'im going to get you!' the little witch shouted out in a rage as she launched more bolts towards dunnel, but his shaking off the manticore casued the lioness to be thrown at the witch. Leaving them both in a pile in the street.
The slumgirl vampire whimpered as they ran along. 'But this is how monsters have alwasy been.. attacking us like this... it is so horrible.' she then stopped moping and her entire demeanour change. 'Wait a minute! you turned me into a monster! i will never forgive you for this! but if you want any forgiveness then you have a lot of making up to do! And for starters, when we stop you can massage my feet! they are hurting!'
The ominous feeling was still growing stronger, but it appeared to have changed direction. In the field ahead but off to the side of the group was a figure cloaked in black. it was clearly a woman from the form of the robe she was wearing. But no recognisable features could be seen about her. The jewel on the end of the staff she held glowed with a omnious black as she appeared to be waiting.
Ana slowed down first along with alec, the woman was facing towards the town, not seeming to have noticed the group.
'I.. i can't tell who she is... but she deffinatly has the night mothers gift.' Ana started walking again, but moving away from the womans general direction and down.
'why don't we go over to her? she could be one of the paladins.' mentioned alec.
Ana shook her head. 'I don't know, i have known the names of every full paladin since i was little. and i don't recognise her silouette or mana.'
Percival groaned, running after Ana while shooting back an ice-bolt at the minotaur. "Just follow Ana, It's not like I'll feel safer the more monster hating fire-mages in the group, you know?"
Behind them the shot passed my the minotaur impacting and freezing over the building behind her while she charged after them, the ground nearly shaking from how she stomped after them. Between the minotaur and the group Dunnel ran much the same as the minotaur holding his towershield behind him to defend his back. "Wait, go to her, any help is better than nothing!"
Ana screamed out in annoyance then ran towards the robed woman. 'Fine! but if something bad happens i am stringing you all up by your junk!'
Alec followed after her. 'I have a bad feeling about this...' but so far along his foot caught on something in the grass and he disappeared into it.
The robed figure was still watching the town. When ana was within twenty metres the robed woman looked to the side and ana froze.
'i... but... i... how? what is going on?' Ana stood staring at the robed woman. All that could be seen by the people in the distance was a few golden ringlets hanging from within the womans hood. 'Who are you?! and why do you look like that?!' Ana started to sound panicked, almost upset.
Alec finally appeared above the grass again, but he was a good twenty metres from Ana.
Percival yelped, holding the slums vampire as they ran to Alec. "You idiot, I said follow Ana away from the mage, not to run right up to her!"
The bulk man behind them stopped at fourty meters, turning to take a shoulder bash from the Minotaur against his shield as the two began to clash their axes together. "Make the mage help us, Ana! Quickly!"
The female vampire looked back as she was dragged along, looking lost to where the strong presence was coming from. "It's not coming for us I think.."
Alec quickly ran up to the still frozen Ana and pulled on her arm. 'come on Ana! we need to hurry! if she is doing nothing already then shes no help to us!' he tugged on her arm and managed to get her moving away from the town again. 'Damn it dunnel! i don't think she is going to be any help!' he then raised a hand and threw a black fireball at the minotaur again to distract her.
'just shut up percy! i don't know what is wrong but she won't tell me! just hurry!'
Ana didnt say anything, her hood was obscuring her face again. but she allowed alec to pull her along to wherever they were going.
The robed woman remained in place, just watching the pair move away. Although they could not see it, she had a small smile as she watched them go. but after a few moments she turned and started walking towards the city without seeming to care for what was going on around her.
The hulking mercenary stepped back and to the side holding up his shield, deflecting the blow of the minotaur's axe. Alec's fireball hit the monster in the shoulder, snapping her out of her fight with Dunnel long enough for him to get a hit in. When he forced his own into her side the minotaur grabbed it and kicked her equally sized advisory backwards. He groaned. "Damnit, I only had that weapon for but a minute you damn monster!"
While the minotaur collapsed on one knee Percival dragged Clair along with him after Alec. "Okay, okay! Just take her with us, she can explain to us later!"
Alec continued to run, he launched another final fireball at the minotaur and continued moving away. The city was growing smaller in the distance along with the town now. all that remained in front of them was open countryside along with a few farms.
Alec panted and stopped after a while. 'i... need a break... are you okay ana?'
she just panted whitout looking away from the floor. although on ocassion it looked as though small droplets were hitting the grass beneath her.
Behind Alec he could hear heavy feet as his prisoner-friend stopped behind him with a face not unlike that of a severely uncomfortable or happy man. Gone where his axe and even his shield, instead he had a struggling, frowning male and pouting female vampire under each arm. "If you had me on your payroll I'd make you triple it right now.."
Alec laughed, but there was no substance to it. 'yeah, i would pay you all you wanted if we were not running for our lives to begin with.'
Ana was still quiet and hiding her face inside her hood. 'she seemed to be muttering to herself.'
Alec held her by the shoulders and she jumped, she turned and looked at him, her eyes scanning his face, her skin deathly pale. 'we need to go ana, which way is the stronghold.' She continued looking at him as though she was looking at something horrific. but she blinked a few times and more life returned to her face.
'oh.. i... it is that way alec... i'm.. sorry.' she started walking in the direciton she pointed with alec still holding her.
Alec looked back. 'we should hurry... i have never seen her like this before...'
Behind them they could faintly hear the cries of monsters and other people that had been caught by them. And on the ridge of the village outside the city walls, a black sillouette holding a staff could be seen peering down at the group.
The struggling stopped when Percival noticed the mage back near the city, looking over he wondered what on earth she would try to find back at the nuked city. "I can't see the Minotaur behind us anymore, You think that woman baited those monsters away from us after we ran? What's she going back to the city for anyway? Isn't that place not much more than molten rock now?"
The overly muscled fighter for hire crooned his neck down at Ana. "What is wrong? Did you know that mage?"
In his arm the female vampire pouted as she was help with her tushy sky-high. "C-can you let me down now Please? This is extremely degrading to a lady like myself."