[center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/cd83dc89-6413-49cc-9e8d-a9fba609a17b.png [/img][/center][right][sub][@Hero] [@Scribe Of Thoth] [/sub][/right]
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Kellen kept one leg in front of the other as he continued to sprint in the direction of the mages. Kellen had a passing dislike of magic. All of his brothers did too, though that may have been more thanks to their sister’s aptitude with it – and tendency to showcase said aptitude when she was first learning. While it was rare to see Srengese raiders properly trained, some had a natural affinity for it, as the odd poor soul had discovered after seemingly disarming a bandit. Even then, he had never seen anything like that cloud, or the destruction it had portended. These were not some dilettantes who could tepidly light a flame in their hands, they were trained. But they were distracted, gathering around the cart to try and recreate the earlier explosion. Kellen tucked his chin in as he heard the ping of an arrow colliding with the rough metal of the bandit’s helm.

Kellen’s head instinctively pivoted in the direction of the sound where his eyes took in two pieces of information. The first was that Imogen was faster than him. He could see the dash of pink hair was nearer to the mages than he was, and he was thankful to see that she had been unimpeded in her journey. The second observation was less so the presence of a figure, but the absence of one. Where in hell had the bandit gone? Kellen’s eyes darted, and they registered the axe before clocked the monster wielding Time seemed to slow for half a moment Kellen saw the axe coming down towards his shoulder. A blow like this would take Kellen’s arm, if he was lucky, or the upper half of his body if he wasn’t.  Skidding as he began to turn himself to meet his opponent, Kellen’s arm tried to raise his blade to catch the blade, but he knew he was too slow and the axe was too quick.

[color=63a2e4][i]Will I even feel it?[/i][/color]

Michail’s lance left the question unanswered. Kellen hadn’t spotted his professor approaching, but he appeared to move with an alacrity that nearly matched the brutish bandit. As Michail fended off blow after blow, Kellen felt his previously sure grip on his blade melt, as it dangled loosely from his hand. He knew his professor needed help. But he looked back down at the blood covering his ruined uniform, and he couldn’t say with certainty that it wasn’t his. Kellen felt his feet taking two shaky steps backwards, along his original path towards the mages, but more crucially, away from that bandit. His eyes were trained on his axe, every blow Michail managed to parry causing Kellen to shake. He only registered Auberon once he spoke.

[color=63a2e4]“I, umm… I don’t think so.”[/color] There was no breath in Kellen’s words. His whole body was shaking like when his brothers had locked him outside the keep in his nightclothes during a particularly cold night. If he was given the opportunity to run off the field right now, and never see anyone again, he might take it. But here his House Leader was, mere seconds after his professor had stepped in to save him. Kellen couldn’t stop himself from shaking, but he could stop himself from shrinking away, at least for a few moments. Even if he were able to run, those mages were planning something drastic, and Kellen was doubtful even at a full paced sprint that he’d get away before the rest of the village and those sorry souls who had entered it would be blasted away. Those sorry souls included his classmates, and his professors.

Kellen couldn’t assume a ready stance, not with his body trembling and his mind whirring away. But his stance widened ever so slightly as he took his first real breath since he had lost track of the bandit. He spared a glance at the mages, who were still focused on their task. He could see Imogen was nearly on top of them, and he hoped that the others were prepared to support her with the mages.  He wouldn’t turn his back on the bandit again, not while he was still standing.