Shadow Ice

Varan yelped as some sort of demon magic slinked up her arm, but she held fast to HER new staff, forming an icy gauntlet around it and her hand. The ice melded with inky black shadows as if it were possible to freeze black smoke itself! There was something off, something dark she hadn’t felt before as the stave molded to her. Small shards from the staff dug into her hand and wrist, burrowing beneath the ice and skin, causing a new sensation, a frosty feeling that chilled her bones and tingled. Generally immune to anything cold, it wasn’t at all unpleasant, if anything, it was bracing, it was powerful, it was a if the staff and she were one, she would be loathe to give it up.

“Blood and Ashes!“ The half-elf swore at the two aggressors before her. They attacked first, but if they were looking for a fight? They need not look further. She held the staff possessively. “Finders. Keepers. You want to play?” She drew long claws of ice with her free hand, ice that was now black and murky, unlike she’d seen before, razor-sharp extensions of her fingers. “Then let’s play.” She hissed, willing the demon or Demoness to attack again. She swung the staff in a half-circle. It had been lying on the ground, unclaimed, she claimed it. Now this fiend and her incubus wanted to take what was rightfully hers? Let them try. Varan would see it destroyed first.

The repugnant giant and the foul hellspawn elves would have been enough to occupy her, but she found herself betrayed by the one she freed from the ice. Crossed swords drawn, he demanded safe passage! At least the warrior who’d been by the slain woman seemed to have his wits about him. After all, Varan was only trying to avenge the woman’s death.

”Balar I know you hate me but we need to get control of that staff then you can kill me.” the fiendish elf cried. Chicanery! Why would anyone give someone a magic staff prior to killing them? The magic staff could prevent you from getting killed at all! She hoped the human with the sword wouldn’t fall prey to whatever trickery the dark elf had up her sleeve.

“I swear by the --” Varan stopped mid-sentence, feeling the rumbling in the snow and ice, her eyes going wide as they searched the sky. “Ashes,” she cussed, her pulse quickening as she heard the horns blare in the distance. She held tighter to the staff, dread washing over her. “They’re coming.”