The bolt flew true, and sunk into the back of Athinar's knee. Growling, he bent down, and ripped the bolt out, actually blinking at the pain. When he stood up, he spun around, and catching the pike by the haft, he swung the man to the side, and lifted his knee, catching the man's cuirass on the armored plate, and crushed the armor, breaking the man's ribs beneath. Coughing up blood, the man passed out quickly, as Athinar dropped the pike, and the guardsman with it to the ground. 

Turning back to the mages, Athinar, with a glint in his eye, saw that some... ghost had begun slaughtering them all. Huh. Not Narza, or even Umbra. Something else, that he hadn't met yet. Oh well. As long as it was helpful. Pulling his sword from the dirt behind the decapitated guardsman's corpse, Athinar strode powerfully towards the fallen knight. It didn't matter if he had gotten healed. Full armor is heavy. If you don't have anyone to help you up, you were screwed. As he rose his sword, ready to thrust downwards, the smell of brimstone and fire suddenly clogged his nostrils, and a meteor started to fall. Eyes dilating, Athinar stabbed his sword into the knight's chest, through the breastplate, and held his hands up instinctively, as if to catch the meteor. 

As the meteor was about to reach his hands, however, something strange happened. Strange, black armor, with bloody runes wrapped itself around Athinar's body, including his helmet. The sword grew, and the runes engraved along the blade pulsed with a bloody light. As the explosion happened, Athinar was buffeted by fire, wind, and almost crushed by stone, if not for the mysterious armor. That was practically undamaged, except in the gauntlets, which leaked a bloody mist, from the various cracks and dents in the armor. 

Shaking his head in disbelief, Athinar looked down at himself, and then around the demolished village square. Who could have done this? The fire sorcerers? No, not powerful enough. The only one powerful enough to do such a thing was... The Boss. Of course. But why would he do that? 

Seeing Torrens approach, Athinar strode confidently towards the demon, picking up the massive runed sword, grip meant for two giant-sized hands, in one hand. If Torrens got close enough, he would feel a slight coolness radiating from the armor, not enough to affect anything, but enough to make a noticeable difference. The temperature change was centered around the gauntlets, which leaked that mysterious bloody mist. 

[color=FireBrick][b]"Torrens. What news? Shukra's orcs surround the village, so we haven't lost any of them, but have you received any news of the others?"[/b][/color]