:: The grasses had grown taller than a man, and we came to a small circular clearing with a small spring in the middle of it. I glanced around, smiled at the water in the days heat, and moved forward to splash my face to try to cool myself for a moment. We had walked a long way, and still had a long way to go, I only hoped that the humans could keep up with my pace and not become too wary for our end battle. I looked back seeing Dael'ric leaning on a long staff he had found in the woods along the way and used more as a hiking staff than anything, and Shirra standing next to him batting her eyelashes and giggling as she whispered something in his ear that he smiled at. ::
:: My ears perked up as I heard a light rustle from the grass, I let the water fall out of my hands back into the spring, and searched the grass with my eyes, backing up to Dael'ric for I knew he would keep me safe. Then I saw it, the black shape moving through the grasses, some large animal, no wait there were three of them, all circling the clearing, my eyes went wide as I turned and ran the rest of the way back to Dael ::
What was that? Did you see that rustle in the grass?
Where? :: Shirra scaned the grass for trouble, pulling out her club from her pack and slipping her sheild onto her arm ::
Right there :: I pointed :: it's coming this way… Oh no, I think there are three of them :: I turned looking behind us :: and they are circling us...
:: Dael'ric tightened his grip on his sword and scanned the area as he stood between both me and Shirra :: Run, strait ahead, just stay behind me.
:: Shirra catches sight of one and follows it's movement :: Pick one and keep following it's movement.
:: Dael moves his shield up so he can just see over it :: Ready?
Shirra: Ahh... I'm not a ranger by any means... but lions rarely hunt humans...
Yes... but these ones, if they are lions... seem to be, Dael they're too fast :: I strung my bow, nocking an arrow, and knelt down readying myself for them to come out of the grass ::
:: Shirra goes into a short soft prayer and a faint blue aura shimmers around her form :: Alright... let the buggers come and dance :: Shirra said grinning as if it were all still a game ::
:: Dael'ric knelt saying a short prayer to Kelevmor, just as one of the black 'demon' lions jumped out of the grass with it's beeting red eyes and claws at Dael. He threw up his shield in time to block one of the lions claws witch in turn batted Dael's sheild arm away and it's other paw found flesh biting through Dael's breastplate. ::
:: Dael'ric fell back a step, leaning on his shield and staring down the lion, he grunted from the impact of the claw wound and lifted his sword swinging and catching one of the lions paws leaving a deep gash. The lions eyes flared for a moment but it backed off a couple steps matching Dael stare for stare. The other two lions if they were all the same, seemed to be still circling thinking the one was more than enough to overpower us, I cringed as Dael was hit. ::
Shirra: Dael, you doing ok there?
:: Dael'ric nods slightly still staring at the lion ::
:: Shirra's eyes still follow the one that she had spotted earlier as she turns slightly in a circle to watch it :: Good... I will try and keep an eye on this one.
:: Gathering myself from my earlier gasp, I noticed I had dropped my nocked arrow in the shock and fear, I gritted my teeth muttering some words and let the small missiles of magic fly from my fingers to protect Dael'ric. The creature yelped, and slinked back into the grass as the other two meet in their circle jumping in to take the ones place and hanging their jaws open as if hungry. They divide, moving swiftly, one jumping up at Dael as he barely gets his shield back in place to push the lion aside as it tried to pounce on top of him, the second lion Shirra had her gaze fixed on as it rushed toward her and she lifted her leg in time for the lions claws to snap shut on only air. ::
:: Dael'ric looks down to his new foe, stabbing in a downward slash and catching the beast across the back, as it ducked and shaked it's mein rearing up and slashing at Dael. Dael evaded the first claw rolling on the ground as the second claw reaped across his back, he gritted his teeth in pain, now bleeding from his chest and back. ::
:: I glanced over to Shirra, afraid for her, and saw her grinning and bopping the lion over the head with her club, I moved up behind her and collected myself. I smiled to Shirra, and stayed behind the two as I prepared my spell :: Protection, here my call, lady Shirra needs not fall. :: I muttered words of protection to put an invisible set of armor between her and the lion ::
:: I gasped as my spell was not quick enough, and the lion in front of Shirra reared up and Shirra got bowled over, pinned under the weight of the lion, she grinned still though shouting at the lion :: Come get some lion-demon-thingy!
:: My eyes moved back to the grass remembering there was still a thrid one out there, though it seemed to do nothing yet but growl and make the frenzy seem a mess as it smelled blood and I was the only one left standing. ::
:: Dael'ric screamed in pain, rolling from the ground with his momentum and swings his sword wildly with a look of bewilderment as he swings over the lions head in a high arc. I looked back to Shirra as she yellped with the lion still on top of her. I gritted my teeth, I had to help my friends, we weren't even at the tower yet, these were just lions, just lions. ::
:: I backed up shooting out another spell from my palm. The deep blue ray of cold frost shot through the air as I tried to get the lion off of Shirra. I gasped and screamed as it actually worked and the lions gaze turned to me, I turned to try to run, but it was too late, the lion bounded over and pounced on top of me pinning me to the ground, I clawed at the ground trying to get out from under it to no avail. I could no longer see the others, but I heard the rustling of battle and the sound of what I could only guess was teeth against metal and another grunt from Dael'ric. ::
:: Dael'ric grunted as the lion found his armor plate hard to get past, though somehow one tooth still got through and the lion had a grip on his shield arm. He flipped his sword skillfully in his hand, stabing down at the lion again in a jab, burrying and yanking his sword back out from deep in the lions shoulder. The lion growls as it lets go of Dael's sheild arm, backing up and licking it's wound. ::
:: Shirra, jumps off the ground back to her feet, running towards the lion that laid itself atop of me ::
:: I struggled, and managed to roll onto my back, having some of my cloak hem cut in the process, I gasped, taking a deep breath of the warm air and the stentch of lion breath filled my orfices, I closed my eyes focusing and then opening them quickly shooting another blue ray, freezing some of the lions underbelly, though the lion only opened it's mouth and tilted it's head as if to smile at me opening it's mouth and biting deep into my left shoulder, shaking its head and ripping my shoulder apart. The pain shot through my body as my eyes rolled to the back of my head, I let my bow fall to the ground as I could no longer feel my left arm, if it was even still attached at all. ::
:: Dael'ric was dealing with his own lion, focused on the battle at hand, he heard the women's screams and cringed at the thought that he could do nothing right now to help until he dealt with the one lion in front of him. He gazed determined to the lion, as it launched back to try to bite his arm again, he backed up and smashed it's face with his sheild, batting the lion away again. Dael sighs, but knows he has pledged to protect Amy, he tears his gaze from the lion in front of him and gasps at the carniage that he sees behind him, running forward in a fit of rage and spears the lion on top of Amy in the rear, pulling his sword free, hearing the snapping of jaws behind him as the lion he was facing must have tried to bite his heals as he turned from it. ::