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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Medriev" data-source="post: 4709432" data-attributes="member: 21864">Chapter 19 - Tides of Blood (Part 4)Enlishia moved to the edge of the platform by the door and took aim at the farthest statue just as its scourge cracked out again. She heard demonic roars beyond the centre platform but could not decide whether they were roars of defiance or of pain. Slowly, she took aim and then, letting her breath out, she let fly. The first arrow drove into the shoulder of the statue but before it had even struck, Enlishia had nocked another to her bow. She loosed this a heartbeat later and it too, flew straight and true, driving into the hip of the statue. The grinding that she had heard from the first statue before it stopped moving, filled the chamber as the mechanism of the far statue struggled to cope with the damage that had been done to it.With an effort that she did not know she could muster, Telkya dragged herself out of the blood pool and up the steps to the centre platform. She heard the grinding from the far statue and knew that it too had been damaged by Enlishia’s unfailing accuracy with her bow. Telkya raised her left hand weekly and uttered a prayer, calling down a column of golden light that seared the statue. The construct ground more loudly for a moment and half-turned as the heat seized its innards but then it was still Telkya added her own thanks to Corellon for his aid and then turned to the left as a demon rose from the blood pool and started forward for the second time towards the steps at the southern end of the platform. Even as Telkya turned, Erlmoor rose from the blood pool behind her and made his own way up the steps. As he crested the centre platform he let forth another roar of defiance and then started towards the southern steps where the demon would climb up from the pool. Raising his blade, the dragonborn uttered his own prayer, calling on the Morninglord to aid him. Ribbons of searing golden radiance engulfed the demon and it cried out the pain pierced it to its heart. Fixing the dragonborn in its gaze, it started forward again and began to climb slowly up the steps. Then the dragonborn heard a startled cry and a roar behind him and as he glanced back, he saw that the first demon, the one that had nearly felled Dulvarna, had climbed the steps behind Telkya. The demon lashed out with one of its claws and the elf maid ducked but then it lunged forward, seeking to seize her sword arm in its terrible teeth. Telkya stepped back and slammed the hilt of her sword into the side of the demon’s head. She had prevailed for the moment but Erlmoor feared that she could not lat long alone against such a foe.    At the northern end of the ledge, Litiraan loosed a wave of flame from his wand that engulfed the advancing demon close to the northern steps but the creature did not even break its stride. It reached the steps and climbed them quickly before rushing at the two elves with a roar. A claw struck the side of Litiraan’s head and sent him reeling while Lavren raised his sword and slashed it into the arm of the creature, turning its attention away from Litiraan for a moment. With a snarl, it started towards the warlock and Litiraan recovered but both elves knew that they were trapped against the wall. Their place of safety from the scourges of the statues had become a trap and without aid, it would be the place where they would fall.Dulvarna watched Telkya fend off the demon for a moment while she gathered her strength and then she raised her blade and charged at the demon. She raised her blade above her head as she drew near and then brought it down, thinking to cleave open the demon’s skull. At the last, the creature turned towards her and her blade missed its head by a finger’s breadth cleaving instead into the creature’s shoulder. The demon roared and turned to face the enemy it had fought in the blood pool. From her left, Dulvarna heard Enlishia’s bow release and knew that the ranger was lending aid to Lavren and Litiraan. Grimly, she turned back to the demon before her and raised her blade, determined to finish her foe this time. She nodded to Telkya, signalling the priestess to withdraw and the elf maid did as she was bade but as she did so, she began another prayer. Golden light washed over Dulvarna and restored her strength while healing the worst of her hurts. The warrior woman nodded her thanks to the elf and turned back to the foe before her as the demon came at her, lashing out with its claws.Erlmoor roared again at the demon before him and then uttered a short prayer to Lathander. His blade glowed with divine light as a portion of his own strength filled it and he swung out at the demon, tearing a wound across the creature’s chest and driving it back. Erlmoor stepped forward and uttered another prayer. Again his blade glowed and again it sang out but this time, the demon ducked under the swing. From a crouched position it snarled at Erlmoor and then leapt forward. A claw lashed out and struck the paladin’s hip, spinning him to his right and forcing him back in turn, away from his enemy. Demon and dragonborn roared then, challenging each other and defying each other, and knowing that only one would survive the battle.</blockquote>

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