FourtyTwo
Landaus Five-One
Silent Showers
MurderVictim
TokyoPewPew
Lime
Crimson Flame
op2024
LadyAmber
SleepyWrites
And
Ricon
Bright, wide red eyes stared at the chaos in front of her as Ruby stood there frozen like a deer in the headlights. This was all too much. Nothing she had ever faced had ever readied her for any of this amount of destruction. Nothing had prepared her for this large of a threat that called for her head on a stake.
Trap... Trap them? The frost giant's words found their way through her panicked fawn response.
She - she could do that!
Eyes tearing away from the giant ice wall that the wyvern just came crashing into, she moved her shuddering legs and started to think. She could trap the foot soldiers; that she knew she could do, but how the hell was she going to do that without also taking down the ice wall ... or being a target of all the soldiers?
Her eyes shot over the group before finally landing on the cackling madman. That would do.
She rushed over to him and suddenly, with no warning, pushed him with all her strength to the side of the giant ice wall.
Ricon had just been hit by whatever magic that damned wyvern rider had cast. It had shattered his firewall (how the actual…!) and then when the wave hit him, all his magical effects had winked out like candle wicks. He’d staggered and caught himself before he fell, but damn that was no fun. And to top it off, out of no where the Sulfreyans had launched their assault. Dazed at first he’d taken a shaky step to the side, trying to get his bearings.
And then, wait…whoa!
That darn Banshee girl!
He staggered to the side and off to the side of the ice wall. And he’s now in plain sight of the knights!
Ah hell no!
Six of his little fire sprites ignite at once. He grabs one and hurls it forward, the spirite making a giggling uluating sound as it sails through the air, then comes down at the feet of the front line of the knights, blossoming into a dome of fire. Huh magical artillery! He grabs another little fire being and tosses that one too.
Okay yeah he can do this!
Peering from behind the ice wall to see that not only the fiery man was still alive but he had also managed to create some cover, Ruby finally, but still uncertainly, came from behind the barrier.
In quick, small motions, like a bird hoping from one place to the other, she suddenly flitted up behind Ricon. There, her legs still shaking slightly under her, she took in a deep breath before she grabbed at the man's collar and pulled him a few feet back.
Now, as the area was clear, a harrowing screech came from deep within her as she threw her head forward, and white hair flew behind her. In an odd coincidence, or was it planning, the soldiers themselves were actually all right. Well, alright, if you count deafened and some ear bleeding to be tolerable.
No, what crumbled to her attack was the very earth under the Sulfreyans. Giant cracks erupted under their feet before they fell into the fresh dirt pitfall with shock and fear. Now, they truly had nowhere to go, just sitting ducks for the rest of the misfit fugitives.
Gasping, Ruby took a shuddering step backward.
Ricon had just drawn his arm back to launch another of these big artillery fire balls. HIs fire halo had started to reform, and his eyes had regained their flaming quality. Gone had been the smirk, that cocky self sure quirk of his lips and the laugh from his chest. But slowly as he cranks back throwing another fireball forward to watch it burst upon the ground, this time catching one of the horses.
Okay he felt bad about that. Immolating a human being is okay, many of them were kinda assholes. But a Horse never did anything bad to him.
But it was kinda funny when it’s rider plowed into the ground with a crunch and a cry of pain.
In fact Ricon is just drawing back again to get a focused fire strike on the prone man when…whoops!
He gets pulled back, “Ah what the hell!” Looking back, oh it’s the Banshee girl again. He’s about to round on her and give her a bit of a piece of his mind when she screams again.
Oh…that’s why!
He dropped to the side and covered his ears, looking out as the ground buckles and heaves under the power of the banshee. Okay maybe it’s not a good idea to get in on her about all this. Because all of that is impressive. Only his Inferno can do that kind of damage reliably.
He finally looks at her, “Remind me not to piss you off.”
Her chest still heaving with exhaustion, Ruby looked up at the fiery madman in confusion before a rare proud smile lit up her face. She seemed to be happy with that comment.
Which may have contributed to the fact that once she started to back up towards the ice barrier, she actually, in a comparatively gentle manner, pulled at his sleeve this time instead of just forcefully pulling him back with her.
Ricon nodded slowly, “Okay yeah…this works.” He braced as he felt her hand on his sleeve again, waiting for another hard pull or shove. But the careful, almost gentle manner of the tug is surprising. He slips back behind the ice wall with her, one his sprites flitting down to bump curiously against her hand, a soft giggle from the fire sprite. It’s warm to the touch, but doesn’t burn.
As they slip behind the ice wall the little fire being giggles and starts to orbit about Ruby slowly, copying the five that still orbit Ricon. The pyromaniac not noticing immediately really. Too much going on. And safely behind the wall he’s busy marveling at their continued survival. Helluva drug it is.
Finally, behind the ice wall again, Ruby let out a shuddering breath as she started to feel a little bit safer. She had done what she could; the rest could surely pick them off easily enough now that they were stuck like fish in a barrel.
She removed her grip on the stranger's clothes, thinking about possibly wiping the foreign feeling off her dress, but instead, she found a surprising warmth. Looking back to see the fire sprite touching her bare hand, Ruby let out a squeaking gasp of surprise.
Her hand quickly tore away, scared of how the fire would burn, but as she watched it start to swirl around her with its little cheerful giggles, she started to become aware that it had never hurt her. The flames bringing her crimson eyes to life, she stared bewitched, reaching out her hands, and then she ever so gently went to hold the small being in her hands.
Ricon rubbed his neck, it’d been awhile since he’d been in prolonged combat.
Ah but that falls to the wayside as he looks over and smiles, seeing one of his fire sprites nestled in Ruby’s hand. The little thing cooing, it’s small yellow burning eyes, surrounded by the softly crackling fire body around it. It looks so peaceful. As it rests, giggles and coos happily in the embrace of the banshee woman.
Ricon can’t help but smile broadly, “I see they like you Banshee girl. Good on you. My sprites are good judges of character I think.”
He looked around and wondered if anyone else was going to throw him beyond the ice wall now. Something to watch out for.
