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Post by wintersonata on Aug 12, 2007 16:25:29 GMT -5
Just as the sun peaked over Cressa, twin bursts of flame erupted into the sky less than a mile to the east of the city's borders. Those close enough to have seen the flame kept looking to the east in disbelief, then went back to their work with a shrug and a frown. The gypsy camp lay to the east; undoubtedly that was where all things mischevious and godforsaken came from.
"Kender, please," his mother was saying loudly over Irin's loud laughing, "test the wind before you blow. If it had been only a fraction more northerly you could have set the tents on fire!"
"Sorry, mum," grinned Kender, splashing water onto his singed eyebrows. Now Irin, his twin, had his try, taking half a mouthful of fuel from a bottle and spitting it onto a torch that his father held.
"Very good, Irin!" said Valian, watching the flames fly into the sky and making the air ripple. "Olly, do you want to try?"
His gaze fell upon a teenage girl sitting cross-legged on the ground near her mother's cooking pot. Her skirt, drawn up to her knees, revealed two or three new bruises that were just now turning dark violet. She was smearing a thick yellow paste onto them, occasionally looking up from her treatment to watch the fire-breathing. Olly smiled at her father and waved one hand. "No thanks, Papa... I need to get these to heal before the show tomorrow. Mama says that we don't get tipped as well if we look shoddy."
"That's right," Mirelle said, stirring the contents of the pot, which were bubbling merrily and sending a cozy smell all through the family's camp. She lifted a spoonful of the stew to eye level for inspection and frowned. "Oh... I'm missing my potatoes!"
"Sorry, mum," the twins said in unison, gesturing to the smoldering remains of a dozen or so potatoes by the edge of the camp. "We had to test out the fireworks."
Mirelle sighed and put a hand to her temple, as if this were an excuse she heard every day (and it was ). "Olly, if you're not doing anything else, would you be a dear and run to the market for me? We'll need some butter, too."
Olly nodded and put away the tub of paste, standing up and arching her back to stretch. Each set of double golden bangles on her feet jingled merrily as she began to walk. "I should be back soon," she told her family. "If I'm not--"
"We still have the key to the back door of the gaol." Valian grinned and waved, and Olly did the same as she quickened her pace and made for the city.
The Lightfoots' camp was far enough from city borders that the Cressa constables couldn't bother them, but it was good to be cautious all the same. Instead of entering through the city gates to the east of the town, Olly took a left and splashed through the small stream that fed the town's fountains. A circular grate on two hinges separated Olly's part of the stream from the part that led into the town; the two-foot-thick brick wall loomed above her, but she paid it no heed.
Easily she swung open the grate, using a nifty piece of rope that served as a door handle, and crawled through, lifting her skirts above the reach of the water. She closed the grate behind her and walked calmly into Cressa's market district, making for the farmers' stands.
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Post by valter on Aug 12, 2007 21:55:09 GMT -5
"Hey! Stop it! Where are you taking me?" came the shout from the market districts of Cressa. Those nearby turned their heads and raised their eyebrows at the scene. A scruffy, straw-haired boy was being towed through the streets by his outlandishly large dog. After a few minutes, the youth had managed to wrest his sleeve away from his charge's teeth, glancing ruefully at the animal as he straightened.
"Did you have to do that Garu?" The boy asked indignantly, straightening his vibrantly green hat, and quiver, which had become lopsided while he was being dragged through the streets. After being satisfied that all was in order, Sarobando took a glance at his surroundings, not quite able to keep the spark of wonder out of his brown eyes. "So, this is Cressa, the capital of Avalas. Nice place."
At his feet, Garu sunk down and put his paws over his eyes in consternation. Saro'd done it again; staring off into space and forgetting himself. The Collie had to literally drag the boy away from the harbor, and now he was staring around the market stalls with equal fascination. Agh... when is this ever going to end? he thought miserably.
As if in answer to his question, Saro suddenly trotted down the bustling street with purpose in his step, walking towards a potato stand. Garu quickly followed, negotiating his way through the crowd of people on clumsy paws. Despite his concentration, he finally tripped over his paws when he reached Saro, letting out a muffled grunt of displeasure, which was compounded when he saw the real reason Saro had darted towards the potatoes. A girl. Should've known. Garu thought agitatedly as he struggled to untangle himself.
Sure enough, a girl had caught Saro's eye. She seemed exotic, certainly good-looking, with a light step and a spark in her eyes. "Excuse me!" Saro called as soon as he was within earshot. "Miss? I'm Sarobando, Saro for short, great to meet you!" he said with a wide smile. "My brother and I are new to the city. D'you think you could be bothered to show us around? What's your name, by the way? A beautiful girl like you could only have a beautiful name."
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Post by wintersonata on Aug 13, 2007 4:43:26 GMT -5
Olly had been minding her own business, picking out potatoes (sniffing and poking to test for freshness). She liked the relative quiet of the camp, but she equally liked the noises and atmosphere of Cressa. It was a big city, so there was always something going on, especially in the market.
The sound of shouting from behind Olly drew her attention, and she very slowly put down the potato that she had been holding. Could it be the constables already? Technically they weren't allowed to arrest the gypsies unless they were caught in illegal activity, and Olly wasn't doing anything she shouldn't be...
All the same, it was her hand tensed and ready to pull her dagger from its sheath that she turned around. And she grinned, almost laughing in relief, when she saw that the source of the commotion had been a little dog and his young master, the latter of which now stood before her with a big smile.
Olly returned the smile when he had introduced himself, and she inclined her head in a small nod when she had finished. Normally Olly would have been much more apprehensive about random people approaching her in the city--especially men who immediately commented on her beauty--but Saro seemed far from lecherous, and she took an immediate liking to his frank nature.
"I'm Ollyriale, Olly for short. Great to meet you, and thanks." She gave him a wink in return for his compliment. "I'd love to show you and your... brother... around..." she looked uncertainly at the dog who had come to sit beside Saro, "but if the constables see you with me, they'll never let you back in. I'm big trouble around here, you see." She said this last bit theatrically, quickly sweeping the first row of potatoes into her skirt and grabbing the hem with her other hand to keep it from falling.
Motioning for Saro and Garu to follow while the stand's owner wasn't looking, she knotted up her skirts to cover the potatoes and began to walk quickly out of the market.
"Oh, butter," she mumbled to herself, and nicked a pound wrapped neatly in wax paper from the stand on the corner. This she tucked into her skirts as well, flashing an innocent smile at Saro as if this were all totally normal.
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Post by »Kamui Syvil VII on Aug 14, 2007 5:24:46 GMT -5
A figure in a tattered cloak walked along one of the crowded cobblestone streets that ran through the marketplace, a whimsical piglet and an elegant looking wolf-dog walking on either side. The figure paused here and there to look at the various wares for sale, seemingly not really going anywhere in particular. Walking with head slightly bowed, the face was suspiciously obscured by a combination of the cloak's hood and the spiky tufts of bright orange hair that fell over the figure's eyes. Not very tall, but not very short either, the person appeared to be on the skinny side, though the cloak was baggy and flowing, so it would have been hard to judge an exact build. Overall, from what could be seen of the face, the flatness of the person's chest and their stride, one could safely assume it to be male. As if the bowed head and hidden face weren't sketchy enough, there was a large scythe looking object strapped to his back, wrapped in black cloth with a black chain coiled around of it. Upon close inspection, one would notice runes etched into each link of the chain. There was also the shape of a narrow object underneath the cloak at his right side that could easily be a sheathed sword. A subtle, unsettling aura lingered about both objects. The person paused to adjust the ratty brown rutsack slung over his shoulder before continuing on down the street, nimbly weaving through the crowed street. He moved past an exotic looking girl, a boy in a green hat, and a large dog. As he went, he stole a glance at the dog, an intense, soul-searching orange eye visible through the strands of hair. His mouth moved, as if the speak, but before any word came out a commotion erupted up the street. A number of the common folk were being roughly displaced to make room for a group of armed men. No mere city constables, these men were Avalan soldiers, bearing the royal insignia on their shiny breastplates. They were most definitely making their way in the direction of Olly, Saro, Garu, and the cloaked figure. "HALT!" Cried out the foremost of the soldiers in a strong, commanding voice.
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Post by valter on Aug 14, 2007 14:00:34 GMT -5
"Big trouble around here, huh? I like that." Saro said, eyes sparkling as he made to follow Olly, disregarding the fact that she'd just nonchalantly robbed two stores. Garu, however, was not one to look the other way at such behavior. With a grunt, he leapt past Saro, cleanly snatching the boy's wallet-pouch in passing and glaring up at his brother.
"Alright, alright." Saro sighed, retrieving the wallet and quickly and surreptitiously deposited a stack of coins at the corner of the potato stand, before trotting off towards the corner stand as well. Garu made to follow, but he suddenly froze, turning to his left and accidently locking eyes with an intense looking stranger. He felt a strange feeling of anticipation as he met the stranger's gaze.
Suddenly, the giant dog's ears pricked up, sensing trouble. A curtain of market-goers was shunted aside, revealing the intimidating figures of several armed men of Avalas. A few feet behind him, Saro turned his head around as well. The same thought ran through both of their minds. Uh-oh.
Garu began to back away, before the soldier in front called out, "HALT!" he flinched, and every muscle in his body suddenly stayed rooted to the spot, instinct overtaking reason. With a quick "Be right back," to Olly, Saro stepped forward, hands held behind his head nonchalantly, until he was standing level with Garu and the mysterious stranger. "What seems to be the problem, officer?" Saro asked inquisitively; they hadn't really done anything wrong, after all.
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Post by wintersonata on Aug 15, 2007 6:38:49 GMT -5
Saro and Garu might have been perfectly innocent--what a sweetheart, paying for her butter and potatoes!--but Olly was most certainly guilty. She had begun to giggle when she heard a commotion approaching, as she had loads of fun outrunning the city constables, but the smile melted from her face when she realized that she may be in much more trouble than outrunning overweight men brandishing sticks.
There was also the strange matter of the cloaked figure who had wandered into hers and the brothers' vicinity. She would have loved to stay and introduce herself, but the armored soldiers were fast approaching.
Doubtless that the soldiers had been called to address her recent theft of her mother's dinner ingredients, Olly made to escape the scene. As Saro stepped forward and addressed the soldier who had shouted, she crouched behind a rather portly woman and ducked into the shadows. She let the potatoes and butter fall to the brick floor of the alley; if she was lucky, she could come back for them later. If not... well... hopefully she would escape with her life.
This last thought not comforting her one bit, Olly looked desperately around the alley into which she had run, searching for some means of escape... a ladder to the rooftops? A passage into another alley? A drain? Really, anything would do. She prayed that her new friend would be able to keep the guards at bay, hoping that if they both made it out of this alive, he wouldn't blame her for having turned tail. Saro really was innocent, after all... he had a much better chance of leaving with his neck intact.
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Post by »Kamui Syvil VII on Aug 16, 2007 3:13:53 GMT -5
He was a big man, this soldier that Saro had addressed. Easily clearing six feet, he was stout and burly looking. However, his intelligent eyes showed that he was no meat-headed dolt, and his weather beaten, scarred face showed that he had ample combat experience. The other soldiers wore breastplates and chain mail, but the man wore half-plate armor, minus a helmet. Then there was the large, over-sized morning star he carried, resting on his shoulder at the moment. Clearly, he was the ranking officer of the patrol. "Move, boy!" The man shouted, scarcely even looking at Saro or Garu as he roughly made to pass, the soldiers behind him surging forward as well. He would not be delayed, it would seem.
"Lookin' for a way out, I suppose?" Came an oddly cheerful voice, given the situation, from behind Olly. The cloaked figured silently followed her into the alleyway, along with the wolf-dog and the piglet. "Them soldiers. They're a pesky lot, no?" He spoke casually, as if they were talking over tea.
"Over here, sir! Down the alleyway!" Cried one of the soldiers, appearing at the entrance to the alley, spear at the ready.
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Post by wintersonata on Aug 16, 2007 6:43:34 GMT -5
The soldier's continued shouting made Olly's heart race. Why, oh why, did today have to be the day that the city decided to send soldiers on patrol and not the dull-brained oafs she usually danced away from with ease? And why--she began to panic now--was this bizarre stranger following her into the alley? Surely he wasn't part of the soldiers' lot... or was he?
She turned to face him, hands hovering instinctively at her sides. "Yes," she replied breathlessly. "Too pesky for my taste. I'd really much rather be having lunch at the mo'." Olly's eyes landed for a moment on the stranger's animal companions, wondering if she was wearing something on her forehead that day that called for company with pets.
"Are you a pesk, or a friend of escapees?" she asked frankly. She had to know. There were far too many unknowns in this situation, and she had to know--at least--whether this man who had her cornered in the alley was friend or foe.
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Post by valter on Aug 16, 2007 16:53:51 GMT -5
"Hey!" Saro grunted as he and Garu were shunted aside, landing hard on the cobblestone street, but the soldiers were already gone. "Hm. It's not us. And I don't think it's Olly either. They don't send soldiers after petty thieves." Saro muttered, picking himself up and brushing dirt off his front. "So, who were they after? Oh shoot, where is Olly!?"
With nary a word more, the boy ran full tilt at the retreating ranks of soldiers, hoping that his gut instinct was wrong for once, Garu padding anxiously at his heels. Saro turned his head at the entrance to an alley, and skidded to a violent halt, nearly spraining his ankle in the process. Too late, the soldiers were bearing down the alleyway, and sure enought, there was Olly along with the mysterious stranger from before.
"Do you think we should risk it Garu?" Saro asked in a voice too low for the soldiers to hear. Three red acorns had appeared in his hand. Garu took a glance at Saro, then at the alley, and then back at Saro, afflicted with indecision, and then finally nodded. "Alright then." Saro said, putting on his trademark smirk. He moved his hand back, preparing to throw...
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Post by »Kamui Syvil VII on Aug 16, 2007 20:25:14 GMT -5
The figure glanced over the soldier brandishing a spear, but looked back to Olly. "Ah, well, that depends." He answered Olly. "I could be considered either, dependin' on who ya' ask. However, I mean ya' no harm, if that's what ya' wanna know... My they're thorough today, aren't they?" He glanced upward. "Avalan black ops..." Shadowy forms in dark form-fitting armor and masks began appearing silently atop the roofs, far above Olly and the figure. It was about this time that the rest of the soldiers joined the one with the spear. The large officer stepped forward, "You are surrounded, do not attempt to escape." The sound of numerous bowstrings being pulled back could be heard from the rooftops. The officer pointed his large morning star at the cloaked figure, "Kamui Syvil the Seventh, also known as Orange Blitz, for numerous crimes against humanity, you have been stripped of any rights and sentenced to death by the Royal Court. As the commanding officer of the 9th Division of the Knight Infantry Brigade, I, Captain Rowen Argiss, have the authority to carry out this sentence. Do not resist and I shall make your death a quick one." Argiss' trained eyes also fell on Olly, then on the discarded stolen goods laying on the ground. "Men, detain the gypsy girl well we're at it. We can hand her over to the local constables once the demon is dead." "Well, it's apparent this ain't doin' any good," Kamui said, reaching up and pulling off his hood, revealing a youthful looking face. Bright, fiery orange hair, like that seen at sunsets, sat atop his head. It was messy and spiky, somewhat long with no real style to it. His right eye was a bright emerald green, but his left eye was the same fiery orange as his hair. They were nearly almond shaped, hinting at his Bokokun heritage and his complexion was darker then most Demians, but lighter then most Bokokuns. His face was marked by a thin and pitted scar running across his left cheek, yet he did not appear menacing. Both of his elongated ears were pierced with silver rings, though he was no Elf. Sakurako, the wolf-dog, stood by his side, hackles raised, a low growl in her throat directed a Argiss. The piglet, Yibbles, seemed completely oblivious of the soldiers and wandered over to investigate Olly. "Uh, heh heh...," He chuckled slightly, running a hand through his hair, "Here's the thing, man. I'm not ready ta' die yet. I've still got things ta' do, people ta' see..." "More cities to level, you wretched demon?" Argiss interjected angrily. "Hey, man, I swear the was an accident... Sorta. Though in my defense, the cities were deserted." Kamui chuckled nervously.
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Post by wintersonata on Aug 16, 2007 23:58:25 GMT -5
Olly was relieved to see that despite some minor shoving, Saro and Garu were unharmed. What made her back into the wall of the alley were the soldiers that were drawing ever nearer, spears at the ready, and the black figures that had appeared above, ruling out scaling the walls to safety on the rooftops. Why all this trouble to just capture a potato-stealing gypsy girl?
But it turned out that she wasn't who they were after, really. She turned surprised eyes towards the guard at the front as he addressed the cloaked figure before her, and cursed colorfully under her breath when he decided to take her in as well, just for the hell of it.
She regarded Kamui in mild surprise as he unveiled himself, revealing a rather strange appearance that she hadn't been expecting at all. She really hadn't known what to expect, really--she'd stopped having expectations after the guards had arrived. But now wasn't the time for staring. Now was the time for quick thinking and escaping.
*Cities to level?* she thought confusedly as Arguss and Kamui exchanged not-so-friendly banter and Yibbles came over to her, snuffling.
"What are we going to do, little piggy?" she whispered, crouching down under the pretense of scratching the piglet's ears, and grabbing the dagger that was strapped by its sheath to her upper left thigh. She knew that she had next to no chance of taking on this many armed and armored soldiers, but damned if she would go down quietly.
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Post by valter on Aug 17, 2007 9:56:46 GMT -5
"It looks like they're going to fight." Saro whispered, silently returning the red acorns to his pocket. They'd lost the element of surprise, with Black Ops on the roof, it'd be tantamount to suicide to toss noisemakers into the crowd of soldiers. Thankfully no one considered them a threat yet, so Saro placed his hands behind his head like a curious onlooker again. One hand gripped the bow in the quiver, the other ran through the fletching of three arrows. There was next to no chance that he'd be able to shoot down anyone in their armor, but it was worth a shot.
At his height, Garu had to settle for staring at the black-covered white-masked soldiers on the roofs, pricking his ears to catch wisps of the conversation. A demon? A city-razer? And they're going to fight... I feel uneasy about this. Who knows what he's capable of? Garu thought anxiously, nudging Saro and giving him a look that said, "Maybe we should get out of here." Predictably, Saro didn't waver.
"This Kamui guy... he doesn't seem that bad. And if he's as powerful as they say he is, he might even be able to help us. Besides, I can't just let this happen!" Saro said out of the corner of his mouth. He scanned the alley and rooftops again, and spotted a few important features. On the left roof, a dusty fireworks box. On the right roof, a water 'tower', held up by flimsy wooden poles. In the alley, several flowerpots hanging from a cheaply repaired window sill, which was attached to the wall with taut rope. "I think we can pull a few tricks." Saro muttered. "We just have to wait for someone to make a move, and then we'll make ours." He grinned slyly, his daredevil expression masking how nervous he felt about the whole plan.
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Post by »Kamui Syvil VII on Aug 21, 2007 4:03:33 GMT -5
"Enough talk!" Argiss spat, the big man took a battle stance, tightening his grip on his morning star. "Give me room, men. I want to slay the demon personally." "Look, I'd rather not hurt you, man... How 'bout ya' just walk away?" Kamui said, taking no battle stance. Sakurako, however, stepped to the side. Argiss' answer was a full out charge at Kamui, who still made no visible means to defend himself or even move. "Ha ha!" Argiss cried triumphantly, raising his weapon so as to crush his opponent's head. In the blink of an eye Kamui was not in front of him anymore, but crouching low next to him, sweeping his legs. Argiss had no time react, not that he could have even stopped himself if he did, for the big man had built up a great deal of momentum. He went flying past Olly and Yibbles, slamming into the back-wall of the alley with enough force to rattle it. The morning star slid from his grip, falling to the ground. With an incoherent mumble and a groan, he too slid to the ground in a heap of dented armor, falling silent. Several twangs could be heard from above as several arrows were let loose from above. From his crouching position, Kamui spun around rapidly on the ball of his foot. Several arrows were clutched in his hands as he came to a stop. A single arrow was also grasped by a prehensile, monkey-like tail covered in orange fur. It was poking out from under his cloak. Dropping the arrows, he stood up. "You humans, with your pathetic weapons..." There was something ominous and sinister, something decidedly inhuman, in his voice now as he spoke. His orange eyed flared crimson, the degree of which was intensified by the dimness of the alley. Taking a stance reminiscent of the fighting styles of the Eastern Continent Bokoku, he glared at the soldiers with a smoldering gaze, "Who's next?" All of the soldiers looked rattled, some of them were even visible shaking or audibly whimpering. The figures on the rooftops seemed hesitant to nock their bows. "This is where we run away, leavin' them ta' piss themselves," Kamui suddenly whispered over his shoulder to Olly in his normal voice, "Find that escape route yet?"
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Post by wintersonata on Aug 22, 2007 1:50:19 GMT -5
Olly's sharp eyes had also seen the fireworks on the rooftop to her right and the rusty, battered-looking water tower to the left... opposite Saro's point of view, of course, because she was facing him. She was still crouched down by Yibbles the pig, and having grabbed the dagger from its sheath, also proceeded to scoop up some hand-sized rocks from the cobblestone at their feet. She weighed them in her hands with a thoughtful frown, nodding when she had selected five or six that would do the job quite well. While Kamui continued to distract the guards by easily bringing down their leader (Olly grinned and jumped aside nimbly as he fell), a slew of crazy escape plans ran through her head.
"I think I've got a plan," she whispered back, a roguish grin spreading over her face. "The more chaos the better, so do what you will. Do aim for the fireworks in particular, though. And here we go!"
With her left hand holding her dagger and the hem of her skirt, making a makeshift basket as she had for the potatoes, Olly threw the first stone with deadly accuracy... towards the flowerpots, of course. The rock smashed the largest pot with a crash, scattering soil and the not-too-happy pansies over the heads of the soldiers below.
Hoping that would distract them for long enough, Olly now aimed for the cheap wooden poles supporting the heavy barrel of water on the opposite rooftop. **I knew that carnival ringtoss game would pay off someday,** she thought wryly, as she hurled a stone towards the closest pole.
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Post by valter on Aug 22, 2007 9:55:12 GMT -5
"Whew!" Saro whistled as Kamui sent the big guy flying. Garu snapped his teeth in the air to remind the boy to be quiet, but nothing came of it. The soldiers were still so rattled that they were at a loss for what to do. Taking advantage of this, Saro grabbed an arrow and skewered a red acorn to the tip, and drew his bow.
At the same time, a loud crash from the alley drew almost everyone's eyes. A well hurled stone had shattered a flowerpot, showering the guards below. "Hey, that was my plan!" Saro cried out indignantly, but at the sight of Garu's teeth bared in annoyance, he added. "But the more the merrier right?"
Unfortunately, the sound of the flowerpot breaking seemed to galvanize the Avalan soldiers back to action. Bows were being strung from the rooftops, pointing down towards Olly and Kamui, whilst the soldiers catiously advanced on the dangerous half-demon, spears held out in front of them.
"Ah, this won't do." Saro whispered to Garu, before raising his voice. "Oy, you lot! The sissies in the black cloaks! Why bother with the masks, your faces look the same either way!" he taunted, pulling his rigged arrow as far back as the string would allow. As he'd hoped, the Black Ops on both sides of the roof turned their heads, and he let the arrow fly.
They weren't called Black Ops for nothing. Each and every one of the black robed soldiers dodged swiftly out of the way, shooting their own arrows even as they avoided his. Of course, that meant that nothing could block his rigged arrow. The arrowhead wedged itself in between the boards of the brightly colored box, the powder in the acorn stimulated by the force of the impact. With a defeaning boom, the box exploded, sending a fireball surging across the left rooftop, with the odd flash of brightly patterned lights. These illuminated the hail of arrows surging towards them. The pair barely leapt away in time. One arrow found it's way to Saro's leg, but the rest peppered the ground harmlessly.
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