Fantasy 1x1 with AznPersuazn

[AznPersuazn]

Patience wearing thin, Elias returned the sneer. "Your ignorance in arcane matters is unsurprising. One cannot draw from a well that is dry, and I cannot cast from an exhausted repertoire. Simply wishing to have more arrows in a quiver is insufficient, you must fletch more before hunting again." His tone grew more serious, "If what you say is true though, we had best find shelter soon. If a fight were to find us in the night, I fear I would be unable to to help. And it's possible the blight may have corrupted the local fauna, or attracted more sinister foes, so we should go prepared and rested."

He blew a sigh, "Trust me, once our business is finished, I will be more than happy to leave you and this place far behind. So please, lead on milady."

madlyhazel

 

[madlyhazel]

Elias' sudden change in mood served to only make her more angry, but Idise did have to admit that she was glad he was finally starting to bite back. Banter meant nothing if it was all one-sided, and she was more than glad to continue arguing with him if he was going to show this attitude. Maybe then she would see more in him than an annoying little wizard who got into trouble far too easily. With a haughty snort, she jerked her head to continue leading him onward. Thankfully, they would easily reach her home before nightfall and not have to deal with the beasts that lurked in the night.

In short time, they came upon a house that appeared to be a huge mound of dirt rising from the ground. Upon it grew thick grasses, and tightly woven stalks made up a sturdy roof. A clunky wooden door sat in front of the entrance, and two square windows propped up by a cross of sticks bordered either side of it. Idise was quick to step inside, and after rummaging around a bit, she was able to light a few candles with a knap of flint. She quickly discarded the heavy hide armor she wore, leaving her in a cotton undershirt. It looked to have been white once upon a time, but various dark stains left it a distasteful shade of beige.

She placed her hands on her hips, sending Elias a level look. "I don't have anywhere for you to sleep other than the floor, so hope you're okay with that. You can use the fireplace if you need to heat something up or whatever. Just don't eat any of my stock."

AznPersuazn

 

[AznPersuazn]

The "house" met Elias' expectations, low as they were, as did the woman's standards of hygiene. Thankfully, he had packed a roll and a few days' rations along with his shrinking tent, just in case this expedition lasted as long as it had, and any walls were preferable to facing whatever lived in the woods. He hung a small silver bell on the door and cast a simple ward, one that would trigger an alarm if anything attempted to breach the threshold. "Perhaps you're unworried, but this will set my mind at ease and alert us if anything followed us back."

He unrolled his pack and set his spellbook in his lap, leafing through the many dog-eared pages and beginning the slow process of selecting and memorizing the spells he would need for the following day. As with any day he expected combat, he chose a spread of abjurative magic that would protect him from physical harm as well as a few evocations. Having a companion that could swing a weapon greatly eased the burden of offense from him as he preferred to shape the battlefield with well-placed enhancements to allies and hindrances to enemies.

Satisfied with his chosen repertoire, he then set aside the book and pulled out the wand blessed by the dryad. Though similar in function to the spent wand of regrowth, this one seemed more potent, giving off a soft green glow and a scent of loam. He pulled one of Avernus' feathers from his robe and passed it over the mossy branch, chanting a short phrase of divination. The invocation swirled in his mind and coalesced into a clear interpretation of the wand's properties: once a day it could regrow and consecrate an area with a radius of ten feet, purging any unholy effects, though one could expend some of their own vitality to further increase the area of effect.

Tired but satisfied, he placed in on his belt. "This should work nicely to repair the damage, even if it has spread beyond the initial area. If we leave at first light, we should be done by midday and fully rid of this nonsense."

madlyhazel

 

[madlyhazel]

While Elias dealt with preparing the wand and doing other stuff Idise had no interest in, she worked on making herself a bit of dinner. Pulling the large cauldron that hung over the fireplace out, she set it off to the side before igniting the wood beneath. It still had a bit of life left in it before she would have to fetch some more, which she was quite thankful for. While she knew that the forest grew so she could live off of it, chopping down the trees she cared for every day was still infinitely difficult. While the fire grew in size, she walked over to a trap door positioned near a corner of the home, opening it up and reaching inside the cool dug-out cavern below.

From it she pulled several carrots and a large squash, which she then carried over to a small table in the center of the room. It was handmade by herself, and while a professional carpenter certainly could of done better, Idise liked to believe she did a fine job. Wielding a knife with surprisingly dexterity, she chopped the hard ends any clinging roots off the carrots before dividing the squash into fourths. A quick seasoning of herbs she'd grown and dried herself topped them off, and soon she was skewering the vegetables in a kebab-like fashion and holding them over the crackling fire. It was a routine she went through often enough that she didn't have to give much thought to it.

"Sounds fine," she mumbled, eyes glazed as she focused on the vegetables. She didn't want to burn them.

Once they were ready, she simply quickly popped them off the stick with her bare hands and plopped them down onto a woven grass mat beside her, allowing them to cool off. It wasn't long before she had a meal ready for herself, and she set quickly to work on it. While not terribly flavorful, it provided her the nutrients she needed, and the warmth filled her inside and out. She hummed in delight, briefly glancing over to Elias' book. She couldn't make any sense of the scribbles upon the pages, but it appeared to be a thick and weighty tome. Hmph.

AznPersuazn

 

[AznPersuazn]

Elias chewed through some hardtack while jealously eyeing what Idise had prepared. It had been a few days since his last proper meal, and though he could conjure magically fortifying bread and water, it was bland fare. Perhaps he would learn to cook someday, if his studies permitted the time, but that was a concern for another day. For now, he needed to prepare a final ritual to prepare for the next day.

He pulled a small brass brazier from his pack, crushed a handful of dried herbs into the bottom, and set a stick of incense within the mixture. Using the poker beside the hearth, he rolled out a small piece of smoldering charcoal and gingerly lit the incense, quickly filling the small room with the thick odor. He sat in front of the smoky bowl and touched the buckle on his hat, a dull ivory relief carved in the image of a owl rampant. Reacting to his touch, the buckle flashed briefly and drew in the gently wafting lines of smoke, gaining substance and luster as though it was being filled with the incense. With a satisfied nod, he set the hat aside and let the effect carry out, confident it would be ready in the morning.

"I'm going to turn in now. I'm unfamiliar with the biology of your people, but I assume you take reverie like most sylvan folk? If you could allow me to sleep until it is light, I would appreciate it."

madlyhazel

 

[madlyhazel]

As the heady odor began to waft through the air, Idise couldn't help but cough. She knew incense and that most magic-users used it in one way or another, but the thick smoke was enough to make her eyes water. As a resident of the forest, the pungent scent of fire and ash was enough to immediately make her skin tingle. Though certainly more human than beast in most regards, the animal instinct she felt was strong. The scent of fire that was not her own made her want to bolt, but she merely sent Elias an annoyed look. She wasn't about to go running out of her own home, after all, even if this wizard couldn't be considerate enough to at least warn her before burning something.

"Yeah," she grunted, punctuating her words with a flick of one of her large ears, "I only need a few hours of sleep, and I'm usually up before dawn. I'll just get some work done while you rest your poor little body."

After snorting at her own words, she quickly polished off the rest of her meal. She simply wiped her hands on her undershirt before standing up to grab a small, unfinished wooden figurine from the mantle. From a pouch on her person she withdrew a whittling knife, and as soon as she was sat back down she began to quickly work again on the figure. It appeared to be a bear, and various other statues of different animals lined the mantle. It was a simple pass time of hers, but she often did it when there was nothing else to be done and she wasn't quite tired enough to doze off.

AznPersuazn

 

[AznPersuazn]

Elias felt a small pang of guilt at the faun's clear discomfort with his ritual. He had long since grown accustomed to sitting in hazy, smoke-filled rooms for hours on end but hadn't needed to consider the comfort of another in quite some time, especially as a guest in their home. Not wanting to apologize and seem unsure of himself, he regarded the room for inspiration on how to make reparations in a more subtle way. Perhaps he could conjure a tendays' supply of water for her, or maybe provide a cleaning enchantment for her clothes. As he considered his options, they struck him as being too domestic to matter for this kind of woman, but he lacked any practical enchantments that a warrior would desire.

He then noted the many figures above the hearth, animals all. Though she lacked any signs of outward grace or artistry, her craftsmanship betrayed her patience and attention to detail; the carvings were small, able to fit into her palm, but detailed enough to be clear facsimiles of the creature they represented. With the right preparation, maybe he could create a creature similar to Avernus, though not nearly as attuned.

Taking a few moments to appreciate Idise's careful yet deliberate whittling, he cleared his throat to get her attention. "You have some skill in woodwork, I can see. If you'd be interested, after our business with the blight, I could probably enchant one of your figures into a kind of totem. It would allow you to summon a magically fortified creature to aid in combat, such as a bear or stag, or something a little more subtle, like an eagle to scout or a hound to help with hunting." He put his hands up to stall the likely protest, "I know, you probably don't have much respect for my arts, but just think about it. I'm sure even you could use a companion in these lonely woods."

madlyhazel

 

[madlyhazel]

At Elias' off-the-wall suggestion, Idise raised a thick eyebrow in his direction. Her hand paused her whittling, pulling away from adding details the the bear's nose. She never considered bringing any of these totems to life, especially since they were a mere pass time for her. Her eyes shifted to the mantle once more, trailing over the various creatures that were there. Wolf, deer, badger, cat... Would any of them make a good companion? Likely, but she didn't exactly have time for a pet. Her days were spent wandering to and fro tending to the forest, and she didn't have time to keep track of some animal. She thinned her lips, running a thumb over the wood in her hand.

"I don't have time for that," she finally muttered, turning her attention back down to the bear totem, "I'm not lonely, and I'm doing just fine on my own."

But, as the truth of it was, she was lonely. She often found herself wishing for a fond friend to share her day with, but oftentimes the only people she spoke to were those passing through. It had been quite some time since she left her herd, and even though their ideals hadn't matched with hers, she missed the days of her childhood where she had many close friends. Now, she was lucky to talk with someone once a week, and sometimes the dark grip of loneliness and fear gripped her mind tightly. Still, she couldn't break out of her routine to start caring for some creature. She'd developed her whole life around being alone, and she wasn't certain she could change that.

AznPersuazn

 

[AznPersuazn]

From the turn of her shoulders to the strain in her voice, it was apparent to Elias that this woman struggled with her isolation, self-imposed or otherwise. He saw his studies mirrored in her carvings, that kind of single-minded focus borne from the mind's need to fill the emptiness around it. Though he fancied himself a scholar, a seeker of knowledge and secrets, much of his life had been spent in making himself useful, finding a vehicle to make him useful enough to be accepted. His last master had helped him find a way past that way of thinking though, teaching him to find contentment in the betterment of oneself, independent of what one society or another found important. It had been a foreign concept, and indeed still was, since his mother had raised him to always value practicality first, to find a way to fit in and help those around you. Perhaps he was lucky in that sense, to have never had a herd of his own to lose; he couldn't imagine how a social creature like a faun would handle exile.

With sympathy at the forefront, he tried again to convince her. "A magical totem creature does not have mundane needs, you know. As a fey or celestial being, they draw energy from their native planes. Imagine a rainwater sieve, for example. You could fill it from your waterskin, of course, but it is designed to fill naturally with the rains, with or without your intervention." He gestured to his hat, still absorbing the now-dwindling incense. "My own companion, a great snowy owl, is far older than a typical creature of his kind, and far more keen. He acts as an extension of my perception and a conduit for my spells as well as a companion to speak with. He still exists on a lesser level of intelligence, closer to an animal than a person, but I would be lost without his constant support."

Fatigue finally setting in, he heaved a sigh. "But I know you would rather rough it out here with your own ample sweat, so I'll not press the issue. Good evening." He rolled onto his side and was soon asleep.

madlyhazel

 

[madlyhazel]

Even if it was a beast that could care for itself, did she really want it around? Idise wasn't sure. A life of solitude was all she had known for a good year or so now, and changing that so suddenly wouldn't be easy. It didn't take long for her to become a hermit in her own right, but reversing that role would prove to be much more difficult. The current company she was experiencing didn't exactly make her excited for the future of companionship. Elias seemed to carry a stick up his ass at all times, and she still wasn't too keen to work with him even if he'd be rejuvenating her lands. It was his fault they had to do it at all.

She shoved those thoughts aside and settled on carving the bear in her hands. It wouldn't do to work with a negative mindset. The wood would be ruined, and she'd have to start all over. If she could finish this piece, or at least get mostly done, she'd be happy. It would look nice in the center of the mantle, with it being a larger figurine than the others present. With those thoughts in mind, she settled in for a night of carving.

...​

Come morning, Idise had slept just a few hours, and shavings of wood covered the floor near the hearth. She awoke just as the sun had begun to climb in the sky, and she made a quick breakfast for herself out of dried fruits and nuts. It was difficult to not immediately start work, but she supposed it wouldn't do to have Elias tired if he was supposed to be doing work. So she sat at her table, bouncing her leg and glaring down at the wizard's form, silently willing him to wake up faster.

AznPersuazn

 

[AznPersuazn]

Elias awoke to the sound of an odd, rhythmic bumping. He turned his stiff neck and squinted up at the scowl of his host who was somehow already in a foul mood, despite the day having just started. Given her impatient stance, and that she was fully equipped and packed, he thought better of making small talk and began his morning routine. Though he might prefer to spend an hour in meditation and another in light reading, he opted instead to eat the last of his hardtack with a single cup of mint tea, enough to sharpen his focus for the task ahead.

Feeling Idise's steely gaze in his back, he quickly secured his personal affects, brushed his hat off, and gestured to the door. "If you are as prepared as you look, then I suggest we take our leave."

He stepped out into the cool morning air and took a deep breath, letting it clear his mind. Gently touching the ivory carving on his hat buckle, now glowing with a faint light, he whispered, "Avernus, come." The air around him turned noticeably cooler, forming a thin, swirling mist from his hat, and within a few heartbeats, the mist coalesced into the fluttering form of a great snowy owl. Elias raised his arm, the sleeve of his robe padded for just such a purpose, inviting the owl to perch and orient itself. The creature was larger than an ordinary specimen after years of attunement to augmentative magic, easily three feet tall with a wingspan double that. Elias ruffled an affectionate hand over Avernus' head, revealing shimmers of opalescence amid the pure white plumage. He imparted a telepathic command to scout the area ahead and raised his arm, prompting the owl to fly. With a low, almost growling hoot, Avernus took flight with a snap of his wings and fluttered off with barely a whisper to stir the leaves above.

He regarded the bird with pride for a few moments before turning to regard Idise, hoping she would be as impressed as he always was with his companion.

madlyhazel

 

[madlyhazel]

As soon as Elias awoke, Idise was on her feet and waiting for him by the door. She never understood non-sylvan folk and their need for so much sleep. Four hours was more than enough for her, and she physically couldn't stay unconscious for any longer than that. Meanwhile, other humanoid races seemed to relish in sleeping as much as possible. She honestly didn't understand it, considering they were just wasting precious daylight by napping the hours away. Idise had more than enough to do in one day, and wasting even a minute would prove detrimental to her entire schedule; which is precisely why Elias needed to move faster.

She sighed in annoyance as the wizard paused as soon as they were outside, doing something or another with his hat. As a semi-opaque mist formed, she squinted through it and focused on the center that seemed to clump together. In a moment, her eyes snapped open as a massive owl appeared and plopped itself right on Elias' arm. The predator was much larger than it should have been, and the huge talons made Idise wary. She didn't need to worry long, thankfully, for soon the owl alighted and disappeared without a whisper into the canopy. She quickly straightened herself out and huffed.

"Nice trick," she grumbled out before trotting on forward, making her way toward the blighted grove. The faster this was done, the better.

AznPersuazn

 

[AznPersuazn]

Elias bristled at the thought of his master's legacy being called a "nice trick." Did this woman appreciate anything she couldn't eat or hit things with? Ah well, he thought to himself, one should not expect the deaf to savor a bard's tune or the blind to patron a gallery. With that pity in his mind, he took a moment to fasten his gear and set off behind Idise.

"I certainly hope you know this stretch of woods well enough. Avernus will only be able to communicate with me if he is close enough, so we cannot rely on his sight for now. If we are to fight more mephits, I would rather not be caught unawares." Patting the book at his side, he added, "A measure of stealth would be appreciated as well. I can give us an edge in an engagement, but only if we have a moment to prepare."

madlyhazel

 

[madlyhazel]

"I've lived here for a long time," Idise quickly explained, "I know these woods well. Don't worry."

This time around, she slowed down just enough so Elias wouldn't be left behind. It would be quicker to sprint forward as she normally did, darting beneath tree branches and over roots to reach her destination, but she'd learned from yesterday that Elias wasn't quite so fast in all of his robes. She'd need him there to work his little magic tricks, so it was better to merely keep pace with him for now. With the slower speed, she was able to keep sharper eyes and ears out, and her gaze flit to and fro as she took in the scenery. It appeared to be a normal crisp morning, but she felt something just barely off.

Normally, the birds would have begun their raucous calls, but the canopy was early silent. This could be due to the large bird of prey flying overhead, but if so, she would still at least hear sounds from the forest's larger inhabitants. The herd of elk that usually wandered these woods seemed to be silent as well, and she couldn't pick out a single bellow from the old buck that often liked to chase her about when he could. Her skin began to bristle, and she crouched down as she began to feel more and more uneasy. Something was wrong, and she didn't know what it was.

Just before they reached the grove, Idise held her hand up for Elias to stop. Straining her ears to pick up any sound, she carefully began to skirt the edge of the small clearing. She moved with surprising stealth and dexterity, her hooves making little noise as she picked her way through the brush. A flicker of movement caught her attention, and her eyes quickly focused on what appeared to be two knights standing in front of one of the blighted trees. They were examining the bark, and one reached out to crumble a small portion of it away. WHile she had no sense for magic and its alignments, even she could sense something terrible radiating from the two men in front of her. Her gaze flitted over to Elias, and she motioned her head toward the men.

AznPersuazn

 

[AznPersuazn]

Elias had no natural attunement to the land or awareness of wildlife habits, but he was perceptive enough to notice how on edge Idise appeared to be while they approached the site, so he remained on guard rather than going through his typical mental exercises. Avernus was still too far overhead to mentally communicate with, so he would have to rely on Idise's woodland skills for now.

Though he considered himself alert and able at all times, when Idise held up her hand, he froze, overwhelmed with a surge of adrenaline. He was not a novice to combat, no one living in these lands could be, but he was far from a battlemage; the familiar and unwelcome rush in his ears keenly reminded him of that. Placing a hand on his grimoire, he drew a steadying breath and brought his focus to the task at hand, waiting for a signal from Idise, while she scouted the area.

A tickle in the back of his mind alerted him to Avernus' proximity, prompting him to raise a padded arm. The owl landed silently, giving his feathers a slight ruffle and imparting an image of the site ahead, lending Elias a measure of comfort and steeling his focus. Using a trick he picked up from an old troubadour, he pulled out a scrap of fleece and whispered a quick couplet, tying the now enchanted bundle to the owl's talon. He bade Avernus to fly to the other side of the clearing and await his signal to release the stored illusion, one that would sound a great cavalry charge complete with bugles and huzzahs.

Satisfied that his trick would buy at least a few seconds, he beckoned to Idise then patted his spellbook, signaling his intent. While she crept over, he began the first enchantment, sweeping his hands through a simple pass and murmuring the syllables that would empower her hammer with greater impact. Still swirling his hands to hold the spell intact, he passed them over the head of the hammer, causing it to glow a soft blue and hum faintly. He drew a deep breath before starting the next spell, chuckling lightly to himself since he wouldn't have time to prepare Idise for its effects; her discomfort might make this whole ordeal worthwhile. He rubbed a pinch of powdered iron in his palms, gently intoning the words, short phrases first followed by increasingly long strings of words, culminating in a nonsensical, thirty-second long hum. He cast the powder over Idise and stepped back, admiring the quickly manifesting enlargement effect. She swelled to nearly ten feet in height, her antlers brushing the canopy overhead and her already bulging muscles growing larger than Elias' entire torso; the hilt of her hammer dug into the ground, easily matching the trees nearby in height.

Without giving her time to protest, he signaled to Avernus to release his stored enchantment, shattering the early morning silence with the blaring of a trumpet charge and the thundering of hooves. He gave her a rough shove, though the effect was like pressing against a mountain side, "Go!"

madlyhazel

 

[madlyhazel]

Though wary of Elias' exact intentions, Idise crept over to him nonetheless. His first enchantment made her look over her hammer, admiring the new glow on it. Even while holding it, she could feel the power that began to surge forth from it. It was a pleasant feeling, and her hands thrummed as she itched to use this new ability. The next enchantment came as a surprise; within moments, Elias was shrinking and she found herself bristling as the leaves that had once been so high above her head began to tickle the tips of her small antlers. She opened her mouth to shout out her shock, but the wizard below her only attempted to push her forward. With little to no time to question just what was happening, Idise braced herself and stomped toward the knights who had quickly noticed them.

Birds that had been hiding in the canopy screeched and flew in the cacophonous symphony of horns and hooves, and the faun had to be careful not to knock over any trees as she swung her hammer. In a disgusting display, both of the men begun to suddenly swell in size. Their armor strained at the clasps as muscles bulged and squirmed beneath, causing the two to grow a couple of feet. Their skin split where muscles couldn't be contained, and a black ichor spilled from the wounds. Disgust washed over Idise's face as her hammer slammed into the side of one of the knight's, and the creature twisted as it dug its heels in the ground to prevent itself being knocked off of its feet. Gnarled claws broke through the leather gloves on its hands, and they gripped the edges of her hammer tightly.

"The hell?" she cursed, making herself jump as her own voice boomed in her ears.

Sharply, she tugged her hammer away, nearly dragging the knight with it. The creature withdrew its sword, charging at her and taking a slice at her leg. Its partner did the same, and the faun found herself stumbling backward to avoid getting her calves and ankles sliced open by swords that looked like daggers from her view. Her back slammed into the thick trunk of an oak, and she grasped one of the branches to steady herself. The wood cracked under her grip, and she took the moment to rip off the splintered wood and jam it down into one of the knights. The massive log stuck into a gap in the shoulder of the creature's armor, but the pain didn't stop it. It merely snarled and swept its sword once more, causing Idise to jump as she narrowly avoided the sharp blade.

"Could really use some backup, Elias!"

AznPersuazn

 

[AznPersuazn]

Idise's call shook Elias from his daze. Growling, he took stock of the two creatures harrying the faun, both suddenly much larger, clearly charged with some kind of infernal energy. From his studies, he knew that demons of the lower planes were all possessed of a natural resistance to the elements, rendering the majority of his repertoire useless. Deciding to focus his efforts on harrying the weakened demon, he shouted a few words of power and launched a series of unerring azure darts, each punching a small, bloody hole in the seams of the creature's armor. Though likely no more than a nuisance, he hoped to draw its attention for a moment while he laid a trap.

Working quickly, he drew another scrap of fleece and cast it through a motion, creating an illusory double of himself. He then placed his hands on the ground, drawing on his elemental nature and created a small patch of ice at the illusion's feet. Though hardly convincing to any creature of intelligence, it would likely be enough to hold the attention of an enraged demon for a few moments and cause it to crash through the underbrush. Ducking to the side, he heard the creature howl and begin its charge towards his double, snapping branches and tearing at the earth. Holding his breath, Elias palmed a wand that resembled a stiffened spider's leg and silently rehearsed the trigger phrase. A few moments later, the bloodied demon, still impaled by the tree branch, barreled through the illusion with a distinct "pop" and skidded across the ice, collapsing in an enraged pile of twisted metal and oozing ichor. Elias waved the wand and shouted the trigger phrase, coating the demon's face and limbs in a thick layer of spiderweb. Hoping it would be held long enough to deal with its comrade, he turned and rushed to the clearing.

Though Idise was clearly holding her own given his enchantments, he cast another series of darts to harry the demon, each punching into where he hoped its eyes were. He had only a few more offensive spell options left, so he instead opted for something to give his ally another edge. He pointed his finger at the shambling monster and rasped out a curse. A ray of black energy sprang forth and wreathed the creature's body, sapping its energy and weakening its blows to mere pinpricks, though Elias would have to concentrate in order to maintain the effect while Idise finished it off. He willed Avernus to remain nearby and watch for the other monster's return.

madlyhazel

 

[madlyhazel]

As Elias got to work on the weaker of the two creatures, Idise was able to focus on the other in front of her with more ease. Avoiding its attacks while doing her best to not knock down the entire forest proved difficult, but she was quickly able to get a hand on her new size. She swung her hammer once more, this time hearing the satisfying sound of metal on metal as the blunt end of her hammer collided with the knight's armor. The monster briefly stumbled from the blow, spraying up dirt in every directly as it dug its heels in the ground to avoid being sent careening into the brush. The faun pushed through with her strike and brought it down on the backswing.

A black haze surrounded the monster for a moment, and while she was briefly worried, it seemed to be coming from Elias. That was enough to get her moving with a renewed vigor, and instead of wasting strength in a swing, she simply kicked as hard as she could with one of her hooves. It was painful, as she was colliding with metal, but she put enough power into her kick to send the creature on its back and skidding. She wasted no time in bringing her hammer down in a strike from the sky, cracking the armor on the knight's chest as she connected square in its center. Despite its crushed ribcage and the blood that pooled out in waves beneath it, the monster still struggled to raise its arms and attack Idise.

Well, at least it wouldn't be able to move. With that taken care of, she turned her attention on the remaining knight. It appeared to be covered in a sticky sinew, though it was pulling at the webbing in a rage. Idise wasted no time in swinging at the creature with all of her might, sending it smacking directly into the trunk of a tree. Before it had time to recover, she used the last of the power she could conjure to slam it into the ground, effectively killing it. Was it a brutal death? Yes; but she would suffer an even worse one if she didn't do so. The faun heaved out a sigh, bracing herself against one of the trees as the last of the strength Elias had given her slipped from her body.

AznPersuazn

 

[AznPersuazn]

The audible crack of bone from the creature's impact signaled the end of the engagement, though the other demon still gurgled and gasped its final breaths. Heedless to the indignity, Elias collapsed to the ground and repeatedly wrung his hands, attempting to drive the tingling vestiges of adrenaline from his body; the frost from his body, stronger because of his agitation but fighting the rising heat of the day, rapidly formed a neat halo of dew on the grass around him. In the back of his mind he heard Avernus calling, likely for the last several minutes, so he bade the owl to circle the perimeter in case their battle had drawn any more of the pseudo-knights.

Becalmed by his familiar, Elias took stock of himself and was relieved to be unharmed, save for a snag in his robe from stumbling around in the underbrush. Steeling a glance at Idise, he was relieved to see her free of any serious wounds despite bearing the brunt of the melee, though as a gesture of goodwill and gratitude, Elias handed her a small vial of silvery liquid from his robe. "Here, I have only a few more of these, but it will stop the bleeding and get you on your feet in case there are more of them."

He looked towards the still-dying knight, feebly grasping at the air towards them. "That was ah, quite the display. Even with my help, your martial prowess is admirable."

madlyhazel