[IRP] As Firm as a Mountain

[WyvernSlayer]

“Nice! Eugh.. *cough cough!*” Satsume sputtered through the smoke that had now enveloped the room, a direct result of Ray’s spell – and their subsequently crispy opponent. The second assassin had been staggered by the blinding bolt, which gave Satsume an opportunity to come tearing out from around the corner and sink his spearhead into the man’s side.

“Errrrrgh!” the man crumpled over, dropping his weapon and clutching at the wound. Satsume hastily kicked aside the man’s sword, removing him as a threat. He wiped some sweat from his brow. So far so good… I hope Cecily isn’t-

“Kyaaaah!”

His thought was interrupted by scream coming from the room. Cecily! Satsume whirled around and reached over his shoulder, plucking a javelin from its quiver. The smoke had already started to clear, and Satsume could pick out a not-Ray-shaped figure advancing on his bed. Picking up the glint of a blade in the figure’s hand as it raised its arms over Cecily was all the excuse Satsume needed to plant his back foot and step into his throw.

Thankfully, it was a short throw – maybe eight or ten meters – and Satsume never missed freebies. The tip of the projectile slipped neatly to the left of the attacker’s spine, erupting from his chest like a grotesque party favor. A spray of gore painted little red dots all over the bed (and unfortunately on Cecily, as well.) Satsume hurriedly made his way back into the room. Cecily was cowered on the far side of the bed, and her attacker lay slumped in front of her. He reached for the body.

“Are you alright?” he asked her, shoving the body aside and plucking the javelin from its back. “Sorry about the-”

*fwip!*

“FUCK!” Satsume yelped in pain, dropping the spear and recoiling away from the window. The sniper from outside, which he had foolishly forgotten about, had sent a bolt toward Satsume’s head. And he would have gotten him, too – save for the fact that Satsume had inadvertently shielded his head with his arm as he reached over his shoulder to put his spear back. Instead of dropping him like a stone, the crossbow bolt impacted on his bracer, punching through the thin strip of armor and lodging itself in Satsume’s left hand. He waved away Ray’s approach.

“I’m fine, I’m fine! Deal with the sniper!” Satsume grimaced again, and made a clumsy attempt to pull the bolt out of his hand. “Hrrrrrraaagh!”

No dice. His armor held it firmly in place. He’d need to take off his bracer to have any chance of guiding it out of his hand. Satsume propped himself against the foot of the bed and looked at Cecily. She still looked shaken at having survived the attack on her moments earlier. Satsume couldn’t help grinning at her. “Aha! Ahahahahaha!” he chuckled. “It’s like even when I win… I lose!”