“Woah there!” Peter cries out as he dodges a flying blade of pure wind. It effortlessly slices through the thick branches in its path. “What a technique, fascinating.” He says as his swords take on his red aura. Jumping off a branch, he flips upside down. “Like this?!” He shouts gleefully and throws two quick slashes back at his attackers.
A group of roars echo on the forest floor, and the shrubbery disappears in a magical haze, relieving a heavily armored group within a glowing dome. The two red slashes of aura tear through a bubble-thin barrier, causing a wall of magical runes to flare to life in response. These curvy drawings shatter like glass in front of the oncoming aura.
“Shit, people?!” Peter lands against a tree’s trunk as the red aura on his feet keeps him grounded. He winces as his attack begins to work its way into the dome. “Yes!” He cheers as a fighter approaches from the group with a glowing longsword. The sword-wielding warrior raises their sword above their armored helmet before bringing it down in one clean, vertical motion. “Oh fu-!” Peter screams.
The counter-attack from the armored swordsman cuts clean through his red aura attack like a sharp breeze. Peter quickly condenses his aura around his body while throwing up his best guard. A thunderous boom from the collision shatters the tree he’s standing on, and the remaining force of the blow sends him flying back to the beach.
“Welcome back!” Syleen laughs as Peter rolls through the sand a few times. “How was the wildlife?” She asks while throwing a few jabs with her glowing fists. Bolts of magical power fly off to intercept the oncoming projectiles.
“It’s the locals, pleh!” Peter replies while shaking off the sand and spitting some out. “Fin, they’re fully plated!” He shouts while deftly gliding along the sand behind the cover of the stone pillars as more attacks fly his way.
“Good to know; these would kill them.” Fin says as he shoots down a few more projectiles. He slaps a patch on his belt, and a bright light erupts from a symbol as a quiver magically appears.
“Hurry up, I’m getting pissed off!” Syleen shouts as she tries to launch some more offensive magic. Something continues to interfere with or disrupt her spells. “I need to punch something!” Her frustration grew; she was not used to being on the defensive.
“Shock and awe.” Fin speaks as he pulls out a wooden arrow with a dull tip. As he draws the bowstring back, the arrow lights up with glowing purple swirls. The purple arrow makes a shrill zap noise, shrieking through the air like a miniature lightning bolt. It strikes a bush center mass, and a flash of purple energy engulfs it.
“Raarh!” Davy yells out as he rides a metal horse among his summoned cavalry. He rushes toward the unveiled attacker, who is resisting the magical shock arrow. Fin quickly launches more arrows at the bushes lining the forest area.
“Davy! Those are the locals!” Peter shouts as he jumps onto the back of one of Davy’s knights’ mount. “Try to avoid killing and maiming them!” He yells before jumping off to destroy the enemies’ magical shielding. “We come in peace?” Peter smiles at the defenseless armored warrior holding an intricate-looking crossbow-type weapon. An arrow shatters against their armor before they receive a spasm-inducing shock, knocking them unconscious.
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“Self-defense.” Fin avoids Peter's sharp glare as he finds another target. “Syleen, bind them, don’t break them.” Fin sighs as he shoots an armored warrior out of her grasp.
“Ugh! But Fin!..” She stomps her foot full of magically enhanced force onto the solid ground of the forest. A long, shallow ditch forms underneath the feet of the enemies, stumbling them out of their magical camouflage. “Fine! But you owe me a fancy dinner!” Syleen snaps her fingers as roots sprout from the sides of the ditch and entangle the floundering enemies.
“Please don’t bankrupt me.” Fin sighs as he fries at an enemy fighting against a summoned knight. “I’m not paid enough for your tastes.” He wishes he was joking.
“Flirt later, work now.” Chestor’s calm yet powerful voice sends a shiver down their spine.
“We found the locals, now what?” Peter asks him as he lands on the beach. His red aura recedes into his tiny body. Chestor turns around and watches Tanner as he works his holy magic over Lewin’s body before going back to his guard duty.
“Did you hear them say anything?” Chestor asks Peter, who is resting against a stone pillar.
“Just grunts and growls, like beasts from the wilds back home.” Peter starts to laugh at something. “What if those are armored bears and wolves we are fighting, ha!” He laughs while slapping his knee.
“Did they stink?” Chestor asks the laughing boyish elder with a stern face.
“Orcs, nay lad, I don’t see them dressing up in full metal armor.” Peter shakes his head, thinking about it. “Plus, monsters can’t use aura… Shouldn’t be able to.” His voice goes quiet as he finds himself staring at the interior of the StormWall, reaching skyward from beyond the horizon.
“Guys!” Syleen yells out as her vine traps are shredded instantly, freeing all the captive enemies. “They have backup!” She retreats with the help of magic as stronger attacks using ice bloom into solid spheres on the sand.
“Davy, fall back!” Chestor yells out as a few of Davy’s knights are entrapped in the ice. A warrior with a glowing spear leaps from the trees, a streak of light forming a trail as his spear makes its way to the ground, through the ice, knight, and mount in one smooth motion.
“What the hells?!” Davy shouts as he spurs his mount into a retreat. A flash of blue light from behind him sends a cold wave of air down his back as he flies head-first over his metal horse. The back of the horse was caught in the ice sphere. “Damn-” Davy lands heavily in the sand before digging a trench with his body.
“Switch!” Peter yells out as his aura bursts to life. He quickly jumps in front of Tanner and Lewin, protecting them from the backsplash of Chestor’s powerful takeoff. Davy struggles to shake off the dizziness from the fall as the spear enemy closes in.
“Duck.” Chestor orders as he stands beside the kneeling Davy, as the spear enemy swings from behind. Davy obeys as the two powerful strikes collide above him, the shockwaves forcing him into the sand. “That hurts.” Chestor growls as he shakes his fist out with a mocking grin. The enemy spear wielder gets thrown back from the attack, their feet digging long trenches in the soft ground.