[IC] The Rise of the Guardian

[MegaraFoxfire]

The villagers were all collected in the ranger camp just north of the biggest city in the mountains woods. The ranger captain was taking a tally when a woman ran up to him, her face tear streaked and red. “Captain...I can’t find my children...they weren’t in the wagon...” the captain cursed and looked around, looking for one of his men he could send back to look. What he suddenly realized was one of his rangers was already gone...

Ashteria was running full speed, barely missing trees and rocks as she followed the path the rescue crew had already taken. The villagers had been attacked by monsters of some sort and the rangers were getting them to safety till the hunters could clear the town. But ash had realized that three of the kids from the kids wagon weren’t at the camp. She knew them because she had helped them get the youngest into the wagon. She cursed, hoping she found them before anything really bad happened. Her wind blade and breeze knifes were on her person, as well as the sword she had always remember having. She had to find those kids, that’s all that mattered.

[Jazz]

The forest was quiet for the most part, birds barely chirped and the only thing you might be able to hear is the sound of crickets or the slight rustling of trees from the wind. Riding through on a black mare, Carth could already feel something was wrong. He had noticed a darkness from the early morning morning to find that within the afternoon, the village was empty besides the monster that he had killed that lurked within. Having moved on and finding the path that the villagers took, went through that same road. Carth figured he could ask for information from the villagers when he was able to catch up.

His horse stopped and stomped with unease, Carth looked to his horse and rubbed its neck in comforting hushed tones in hopes to help ease her discomfort. Looking about for the source of his companion's discomfort, he didn't see much if anything at all up until he heard a scream close by. From what Carth could tell, it was a scream that sounded much like a child's. Carth turned his mare toward the scream and raced to see if he could find out what happen and if he could help.

[MegaraFoxfire]

There were three kids huddled under a tree with a huge black monster towering over them. It was a mix preying mantis and a boar. The creature was hissing and clawing at them, the kids trying to go farther under the tree roots. Out of no where a huge blade came flying at the beast, hitting it in one of its claws and cutting it off. They heard a whistle and the blade came flying back and a woman stood in one of the far trees, catching the blade in her hand.

Ash jumped down and ran at the monster, throwing the blade out and screaming at it. Her scream controlled the wind around her blade and it hit the creature again the beast hissed and flew at ash, fangs out and bared. Ash rolled out of the way and yelled “run! Get out of here now!”
The three kids took off running, but one got behind and tripped. She cried out and the other two boys turned to help but ash yelled “I’ll get her just go!” The boys nodded and ran to get help while ash ran and picked up the girl just as the creatures claws hit her. Ash went flying and hit a tree, protecting the girl I. Her arms as her back bled staining her ranger cloak

The boys ran until they saw a man on a horse and they ran towards him. “Help please! Our sister and the ranger are in trouble!”

[Jazz]

Carth noticed as he was speeding along, two young boys running towards him. He slows his mare down before hopping off. "It's okay. I will go help them. I'll get you on my horse and head to the ranger camp, ask for backup." Carth tells them before getting them on the horse and slaps the butt of his companion before running off in the direction he could hear the screams. Unsheathing his sword, dodging and weaving around trees and rocks, vaulting over logs as he runs, takes a giant leap towards the creature and goes for a cut to the creatures body. His sword's edges turn orange with heat as he imbued his sword with heat to slice through like butter. Having landed to the ground, Carth gets between the creature and the two girls.

The Fire Elemental readied himself before taking the fight to the Boarmantis creature. Using his fire with measured caution so he wouldn't catch the forest ablaze. Buying time till reinforcements got them unless he managed to kill the creature first which was by no means an easy task since it was part boar. He had eventually made a barrier of fire to protect the girls while he fought it.

[MegaraFoxfire]

Ash cursed as she tried to moved, blood dripping from her back. The young girl was pressed against her chest as they heard the creature hiss and scream and someone or something started to fight it. Ash turned her head for see a fire user taking the creature on and she moved a little more and called out “the boar and big part ways at the thorax...the top half is weaker then the bottom...” she flinched and fought to keep her eyes open. “You should be able to separate the two parts and kill it...”

[Jazz]

Dodging and weaving around the attacks of the boar-mantis like creature while delivering blows with sword and flame. Carth was then interrupted by the mantis for its rage, screeched as it raised its raptorial claws and slammed them down into the ground causing that little bit to shatter. Carth had dodged out of the way having rolled out of the way and got back up and shot flames at the mantis' claws which caused it to screech in pain.

Glancing back to Ash when she spoke, Ash's advise had given him an idea. Looking to the creature, Carth ran to the creature. having created a flaming shield, ran toward the mantis as it raised a claw to attack but once brought down, burned the claw and reared back with a screeching yowl which allowed Carth to take his sword to cut the animal in half while heating the blade. This caused the skin to heat and cut like butter while burning with the smell of cooked hair and skin. When the body was sliced in two, fell to the ground and left lifeless. Carth let all the flames he had dispersed and disappeared, including the flame dome that protected Ash and the little girl. Looking back, Carth sheathed his sword, looking to Ash and the little girl. "You alright?" He asked while walking towards them.

[MegaraFoxfire]

Ash was shaking as her blood ran down I to the dirt. She nodded and let the girl go and said “your safe now...you need to get to the village...your family is waiting...” the little girl nodded then moved and kissed ash on the cheek and moved away to wait for them. She wasn’t dumb enough to go to go thru the woods alone again.

Ash gasped and closed her eyes, her back and arms killing her from the slashing. She cursed and looked at Carth and said “grt the girl back to her family...I'll just slow you down and there could be more of those things...”

[Jazz]

Carth kneeled next to the injured woman, listening to her to only shake his head. "Not an option. If I'm thinking about it right, we should have someone looking for us because of you and this little girl. I'm not leaving you to die here. Now show me your wound so I can stop the bleeding. It's gonna hurt." Carth explained, knowing searing the wound would be the better bet before moving her.

[MegaraFoxfire]

Ash cursed then nodded, knowing fighting would delay the girls safety more. She slowly sat up, her back covered in three long slash marks along with the back of one of her arms. She flinched and said “I know what you want to do...please do it fast before I pass out...”

Her fan blade laid nearby, shinning in the moonlight that had rose during the fighting.

[Jazz]

Carth nodded, pulling out a knife that would be best suited for a clean searing of the wound, put heat through the handle to the blade. Once hot enough which took short amount of time, Carth quickly and with percision closed the wound and caused a scab to appear. Burning flesh and blood filled the air of which Garth felt sorry for the girl that would have had to smell it. No child needed to smell anything so foul. Once his work was done, he looked to the woman to check on her and the girl to see how she was holding up after this whole ordeal. Hopefully those boys found the womans group and bring his companion with them.

[MegaraFoxfire]

The girl covered her nose but handle the smell well as the warrior gasped in pain and hurt grip on the tree cracked the bark. When he was done she was panting badly, the pain pushing her to pass out. But then they heard shouts and Ash smiled weakly. “My company...” the little girl got up and saw her brothers and she ran over to them, hugging them tightly. Ash was leaning against the tree trunk, barely staying up right as her body gave up and couldn’t hold her up anymore. “Thank you...”

[Jazz]

Carth heard the sound of the company that he would find out to be the woman's company. Seeing the girl being reunited with her brothers made him smile. Looking back to the woman and seeing her start to faint, he went to her and caught her. Standing up with the woman in his arms. He stayed where he was until the group came toward him. "She is wounded but I have seared the cut so it could be treated better once to a medical professional," Carth told the group. "If there is anything I can do to help, I offer my assistance."

[MegaraFoxfire]

The captain ran over and cursed. “Ash you stubborn...we need to get her back to the camp...if you could help get her back that would help a lot” Ash stirred and said weakly “I’m fine captain...I can walk...”

Her captain frowned and said “right...you can barely move right now. You need to get to the medic”

[Jazz]

Carth nodded to the captain before looking to the woman he had in his arms. Stubborn sure was the right word to describe her that was for sure. Carth looked around for his horse to see it was with the three kids. With a sharp whistle, the horse perked up and went to him of which he then placed the woman on the horse and then got on and looked to the captain. "Lead the way. I will follow you," he said, keeping the woman in place with a hand around her waist.

[MegaraFoxfire]

Captain Drake nodded and yelled “move out boys! We got what we came for” he went over to the kids and helped them on to horses as the rangers moved out. Ash flinched and said “I can get back on my own...but thank you for your help...you came without any reason too...” she swayed a moment but caught herself, panting and her skin hot

They made it back to the ranger base without much problem and Captain Drake was yelling orders as Ash and Carth came into the gates. He looked over and said “she needs to get the med tent. It’s over there on the left...Ash don’t fight the doc this time” Ash was barely awake as she nodded weakly, her eyes dull.

[Jazz]

Carth nodded to the Ranger Captain and followed. Looking at the woman Carth tilted his head a little as if confused then looked ahead thinking about what she said. "I did have a reason," Carth told her. "It was because of the two boys. They saw me while they were running and asked for help. I told them I would and to find more help. They asked me to save you and their sister." He explained while a small smile came to his lips.

When the group got to the Ranger Camp, Carth looked to the Captain when he explained to him about his comrade going to get treated and where. He leads his horse to the Medical Tent. Getting off the horse carefully the Fire Elemental carefully pulled the woman named Ash into his arms heads into the tent. "Might I ask for assistance in the care of this Ranger. I have managed to sear the wound, but that was to stop the bleeding, but that was all I could manage." Carth said to whoever was in the tent.

[MegaraFoxfire]

A young man stood in the tent and looked up. He sighed and said “Lady Ash what did you do now?” Ash stumbled and said”I’m fine...just check the wound doc...” he sighed and walked over, moving her shirt to look at her back. “Oh just fine huh? You’ll need to sleep tonight while I grt some herbs on those slashes..”

Ash sighed and laid down on a bunk as the doc looked at Carth. “Doctor Marks at your service. You need anything?”

[Jazz]

Carth had let Ash go when the Doctor inspected the wound. He watches silently before the attention was on him. He shakes his head. "No. Just making sure she was brought here as the Captain requested. I will take my leave. I am sorry to disturb you." He bows his head before leaving the tent and makes his way to the Captain with his horse walking behind him. He takes note of his surroundings as he goes into deep thought, walking while on auto-pilot.

[MegaraFoxfire]

Ash watched him leave and the doctor looked at her. “This is the third time your in here Ash...”

The captain was working at a table in the middle of a huge tent, other rangers around him. He was pointing at a map saying “we need someone to go scout that area north and figure out where these creatures are coming from...”

[Jazz]

The Fire Elemental stopped when he heard conversation within the tent. Noticing that it was Captain Drake, he walks toward the tent and pokes his head in. Waiting at the entrance quietly. He thought about helping, nothing really in particular for him that he should be doing. But thinking he could be of some use since he was here already.