Smoke Screen

Malacost whirled around kicking the man he was fighting towards the burning building.

He turned in time to see the wounded man, Gonyaul, bloody and battered reach out and grab the witch. His eyes were drawn to the strange tattoos covering his torso. He had never seen the like.

Time seemed to slow down as the magik the woman was weaving spluttered and fizzed out in less than an heartbeat. Everyone around appeared to stop and turn to witness the strange scene unfolding in front of them.

Her reaction was one of pure fear and panic. Has if a part of herself had been wretched and stomped on. Despite the shock of what he was seeing he could not let this opportunity slip. He looked in disgust as the Arbiter crawl towards her companion instead of using the chance to kill the woman. This was the time to strike. He turned and moved towards Shalia Nix, murder in his eyes.

~~~

Alexis stood looking at the unfolding scene perplexed. Even Amalu had turned to watch the absurdity of what they had witnessed. The feeling of power created by the woman and her magik. had suddenly dissipated from the night air in the blink of an eye. Gone was the sense of reality warping that usually came when a weaver wielded their power. Gone was the alien Inkling that one felt crawling around their skin when in presence of The Few.

Before she could react, she heard Amalu swear in Ozainae rushing to protect the fallen witch. He lifted his left hand and the strange rune covered red stone flew from his palm striking at the robed figured that was moving to strike at the panic stricken woman.

If ever was an opportunity to escape and help her friends this was it. She gripped her sword pushing thoughts of the Hammer from her mind for now.

~~~

Silina looked around at the shadowy figures darting around the site of the battle. She could see a strange scene unfolding up ahead between two women and a tattooed man. She had very little time to take on what was really happening. She needed to find a way for them to escape. Next to her Tarmen was on his last legs. She lifted her hands, bowing her head, whispering a prayer to the Twins. Having seen the consequences of the tattooed man touch on the cryo-witch, she prayed that whoever he was he had no influence on her.

She took a deep breath calling reaching out to command the winds and dust nearby. A slow breeze around her ankles quickly grew in a wider and wider spiral. Silina dug deep into herself, using the experience from the Trails to fuel her anger. The whirlwind around her started to draw the smoke from the burning buildings and stoking the flames ever furyer. Looking inward she knew that some are born to shelter, or to shelter others, but she was born to tame what others never could.

The wind suddenly picked up speed as her eyes flashed green, blew and ran through the pier as if it had been restrained for a long time, determined to outrun any chaser.

The sound of it was like a strange song, one of pain, as if howling yearned for melody, as the few wooden structures around groaned under the growing speed of the tornado she was commanding into existence.

The smoke, sand and dust made visibility almost impossible. One or two dark robes that tried to reach out to her were thrown into the air like rag dolls, flailing and screaming as their bodies crashed against structures.

Silina screamed into the air, with the rage of the Twins, directing her powers to those she knew were her enemies.

When she was spent she dropped to the floor at Tarmen's feet, exhausted.