The wolves were fast, granted, but Nita was no slowpoke herself. Still, it was quite the herculean challenge to avoid being bitten or clawed by the leaping beasts of darkness. And even harder still it was to keep tabs on the chief cultist, wherever he was, and whatever he was doing, seeing as he was not going to honorably wait for the Pergrandian to take care of the wolves before executing further attacks of his own. It was in moments like this that Nita wished she was more open to carrying shields with her. Magical shields she could create, but those cost energy. She did have a fine shield at home, but she had always thought it too bulky. Until now. And none of her Requip spells had a shield summoned. She would have to make do by relying on her natural agility, and using her chakrams to worthy effect. They were going to be useful for a fight such as this, which required a lot of dodging and counterattacking. Now she just had to deal with the issue of having someone attack while she was trying to dodge. That seemed to be the general strategy the wolves were using. But every strategy had a downside, and Nita figured out one.
As one of the wolves lunged for a bite at her leg, the Pergrandian mage leaped backwards and into the air. An aerial maneuver such as this had the advantage of quickly creating distance between herself and her opponent, although it meant that, unless she could fly, she had left herself open to another attack, which the second wolf seemed eager to capitalize on. It leaped into the air itself, maw opened wide, and a strange black saliva glistening on its equally black fangs. That was what Nita had hoped for. She flung Altair at its head, the flying chakram cutting through its face and sending it off course. The flung chakram immediately rebounded, returning to her hand, even as she used Arcturus to deflect the cultist’s sword as he made a lunging stab at her. As she deflected his attack, the blonde mage quickly followed up with a rising knee strike to his jaw, sending him staggering backwards, just before she jumped backwards herself, evading both wolves as they pounced. Wait, wasn’t the one she’d just attacked dead yet? Well, that didn’t matter much. Without skipping a beat, she flung both chakrams, the ring weapons carving graceful arcs through the air as they met their targets. One of the wolves howled as it dissipated into black mist, while the other snarled and charged again, even as the cultist made another lunging stab. Fortunately, he didn’t seem too skilled with his weapon, but it made him no less dangerous. Nita threw one chakram when the wolf seemed to be making a big jump, but it was just a feint, and the animal dodged it. She wasn’t willing to throw the second just yet, because that would leave her unarmed against the cultist’s sword. And as if on cue, the cultist lunged again, causing Nita to try to parry his attack. And that was when she realized the trap.
Instead of using his weapon, the cultist grabbed at her chakram. Granted, it would grievously injure his hand, but if he held it, unless Nita left it for him, she would be sacrificing mobility which would be necessary to dodge the second wolf, and her thrown chakram was still on its way back. There wasn’t much time to think. She refused to release her other weapon, even as the wolf bore down on her, barely missing her, although she felt its claws rip a bit of her shoulder. Also, the cultist suddenly stabbed again, much faster than she had expected. That one she couldn’t dodge. The sword gashed her deeply in the side, but at least it wasn’t a straight stab through the center of her stomach, and it didn’t seem to have hit any internal organs. Still, the weapon was much more painful than it was expected to be. Nita had been injured a number of times in her work as a mage, and she knew the feel of a steel weapon against flesh. But this seemed to be no ordinary steel. It was probably cursed with the death power of the dead god, which would explain why it seemed so inimical. But despite her injuries, Nita suddenly realized she had an unexpected advantage: having both just attacked, it would be very difficult to make a defense in the same breath, and both her opponents were in close proximity to her. They would realize that Altair and Arcturus weren’t just weapons to be thrown about and caught like fancy circus props.
”Binary Star!”
The returning chakram and the one in her hand suddenly lit up with bright cyan flames, as they spun wildly round her, slicing relentlessly into her enemies who had been so foolishly close to her, and sending their bodies flying. The wolf did not reach the floor before it dissipated, but the cultist did, still very much alive, though he had lost the fingers on his left hand. If it hurt, he didn’t seem to feel it, as he rose to his feet gloating. ”Have you felt it?” he asked, a crazed smile on his face, ”have you felt the sting of death? I’m sure you know by now that this is not a normal weapon. Now, be a good girl and quietly die and let me resurrect Xavuul. You will be highly esteemed for your sacrifice. We will name a day in your honor.” Nita rolled her eyes. ”Oh please, stop being dramatic. Of what use is being honored, if I can’t get to enjoy it? I mean, everyone would be celebrating Nita Day, except the one for whom it was named. Kinda redundant, don’t you think?” The old man grinned even more maniacally. ”That’s the grist of it, child. How many people are alive when days are named after them?” Nita would have laughed, if this fellow weren’t trying to kill her. But it seemed he was alone now. It was time to end this. Her chakrams vanished, and were replaced instead by a mace with a star-shaped head. This weapon would be useful for a one-on-one fight, and Nita hoped she would be able to beat this fellow before he could get to summon the Ravagers again.
The two charged at each other, just as the cultist gestured. He was casting again? Nita sensed a form appear behind her, and changed her stance, as she stopped and wheeled round to face this new enemy. It seemed humanoid, and wielded a knife. For the second time, Nita thought about how good a shield would have been at a time like this. But regrets never did anything. She parried the creature’s knife, and suddenly reached with her free hand, as the head of her mace glowed brightly, infusing her with greater strength. She threw the knife-wielding creature in the direction of the cultist, preventing him from pressing his attack, and brought the mace down with both hands on the creature’s head. Seeing this, the cultist attacked again, but Nita managed to barely dodge. Although pummeled with the mace, the downed knife wielder suddenly reached out, and stabbed its weapon deep into the Pergrandian’s left calf. Nita bit back a scream, as she channeled divine energy, even as she saw the cultist draw back his sword and aim to stab at her once more. Dodging would be difficult, with her leg wound, so she would simply make an attack of her own and hope her attack hit first.
It did. Circles of concentric runes flashed out from her, running over the knife-wielding thing and the cultist that had summoned it. As soon as the runes touched them, strong fiery light descended from above, never minding that they were in a stone room, possibly many feet underground even, and smashed the two foes. With an otherworldly cry, the knife wielder dissipated, but the cultist remained, though he seemed to be in great pain. Nita would not let him recover. With two blows from her paladin mace, she laid him out on the ground, and added an extra blow to be sure he stayed down and out permanently. Seemed the mission was over. Now she would have to find Tim. Finding him wasn’t difficult. By using her magic sensory ability, she could detect movement, and having tracked the movement, she was able to find her partner, limping and heavily injured, guiding himself by a glowing ball of light. ”Tim!” she called, her voice equal parts worry and relief. ”What did I tell you about dying on me? And before you start, you’re three-quarters dead. That’s very bad of you.” She communed a prayer for healing as she approached the tall mage. ”Come, let me--” But the words were not to be completed, as she suddenly stopped, a look of horror flowing across her face. Then a trickle of black blood flowed out from the corner of her mouth, and she fell. Standing over her was the chief cultist, his crazed grin resting on Tim. ”I cannot be killed! Xavuul is the god of death! You think you can defeat his greatest servant? I have been brought back from the brink, for my purpose transcends any other on this earth. Now come, boy. Come and join your friend in death.”
WC: 1580
PWC: 13930
TWC: 26302
@Rodadnuf
As one of the wolves lunged for a bite at her leg, the Pergrandian mage leaped backwards and into the air. An aerial maneuver such as this had the advantage of quickly creating distance between herself and her opponent, although it meant that, unless she could fly, she had left herself open to another attack, which the second wolf seemed eager to capitalize on. It leaped into the air itself, maw opened wide, and a strange black saliva glistening on its equally black fangs. That was what Nita had hoped for. She flung Altair at its head, the flying chakram cutting through its face and sending it off course. The flung chakram immediately rebounded, returning to her hand, even as she used Arcturus to deflect the cultist’s sword as he made a lunging stab at her. As she deflected his attack, the blonde mage quickly followed up with a rising knee strike to his jaw, sending him staggering backwards, just before she jumped backwards herself, evading both wolves as they pounced. Wait, wasn’t the one she’d just attacked dead yet? Well, that didn’t matter much. Without skipping a beat, she flung both chakrams, the ring weapons carving graceful arcs through the air as they met their targets. One of the wolves howled as it dissipated into black mist, while the other snarled and charged again, even as the cultist made another lunging stab. Fortunately, he didn’t seem too skilled with his weapon, but it made him no less dangerous. Nita threw one chakram when the wolf seemed to be making a big jump, but it was just a feint, and the animal dodged it. She wasn’t willing to throw the second just yet, because that would leave her unarmed against the cultist’s sword. And as if on cue, the cultist lunged again, causing Nita to try to parry his attack. And that was when she realized the trap.
Instead of using his weapon, the cultist grabbed at her chakram. Granted, it would grievously injure his hand, but if he held it, unless Nita left it for him, she would be sacrificing mobility which would be necessary to dodge the second wolf, and her thrown chakram was still on its way back. There wasn’t much time to think. She refused to release her other weapon, even as the wolf bore down on her, barely missing her, although she felt its claws rip a bit of her shoulder. Also, the cultist suddenly stabbed again, much faster than she had expected. That one she couldn’t dodge. The sword gashed her deeply in the side, but at least it wasn’t a straight stab through the center of her stomach, and it didn’t seem to have hit any internal organs. Still, the weapon was much more painful than it was expected to be. Nita had been injured a number of times in her work as a mage, and she knew the feel of a steel weapon against flesh. But this seemed to be no ordinary steel. It was probably cursed with the death power of the dead god, which would explain why it seemed so inimical. But despite her injuries, Nita suddenly realized she had an unexpected advantage: having both just attacked, it would be very difficult to make a defense in the same breath, and both her opponents were in close proximity to her. They would realize that Altair and Arcturus weren’t just weapons to be thrown about and caught like fancy circus props.
”Binary Star!”
The returning chakram and the one in her hand suddenly lit up with bright cyan flames, as they spun wildly round her, slicing relentlessly into her enemies who had been so foolishly close to her, and sending their bodies flying. The wolf did not reach the floor before it dissipated, but the cultist did, still very much alive, though he had lost the fingers on his left hand. If it hurt, he didn’t seem to feel it, as he rose to his feet gloating. ”Have you felt it?” he asked, a crazed smile on his face, ”have you felt the sting of death? I’m sure you know by now that this is not a normal weapon. Now, be a good girl and quietly die and let me resurrect Xavuul. You will be highly esteemed for your sacrifice. We will name a day in your honor.” Nita rolled her eyes. ”Oh please, stop being dramatic. Of what use is being honored, if I can’t get to enjoy it? I mean, everyone would be celebrating Nita Day, except the one for whom it was named. Kinda redundant, don’t you think?” The old man grinned even more maniacally. ”That’s the grist of it, child. How many people are alive when days are named after them?” Nita would have laughed, if this fellow weren’t trying to kill her. But it seemed he was alone now. It was time to end this. Her chakrams vanished, and were replaced instead by a mace with a star-shaped head. This weapon would be useful for a one-on-one fight, and Nita hoped she would be able to beat this fellow before he could get to summon the Ravagers again.
The two charged at each other, just as the cultist gestured. He was casting again? Nita sensed a form appear behind her, and changed her stance, as she stopped and wheeled round to face this new enemy. It seemed humanoid, and wielded a knife. For the second time, Nita thought about how good a shield would have been at a time like this. But regrets never did anything. She parried the creature’s knife, and suddenly reached with her free hand, as the head of her mace glowed brightly, infusing her with greater strength. She threw the knife-wielding creature in the direction of the cultist, preventing him from pressing his attack, and brought the mace down with both hands on the creature’s head. Seeing this, the cultist attacked again, but Nita managed to barely dodge. Although pummeled with the mace, the downed knife wielder suddenly reached out, and stabbed its weapon deep into the Pergrandian’s left calf. Nita bit back a scream, as she channeled divine energy, even as she saw the cultist draw back his sword and aim to stab at her once more. Dodging would be difficult, with her leg wound, so she would simply make an attack of her own and hope her attack hit first.
It did. Circles of concentric runes flashed out from her, running over the knife-wielding thing and the cultist that had summoned it. As soon as the runes touched them, strong fiery light descended from above, never minding that they were in a stone room, possibly many feet underground even, and smashed the two foes. With an otherworldly cry, the knife wielder dissipated, but the cultist remained, though he seemed to be in great pain. Nita would not let him recover. With two blows from her paladin mace, she laid him out on the ground, and added an extra blow to be sure he stayed down and out permanently. Seemed the mission was over. Now she would have to find Tim. Finding him wasn’t difficult. By using her magic sensory ability, she could detect movement, and having tracked the movement, she was able to find her partner, limping and heavily injured, guiding himself by a glowing ball of light. ”Tim!” she called, her voice equal parts worry and relief. ”What did I tell you about dying on me? And before you start, you’re three-quarters dead. That’s very bad of you.” She communed a prayer for healing as she approached the tall mage. ”Come, let me--” But the words were not to be completed, as she suddenly stopped, a look of horror flowing across her face. Then a trickle of black blood flowed out from the corner of her mouth, and she fell. Standing over her was the chief cultist, his crazed grin resting on Tim. ”I cannot be killed! Xavuul is the god of death! You think you can defeat his greatest servant? I have been brought back from the brink, for my purpose transcends any other on this earth. Now come, boy. Come and join your friend in death.”
WC: 1580
PWC: 13930
TWC: 26302
@Rodadnuf
