My New Life in TBATE

Dazed and Confused

"Stay focused, and channel mana to your ears!" Mikail commanded. The hypnotic tiks and the annoying white noise had been eating at the morale of the party since we started fighting. Movements felt slower, as if living through mud. What deadly snake to even effect me, a silver core mage, even if only slightly.

This was bad because this was the area that the Bridesbane had been spotted and we were having to deal with the effects of a Hazy Cobra, while fighting off Death Rattlers, Fire Fangs and Rocky Lizards. This one of the times where my sound magic would have come in handy as I could have just created soundless vacuum, which can be disorienting in its own right, not even mentioning not being able to call out things.

However it would be a step above the situation we're in now, everyone here is a competent fighter but the Hazy Cobra is causing attacks to be slightly off mark. The tiks seem to come at the perfect time to throw off your rhythm and the white noise aggravates the ears and fluid inside making it easy to trip and stumble. The fog seems to shield the monsters, as if it's a guardian angel.

I focus my eyes around the room as I slash through another Rocky Lizard, my 10 in as many minutes that we've been here, trying to find the source. The location of the Hazy Cobra. That's when I hear a cry from behind and i immediately whip around forming a fire arrow in my hand. I see Clara was tripped by raised bit of earth, and beside her I see 2 snakes about to pounce. One the all black Bridesbane with the blood red tip to its tail, the other being a snake that wasn't known to be here. The Lightning Adder.

As the name implies it's a snake of the lightning attribute, and has the speed to go with it. Scolding myself internally for only forming one arrow, i parry a blow from another Death Rattler as I release the fire arrow at the Lightning Adder. Hoping with all my might that the Bridesbane was really as slow as they say. The Death Rattler lunges at me and I side step while relieving it of its head while forming another fire arrow, fueling it with a bit more mana to increase the speed.

"Bridesbane by Clara!" I yelled as I threw my blue fire arrows, they both struck true, killing the Lightning Adder as its fast nature leaves its defense and vitality wanting. However the Bridesbane only writhed on the ground before starting to slither away, I hadn't realized it would be able to survive my arrow.

"Water Scythes!" Came the cry of Krenshaw, and blades of water shot off at the Bridesbane cutting it into pieces. He turns to me and gave me a cocky smile but I just gave a thankful nod and returned back to fighting my immediate enemies. Seems Krenshaw is not some crackpot conjurer, that was a truly lethal attack.

Focusing back in front of me there were 2 Fire Fangs and a Rocky Lizard charging me. Holding my sword in both hands, channeled my fire mana back in sending flame slash at the 3 beasts. It glanced off the lizard but left a glowing red trail down its back. I did find purchase with one of the Fire Fangs though as it's head went flying a trail of flames forming from the flammable venom.

That reminded me we couldn't let flames burn too much in here. However I had a trick, I could control what my fire burns up once it's not fueled by mana anymore. Since the fire was started by my blue flames I snuffed them out by switching the burn source from the venom to some traces of minerals on the ground. Well that's not exactly accurate I just changed it from burning oxygen to a different element, but I guess to protect the snake the venom couldn't be set alight without oxygen.

This was how I had been able to use my flames freely without worrying about the oxygen. Another scream this time one of agony had me finishing my fight quickly. I saw Adam cutting the head off a Fire Fang that had found its way into the back of his calf. His veins flared red from the caustic fire like venom as he dropped to one knee, admirably holding off his other opponents.