[center][color=007fff][b][u]Azura[/u][/b][/color]
Level 1
Day 3
Location: The Land of Skyrim
[b]Experience: [color=black]||||||||||[/color] (0/10)[/b]
Word Count: 698[/center]

Ounce by ounce, the jabbing pain in Azura's innermost parts dissolved, and with guarded optimism she surveyed the results of her endeavor.  One of her allies, the strange young man who identified himself as Vent, followed up her serenade with a second plea for nonviolence.  Piper, too, did her best to assure the warriors that they meant no harm.  Clearly they, too, felt the soothing touch of her song.  Opposite her party the locals' advance had slowed to a crawl, their hostility numbed.  When Azura glanced at the last two member of her team, however, their posture gave her cause to worry.  The soldier, strange weapon in hand, appeared more than militant—he seemed apt to attack at any moment, already rid of whatever peace the princess' enchanted aria brought him.  [i]Were he malevolent, he'd be sweating bullets right now at the very least,[/i] she reasoned, eyes narrowed.  [i]The only possibility is that war is baked into him, that mindlessly following commands is so second-nature that he can't deviate from his course.[/i]  Would the biggest threat to a working relationship between these two supposedly allied groups come from one of her own?  

Azura's voice, low and urgent, flew to him through the frigid air.  [color=007fff]”What are you, an attack dog?  These are allies, so lower your weapon.”[/color]  Coolly she considered that her words -her orders- challenged the authority of the Boss as well as the ego of this hardened soldier.  Did Ruben chew on what he was fed, or could he decide for himself what was best, including matters of leadership?  Surely he recognized the Boss's blatant incompetence.  Either way, Azura needed to find out.  She watched out of the corners of her yellow eyes as more Nords approached, including an important-looking fellow.  Despite the potential powder kegs in her midst, things looked as though they would sort out alright.

[i]Boom.[/i]

Her eyes flew open as the Boss commented on her performance, realizing what he meant just as he gave his command.  She whirled around, sending her hair flying.  [color=007fff]”No!”[/color]

A beam of light appeared in her vision, and without thinking she leaped to the left.  With a dancer's grace she landed on her feet, whirling once again to watch the energy ray burn a hole straight through a snowdrift.  [color]“Thoron!?”[/color]  The attack didn't seem to be Thunder magic, but there was no time to quibble over what sorcery it was.  More beams surged forward, flying forth from a group of barbarians wielding catalysts that contrasted their fur pelts something fierce.  With no cover near enough to escape the onslaught, Azura threw herself down into the snow next to her lance.  There, her white coat allowed her to practically disappear.  She lay there, adrenaline making her breath rapid, thinking.  She could wait here, hidden by the snow, until enemies got close enough for an ambush, but considering her limited field of view and lack of any sort of expertise as an assassin she doubted it would be her best bet.  Instead, she settled on a better plan.  Almost everyone around her, after all, had been lulled into a nonhostile mood by her previous song.  To avoid a slow start and being overwhelmed by the Forsworn marauders, they needed a pick me up.  Azura rolled onto her back, clutching her lance to hold to her chest as she did.  Though not at all ideal for a rousing performance, this situation could be improved by a quick verse.  Once again, her melodic voice broke the morning air.

[color=007fff]”Heroes bringing us hope's light!
Journey from distant worlds
To still the coming night!”[/color]

The stanza, sung more quickly and with more energy than before, wiped away the soothing haze that her previous song had wrought.  It would, she expected, galvanize her allies into action, perhaps even give them enough of a burst of energy to dodge incoming shots, and allow them to make a dent in the Forsworn attack.  Once their magic was suppressed, she could get up and join the fight, but while those beams continued to flash across the landscape she couldn't risk revealing herself.  Holding back a groan, she tried to bury the painful stings that prickled her in silence.