Amarathia: A Haven Amidst the Horde

(post co-written by Script, Tiko and Zephyr)

"Aside from them, essentially, we found a great deal of very little. The city's a ghost town. There's no way that they've got a proper settlement going on there, I doubt there's more than another dozen of them on top of those we saw. Whatever supplies they have, that's what they're living on. There's nothing there to grow anything new, no livestock, nothing."

Ciela leaned forwards onto her knees, sat on the log that was serving as a makeshift bench around the smoldering embers that were the largest campfire it was safe to have lit - any more light and they risked attracting unwanted attention. The cover of the thicket was already sparse enough, without glowing flames drawing the creatures that infested the plains like moths. "But whoever they are, they at least know what they're doing when it comes to combat. They're an odd mix of men and women, different ages ... nobody had the look of a 'civillian', though. They're warriors, of a sort, all of them."

?But how is that possible? Who are they? Where did they come from?? Brent asked as he poked at the burning embers with the end of his sword. They were questions he knew Ciela couldn't answer and with a scowl he stood up and sheathed his weapon. ?Well, whoever they are, I don't like this place, it's too open. We should double the watch tonight,? he said in the effort to address more practical concerns that the soldier could wrap his head around easier. At mention of this, a groan was heard from amidst the party. "Void take me now..." Niv muttered to himself, a scowl etched heavily into his face.

A few paces away from the hub that the firepit formed, a chuckle came from another of the party. "But that's the key, isn't it Brent?" Emma mused, "It's not possible. At least, not within the parameters that we're thinking."

The blood mage turned, tapping her staff on the ground with a click of her tongue. "So we have around fifteen unknowns squatting in an abandoned city. Far too few for a settlement, far too organised and skilled for scavengers, and no signs of anywhere nearby they could've come from."

Emma glanced around, "But look at us. Fifteen of us, out in the middle of nowhere. We're obviously not local. Maybe they aren't either? Maybe they're on their own expedition from wherever they're from, maybe some settlement we don't know about."

?Another scouting party?? Ruan asked, as he mulled the idea over in his head.

Niv shifted his weight, lifting a finger to scratch his chin in thought. "What Emma says does seem to make sense. The likelihood of another scouting party being here may be small, but given the circumstances, it is the most likely." He stared at the group for a moment, noticing many of the members had their eyebrows cocked at him. It took him a few seconds to realize why they were all looking at him so; when in The Light's name was he ever helpful? He cocked an eybrow at them all, his previous scowl reappearing. "What, am I not allowed to be helpful'r somethin'?" He grumbled, hunching his shoulders in agitation. His words were accompanied by the snorted chuckling of Brent in the background.

"It is less that you are not allowed, elf," Talos said from where he sat, his hood up as ever, casting shadow over his unnatural eyes, "More that you seldom take advantage of the allowance. We are surprised."

An eye roll so pointed it was almost audible came from the blonde elven girl who was toying with a small gemmed bracelet by the fire. "Surprised is one word for it," Erina murmured, "Wary, maybe. For once we are in agreement, mage."

Niv shot them both a glance. "Yeah, well don't expect it to happen again."

Ciela gave Niv a glare of her own, "You're on this expedition to use your skills constructively, Niv. If you don't intend to, then I'll happily leave you to find your own way home. Remember that."

"Correction, dear girl." The half-elf said brightly, his mood lightening at the chance to agitate another. "I am here to get paid. Whether or not I use my skills constructively's all dependant on the situations we face." He finished, a rather snide smile upon his visage.

The ranger's eyes narrowed, and the half-fae opened her mouth to deliver a harsh retort, but a sharp cough came from the blood mage to the side of the camp.

Emma sauntered casually over to where Niv sat, leaning down and placing a 'friendly' hand on the half-elf's shoulder. "Here to get paid, sure." she said, "But, ya know. Hard to get paid when you're in the stomach of about three dozen voidlings. Might not want to piss off the people who'll be preventing that. Just a word of advice."

She paused, leaning back and grinning down at him, "And, on top of that -- I am a blood mage, you don't know when I might go crazy and kill someone. Most likely you. I mean, you're closest."

At this, Niv's mouth twitched. The smile remained, but there was an undertone of fear only slightly apparent now. "Indeed. Though I'm sure you wouldn't allow that to happen. You need me too much." He said, ever so slightly scooting away from her. "I'll keep that in mind, though."

Ciela scowled, "I'm sure we could manage..." she murmured, shaking her head. At this, Niv shot her a smirk. "How sure, exactly? I could always quit, you know. People are dying for my services..."

"Shut your mouth, elf." The harsh words from the far side of the camp came from the imposing black-clad figure of Shana, the ex-mercenary captain, "Or you'll be the one dying for your services. Don't think I haven't considered it already in this journey. You're only an asset as long as you make yourself one. After that, you're a liability, and liabilities get left for the beasts." Instantly, Niv's face went blank. Shana was one of the few people in the party he actually feared.

Coughing loudly, a blonde robed woman frowned. "I think we need to take a deep breath and remember who the enemy is here. As much as we might have ... differing opinions, we're all allies." Nihm sighed, "It's bickering like this that got Sara killed back in the mountains. I hope we haven't all conveniently forgotten that."

At that moment, as if on cue, a cry from one of their watchers at the edge of the thicket carried to the group. "Swarm!"

The argument was abandoned as the group swept into motion, drilled and practised motions bringing them to attention, their weapons taken up and their eyes alert. The elf man from the edge of the thicket broke into the small clearing at a dash.

Seconds later, what looked like a tidal wave of black followed.

"Shit..." Niv said baffledly. "Well, have fun. I'll let you all handle this." He began muttering some spell or other, and within a second, completely vanished from view.

"Hold together! Take formation!" Ciela barked, taking swift command. "Meet the charge!"

An experienced unit, the (majority of) the scouting party were already taking up positions - melee fighters forming a solid line and ranged fighters readying their attacks. Aren, the watcher, dashed past the line, and they loosed.

Arrows and fire flew into the voidlings in a volley, striking down the front lines of the swarm quickly. But there was to be no holding back the swarm from a distance, and it didn't take long for the distance to be closed, and they met the front line with a clatter of weapons. Brent swung his claymore through the air in a wide cleave to meet the swarm as it descended upon them, but though the attack released a shockwave that felled them by the dozens, for each one dropped, dozens more took their place. ?There's too many!? he bellowed.

"He's right," Ciela called from where she launched her arrows at the horde, "This camp is lost! Fall back now, before we take casualties!"

Shana growled as she thrust her curved sword through the throat of a voidling, kicking it backwards and off of the weapon. "Fall back to where, ranger? We're on open plainlands!"

"The only place on the bloody plainlands that doesn't have voidlings in it," Emma snapped, "The city!"

There was no time for argument, and most were too occupied with staying alive to comment, and so agreement was conveyed by lack of protest. "Go!" Emma yelled, "Me and hoodie here will hold them off for a few moments so we can actually disengage."

Talos gave Emma a sidelong glance at the new nickname, but nodded his head. Ciela scowled, but she too nodded. "Alright, disengage! Fall back! Head for the city, don't stop unless we have no choice!"

As the others broke off and fled, the voidlings made to cut them down as their backs turned, but a flash of light burst outwards from Talos' position near the back. A globe of energy swept outwards from his form, washing harmlessly over the party but impacting with force as it met the voidlings. The creatures were forced backwards by the expanding shield, tossed into one another and piled up against it.

Emma planted her staff in the ground with a thud, grabbing a knife from her belt with narrowed eyes. The blood mage glared daggers at the swarm for a few moments, before with a swift and clean movement she drew the knife downwards across her wrist.

The blood that sprayed outwards from the wound flashed with energy, glittering in the air before it spun up to gather around Emma's arm. Her eyes were filled with crimson light, and she took up her staff once again. Energy gathered in the weapon at a speed that made the hair on the blood mage's arm stand up with static, before gathering at its tip.

For once not deigning to come up with a witty one liner to accompany her strike, Emma swung the staff forwards and released the magic. A cannon-like blast of crimson energy shot from the weapon and slammed into the horde with a shockwave of force, throwing them backwards and scattering them like bowling pins.

Drawing her arms backwards, Emma directed her glare at some of the voidlings still on their feet, an insidious light pouring from her already glowing eyes. A single pulse broke from the light, expanding outwards for a moment before fading - only to be mirrored by similar pulses from the eyes of each of the voidlings targeted.

"Come on, hoodie. Time to go." Emma called, as the group of voidlings gathered their bearings... before letting out enraged cries and tearing viciously into the other demonic creatures around them without hesitation. Weak willed creeps were always easy to subvert, Emma noted with satisfaction.

Talos gave Emma a dark stare that made his disapproval clear, but nodded with grudging respect. The two turned and ran after the main group - the wound on Emma's wrist smoothly sealing - making quick ground as Talos tore a chunk of earth from below them to carry them quickly over the plains.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/Eao-3iabxcI/viewtopic.php

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