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An arrow flew a short distance below a bandit on a Pegasus as Kellen Fraldarius let out another half-cocked shot. Despite trembling hands, he did what he could to draw and set another arrow as quickly thereafter as he could. The act of drawing, loosing, and readying another was not much of a tactical decision. One out of three arrows finding their mark was not much of a record he could take pride in. But as long as he was focused on firing his bow, a feat which still required a fair amount of focus from the inexperienced archer, he could forget about the battle raging around him.

It was hard to tell whether it was Clarissa’s bolstering words, the fact he had been able to keep himself away from the melee, but so long as Kellen remained focused on the sky and his weapon, he could maintain, if not a sense of calm, at least a dull numbness that made it easier to ignore the knots in his stomach and his throbbing temples. 

As Kayden and the new Adrestian boy took to the melee, striking down their opponents, Kellen heard Clarissa call out on their missing classmate. His face set slightly as he began to draw back on the bowstring, hoping desperately to find a target lest his mind be allowed to wander, but none presented itself. The flash of light of Clarissa’s magic and the yelps of pain that accompanied it made him wince, and he heard, from somewhere in the fog, Lienna call out that she had spotted Rudolf. Where had Lienna even been? With a pang of guilt, he realized that in his careful stewardship of the sky, he had lost track of her.

As the fog faded, Kellen caught a glimpse of her. Her shoulder was bloodied, but the presumed perpetrator was hardly recognizable amidst a jagged row of icicles. Kellen shivered. He had seen Lienna’s magic in training, but not demonstrated on a real, breathing adversary. 

[color=63a2e4]“Are you okay?” [/color] He heard himself whisper. His eyes didn’t leave the scene until he heard Professor Malathice’s voice cut through, followed by the hairs on his neck raising as lightning began to collapse around them. As his head swivelled to look at his professor, he was alarmed to realize the professor was also looking at him, his staff raised.

[color=red]"Tell Michail we need help and that we have to regroup,"[/color] Kellen's mouth shot open as he turned to see if there was anyone else he could recommend for the mission, but in an instant, he was gone.

And then, Kellen was in hell. There was no other explanation for the flash of light that was followed by the vision of his House Leader being confronted by the same bandit that had nearly taken Kellen’s arm off in Luin village. He felt his bow slip from his hand, but a small bit of instinct helped him catch it by the string before it clattered to the ground. There had to be a rational explanation for the reappearance of the man they had all struck down, and he was sure once he communicated the rear guard’s precarious situation to Michail, he’d explain it. 

As he turned around to seek his professor, Kellen realized that Michail too was occupied. A large wyvern was bearing down on his professor, with Derec and Isolde a short distance away fending off some armed bandits. Kellen’s head swivelled around trying to spot anyone who wasn’t currently fighting for their lives, and noticed the other Professor Kalonic, Euphemia, standing a short distance from him, her bow drawn as she surveyed the field. Jorah was some distance away, but appeared to be taunting the brigands who had previously been occupied by Derec and Isolde. Kellen re-adjusted the grip of his bow as he tried his best to shout over the din to those who could hear him.

[color=63a2e4]“Er, umm-” [/color] Kellen was caught off by the loud clang of a blade clashing with another. [color=63a2e4]“The uh, rear unit is requesting help. There are mages and pegasus riders!”[/color] It was all a bit too much like the situation unfolding before him, and Kellen realized after he said those words that there weren’t any spare hands who would be able to retreat to support the rear unit.

This revelation having cemented itself in his mind, Kellen re-adjusted the grip of his bow and drew an arrow. He looked at the melee his professor and classmates were engaged in, but remarked not a moment too soon that Jorah, a far more accomplished marksman, was taking care not to fire directly towards those enemies. This was a new consideration for Kellen, who until now had been practising on targets that were always far away from any ally. He frowned as he looked down at the sword still sheathed at his hip, but shook his head quickly. His limited effectiveness would be hampered even further were he to lose himself to his nerves, and the best way to do so would be to get up close and personal with one of the bloodthirsty brigands, he rationalized. 

There was a clearer target, Kellen realized. But to sight it, he’d have to turn back in the direction of Auberon and the all-too-similar bandit who had occupied his nightmares for the past several weeks. A quick glance at his sword was enough for him to decide that he'd take the risk.

Jorah’s position on the field hadn’t made sense to Kellen when he had first surveyed the situation, but he understood it now. It provided a cleaner line of sight to the other bandit that appeared to be ready to bear down on Auberon. This one, thankfully, did not bear the same resemblance to a dead man. However, the Deer’s position was currently being borne down by bandits, and Kellen knew there was no world he’d be able to fire, let alone aim, if he knew bandits were pushing him from behind. 

Instead, Kellen took three steps forward, towards Auberon. There was still a comfortable distance between them, but the added proximity left a wider angle between his House Leader and his target. Instinctually, and with some guilt, Kellen noted that his new position more directly put Auberon in between the familiar-looking bandit, but he had no time to criticize himself for that cowardice. He could tell instinctually that Auberon was in the same place he had found himself in Luin village, righteous fury fueling his strikes. He wouldn't be able to assist him, not yet. Taking a deep breath in, Kellen drew his arm back and only hesitated for half a second before he let the arrow loose towards the pony-tailed brigand.