Elria: The New World

11 - Fianna

Before the birds burst through the glass, Fianna was loading her plate up with delectable food, nearly stupefied by the sheer variety. It's been a year of living like this, yet she still was not completely used to living like this, but she would still gladly take advantage for now.

As she prepared her plate and collected a goblet of spiced wine, she studied her new crewmates: Lǐzhì, the duchess, was very quiet, hardly saying a word so far, yet her leg bounced at an alarming rate, her eyes darted rapidly around the room, desperately trying not to make eye contact and she'd chewed a rather strong dent into her cutlery. She was a fragile looking thing, about 5'2 and clearly not used to physical work, evident by her unchipped painted nails and smooth hands.

Ari, the pirate, was quite the opposite, loud, charming, and covered in battle scars and callouses, standing at a statuesque 6'2. Everything about them drew attention, very deliberately, from their beaded dreads to the litany of tattoos across her arms. Despite all the attention they gathered, they were practically attached by the hip to a priestess in midnight blue, a red string tied the two together by the wrists.

Kaeden was hidden away, surrounded by his Erisian cohorts, clearly uncomfortable and hiding it poorly, pouring the drinks constantly pressed into his hands into the potted plant he was conspicuously stationed next to. Very occasionally, his gaze drifted to Flynn, who was currently chatting up a servant.

He was unfortunately not the only person watching Flynn so intently, the firstmate was practically glaring at him, eyes boring into the back of his head with pure jealous contempt. It seems, as predicted, their dalliance had ended sourly.

Fianna sighed. Not this again.

Her people watching and worry was interrupted by glass crashing downward. Lǐzhì, quiet as she was, quickly sprang into action, shielding the room so everyone but the five could evacuate. Fianna's eyes darted around the room. Weapons were banned within the temple complex, so she was unarmed, but thankfully the guards had weapons of their own. She dropped her plate and sprinted toward the panicked guard, snatching his bow out of his hands. It was a heavy, gilded gaudy thing, wildly impractical, oversized even for the guard. She snatched it from his trembling hands. It was weighed down by gold, but it would have to do. He relinquished his quiver of arrows and brandished an equally gaudy sword, even as he quivered in his boots.

Fianna shook her head. "Just go."

He left with no protest, at least shielding the other evacuees. Fianna rushed to join the others as Lǐzhì's shield began to crack. They formulated their plan and quickly sprang into action.

Fianna watched Kaeden climb after Ari, riding the moonlight towards the gaping maw of glass from which the cacophony of scaled birds burst forth. Fianna notched her arrow and raised her bow towards the breach.

One of the beasts escaped its flock and dived down, talons descended to rake across Kaeden's back. Fianna loosed her arrow and its aim was true, pinning the foul bird to the mosaic. That creature's death appeared to serve as a queue for the others to descend.

Three more joined the first bird, pinned by the eye sockets against the wall.

Even more were taken care of by Lǐzhì, frozen in blocks of ice before falling to the ground and shattering.

Behind her, Fianna could hear the familiar sound of hurried strings quickly forming into a melody, seizing the attention of a dozen or so birds. Flynn's music held them as they lazily circled around him.

They too soon joined the dead.

Still, yet more joined the flock through the breach, diving down to snatch at Fianna and Lǐzhì or attempting to throw Kaeden and Ari of.

Fianna notched another arrow and released.

And another.

And another.

And yet another until-

Most of the birds that came for her were easily dodged and put down, but as she sank an arrow into the throat of yet another bird, Fianna felt something rake across her back.

Ice cold talons, so sharp they cut without pain sliced through her flesh. Flynn's music faltered. The bird was quickly put down by Lǐzhì's ice.

Flynn rushed to her side, playing a discordant chord that temporarily repelled the birds then placed a warm hand over her wound. Lǐzhì covered them, picking of any birds that broke out of the trance as Fianna was healed.

"Are you- No you're not okay," Fianna slumped back, bracing herself against a pillar as tried to ready another bow. Flynn pried them out of her hands and made her sit down, leaning on his shoulder as he awkwardly played one-handed. "Kaden's near the top, just hold on a few seconds and they'll-"

A peel of thunder, a flash of lightning and a cacophony of haunting shrieks, the birds begin to rain down and the only noise in the hall is ragged breathing and the last fleeting notes of lute music.

Flynn let out a relieved sigh and slumped against the pillar, still supporting Fianna.

"Is she alright?" Lǐzhì called out as she approached. "I'll get a cleric too-"

"It's okay, they're healed up." Fianna turned. Her skin had knit back together, tender and pink but still healed. "I'm fine."

"He healed you?" Lǐzhì asked, her voice was high, clearly surprised but her face had an expression Fianna could only describe as wide-eyed boredom. "That's impressive." She pulled out a little red notebook from her belt, ignoring the smouldering carnage around her and jotted down some quick notes. Then she stepped back and approached the melting body of one of the monstrous birds. She continued taking more notes, muttering quietly to herself.

Fianna shook her head despite the exhausted smile that broke out on her face. She was quietly thankful Lǐzhì was uninterested in prying.

Ari and Kaeden joined the group as people began to cautiously stream back into the hall, each with at least one new scar. She and her brother couldn't heal them, at least not right now. It was far too soon.

Predictably, the event didn't last much longer, and the vast majority of had already guests left. A shame, though Fianna was glad for the mountains of food they left behind. Though an unfortunate amount of it was full of glass.

As the remaining guests began to mill about aimless and confused, Qiara hobbled to the raised stage in the centre of the dancehall and tapped her staff against the ground, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Attention all, it has come to our attention that, something or someone sabotaged the wards keeping Ile-Lori safe, leaving enough of a gap for minor monsters to enter. Please be assured that the wards have been fixed and the temple complex is on high alert. Guards will be stationed outside all your rooms, but feel free to come and go as you please." She announced. "Please approach one of the priests if you sustained any injury."

She continued. "Tomorrow we shall feast again, uninterrupted, in honour of the demi-gods who mitigated this attack."

She older woman hobbled of again, aided by two attendants and the few people still left in the halls milled out.

Out of the corner of hereye, she saw Ari and her priestess lock-eyes and hotfoot it out of the hall,still tied together by the red string of fate.