The birds had fled the scene, seeking safer perches away from the flashing lights and snowy missiles, but squirrels still rustled through the leaves of nearby trees, trusting in their height to keep them safe as they watched the combat with curious, beady gazes. Lower down even than the ground, half-submerged in the shallow stream the mermanta's emerald eyes gleamed with amusement, a small smile cracking the King's usual facade as Noah's deep, bright laugh rang through the trees.
It was just as well that he wasn't inclined towards quips or witty reparte. There was little enough time to do so as his friend turned back to the attack, testing his new arrows out once more. There was little time to react to such swift procjectiles, and he could not Aquaport again so soon. Hadama tried to raise an ice wall between himself and Noah to absorb the arrows, but his magic wasn't quite fast enough. The rising ice deflected the first arrow harmlessly away, but he couldn't bring it up in time to stop the second, which struck him squarely in the shoulder.
He grunted at the impact, a hiss escaping as he worked through the pain and twisted under the water. No sooner had he done so than a small thirty foot-wide tidal wave rose up from where he had submerged, sweeping towards Noah with drenching force.
It was just as well that he wasn't inclined towards quips or witty reparte. There was little enough time to do so as his friend turned back to the attack, testing his new arrows out once more. There was little time to react to such swift procjectiles, and he could not Aquaport again so soon. Hadama tried to raise an ice wall between himself and Noah to absorb the arrows, but his magic wasn't quite fast enough. The rising ice deflected the first arrow harmlessly away, but he couldn't bring it up in time to stop the second, which struck him squarely in the shoulder.
He grunted at the impact, a hiss escaping as he worked through the pain and twisted under the water. No sooner had he done so than a small thirty foot-wide tidal wave rose up from where he had submerged, sweeping towards Noah with drenching force.
