Prologue 1: Beginning of the End

[Ray of Meep]

Co-authored by: Ray of Meep (GM), CadetNewb, TheCountryWarrior

????, Several centuries after the Great Nodal Collapse

Planet Lihana of Solaris Lihana, continent of Goedwig, city of Hillsong

With the passage of time, the surrounding vegetation creeped back into the dilapidated suburbs of the city, its creatures along with it, kind and foul alike. Crabvines crawled across the indecomposable, alloy ribcages of the buildings while masses of slimemoss poured along what remained of the softer insulating walls, slowly consuming it. Great red house trees loomed over all, covering the forest floor in darkness while a pair of iron hawks screeched in the sky above.

Nature peetered out as it approached the hills, the thinning of the blanket revealed more abandonment. Some skeletons of buildings remained intact, still standing as testiments to past Aos Si architectural rhetoric, while others were blasted apart, synged and many of their ribs missing. Continuing up the hill, synged and broke skeletons gave way to those dented and bent by hardened balls of steel, then boulders, until a stone wall that surrounded the top of the hill, with broken arrows stuck in place. Behind the wall were the same skeletons of the past, now covered by chopped wood and cut staffgrass. The buildings were arranged in orderly manner, divided into blocks that joined as rings, converging towards towards the center of the city, where a great, triangular monument, abstract to all but the elder sages, stoomed and watched over all, with a purposeful split down the center. The roads were rather well kept, the cracks in the silicate panels filled in by smooth mud as much as possible.

The streets were sparsely dotted with people in lizard-cotton clothes moving about as most were attending to the crops outside the city, or in their homes tending to their families. Only in the marketplace was there a great bustling of activity. Past that and approaching the central monument, knights in red garments and bronze plated armor stood guard, words etched into the metal, as they wielding glaives with cores of yellow heartstones.

Inside the monument was a sole Aos Si elder sage pacing in the domed room, paintings and texts covering the floor and ceiling. He wore a gold embroided, red robe with shoulder pads, decorated by abstract patterns. He was fair of face, but his long, silvering hair betrayed his age. The elder sage talked to himself, citing an epic poem of the Golden Age, his words carried to the rest of the room by its geometry. A woman of plainer cloth quietly listened as she stood next to the walls.

Gwaedcryf Hewyllys Anorchfygol entered the monument, his head bowing in reverence as was customary. His raven black hair and dark blue eyes cut a distinct figure from his lighter skin. He was wearing robes of a fancy disposition, embroidered and flowing. His blade was at his side, passively, a constant reminder of this position.

He wasn't the only one to enter however.

An armor clad maiden soon strode in as well, gloved hands rising to cast back the traveling hood to reveal crimson hair and shining emerald eyes. Despite the rough wear of her equipment, having come straight from her line of work to these summons, her delicate features held a radiating pride. Amisra Vayare av Nosildor rightfully belonged here, and the building itself would do well to acknowledge the very dirt her boots graced it with, let alone the maiden herself judging by her demeanor.

"Sir Anorchfygol. Lady Nosildor." The elder sage stopped his monologue and raised his two right fingers as a greeting. "Thank you for coming on short notice. Lady Nosildor, I see you're fairing well after your task with the rock wolves?"

"Unfortunately, it would seem that their name is accurate regarding their intelligence," the redheaded woman replied. "Law dicatates that they are prohibited from harassing our people, but did so regardless, and were appropriately punished," Amisra added, tossing back her crimson hair. Looking upon the elder sage, her emerald eyes gleamed with confidence in every single word that she said. "To what cause shall I pledge myself next?" the ranger asked with conviction. "I am certain it will be done."

"As you know our supply of heartstones have been steadily dwindling for the past few cycles." The elder sage explained. "The wars between the surviving Aos Si exasperated the problem. We'll have the scrounge for what remains of mana on this planet." He gestured to the humbly dressed woman at the wall, who quietly nodded. "Kelshweir from the neighboring city of Balladeir discovered a spider-wyvern in caverns located two days from here."

"My leige would have sent their finest, but they are dealing with the anarchists approaching the walls." Kelshweier chimed in with a careful and slow tone.

The elder sage continued, "You two are to follow her, slay the beast, and bring back its heart. If what I heard was true, the spider-wyvern should have accumulated enough mana to support our current functions for an extra month or two."

Gwaedcryf bowed respectfully. "I will don my armor, and it shall be done." He spoke with sage conviction, and a stone attitude. No need for more excitement than neccesary, instead there was only need for a job well done. "We will return before week's end, victorious and with a tale to tell."

"I expect no less." The elder sage smiled confidently. "A few days ago we observed a comet shower of unprecedented brightness. Consider it as the heavens granting us good fortune when we need it so dearly. Now go and make your preparations."

"Of course my liege," Amisra nodded, arrogantly refusing to bow as custom dictated. "It will be done. However," she briefly side-eyed her compatriot, "I doubt it will be any event worth recalling," the woman added, her tone of voice smoothly casual. This was business as usual, as far as she was concerned. "When the time comes, I need only word," the Ranger added with calm confidence. Crimson hair flowing behind her, she turned to leave, autumn hued arms and armor glinting in the light.

Gwaedcryf gave her a side-eye in turn, noting her refusal to show basic respect to elders in some halfassed attempt at feeling better about herself. A shame, really, for she seemed to posess skill enough to survive. He turned, and began walking out. He spoke to his soon to be companion, hoping she had some basic manners to her name. "I must prepare myself, where shall we meet to venture forth? Not long is needed at all."

Kelshweir replied. "I will meet you two at the southern gates."

 

[Ray of Meep]

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A few hours later, the Balladeir scout slashed away at Crabvines blocking the party's path as they navigated through the house-tree forest. She has been quiet for the trip thus far, her eyes leery, constantly darting around, and her ears perked regularly at the faintest sounds.

To her left, Amisra guarded the scout's flank, longbow and arrow in hand. Longer up top and shorter below, its shape was ideal for firing from the saddle, its very tips turned inwards ever so slightly like tips of a vine. Perhaps just as importantly, it would have fit into its own mount upon her quiver as well should she have need to fight with blade or spear. It was an elegant weapon despite being carried by the rank and file, whom she also dressed after. Clad in the traditional style of the rangers, the fiery haired woman sported the chestplate and faulds typically found on most infantry of the Aos Si, ranging from the humble spearman to the professional sea sentinels. Like autumn leaves of bronze, emerald and gold drawn together, her armor shined bright, warding away the lesser creatures of the forest.

But that was where similarities ended.

She chose to hide, humoring their Balladier compatriot, and so, the armor did not shine. The metallic coating of the silvered steel grew dull under the reddish-brown cloak, its simple, almost plantlike nature responding to her will. Lacking scale-maile haubergeon, greaves and an assortment of other plates, she moved swiftly and silently, ready to loose a deadly, silver tipped arrow at a moment's notice. Even so, there was the faintest hint of joy upon her lips, as for Amisra, this was home.

Gwaedcryf stood regal in his outfit of steel, hair tamed and braided to be out of the way. Dressed in a suit of armor designed with elven agility in mind, but with a sense of regal protection. Black diamond lined the steel to strengthen it, centered over his heart for protection, and to incriease the visual appeal. The armor was painted in hues of autumn, a small measure of camoflague for a trek into the dark forests of the world. The armor, in it's entirety, was a gift of his family, something he had trained in for years for this very occasion.

On his back, the natural counterpart of regal armor, a large sword of dark metal hung like the arbiter of death. It's pommel was decorated with jewels taken from the ancient mines long ago, hilt engraved with grand designs of royal patronage. It was accompanied at his hip by a small hand crossbow, a handy tool to round out any real adventurer's kit for fighting any enemy. This was a recent addition, and thus not in his wheelhouse of expertise as of yet, but he felt it would come in handy. His plate strong, weapons sharpened, and eyes determined, he marched silently with the party.

The silence, he felt, was necessary, but incredibly boring. His kept his eye out, watcing the surrounding land for signs of conflict to put down, but he could feel himself slowly being starved of conversation.

After cutting through another Crabvine, Kelshweir sighed, one foot set on a fallen trunk as she slowed her pace. "You two are Hillsong's nobility. The elder sage gave you high praise. This is the first time I received work with you."

"You may look upon me, but do not be overcome with awe," Amisra faintly smiled in amusement. Moving swiftly, silently, she kept the hidden pace alongside the scout despite there likely being little need. "In the end, regardless of our station, we are compatriots charged with the same task," her calm voice reminded Kelshweir. Knowing that the scout's tension was likely running high, she sought the solace that a story may bring. "Once, it would have been a Dragon Rider tasked to slay this beast. This will bring you good repute," the crimson haired Ranger pointed out. However, she failed to mention that the Dragon Riders were now only so in name only, their great mounts now long gone and replaced with steeds. Perhaps, she had done so all too deliberately.

"I am sure the praise is not overexaggerated, however she is correct. We have the same mission, and in this instance we work together." Gwaedcryf kept his face neutral, not betraying any emotion. Partly because there was none to betray right now. Boredom dominatied his mind. Though, the tales of the Riders always felt good to hear, bittersweet as they were. "This will bring us all good repute, but more importantly it will continue our survival, and the survival of our home. That is what we will be thanked for."

"Hmm... that is fair. This spider wyvern..." Kelshweir pondered out loud. "If the rumors are true, it stores great amounts of mana by virtue of longevity. Bringing the essence of it home will certainly extend the way of life for the local Aos Si. However, what the beast has in longevity it lacks in fucundity. It will be long before we find such prey again."

"That is correct on both accounts," the Ranger replied, her emerald eyes briefly gracing the Scout with praise before continuing their search for danger. "Like all beings through which magic flows, this creature bears a Heartstone like yours or mine," Amisra began, looking at both Kelshweir and Gwaedcryf in confirmation of their ability. "It holds great power, and even should that be expended, the creature's true heart may find use in holding energy again one day," the crimson haired woman added, her voice arrogantly firm and certain as only one from House Vayare of Nosildor could manage.

Yet, even so, they all knew that was unlikely to happen in this age. It would be used, and remain forever empty.

"The optimism of the nobility never ceases to impress, if I may be bold." Kelshweir commented. "If only the Aos Si could convert such outlook into results more tangible."

"It will happen in time. We are recovering, yes, but we will live forever. This is just a step in that direction, something to stem death for a time. All will end well for us. We must have faith." Gwaedcryf smiled peacefully, his own faith in his people and their continued survival unshakeable.

"That is why we are here, is it not?" Amisra reminded them. "We will restore our people, with our own two hands, with our own work and toil," she added with certainty. The woman didn't say how long it would take, or if they would ever see what they had wrought however. "It is only a matter of time."

"Is that so?" Kelshweir asked doubtfully, then continued hacking through the vegetation.

 

[Ray of Meep]

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A day and a half later.

The hills ahead were sparsely dotted with vegetation. Constant, heavy rain in the region has eroded away most of the topsoil on the surface, leaving the ground wet and bare, forcing fauna to scrape by with deep rooted flora and find shelter in the caverns. The party arrived in the midst of a light drizzle with grey cloud cover. They stood in front of one of the entrances. The ground was gravely, and water steadily dripped from the top edge. Otherwise, there are no signs of activity.

"We are here," Amisra confidently spoke. Turning her emerald gaze on Kelshweir, she addressed the scout. "I take it your eyes see it too?" she asked, certain that the other woman's years of service - for the old man would not be a fool to send her with a novice - would prove themselves here and now. The signs of the creature were all around, though to the untrained eye, they were all merely the rough, dirty and yet somehow pristine details that belonged in nature.

"It's here." He kneeled down, his posture still perfect, hand moving over the ground. "Stay alert, our quarry has nowhere to run."

Kelshweier took a crossbow out of her backpack and hooked it to her belt. "How do you all want to go about this? The spider wyvern surely creeps forward as we speak to examine the prey of theirs. If it deems us too dangerous, or perhaps not worth the effort, it will slink back, and we will have to give chase."

"We shall deal with it as we always do," the redheaded Ranger remarked. "Only our sword will focus more on survival than actually slaying the beast, while you and I ensure the fatal blow is delivered," Amisra reminded them. Despite this though, she raised an eyebrow as her emerald eyes fell upon the weapon that Kelshweier had brought with herself. "A crossbow? Are you disabled or handicapped?" she asked bluntly. "If so, you need not fight and may leave this to us," the woman offered. Despite the harsh words though, she looked on the Scout with a faint frown of concern.

"I spent much of the past few years as a student of this planet." Kelshweier admitted. "Only recently when one the scouts of Balladier died in the field did I volunteer to serve as her replacement. If you no longer need my services, I will happily get out of your way and simply observe."

"Even if your choice of weapon isn't as ideal as the scout would like, another bolt in the beast's hide will do naught to help it. Perhaps let us lead then, the story will remain glorious for us all." The raven haired elf took his blade from his back, resplendant in it's glory.

Kelshweier nodded. She drew another item from her backpack, an item of sorts wrapped in cloth, revealed to be the meat of a ram hog, a native in this region. "I hope one of you will be able to keep the spider wyvern near the entrance," She remarked as she threw the flesh to the ground, then hid behind a boulder.

"There was once a time when every man and woman who served could draw a bow," Amisra's voice recalled, a faint hint of melancholy. Now, the scout by her side was forced to loose bolts from a crossbow, the weapon of peasantry that did not fight. "This will have to be rectified on our return," the redhead added. Reaching back into her quiver, she drew forth a blackened shaft. A mere shadow of the legendary silver shafts of pure steel, the tip was at least hardened, its mass made to bring down the greatest of beasts, albeit at lesser range. Amisra whistled for the beast. Even with such a heavy projectile, this was far within her reach.

Gwaedcryf was silent, moving behind the cover of the widest trees. He spoke only a suggestion. "I will draw the beast's ire, attracting it's vile distaste, while our scout deals the ranged damage." He looks to Kelshweier. "You can... shoot it I suppose." With that, he waited, blade in hand, prepared to strike at the monster.

After a few minutes of waiting, Amisra and Gwaedcryf could feel a beast lurking forward in the darkness. It was completely invisble and silent, but to those attuned to natural mana, the beast's heartstone glowed in their minds, faint, but clear in constrast to the rest of the darkness, like Lihana's two moons to the starry background on a cloudy night. It moved forward with trepidation, pausing every few seconds as it appraoched the meat. Then finally, after stopping in front of the bait by a few Aos Si paces, the meat disappeared in an instance, leaving behind a small whif of gravely dust by whatever impacted the ground there.

"Now or never." Kelshweier remarked.

With a mighty heave, Gwaedcryf leapt with the grace of the lost luminescant gazelles, blade flashing forward. He was aiming for the center of the beast, where it's mana originated. This was both to hurt it, and to get it to focus on him so the ranged fighters could have at the foe at their leisure.

More dust flew up from the ground beneath as the beast seemingly pounced off the ground, causing the the tip of the blade to graze its underbelly. At the wound, leathery skin replaced the transparency, and the beast growled in pain at Gwaedcryf once it landed behind him.

The very tips of Amisra's bow uncurled as she drew back the black shaft. Behind the string, her fiinger and thumb pinched together to hold back hundreds of pounds, and there she held it, poised to loose as the beast landed. Eyes wide open, she didn't see the beast, but staring deep, her emerald eyes looked into the abyss and saw it. The glittering ebb and flow. The shining light at the apex of its heart. Waiting for that perfect moment, she loosed the moment the beast started to turn back towards her companion. Turning, just in time to show her its flank, the arrow sliced through the air like a blade.

 

[Ray of Meep]

The center of the beast tumbled sideways as Amisra's arrow slammed into the top side, revealing more skin and blood spewing forth. The beast screamed further, then fully revealed itself: the beast was covered in fur that folded off and on its hardened skin with four legs with sharp claws. Its tail swung forth at Gwardcryf, who managed to parry it just in time with his greatsword, observing a colorless liquid ejecting outwards and sprayed onto his armor, before the beast retracted it and leaped backwards, screaming again, its twin pair of black eyes and great fangs apparent. It then scurried back into the darkness, trailing blood behind it.

Gwaedcryf was unfazed, and more than ready to chase the beast. Sword in his hands, he began walking into the cave. "Follow! Be ready for an ambush, this is it's territory."

"Chasing after it is beneath me," the redheaded ranger casually remarked, walking back to her dropped travel pack. "Though once, we would have done so for sport." Discarded to allow her to move during the fight, her most important equipment stayed on her body. "Once, there would have been many more with us, with a many spears to lead the way," Amisra recalled. The staunch line of spears and shields were a mainstay of warfare, allowing the archers in the back to lay down a withering rain of arrows. Now, we lack proper numbers to kill it on even terms safely." Reaching into her pack, she pulled out what looked like a sack made out of waxed parchment. Packed and wrapped tight, a wick soaked in fuel protruded from its top. "Fire Fruit makes foul, stinging smoke when burned, and drifts downwards just as much as up," she explained, the less-than-traditional and outright unfair device in her hand. Lighting it with a flint and tossing it deep, deep into the mouth, she had done the dirty deed heedless of any complaint.

Gwaedcryf chuckled, and halted his advance. "A much better plan, if a bit less fun for me." He would move back, waiting for the beast to flee.

"Hmm. Wise. Quite wise. I did not anticipate such tactics from the nobility." Kelshweier commented as she moved closer. "However, based on the physiology of this beast, would it be out of the realm to say it, or the family of it, did not dig these tunnels?" There was a rumble inside the cave, the sounds of gravel falling into a deeper hole, then further scratching and clawing from beneath the ground. "How curious. Even with the physicality of the beast, I would expect a slow dig, a few paces at a time at best. It seems it knows itself quite well. Oh, now is perhaps the time to evade."

With a burst of rock and dirt into the air, the spider wyvern emerged from underground in the center of the group with an artificial, deafening cry that ached the sensitive ears of the Aos Si, stunning them for half a second, enough for it to pounce ontop of the ranger, Amisra, with one claw pressing on her chest, keeping her pinned to the ground, while its jaws snapped at her head, only held back by Amisra pushing against its neck with both her arms. The ranger could feel the weight of half a dozen Aos Si pressed against her, every breath harder than the last.

Pinned, Amisra winced at the 'pop-pop-pop' of several ribs giving away under nearly a ton of force. The redheaded ranger struggled to hold back the beast's snapping maw, but even with her armor taking the brunt of its crushing attack, she knew that it wouldn't save her. The front and back plates locked together, so precise was the metalworking of the Aos Si. But it was caving in, crushing against her sternum, and if the two halves slipped even ever so slightly - that didn't matter. Slowly being crushed to death, Amisra stoicly stared up at the monster as she held back its snapping jaws in defiance.

They had the creature right where they wanted it.

Gwaedcryf wasted no time, swiftly leaping forward and moving his blade up to slice at the beasts neck, to get it off their ranger at least, if not slay it then and there. Losing their ranger would be an affront to survivalism itself, and a waste of a perfectly good elf.

The greatsword was met by the beast's tail that wrapped around and held onto it. Blood spilled leaked from the grip as the blade sheared the flesh with Gwardcryf's every pull. The spider wyvern shrieked in pain. While it kept its weight on Amisra, its head lifted slightly as it diverted its attention to the swordmaster, bringing its jaws away from the ranger.

Sensing her chance, Amisra grasped at her fallen travel pack, emerald eyes locked onto the beast with a calm with defiance as she felt about. Fingers slipping on the water-proofing, she eventually tugged on the oil soaked wick, pulling the tightly bound fire-fruit-smoke sachel over. Baring her own teeth, she bit down hard on the wick and cord binding the neck of it together, and seeing her work come undone, threw the fiery concoction up and into the face of the beast, shutting her own eyes closed as hot, burning powder spread into the air, nostrils, eyes and wounds.

The spider wyvern screamed in confusion, its claws coming off of Amisra's body, allowing her to gasp for air as it scratched at its eyes. The beast, disorientated, loosened its grip of Gwardcryf's sword, allowing him to pull it free. As the spider wyvern stumbled backward, the swordmaster gave one clean downwards slash across its throat, spewing blood onto both him and the downed Amisra. The spider wyvern gave one last agonized, withered cry, before falling to the ground with a hefty thud.

"Well done." Kelshweier stepped out from behind a rock, coming to the body and felt across its body with her hands. "It is rare to see such a beast so close. Dead as it may be, it was still a great feat of biological development. It is a shame we had to slay it." With a sleight of hand, she pulled something out of her pouch, stabbed it into the spider wyvern, and stowed it away before the other two Aos Si could get good look at what she did.

For Amisra, the scout's words barely registered in her mind. The moment the beast's weight lifted, her chest plate popped back into form, practically unharmed by its deformation. Only, she was nowhere near as unlucky. Breath ragged, she struggled to pull in air as her ribs screamed like sharp, jagged pieces of glass buried inside her chest. But worse, was the pain she felt with each heart pulse. Weak, inadequate, and even paltry enough to skip beats
entirely, her heart was wounded. Crushed.

The redhead reached into a tiny compartment on her belt and drew forth a tiny vial from a hardened steel case hidden within leather. The thimble-ful of crimson glow vanished between her lips as quickly as it had shined. "Of course," she sighed at last. "There would be no other outcome," the ranger replied from her spot on the ground. Spoken so plainly as though it were stating that the sky were blue, one could not help but ponder if there was sarcasm hidden there.

Gwaedcryf paid no attention to the dead creature, save to ensure it had truly passed, instead offering a helpful hand to Amisra, kneeling slightly in concern for her condition. "You are injured, doubtless. How bad is it? Will you be able to make the journey home thanks to your concotion, or shall we rest momentarily?"

"I will survive," she confidently replied, omitting just how little the potion actually did. Rising of her own accord, rather than taking his hand, Amisra pointed to the body. "Cleave into its ribs at the very least. I need a good entryway to harvest," the redheaded ranger gestured to him. Her heart fluttered about and vertigo came and went, but the one of three was enough to keep her stable. It would be, Amisra told herself. "Once finished, we can begin our journey back," she reminded him.

Kelshweier backed off and watched from a distance as Gwaedcryf and Amisra painstakingly cut into the spider wyvern's flesh, first carefully opening a hole in the chest, then sawing through the ribcage, targeting where the bones joined at the sternum. Gwaed's hands quickly became wet and sticky with blood, but after half an hour of careful surgery, the prize revealed itself. A large, hard tumor attached to the still beating heart, a visible rusty red, but shined in mana. With a victorious smile, Amisra sliced it off, then wrapped it in a cloth.

"Sīlìng, nín kàn dàole suǒyǒu zhèxiē ma?" Kelshweier spoke softy in a foreign language behind the two. "Hǎo de." She continued, before there was a sharp, metal clank. "I ask you two to kindly hand that heartstone over to me, or both your lives, that of your archsage, and the rest of your people are forfeit." She ordered simply. Kelshwier stood a dash and a half away, and in her hand held a sharp black, metallic object that looked like the grip of a crossbow but with a small tube that ran through it. More importantly, she brandished it like a crossbow, aiming at the two.

"Of course," Amisra replied cooly, unphased. "But if we do hand it to you, can you gurantee that all that you mentioned will remain safe?" she asked, the heavy, head sized stone of crimson light still held in one hand as though it were a feather. "There is very little reassurance on that matter," the ranger pointed out, placing the palm of her other hand atop the stone in a gesture Gwaedcryf knew was meaningless. But, Amisra knew, not necessarily this 'Kelshweier'.

 

[Ray of Meep]

The heartstone almost seemed to glow menacingly.

Gwaedcryf's better hand held the sword pointed to the ground, his other hand free for the time being. He knew the hand crossbow would come in handy, perhaps now would be that time. He spoke, a hint of exhasperation to his voice. "Seems fellowship is not the true goal. A shame." He fixed her with an icy glare.

"It never was." 'Kelshweier' eyed the glowing heartstone, then back at Gwaedcryf. The roar of thunder, sharper and deafening, rang from 'Kelshweier's' metallic object, followed by a ping. Gwaed felt a sharp pain in his main arm, finding a small metal nugget lodged in his armor. His forearm was bruised, but his grip on his sword was still tight and steady.

"Ma de." 'Kelshweier' muttered as a small metallic case fell out from the bottom of the pistol grip.

Gwaedcryf pulled his hand crossbow with his off hand, leveling the machine with the traitor's chest, letting the bolt fly. Immidiatly after the bolt left the crossbow, he dropped it as he rushed forward with his blade, the bolt first, his blade second.

'Kelshweier' lept to the side to dodge the bolt, but as she pulled out another metallic case from her pouch, Gwaedcryf's blade came flying down at her head. The swordmaster met resistance though, as 'Kelshweier' caught the blade between her palms. "Curious." She commented, clenching her teeth as one hand kept gripping the blade, the other swiping up the metal grip she dropped.

As the two had fought, Amisra held onto the stone, her expression calm. Mind focused, she reached into the void. The ranger had hoped to draw forth more words from this stranger in their midst, but there was little choice left. The fingers of her thought stretching into the darkness, Amisra leaped towards the pinprick of red and grasped it, pulling hard and fast. Far more so than she knew was deemed proper, and with crackling energy in her mind's hand, drew back and threw the bolt of raw change.

The lightning coursed through 'Kelshweier's' body just as she fired off another shot at Gwaed. The jolt of electricity threw off her aim, with another deafeaning roar of thunder, and a sharp pain in the swordmaster's shoulder as the nuggest tore a hole in his pauldron and ripped of surface flesh before leaving the other end. 'Kelshweier', however, suffered a fate much worse. Her entire body spasmed, and sparks seemed to fly out of her eyes and ears. In an instant, she laid on the floor, cooked from the inside and blood spilling through her pores.

Clutching at his shoulder with a harsh wince, he looked at the smoking body of what he thought was an ally. He looked back at Amisra, and gave a curt nod of pained acknoledgement. "Well done. I had no idea you commanded the Flow so well." He picked up the traitor's mechanical abberation, looking it over with caution. "Where would she have gotten a weapon such as this? Seems... weak, compared to my armor." He smirked triumphantly, perhaps in jest but definitely mostly pained anger.

"It is only natural," Amisra replied. Inwardly though, she fumed, but let the flames putter out into hot coals. Casting on such short notice wasted valuable energy, and now, the stone within her hands was ever so slightly dimmed. Of course, she did deny this enemy their prize. Only the best such as herself could prevent that. Naturally. "Nonetheless, we must flee. She spoke as though to another not here. I would not be surprised if it was a type of communication magic," the redheaded ranger pointed out. Putting away the stone, she pulled out a sachel of powdered leaves and roots to dust the swordmaster's wound, clotting it quickly and preventing disease.

"Yes, a fair idea. My thanks to you. Let us be off, lest we are caught unawares again." Holding the poultice to his shoulder, he placed the sword on his back and kept the Thunder Weapon in his off hand. Better to keep it with the elves than let whatever other individual was in contact with this traitor get their hands on it. He began marching, eyes up and staring around to percieve any further threat.

 

[Ray of Meep]

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A day and a half later

The two knew that a major threat was looming over the horizon. Who or whatever these foreign elves were, the city states would have to marshal their forces. That meant rallying the militias, recalling the rangers, awakening the riders from their preservative slumber. All things that would take time, but if they acted quickly, their people could still take on any threat. As the two neared Hillsong however, their keen senses told them that something was amiss. Creeping forward slowly, carefully, they feared the worse had happened. That the city had already fallen. But what they saw was beyond their imagination.

Hillsong had ceased to exist entirely.