[center][h2][b][i][color=00aeef]Qar[/color][/i][/b][/h2][/center]

By now the crowd had dispersed and Qar could see clearly who their opponents were.  Still numerous, all masked and wielding wicked looking blades with intention clear in their bearing they advanced on the trio.  Qar had watched Satiah and Zamonth crush their opponents, wondering at their skill and brutal dispatching of the assailants.  He knew that in this situation he should not feel the loss of life so but, as a healer, he could not but help wish there had been some other way.  He himself had killed another couple of blade wielding assassins, their skulls caved in with the vicious weight of his magic.  At least their deaths had been quick and relatively painless.

[color=f26522]“Everyone alright?”[/color]

Satiah called out, backing up to their original position. Her robe was torn but she did not appear to have suffered any physical harm beyond that, Qar suspected she may have used the robe itself as a weapon judging by the skill with which she had killed her opponents but he had been too busy himself to pay attention.  Zamonth, the towering Zamonth, also joined them, standing behind Satiah as they all gaze out at the surrounding masks.

[b][color=662d91]"Do you know who these guys are?"[/color][/b]

It was a good question and Qar had numerous theories and ideas, all half-formulated as he dropped them to focus on staying alive.  There was no answer worth giving, however.  As Satiah had said, they should try to take one alive.  Preferably the leader, if there was one within the group facing them, so that they could find an answer to that question.  Staying alive, though, was the first and foremost task.

Two masked attackers darted forwards ahead of their comrades, either trying to prove themselves or hoping their fellows would join in the charge.  If they all attacked at once they may have been able to overwhelm the three with their sheer numbers but instead they split into groups and attacked intermittently before falling back, regrouping and trying again.  These two were quick, probably quite young, and charged straight at Qar with no attempt to circle around.  Seeing his robes and the elaborately carved staff, they probably assumed him to be the weakest of the trio which was probably true but nevertheless they were underestimating the physician.

The first lunged with their blade and Qar leaned sideways, gripping the man's wrist between his arm and his side and head butted the masked face.  Although the blow made his head ring, his magic made the force of the blow sufficient to crack through the mask and shatter the man's, Qar noticed he was a young man after all, skull.  A split second later the second assailant arrived, unconcerned by his fellow's death and swung his blade in a wide arc in the hope of taking Qar's head.

Pivoting, the physician swung the bloodied corpse into the assailant, the blade swinging a mere inch from his eyes as the body interrupted the second man's charge.  Off balance, the man stood no chance as Qar swung his staff down, slamming the man head first into the ground and then burying his head through it.  Looking up for the next attacker, he noticed the enemy grouping up for a charge with no civilians left immediately around them.  No longer hesitant, with a slight case of battle rage upon him, Qar pointed his staff at the group.

[color=00aeef]"[i]Star Fall[/i]."[/color]

The magic he hated for its destructive nature, so far removed from his personal mission, served him well in that moment.  A fiery orb appeared from the heavens, like a star falling from the sky, hence its name, and crushed down on the group in a rush of heat and roaring flames.  Dust and heat crashed upon the trio in a wave, the blast from the magic spreading out although its effective radius was contained to a small area.

When the dust settled the group that had been assembling was no more, charred corpses scattered around a blackened patch of earth.  Qar sank to his knees, using his staff for support as he felt the weight of magic drain his energy reserves.  There were still plenty of enemies around them but he hoped they would soon scatter in the face of the magic he and Zamonth had shown, as well as the calculating slaughter Satiah had exacted upon her assailants.  With an effort he pulled himself up to his feet, now having to rely upon his magic to lend any force to his future blows.

[color=00aeef]"We should finish this soon.  I know they can handle themselves but I still worry for the Pharaoh and the Priestess.  If either is injured I would like to find them as soon as possible."[/color]