"Well I don't think he wants you to die either! Even if ya can fight off those thugs, the Red Witch is out there. Bet she has more stolen magic than ours.
"Hey elf!" he called to Tharron. "We got to go. Make them trees cover us." If the elf was like Cara he would be too stubborn to go. It was kind of admirable, but also kind of dumb. That was fine. Ewan won all his wizard duels back at Wyrdwood and was a top tier strategist! The elf girl simply must be moved and her father would follow. She his size him but he could just shapechange and be bigger. But into what? He didn't have his staff or a bit of anything to turn into- wait! An ogre! He scampered over to the fallen cook to collect some... hair?
***
The line of crossbowmen shrieked in pain at the venomous barbs. All of them collapsed, gasping in pain. The phalanx near the gate fared better behind their shields, though some broke ranks rather than engage the elf-thing. Whatever it was, many decided, was beyond mortal.
Narlis bristled with fury, his brigadine having kept the thorns at bay. Lose anymore of these whelps and his reputation would be down the shitter. But he saw the elf's game now and it was just a matter of the right tools. Fire did good, a pollaxe not so much. Had to stop the regrowth and keep this pissant too busy to do magic until Toad or the Witch arrived. The mercenary advanced on Tharron, sword and shield dancing to and fro, taking cautious jabs at joints in the elf's armor. His sword, black and greasy, oozed an eldritch toxin capable of rotting dragonscale. "Ya got some tricks up your sleeve, eh? Well me too! Only I got more. Ain't some primitive howling to gods for the same magic over and over. I got engineers under me. Alchemists. Always devising new ways- oof!" He panted, "-to kill!"
Where was that Red Witch? Where was Toad the little shit?
