Castle Siege

Almost immediately upon approaching the castle, fireballs began raining down from the sky. 

Ariana swept her hand into the air. "Reaping!" The sky flashed and split across several of them. She funneled the magic they had into more pumpkin seeds. She tossed a seed into her mouth. "Churning!" The snow around the castle gate whipped into a frenzy that snuffed any remaining fireballs, and she bit down on the seed. Power surged back into her.

As they neared the front gates, they pulled up the drawbridge and shut the portcullis. Hayden cracked his neck side to side. Ariana poured a handful of pumpkin seeds into his hand. She gave the same amount to Ellie and Sophie. The cart and horse came skidding to a stop in the snow. Everyone hopped out and stood before the gates. Hayden popped a pumpkin seed in his mouth and pulled an acorn bullet from his bandoleer. He started charging. 

More fireballs rained down on them. Sophie quickly responded by summoning barriers above them. Ellie gave a few readying hops before transforming into her crow form, flapping up into the ramparts. She slammed into one of the guards mid-transformation and then leapt back. She cast a newly learned skill, and in her place stood... possibly three boars... no two... no four... They seemed to phase in and out of each other and existence. It was difficult to tell where one ended and another began, impossible, even. They were encloaked in shadows and uncountable. The shadowy amalgam of phasing boars roared all at once to the soldiers on the ramparts and charged at them. They fled in fear. 

Then the boars vanished, and it was only Ellie. She had learned illusion magic. 

Ellie flew back to the group just in time for Hayden to finish charging. He shouted out. 

"RIGHT, IT SEEMS THE EASY WAY AIN'T AN OPTION ANYMORE! EITHER THE GATE OPENS IN FIVE SECONDS OR THERE IS NO GATE!"

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One. 

"SMITE!"

He was blown back a foot or so by the force and bit down on his seed. 

As promised, the Smite blasted an elephant-sized hole in the castle where the gate should have been.

Ariana cast her hand out, and several trees sprouted sideways into the castle wall to form a bridge.

The group ran inside. 

Inside the castle proper, she could feel no connections to the magic flow. She was very glad to have thought of the pumpkin seeds. Despite the connection being severed, it felt as though there was a magic all its own in this place. It was almost like she could feel all the minor fluctuations.

The party cautiously stepped through the entrance hall, eventually coming to the throne room. There weren't any soldiers about. 

It felt... strange. 

Ariana felt a strange concentration of energy moving towards the party. 

She summoned a wall of water and vines to meet the movement, successfully intercepting a concussive fireball. She looked to the source of it and saw... Millim. 

She scoffed. "Not sure how you survived that battle... but I owe you a few extra scars after what you did to me."

All across Millim's body were jagged scars that looked like tiger stripes. 

"I'll kill every last one of you this time." She ignited with a great flame. Next to her stepped out the armored man... That's right, Millim called him Jareth. He was the real threat. 

Ariana glanced to Hayden. 

Hayden stepped up. "Sophie and I will handle the big guy."

Ariana nodded. "Ellie!"

Ellie rushed to her side, a whispy blackness trailing from her. "Right!"

Jareth chuckled and stepped forward. "This should prove amusing." 

Ariana took a breath... then dug her heel against the tiled floor. She began doing as she did best, weaving traps. From her heel slipped and sprouted several threads. They carefully spread out along the cracks and creases between the tiles.

Ellie popped a pumpkin seed in her mouth, then transformed and flew at Millim. 

Millim responded with a line of fire straight at the crow... which then became a flock of crows. They swooped at her and transformed into many Ellies poised to strike. Millim spun around in a circle, unleashing a ring of fire that toasted them all... except the one that swooped down from above. It transformed into Ellie and dove into a strike. Millim barely dodged in time, and her chin was swiped by Ellie's knife. Ellie turned back into the flock of crows and scattered to avoid the incoming fire breath.

Jareth walked casually toward his opponents and pumped a fist into his waiting palm. Hayden responded with a cracking of his knuckles. Both expanded their auras; Jareth's an ominous red, Hayden's a clear white. 

Jareth shot out a left straight jab, Hayden responded with a right step, his right hand held to the left and radiating diverting force. Jareth's jab veered to his right, Hayden's left. Hayden gripped Jareth's left shoulder with both hands and tossed Jareth aside with that diverting force and a shove. 

Jareth managed to catch himself. He leered back at Hayden. "An impressive display, for a human."

Hayden cocked his head a bit and brought his open palms back up. "More where that came from, slick."

Jareth opened his hand to slam it down on Hayden with ominous claws. Sophie put her staff up. "Reflect!"

A shimmering barrier popped up for just a moment. Clawmarks appear in Jareth's armor when he slammed the barrier. 

Ellie's swarm of crows flew about the chamber, pecking at Millim and crying out. She swiped with claws and blasted flames across the room. 

All the while, Ariana was standing still. Her threads had almost finished their work. 

Hayden and Jareth struck each other with a right hook cross-counter. Jareth growled. "Rejection." Hayden received the damage in return and stumbled back. 

Millim was panting, sounding winded. Her fire wasn't as potent. She was struggling to keep up with Ellie. Ellie managed to come from behind and swipe Millim across her arm and back... but only a graze. Millim screamed out angrily, swinging her leg out to try to catch Ellie, but she just reverted to a flock of crows again. 

Hayden donkey-kicked Jareth back a bit and fell to the ground. Jareth stumbled. Hayden rolled back to his feet and Sophie stood behind him with he staff up. Hayden readied a smite bullet and started charging. Jareth saw this and started laughing. "How amusing! Very well, come at me! See if your Smite can beat my Rejection!" He stood with his arms up, ready and waiting for the incoming attack. 

Ellie continued her feathered assault of illusory murders and glancing slices, until Millim caught Ellie in the back during an attempt to escape. Ellie screamed out and Millim immediately pinned her to the ground. She opened a mouth of razor fangs and the infernal glow from within her became brighter and brighter.

But nothing came. 

Millim became exhausted. "What... What's... happening??"

Ariana stepped over to her. "I've been casting Magic Drain this whole time."

Millim recoiled. "That's impossible! You haven't been touching anyone!"

Ariana smirked. "You've underestimated the Witch of the Wood." She made a pulling gesture with her finger and thumb, and a net of threads came up from under Millim. They completely entangle her. Millim struggled and fought as hard as she could against the strands, but they were too numerous. 

Hayden was ready. He glanced to Sophie. Sophie nodded. 

"SMITE!"

Jareth laughed as the bullet came and struck him. "REJECTION!"

The Smite was reversed right back at Hayden.

Sophie thrust her staff forward. "REFLECT!"

It bounced back at Jareth. "HUH?! REJECTION!"

"REFLECT!"

"REJECTION!"

"REFLECT!"
"REJECTION!"
"REFLECT!"
"REJECTIONREFLECT!"
"REFLECTREJECTION!"
"REJECTIONREFLECTREJECTIONREFLECTREJECTIONREFLECTREJECTIONREFLECTREJECT"

One missed syllable was all it took. Jareth took the brunt of a Smite that had been rebounding and building power as it traveled back and forth. He was blown backwards through the wall of the castle and into the snowfields beyond. 

Hayden breathed a sigh of relief. "Damn, that's a quick trigger finger you got on you, Sophie.

Sophie gave a smug look. "I'll have you know I have a clicks per second of seventeen!" 

Ellie raised a hand from the ground. "A little... help... please...

Sophie made a slightly panicked sound and rushed to Ellie's side with a Heal. 

Ariana stood up and sighed, relieved. This went far smoother than she thought it would; everything worked out perfectly. Even the commotion outside was quiet. 

Wait. 

It was quiet outside. 

There were still some soldiers throwing fireballs when they entered. 

Why was it so quiet?

Then, for the first time in a while... she saw a red sharpness enter her vision. 

It directed her attention to the door. 

She saw the spiky red hair.

She was in danger.