When The Storm Rains Fire

The guards at the hole were blasted back and singed, but otherwise they were fine. Maheed and I drew our weapons and rushed towards the hole. “Get back! Get back! Wizard! Shield wall, both sides!”
Those close to the hole scattered to either side of the hole, a good distance away. All shields were raised. Wal and Naz came running from the other side.

The man with the bird mask slowly walks out of the hole and when he emerges, a
great bird made of pure flames roars out of his hands and into the sky. By the time
it reaches the top of the wall, its wings are each as wide as a two-story house is tall!
A phoenix!
It lets out a terrible cry as it flaps its wings once, spreading fire across the battlefield and the houses, then it flies off towards Solaris. It’s going to attack the citizens! A
great blade of water rips through the air and cuts into the flaming bird. Auroura is
here! She can defeat it, I’m sure. We just need to kill this mage.

His mask no longer resembles flames but is actually on fire. He wears a cloak that
covers his shoulders and upper arms, but leaves his chest bare, displaying the many burn scars he has decorating his darkened skin. His pants bear flame decorations
running down the side with white hot iron boots covering his feet.

I shout out to the others “Wizards need time to cast big spells. Don’t give him the
chance!”
Wal and I rush forward at him while the other two circle around. He jumps back an
impressive distance leaving a puff of fire in his wake, drawing his blade. He places
the flat of the blade onto his hand and unsheathes it again. This time a cloak of fire
coats the sword and large wings of pure flame appear on his back. He lunges at Wal
with impressive speed, the flaming sword crashing down on his shield followed by a push from the wizard’s free hand resulting in an explosion throwing Wal back.

By that time, Naz had jumped at the mage and was smacked by blazing wings. I
ducked under the flying dwarf and my blade collied with his as Maheed tried to cut
the backs of his legs. He was stopped by a small explosion. My sword screeched off his and I thrust it forward, but he jumped to the side and kicked my weapon. His
boots crashed through my sword as though it were water! I threw up my shield to
stop his next attack which sent a crack rippling through the metal kite!
Reinforcements had arrived as the other three had arrived in three different
directions.

Maheed was stopped when a sudden wall of fire stood in his path, Wal dueled the
mage’s wings and Naz smacked his sword of flame with his oversized shield. Maheed circled around to the front, dodged a swirling spike of flames and sliced at the
wizard’s gut. He was cut, but he barely cared.
A burst of magic and he was surrounded by a raging inferno as his hand swept over his cuts and sealed them. The other captains jumped back, and my weapons were
replaced by another elf’s. I now had a short sword instead of a long sword, but I
could make do. I run back into the still blazing flames.

As I sprint towards the flaming wizard an arrow flies in from outside the ball of
flame. It’s smacked away by a wing, but that leaves a slight opening for Maheed to
slice at his back. He was blasted back with a jab of the wizard’s elbow. The split
second his sword wasn’t protecting him, Naz chopped at his hand and it left a deep
cut on his forearm as more arrows rained from outside, occupying the wings while
Wal and I charge him.
Wal charge through a twisting spire of flames swiping at our opponent with his
mace. A flaming hand gripped the mace and melted the handled off. He’s open. I
thrust my sword at him, as he tries to jump back only to be knocked off balance by
Wal’s massive tail. My sword touches his chest and slashes outward leaving an open gash towards his free hand as his sword crashes upon my shield. Then his sword
was dropped.

As all captain’s weapons closed in on the enemy, he jumped up into the air, avoiding all of our attacks. When I look up, all I see is a huge blazing funnel roaring towards
me! I jump and roll away then continue running to avoid the swirling pyre.
When he lands, orbs of flame, like stars, hang above his head for a second before
launching at us. I barely manage to slip past them, but they explode behind me,
filling my back with heat. The wizard dashes at me and then throws mighty punches that I barely manage to deflect. Each of his punches roll off with my shield, but
shortly after each hit comes three large slashes of solid flames. Then a kick sends my boots back, dragging through the scorched grass, followed by another kick. This one summoned a flaming serpent who throws me into the air and washes over my body, scorching any open cuts and burning away a good portion of my surcoat, exposing my vest of chainmail. I can’t hold my shield anymore, so it lands somewhere
else.

I lay in the grass agonizing in my burns for a moment. I can't stop now. It takes a
moment, but I muster the resolve to stand. When I look up, I see the others all being pushed back by his barrage of spells.
Toross has even joined the fight, running around the flaming monster loosing
countless arrows at it. The beast abandoned all defenses. His attacks are strong, but take a moment to really impact. I won’t be put on the back foot. I look to the line
who are all watching on in awe or running for more buckets of water. “Sword!”

Each swing this monster throws sends waves of flame whipping through the air, and when he’s not punching he’s spraying a wide sweeping flame or preparing another
tornado of flame to let loose upon the battlefield. It’s taking everything the captains have just to dodge or deflect his flames.
I shout “Die!” as I rush at his back, he spins around, hurling a giant ball of flame at
me. It, like the others, explodes behind me so he doesn’t see the arrow fly over my
shoulder. A puff of flame sends the arrow to ashes as my sword slashes at his
injured hand. He loses a finger. His other hand is poised back ready to thrust
forward as his injured hand pulls back. My small round shield smacks his fist and
pushes it away. I keep pushing forward slashing at him wildly. He’s able to dodge or
deflect my attacks, but he has to focus on them. Maheed and Naz fly at him from
opposite directions and he’s back on full defense.

Our fight continues like that for a while longer. He throws flames, we attack again
and again and again. He’s cut all over, but the flames seal his wounds, so he barely
bleeds. We’re all burnt. Lots of Maheed’s fur has burned off, Naz is missing most of
his beard, lots of Wal’s blood-red scales have turned to black and I have scorch
marks all over. Toross had been keeping his distance, but he’s caught his share of
flames. We’re surrounding him, but everyone was exhausted and our movements
have become sluggish. We can’t keep this up. One final push is all we need. Except
he pushed us first.

“Consume!” His shout came out in a scratchy mess, as though his voice was burned, and all that’s left were these ashes. The monster threw his hands out in a strange
pattern to the person in front of him. Wal burst into flame! He let out a terrifying
roar and the flaming beast turned to us.

“Wal!” We all shouted as we charged at this monster. He didn’t even notice when the giant flaming lizard ran up behind him. He began to shout his spell at us again but
was stopped when the giant lizard’s jaw closed around his neck and shoulder.
His wings flailed at Wal in desperation, but he barely seemed to notice as the wizard let out the last of his voice as a hoarse scream under the horrifying sound of his
collar bone crunching.  Wal lifted the monster up with nothing but his teeth and
slammed him into the ground.
An arrow plunged into his heart, Maheed’s twin swords cut off his raised hand
before it could cast a spell, Naz’s axe chopped into his leg before it kicked up and my sword flew through his neck. His head fell off and blood poured out, all in less than a second. But Wal was still burning!

Water! We need water! Magic! Aroura said anyone could do magic! I drop both of my weapons and extend my hands at Wal. His roars fill the air. Just imagine in your mind and find your core. Water. Water. I fell a rumbling in my soul, so I focus on that and
then a mountain of water blasts out of my hands. The giant wave washes away
everything in front of it. Wal is almost swept away with the current, but his flames
are gone as well as all the scattered fires in front of me. Even the buildings are
doused and the flames die out. Some of the line who were running for more
buckets of water were carried away from the overwhelming river that just blasted
out of my hands.

caressing my hands brings with it an indescribable pain. I slowly turn my hands
around and see what I was afraid of. My bones.