“I hear combat ahead! We’re almost there!” Rhunal sprinted ahead. Behind her, Hugh panted rapidly, as he struggled to keep up with her longer strides.
“Thank the gods,” he said, as they passed a pair of doors on either side of the hallway, “this place didn’t look as big from the outside.”
The bottom of one door glowed brightly as he passed it. A roaring sound alerted him, and he jumped to the side as the whole door splintered into flames. A deafening boom echoed throughout the hallway.
He fell backwards and away from the erupting door, narrowly evading the blast. He stumbled back and slammed the door open in the hallway behind him, falling through it. His last sight of Rhunal was her standing in the hallway facing the destroyed doorway, her hair and vest singed with black smoke.
He only knew of one kind of being that could create that kind of destructive flame and still fit in a narrow crypt, a fire witch. A mage who dedicated every spare moment to the practice and study of pyromancy.
Most mages were even-tempered or even bookish, but not Pyromancers. The pursuit of that level of destructive power changed these mages. Their personality was typically cruel and vicious. Some said it was an influence of the god of Inferno they worshiped.
They were more commonly women. Another influence of the god of inferno, as the gossip went. They were the only mages that still got called witches. It was an old word that had otherwise died out with more superstitious times.
“Rhunal get back!” He called out. She would not have near the amount to magical ability to face a foe like this. She scrambled towards his room.
It was too late. The corridor where she was standing erupted in flames once again, and the explosion framed her silhouette in shadow. The blast went past where Rhunal was standing and blew the door right off the door-frame in front of Hugh.
He stepped away from the door and looked for any kind of cover. A large central pillar in the room was the first thing he saw.
And back through the door and the flames stepped Rhunal with smoke pouring off her like a living cinder.
“Rhunal! You’re alive!” He had given her up for dead and was both relieved and ashamed.
She held a circular barrier of cyan energy in front of her left fist. It glowed and cracked chaotically from the blast it had received. The energy barrier seemed almost exactly the size of a standard round shield, but it had not been large enough to block everything.
Rhunal’s left leg was blistered, covered in deep burns, as was her right arm. Still, she had managed to survive the signature spell of Pyromancy, the fireball. Rhunal’s smaller barrier had focused more defensive power in a smaller area.
“Fuck! That stings! I’m gonna hit this bitch with fire before she gets her barrier up.” she snarled.
She launched her firebolt as the witch’s shadow loomed in the doorway.
The witch strolled through the doorway, holding her palms facing each other in front of her. The firebolt almost seemed to be absorbed by thin air, as the witch’s barrier absorbed it with no effort at all. A barrier that enclosed her whole body faintly glimmered cyan-blue as it absorbed the meager spell.
She was almost a poster child of her class of magic. She had wild, unkempt, bright-orange hair that fell short of her shoulders. It seemed almost like fire itself the way it flowed around her head rather than resting on top of it. Most female mages tended to be slender, but she was full-figured and strong, wearing a red and gold short dress.
“You aren’t who I expected.” she said with an unimpressed expression on her face. “You want to dabble with fire little orc? I’ve never met one like you before.” Her expression changed to one of cruel excitement as her hands glowed with fire again.
Hugh frantically began to load his crossbow while retreating behind the central pillar.
“Let me show you how its done!” The witch screamed the words, before drowning out her own voice with the rushing sound of another oncoming fireball.
Hugh got behind the pillar in time as the fireball impacted in front of it. The flames and shockwave bent around the pillar, past Hugh’s face.
Rhunal threw herself backwards as it exploded. She hit the ground completely gracelessly, but kept her magic shield facing the blast. She dodged enough of the fire that her barrier took care of the rest.
Hugh’s crossbow clicked as he got a bolt loaded. “Finally!”
He leaned around the pillar and lined up his shot. The witch’s hands were glowing with fire once more. Hugh pulled the lever and the crossbow snapped into action. The witch noticed the danger in time to save herself. The flame between her palms changed to blue before Hugh’s bolt could strike.
Unlike when Rhunal’s firebolt had fizzled against the barrier, the bolt slammed hard into the magic barrier around the witch with an electric 'crack'. The entire barrier around her lit up in brilliant cyan-blue encircling her whole body. The energy in the barrier gyrated around wildly, losing its shape. The front of the barrier, where the bolt impacted, stretched inward from the force, coming close to the witch herself.
Her confident expression changed to real fear for a moment. Crossbows were a new weapon in the Turbulent March. She had never dealt with that level of power from a projectile before.
Despite the danger, Hugh smiled. “She felt that one! Rhunal! Try a physical attack!” He wasn’t sure what physical magic abilities she had, but he hoped she would come up with something. He needed enough time to load another shot.
Her eyes darted around for a moment before spotting something on the ground. She snatched up three sizable chunks of stone from the damaged rock floor. With a fierce overhand throw, she hurled the three stones towards the witch. Before they left her hand, she propelled her wind spell with the opposite hand and released the stones with the other. They accelerated far more quickly than any normal throw.
The witch’s barrier had barely recovered and was smashed by the three projectiles. Her expression turned to anger. Someone with her level of power had not expected this amount of trouble from a novice level mage and an old mercenary.
Rhunal charged in front of him with her shield up. “Her barrier won’t hold for long! Follow me Hugh!”
His crossbow clicked and he set another bolt into position. She had a good idea. Crossbows lost a lot of power with distance. A point blank shot would break through. Particularly if she could follow it up again. Besides, she was already committed to the idea and would have no way to avoid the witch’s next blast. He ran forward, following close behind her.
“Brave of you to show yourselves.” The witch had not left the area near the door into the room. Her hands glowed with fire once more, and she stood her ground.
If Rhunal could manage to block one more hit this fight would be over. She held her small shield in front of herself. She held it as far forward as possible to keep the explosion as far from her as possible. But she was guaranteed to be burned badly. He admired her tenacity. He had underestimated the young orc.
As she drew to point blank range, the fire between the witch’s palms changed. The flame encircled both her arms and she shot up off the ground, blasting the floor with her fire. It was too fast for him to react in time.
She loomed above him, near the tall ceiling, and the fireball came rushing towards him with a deafening roar. It passed over Rhunal’s head and exploded against his chest. He flew through the air, dropping the crossbow. He slammed hard into the central pillar, his helmet clanging against the unyielding rock. He felt several ribs crack as well.
He slumped against the rock, but retained his consciousness. The shockwave from the fireball had been so violent that his burning clothes were extinguished. He did not look at the burn across his chest. Each breath was agony.
He heard Rhunal call his name as he lay there. Rhun, bless her, was trying to bring the fight to the witch yet! She was letting off firebolts at a feverish pace while trying to advance. No mage could exert herself that much without wearing out quickly.
“I’m tired of playing with you little orc.” He heard the witch say.
The witch countered her onslaught with a square barrier created from one hand and launched her own firebolts in response. Rhunal continued to advance while outright evading what the witch was throwing at her. Hugh couldn’t see the sweat pouring off her brow from the exertion, but he knew it would be there. She tried to close to melee distance, but the witch was aware of this and continued to back up, launching firebolts. This fight would only end one way.
And then he saw the crossbow, still loaded, lying halfway between him and her. He tried to say something, but only coughed blood. His consciousness was fading fast. He mustered everything he had for one last command.
“RHUNAL! Pick up my crossbow!” He bellowed, spitting blood.
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