The Ascension On Astralar III
Two at their backs, three at their front, all of which remained in the sky. This already didn't look good for them. "Rickter!" Telion called out as the winds picked up around them. "Practice your shieldcrafting here!" The wolf looked past his shoulder to the bard in surprise, his attention briefly distracted by the flying creature's movements, before he focused on her completely with innate intrigue.
"Hannah and I can take care of them from a distance here, but if they close in to harm us then things can get hairy!" He was... impressed. Suddenly she seemed to know not only how to fight, but how to effectively deal with the enemies that flew around. She was learning and quickly... which meant he needed to be ready to do the same, if he wanted to see these creatures dispatched in a timely manner.
"Alright, how would you suggest doing that then?" He inquired with a fierce look cast at the three creatures still hovering overhead, as they looked to be gauging the trio of ground walkers beneath them.
"You may have to use more than one anchor for this, but if you can generate at least two walls or barriers, then Hannah and I can handle the rest." Telion looked to her partner with a fierceness like Rickter's own just then. "Hannah, you have three shots before you have to reload that thing right?"
"Correct," the brunette confirmed, "It won't take but a few moments to do so, but even so I can't guarantee my shots will hit also."
"Three shots and five targets, we're outplayed by numbers here, which is why your shields will be important Rickter!" The wolf felt the importance of his task then, knowing that if he couldn't protect them, then things would turn out uglier than they already were.
Thus with his sword twisted downward between his hands Rickter thrust the blade into the ground, planting it within the rock as the stone beneath it cracked away to embed the blade. Rickter suspected that'd have a slight backlash to contend with afterward, but that paled in comparison to the current role he had at large. With his hands now free Rickter turned so that his left hand went past the two ladies, and his right hand remained positioned towards the original way he faced. With both hands now clutched at the air he then took a deep breath, growling softly as he focused aether into anchors before each of his palms. When those became generated he quickly started to put out aether, filling the nodes with it until the shimmering aurora's started to expand. From them his aether expanded, hardening into that same glassy form he knew as pushed for more.
More aether, more range of coverage for his partners... more protection. He needed to know that his shields would be able to withstand these creatures, and the only way to do that was to generate a single-layered rampart on both sides. As he felt his limbs begin to strain he knew his reserves were dwindling, signifying that he needed to finish the shields with their task in mind, and a final charge left in their cores now that they were covered from both sides. Keep these things at bay, He iterated within his mind like a constant demand, keep them from laying a single hit on us! His knees felt ready to buckle as he finished the layering of his task, the shields glimmering in response as he finally let out his withheld breath.
"Good! Good enough Ricky! Hannah, you ready?!"
"They won't know what hit them!" The brunette called out with her gun pointed at the other two, leaving Telion to focus on the three in Rickter's view.
"Remember, I've got your back!" The bard promised the wolf as he finally lowered himself to a knee, breathing a little sharper now as he kept his eyes focused on the enemy. Rickter would've spoken then but with the need to replenish his energy, he simply nodded to commend her with the task at hand, to which Telion quickly stood straighter than the wolf had seen her do before. She was braver now, confident in comparison to her normal self. Was this how she acted on the battlefield? He almost felt... certain she could win actually, and when she began to spin her staff around a few times, the winds that blew snow through the plateau began to howl. What was this? Was he feeling her magic then?
The aether that emanated from Telion felt much like her, soft but also vibrant at the surface, and when the bard stopped the rotation mid-spin; she threw the upper end of her staff downward as though she were striking an opponent. She did so without hesitation, the force of her attack filled with purpose and intent, as the act of her attack seemed to carry out a separate will entirely. Snow encircled their position then as the air seemed to rip at the ground, cascading into the air around them before it responded to her call, and surged forward to strike at the three creatures above them. Caught off guard by the blast of wind they frantically flew about, separating for a moment before they all flew into one parallel direction with one another. Together they closed in on the group below, soaring to close in for their vicious strikes before...
Boom.
The glassy wall that was Rickter's shields suddenly popped with a vibrant sound, like static shredding the very air around them, as the shields glistened brightly in their moment of triumph. The front barrier did as Rickter had tasked it to before, and in doing so, repelled the creatures that sailed right into it without a moment's hesitation. Dumbfounded by the reaction Rickter looked in awe, surprised to see that the shields he generated actually served their purpose... without failure. Telion carried out a small cry as she concentrated, her mind fixed in a brief meditation on the sound before she started once more, spinning her staff around so that she filled the air around her with ambient aether, before striking at the beasts with another hefty blast. Wind clustered at her beck and call and with it, pressure spiraled its way towards two of the three that flew about in a hectic daze, surging into them as it caused the creatures to skyrocket away with shrieks of terror.
A click followed by thunder then filled the air all around them, leading the wolf to jolt when he looked to turn at the source. Hannah's gun blew a trail of smoke out from one of its barrels, as the line of sight ended with one of the two creatures she'd shot at spiraling down to the ground. With it the other winged creature plummeted, determine to close in on the plateau and soar right into the midst of the trio. Hannah's arm adjusted to the trajectory of the beast, her hand just slightly angled so that the pistol was tilted ever so delicately. With a firm grip however she pulled the trigger, another plume of smoke and fire billowing out from its barrel, as the thunderous sound of the weapon shot forth another round that dropped the creature closing in.
While its body tumbled hard onto the rocky plateau it did not stop, rather, it bounced ceaselessly like a lifeless ragdoll, that is until its body met with the shield in place and softly ricocheted off of it a few feet. That left one more now, and very quickly that creature hovered ever higher. The beast gave a few cries of anguish out for its fallen brethren, before turning about to fly away after the other two that'd been cast off earlier. That meant...
They had done it then. They had beaten the creatures back with relative ease, the success of their fight quickly sinking in as the two ladies cheered together behind Rickter. They... actually did it. Telion he didn't doubt but Hannah? He'd seen a whole new side of her today, one that he never expected to see in someone like her. The wolf slowly rose to his feet once more as the barriers around him dissipated, their charge no longer maintained as he released his mental affixation onto them. These two are insane when you put them together. Rickter realized quite admirably as he looked to them with a soft grin.
"Now that's how you win a fight!" Hannah remarked as she inspected her gun, flashing it to the with the barrels still pointed upward. "Didn't even need to waste a third shot!"
"That was amazing!" Telion cheered as she twisted to face Rickter next. "You did that quite well Rickter!" The wolf simply lowered his gaze with a shake of his head, pointing to her and then to Hannah when he answered her in turn.
"That was all you," he remarked a little warmly towards her, "You came up with a plan of action on the spot, tested our enemy with your magic, and went all in when you knew you had a shot at victory."
"Have I mentioned she's brilliant and beautiful?" Hannah teased with a lofty grin shot to the pair, her pistol then holstered as she crossed her arms. "Our victory aside though, we should probably get moving... before that thing returns with more of its kind."
"Oh! That's actually a good point," Telion agreed with a worried look shot to Rickter then, "We're not far now, just another plateau away right? If we hurry and leave now, we may get to the spring before sundown!"
Rickter hadn't even noticed the time of day... From the looks of it the sun was only hours away from reaching the mountains toward the west. Once it fell behind their peaks then the valley below would grow dark, with the mountain range itself next to fall in line behind it. "Aye," he quickly agreed as he moved to hover his hand over the hilt of his sword, "the sooner we get there... the sooner we can rest up and call it an evening." With one sole thought the wolf's blade dissipated into the air, the aether swirling up along his wrist and arm as it coalesced into his form. There was a moment where he felt a tiny pang of pain in his head, undoubtedly the backlash he expected earlier, before it faded away moments after it manifested. Now... with that out of the way, there was only one more thing left to do.
"Let's move, sunset isn't too far away." He warned them as he started to lead once again, heading in the direction of their next plateau, with the crags he'd pointed out earlier waiting for them on the other side.
Ash 32nd, 120th, 123rd Year, A.o.S.
"Hannah and I can take care of them from a distance here, but if they close in to harm us then things can get hairy!" He was... impressed. Suddenly she seemed to know not only how to fight, but how to effectively deal with the enemies that flew around. She was learning and quickly... which meant he needed to be ready to do the same, if he wanted to see these creatures dispatched in a timely manner.
"Alright, how would you suggest doing that then?" He inquired with a fierce look cast at the three creatures still hovering overhead, as they looked to be gauging the trio of ground walkers beneath them.
"You may have to use more than one anchor for this, but if you can generate at least two walls or barriers, then Hannah and I can handle the rest." Telion looked to her partner with a fierceness like Rickter's own just then. "Hannah, you have three shots before you have to reload that thing right?"
"Correct," the brunette confirmed, "It won't take but a few moments to do so, but even so I can't guarantee my shots will hit also."
"Three shots and five targets, we're outplayed by numbers here, which is why your shields will be important Rickter!" The wolf felt the importance of his task then, knowing that if he couldn't protect them, then things would turn out uglier than they already were.
Thus with his sword twisted downward between his hands Rickter thrust the blade into the ground, planting it within the rock as the stone beneath it cracked away to embed the blade. Rickter suspected that'd have a slight backlash to contend with afterward, but that paled in comparison to the current role he had at large. With his hands now free Rickter turned so that his left hand went past the two ladies, and his right hand remained positioned towards the original way he faced. With both hands now clutched at the air he then took a deep breath, growling softly as he focused aether into anchors before each of his palms. When those became generated he quickly started to put out aether, filling the nodes with it until the shimmering aurora's started to expand. From them his aether expanded, hardening into that same glassy form he knew as pushed for more.
More aether, more range of coverage for his partners... more protection. He needed to know that his shields would be able to withstand these creatures, and the only way to do that was to generate a single-layered rampart on both sides. As he felt his limbs begin to strain he knew his reserves were dwindling, signifying that he needed to finish the shields with their task in mind, and a final charge left in their cores now that they were covered from both sides. Keep these things at bay, He iterated within his mind like a constant demand, keep them from laying a single hit on us! His knees felt ready to buckle as he finished the layering of his task, the shields glimmering in response as he finally let out his withheld breath.
"Good! Good enough Ricky! Hannah, you ready?!"
"They won't know what hit them!" The brunette called out with her gun pointed at the other two, leaving Telion to focus on the three in Rickter's view.
"Remember, I've got your back!" The bard promised the wolf as he finally lowered himself to a knee, breathing a little sharper now as he kept his eyes focused on the enemy. Rickter would've spoken then but with the need to replenish his energy, he simply nodded to commend her with the task at hand, to which Telion quickly stood straighter than the wolf had seen her do before. She was braver now, confident in comparison to her normal self. Was this how she acted on the battlefield? He almost felt... certain she could win actually, and when she began to spin her staff around a few times, the winds that blew snow through the plateau began to howl. What was this? Was he feeling her magic then?
The aether that emanated from Telion felt much like her, soft but also vibrant at the surface, and when the bard stopped the rotation mid-spin; she threw the upper end of her staff downward as though she were striking an opponent. She did so without hesitation, the force of her attack filled with purpose and intent, as the act of her attack seemed to carry out a separate will entirely. Snow encircled their position then as the air seemed to rip at the ground, cascading into the air around them before it responded to her call, and surged forward to strike at the three creatures above them. Caught off guard by the blast of wind they frantically flew about, separating for a moment before they all flew into one parallel direction with one another. Together they closed in on the group below, soaring to close in for their vicious strikes before...
Boom.
The glassy wall that was Rickter's shields suddenly popped with a vibrant sound, like static shredding the very air around them, as the shields glistened brightly in their moment of triumph. The front barrier did as Rickter had tasked it to before, and in doing so, repelled the creatures that sailed right into it without a moment's hesitation. Dumbfounded by the reaction Rickter looked in awe, surprised to see that the shields he generated actually served their purpose... without failure. Telion carried out a small cry as she concentrated, her mind fixed in a brief meditation on the sound before she started once more, spinning her staff around so that she filled the air around her with ambient aether, before striking at the beasts with another hefty blast. Wind clustered at her beck and call and with it, pressure spiraled its way towards two of the three that flew about in a hectic daze, surging into them as it caused the creatures to skyrocket away with shrieks of terror.
A click followed by thunder then filled the air all around them, leading the wolf to jolt when he looked to turn at the source. Hannah's gun blew a trail of smoke out from one of its barrels, as the line of sight ended with one of the two creatures she'd shot at spiraling down to the ground. With it the other winged creature plummeted, determine to close in on the plateau and soar right into the midst of the trio. Hannah's arm adjusted to the trajectory of the beast, her hand just slightly angled so that the pistol was tilted ever so delicately. With a firm grip however she pulled the trigger, another plume of smoke and fire billowing out from its barrel, as the thunderous sound of the weapon shot forth another round that dropped the creature closing in.
While its body tumbled hard onto the rocky plateau it did not stop, rather, it bounced ceaselessly like a lifeless ragdoll, that is until its body met with the shield in place and softly ricocheted off of it a few feet. That left one more now, and very quickly that creature hovered ever higher. The beast gave a few cries of anguish out for its fallen brethren, before turning about to fly away after the other two that'd been cast off earlier. That meant...
They had done it then. They had beaten the creatures back with relative ease, the success of their fight quickly sinking in as the two ladies cheered together behind Rickter. They... actually did it. Telion he didn't doubt but Hannah? He'd seen a whole new side of her today, one that he never expected to see in someone like her. The wolf slowly rose to his feet once more as the barriers around him dissipated, their charge no longer maintained as he released his mental affixation onto them. These two are insane when you put them together. Rickter realized quite admirably as he looked to them with a soft grin.
"Now that's how you win a fight!" Hannah remarked as she inspected her gun, flashing it to the with the barrels still pointed upward. "Didn't even need to waste a third shot!"
"That was amazing!" Telion cheered as she twisted to face Rickter next. "You did that quite well Rickter!" The wolf simply lowered his gaze with a shake of his head, pointing to her and then to Hannah when he answered her in turn.
"That was all you," he remarked a little warmly towards her, "You came up with a plan of action on the spot, tested our enemy with your magic, and went all in when you knew you had a shot at victory."
"Have I mentioned she's brilliant and beautiful?" Hannah teased with a lofty grin shot to the pair, her pistol then holstered as she crossed her arms. "Our victory aside though, we should probably get moving... before that thing returns with more of its kind."
"Oh! That's actually a good point," Telion agreed with a worried look shot to Rickter then, "We're not far now, just another plateau away right? If we hurry and leave now, we may get to the spring before sundown!"
Rickter hadn't even noticed the time of day... From the looks of it the sun was only hours away from reaching the mountains toward the west. Once it fell behind their peaks then the valley below would grow dark, with the mountain range itself next to fall in line behind it. "Aye," he quickly agreed as he moved to hover his hand over the hilt of his sword, "the sooner we get there... the sooner we can rest up and call it an evening." With one sole thought the wolf's blade dissipated into the air, the aether swirling up along his wrist and arm as it coalesced into his form. There was a moment where he felt a tiny pang of pain in his head, undoubtedly the backlash he expected earlier, before it faded away moments after it manifested. Now... with that out of the way, there was only one more thing left to do.
"Let's move, sunset isn't too far away." He warned them as he started to lead once again, heading in the direction of their next plateau, with the crags he'd pointed out earlier waiting for them on the other side.
"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."
