Allen MacIssac
He was afraid. Completely and absolutely terrified. The fear that infested him was overflowing more than when Allen had seen a man taken apart by a wheat thresher. Even with all that screaming and blood sprays, Phelain dying before them filled him with far more horror. A mechanical device didn't mean harm. It would take no pleasure in the destruction dealt. This pale Ratsin was just as mechanical in movement, but a passionate hatred wafted thickly from it. Stinging both noise and the soul. They were forced by their frozen limbs to watch as the monster savored the dying of their friend. Those long agonizing moments would haunt him.
Allen couldn’t find his voice to scream nor the will to flee. They had been given no chances to prevent the butchery before them. One moment the party was all smiles over victory and in the next breath came sinking despair. Phelain’s face distorted before blade-like claws sheared through their party leader. No one made a sound. They couldn’t move and were at a loss on what to do even if they could.
The shield awoke the fire acolyte from his blinding dread. Rusty reflexes fired and he caught the shield as it bounced at his face. Incredulous with surprise, Allen looked at the scarred shield. The three scoured marks filled his vision and world. When he looked back up at the bleeding, disarmed Phelain, it was like seeing it anew. The paralysis failed and his screaming broke free.
It started as a wordless moan of terror that rolled through others as chills up their spine. They all recoiled as if waking from a nightmare. Finding a spark of will, Allen cut off the sound with a snap of his teeth. Looking to the party around him for strength, he thought of his last look at Phelain. A bloody smile under his eyes that urged them to run. The fire acolyte vowed to do as requested. A deep breath and a roar followed.
“Protocol eighty-six!” announced Allen. The familiar command brought a completely different response to the group. They all turned to him with shock before turning to Phelain with clenched jaws. It was one of the ironclad phrases created by the Council to ensure quick reactions in crises. This one meant they were to cut and run. Everyone’s priority switched to retreating immediately. There were mostly nods, but some shook their heads in refusal. He understood the reluctance, but there was nothing that could be done for Phelain. They had to retreat and reorganize. Then, we will ruin that beast, growled Allen to himself. He clenched the shield as if to display the strength of his oath.
Grief-stricken, everyone followed him away from the Ratsin except Hector. Allen turned to persuade the warrior to follow, but words failed him as their eyes met. The other man wept in rage and looked at all of them with disgust. The fire acolyte took the brunt of it as his due. The decision was his to make and he couldn’t refuse the judgment in those eyes. Abandoning Phelain wasn’t what he wanted, but there wasn’t anything better to do. It didn’t waver the resolve to retreat in the least bit. The group wasn't in any kind of state to fight this monster.
The protocol must be followed, stated Allen to himself. Whether he said it as a prayer or begging something for understanding, the acolyte wasn’t sure. Malachi and Council made it clear that in a situation like this nothing else should be done. As Phelian’s second, how could I do anything else? A suicide charge won’t save their lives. Revenge at this high of a cost isn’t worth it.
He opened his mouth, hoping that the right words would come out. Instead, before a word could fly, Hector turned away with an anguished snarl. The sight of the warrior’s eyes were searing. A shame warmth rose from the toes to his head. A look of scorn that would be hard to forget. So full of the offense that someone would try to convince them to walk away. The warrior charged at the Ratsin, wailing with sorrow and rage.
Grimacing Allen ignored his own tears and turned to the others to encourage them to keep going. The desire to support was strong, but nothing had changed. Shame wasn’t enough for him to turn from his purpose of preservation. Yet, when Axton moved to follow Hector, the fire acolyte also most relented. Seeing someone else ignoring the protocol almost made it ok. That was until he saw the manic grin on the ax-wielder's face. There was only battle lust there. This was not a heroic attempt to aid an ally. His course was solidified, even with the sick feeling boiling in his belly. Those two were doomed, but he could save the others.
They fled down the tunnel and the fire acolyte threw looks over his shoulders. Hector rushed in recklessly, shield loose and sword ready. It might have ended right there if Axton didn’t catch up in a flash of red spiky energy. The suddenness bought them a few seconds as the Ratsin had to shift from dealing with one target to two. Like strings pulling on a puppet, the monster dodged the initial attacks. Ax and sword cutting the air. The pricks of red light studied them as it crept around them slowly. Hunting for the right moment. Hector howled, Axton laughed, and Allen shook his head in despair.
The ax-wielder met the creature first. They launched themself at the Ratsin, axes brimming with blood-red light. Silent and still, the rat thing allowed the approach. When the attack came it seemed as if Axton had simply missed. Red Mana surged in great slashes of energy, but they passed the monster unharmed. The dead creature had shifted tiny increments to evade the wild strikes.
Spent, the ax-wielder now stood within the arms of the monster. Grinning, they readied another attack. Appearing entirely causal about it, the beast snapped forward and bit off Axton’s head. Blood fountained from the body as the head dropped unnoticed from the Ratsin’s mouth. It already had a new target in mind. Hector seconds too late, screamed defiance at the rat thing as it moved past its latest victim. Those with Allen tried turning to see, but he firmly told them to keep their eyes ahead.
There is no need for them to see their deaths, decided the acolyte. We’ll retreat and bring the others back with us. It’ll pay. Unwilling, but knowing he had to watch, Allen looked over his shoulder again. His purpose in forcing himself was a cross between; someone should watch their deaths and having as much information as possible to bring to the rest of the Sixty.
Hector’s blade glowed weakly as the weeping man engaged the Ratsin. His attacks were rough and easily evaded. Blows being blocked by the shield was more miraculous than intentional. Axton had been reckless, but the Phelain’s frontline partner was worst. He was wild and unfocused. Tears streamed down their face as the warrior continually missed the mark. The monster dealt with it patiently. A factor that distrubed Allen. The rat things weren’t known for cautious behavior. The abominations followed the all-out aggression school of thought. This deadly thing skittered about calmly waiting for an opening.
The struggle could go only so long. His doom fell when in his delirium Hector faltered. His foot got snagged on a little piece of stone. Slipping, the warrior lost his balance. It was enough for the waiting beast. The Ratsin’s hands thrust forward and crushed the man. A gurgle ripped from Hector before the monster flicked its claws free. The beast’s eyes were already shifted to the fleeing party. It wasted no time on the corpses of the Sixty. The living seemed to be the creature's only concern.
It fell into a ground devouring lope. The red pinpricks of light zeroed in on them. Absolute focus. Allen gulped and yelled for the survivors to run. Before they had been hustling carefully, but now an all-out run was needed. While going full tilt the acolyte had to racket his brain for a plan. A few beats of his heart were all that he could spare. Their lead was rapidly shrinking.
“Analia, can you cast while running?” asked Allen between sharp breaths. Fear speeding his feet, but compressing his chest. The shadow acolyte looked back and cringed at the sight. Worried eyes met his as she nodded warily. He took it to mean she would make it work. That’s all I ask, thought the fire acolyte before explaining what he needed, “Alright, throw something heavy. We’re looking for something with a’ big ole pushback. Gotta slow that bastard down!”
Frantic whispering came from the shadow acolyte instead of giving a response. Allen turned inwards to prepare his own. He had developed a spell similar to Malachi’s after seeing how effective it was at crowd control. A few quick modifications would make it a wonderful tool for slowing their pursuer.
“Mighty Mountain Roar,
Ashen Wave Blasting,
Searing Force Rush,
Hammer of the Pyroblast!”
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Normally a wave of flames would roll out from him, but Allen converted the factors to concentrate the effect. An orange wind shear erupted from his words. The spell filled the tunnel and gave the Ratsin nowhere to evade. Before the superheated air hit, the monster halted and claws anchored into the stone floor. Shattering stone echoed through the tunnel as the creature was dragged backward by the force of heat.
When the dust cleared from the air, the Ratsin was moving again. To his dismay, the fire acolyte noticed it was largely untouched. A greater gap had been successfully created, but the rat thing was barely singed. There should have been more damage. Instead, the Ratsin charged unaffected. Dead eyes and patient strides as it tried to eat the distance. The panic he was holding back almost won out in the face of these results. Only thinking of the people around him kept stable. By stepping up, they were his responsibility now. He wished and hoped Analia would have better luck than him.
Looking up, the shadow acolyte scrutinized him and the monster. After the quick consideration, she turned back to whispering. Sweat appeared on the brow from the increased effort. Mana built up around Analia before they switched to running sideways to cast. Instead of the geyser-like beam of darkness, a black boulder shot out like a bullet. It was as if her normal spell had been condensed down to just a ball of hardened darkness. The Ratsin tried to leap out of the bath, but the ball lazily homed in on the monster. The collusion was a meaty thunk followed by a racket of cracking bones.
The impact tossed the beast into the wall. Putting it in an erratic roll, head falling over heels. Upon coming to a rest, it had become a silently screaming ball of jagged bones. Shards broke through the skin, but no sheen of blood appeared.
A pulse of dirty Mana came from the creature as some force lifted it up. Every bone began to snap loudly back into place by the influence of fiendish red lights. The light poured out from within like ethereal worms. The Ratsin’s eyes transformed from pinpricks to bloodshot. Ugly red cracks burned in its glare as the rat thing touched the ground again. It should have been too far back to catch up quickly, but fiendish light didn’t fade. It remained like tendrils of light floating listlessly. It was with a new zealous speed that they were pursued. An aura of hate stoked their need to escape the raging dead thing. It would be on them soon.
They finally caught sight of the last bend in the tunnel. The forking section of the tunnel was so achingly close. Allen worried it wasn’t near enough. Their gap was depleting frighteningly quickly. Soon the monster would be nipping at their tails. Leon’s voice broke the chorus of heavy breathing. He was casting on the run in hopes of slowing the Ratsin down. Gain them to time to find the others
A spherical barrier like thick glass appeared and sealed around the beast. The fiendish claws tore through the field as if it wasn’t there. The Ratsin passed the trap with only a mild inconvenience. The crazed eyes of it bearing down on the barrier acolyte who had lagged behind to cast. A furious tackle threw the creature into Leon and another one of them was gone.
Dawson Wu took the rear. Gritting his teeth as he tried his best to slow the monster with his own shield barriers, but they weren’t even as good as Phelain and Hector could make. They shattered without slowing the vision of death and hate. The fire acolyte turned and tossed a Strike of the Fire Lance, but the dispelling effect was stronger. The attack was more smoke than flames before it licked at the Ratsin.
A slash of claws caught brave Dawson and he began to slow down into the grasp of the Ratsin. Vivian moved to heal him on the run, but Kai pulled her back. A conversation danced between their eyes, filled with sorrow and sharp looks. Kai’s face was still while the healer’s face crumpled with simmering anger. She shifted to help Dawson anyway. The prideful acolyte sighed and said, “I’ll help him for you.” A spell was cast over Vivian. White energy encircled her in a pill-shaped forcefield. Allen could hear the note of dread in her angry shout as the capsule shot down the tunnel to safety. Kai didn’t look back, only about-faced and flew in a streak of burning light.
The fire acolyte grimaced. He wanted to save them, but without Phelain their unity had splintered. A longing look towards where Vivian had been sent was all Allen allowed himself. Ok, let’s break this bastard and get out of dodge before it out itself together again, thought the fire acolyte as he planned.
Kai’s Prideful Impact was ineffective in doing damage, but had stalled the Ratsin enough. Dawson saddled up beside his savior to form a melee wall. Their thoughts lined up with his own. A quick skirmish and then flee. Without having to ask, Amiyah and Analia joined Allen to bombard the monster.
“Alright, we cripple it and then make a run for it,” called out Allen. “Hopefully there’s folks waiting for us or they hear our little clamor and come running.” There were nods, but it was the set of their shoulders that told him everything he needed to know. None of them wanted to stick around any longer than he did.
The red threads of energy wriggled in what seemed to be excited for the close proximity of its prey. The Ratsin leaped forward, right claws swiping hard to the side. Dawson moved in with his shield up. Mana flashed into a barrier, but like before it was too weak. Just a paper wall before a hurricane. The shield was struck full force and Dawson couldn’t hold the blow. The warrior was tossed into the tunnel wall. Before anyone could react, the left hand shot forward into the chest. Before falling to the floor, Dawson Wu was dead. The four of them flinched at the crater where his heart had been.
The hesitation cost them. The Ratsin dove into the center of them and savaged Amiyah before any of them had a chance to register the movement. They were now divided by the raging monster. Kai looked over the mess at them, resignation in his posture. His mace gathered golden light and then the prideful acolyte brought it down upon the head of the busy beast. There was a rush of force with the sound of an egg cracking.
The dead thing’s skull partially caving in on one side. The monster looked up from its kill to stare at Kai while the red light rebuilt the skull. The work looked patchy, but the Ratsin seemed no worse for the wear. For the first time, Allen saw the prideful acolyte looked distressed. They peered at the unaffected monster and began to laugh hopelessly. The mace built up a light again as Kai dodged to get in close. “Go, go you fools!” laughed Kai. “Get the others! We’re not taking this fucker down alone.” The remark was punctuated by a burst of light and the cracking of ribs.
As the chest reinflated, Allen turned to Analia to run with her. Absently she held out her hand. He looked at it strangely for a second, but took it smiling. It felt strange to feel comforted at that moment as Kai faced a losing battle. Despite that, there was a wonderful warmth in the other acolyte’s hand. They shared a moment in their hell of despair and grief.
Something greater came next before they could begin to run. Their wills connected. A twining caused by their unified need. The two of them leaned into the sensation. Allen knew this because her feelings crossed the link over to him as his went to her. A merging of Mana took place. Flame and darkness weaved around them as a joint Heartsong wrote a duet. They grasped with both hands now and turned to Ratsin to recite the combined spell.
“I Am The Flames, “I Am The Shadows,
Fire Lights My Path, Darkness Is My Path,
We Seek Together, We Seek Together,
To Annihilate Our Foes, To Annihilate Our Foes,
Let Them Burn, Let Them Drown,
Flames of the Shadow Sea!”
From the corner of their eyes, black fires poured like lava over the pale Ratsin. Its jaw clicked as the beast silently screamed. Like living oil, the dark flames slithered over the beast to consume it. The smell of burnt hair and cooked flesh scorched the air. A damnable thing flailing for freedom. It seemed to forget about them altogether. The burning liquid clung to the body, but it endured. Unwilling to be slain.
The spell was exhausting to cast, but even the exciting effect wasn’t enough. Allen could already see it would only slow the creature. Its devastating anti-Mana effect was slowly dissolving the corrosive oil. The damage done was only superficial. Still, they bought time. In a flash, Kai was at their side running down the tunnel. The three-way fork was so close
Analia didn’t make it. At the entranceway, the Ratsin caught up to them still inflamed. It was the smell that alerted them, but all there was to do was run faster. She screamed as the acolyte was torn away from him. Allen had still been holding her hand and he was spun around with the yank. The fire acolyte watched it crush her skull before getting himself turned back around. His tears flowed again.
Through the entrance, they saw the others were, in fact, there waiting. Malachi stood ahead of the crowd, a look of concern laying heavy on his brow. Vivian was yelling at someone or just everyone. Allen never felt so relieved and horrified at the same time. They were so close, but the dead thing was right at their back. Kai claimed a few steps into the open area before the monster landed on him. Like a tiger leaping onto an elephant, but the prideful acolyte was so much smaller. Vivian screamed. For too long, that was all that he could hear.
Halfway, that was how far Allen made it to the waiting safety. Even with the Sixty rushing forward to meet him, it was the best he could do. When the Ratsin snatched his feet out from under him. The only thing the fire acolyte could think about was to get Phelain’s shield to them. It was a delirious thought, but it was a compelling impulse. The world slowed like a dream as he flung the shield with all his draining strength. With a bounce, it landed at Malachi’s feet.
Their chosen leader looked down at the shield. When they looked up to Allen there was a terrifying wrath burning there. For an instant, his pending doom was forgotten as he got lost in the direct rage. It felt like his fault for a moment, until logic reasserted. He wasn’t the target of the rage. The Ratsin had a world of hurt coming and Allen was surprised by a sudden smile. It was a quick moment of relief that the monster would be taken care of. Then, his world became consumed by pain and darkness. Light followed.