• Closed • Raid on Magani

[Kali'rial]

30th Vhalar, 717

Sarkis shifted back to spirit form with confusion as his jaws failed to clamp on anything, lost in shadow and skeleton. Moving quickly back to Kali’rial, he focused his lupine senses at Pash’s words, relaying back to the huntress who kept her eyes on the shadows around them with an arrow drawn firmly.

“Three? No. Four. They can change shape, but the light...” Before she could finish her words Pash was chasing the woman in the darkness, and the Sev’ryn took up the chase with him, Sarkis by their side. As they gave chase, she moved her arrow head to rake against the torch, collecting burning sticky pitch on the end and setting the tip ablaze. Drawing back again she released the burning arrow into the wolf-shaped skeletal shadow before them, wasting no time in taking up another arrow to do the same again, this time aiming for the humanoid that spread it’s net of horrors around them. If either of the shadow woman became corporeal, Sarkis would waste no time screaming ahead and phasing solid again to clamp down on a hand or an arm and digging his claws into the ground to pull it back towards the light.

“We need more light, more fire. Pash, the lantern in the mountains, the oil.” As nets flew around them on screaming Tunawa, the wolf-walker would aim another firey arrow towards the direction it was thrown from, hoping to catch the shadows and turn them solid.

Tangible.

Killable.

“We need more help. Sarkis! Back to Desnind, now! Go! Get anyone, get help.” On demand, the wolf let go of his prey and howled loudly before shifted to spirit form to move much faster than he could in solid form, running on air and right through any barriers of flesh, stone or wood. It made Kali nervous to have him leave, but they needed help.

“What do you want?!” She yelled shooting another flaming arrow at the humanoid, baring her fangs and snarling, her feral eyes burning in the dark. How had they even gotten inside the walls of the city?

“Immortals, hurry Sarkis.”

The wolf sped through the forest, his path a straight line through to Desnind in breakneck time. As he phased through the city gates, he slid to a stop in his visible form, a huge grey wolf with burning amber eyes, and howled again to get the attention of anyone who would listen. He ran back to the gate, barking and running back in again. Back and forth, howling and barking. Surely they would get it. He moved across the city centre to the familiar blue house of Dyn’rial and lept onto the porch, howling loudly again before leaping down and running back to just outside the gates, pacing as he waited impatiently for people to follow him. If they did, he would move at pace, but stopping regularly along the way so they could keep up with him, leading them towards Magani.

[Niv]

From out of the darkness appeared a menacing looking women in front of Niv and Patcha, in her clutches was another tunawa crying desperately for help. Niv’s eyes widened in terror as the intruder looked upon her new prey with a distasteful sneer. Before the intruder could add Niv to her collection, A brave tunawa shot from the tree tops and slashed at the dastardly intruder’s hand with a ojogbon spear. The intruder hissed in pain and let her captive free as shadowy smoke began to rise in streams from her wound. The brave Tunawa landed nimbly on a nearby branch but didn’t stop, they continued to run along the branches with their spear ready to strike again.

Niv knew this brave tunawa, It was without a doubt her mother Maroo. There was only one Tunawa who wore a bird skull for a helmet and wielded her spear as elegantly as her. It was possible Niv was biased, but every time she spotted her mom fight it was like a beautifully choreographed dance. Niv’s eyes stared at her mother in disbelief as she leapt from one branch, then swung from another like a leaf dancing in the breeze.

Before Niv could call out to her Mama, A net flew at her while she was distracted. Niv and Patcha plummeted to the ground by the weight and hit it hard. A painful squawk left Patcha on impact and then he went silent.

“Patcha!” Niv cried. She shook Patcha but he didn’t move, in panic she checked his breathing and let a sigh of relief as she saw his chest expand and contract.

“ Äläïze?” Maroo called out in disbelief as her ears picked up her daughters cry. Her eyes searched frantically until they spotted Niv tangled in a net with her unconscious bird companion. Maroo’s brows pinched down hard and her eyes burned with a fierce rage, no one messed with her baby. Maroo dove from her pitch atop her target and thrust her tiny spear at the shadow woman’s face. If all went well the enemy would have a suffer a wound to the face and Maroo would have an opportunity to quickly cut the net and let her child free. As skillful as Maroo was, She was aware of her size and that unless she struck an eye she could only hope to be a distraction.

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Äläïze= small bite or nibble. Xantean slang word (I forget who gave me idea but its cute so I like it.)

Art credit to Yoshitaka Amano

[Nymph]

Niv and her precious bird Patcha had been taken by surprise by Havoni's net. This had been enough of a distraction to the Naer for Maroo to attack. Had this gone according to plan, they would never be able to tell the girls of Augiery that Tunawa were able to fight back. Originally it had intended to be a quick grab and go. Steal as many living dolls as possible and get out of there while burying the city in the process. With Niv's glowing stones beneath the net, the glow had diminished; however, the dim presence kept Havoni from slipping back into her shadow form. Unable to shift, Maroo had the upper hand in her sneak attack. The little Tunawa's spear passed easily through her flesh. The first pin prick caused Havoni to react, ripping her face to one side. A jagged line split her flesh from the tip of her eyebrow just past her eye. Her angry screech echoed through the tunnel, alerting the other Naer that she was being attacked as well.

With the Naer preoccupied, Maroo quickly slipped to the net to release Niv and Patcha. With quick slashes, she released a few of the ropes to open a hole large enough for the two two to slip through. Before she could aid them, a hand swept down, slapping Maroo away and directly into a thick tree trunk. "Arratoi! Hau ordainduko duzu!"

It was at that time that Pippo rounded the corner to see his wife slammed into a tree trunk. The worried inventor proceeded to race across a bridge and down the spiral staircase to get to his beloved while Havoni focused on Niv. She desperately kicked dirt towards Patcha and the glowing stones, dousing the light and returning to her shadow form. Much like her injured friend, a black steam arose from the injury Maroo had caused. Instantly she was healed, making this battle seem very one sided in the dark.

Xetirn had called out to their leader to no avail. Instead, Endara responded to her comrade. "Xetirn? Zer dago gaizki?"

The light arrived shortly after Xetirn's arrival into the area. Endara was forced to transform with even the minuscule amount of light. Before she could react to aide Xetirn, she felt her arm clasped in the jaws of a beast that had somehow materialized out of no where. Endara would have preferred to aide her sister with the beast that had caught her, but she was preoccupied with the advancing fire. Out of no where, the darkness was broken much faster than before by a flaming area. The Naer jumped out of the way. Instead of finding it's mark, the fire seeded itself into the truck of a tree. A vein of sap popped and sizzled directly beneath it. The glow was one sided, but how long would it take to catch some of the dead materials used to build Magani a set the whole city afire?

Ivanca had had enough as the plan unraveled. She approached Kali'rial and Pash from behind. In hissing Grovokian, she commanded those ahead of her to take action. "Xetirn. Endara. Gelditu fucking inguruan eta neska lortzeko. Empath hau zainduko dut."

Endara was more than happy to agree as the wolf released her. Revenge was always worth it. Reaching into her bag of screaming Tunawa, she pulled out two daggers, flipping them deftly into her hands. Xetirn had equipped her bladed knuckled. Both were prepared for close combat fighting. Quickly, the pulled a practiced formation, racing to either side of Kali'rial while Ivanca worked her magic. All they had to do was get close so that she was unable to use her bow. Xetirn jumped when she got close, angling her claws for Kali's throat while Endara slid, aiming for anything that might help limit Kali's movement.

Ivanca, in the meantime twitched her fingers in a stroking motion, pulling at the knots to the vibrant orange threads that he had cut and knotted previously. His tangle was not neat, not like hers. The orange blossomed the moment she untied the threads, making fear an overwhelming emotion in the empath. She wouldn't be surprised if he dropped the torch and run in the opposite direction. Frankly, it was what she wanted. To seclude this magician and deal with him in a more private setting.

OOC

"Arratoi! Hau ordainduko duzu!" - "You rat! You will pay for this!"
"Xetirn. Endara. Gelditu fucking inguruan eta neska lortzeko. Empath hau zainduko dut." - "Xetirn. Endara. Stop fucking around and get the girl. I'll take care of this Empath."

I am separating everyone to try and keep these battles a little more manageable. Niv and her family is against Havoni, Kali'rial is facing Endara and Xetirn, while Pash is facing Ivanca. The last Naer has not revealed herself as she is maintaining the defiance magic outside.

I am incredibly sorry this took so long to reply to. I hope that that does not happen again.