalp. Azaria closed her eyes and listened as the other woman spoke.

"I know he was killed... He... Sir came through here every now and then." The woman bit her lip and glanced at Kaeli, who nodded reassuringly. "He had been acting strange... Kind of on edge, and... and I saw him writing in his... diary? I don't know... I.. I told Kaeli he was acting suspicious, so she talked to him and he said the king... His Highness... he said he would die in under a fortnight."

The horned redhead nodded, confirming the story. "He did seem off. My magic... I can loosen the inhibitions of even the most stubborn, secretive of half-elves..." she teased, slipping her hands down Azaria's shoulders, "but his truth was unclear. I asked Azaria to look into it."

The half-elf opened her eyes and settled them on Maximus. "And so I did."

 

[Purize]

Maximus didn't say a word until the girl was finished. With the three of them in the room the story slipped into place almost perfectly. Almost. His eyes flicked to Azaria and the read-headed fae. They were clearly close. It was obvious. Not that he minded that part, he was more concerned with their closeness and how it pertained to the evidence. From another's perspective, Azaria and the fae could have planned this way ahead of time... She could be covering for her. Even he understood how the word of a whore was't necessarily... preferable.

With a sigh leaned back on the seat, rubbing his forehead. "Thank you for your cooperation, ladies. Would the two of you be willing to stand trial and give testimony at the Circle's court this evening?" He sat up again, looking at the red-head and the dark-haired women.
Zazz

 

[Lekiel]

"I'm sorry..." She felt terrible. A pair of bright amber eyes stared out at her from under the rubble of a ruined house. It's blackened wood creaked and smoked, as parts of it still burned from the remnants of a raging fire that did not seem to want to extinguish even under the rain. Fernwe looked worriedly at the teetering rubble. She wasn't sure how she managed to find her companion's hiding spot, but she somehow knew it. She knew the furry creature felt betrayed. In all their years together, she'd never done anything like she did to Finwinne. Sure she was under some sort of spell (or was she?), but it didn't matter anymore. It would be of no use if she couldn't get the tikitooth out. Crouching lower, she was almost flat on the dusty ground.

"Amin hiraetha Finwinne." Fernwe reached both hands outward, but Finwinne only let out a mew and retreated further. "We need all the help we can get... I need your help Finny...". Finwinne made a retching noise, as if she suddenly had a mouthful of the cheesiest cheese ever.

"Urgh..." Fernwe rolled her eyes at the cat, and turned away to lay on her back, gaze facing the darkened skies. "If you come out now, you'll get all the tikinoms you want for a day-," there was another mew, "alright! Alright! For a week!"

Fernwe smiled as she heard a slight rustle and then soft fur brushing against her cheek.

, ; . ' ` ~ * ~ ` ' . ; , ; . ' ` ~ * ~ ` ' . ; , ; . ' ` ~ * ~ ` ' . ;
​

"Faster Finny, faster!" The halfling let out a delighted giggle, as she crouched low on the back of her companion. The rush of air had blown back her hood as she held on with calm familiarity, pressing herself close against the coarse sleek fur of the creature of midnight black bounding powerfully beneath her. Liquid muscles rippling, the beast leapt effortlessly through the air and over smoking ruins. The smoke parted and Fernwe caught sight of her friends.

"Over there!" She needn't have said anything. There was a minute shift of momentum and Finwinne was already barelling down at the center of the fight. Fangs as long as blades flashing, Finwinne crashed through the mob surrounding Pyrhus breaking the grells' attack. Without breaking a stride, the duo charged on to where Fernwe saw Verity casting her spell against the greater demon. Fernwe braced herself, the rhythmic thud of Finwinne's paws the only sound she heard above the din. The tikitooth let out a savage roar, causing the demon to turn to the new adversary, all six limbs tensing for the attack as it let out a shrill cry of its own. Fernwe's eyes narrowed till they were near slits. Closer... closer... At the last moment, she cried out.

"Nardan`desiel Finwinne!" The change was immediate. Like a practiced choreograph of a scene played a thousand times, Finwinne stopped short of the greater demon, all of its momentum gathered on her four powerful paws; if only for but a moment. The delayed attack maneuvere so unlike anything a savage beast would do. Fernwe took advantage of the confusion, using the abrupt stop to launch herself forward curling her small frame into a ball as she sailed over the demon. She cast her hands outward as she flew overhead, lips finishing an incantation she began long before the attack. Already hurt by the elf's spell, the demon roared again as it attempted to grasp at the halffairy, only to find strong roots binding at its limbs. Then, a mass of midnight fur and gnashing teeth crashed into it.

 

[Zazz]

Azaria studied Maximus as he studied her, playing with the fae's fingers gently. Her gaze flickered to the third woman as she fidgeted, dark eyes flitting over to Kaeli.

"I-I-I... I can't leave during work hours..."

While Azaria returned her gaze to Maximus, Kaeli stepped around the loveseat and went to sit next to her coworker, taking her hand supportively. Of Maximus she asked, "Is there any way the trial may be moved to the early afternoon? It's just that... Well, I don't think I need to explain to you what sort of work we do. But any time away from work is essentially two steps back from freedom for Daeryse." Kaeli stroked the young woman's hair, comforting her. "You would testify in the afternoon, yes?"

"...I.. suppose..."

Kaeli looked to Maximus hopefully.

 

[BugDozer73]

Roland felt his stomach drop as he was hurled into the air, and caught by a wall of feathers. Despite his inability to look down, he was so caught up in the moment that he landed with grace and poise, ready to face the demon. Verity used a little trick herself to make her way to Rolands side, and he gave her a grim smile. Fernwe was not far behind riding on a black beast and began her assault on the creature, entangling it in vines and letting her beast mount leap to its chest. The Demon shrieked as it struggled to break free of the entanglements, writhing against the tearing vines, but without the use of the hands holding the girl, it seemed incapable of escaping. In a last second decision, The demon dropped Cassia and turned to tear the vines off. The demon roared in a feral rage, and grabbed the muscular black beast, beating it with some of its free hands for a moment and hurling it aside, but the chest of the demon was in shreds, black blood drooling out of the slash marks.

In a blur, Roland leaped forward and caught Cassia as she fell, shielding her with his body as the broken vines and branches fell down on them. He gave her a smile as he stood up and placed her on her feet, ruffling her hair a little. "You're ok now. Stay behind me, ok?" Roland turned and caught the rocketing fist of the demon as it descended upon them. The creatures meaty fingers were huge, at least the size of Rolands head. With strain, and gritted teeth, he pushed back hard, pushing the beast back in the mud little by little. For a moment, a look of panic crossed its six eyes, but was immediately replaced by a look of rage. With another fist he swung hard, and Roland turned, grabbing Cassia and dashing out of the way. The fist slammed hard into the earth, shaking the ground before them. 20 feet away Roland placed Cassia down, his reassuring smile to her never wavering.

Roland turned once again, his face turning dark and grim like the stormy sky. With one bound, he leapt back into the fray, his for arms Arcing with electricity dangerously. He landed powerfully on the chest of the demon, who skidded back in shock, and began trying to grab the demigod. Roland cried loudly, and a bolt of lightning ripped from the clouds and connected with the demon, drawing its own screams. The lightning held continuously, and the demon began to shift, as it struggled to remain in its more powerful form.

"HIT IT!" Roland cried in Agony as he tried keep the writhing demon contained.

 

[SilverFlight]

Pyrrhus had cast himself in the midst of the writhing horde of demons getting Roland over them. He kicked and thrashed, pummeling the thralls left and right, but they caught his legs and kept him from finding his feet. A burst of light flashed past him and his vision blanked for a moment. When it returned he found three of his legs free and Verity running past him. He sprung up, slashing at the demons again for good measure before leaping clear into the path Verity had made. He saw Fernwe and her giant cat attack and Roland, his arms arcing with lightning. At the call to attack Pyrrhus charged with another roar, flanking the creature and moving to plunge his swords up to the hilt straight into the demon's back.

Tura circled round after dropping Roland off. Once she saw Cassia on her own at a distance she swooped down to meet the little girl, shielding her tiny body from the brunt of the battle with her massive ebony wings.

 

[Zazz]

Suddenly, gravity was pulling the young girl to the earth. She clutched the small objects within her cloak to her small body, until her high-pitched screaming was cut short by Roland's arms. Even as he sheltered her, a surprised shriek came from the girl as things crashed around them. Cassia did as she was told, wide-eyed, and stayed behind the demigod. And then she was promptly picked up and carried away. She felt confused and scared, even as she wiped the ichor from her face on the sleeve of her cloak. Tura of Many Feathers came to protect her, though Cassia cowered beneath them; she had seen up close what happened to the demons that touched the beast.

 

[Purize]

Round after round, balls of luminous blue light sang through the air, tearing towards the towering beast and colliding with it's thick, leathery skin. it glistened black with stinking ichor and caught the reflection of the smokey balls of light that attacked it. It was like throwing a physical ball, almost. But Verity's magic could rip through a thing and then come back like a boomerang, dealing a second flighty blow on it's way back to her. However, she was exhausted. There wasn't much else she could do without her sword but through her wisp around and cast her ether zone... but that was costly magic.

The crystal necklace around her neck glowed and dimmed... glowed and dimmed... a steady pulse of faint light. A symbol of her mana draining in rapid succession with every second her Focus glided through the air. Beads of sweat formed filmy streaks on her crinkled forhead and her breath became labored. It was now or never.

She was aware of her teammates fighting and moving around her, all throwing an effort in to kill the beast. Rain of splintered wood and roots fell like dust over their heads as the monster thrashed and roared. It's movements became less systematic, less thoughtful... it was getting tired too.

"HIT IT!" Roland cried, and with a battle cry of her own he dashed forward, jumping up the small hill of roots that tied around it's legs to the top- then leaped. She lit up like the moon, so bright that the blueish tint that always seemed to cling to her magic turned white and it exploded. Her hands shot out, those hands that used to be so delicate and manicured, those hands that were now scared and chipped and beaten, rose up and blasted the last bit of her remaining energy in one final, desperate wave of mana. It was like the day she killed her uncle, when her arms came up defensively and threw everything around her backwards.

Her ears rang and light blinded her vision. her body felt weightless and she heard a faint roar in the distance. Then, she felt a jolt as she hit the ground and time sped up again. Through bleary eyes, she looked up, seeing the contorted beast teeter before falling back. It wasn't dead, not yet, but Verity had managed to quite literally knock it onto it's ass. And it wasn't happy.

*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*

Maximus smiled kindly at the girl, "Well I don't see why not. We could leave now if you like." He looked to Kaeli to see if she would oblige. It would be better for them to head out now and finish up the trial early. That way they could be back on time. Maximus stood and got the door, holding it open for the ladies to file out.
Zazz

 

[SilverFlight]

Tura protected the little gorl, seeing her cower away from her bulky form.
"Its all right little one, I only shock the things I wish to." As if in demonstration she extended a wing to cuff a demon that was foolish enough to come at her. The creature screeched as it fizzled and collapsed. Tura used the same wing to brush Cassia's ichor-stained cheek. The feather was smooth and cool to the touch.
"There, see? You're in good company."
There was a sudden crash as the demon fell, Tura watched from the shadow of her wings, waiting to see if her students needed her.

Pyrrhus danced back as Verity's attacked felled the beast. He kept clear of it as it fell but was darting in again right after, aiming another strike straight at the creature's exposed throat.
"Take that!" He yelled, pouring all the power he had into the blow.

 

[Zazz]

Cassia watched with wide eyes as the creature's wing came towards her face, too afraid to move. But the feather was smooth and soft, and it did not burn the young one in the slightest. She reached above her head and touched the dark feathers, brushing them with her fingertips. It was not long after that she huddled closer to Tura's body under the safety of her wings.

Yellow irises peered up at the winged mentor. "Should we help them?" The little one did not know what more she could do, especially not without being recaptured.

 

[BugDozer73]

Roland collapsed with the beast, contending strength for strength to keep the demon locked in the way of each attack. The creature struck the earth with tremendous force, enough to shake Roland off and send him rolling back a ways, heaving to catch his breath. His mana was already replenishing, his strength seeming to flow back into him like a surge of water. Pyrrhus leapt forward at the creature, slashing at its throat, sending its head back as its neck split. The creature gurgled and hissed, and a ring of red runes appeared around the demons form, and it melted into shadow and was gone. The other demons that had fought now either laid dead on the battlefield or slunk back to the darker parts of the village and vanished. Roland rose from the earth, crossing over to Verity and helping her back onto her feet. The skies seemed to clear as Roland caught his breath, the darker storm clouds parting with the breeze. The charge in the air seemingly dispersed, and though while many things were soaked from the downpour, Roland stood dry.

"That was quite a spell", he offered Verity, smiling at her grimly. While he was glad to have defeated the creature, he knew it wasn't dead. He wondered silently if demons held grudges.

Roland recollected himself and turned to Tura, gesturing to the child beneath her wings.

"We can't leave her here.... should we take her to Akron?"

 

[Lekiel]

"I'd like to see Akron too..." Came an unusually soft voice.

When the battle was over, Fernwe had rushed over to find Finwinne unconscious and back to her ordinary form. There was a long wicked gash along her flanks and the tikitooth was having trouble breathing. The halffairy had quickly imparted whatever strength left in her to heal the wound and applied a healing poultice. Finwinne would survive alright, but Fernwe still worried for her friend. She clutched the feline protectively within the folds of her cloak as she peered at the faces of her companions. They all seemed shaken, cut and bruised but otherwise alright from the ordeal.