(RQ, SE) we've got magic to do (open)

Noah

if there's a reason I'm still alive
when so many have died

The laughter turned to words and a chill went through  Noah's spine. He only had minimal interactions with the woman, but her voice was unmistakable. While the words she spoke were not directed at him, the ice and bile in them made his stomach turn. Loren shot off and Noah followed him out of instinct, but seeing the woman above Loren made him stop short. No. She's dead. He thought, the image of her cold, stiff body laying on the ground before him flashing behind his eyes. He spun around, lifting his bow to aim, looking for the man who knew to last see her alive: Jace. Perhaps he was here, a mage as his mother was, playing tricks with their minds.

There was cracking of ice and lightning behind him and he ducked back around the corner, the reverberation startling him. He heard the familiar sound of claws against stone, of a rumbling growl, and Deimos' command fell on deaf ears. Ursurs. The hunter's blood pounded in his ears and he spun towards the sound, only to see the shield of ice start to form before him. He aimed, eyes narrowing, for the closest ursur's head -- but his fingertips held the arrow as Deimos' voice rang in the back of his head. He waited, watching the ice form and tighten before him, for what might happen.

He had never had another attuned try to calm a beast before -- he had only known to destroy them before they destroyed you.

then I'm willing to
wait for it

there's light at the edge of the darkness

Staggering backwards, when Loren saw the ice shield rising before them, he blanched and froze for a moment, flashing back to another wall of ice a long time ago. Taking a deep and shuddering breath, he raised his arms, adding his own magics to the barrier, reinforcing Deimos' efforts.

The healer didn't bother trying to speak to the Ursurs: he simply compelled them to calm down and return to their den, even as he beat a hasty retreat, dismissing his bats as he did. Between the mages compulsion, speech, and magic, the bears backed off. One less threat to worry about, at least.

Staring down the tunnel, the Firebrand sighed. Let's get out of here. They'd looked for mageglass and found none. Between the Ursurs and Zariah's presence, whatever had caused it, he didn't want to spend a minute more in the heart of the mountains. Shivering, and not from the cold, he turned to lead the group out of the caverns and back into the light of day.

-FIN

loren

Coding base by Sky!