Erik's muscles coiled, every nerve in his body ready for the burst of speed that would propel him into the fray. His mind was clear, focused solely on the fallen warrior amid the impending electric onslaught. The world narrowed to him and the monstrous Ma Cofs, preparing to strike.
As he exploded into motion, time seemed to slow. The whisper of his flyssa unsheathing was a sharp note of deadly intent amid the battle. Erik moved like a ghost, a blur amid the chaos. Among the Ma Cofs, he was a whirlwind of death.
His flyssa flashed through the air in a deadly arc. One Ma Cof fell, then another, their bodies collapsing to the ground almost before they could react.
Erik was a tornado of strength and accuracy; his movements were refined through countless battles. Each swing of his weapon was lethal; each step was calculated, and each breath was controlled. His rhythm was relentless: strike, move, strike, ten times in a row.
Ten Ma Cofs had been decapitated in ten seconds, their lifeless bodies falling to the ground. The remaining creatures stumbled, a ripple of uncertainty passing through them as they faced the sudden shift in the tide of battle.
The electrical charge in the air dissipated as the monsters stopped providing mana, their deadly edge scattered in the wind. Erik stood between the monsters and the fallen man, his silhouette tall and defiant against the monstrous horde. The tide of the battle had indeed shifted, and Erik was the catalyst.
A collective gasp of surprise rippled through the fighters as they beheld the spectacle before them—the sudden apparition who'd breached the battlefield and turned the tide. But there was no time for awe, only action. The group re-entered the fight with a vigor they hadn't had in a long time, fueled by renewed determination.
The battlefield was a living, seething entity in and of itself, a swirling vortex of confusion and chaos punctuated by the sharp clash of metal against bone and the guttural roars of the Ma Cofs. A sense of urgency in the air and an electric tension mirrored the Thaids' actual physical electricity.
Two fighters stood out among the chaos: the woman with the bow and the woman with the twin daggers. They moved with an effortless grace that contrasted with the gruesome scene around them, their lethal prowess adding to the Ma Cofs' confusion.
The archer drew an arrow, the bowstring humming with tension. A gentle ripple formed around her arrow as an unseen force tugged at the surrounding air currents. She let it fly with a decisive movement, the arrow streaking through the air like a lightning bolt.
Though seemingly erratic to an observer, its path was precise and deliberate. It was a blur slicing through the air, and as It traveled, it found its mark, embedding itself deep into a Ma Cof's skull. Another creature fell, a startled expression frozen on its face.
The other woman, armed with twin daggers, was a deadly dancer amid chaos. Shadows clung to her, flickering and shifting like a second skin. She was visible in the winter sun for a moment, then vanished.
She reappeared behind a Ma Cof, twin daggers glinting viciously before disappearing into the monster's back. The beast collapsed with a startled yelp, and its life was cut short by the swift and lethal dance of the shadowy figure.
With the last Ma Cofs dispatched, the chaotic battlefield quickly transformed into a solemn scene. The man armed with a halberd rushed over to his fallen comrade, his cry of "Aiden!" echoing in the quiet clearing. He moved with a sense of urgency as he examined the paralyzed fighter.
Meanwhile, the two women approached Erik, their expressions a mix of relief and gratitude. "We owe you our life," one of them began, her gaze steady and appreciative. "Without your intervention, our comrade, Aiden, would have died."
Erik dismissed the thanks with a casual wave of his hand. "It was nothing," he assured them. The women stared at him, their eyes wide with disbelief at his casual dismissal of such a heroic act. Though, Erik added, "You don't have to thank me."
As silence fell between them, Erik wondered why these well-armed individuals were so far from civilization in the wilderness. "What brings you out here?" he asked, breaking the silence. He suspected they were Mercenaries, but being used to Frant, where only the military could pass through the barrier, it seemed weird.
The two exchanged glances before the one who hadn't yet spoken responded. "We're a party, working," she explained. "We accepted a quest to eliminate this group of Ma Cofs. They've been causing problems for the local merchants, but we underestimated them."
Erik cast a thoughtful glance over at the incapacitated man. "Do you need help getting him to the nearest city?" he asked, returning his gaze to the two women.
They both blinked in surprise at his offer. The person who had initially thanked him opened her mouth, most likely to decline the offer and save him the trouble. "There is no need, really," a woman said. But it was clear to Erik that it wouldn't be easy to fight for them if they found Thaids on the way back.
"Are you sure? I'm going to the city; it is not a problem for me to escort you there."
Erik had his reasons for offering his assistance. He was in unfamiliar territory. Coming from Frant, he needed an Etrium ID that would have allowed him easy access to the nation's cities.
Although travel and trade between Frant and Etrium were common, flying vehicles usually facilitated them. A lone, seventeen-year-old boy traversing the terrain on foot would be suspicious unless he were a mercenary, and even that was weird.
Erik saw the party's presence as a valuable opportunity. Associating himself with them, even temporarily, could provide him with the cover he needed to enter the city.
Recognizing the logic in Erik's insistence, the two women exchanged glances before nodding in agreement. "We appreciate the help," the second woman said, her eyes meeting Erik's with a genuine expression of gratitude. They had yet to learn that the assistance would be mutually beneficial.
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