Passing of the Flame? [Atzar] [Open to 1 or 2 more]

[Atzar]

I’d have dodged it, of course.

But when a second shield shimmered in front of me and deflected the ray of light, I wasn’t sure which annoyed me more: that I hadn’t noticed this new arrival, or that my mysterious helper interfered in my affairs.

I shot the newcomer a glare. “I can handle my own business, thanks,” I said tartly. I’ve made my own way in the world since I was twelve. I take great pride in the fact that I’ve rarely had to rely on anybody else. Ignoring the plea for diplomacy, I gathered my focus for another attack.

The bearded priest held forth his hands to press his offensive; his companions hung back, content to let him do all the work. A grapefruit-sized ball of ice appeared in my palms and shot into the priest’s stomach before he could protect himself. No silly delays while I built my blaze, no funny business with wards; just ball of ice, boom. He doubled over, clutching at his torso and wheezing.

Well then. I hadn’t expected the difference between fire and ice to be so great. This warranted further consideration… but later.

First, I needed to decide what I was doing here. The three priests were a headache. If I let them leave, they would likely call on their fellows and hunt me down. It made more sense to kill them, but I didn’t have the heart to do it. And then there was the matter of my unsolicited ally. My breath steamed as I muttered a few choice words.

One of the other men crept forward to check on his wounded companion, concern written on his slender, pointy-nosed face. The third, a pudgy man with dark, stringy hair and red ears, made no move. I pointed at them both in turn. “You… and you. Get out of here,” I commanded. “Leave your magic friend. I still have business with him.”

“No!” Red Ears sputtered from his safe place behind his friends. “We don’t take orders from-“

“Go.” A second frosty projectile appeared in front of my fingers to incentivize him.

“Do as he says,” Wheezy croaked, still hunched over. “It’s fine.”

“You heard him,” I agreed. “You have my word that I won’t hurt him as long as he cooperates. You’re another story, unless you get moving. Right. Now.”

“We’ll be back with reinforcements,” Red Ears threatened. “Nobody gets away with kidnapping-“

“GO!” I thundered, taking a couple of steps toward him. Finally they broke, kicking up snow as they beat a hasty retreat back through the woods toward the village.

Red Ears’ words stuck with me, though. Not the threat; I had already expected that. But I hadn’t woken up this morning with designs on becoming a kidnapper. This was a new experience that I could have done without. But I had to make a quick decision, and this was what I came up with. I didn’t want the magic-user lurking around behind me, waiting for a chance to strike when my guard was down. I wanted him here where I could keep an eye on him. And there was a chance that he could even be useful to me.

I grimaced and shrugged, then turned to my guardian. My first reaction was to send him on his way, but the words died on my lips. There was something unsettling about his appearance. Well… perhaps ‘his’ wasn’t the right word. Honestly, I couldn’t tell whether I was looking at a man or a woman here. The being had tan skin and braided not-quite-white hair, and the purple eyes were unnerving.

“And you are?” I demanded instead.