XP Earned!
Unfettered Volition!
The Reforged blocked the stone shaped spear from hitting its chest with an arm, and bashed it apart with a simple backhand. A snarl rippled through its chest and the Reforged turned...only to find Felix flying through the air, fist first.
Corrosive Strike!
Wild Threnody!
Felix's fist, sparking with a corrosive aura, smashed through the Reforged. Shards of ice exploded around it as it's face was driven back, only to feel the needy tendrils of shadow Mana grab it's exposed flesh.
Shadow Whip!
It's body was brought savagely back into collision with Felix's acid-fueled punch. This time, it's entire face caved in.
You Have Killed A Reforged!
XP Earned!
"AH!" Another Reforged stepped from the darkness, hidden from sight by the crumbling ruin of a building. Felix didn't hesitate, but threw himself forward as the Reforged screamed out a challenge. Distantly Felix could hear the stomp of approaching footsteps.
"Felix!"
"He's getting too far ahead!"
You Have Killed A Reforged!
XP Earned!
The next one fell to his transformed claws, it's chest unable to withstand their Essence fueled sharpness. His friends were yelling, but his ears were too busy ringing. Felix had quite enough with these bastards, and he was more than ready to vent his frustrations. A wave of shaped spikes took out the knees of a contingent of loping Simians, stabbing at them sideways from the walls.
Purple-white Mana vapor accumulated ahead of him, lighting up the streets as footsteps shook the ground. A chittering call joined the booming steps, and the spectral light of the Ghostfire Simians soon joined them. Felix ran, heedless. He could feel chain, spear, dagger, and axe begun laying about themselves behind him but he wasn't concerned. His friends could handle themselves.
He had monsters to slay.
"The gates aren't manned, at least not well," Keru chirped. Pit pawed at the kingfisher, causing him to flit about to avoid the tenku's playful bats. "They might be strong, but there weren't any redcloaks nearby. Mana flow looked weak too. Might be the best place to attack."
"Likely what DuFont is thinkin' too," Harm pointed out. "She's wily."
But what if its not just us? Vess suggested. She pointed at the map, drawing everyone's eye.
"Has a bit of poetry to it, considering what she's done," Cal allowed. "Reckless though."
Evie clapped in delight. Oh I like that! she said.
"Lafei! What's that?" Keryk pointed with his oversized chin, too lazy to even lift a finger.
Lafei checked the sword at her side and adjusted the tilt of her enchanted helmet. Inquisitor DuFont had raised the both of them to Initiates despite their age and lack of battlefield achievements. She was dedicated to proving herself worthy of the responsibility and authority placed upon her shoulders. Keryk, meanwhile, slouched harder despite his expensive armor and flame-forged sword. So it was with little enthusiasm that she responded to her partner's exclamation.
"What are you?" But then she saw it. A collection of purple-white lights converging on their position, and soon, beyond the relentless sound of rain, the cacophony of monstrous footsteps. "Monsters! A horde has breached the city!"
Lafei reached for the bell pull, to alert the Inquisition, but froze mere finger-lengths from the cord. Pain assaulted her with a terrible, hideous touch as blue-white fire sprung about her entire person.
Status Condition: Enthralled!
I-I can't move! She screamed internally, the flames burning her exposed skin. Her Health began to steadily drop. Keryk!
But in her peripheral vision, she could see that he too was affected. No!
Below, just beyond the red-gold glow of their wall, a man had run out into the open. He was moving incredibly fast, but what struck Lafei the most in that moment were the brilliant, deep sapphire blue of his eyes. He was looking right at them, and his own body was limned in an identical flame.
It's him! The ground all but quaked around her. The Fiend!
Behind him, racing as if the Pathless himself were after them, five others followed the Fiend. All of them shimmered with a motley collection of Mana vapors, while behind them the purple-white luminescence increased many fold. Monsters, creatures from the dark imaginings of the Continent raced out of the stormy night, howling for blood.
Had she been able to move, Lafei would have fallen back in fear.
*KATHOOOM!*
The Fiend hit their gate like a Human catastrophe. He and all of his friends caved in the reinforced doors, sending them careening into the inner bailey erected by Inquisitor DuFont just that evening. A shiver of red-gold went through the entire structure, and despite her pain, Lafei felt a twisted pleasure. Soon the defenses would activate and
and nothing happened.
What? Why? Lafei quailed. Inquisitor! Save us!
The grotesque horde hit their gate only moments later, a tide of ice-borne horrors and insectoid abominations. Lafei screamed, and not until she heard Keryk shouting alongside her did she realize the truth. The Enthrall had faded along with the fiery torment. Hands numbed by scalding pain, Lafei reached for the cord and rang the alarm bell.
"Breach! En-enemy has breached the gate!" she shouted, her voice hoarse already. She rang the enchanted bell for all she was worth, ignoring the truth as an icy monstrosity impacted the guard tower and threw her from her feet.
It was too late.