A Dangerous Weapon

"HEY LADY, I HAVE YOUR DAGGER!! CATCH!!!"

Tiella looked up from the slaughter to see a silver glimmer arching through the air before her. She snatched it deftly in her right hand and stabbed it into a nearby bandit feeling the flow of power draw into her body as the womans life force was drained away. She watched the dwarf that had thrown her the weapon turn and disappear into the temple and she increased the pull of energy from her victim. The bandit screamed and burst into flame before falling to the floor a smoking husk.

Tiella gave allowed herself to smile. She had not drained anyone dry like that in decades and it felt good, she felt alive. She looked around her as he battle raged between the trolls and the bandits. Borrs had charged into the centre of the fray and was was battling the leader Sigrid with wild abandon. The woman was hard pressed.

Tiella marched forward towards where her husband was being held. She looked over to Luna who was free of constraint and able to cast her magic. Shadows whirled around the elf and bandits screamed as Luna enveloped them in nightmare darkness. Tiella looked down at her free hand and allowed the blood magic to flow out, its white light playing over her fingers. A bandit stepped in front of her and she released a jet of light into the womans chest punching a hole the size of her fist while at the same time plunging the dagger into the back of a nearby troll. The life energy from the troll was different somehow, warped in some way. As the creature dropped to the ground the energy surrounding Tiella hand took on a sickly green tint and began to spit and spark.

Sigrid flew across her field of vision and came crashing into one of the supports that held up with smithy roof. As the ceiling collapsed on the bandit leader Borrs tore in towards her claws outstretched. Tiella calmly walked on dispatching any obstacle that got in her way with cold efficiency, be they bandit or troll. A small warning played in the back of her mind. Blood magic came at a price, as the power grew the mind became calm until at last it was void of all thought and emotion, a clear conduit for power, she had trained for years to master it but it had been a long time. She took a deep breath and tried to steady herself.

An arrow pierced her shoulder and she barley felt it. She plucked the barb free releasing a spout of blood and then allowed the magic of the dagger to well up within the wound. There was a small flash of light and she was whole again. The arrow she infused with power and sent it launching back towards its owner. The bandit fell without a sound as it pierced her eye socket with white hot accuracy.

Almost at the temple now Tiella faced off against another bandit. The woman held a broadsword which she launched towards her head, she ducked out of the way and closed the gap between them, slicing at the bandit with the dagger. The weapon scored against chain mail and the bandit kicked out knocking her to the ground. Tiella looked up as the sword came down again but before it could strike a troll came flying in from the side taking the bandit down and tearing into her raised arm and unprotected face. The dagger did not make her invulnerable, she must remember that. It was a trick of the power.

She scrambled to her feet to come face to face with Luna. The elf looked concerned as she reached out to help her up. Tiella fought down the call of the blood magic as it urged her to drain more power.

"That is a dangerous weapon you carry." Luna said quietly. She had cast a shield around them that for the moment was keeping the battle at bay, it glimmered around them like shimmering moonlight and the staff in the elfs hand was glowing.

"Let's get inside and save my husband." Tiella replied. He hand shaking as it grasped the daggers hilt. The life force of an elf would open up new levels of power to her, the likes of which... the image of her fathers face came to mind and then her brother and she growled as she pushed them away.

"Tiella? Are you well?" Luna asked.

"I am fine, let's go."