Reacting to the “Don’t Die” Gambit immediately, Touwon spun and slung one of his kurangs at the Glider that was closing in on them. Gaudy managed to avoid the strike, but consequently was forced out of the low air current he was riding, and was now barreling toward Touwon at dangerous speeds as Oskar raced to catch up.
One glance at Touwon’s wide-eyed face told Oskar the Kobold wasn’t going to be able to get out of the way in time. Touwon threw his hands up in a feeble defense as the Glider covered the last few feet in what seemed like slow motion as Oskar’s heart lurched in his chest.
Just before impact, Erik threw his hand out toward Touwon and made a fist. The draw of power was noticable on Erik, and his knees sank for a brief moment. He caught himself just as Gaudylocks crashed into something invisible, inches away from Touwon.
Sand flew in every direction at the impact, but slid off a small, shimmering dome that now surrounded the wide-eyed Kobold, thanks to Erik.
Unfortunately, the Hyenaman was also protected from the unexpected impact, either by his own version of Kinetic Transfer or another skill.
Gaudy hit the ground roughly, but with no apparent injury other than a shocked look on his face. The Hyenaman turned and was still trying to orient himself when Oskar finally caught up with him.
Oskar landed on the Hyena-man with a concussive blast, perfectly timing his own Kinetic Transfer. The spear barely seemed to register the impact as it obliterated the Hyenaman's body. Blood and gore flew in every direction, and it was only sheer luck that Oskar's mouth was closed.
Still enveloped in Sora, he gently glided to the sand after impact, a much smoother landing than his last. The dust and rocks floated through the air away from the impact as if in slow motion, but the impact had crushed the Glider.
Then, Oskar stumbled to the ground, losing his grip on Sora and forgetting that he was no longer wearing his prosthetic. The debris and sand fell to the ground with him.
Penny ran to Oskar, checking on him, and only acted satisfied when he looked her in the eyes and gave her a scratch under the chin.
Weird how checking on me turned into her getting pets. Cute little sneak.
With the immediate danger gone, Touwon’s focus shifted instantly back to the prosthetic.
Looking up from the hot sand, Oskar realized Erik and Touwon were somehow completely clean, the latter now working furiously on the broken foot and seemingly oblivious to everyone else.
Wait?! Did Erik's OCD ass use another shield to keep from getting blood on them?!
// I ain't no snitch. //
Uh huh.
The dust began to settle, though, and after a quick look at the horizon, Fox cursed. Oskar looked back to see they were running very short on time.
Fox poked Touwon, urging her Kobold friend to move, and then walked over to Oskar. She pulled Oskar to standing as she stalled a concerned Erik with a gentle wave of her hand. His brother stepped back with a sigh, obviously frustrated with his inability to help.
Oskar’s limited mobility meant they had to reach shelter quickly before the reinforcements arrived. With a muttered Kobold curse, Touwon tucked the prosthetic foot back into his bag and rushed to help Fox and Oskar. Touwon settled himself under Oskar’s other shoulder and the group, looking back warily, pushed through the last forty yards to reach the wide, flat opening in the dunes horseshoe-ed around the Gryphus Vulture’s lair. They were moving too slow, though, and we're further slowed as the enemy closed the distance enough to launch attacks.
Oskar’s presence on Touwon’s back prevented him from blocking the incoming poisoned spears, but Erik’s shield ability was coming in clutch. The shields were split-second now, existing exactly as long as they needed to. However, the effort was beginning to wear Erik down, and his breath grew ragged. His pace slowed considerably as they drew closer. With forced determination, though, Erik blocked two more spears before stopping momentarily. Letting out a grunt, Erik released a burst of energy, and a wide beam of light from his shaking hand blinded their closest pursuers.
The group Erik had targeted was forced to land, blinded and not wanting to be in the air if the enormous beast returned. One of the Gliders Erik blinded hit the ground with a crunch, though, unable to time his landing with an ability.
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Unfortunately, the rest of the reinforcements we're beginning to push into the Valley on foot. They were fearfully glancing upward and then toward the cave, expecting the Gryphus Vulture to show up enraged at the invasion of its lair to wreak havoc on the whole situation.
As their due situation became more clear, though, Oskar's felt his face grow hot with anger.
No, not now. Not after everything we've been through!
In their present state, they’d never make it to the Lair entrance without the Hyenamen closing the distance and filling them with spears. Their situation was beyond desperate, and they all made the unspoken decision to not die with their backs to the enemy.
They turned to see more enemies than they could possibly kill in open battle, and Oskar subconsciously squeezed the Kobolds in a gentle hug.
More enemies than should have been possible.
It was an idle, pointless thought.
The Hyenamen were steadily closing within spear range as the Dorn Collective readied themselves.
Oskar watched as Erik's single, sunken eye met his, then drifted off into the distance.
Responding to the look with a grim smile, Oskar couldn't stop from making a joke. Gallow's humor, he'd heard it called.
“Tonight, we dine in... heck?"
Erik grinned at the inside joke, but his gaze remained fixed on the horizon.
Their dad had, more than once, given the boys a stern look for that particular quote from the movie 300. The fact that it wasn't a harsh word, though, was almost a belly laugh and a slap on the back from their stoic ol' man.
I'm not gonna let dad bring me down when I'm having an otherwise stellar day, though, Oskar thought as he let out a long breath.
“We’re going to make them pay heck for it, though."
Under his arm, Fix nodded seriously. Erik answered with a side eye, and then continued his brooding.
He’d come all this way to save his brother, and it just didn’t seem fair to Oskar.
Fair has no place in a world like this.
Still, he supposed dying with his brother free was better than Erik being slowly tortured and enslaved for the rest of his days.
His PUB sent more threat warnings washing across his vision.
How the hell did they all get here? There’s so many. But again, I guess it doesn't matter.
The horizon was now a canvas of threats, each represented by a new dot and a flash of green, yellow, and even a few red threat warnings from his PUB.
Now that they had the numbers, the horde of creatures began to spread out in the valley as they made their way toward Oskar's group. Screams, barking growls, and hysterical laughter echoed in the valley as the sounds bounced into and then out of the cavern behind them in the distance.
I just got my brother back, and now, after everything we've been through, I'm gonna lose everything. Fox, Touwon, and Penny are family too, and all I wanted was to keep them safe.
Since they entered the Valley, Oskar had been trying to get Penny to leave, first by suggesting it, then by pleading with her. She wouldn't budge, though.
With a sad smile, Oskar felt her coming out of the sand nearby as Erik walked up and took Oskar’s weight so the Kobolds could fight. Faces grim, the pair took a step forward to stand in front of the brothers.
Penny tensed beside Erik and Oskar, who were still watching the growing number of Hyenamen close in when one of the cursed Shadow Creatures came up out of the sand just outside the valley.
This time, it was a disfigured Hyenaman with a giant left arm that dragged in the sand behind it. It stood tall, and then threw back it's mishappened head and screamed a scream that like the other creature, sounded like two separate voices. The viscous black material drank in the light and the creature stomped forward, the Hyenamen steering well clear of it.
As their enemies stalked across the ground toward them, still cautiously watching the sky for the slain Gryphus, Oskar finally channeled Sora and Talou. It responded by spooling around him, stronger than ever. Oskar pushed it outward as far as he could and it enveloped both him and Erik, not quite reaching the Kobolds.
Not enough.
Spears flew toward them. More spears than Oskar or Erik could hope to stop, but Oskar pushed himself further. He ignored the building pressure in the back of his skull. He ignored the feeling of being watched by things that should not exist.
If you want to watch so bad, then watch me die. I don't care anymore. I only care about those who fight beside me and whatever power it takes to keep them safe. I need to protect them.
The magic inside him responded to that need. It resonated like the ringing of a bell, and he felt his own magic swell in power with each echo of a pulse he could not see. Sora, Talau, and what could only be the Magic Within spun inside him in invisible crystalline patterns.
Oskar felt something... someone reach out to him. Something that knocked on the door of his very soul, and he opened the door. The pressure that threatened to pull him apart washed away just like the fear he'd felt in that hotel... what felt like forever ago. The magic swelled outward and covered the entire group, and as the Magic Within stabilized through some power not his own, the colorful swirl of magic around them smoothed so perfectly that is now appeared as a dome of frozen, shimmering glass.
The noise of the world faded away.
Oskar watched what should have been their deaths flying at them, but the spears struck and dissolved into nothingness against the perfect glass surrounding them.
The trillions of eyes... the broken, shuttering being or beings that were watching him from outside of... everything... looked away.
I'm not yet broken. Just a little bent.
Erik's hand abruptly tightened on Oskar's shoulder. All five of them blinked in shock as a sudden gale of freezing wind hit their backs through the glassy magic emanating from Oskar.
It was followed by, of all things, a cacophony of meows and hissing.
Power blazed behind them, and no one dared look back. Just the thought of doing so made the hair on the back of Oskar’s neck stand on end.