Baleful Wings (Dragon's Dogma Fanfiction)

Chapter 8: Resonance

Phineas stepped back, opening his palm. A small light formed, then spun into a blazing fireball. With the stroke of his hand, he slung it at Arya and her pawn
-phwooosh!-
They both dodged the ingle of flame as it exploded against the ground. Arya ran forward with her shield,
-crrack!- a bolt of lightning struck her suddenly.
"G-guh..!" Her legs gave out from the electrifying jolt and she fell down, her back smacking against the pavement.
Phineas chuckled menacingly, trotting in a small circle. "I am skilled in all forms of combat! Bow to my might, you peo--" A flaming line was scorched into the ground under Phineas and fires shot forth from it, engulfing the centaur in flames. "Guaaghh!!" He screamed as the fire nearly consumed his body.
"Don't boast about your amateur magic!" A slender man with raven-colored hair spoke as he stepped forward, "Allow me to show you true magic, foul beast!"
The man's hand glowed red-hot as fire burst from his palms. -fwoo, fwoo fwoo- The beast curled backwards as the fireballs exploded against his body. Phineas screamed, tumbling around in the dust before retreating into the distance.

"Time to finish you!" Elvira screamed, leaping at Ace. She swung, but her wrist was caught and she was flipped over his shoulder. "What the..?" She rolled back and dashed forward at him again. She swung, he dodged, she swung again, he blocked. She stepped back. "How--? The poison!" Ace crossed his arms into an X-shape. Dust from the ground swirled around him. He dashed forward, moving with fluidy, speed and accuracy. His movements were ahead of hers, she couldn't track his hands or feet. She stumbled back but more and more attacks landed against her. -shik, shik shik!- Cuts against her body, arms and legs. Ace took a final slash and she stepped back, causing the blade to only cut across her nose. "You... Bastard!!" Ace walked forward, she stepped back slowly. "Hero-types truly annoy me," she muttered. "That old bastard isn't paying me enough for this." She threw explosive pellets at the ground, stunning Ace, and disappeared. Upon opening his eyes, Ace collapsed, falling to his knee before fainting.

Ace jumped from his sleep in cold sweat. He got up, looking around the inn, "Hey, you." The innkeeper flinched as he responded, "Y-yes..?"
"What's your problem, huh?"
"N-nothing, ser, I--"
Ace grabbed him by his collar, "Afraid I'll kill you for setting us up!?" As he shook the man, he noticed Ceres and Arya sitting at a table.
"Calm down, pervert." Arya said, sipping from a cup. "We survived, 'tis all that matters."
Ace dropped the innkeeper. "Shouldn't you girls be at least a little hurt? How'd you beat the man-beast?"
"We didn't. We received assistance from a sorceror," Ceres inserted.
Arya hung her head, "And I had to use most of my free curatives."
Ace paused, "Lucky break. Did you get his name?"
"Tobias. He left two days ago," Arya said.
Ace pounded the table with his palms, "Two days!? How long have I been out?" Ceres handed him his daggers, "Four days. 'Tis best you prepare yourself afore we depart."
Ace grabbed the pack he usually carries on his waist, and donned his ebon neck wrap. Ceres stood outside the inn, staring at the peoples' awkward reactions. Her back was arched due the way she was standing, with her left hand holding her right elbow from behind her back. Her expression was lofty and one of her legs was slightly bent.
Ace glazed her short body, his eyebrows arched as he examined her shapely brown legs.
"You know, Ceres. That dark skirt you've got on looks amazing on you."
She turned to face him, "Yes, I agree. It was a slight struggle locating the matching shoes, but some female bandits have a shocking sense of style."
Ace leaned his hand against the stone exterior if the inn, somehow much closer to her than he was before. "I'm sure you look better in it than they did."
"I agree with that assumption also. Corpses do look rather strange in beautiful raiment."
His eyes widened suddenly, "...Th-that was kinda--"
Arya popped him in the head, "Pervert!"

The party continued from the Voldoan border town as the sun came up, and into the plains of Gransys. The forests weren't particularly thick, although the wildlife was plentiful. Ceres broke the silence, "Arisen.. I forgot to ask earlier, but how did you tumble the centaur?"
Arya chuckled, "He came at me with his entire weight. I used his momentum to trip him off his feet." Ace looked over, "That's good stuff. Where'd you learn it?"
Arya smiled, "Our fight with the saurians."
As they traversed the woods, Ceres wandered further ahead staring awkwardly at the surroundings, "I've learned of this area." Ace chuckled, Arya was estranged by her comment. Ceres stopped in front of a tree, sniffing it. "You aught tread carefuly, Arisen. That's goblin I smell." The Arisen walked slowly, remembering well the fear she bears of goblinkin, their slobbered smiles and menacing grumbles ringing in her heart. She clenched her shield and walked close to Ace.

"Arya, watch yourself!"
-chnk!-
She tumbled to the ground, and quickly hurried to her feet. She noticed a tripwire around her ankles, "Ace, what is this?"
He drew his daggers, "Trouble."
"Hobgoblins, Arisen!"
Hurried footsteps rustled toward them. "Rargh!!" A large goblin dashed from the thicket. Arya squealed, instinctively raising her shield. A loud thud coursed the woods as she threw the goblin off to the side. One by one, hobgoblins surrounded them. Ace cut down the first one, "Try to stay together. If we separate, they will pick us off piece at a time." The hobgoblins closed in, swinging giant iron swords. "I can do this..." Arya said to herself, two hobgoblins approaching her with grins on their faces. They came closer and closer. "I can..." Her body refused to move, her knees shook uncontrollably.
The hobgoblin's weapon was met with surface of Arya's Chimera-adorned shield.
"Nyaa-- ugh!" Without thinking, Arya stabbed the goblin from behind her defense. The creature stepped back, holding its chest. Arya stood firm, her shield raised and her eyes squared on the creature, "I can do this!" She stepped forward, grasping her blade.

-shk, shk shk- Arrows pierced the foreheads of the hobgoblins, one-by-one. The fight slowly ended around them as the creatures fell to the ground, one falling onto Ace.
He pushed the dead hobgoblin over, "Ceres, Arya, we've got cov-- Arya?" He looked over at Arya on top of a hobgoblin's corpse.
"I can do this!!" she screamed, as she violently punched its lifeless face. Ceres watched apathetically.
Ace ran to grab her, "Arya calm down!"
She opened her eyes, "Die, accursed bea-- Back off pervert, I got thi--..." She looked down at her dangling legs as Ace held her in the air. He set her down, "You alright?"
Arya smiled, "Ha. Got him good, eh?" Ace smacked his forehead, "Are you seri--?"
"You did great, Arisen," A deep rusty voice inserted. "Nice to make your acquaintance." A man stood next to Ace, equally tall with stubbled facial hair. He wieled what loooked like two large bows bound together. The weapon was massive, with a plain yet detailed design.

The group continued through the forest as usual, Arya walked with an exceptional spunk. She turned toward the stranger, "So, are you the pervert's older brother?"
He laughed quietly, "The pervert? 'Tis a fitting name, my lord." Ace looked away. "My name is Kairo. I'm a pawn in service to ser Ace."
Arya stopped walking, "For true? You harbor an amazing amount of personality!"
Kairo smiled, "Do I? My thanks." They walked for a few more hours before stopping.
"This is a good area to set up camp," Ace said, looking around.
"Why?" Arya asked, confused. Ace pulled a tarp from his bag, "Look at the large population of deer. The only way it could get this dense would be if there were no predators." The night crept up on the party as they set up the small perimeter. Arya crawled into her tent before the others.

Ace awoke in the middle of the night, "Man, it's cold." He looked over at Kairo as he slept, poking his forehead, "Criminy, you sleep like a dead body." He stepped outside, noticing Ceres as she sat down, holding her knees. "Get some rest. Sitting out here isn't doing you any good," he said.
"I'm watching out for attackers." She responded quietly. Ace sat down, noticing her blue-grey eyes as tears rolled from them. She blinked, causing even more tears to fall, "What is this feeling? It feels like an arrow has pierced my breast. Its been this way since milady remarked Kairo." Ace looked toward the stars, shining brightly on the fields. "It's sadness, Ceres. Arya can be pretty direct, so don't beat yourself up."
"Is there a cure?" She asked, looking at him with misty eyes. Her body was shielded from the breeze of night as Ace's arms came around her. "There is no cure, only treatment." He squeezed tightly before letting go. "Now, get some rest."