“Mummy is back?” Jirot asked her grandmother, while stuffing a potato into her mouth, biting the soft vegetable, before holding it up for her grandmother to sprinkle more salt, then guiding it to her brother’s mouth.
“She will return later,” Sonarot said, rubbing the girl’s back. “Your father will return with your mother.”
“I do not like daddy,” the girl replied, her head darting away.
Konarot raised her brows towards her grandmother, waiting to see what she would do, Jirot also waiting.
“Do you love daddy?” Sonarot asked, trying to catch the girl at her own game.
Jirot huffed, smirking slightly.
“I love daddy,” little Jarot said, offering his sister a bite of the potato, having had their other nana sprinkle salt on the potato.
“Daddy is smelly boy!” Jirot declared, cackling loudly.
No one could deny that Jirot was Adam’s daughter, for the trouble she caused was no doubt inherited from her father. Indeed, for while Jirot caused some slight trouble for her family, Adam caused slightly more trouble for his wife.
The dance of death had begun.
Vice Commander Harrison charged forward, bringing his blade against the devilkin before him, striking down roughly against her shield, clattering against it harshly as his blade flashed white hot with divine magic. Jaygak winced, her shield battered aside, but she spun on her heel and swung her own blade towards the Vice Commander, who deflected her blade almost effortlessly.
Harrison heard someone drop behind him. “Do you see that, Iyrman?” He asked, catching her blade, turning slightly to allow her to see. “Your companion is already down.” His eyes darted to the side, and he noted the familiar appearance of the heavily armoured Senior on the floor, with her arm and sword a few metres away.
“I’m not so weak that you can look away while fighting me!” Jaygak shouted, urging herself forward, causing the Vice Commander to step back. She inhaled deeply, pushing away the ache with her tough spirit, stepping forward to exchange more blows with the Vice Commander, her blade glowing brightly.
Jurot had charged forward, his skin a deep, hot red, and as he clashed with the Senior, Phantom slipped through at the elbow and cut clean through. As Phantom’s magic sparked to life, it struck through the Senior’s mind. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she fell to the earth.
‘By the Divine!’ Another Senior thought, and he swiftly turned to face Jurot, whose attention was focused on another, a Warrior who had dared to engage him. The Senior’s blade struck harshly against Jurot’s shoulder, with enough force to kill the last Senior. Yet, as his blade flashed white hot with holy magics, Jurot’s head turned to face the Senior, while a Warrior clattered against his shield.
‘How terrifying!’ the Warrior of the Thousand Hunts thought, her heart pounding within her chest. He had just seen the Iyrman almost kill one of the Seniors who had trained her, and take a blow through the shoulder that would have killed her certainly, and yet the Iyrman stood, tall and proud, and red with rage.
The other Warrior’s blade shook as he faced off against the Iyrman, and though they were a Senior and two Warriors against the Iyrman, the fear had taken root within the trio.
Kitool almost shouted for Jaygak as she leapt into battle, only to realise she was preoccupied with the Vice Commander. She spun her staff around herself, before stepping forward to face the last of the Seniors, her Tigerstaff like a storm as it clattered off against the Senior’s armour.
‘How vicious!’ the Senior thought, ready to chant a spell, only to find his body freezing in place as the staff struck him within his throat. He couldn’t even cough as the staff rained down upon his body, threatening to break his bones. By the time Kitool’s onslaught was done, the heavily armoured Senior fell, unconscious, unable to even mutter a spell.
“Senior!” shouted the pair of Warriors in utter shock, the pair hammering heavy blows against the woman, barely caught by her staff, yet the divine magic flooded through the young woman, causing her to drop to a knee.
‘I need to-,’ Kitool thought, before she tilted her head, though the flat side of the blade struck her against her skull, and she dropped.
Amokan’s blade threatened to tear through one of the Warrior’s plate armour, denting it with such force that the Warrior coughed out, only to find the shadow of another great blade strike across her helmet, denting it against her skull as she dropped to the floor, her body limp.
“Kitool has been knocked down,” Amokan joked, while the single Warrior glanced between the pair in utter shock. “Do you wish to assist her.”
“Is it needed?” Timojin replied, casually walking away while the Warrior managed to strike Amokan’s side, only to find his skin was almost like iron.
Jaygak fought the Vice Commander.
That left ten.
One had fallen to Jurot, and three had gone to him, a Senior and two Warriors.
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That left six.
Kitool had dropped a Senior, and found herself surrounded by three Warriors, who ended up downing her.
That left two.
Amokan and Timojin knocked out a Warrior together, choosing to thin out the numbers, before duelling. One remained with Amokan, as Timojin walked over towards Kitool to support her side.
That left none.
None had gone for the young man in the purple plate armour, who wore an amulet of obsidian, that of the Iyr’s Baktu. He was a Priest of Death, or so they thought.
Adam’s entire body remained still and tense. He inhaled deeply, and as he exhaled, his entire body relaxed. His body tingled lightly.
Fighting Spirit: 3 -> 2
Attack - Wraith (Advantage)(Flanking)
D20 + 11 = 16 (5)
D20 + 11 = 23 (12)
Hit!
Wraith: 3 -> 2
Mana: 25 -> 24
Ability: Divine Smite
2D6 + 2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 26 (2, 2)(2, 4)(2, 5)
26 damage!
Attack - Wraith (Advantage)(Flanking)
D20 + 11 = 15 (4)
D20 + 11 = 17 (6)
Miss!
Onward Soar: 1 -> 0
Attack - Wraith (Advantage)(Flanking)
D20 + 11 = 18 (17)
D20 + 11 = 19 (18)
Hit!
Wraith: 2 -> 1
Mana: 24 -> 23
Ability: Divine Smite
2D6 + 2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 33 (4, 6)(2, 4)(2, 6)
33 damage!
Attack - Wraith (Advantage)(Flanking)
D20 + 11 = 14 (3)
D20 + 11 = 20 (9)
Hit!
Wraith: 1 -> 0
Mana: 23 -> 22
Ability: Divine Smite
2D6 + 2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 29 (2, 4)(3, 4)(3, 4)
29 damage!
Mana: 22 -> 21
Spell: Healing Word
1D6 + 3 = 6 (3)
Wraith cut through the air with a heightened focus, and though the Warrior caught Wraith with her blade, the axe struck against her helmet, almost slipping through the visor. The chill of Wraith and the heat of the holy magic ran through her as she tried to defend herself with her greatsword, but she fell to the earth, her entire body twitching before it fell limp.
“You!” a Warrior shouted, aiming his blade towards Adam, though he stepped back as Wrath struck his blade harshly, his arms shivering as he tried to defend himself, the chill and heat filling him.
“Kitool, get up,” Adam called, his voice full of life, his amulet glowing lightly as he called forth Kitool to rise.
The Iyrman’s eyes darted open as the memories flooded into her mind, the wetness against the side of her head flowing against her short hair.
As the Senior and Warriors tried to attack the Iyrman, the viciousness of his blade forced them away. The third, the Warriors, managed to pierce through Jurot’s other shoulder, and as thunder exploded around them from the magics imbued within his sword, he froze. His eyes met Jurot’s, which were pure white, his face still red with rage, the savage somehow conscious still.
‘Mother, have mercy.’
Harrison could barely keep his attention upon the scene as Jaygak and he clashed. Within moments, two Seniors and two Warriors had fallen, and though they had managed great blows against one of the Iyrmen, he was still up. He could already sense the resolve of his companions begin to shatter, even though his fighting still inspired his companions onward.
“Forward!” Vice Commander Harrison shouted, striking the Iyrman before him viciously, threatening to break her shield arm with the force of his blade. “Do not let the wickedness within your heart!”
Jaygak winced, raising her shield to deflect the heavy blows, and she could feel her mind begin to wander as the blackness seeped into her vision.
“Kitool!” Jaygak shouted, her words piercing through the air, through the sound of combat. “How could you fall before me?” Jaygak laughed, twisting herself, the blade glancing off her pauldron, while her own blade struck through the side of the Vice Commander’s knee, managing to draw blood as she struck true, causing Harrison to stumble backwards.
Kitool’s ears twitched and she inhaled deeply, spinning her blade around herself as she struck one of the Warrior’s weakly, catching his attention, before she held her staff in front of her, ready to trade blows. As she inhaled, a blade forced its way into her shoulder, and though she managed to pull back before it could slip in too deep, but the divine magic which flashed against her shoulder caused her to fall once more.
“Step back!” the Warrior warned, pointing his blade towards the woman’s neck, and yet a shadow blurred from the corner of his vision. As he raised his shoulder to deflect it, the helmet flew off his head, as he dropped his blade and fell.
Amokan didn’t even try to catch the blade as it headed for his neck, but his blade almost bisected the Warrior in half, the Warrior’s body crumpling like paper as he dropped.
“I swear upon my oath, I shall destroy this wickedness,” the Warrior said, trying to clash with Adam, though the crimson shield deflected the heavy blows.
Mana: 21 -> 20
Spell: Healing Word
1D6 + 3 = 6 (3)
Attack - Wraith (Flanking)
D20 + 11 = 18 (7)
Hit!
Mana: 20 -> 19
Ability: Divine Smite
2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 19 (1, 4)(2, 3)
19 damage!
Attack - Wraith (Flanking)
D20 + 11 = 22 (11)
Hit!
Mana: 19 -> 18
Ability: Divine Smite
2D6 + 2D6 + 9 = 29 (2, 6)(6, 6)
29 damage!
“Yeah, yeah,” Adam replied, his voice filling with magics once more. “Kitool, get up.” The woman’s eyes opened once more, feeling the magic fill her with a gentle warmth, hearing the heavy clashing as the Warrior, almost buckled under Adam’s great strength.
“You guys, if you’re getting a little tired, you can step back, you know?” Adam joked, glancing across the group. ‘Three of us are looking kinda rough, but they’re looking worse.’
Vice Commander Harrison wasn’t sure when it was when he and his companions had become outnumbered. “Bring them up!” He commanded, while his voice filled with divine magic. “With the will of my oath, return to us!”
“Who gave you permission to act up?” Adam asked, his own voice full of magic, and he glared at the Vice Commander.
Mana: 18 -> 15
Spell: Counterspell
As the words of life filled the ears of one of the Senior, magic whipped the healing magic away.
‘What?’ Harrison thought, holding his blade up towards Jaygak, and as the pair readied to clash, the Vice Commander’s thoughts fell elsewhere. ‘Was that Counterspell?’
“Hey,” Adam called out, still holding the blade at bay with Wraith, feeling his opponent’s shuddering arm. “If you want to keep this up, I’ll stop holding back.”
“Vice Commander Harrison,” called a calm, hopeful voice. “Will you step back?”
Vonda’s eyes caught the Vice Commander’s, who had been tasked with eliminating the demons who trekked through the land. She had done all she could to allow the Vice Commander to step back with his pride, and though the fight was going against him, she was certain he thought otherwise. He was still fresh, and so was the Senior, while Jurot, Kitool, and Jaygak were on their last legs. Timojin was already behind the Warrior, while Amokan was only a leap away from assisting Jurot.
Harrison’s eyes remained a glare, ready to continue the fight. “If you continue to fight, some of you may die.”
“We do not fear death, Aldishman,” Jaygak panted, her voice full of venom, still eager to fight.
The Vice Commander could see it through the woman’s visor, a conviction which matched even his own.
‘Raygak, do you see?’ Though she could feel the blackness push in through the corners of her vision, though her arm pulsed, her blade shuddering. ‘I would rather die than to step back, even against a Vice Commander!’