[Center][img]https://i.imgur.com/1ztEFL9.png[/img][hr][hr][b][colour=009fff]Event:[/colour][/b] Primitive [b]|[/b] [b][colour=009fff]Location:[/colour][/b] Zarfan, Torragon[hr][hr][/center][center][h3][url=https://youtu.be/TjmdaFVCwt8]♫[/url][/h3][/center]
Ayla and Marci were frantically trying to push the heavy door closed, but the beetles were hot on their heels. The door was old and warped, and it resisted their efforts to shut it. Sweat beads on their foreheads as they strained against the door, their muscles trembling with exertion. The sound of the beetles grew louder and more frenzied, and Ayla can feel as if their hot breath was against her neck. With her back against the door, she glanced over her shoulder through the gap as she saw the swarm closing in, their mandibles snapping hungrily. With a burst of strength, she shoved the door to shut it, but it only budged a fraction of an inch. Marci screamed as one of the beetles nips at her heel, and Ayla gritted her teeth in determination. They couldn't give up now, not when they were so close to safety. Bracing her feet against the ground, Ayla put all her weight behind the door, while Marci scrambled to help. The beetle swarm was almost upon them, and Ayla heard awful snapping and clicking through the crack in the door. She felt a surge of panic, but couldn't let it overcome her. Channelling all her fear into one final push, the door slammed shut with a deafening boom. The beetles screeched in frustration, their bodies slamming into the stone barrier. For a moment, Ayla and Marci stood there, panting and trembling, listening to the furious buzzing of the beetles on the other side. The door held, for now. But Ayla knew they couldn't rest for long, as there were more on the path ahead.

As the beetles closed in on Ayla and Marci, Ayla knew she had to act fast. She reached for her flute, took a deep breath to calm her racing heart, and began to play. A low and mournful melody at first, but gradually building in intensity, the sound waves collided with the beetles, destabilizing them and driving them back. The swarm writhed and twisted in the air, confused and disoriented by the assault on their senses. Ayla continued to play, the notes of her flute weaving a complex and beautiful pattern in the air as she directed the sonic magic to push the beetles further away. As she played, she focused her mind on her sonic magic, feeling the power flow through her fingertips. She changed the notes, moving them higher and higher until they became a piercing, high-pitched frequency that cut through the air like a knife. A couple dozen of the creatures fell from the air, buying some time, but there were still thousands heading in their direction.

The attacks were relentless, Ayla crushed three of the beetles that landed on her midsection, feeling a momentary sense of relief. However, her victory was short-lived, as the fourth and hidden beetle suddenly flared and self-destructed. The blast sent Ayla flying, and she landed on the ground, groaning in pain. Struggling to get back on her feet, Ayla found the pain too intense. Marci rushed over to her, attempting to patch up her wounds with binding magic. [colour=c4df9b]"Nine lives, Kitty Cat! Come on!"[/colour] Ayla winced as Marci's quick work left her with a wound that would need to be redone later. Despite the pain, Ayla forced herself to stand up. She couldn't afford to stay down, not when they were still being pursued by the relentless swarm of beetles. With a determined look in her eyes, she readied her flute once again, determined to keep the swarm at bay.

As they journeyed and pushed forward, they eventually entered into a vast chamber as their senses were suddenly overwhelmed by its grandeur and immensity. The air is thick with the scent of dust and ancient stone, and their footsteps echo hollowly against the hard ground. As Marci brightened her light, the darkness receded, revealing the imposing structures that surrounded the girls. The outlines of houses, palaces, and ziggurats emerge from the shadows, their forms massive and imposing. They seem to stretch endlessly upwards, reaching towards the distant ceiling of the chamber. They loom in the cavernous depths like giants, casting deep shadows that seem to pulse and writhe. Their details are shrouded in mystery, hidden by the murky atmosphere and the passage of time. The very air seems to hold secrets, whispering tales of the long-forgotten ancient Zaqhory civilization and the mysteries they left behind. The darkness seemed to threaten to overwhelm them with its weight and enormity. 

As the beetles started to close in through one of the side entrances, their frenzied buzzing grew louder and more intense. Marci's eyes narrowed as she focused her magic, calling forth a crackling bolt of lightning that blazed through the air, striking the swarm with deadly accuracy. The beetles writhed and twitched as they were electrocuted, but their numbers were still too great. They pressed on, their mandibles snapping hungrily as they closed in on their prey. Ayla's heart raced as she watched the beetles draw nearer, their bodies writhing and twisting in the air like a swarm of angry hornets. She knew they were in trouble, but she refused to give up and with determination in her eyes. With a fierce roar, Ayla whipped her hair around, the thick curls lashing out like a whip. The beetles screeched in fury as they were struck, their bodies tumbling through the air. Ayla continued to lash out, her hair flying in all directions as she drove the beetles back. But even as she fought, Ayla knew that they couldn't hold out forever. She watched in horror as several of the beetles self-destructed, their bodies exploding in a burst of fire and shrapnel. A wave of heat washed over her, and she felt her hair singe and burn as the flames licked at her skin. With a desperate cry, Ayla shielded herself and Marci with her hair, using it as a barrier against the fiery onslaught. The strands hissed and crackled as they were consumed by the flames, but they held fast, protecting the pair from harm. When the smoke cleared and the danger had passed, Ayla lowered her hair, gasping for breath. She felt her scalp stinging, and when she touched her hair, she could feel that it was badly burnt. The once-beautiful waist-length curls were now ragged and singed, barely reaching her shoulders. But Ayla knew that her sacrifice had been worth it, for they had survived.

Ayla's heart jumped as she caught sight of the arrow, guiding her towards the double doors ahead. Beyond them, she knew, was the temporal magic that could only have been left behind by Jocasta they had been searching for. However, her excitement was short-lived as she heard Marci collapse behind her. The swarm was upon them, and Marci's screams echoed in her ears. Ayla was frozen, torn between her own safety and that of her friend. She felt utterly powerless, tears streaming down her face as the water formed into blue flame.  She looked at her hands, watching as the fire pooled within them as an idea formed in her mind. More of Ayla's body started to erupt into blue flame, along the length of sweat drenched clothing. With newfound strength, Ayla charged towards Marci and the swarm of beetles threatening to engulf her. The intense blue flame radiating from Ayla's body as she disappeared into the body of the swarm, replaced by a darkness as she appeared to have consumed. There was silence for a brief moment before she created an explosion, sending the beetles flying away as molten slag. [colour=009fff]"You have flight, so fly, you fool!"[/colour] Ayla shouted, urging Marci to flee towards the door. But Ayla knew she couldn't hold them off forever. She continued to fight back with all her pyromancer might, pushing back the tendrils of the swarm as she shielded Marci. The dry heat of the ruin was causing the water to evaporate faster than she could reuse it, and Ayla could feel her strength waning. [colour=009fff]"Hold the door!"[/colour] she yelled, using the last of her strength to propel herself towards it.

[hr][hr]