Growling through gritted teeth, Ceren managed to hold tight to the saddle and pull herself properly back into the seat. The familiar hiss of flying arrows filled the air and she realized she was desperately exposed. Steering Rabbit toward a copse of trees, they arrived just as the light of... what the hell was that? Rabbit, agitated by all the noise and light, huffed and grunted his frustration at being stilled. Ceren had to walk him in tight circles in the copse while she stared at the magic being performed where the camp had stood. It illuminated everything nearby. And what it did not bathe in light, Ceren's sharp eyes picked out.
A line of three archers on a rise in the terrain. That was where those arrows were coming from. She could handle that. Knocking another arrow, Ceren steered Rabbit in a wide arc toward the archers. They'd not be expecting to have to defend themselves at close quarters. She loosed her arrow at a rider, taking time now to find that weak point in his armor. He fell from his horse, confusing the creature and it took off away from the terrifying column.Lucky thing, it had been on a path toward where Genthus and Karvil were painting the earth red.
As she neared the archers, Ceren slipped from her saddle, giving Rabbit a slap on his rump to send him off and away. Overhead, she could just hear the beat of Andor's wings as he circled in anticipation of her attack. Reaching down, she pulled her knife from its sheath on her leg and held it in a reverse grip as she slunk low through the grass. To her right, the pillar and molten glass was hard to look away from, and Ceren hoped that would be so for the archers too. They stood perhaps two arms length from each other in a line, knocking and loosing arrows at will as they picked their targets in the chaos. They were focused. Ceren laid her own bow on the ground and waited for just the right moment.
Just as the nearest archer was about to let his arrow fly, a sudden movement in the shadows to his right caught his eye. His attention diverted, his arrow flew wild into the night. He'd barely turned his gaze when Ceren's knife bit into the base of his neck, just above the light leather armor. Too quickly, blood filled his throat and he could do nothing more than gurgle as his life quickly seeped out of him. It was enough, however, for his comrades to be alerted. They turned and Ceren had to take the weight of the dead man onto herself as she used his body as a shield. Two arrows dug deep into him, almost pushing through completely. Ceren grunted at the impact, then pushed the body away, throwing her knife at the next nearest archer.
The woman gave a cry as she managed to block the blade with a bracer on her arm. But Ceren was close behind, slamming bodily into the woman, grabbing her head and knocking it hard into the ground. The woman went limp under her and Ceren rolled through her momentum back to standing just as a sharp pain sliced through her left arm. Ceren grunted, but she was lucky. the arrow dug through, but had not lodged into her. The last archer had another arrow ready, but before he could fire Andor came down at him from above. His claws cut into the man's forearm, causing him to lose his grip on the bow. Ceren was on him as well, grabbing the bow and using it to smash the man's nose in. Once, twice. He stumbled back, hands going to his face and coming away covered in blood. Andor came down again, this time his claws scratching at the man's eyes as he flailed wildly and cried out in pain. Ceren swept the bow low, catching his leg. She pulled hard and the man tumbled backward. Andor's claws found his throat then, and his cries stopped abruptly.
Breathing heavily, Ceren looked around. She caught a glint of light off the blade of her knife and recovered it. She then checked all three archers. The first and the last were certainly dead, but the one that had stood in the middle still breathed. Ceren found the woman's bow and removed the string. Flipping the woman over, she used the string to tie her hands behind her back. Perhaps they could get some information out of her after this was all finished. Looking back at the chaos below, Ceren only hoped that her people were still standing when that time came. Heaving a sigh, she recovered her own bow and set to picking off targets as best she could.
A line of three archers on a rise in the terrain. That was where those arrows were coming from. She could handle that. Knocking another arrow, Ceren steered Rabbit in a wide arc toward the archers. They'd not be expecting to have to defend themselves at close quarters. She loosed her arrow at a rider, taking time now to find that weak point in his armor. He fell from his horse, confusing the creature and it took off away from the terrifying column.Lucky thing, it had been on a path toward where Genthus and Karvil were painting the earth red.
As she neared the archers, Ceren slipped from her saddle, giving Rabbit a slap on his rump to send him off and away. Overhead, she could just hear the beat of Andor's wings as he circled in anticipation of her attack. Reaching down, she pulled her knife from its sheath on her leg and held it in a reverse grip as she slunk low through the grass. To her right, the pillar and molten glass was hard to look away from, and Ceren hoped that would be so for the archers too. They stood perhaps two arms length from each other in a line, knocking and loosing arrows at will as they picked their targets in the chaos. They were focused. Ceren laid her own bow on the ground and waited for just the right moment.
Just as the nearest archer was about to let his arrow fly, a sudden movement in the shadows to his right caught his eye. His attention diverted, his arrow flew wild into the night. He'd barely turned his gaze when Ceren's knife bit into the base of his neck, just above the light leather armor. Too quickly, blood filled his throat and he could do nothing more than gurgle as his life quickly seeped out of him. It was enough, however, for his comrades to be alerted. They turned and Ceren had to take the weight of the dead man onto herself as she used his body as a shield. Two arrows dug deep into him, almost pushing through completely. Ceren grunted at the impact, then pushed the body away, throwing her knife at the next nearest archer.
The woman gave a cry as she managed to block the blade with a bracer on her arm. But Ceren was close behind, slamming bodily into the woman, grabbing her head and knocking it hard into the ground. The woman went limp under her and Ceren rolled through her momentum back to standing just as a sharp pain sliced through her left arm. Ceren grunted, but she was lucky. the arrow dug through, but had not lodged into her. The last archer had another arrow ready, but before he could fire Andor came down at him from above. His claws cut into the man's forearm, causing him to lose his grip on the bow. Ceren was on him as well, grabbing the bow and using it to smash the man's nose in. Once, twice. He stumbled back, hands going to his face and coming away covered in blood. Andor came down again, this time his claws scratching at the man's eyes as he flailed wildly and cried out in pain. Ceren swept the bow low, catching his leg. She pulled hard and the man tumbled backward. Andor's claws found his throat then, and his cries stopped abruptly.
Breathing heavily, Ceren looked around. She caught a glint of light off the blade of her knife and recovered it. She then checked all three archers. The first and the last were certainly dead, but the one that had stood in the middle still breathed. Ceren found the woman's bow and removed the string. Flipping the woman over, she used the string to tie her hands behind her back. Perhaps they could get some information out of her after this was all finished. Looking back at the chaos below, Ceren only hoped that her people were still standing when that time came. Heaving a sigh, she recovered her own bow and set to picking off targets as best she could.
04-28-2024, 11:37 AM
