The ranger aimed, trying to get at least three of the knights with one arrow, but they'd spread out just enough that he'd only get two. And that's if they didn't move out of the way.
As he released the arrow he regretted his haste. One of the knights had picked the mage up to start fleeing, keeping close to the shelves to use as cover.
The ranger only hesitated long enough to see how the arrow reacted to the enchanted bone floor. The bones started to… wither? Crumbling away for more than a dozen yards in all directions.
Quickly giving chase, they were no longer in an open area with shelves along the walls. There had to be… hundreds of thousands of scrolls, books. It was a maze of shelves. More importantly, the ranger could feel the traps every few steps. Even with his reflexes and speed he'd already triggered half a dozen traps. Nets, poison mist, two trap floors.
It seemed like most traps were to catch, not kill. The ranger dodged an incoming knight. Clearly meant to delay as the mage escaped. With only seven flames left he needed to make them count!
Hitting the knight with three fifth tier ice arrows, the ranger sped past. The ground shook as a bone shattering screech echoed from behind him. Gritting his teeth, he trusted the lil birds weren't so easy to harm.
Dodging the falling scrolls, he leapt up to run atop the shelves. The bone holding this underground city was starting to crack. Two more knights came to block his way. At least he was on the right track.
Leaving them frozen to the cracking ground he kept moving. They'd follow soon enough, but at least then he might be able to use a flame on more than one or two. Their game of cat and mouse took them deeper underground.
Dodging the fifth knight sent to delay him, the ranger could finally see the mage again. He didn't have time to hesitate, firing a red flame arrow at the mage. Three knights leapt to take the hit, all three suffered the fate of the previous two. It did however give the mage just enough time to take cover.
The ranger locked eyes with the mage being carried like a sac. The mage was casting spells to help the knights as they ran. Mostly to keep falling debris from hitting them as they ran.
Rushing into another set of catacombs, tight spaces would only work to the mage's advantage. With an internal curse, the ranger followed them into the darkness.
Every time the tunnel shook dust and bone fragments fell. The five knights he'd left in the dust were quickly catching up. The ranger fired several ice arrows at the mage only for the knights to block them.
Glancing at the chasing knights behind, and the guarding knights in front. The ranger couldn't let them surround him. At least in these relatively straight tunnels, he could test the white flame without fear of missing. No matter what, he'd hit something.
He drew back three mana arrows, already frosting over from the ice spell. Inconspicuously he knocked a fourth arrow, the white flame seamlessly mounted to the arrow tip. Firing the first two arrows to draw the knights away from the mage, he fired the third in the opening. Two knights leapt to block the arrow as the fifth kept running with the mage.
In the half second opening where the four knights were dealing with the ice arrows, the ranger fired the fourth. The first two knights registered the attack, leaping to tank the arrow.
The arrows passed faster than any he'd loosed previously. Just when the ranger though the second knight would grab the arrow, a gust of wind sent if flying directly into the mage's shoulder.
The blood curdling screech wasn't a sound any human should be able to make. The mage tried to pull the arrow free, but that wouldn't stop the white flame from spreading.
The five knights had fallen to their knees from the sound.
The ranger missed a step, his ears ringing from the screech. The tunnel was also starting to collapse. He did not want to have to dig himself out. He'd mostly likely have to dig his way to a small bird first, the lil thing already had reservations about being underground.
Forcing himself past the knights he snatched the screaming mage, with a pivot he headed back toward the lil beastie. He had his prize, the knights might be better captured alive but he only had so many hands. Using an enchanted rope to secure his prize he fled.
The outraged roars behind him confirmed that their game of cat and mouse would continue. The ranger smirked. How polite, following him of their own will.
It didn't take long for him to reach the library, with ten knights trailing behind he slowed down to make sure they didn't lose him. It was good they couldn't wield any spells of their own.
Seeing the walls start to crumble he dropped a tiny seed. Even if most of the items were crushed, surely they'd be able to excavate something of value. The enchantments protecting the scrolls were nothing to sneeze at.
"Lil bird! Oh Lil Bird! I be thinken we've overstayed our welcome!" The ranger called as he dashed over the bookshelves. Checking the progress of the white flame, the ranger realized anything the white flame touched revered back to human skin.
No, not reverting back, the white flame was only targeting the patches of scales. Pulling a dagger out, he sliced around the white flames.
The bloody lump of flesh was cast aside. The ranger only watched long enough to see the white flames pitter, then die out. There didn't seem to be any damage to the surrounding area, but with the ceiling falling who could tell?
The ranger continued to call out, he didn't remember it taking this long to traverse the library. Seeing hundreds, turning into thousands of bones falling wasn't a reassuring sight. The door he'd blown open would be buried in a matter a minutes at this rate.
Putting on a burst of speed augmented by a wind enchantment, the ranger couldn't wait for the knights. If they made it they made, if not, well, maybe they could be unearthed later.
He could finally see the opening no larger than a dog hole. As if to mock his plight, the shelves over the door were falling. He wasn't going to make it. Not with his prize. Sliding to a halt he looked around for another door.
"Little bird! Escape! Go back ta Kokono! I'll find ye later!" The ranger roared over the crashing of more walls falling. Looks like he was going to be digging himself out.
The ranger pulled out a palm sized tortoise shell. He was about to activate the enchantment when a ball of fire burst through the wall. Leaping out of the way he raised an arm to block the spell!
Only to be smacked in the face with a small bird. Chirping his grievances over… a ripped cloak. "Cheep! Cheep cheep chirp cheep! Cheep cheep cheep!"
The ranger glanced at the tear smaller than his finger nail. "Oh ai, the rudest. We should burn em to crisp!" The ranger teased as he started to activate the shell. At least he wouldn't be bored as he dug to the surface. Only to find the floor falling out from under him. He cursed as he fell on his arse.
Randal stilled seeing his disheveled companion. Along with a bleeding prisoner… "Haven fun are ye?"
The ranger glanced around, he was in Randy's private chambers. "Oh ai, time of me life Randy." The ranger quipped as he stood up. Dust, blood, pieces of bone and beast god knows what else falling from his cloak.
"First?" Randal asked raising a brow as the ranger's illusion faltered just long enough to pupilless black eyes, pointed ears, and claw like nails before he readjusted his hood.
The ranger stilled, "Oh, ai… well ye see Randy… the lil bird forgot em back in the capital!" The ranger announced offering up the aggrieved bird in both hands.
Randal's lips quirked as the small bird stiffly looked at him. Then the accusations came flying. Pointing a wing at the Ranger as he hopped about indignantly. Kokono poked her head out from the nest on Randal's head.
The ranger pretended to flinch back as both birds pointed at him, angrily chirping. "Tis no use lying lil bird. Ye brought us here, I'll just head back ta the capital an bring em back. I'll no say a word about ye forgotten them."
Mitt plopped down in the ranger's hands, aggrievedly chirping up at Kokono's favorite. What a bad fake human. Let the fake human get squashed next time!
"Tis no need, why did ye bring back ah whole body an no just the head?" Randal asked eyeing the unconscious mage bleeding all over his floor.
The ranger quickly fished out two beast mana cores for the upset birds as he explained what he'd seen.
Randal kicked the unconscious mage. "So ye donna know if he be the one who be stealing curse sensing enchantments?"
The ranger pursed his lips, "Nay, but I left ah seed so we can find their library. Twas like an underground city Randy, I be thinken, them catacombs reach father than just the city walls. An all these… hybrids, chimera, I donna even know what ta call em. They be more than we thought."
Randal nodded with a sigh as he sat on his bed. The two birds now happily eating their treats. "But if we canna hurt them without bird flames…" Randal looked over the bow with two white flames, one red, and two silver left.
"They were sturdy Randy, smashen wouda worked better, but they regenerate. I be thinking, only ah stronger dragon be killen them the right way. I kenna stop thinken they said no a bird can claim the heart." The ranger said pulling a chair backwards to sit. Resting his arms on the back of the chair to watch the small birds.
"Do ye think… I can find the light? Like they be asken of Lucian? Or only he can harness that light?" Randal asked scooping the sleepy birds into his pockets. He'd grown quite attached.
The ranger looked Randy in the eye, "Nay Randy, tis no a light ye have. If ye did, we wouldna need curse breaken items." Softening his expression he nodded to the small birds, "I be thinken, bird light suits ye better anyway."
Randal closed his eyes, "Me daughter… do ye think…"
The ranger hesitated to answer. Honestly, the girl had always been off. Even when she realized she was in the wrong, she'd justify her actions as for the greater good. It was like watching two sides of the same curse. The girls be brainwashed to hate dragons, the men be cursed to be blind soldiers.
"I donna ken Randy…"