The Waning Trail Followed(Casmir/zavijah)

[luscen]

Casmir could see properly, now; the potion was similar to the Eye of Ahura's power, but it wasn't the same. In the mist of the surrounding forest, he could make out the tell-tale signs of ancient magic, old and powerful. The spiritual pressure here could only belong to one thing, then, given the aura.

"Leszy," the Hunter mused, speaking in Polish. "What are they doing here?" The Leshy were old, powerful forest spirits whom were natural predators that often devoured anything that entered their territory, usually employing their potent shapeshifting magicks to lure prospective prey in. They weren't fearless, however, and would often avoid places that had more dangerous predators than they were- one might call it having a healthy respect for the food chain. 

'Maybe they can tell Marchelute's gone. Or maybe they were drawn to something else...' Casmir didn't have anything specific to deal with the Leshy, at the moment. And there were far more than a few, besides- fight or flight, both were bad options, in this scenario.  

[okami1reeka333]

zavijah:


If there was ambient ancient magic within the air, she was not able to see such. It could very well mirror the primordial form of aura swirling around before it condenses and becomes 'aware'. The ancient magic swirling with the primordial life energy in a diverse energy sphere was not something she could physically see nor could speak apon. She can't see when such energies combine during the formation of a soul when such occured. . .


Alas, she grimaced. Leshy? She took another look before her eyes caught onto one of them, and frowned. . .

"What are they doing here?" The hunter asked. Perhaps to non in particular, but one she felt she must add in what she sees.


" if tis the same as I hath fought before as this one appears to be- their aura is ensnared by a foreign energy within their necrotic bodies. . .guards or perhaps hunting dogs forced to remain by the whim of another. " she quietly stated. Though Bruce was present last time- with his aid; they were able to free that Leshy. A fate she is neither envious of, nor greatful for. One she was glad they could free that young soul of.



"The last one I hath fought had no magic- or perhaps was defeated in the belief it had no use for it within that battle. . . As twisted and mangled these auras are- I cannot see if they have magic or not. . . They are either older. . . Or their master hath altered them further. . . I know not what they can do with such. " she warned. Though it felt rather redundant in this situation to tell him to 'keep his guard up'.



"Do you have a means to shatter what sorcery ensnares them?" She asked.

[luscen]

"Not much," Casmir replied, keeping "Brownie" close- the tree spirits lurking in the gloom were no gentle, lumbering ents, but stalkers that despised and slew interlopers with rapacious abandon. "Leshy are resistant to iron and steel, making them troublesome for Hunters to deal with. Bullets won't do much to them, either, given their dense wooden bodies. No vital points to hit. Fire would be best, but I didn't exactly bring my flamethrower along..."

The blonde took a moment to considered Zavijah's words; she'd mentioned the creatures' auras being "ensnared." Necrosis, he wasn't sure about, but wood could rot and be corrupted much the same as human flesh could be. Perhaps they were blighted versions? It was certainly possible- upon looking at the creatures again, Casmir could indeed see a haze of dark energy around them, hovering like a shroud around their heads and limbs, and their wooden bodies seemed blackened and rotten, tainted by some entropic touch.

"I might have something that could do the trick," he muttered, taking stock of his options. "But we'll need them closer together, or to pinpoint a proper escape route where the resistance is the weakest."

 

[okami1reeka333]

Among the decrepted and rotting wood and thicket that made up these bodies, bones of dead woodland creatures were intertwined with the decaying roots. like bodies that were trapped and used as food for the new plant life. Even the fungus on the wood looked slimy and decrypted. . . as if something was causing it to deteriorate and fall apart a well.


zavijah:


She pondered in thought. . . .Iron and Steel hold little effect yet they need fire. . . . a rather dark side of her wandered if they could use her blood and weaponize it against them. . .either if his weaponry was strong enough; shoot through her to melt the shaftless arrows and hit the Leshies with the molten metal and slag. . or to spew her hyper heated blood at them. . .the temperature difference rendering water within the thicket similar to an explosion. . . reguardless if tis the water within the tainted bodies or near by plant matter. . .



Though 'strike me' or 'make me bleed' may not make sense. . if not prove a distraction for the hunter. . . Then there was the whole revealing what she was to him . . This could place him in danger . . . Besides, what if he asks if she can 'control' her fire? . . .this was something she did not wish to bother with at the moment.


"I could create an opening. . if need be. " she offered, after he had finish speaking. "unless thou wishes they gather closer. . ." she continued. . Can it be done? Yes. . .was it easy? Not with company. There was the added fact it was not certain why they were present. . . Perhaps to claim the 'unclaimed territory'? . . .perhaps they were after one of the three? If there was purpose, she felt it was necessary to figure out- for it will be telling of whom they target. . .how they attack. "Though if Iron or Steel are of little use against them, what of gold or silver? . . .or perhaps a different metal? Perhaps one that can be used as a catalyst to enhance what you may have in mind? " she offered. Though something urges her they may not have enough time. . if there was a metal he had in mind, she had an unfathomable number of weapons she had picked up over the years if not made. . . surely she could spare a few to stab into the Leshy. . act as an conductor to obtain an easy access to their cores. . .


The Leshy seemed to step forth. . . one of which was preparing to attack. . . perhaps to serve as fodder and break down the defense that was up- so the others could have at the three disgusting heartbeats.



All the while, Brownie was finally coming to. . . He had passed out from the pain, sore apon waking up, he was elated to see he was in the arms of the really nice adult he likes, his friend! Then almost in a wordless hah that was going to be hi to the hunter; saw there was more scary things looming not too far, glaring down at the group. . . He shrunk into the hunter's arm and tried to be as small as he could be. . Hes happy his first friend in life was still alive and here, but horrified to see they are still here. . God he wishes he was bigger. . .then he could help his friend and protect him. . . . he was terrified and wanted them to get out of here.

[luscen]

"If you have something that might pin them down, use it," Casmir instructed. The Leshy didn't seem interested in them, exactly, more so the path to the Bunker. Or perhaps it was the elfling's ritual giving Brownie its own life that they were against, though that seemed unlikely. A necromancer - if indeed that was the force behind these things - was always seeking two things: bodies to experiment on, and magical artefacts to bolster their power. And Marchelute's unprotected bunker had plenty of magic soaked into it.

The Hunter kept one arm protectively over Brownie's quivering form. This wasn't exactly the best thing to have to be confronted with, even in the best of times. And while he didn't like only using one arm, he didn't have many options, either. There were at least three of the things, and one was already trouble enough. 

Still, that didn't mean he didn't have options. As the tangled masses of bones, fungi and wood drew closer, Casmir ejected the dagger of ur'ah from its sheath, hidden beneath his coat sleeve. The blade burned bright in the wake of the creeping miasma of death hanging over the Leshy, and the Hunter raised the weapon towards them while deftly plucking a rune from his pouch with two fingers. 

"Kenaz!" he invoked the rune of the torch, a burst of blue flame exploding in a flash of light. By itself, it was fairly potent, but when paired with the dagger, it was exceptionally effective; the flame changed from blue to brilliant gold, the waveform gaining more weight and speed as it cut a swath through the creatures in front of it. Much as their wooden bodies would suggest, they caught aflame almost immediately, limbs flailing. Unlike with conventional fire, however, the golden conflagration didn't consume them, but rather strove to sear away the dark clouds hanging over their forms.

"Now might be a good time to run, if their curse is too strong." Casmir suggested, taking a step back to avoid getting slammed into the ground by a stray limb.

[okami1reeka333]

zavijah:


She Glanced between Hunter Casmir and the leshy inbound . . nodding. . no metal to speak of but there is need to pin them down? . . She focused her aura into the wooden handle of Giellan, shifting through its collection of teeth, finding some tusks she could used as stakes. . .she might not have enough. . Nor are they all lined up. . . They are learning it seems.


From what she could see; three Leshy came out of the woodwork. . . Like Clockwork, as soon as she let up the barrier of teeth, tusk and horn to strike, they charged. Giellan's Teeth lined up and pulled from the ground to form almost an uneven and thick many rows of its teeth. The teeth then came ripping through like teeth of a chainsaw, or a wall of arrows. Giellan biting down on two of the three as she rose the blade up and swung down in front of her- stabbing the ground before her with the wooden base at an angle. . . .


One of the leshys she was able to pin down properly. . the second one was halted for the moment, but may rip itself loose if it were to forsake its leg and foot. . Already. . wood cracked and whined as the second one tried to rip itself free. . the first one pinned, also attempted to free itself . . .the swordsman knows should she try to release Giellan to strike again with it? it would free both. . .Neither were dead from this strike seeing it was magic keeping these forsaken leshy alive and in servitude.


Second one may free itself relatively soon- best let it dismember itself beforehand rather than freeing both. Pinned for now, though had she tried to strike them down- with Hunter Casmir behind her, she would of struck the two leshys as well as Casmir and Brownie. This was because Giellan's teeth would need room to rotate around her to continue to cut.


She drew her Greatsword as Casmir charged forth, calling out an unfamiliar word as he unsheathed a blade of gold and delved it into the remaining leshy charging the three of them. A brilliant blue light turned golden glared as if reaching a flashpoint before catching this leshy ablaze with it. . This brilliant fire mirroring the morning sun where this leshy stood. She focused aura into her Greatsword, in preparation for retaliation.


It Screamed. She could hear its soul crying out as this fire seemed to burn away at the magical sinews ensnaring its soul onto the body. The smell of burning rotten flesh and wood roared forth with the bellowing blaze. . She could almost gaudge the soul's age in how long it hath been alive from the scream alone- and this made her sick to her stomach. . .The body sounded wooden, old, ragged and monstrous. . yet the soul's scream? her focus narrowed at the flailing body as it reacted to being stabbed then suddenly set ablaze. In the puppeted body's final attempts to strike Casmir down, it raised a thorned limb. Ravaged by bone, fungus and splinters of wood from its perverse formation.


She charged forth in an unnervingly quiet manner, ducking under Casmir's swordarm as he stepped back. Before she swung her blade out and up from away the hunter towards the limb swinging down. Insuring she doth not strike Casmir down as well as deflecting the leshy's strike.


"aweorpan!(cast!)" From Casmir's current point of view, the blade as dense as it was aura wise, would look like it had just shoved forth a large amount of energy at the contact point. She used this for 3 things: launching herself, stopping/slowing her fall. . .and parrying with much bigger opponents. Her way of 'cheating' and feigning higher capacity of strength- instead of this condensed energy releasing fast enough to launch her, that same energy was used to throw the leshy back and in an awkward twist away from Casmir and Brownie. This same blow pressed her into the ground abit- seeing she braced for the impact . . .fighting the throwback of her blade before lowering it at an much easier position to ready from in front of herself. "Hunter Casmir, I make no habit of abandoning allies in battle. I may not be one born of magic, but if I must, and can only act as a shield, so be it." she stated. "If you believe we must retreat, you run first."


Whether if falls backwards or merely stumbles back may not matter as thoroughly on fire as the leshy seems to be. It may be the fatal blow that frees it. . giving the other two- if merely a moment, a moment's pause at this fire he was capable of. . She was rather impressed by the show of power, if not slightly jealous of how effective it was. Though. . .Magic already seems like something too unruly to yearn for- perhaps best she was not born of magic. Though in that strike, she felt no lost material from the fire itself.


Wait. . . . Then the smell from earlier- was it from prior to the golden blade converting the fire- or perhaps the magic on the leshy converting small pieces of it into energy to continue? . . . .It was almost akin to her own aura fire. . except burning away corrupted life energy- she assumes it burned away at the magic taking hold of these leshys? Pulling from context clues, it may be like a paralytic taking hold of a body before it passes. The fight may not be easier- but these bodies will falter and fail on the leshys' captor.


"That fire sorcery you cast, would you be able to repeat this again for them as well?" she asked, focusing her aura into her blade whist keeping an eye on the leshy closest to them.