[IRP] Return to the Dread Isle

[Andy]

Renault cast another pillar of Aura at the last of the morphs that had been weathering time. It disintegrated to dust, ragged clothes and rotten, rusted weapons falling to the floor. He took a moment to take stock. Six morphs were left. They were all powerful magic users. Two each of them practiced light, natural, and elder magics, and several of them wielded staves of their own. He continue to his own party. The prince and the knight were fighting each other, the manakete and the rogue were down. The towering bishop visited upon the burned and writhing Raye a soothing healing, her seared flesh healing as if she had never touched the flames.

Renata was a more serious matter, but nothing he had not seen before. With patient hands, the bishop levelled his staff, instructing Renata to remove the arrow. As soon as she did, he activated his staff and gave thanks to Elimine that the arrow was not barbed. The wound healed quickly and well, leaving smooth, unblemished skin.

"And now to attend to this foolishness," Renault said, neither with annoyance nor accusation.

---

Tiras was much better prepared for Lennox this time. The hulking brute was devilishly fast... but so was Tiras. He could see the way that Lennox's anger unbalanced him, and if he didn't need Lennox, would easily have taken his head in countering him. The 'knight' shoulder-checked him, cold steel ramming into flesh and bone. Tiras then shoved his foot into Lennox's gut to knock him back. He swung his sword to force the taller man further back.

Persephone's presence around him and on his blade was a comfort as he caught his breath for a quick moment.

Then he charged at Lennox, his shadow-wreathed blade striking at Lennox's flaming sword. The powers that covered them hissed and sputtered when they made contact, each trying to snuff out the other.

Then, he made a mistake. The edge of his sword collided with the edge of Dyrnwyn. They notched, or, rather, Dyrnwyn notched into the sword of Sir Adrian. Just enough to keep the swords stuck together.

He had been trained for this, however. Forcefully, as Lennox pushed straight at him, Tiras pivoted, turning the sword flat, freeing it from Dyrnwyn and clocking Lennox with a steel fist to his temple.

Of course, that didn't put Lennox down, though it did stun him for a bit. Just long enough for Bishop Renault to run over and use a red-gemmed Restore staff to put the ex-nobleman's mind to rights and a Mend staff to heal him up.

Tiras relaxed, unaware of just how far Lennox had pushed him. Slowly sinking to one knee, the squire raised his visor, trying to get more oxygen into his burning lungs.