[colour=D4E637][h3]Lyen'Ivhere'Zulc[/h3][hr] [b]Defense Of Relouse IV[/b][/colour] [sub]In the Witch Wood - St. DeFrois Rock Seen & Mentioned: Talit'yrash'osmax, Kol; Death's Hand, Vali Twice-Born[/sub] Lyen's viens [i]burned[/i] as she ran. The mana curse in her blood practically making her body hum with energy of the gift. And it was only a fraction of the Lady Talit's power that was shared between them. She looked back at the younger Yasoi, following in her awkward, yet efficient, fashion once more before leaving the Witch Woods. Use of the gift and the Æresvaktr's blood led them towards the city walls. The battlefield between the city and woods was chaos, but it all seemed to melt away from Lyen's vision; except the great towering stone of St. Defrois Rock: The only structure in the area that would at conceal such a beast as Death's Hand. Only thought of vengeance and absolution for her earlier failure filled Lyen's mind as she made for he target, beginning to draw from the stone, weakening it in hope of crushing whoever stood on the other side For the second time in the night she found two Eskandr where she'd only expected one. Even before he loosed his arrow she screamed in a mixture of pain and frustration as his arrow sunk into her left shoulder: Where did they keep coming from? She pressed on-wards faster, focusing her attacks on the archer as pieces of stone continued to rain upon him. Too caught up in anger she failed to notice Kol's trajectory and was saved only by Talit's quick reaction and strong push of force magic. Almost stumbling, Lyen caught herself by grabbing onto each of the large Eskandr's arms while he was staggered and attempted to imbue him with curses. But there was no purchase, his Gift brushed hers aside as thought she were still a child novice. He taunted her in words she didn't fully understand or care to listen too. She only gripped tighter as he attempted to shake her off. Her focus soon paid off; a gap in his resistance. She drew from her own mana and that of her 5th wheel ally, and the fire trapped in her veins seeped into his; turning the Æresvaktr's own essence against him. He could hold it off for now; but it would build and eventually the blood would begin to corrode his veins. [colour=D4E637]"Just die"[/colour] she murmured. The gods heard her arrogance, and delivered their punishment quickly and harshly through her enemy's fist. A half scream left her lips as she felt her organs realign themselves into the wrong places under the force. Her back slammed the ground hard, where the remaining momentum of the carried her further still. Reflexively, Lyen began to draw. There was no shortage of human bodies north of the city, but even as she began to convert the material her attacker approached to finish her off. She clumsily tried to crawl backwards on one arm, the other still clutching the impacted area of her stomach. Her call for Talit came out as little more than a desperate gargled cry as blood flooded her throat. None the less, the Baroness arrived, a fury of magic and metal pushing the Æresvaktr away and giving Lyen space and time to heal and escape. [colour=D4E637]"I smell you, southern rat"[/colour] Murmured in Yasoi as she turned to face the footsteps taking the same path around the stone. The smaller Eskandr had followed, having freed himself from Talit. She stomped her foot and the ground in-front of her gave way, sinking under the archer's feet as he perused, staggering as he loosed an arrow. Lyen's confidence grew, [i]this[/i] was how it was meant to go. In two strides she walked to him and laid her hands to begin casting an internal essence spell. He countered before her gift could take hold, using force to repel her backwards weakly. But Lyen for the first time in the night had found that singular focus craved by all Yasoi, and was not about to let her prey slip away so easily. She showered him again with stones before he could think of drawing another arrow. When she was was on him again Vali was bloodied and haggard, swinging with his sword so blindly she barely had to move of its way. [colour=D4E637]"You shouldn't have shot me."[/colour] She said in Drugunzean and placed a hand on his blood soaked face. Her Gift began to sink into him, adjusting his internal essence until she could feel him grow weary am limp. She hadn't finished before the first horn sounded. It was too early, and she was too close to victory- Then a second sounded, shorter than the first and immediately followed by a third. The call for retreat was unmistakable. Lyen cursed in Yasoi before leaning in close to the Eskandr. [colour=D4E637]"Stay away, Little Eskandr; next time I won't be so generous."[/colour] She hissed by his ear in barely audible Drugenzean before letting him crumple to the ground. The hole's from her drawing had created a easily navigable path to the summit of DeFrois' rock where the Baroness of Loriindton awaited her. [colour=D4E637]"Worry about miking it yourself, Talit'Yrash"[/colour] Lyen taunted the one-legged Yasoi with a wink and gleeful smile - once again brimming with confidence after her decided victory. She leapt from the stone, mimicking the younger woman's own method of casting crude metal chains to pull her the remainder of the way to the top of the city walls. [hider=summary] - The Yasoi heal from previous round, Lyen gives a curse to herself and Talit - L&T Pursue Kol, and find him with Vali at DeFrois Rock - They fight, until the horns blow, then leap over the city wall. [/hider]