Ember Wind: Starlight City

Fall of the Niriilins

With the group regathered in the jungle, they began their march to where they'd be intercepted originally. It was somewhere in the thick of it. The jungle was at its densest portion and they all took a seat. Tangurple leaned back against a large tree. "They're always watching. It's a matter of waiting them out."

"Are you so certain?"

"I have an acquaintance in the crowd."

"Does this acquaintance hate your guts?"

"Uhhhh..." there was a long pause following that left Falcher speechless. "Not the best option but it's something I can utilize.

Dropping from on high, Niolaone flattened Tangurple to the jungle floor with her dagger at his neck. The female wood elf looked up at the others with a toothy and angry glare. "The Elders said you'd be back and you've partnered up with the attackers?!"

"Oi!" Tangurple croaked. "Watch where your stabbing, woman! I ain't no pincushion!"

Niolaone however didn't release him, she pressed the dagger's dangerously sharp edge against his neck. "Those in the green, they attacked our Elder and you, our hired sword decided to betray us for them?!"

"Gobshite! No betrayal involved! Wait... attacked?"

Tilamo had his scythe out over his shoulder, ready to swing it. Storm had her arms crossed. "You try getting arrested for walking in the forest and see how that goes."

"Of course..." Tangurple rolled his eyes. "Niolaone, can you get off me for two minutes?"

She hesitated until some more Niriilins jumped down to join her including Elder Barro.

"Well well well. Why am I surprised to see the scavenger alongside these green cloaked assailants?" Elder Barro scoffed. "What brings you back into the forest, scavenger? Do you have the Aldail's gem of light or are you here to steal ours?"

"Storm, give it." Tangurple held out his hand.

"To me," Elder Barro stepped in front of Tangurple, rudely blocking him.

Storm laughed mockingly. "Like I would give this to the likes of you? I've yet to find a reason to like you. So, I'll instead remind you of what you're dealing with. Mirvelle, dear."
Mirvelle nodded and slugged an orb of dark magic which one shot one of the idle guards.

Elder Barro furrowed his brows. "How dare you-"

"How dare me? You have only one task, Elder. Give us the gem of life or suffer at the hands of Mirvelle."

Mirvelle tossed on a wicked grin and rubbed her hands together. "I do have a new rank ten spell I've been wanting to try."

Elder Barro succumbed to the pressure and motioned for them to follow. "The portal to the city is this way."

Up in the actual tree city, they were greeted by the other two elders and a division of soldiers. Elder Barro scampered off to stand alongside the other two with the division between them. Tangurple counted heads, "twenty-seven, thirty-six. Will you all stop moving, I'm trying to count heads... now you've made me lose count."

"Seven to one is pretty good odds for us," Storm casually commented.

Elder Barro then cried out, "They're here to steal the stone! Kill them!"

It wasn't even a minute in before Mirvelle tested out her rank ten spell. A shockwave of dark magic impacted nearly every soldier, stunning and paralyzing them. Some fell off the wide branch and nearby platforms and plummeted to their deaths.

She then tried another spell. Black lightning appeared from nowhere and created a chain shock effect, paralyzing them further. And with the last of her mana, a third attack was released. A ghostly hammer the size of a city bus materialized over her and slammed itself into the tree. It exploded into dozens of smaller hammers which threw themselves at the remaining soldiers killing every single one of them.