Ssarak Dyreackthanose - Catacombs

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After the flurry of arrows, and the attack from behind from the shapeshifter, Ssarak had much to contend with. Until they could push through the hounds and join with the rest of the students, his priority was to protect the Naga behind him. They were still holding against the ridge hounds in front of them, though after the scream from elsewhere in the catacombs, which Ssarak could only guess came from the real Tyrael, more of the beasts were turning to focus on them. At the very least, the hounds were currently trapped between Ssarak and the Naga, and the students ahead of them. 

Now that he no longer had to guard against arrows, Ssarak could return to thinning out the ridge hounds in front of them. Baulder was being stopped in his tracks by the beasts, so he was not the most present threat. At the same time, he did what he could to filter out the frenzy of thoughts around him for those that seemed important. Verbally and mentally, he heard the shapeshifter shouting about some female that Grey had evidently killed, but he would need to give more focus to its mind to gain any more detail. At the moment, he also had the worried minds of the Naga to contend with. He heard Lyamis’ thoughts on Baulder, and more worryingly a maliced Naga among them. As a unit, their line could deny the hounds the ability to flank, but that line could fall apart if its own members were turning on it. 

Glancing back quickly, Ssarak was the young woman who had been felled by the arrow. Soon, she would be a danger to everyone around her. Although, as unfortunate as her death was, Ssarak had already taken advantage of a maliced Naga’s barbaric instincts before. He knew how he could handle her. The doppelganger he had left to help Tyrael had dissipated long ago, so he created another that quickly ran to the fallen Naga. When she rose again, the first thing she would see would be his illusion, which would do anything it could to capture her attention. Given that a malice Naga lacked the ability to reason, Ssarak did not need to make the details of his doppelganger exceptionally convincing, just enough to make it seem like a legitimate target to the enraged reptilian. From there, his doppelganger would lead the maliced Naga back to the shapeshifter, where her body could hopefully do some good before they had to destroy it. 

As a warning, Ssarak sent a telepathic message to Grey and the Naga around him, including Lyamis. [i] [color=f7941d]”I can contend with the maliced woman. Grey, I am going to guide her back to you. A Naga in malice is essentially an enraged corpse who will try to kill every living thing around it. My illusion will try to guide it to the shapeshifter; let them fight, and take advantage however you can.”[/color][/i]

Ssarak continued to multitask between fighting the hounds in front of him, and scanning the minds around them. The arrows had caused disarray in their ranks, and they needed to form together more tightly to bolster their defense. Among the worry and discord, Ssarak felt the presence of intense pain, and intense anger. Another glance back and he was able to see the one from whom these thoughts were originating. With his eyes on the ridge hounds ahead of him, he used his shield to defend while he reached into a pouch at his side with his sword hand and pulled out a rune from within. The college had given them an allowance of supplies for their mission, among them being a healing rune. 

Ssarak reached his hand back towards Lyamis to offer him the rune while sending him another telepathic message. [i][color=f7941d]”Another of your warriors is wounded; get this healing rune to her.”[/color][/i] He said, followed by a brief instruction on how to use it. [i][color=f7941d]”We need everyone to form around the matriarch, and the wounded, quickly.”[/color][/i] He added.