//------------------------------// // Castigation // Story: Dire Vale: Say Goodbye // by SymphonicSync //------------------------------// The magic surged from the guard's horn and formed blade-like sigils in the air. Though she had barely regained consciousness, Flurry Heart cast a protective spell around herself. The crunch of sand under onyx soles fell silent as she was shrouded in black. The sphere of energy blocked sound and light from entering the space inside. It was a difficult and taxing spell, as were all shielding charms, but Flurry had always shown a talent for the discipline. To support the barrier, she had to dispell the existing charms tied to her being. Fatigue hit her like a runaway cart as her leg screamed out with pain. The silence in the sphere was broken by the sound of her lungs gasping for breath. She looked down at her chest, to where the bolt that caused her to black out had struck her seconds earlier. In the darkness, she could not assess the possible damage The inside of the sphere was illuminated with a bright golden light as the elite's spell strained against her shielding. With the flashes that followed the impacts, Flurry could see a smoldering hole in the front of her training gear, the edge of the cloth and leather singed from the spell. Her coat underneath, though the ends of a few hairs were darkened, was uninjured. Gilded light continued to spill through the veil as cracks began to form across the surface of the sphere. Through them followed the green daggers, slowly pushing their way past the barrier. As they dissipated, the cracks sealed themselves and her resting place was cast in to shadows once again. Not a moment later the barrage began anew. Emerald blades began to pierce the barrier and drove further past her defense than before. The cracks spread further and wider, glimpses of the outside world peering through, before returning to black as the blades dissipated again. As the third volley struck her shield and she felt her magical reserves sapped by the blows, Flurry Heart realized that this cycle needed to be stopped before she could no longer support the barrier. Her forearm still screamed with pain and the rest of her body was yet weary from the fight, she knew that she needed to bring an end to the fight quickly. In her present condition, she could not remain on the defensive. The veil about her thinned as she recast the spells that supported her vigor and suppressed her pain. As air seemed to fill her lungs and her arm became numb, the veil about her thinned. Through a golden filter she could see the unicorn spawning another set of daggers as another three elites slowly circled her shield. Two more to match her follies, one for falling to the ground, another for taking the bolt to the chest. Shutting her eyes, her opponent's grim visage vanished. In her mind, she could see the incandescent glow on their visor. She could see the others pacing within the ring, waiting to abush her as soon as she was freed from the cage of her own design. They were without emotion and relentless in their duty. She was gravely outnumbered and running out of energy. This had become a contest of predator and prey. She must reverse the order. As she dispelled her shield and the blades plunged towards her. With a thud, they sank in to the sand as Flurry Heart appeared from a violent blue flash behind the guard that cast them. Her eyes glowed with azure light as she let loose a blast that sent the elite sprawling into another across the ring. The two left standing charged towards her, both their horns alight as they prepared their own spells. A flash from the horn of the second advancing guard preceeded a bolt that passed through the now empty air where Flurry Heart had been standing. Before the first could finish casting their own, she appeared above it and slammed her weight in to the top of of it's head. Their jaw struck the sand and drug a shallow hole as the guard crumpled to the ground. As it tried to lift it's helm from the trench, a band a sand animated by Flurry strapped itself around the unicorn's neck and pulled it deeper in. A second bolt of magic came flying at her, but rather than evade the spell Flurry threw up a shield angled towards the fallen guard beneath her. The bolt ricocheted and struck the guard's head, and upon impact the sand trapping it turned into a crystalline cage. As the guard reached her and threw a punch, she slammed her hoof in to their forearm to cancel their momentum. Allowing the unicorn to jab her in the side, she tucked her horn under the chin of their helmet and cast a concussive blast. The two were blown apart with violent force, a few moments later Flurry landed on three hooves as the guard rolled across the ground. Scanning the room, she saw that the other two guards had found their hoofing and were sprinting towards her. She could hear a elite entering the fray from behind her, sound of it's armor belied it's approach. As the elites in front of shot a volley of spells, the new arrival attempted a lunge at Flurry Heart. As her horn emitted a subtle glow, she spun around and caught the guard, grappling it around to face the incoming bolts. With a burst of energy, a torrent of stand erupted in to the air in front of the pair. Quickly cooling shells of molten glass cracked against the guard's armor, locking up several joints as a shard embedded itself in Flurry's cheek. A few more missiles ran through the cloud of sand to pelt the guard. With each hit Flurry could feel more fragments being caught in her training garb. Wrapping her fetlock around the guard's neck she tossed it to ground. With a pillar of glass running from flank to girth that encircled it's neck and shoulders, it could not even attempt to stand. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see another guard enter the ring. Gritting her teeth, she could feel a fresh wave of pain roll out from her cheek. Her healing wards were too taxed to quell any more injuries. The time to restrain herself was over.