World Building

Sweat earth to you I do request,

Do spawn your sweetness from thy nest.

Small and kind your fruit does come to bear.

Save my heart and health, make all right and fair.

Good berry spell

People perceive stressful situations differently. To some time seems to slow down as things happen around them and they take their time to focus on what they need to do. Others in their panic see the world begin to blur around them. For Avi things seemed to pause.

The moment Man'gra began breathing easier from the gaping wound of his shoulder was sealed time seemed to halt for Alv. He had honestly never been in a combat situation before, he had also never been this tired since reserve officer training back in high school. Sadly as his magic began to run out due to his constant use, and his concentration shaking because of the constant combat he was forced to the side. He knew his lack of knowledge or ability in fighting would be a massive pain in the a.s.s to deal with, and this was only proving his point. Now forced to the side in this encounter he did the only thing of use he could remember to do. Go around healing those that would need him. It was a guardsman who nearly died first. A talon shoved through his c.h.e.s.t as it pierced his armor. With his heart pounding in his c.h.e.s.t he sprinted to the man. Muttering a silent spell under his breath he sought to breathe life back into the guard. Luckily the man's injuries were easily healed and the man shakily rose up to his feet before looking to Alv, nodding, and then rejoining the fray.

Pyrrha was really cursing her lack of foresight. She needed a shield. She had thought about it before and decided against taxing their small funds by requestioning a shield, she had figured she could make due using the musket with one hand and the blade with another. She had grown used to having Jaune around as a partner. Having someone be able to raise their shield to defend you. Sadly she now had to relearn a new dynamic with the glowing handed Alvandur. She looked to him and saw that between healing downed soldiers he seemed to default to the spell that produced a small flame he could direct. It didn't do much to the wyvern's but it did serve to hurt them enough that they would lose focus on the guards they were attempting to chew on. It was the yelled warning of a guard that moved her attention elsewhere. Raising her musket to the side she felt the presence coming from she fired a shot. Using her semblance, which now seemed to grow stronger and infuse itself with the energy in the air, she moved to direct her shot. Pointing her sword to provide a target direction the bullet slammed first into the flank of the smallest wyvern before jumping to strike the foot of one of the average-sized ones forcing it to crash into its friend next to it.

Alv seeing Pyrrha's move raised a hand to finish off the smallest one, once again producing flame he directed it at the one that seemed the easiest to deal with. It's beastly roar as it died in cinders was a reprieve that Alv, were he in his old life, would not have taken solace in. It was, however, the pained shout of captain Daggerfoot. He looked to Pyrrha seeing her nod, she raised musket for another shot at the biggest one. Looking to the guard closest to him he directed her to move the captain closer to him. Looking inwardly he grimaced finding that there was very little he could do. His magic was running out. The fact that produce flame was a cantrip that he could continue to spam was the only good point so far. With a curse, he realized he could only likely cast two more first level spells. Looking at the people falling damage by the wyvern's he came to an idea. Good berry was a spell for druids. A first-level spell that focused on the creation of berries that could regenerate health and fill the hungry. Realizing that he could do this but only in increments of ten, he concentrated on the libram in front of him with whispers of power he invoked his magic to alter reality once more through his libram. A handful of berries began to materialize from the pages of his book. Taking a cloth sack he had he put them inside. He ran to the next guard who had been downed by a wyvern he quickly put one in his mouth resisting the snickering urge to yell 'senzu bean!' as he did so. His aid was rewarded by the guard coming to before being forced to sit to the side. Just as he was about to move the guard with him to the side another of the medium-sized wyverns tried to make a pass at them.

David Thatcher, once a thatcher now a member of the Suraman town guard never thought he would have fought this hard in his life. It was usually some bandits or the occasionally lost beast that found it's way into the town. Lesser ground wyverns, however, were a completely different story. These beasts had appeared out of nowhere and were apex predators in their own right. Now as he stared down what could only be the gaping maw of one, he had given up hope. The nice gentleman who had fed him that magic fruit that made him feel better was behind him, and he would not repay that kindness with cowardice. Using himself as a sheild he was prepared to die to protect that young man who was saving him and his comrades. He was surprised when it was consumed in a streak of fire. While the monster was down he raised his blade to finish it off. Breathing a sigh in relief he turned to thank the young man only to find him shooting off another ray of fire to distract the beast near the captain. Another of his comrades Mul'gan was pulling the injured guard captain near the young man who once again placed a healing fruit in the captain's mouth. He watched with wide eyes as the groaning captain slowly sat up as she groggily looked around her. He watched as her eyes fell to him and the others at the side. The young man taking a shield on the ground, likely one of the guards, raised it above his head.

Alv had scene Pyrrha fight and seeing her face down the last and biggest beast he did what he did best. Try to help. He watched her force herself to dodge as she had nothing to defend herself with. Seeing a few of the guard's equipment lying about him he moved to pick up two shields. Strapping one to his arm he raised another one in the air and with a yell of "PYRRHA!" he tossed it at her.

Pyrrha had made a mental note to remember to thank Alv after this as she caught a shield. It wasn't a buckler like she was used to but it was good enough she quickly dropped her musket taking the shield in her free hand before dropping into a familiar stance. Using her training she moved on the beast blocking a tail swipe before moving to stab the beast again. She was caught off guard as the beast had spun around hoping to sink it's large fangs into her when a shield and a grunt had stopped it in its tracks. It was Alv, she smiled.

"This is mayhaps the stupidest thing I have ever done," he grunted as he used the shield strapped to his arm as a block to jam the beast's jaw open.

"Brave though!" Pyrrha yelled as she drove the blade into the beast's neck.

"Thought you could use a hand!" he yelled as he forced a produced flame streak into the mouth of the beast knocking it backward.

"I appreciate it, do you think they will let us keep the shields after this?" she asked as she blocked a claw strike from the creature.

"I don't know, but we can certainly hope so," he grunted as he shoulder checked the beast using his shield before lighting its feet aflame.

"You sticking with the fire on purpose?" she asked hoping to take the edge off of what was undoubtedly his first combat experience.

"Only thing I have left in the tank!" he grunted as he ran to shield another guard from getting stomped on.

"You're doing well!" she shouted as she could see the beast tiring.

"Yeah, big, bad, and complete a.s.s hat over here is looking to be on his last leg. Any suggestions?" he asked as he could see the guards were too beat up to come and help finish the beast.

"Yeah, set fire to its eye if you can, I'm going to drive xiphos into its windpipes." she declared firmly, as he responded with a nod. He raised his hands and instead of aiming a single shot of fire, he peppered the beasts in the face with conjured fire, hoping that the spray and pray method would not fail him. It roared in pain hoping to catch the source of its ire between its plague bearing teeth. As it moved to catch him it was stopped by sharp pain and a loud scream. Pyrrha felt her blade find purchase as it dug into the beast's neck, she screamed as she forced the blade through its throat as a small torrent of blood dripped from the gaping wound. The beast cut as it was, was forced to the ground. With a silent look of hatred and pain, it began to lose vision as it began to lose it's sight.

When the world turned black for the alpha of the pack it had filled with cheers for the others. With the pack dead and no casualties due to the aid of the young man who had resembled a spirit of fire, they had made it through the raid of their town. Some cried, some rejoiced, but others, like Pyrrha and Captain Dagger foot had taken solace in the fact that they had protected the town and lived to tell the tale and for them, that was enough.