[Hunt] The Pyre of the North
Astrid and Alektô join their efforts to fight the Pyre of the North
Author's Notes
6 (WC=649) +2 (Milestone) +1 (magic use Astrid and Alektô) +1 (world specific) +1 (familiar) +2 (dialogue) = 13 gold x 2 (event prompt) = 26 gold
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By now, the Pyre has left Sommerang behind. The blaze has diminished slightly, though whether it is because of it is weakening, or because of a lack of things to burn, is not yet known. Some witnesses report larger and more numerous puddles of ichor left in its wake. The village is safe—though some of the fields are destroyed—but ahead of the monster lies the rolling hills and fertile fields of northwestern Ivras… and beyond, the borders to Siregal and Nymene.
As the news of the monster spreads across Ivras, concern is raised for what will happen if the monster isn’t stopped; would it cross the border into foreign territory, and if so, how will Nymene and Siregal react? Could it be viewed as a hostile maneuver? Will this spur the Crown into action?
Most people, however, are worried about far more immediate dangers. There are other villages ahead, directly in the path of the Pyre, and now begins a race against time and flame…
What does your character do?
Prompt 3 : a race against time
Sommerang is far behind now, and tens more mages have joined the fight against the Pyre of the North. Carnage’s warnings echoes in the distance, far enough he plays with the limit of being out of range and risk reappearing immediately at Alektô’s side. Alektô and Astrid have been running for a while now, looking for an opportunity to really intervene. They just reached a point ahead of the Pyre where they are mostly safe though - and that is what Alektô needed all along. Several mages form a semblance of a frontline between the monster and the next village, and Astrid is piaffing in impatience.
« It’s just not stopping, like, at all, let’s just go for it, » she fumes.
« We do not know what his abilities and weaknesses are, » Alektô points out as she studies the beast from afar.
From his eyesockets and mouth drips a constant black ichor. Alektô wonders how a skeleton can produce such an organic material. Astrid is not able to bend any blood from it, so it should not be able to spurr anything of the sort. Is it made of magic ? Is it something akin to liquid corruption ? What happens if it enters in contact with something, or even someone ? Does it have magical side effects, acidic effects or nothing at all ? Astrid cuts her in her thoughts.
« Yeah well it’s fire, it spits fire, you know what stay here if you want but I am done searching for answers when there is none and there’s a fucking monster to slay.»
And with that, the blood witch - or knight ? Really, witch is debatable, Alektô thinks - rushes forward, towards the Pyre. She watches as Astrid joins a few mages on the sides, keeping enough distance to avoid direct contact with the heat and danger. As in Sommerang, blasts of water and ice spurt from everywhere in the desperate hope to extinguish the fire of the Pyre.
Alektô’s magic detection amulet doesn’t reveal anything about the ichor - she’s probably too far though, and does not wish to get a better view of it yet. Instead, she sighs. Astrid isn’t entirely wrong : they have to fight it now or the monster will ruin the entire country. So with some reluctance, Alektô dips a hand in her bag to grab a dragon’s scale. With practiced ease she points a wicked nail towards the ground, carving with a pink flame the soil all around her. Symbols and runes slowly form a circle with Alektô and Astrid’s name on its center.
« Watch over me, » she asks Carnage, her eyes focused on the spell below her. « Help them. »
In the distance, the shriek of a dragon cuts the sky and without even looking, she hears the encouragements and fireblasts of her familiar. Good. She extends her palms, makes contact with the runes and recites a magic chant of bind and blood, of power and water and swears protection and revenge.
Her head tilts back, the spell ignites her pink fire hair and the runic circle. Her revulsed eyes glow a fierce white as her body feels the fuel of energy from the ground to rush in her corrupted arms. Palms up, with a distant, high pitched shriek she convulses, takes it all to channel and, all of a sudden, redirects it towards the blood knight. It hits Astrid in the back like a crushing wave, stopping her for a moment. But she knows that feeling. The feeling of power that awakes her thirst. And without a second thought, she gives in. She lets herself be drown in power and ire, redirects her fury into potent blasts of water. No matter how deep she will try to bury it - Astrid has always been a warrior at heart. And once more, Alektô just unleashed it.