Johanna cut his assailant down.The nerveless corpse slid to one side, and Asher gasped from the sudden influx of air to his tormented lungs. Every cut on his body burned with agony, but the bastard had decided to toy with him first, so his injuries weren't too horrible.

His chest heaving with exertion, he slowly, painfully sat up. He couldn't fight anymore, not like this. The raiders were still attacking, and he was down. He'd done all he could. The pain was fuzzing up his mind.

In his haze, he saw Johanna above him, looking frightfully attractive. A sort of aura shimmered over her skin, and for that moment, Asher wondered what he hadn't seen before. He wanted to protect her. He had to. If only his blasted arms would work. "I'm sorry," he croaked, the words lost to the noise around him. Then the first explosion erupted from the ground.

A massive fireball, the size of a house, leapt up into the air, the heat burning against Asher's open wounds. The shock of the flame gave him the strength to sit up, and he noted, with some astonishment, the cloaked and hooded figures which now stood near the flame, one with his hand out, palm up. [i]Fire[/i] leapt from his fingertips, actual fire.

The attack halted momentarily, and then a one of the newcomers rushed forward, and jumped on a bandit. A blast of lightning jumped from the newcomer's hands, searing the poor raider's face shut. He dropped silently.

The battle rapidly ended then. These supernatural men--Magi! They wered called Magi--quickly dispatched the few bandits stupid enough to fight. Asher saw flames and lightning jump from hands, and the Magi seemed to simply disappear into the dark at will. It was terrifying, yet oddly awe-inspiring.

"Step aside, young lady." From above him came a voice: one of the Magi. He could tell. "I will tend to him."

A soothing feeling came over one of the cuts, then another, and soon all of the pain had been swept away. The Magi simply touched him where he was injured, and the wounds sealed themselves. "Keep him safe," said the voice. Then the cloaked man disappeared again.

Asher groaned, relieved. "Johanna, thank you. So, so much. Ouch, damn it." He reached out and took her hand in his, grateful, truly grateful for the first time, that she was with him. "You have no idea how much I appreciate that." He scowled at the flames and sparks and shadows. "It looks like the battle is almost over. Let's just sit tight for a moment."