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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jon Potter" data-source="post: 3430797" data-attributes="member: 2323">[PLAIN][Realms #389] The Test of Air, part 2[/PLAIN]As they flew, the cluster of small creatures spread out, with an eager group of four moving ahead of the others and two stragglers strung out behind. Huzair was concerned by the two that had stopped; the wizard was rightly afraid that they had somehow spotted Ayremac. He moved his fingers through an intricate series of gestures and then pointed at the two that had stopped, shouting, "Telum magica!" Three bolts of force launched themselves outward, arcing around the phalanx of creatures rapidly approaching to slam into the two that were looking for the holy warrior.A pair of Magic Missiles impacted against the nearer while the third struck its fellow. Both creatures let out shrieks and exuded a sheathe of swirling vapor that served to Blur their outlines, making their exact positions uncertain.Ayremac did not see who had distracted the two creatures, but he mouthed a silent thanks and moved away before invoking a ward to Protect himself From Evil."Good shot, wizard!" Karak shouted as he began to Levitate up to meet their foes. Shamalin grabbed hold of his arm, forestalling his progress."Stay close. I have a plan," she said, clutching her silver holy symbol with her shield hand. She withdrew her hand to inscribe some symbols invisibly upon the air intoning, "Pariei ventus!"All those on the cloud could hear the rush of air all around them and felt the cleric's cylindrical Wind Wall ruffling their hair and clothing. Huzair looked over at the Mercybringer and winked."You are becoming quite creative with your spells! I am impressed," he told her. "I must be rubbing off on you. Next thing you know everyone will be mad at you... but you are way to sweet for that." Shamalin smiled wanly but did not respond.Ixin followed Huzair's lead and fired off a pair of Magic Missiles sending both into the creature that the wizard had already twice wounded. Both bolts of force struck unerringly despite the swirling mist that masked the thing. It let out a stifled cry, stiffened and started to fall. Ixin had never met Lela and hadn't seen the broken Faen plummet from the air as the others had, so she was unhaunted by the image and took nothing but satisfaction from the tiny, falling winged shape.The first four of the winged creatures came straight in at them, unaware of the Wind Wall that protected the group. They slammed into it at a point about 25 feet over their heads and were immediately thrust upward by the force of the Wall. They tumbled about in the air, momentarily confused by the buffeting winds and Huzair took the opportunity to draw a chip of white stone from his spell component pouch. He rubbed it with the thumb of one hand while moving the fingers of his other through the proper somatic gestures to evoke a Snowball Swarm. It exploded in the midst of the four creatures clustered above and they wailed in pain as ice and cold ravaged them."I'll finish them off!" Karak grinned, but again Shamalin grabbed his arm."No, Karak," she said. "The Wind Wall is our advantage here. There is but one way for them to approach. Let them come to us." The dwarf scowled at that but nodded his assent."In doing so, Shamalin, it also cuts off any line of escape should things start to go poorly for us," Morier pointed out, but the cleric shook her head."We're all of us heavy enough to just step through," she said. "Don't worry."Ayremac banked up and over the top of the shining cloud, landing beside a pile of treasure there. There was a longbow, a suit of banded mail armor, a slim silver wand, and a carved cube of white stone lying amidst a double hand full of glittering blue sapphires. The cube clearly was the Elemental Air Key."I found it!" he said into the Ring of Communication."Good work, lad!" Karak's voice cheered out of the Ring.Nobody noticed the falling creature right itself in the air and stop falling. Likewise did nobody see the other wounded thing above get a look of furious concentration on its face as it willed into existence a tiny, silvery gate. It swirled in the air beside it, but nothing came through and a moment later it closed. The creature gnashed its teeth in frustration.Ixin saw the creatures above them, coated in frost due to Huzair's magic and she grinned at the tight cluster they were in. Willing herself up she activated the Levitation magic and floated toward them. Feeling the thrum of fire within her breast she took a deep inhalation, calling on that power to breathe a cone of dragonfire that engulfed all four of the frozen creatures.Perhaps they were ready for such an attack after being assaulted by Huzair's spell, for they all managed to dodge the worst of the fire. But, even avoiding the worst, they still suffered horribly, the flames licking their already frost-bitten forms.They dropped, smoking to the surface of the cloud below. And they did not stir further.The two little things that had yet to act hadn't been idle. Both had opened gates and summoned another pair of their brethren. Where there had been two, there now was four, and the fastest of them darted in toward the group. It came in low and looked for a moment as if it were going to charge right into them, but then it stopped suddenly and opened its mouth, disgorging a cone of... something.Only Karak possessed a frame of reference for the feeling; he had been at the entrance to Khuntelormardin when kobold sappers from below had collapsed the mine. As the breath weapon settled over him, he was reminded of that day and the cloud of grit and dust that had belched forth from that collapsing tunnel. He hadn't managed to Evade the stinging debris that day, like he did now, but the cries of pain and alarm he heard from his companions were the same."Missed me!" Huzair taunted (for his False Life spell had completely negated any damage he might have taken from the attack). Then he pressed his thumbs together, fanned his fingers and cried, "Palmae incendium!" A fan of fire of licked outward from the wizard's fingertips, its outer edge sweeping over the unfortunate creature. It tried unsuccessfully to twist away from the spell but ended up twisting in pain instead.Two more of the creatures flew in as the first had, coming in low and fast. They both stopped ten feet from the group and breathed a cone of dust at them. When the dust cleared, Huzair spat, blinking grit from his eyes."What are they trying to do?" he cursed. "Exfoliate us to death?"</blockquote>

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