[Hunt] The Pyre of the North
Astrid and Alektô join their efforts to fight the Pyre of the North
Author's Notes
5 (WC=565) +2 (Milestone) +1 (magic use Astrid and Alektô) +1 (world specific) +1 (familiar) +2 (dialogue) = 12 gold x 2 (event prompt) = 24 gold
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As the villagers and the handful of visitors unite their forces, the barn fire is slowly getting under control—there is a line of helpers passing buckets of water from the well to douse the fire with, and many helping hands.
The same can’t be said for the blazing pyre that has erupted out on the silkberry field. It’s clear now that it’s not just a wildfire, it’s a monster, though it’s hard to see through the flames and the air shimmering with intense heat. As the great black skeleton rises upwards, a hush falls over Sommerang, everyone holding their breath. Will it turn its wrath on the rest of the village?
…But no. The beast doesn’t even look at the houses and storage sheds; it slowly begins to move north, away from the village.
Everyone breathes a sigh of relief, but danger isn’t over yet. The ground in the monster’s wake is charred and smoldering, and the wind has picked up, further fanning the flames and hastening the Pyre’s passage northwards.
Does your character stay to help, or do they hurry onwards to warn whoever might be in the monster’s path?
Prompt 2 : Blazing North
"Astrid !" Alektô pushes through the shell shocked crowd with a bit too much force. "Astrid, darling, where the fuck are you ?"
She finds her in between two mages, all three doing their best to extinguish the fire with water. Astrid doesn't immediately hear her name - until Alektô faces her.
"Astrid we need to go," she cuts in.
"It's still burn-"
"You saw it. It's not staying here, it's moving forward. We need to warn the people in its path, now."
"We can't fight it," Astrid protests. "I'm blood, not water. You're... Whatever it is, but not enough either."
"Carnage can outrun it. We need to buy them time. With your permission, I can boost you so we slow him down."
Astrid seems to weight in both options under the scrutiny of the Order mage.
"It's urgent", Alektô hisses.
"Fine," Astrid bites. "You better keep up."
Astrid rushes forward in a blink and Alektô speeds up. In half a minute they're out of Sommerang.
"Do you know where it's going ?" Astrid screams in the wind.
They're far enough the heat doesn't damage them, but the smoke and ashes it leaves behind tickles their eyes.
"No. Seems to go North though."
"We should cut through the fields or we'll never catch up. Use the hill at our advantage. Don't trip. Let's go."
The landscape goes by in a blur as they speed up. The winter fields are a mess of muted colors they cannot afford to pay attention to. Around the inferno, they catch sight of several mages actively trying to stop the Monster as well. A winged silhouette float deep into the sky, spitting ice and water from above at the Monster. Another one braves the heat around the monster's feet, trying to land shots on strategic points. Astrid cusses internally - her blood bending is useless on a skeleton deprived of it, and she's not made for resisting such temperatures. She focuses on the obsidian sword stuck amidst of crystals, pulling it out to keep it at her side instead. Alektô watches her. No wonder Astrid was used as a nasty fighter in the Sunless Jungle, her stamina and resilience are remarkable.
Without slowing down, Alektô raises her head, glowing eyes and open palms up towards the sky. High pitched words and heavy breaths get mixed together as she recites a spell she knows by heart - and soon enough, as her tummy slowly carves itself, Carnage snakes his way out between her ribs and fly by her side.
"Go North. Warn for monster and fire, ask for help. Fly as fast as you can, boost useful mages if you see any, carve me, take it all, go."
"Yesssss Darling," he hisses. "Hello, angry red goblin."
"Get to it before I make you fly, stupid lizard", Astrid spats.
"You wisssssh", he teases with a high pitched laugh, an etheral echo of Alektô's.
Carnage bats his wings twice, takes a long run up and urges forward, towards the monster. He flies away and grows bigger and bigger as Alektô's tummy carves itself deeper, turning him into a big, beautiful dragon. She doesn't feel the pain anymore. Her gaze follows his path as he gets closer to the fire, uses warm air for momentum and becomes a serpentine silhouette in the air, visibly blowing strength to a flying mage before rushing forwards, towards North.