914 - Anteans and Adlets and Elves
Blood fountained into the air, spraying out so thick and so fast it was like a crimson rain.
But none of it touched the slender, furless humanoid who landed on the snow a moment later, flicking his blade and causing the crimson liquid coating its length to fly off.
He’d just finished the motion when Burly’s head hit the ground.
The rest of the stallion’s body slumped down a moment later, blood still spurting from his severed neck. Just as it finished collapsing, it seemed to shrink in on itself, returning to its original size, his head doing the same.
The entire thing had taken five, maybe six heartbeats.
For her part, Solvei could only stare, open-mouthed at how the unstoppable juggernaut that she’d barely been able to slow down had been slain in a single blow. The decisiveness of it, along with the ease with which the fatal strike had been delivered, was enough to leave her thoroughly unnerved. That’s...impossible...
Elder Sister, what just happened?! Mei Li’s mental voice sounded as panicked as Solvei felt. It looked as though an interloper struck that giant down!
I can’t believe it either, answered Solvei, instinctively having gone perfectly still as the furless, pointy-eared creature looked around. It didn’t escape her notice that the blade of their sword seemed to have no thickness to it whatsoever, seeming to vanish when turned so it was parallel to her line of sight. I really hope this invisibility spell of yours lasts-
She couldn’t finish, her voice cutting off even in her thoughts as a chill ran over her.
Burly’s slayer was looking right at her.
Her heart leaping into her throat, Solvei briefly considered that the unknown figure had some means of seeing through invisibility...only to realize that they didn’t need to, Burly’s blood having splashed on her enough that it made her easy to spot.
Giving a sigh, the furless humanoid sheathed their blade before speaking. His words – the timbre of his voice sounding masculine – were in a language Solvei didn’t know, sounding almost lyrical at how easily they flowed, as though he were reciting a line of some melodious poetry. But it was the gesture he made, flicking his fingers in a distinctively imperious gesture out to his side, that made her look away...
Two other humanoids of what looked like the same race were approaching her.
A distinct sense of unease fell over Solvei then, and she mentally commanded her serac to move away from them. “Whoever you are,” she began hesitantly, “I owe you a debt of gratitude-”
“Which we’ll have you repay now,” answered the leftmost of the two humanoids – another male – walking toward her, this one dressed in robes with a hood drawn over his head. “Now, be silent and approach us. This won’t take very long.”
Her unease growing worse, Solvei moved further back. “What won’t take very long?”
The hooded figure opened his mouth, only to stop as he gave a sharp look in the direction of the village. His hand immediately went to one of the several pouches that was hanging from his belt, withdrawing a long wooden staff that never should have been able to fit in something so small. Chanting a word in the same lyrical language as Burly’s killer, he waved it in a large arc, before turning to say something to the third member of the group, who so far hadn’t spoken.
Elder Sister! Mei Li’s voice sounded panicked now. Elder Sister Nenet just tried to use a scrying spell to see what’s happening, and she said something negated it! What is happening?!
That guy who brought down Burly has friends! Solvei was moving backward faster now, barely noticing as Mei Li’s invisibility spell wore off. They don’t seem-
She didn’t have a chance to finish as the last of the trio finally spoke in the same unknown language as her companions, her voice soft and feminine as she wove gestures with one hand, the other fingering a medallion which depicted an oak tree with a variety of other, small trees around it.
No sooner had she finished than something hit Solvei hard across the back, knocking her off her serac and into the ground hard.
Pain exploded across her body, still feeling the injuries that Burly had given her, and for a moment it was all she could do to stay conscious. By the time she’d regained control of herself, she was being hauled up by the scruff of the neck, and then thick arms – or rather, forelegs – wrapped around her from behind, holding her in a crushing hug, belatedly realizing that she was in the grasp of a huge bear with golden fur.
It squeezed her tightly, causing the air to flee her lungs as she strained to keep herself from being crushed by its grip. Bears aren’t supposed to be this strong! she knew, Ujurak having bragged on multiple occasions about how he’d once outwrestled a grizzly that he’d encountered. Clearly the golden-furred ursine was made of stronger stuff.
If I transformed, I could probably break free, she decided, but held off as she realized that the bear was taking lumbering steps forward on its hind legs, clumsily carrying her back toward where the trio were waiting. Without some sort of plan, getting away from the bear would just leave her vulnerable to the other three. And in her injured state, she knew she had no chance against anyone who could take down Burly so easily.
At least, not by herself.
Elder Sister-
Mei Li, listen to me, ordered Solvei, forcing herself to stay calm. When I give the word, I want you and Nenet to cast another spell on me.
What sort of spell? Without Elder Sister Nenet’s magic, we can’t see precisely what’s happening to you!
You said that your magic is for keeping a household, right? Make it something flashy, the kind you’d use when you’d really want to overwhelm a guest. Do you have something like that?
I...believe so. Mei Li fell silent for a moment, and when she spoke again, she sounded a little more confident. Just give “the word” and I will do the rest.
Feeling slightly better with the reminder that she wasn’t fighting alone, Solvei didn’t struggle as the bear trundled back over to the other three, who were conversing quietly among themselves.
Whatever conversation they were having ended with her retrieval. With another careless look at Burly’s corpse, the humanoid with the sword said something to the other two, who nodded once, and the hooded one gave Solvei a flat look. “I am going to examine your memories,” he announced. “Do not fight, and this will be easy for you.”
Despite the position she was in, Solvei’s lip curled. “And if I don’t care about things being easy?”
“Then you shall bear the responsibility for our having to use harsher methods to make you comply,” he replied evenly, as though talking to a child. “Now, hold still.”
He began to chant, gesturing with one hand as the other reached out toward her forehead.
Snarling as the last of her doubts about these creatures being enemies fell away, Solvei tensed, getting ready to make her move. Even if Lex wasn’t here, she still had the powers he’d given her, including that dark magic that protected her mind. If she wanted to let someone into her thoughts – like with Mei Li’s telepathy – that was one thing, but anyone trying to break into her head would find it a lot harder than they expected.
Get ready... she informed Mei Li. Once her captor’s spell failed, she’d change size and break out of the bear’s grip, and hope that whatever magic the kumiho had ready would be enough for her to retreat. If she moved fast enough, she might be able to lead them away from the village, and then-
All of a sudden, the world shifted in place.
There was no other way to describe it, Solvei’s sense of balance suddenly going haywire as her stomach flipflopped nauseatingly. The humanoid who’d been about to touch her also gave a sudden start, his hand jerking backward before it could make contact with her head as he stumbled backward, his companions looking similarly afflicted. Even the bear was subject to whatever was happening, roaring in alarm as it dropped her and swayed in place.
Sinking down to one knee as she tried to brace herself, Solvei dimly noticed that whatever was happening wasn’t limited to them. The land itself seemed to be affected, rocks sliding over each other and twigs rolling across the ground, looking like they were tumbling downhill despite the area being flat. Drifts of snow began to list, as if caught in a wind that was blowing only over them, and Solvei dimly realized that everything was headed in the same direction.
Toward Burly’s headless body.
Except it wasn’t headless anymore, his cranium having also rolled across the short distance separating it from his corpse. Even as Solvei watched, his severed head pressed against the neck wound, happening to roll over so that the bottom of it was aligned to the bloody stump, leaving only a thin line to mark where the sword had passed.
And then that line disappeared.
An instant later, the nauseating sense of dizziness vanished, and the landscape was still again. At the same moment, Burly’s eyes snapped around toward Solvei’s captors.
The trio straightened up, looking unsure of themselves, and the female of the group opened her mouth, only for her eyes to widen as she gave a cry of alarm, the other two spinning around-
Just in time for the musclebound stallion to slam into the sword-wielding humanoid who’d struck him down, Burly’s mouth twisted in a vicious grin.
“You really thought I’d die just because you killed me, you little twerp?”
His foe was in no position to make a reply, his entire chest caving in as he was sent flying. Burly’s punch hadn’t been a light jab like he’d been throwing before; he’d put his back into that one, lunging forward and pivoting to throw his entire mass behind the blow. Solvei couldn’t believe that the humanoid’s body hadn’t been completely obliterated by the blow, his limbs hanging limply as he came down from his impromptu flight-
And caught himself on one hand, turning his fall into a controlled spring as he backflipped away to land on his feet, sinking into a crouch before spitting up a mouthful of blood. His other hand immediately went to the buckle of his belt, tapping the pearlescent gemstones set in it, which shined in response. Immediately, the massive indentation in his chest filled in, and a shudder passed through his body as he straightened up, slowly drawing his blade.
“It seems I underestimated you,” he murmured, giving Burly an appraising look. “A mistake I shan’t make a second time.”
“Whatever you say, toots,” snickered Burly, before his expression suddenly fell. “Wait...you are a chick, right? I swear, I can’t never tell with elves. You willowy tree-humpers don’t have any meat on your bones at all.”
His lip curling in disgust, the “elf” – Solvei wasn’t familiar with the term – slowly moved toward Burly, each step light and oddly fluid, somewhere between a stride and a jump as he brought his sword up.
On Burly’s left, the elf with the hood withdrew another long staff from his pouch, this one composed of black wood with a crimson-colored gemstone at the top. He waved it once, murmuring a word in whatever language he’d been speaking before, and promptly floated up into the air, levitating.
Opposite him, on Burly’s right, the female elf was casting another spell. No sooner had she finished than a menagerie of animals appeared around her, many of which Solvei didn’t recognize. There was a massive quadruped with a large, trunk-like nose and two tusks, its entire body covered with a short coat of fur that was a vivid shade of red. A huge feline with a mane around its head was also present, its body emitting a dim aura that made it look like it was glowing softly. Overhead, a massive hawk gave a shriek as it flapped its wings, the sound like thunder as the wind beneath it seemed to roar.
And those were only a fraction of the creatures she’d summoned so easily.
Burly looked at each of the elves in turn.
“Wuss magic,” he snorted as he glanced at the one who was levitating. Nor did he seem impressed by the exotic animals that the other had summoned. “Weak-ass petting zoo.”
Finally, he turned his attention back to the elf approaching him with sword drawn, snickering. “Looks like you’re the only one here who’s got the sack to throw down. But don’t go thinkin’ that sword’s gonna be all you need.”
The elf kept his eyes on Burly, but his reply went to his companions. “Vystalaran, Thilaera, remember what I told you before: this hunt is mine. Capture the she-beast so we can interrogate her afterward, and make sure no one else interferes until then.”
The levitating elf nodded as the name “Vystalaran” was spoken, and Solvei mentally attached that moniker to him. “I’ll lock the area down.”
The female – who had to be Thilaera – frowned, but nodded as well. “Be careful, Loraestil. A tarnished success is worth more than a noble failure.”
Loraestil gave a cold snort. “Your job is to make sure my success is untarnished. See to it that you succeed.”
Solvei, however, had heard enough. With any luck, Burly and these “elves” would kill each other; she just had to keep out of the way until they did.
Having poured more power into her serac, she immediately turned and shot across the area, trying to withdraw into the cover of the woods.
Immediately, Thilaera made a sweeping motion with one hand – sending the hawk swooping toward her – while Vystalaran began casting.
Now, Mei Li!
Understood!
Instantly, a half-dozen other Solveis – all riding on seracs – sprung into existence around her. This is a spell used to make one’s retinue appear more grandiose, explained Mei Li, heedless of the danger that her elder sister was in. They’re illusions, but they’ll copy the actions of the one the spell is cast on, so if you only have a single servant, they can look like many.
Even as the kumiho spoke, the hawk swooped down and sank its talons into one of the Solveis...which immediately fizzled out, causing the bird to screech as it flew back up, claws empty.
A moment later Vystalaran’s spell ended with a black beam lancing out to strike another Solvei...which also shimmered and faded away, the illusion crumpling under whatever attack the elf had unleashed.
Looks like it’s also good for confusing an attacker! noted Solvei, speeding toward the tree line.
Oh, yes, I suppose it could be used that way too, admitted Mei Li, sounding surprised by the idea.
Despite the predicament she was in, Solvei couldn’t help but smile at her new friend’s innocent demeanor, summoning her armor back around herself as she glanced backward.
She was just in time to see the fight between Burly and Loraestil begin.
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Of course Burly isn't that easy to bring down though I did not expect him to be capable of coming back from that. Wonder if it's an artifact or some spell involved. Still, the fact that the elves were able to accomplish that is terrifying too given how Solvei wasn't able to do much against the giant in comparison, especially since they were undoubtedly hostile or at the very least, dismissive of her.
Still, it would be a really good idea to avoid interrogation given the elves' objective. While they might pride themselves on some form of decorum, I doubt that taking hostages would be beneath them so long as it helps them accomplish their goal. So in a way, Burly getting back up is working in Solvei's favor, kind of.
On a side note:Mei Li's application of her 'household' magic is rather amusing, especially with her being amazed by their use in battle. If the situation wasn't so serious, I'm sure the trio could explore what else they could do with it. Though I suppose a trial by fire here is their only option at the moment.
"You really thought I’d die just because you killed me" - Dark Souls players all around the world shutter....
Uhoh.
Burleys been drinking Resublimated Theotimoline.
And that elfs blade appears to be less of an atomic monofilament vibroblade, and more of a spacial discontinuity.
Either of those have the chance to be utterly catastrophic if used with Belligerance.
Anteans, Adlets and Elves, Oh Mei?
Always be very careful of the so called servants.
As Kryten once said.
Excuse me Sir, Mai I distract you for just a moment?
11820806
More of the former, if I'm being honest. It's a sword whose blade is literally two-dimensional (without any issues of it passing between the empty space between a target's atoms, and so inadvertently doing nothing to them at all).
I'll admit it, this made me chuckle.
11820608 You know, I've never played that game, but I've heard about it enough that I can sympathize.
11820604 Burly is indeed far tougher than he appears to be, not simply in terms of power but in how hard he seems to be to kill. When someone gets back up after having their head sliced off, it's probably a good indicator that they're not going to be easily defeated. Of course, as you noted, the fact that Loraestil was able to do that in the first place is a point in his favor. Then again, Burly seems encouraged by that, rather than intimidated.
As for Solvei, it's questionable if they'd have been able to read her mind, since as she noted she has the same mental defenses as Lex. But then again, the glimpses of the elves' power that we've seen suggests that they're exceedingly strong on their own, so it's questionable if (or for how long) she could have stood up to that kind of mental interrogation. Similarly, the elves don't seem to see anything wrong with doing that, and while there's no indication that they're cruel, they seem fairly mission-focused, which is why the other two are so focused on Solvei now. Hopefully she can hold out and come up with a new plan.
As for Mei Li...she does seem rather innocent, doesn't she? You get the feeling that her past doesn't include much in the way of fighting, her time on the Elemental Plane of Ice notwithstanding.
11821875
Given how grandiose the use for these household magics are, I have to wonder if her clan are, or were servants to some high ranking noble or royalty in her realm cause all these 'household' magic seem rather overkill for an average household. And given how her magic could be applied in fights like this, I somehow doubt that the rest of her clan are as innocent as she is.
Guess I'll find out if and when the story moves to bringing Mei Li home.