WELCOME TO "AWAKEN"

Part 15 - Fiendish Fiery Foe

previously in

Part 14 - Kogg's Aerial Ace

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“Let us not linger,” shouted Merobaku, “more will come!” The old man looked to Orvus who stood up and continued forward with the group. Kogg called out the safe path to take from above doing his best to avoid encounters with the wisps. “Two more up ahead,” shouted Orvus to Merobaku. Merobaku readied her spear in one hand and an eigen lightning spell for the water wisps in the other. Kogg let out a warning cry to the group, but they were distracted by Merobaku's fighting prowess. There was no time to spare, Kogg let out one last warning cry as he dove towards the right of the group. The old man looked back at Orvus and coming up behind him was a lightning wisp. It's yellow glow electrified the air with sparks of fury and lightning as it kissed at the air. The wisp was building up energy and readied an attack when Kogg came in from above and slammed a magical earthy stone larger than himself right through the centre of the wisp. The wisp burst open and spilled forth raw magics that bubbled and boiled away on the ground as its' remaining lightning crackled away into the charged air. Kogg cawed back pleased as the old man cheered in amazement. Orvus collected himself and shouted words of thanks up at Kogg before catching up with the old man. Merobaku had slain the two water wisps while they were distracted and was waiting for them up ahead with a clear path.

Part 15 - Fiendish Fiery Foe

Orvus and the old man were nearly running in trying to keep up with Merobaku's impressive stride. The best thing was how strangely light their travel-packs were, despite brimming with gold Ormus. It almost seemed at times that their packs weighed next to nothing. Both took notice of this oddity but spoke not of it because now was not the time for complaints, nor questions... just team work and survival. Merobaku stopped up ahead, and the two old friends watched her assume a defensive stance. Kogg circled back around to the north and noticed he had missed three fire wisps making a beeline for Merobaku from the east. The wisps desire and insatiable attraction to the power within the stone signalled to them a feast of epic proportions, and there's no better time to feed than right after being born.

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“You missed some!” the old man yelled up at Kogg. Orvus and the old man both caught up with Merobaku, turned, faced left and watched as the three fire wisps approached. The one on the right lit up bright red. It hissed and steamed up the air and kicked off a flurry of flames which burned nearby tree leaves, bark, and foliage. The other two fire wisps lit up soon after. Before the group could react, the angry and hungry wisp on the right sent a series of lumpy fire balls at the group. A mighty caw came from above as Kogg made a desperate dive to intercept the attack. “The birds gone mad,” muttered Orvus to himself. Not to be out-played, Kogg summoned forth his second spell. A torrent of water swelled up and encased Kogg. Somehow still in control of his flight path, Kogg steered himself into and crashed through two of the fire balls. Kogg's protective water encasement vapourized into a cloud of thick steam which engulfed the area. A moment later Kogg emerged from the fog with a battle cry caw of pride.

The third and final glob of flying fire hurled past Kogg's brave interception and headed straight at Orvus. Orvus' attention was on his own water spell, but being without time to cast he dipped to his right and fell over. The latent heat of the fire singed the loose fibres of Orvus' cloak as it narrowly missed him. The old man turned to watch the fire ball hurl past Orvus and explode upon impact with a tree a small distance away. Fiery splinters rained outwards from the flaming trunk and lodged themselves into Orvus' cloak which sent him into a panic. “Ow, ow, ow,” cried Orvus as he patted out the small fires across his splinter-speckled body. A mighty yell sounded which grabbed the two old men's attention. Merobaku had launched her spear at the first fire wisp and managed to pierce its' fiery skin. Fire spewed forth from the wound violently. “Cast now!” ordered Merobaku at the old man before she broke into a run at the fire wisps. Orvus calmed himself and summoned up an orb of water which hung in the air above everyone, while the old man focused elemental energy into his dagger. The old man took a number of steps forward and then threw his dagger at the centre wisp while Orvus' ball of water cascaded down onto the third. Orvus' target was smashed hard into the ground, permanently extinguished.

The dagger found its target and plunged itself into the burning, elemental skin of the wisp. The fiendish fiery foe shrieked and hissed while the air around it boiled. The time was right. The old man let loose the water spell he stored moments ago within the dagger. Everything went silent, then the wisp exploded into a ball of vapour. Merobaku ran full on into the steaming fog and found her spear lodged in the first wisp. She grabbed hold and with the tip of her golden spear, pinned the wisp into the ground piercing it ever deeper. Liquid fire leaked from the fading light of the magical creature and the ground caught fire around where it laid. Merobaku muttered some words that couldn't be heard and then gave Wasp Nettle a sudden twist. The wisp's light faded instantly leaving behind a smouldering heap from which Merobaku removed her spear. She turned to the group and smiled, “Good work everyone.”

The old man caught his breath and went off in search of his dagger while Orvus removed scorched splinters from himself. “You okay over there my friend?” asked the old man from a distance. “Ahah, here it is!” said the old man moments later waiting for Orvus to respond. The old man found his dagger intact, with a fire-scarred wooden handle. “That's the last one,” said Orvus, “and yes, I'll live,” he called out to the old man. Merobaku chimed in, “Good. Now, let us continue.” She turned south-west and pointed her spear into the air at Kogg in the distance, “The bird says this way is clear.” The two old friends followed behind Merobaku beneath trees and around bushes with berries they had no time to forage on. Soon enough the area opened up into a flowery field of tall grasses and weeds. The freshness of the air cooled their nostrils. The lake was near.

“I see your canoe ahead!” said the old man to Orvus with a hint of hope in his voice. They passed by the long dead remnants of their first night's camp fire soon after and stopped to catch their breath. The sound of Kogg's excited caws invited a sense of concern. Merobaku was just ahead. She was standing still, just staring. Her eerie silence drew their attention up from the canoe to the lake ahead. Countless tiny water wisps were dancing above the calm surface of the lake. Each one bobbed up and floated down to drink some of the water in a rhythmic, sinusoidal dance as they slowly grew in size and strength. The old man and Orvus were awe-struck at the scope and number of water wisps. Merobaku turned and faced them both then sternly said, “Grab the vessel. We're finding a way through.”

Awaken

Part 01 - Message to Orvus
Part 02 - The Lake Beckons
Part 03 - Night of Rest
Part 04 - The Tomb's Secret
Part 05 - The Deep Gouge
Part 06 - Dismay Down Deep
Part 07 - Orvus Restores Order
Part 08 - Magic Sans Scroll
Part 09 - Clear Path Provided
Part 10 - Trace The Key
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Poem 01 - Immortals of the Aegis
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Part 11 - Eigin Rooted Magic
Part 12 - Ancient Koaj'kah Magic
Part 13 - Elemental Wisp Infestation
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Poem 02 - Elemental Call Song
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Part 14 - Kogg's Aerial Ace
Part 15 - CURRENT
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