01-14-2020, 12:55 PM
[font=trebuchet ms]Powerlessness was a horrid state to be in. Knowing that you had no idea what was coming, and that your enemies could strike at any time, putting everyone at risk... Rin had never been able to stand that feeling of dread, of weakness, of fear.
Even logic wasn't on their side. The Captain had appeared to Rin by himself, but for all they knew he might have additional allies- and they might be significantly more of a threat than the reapers that the Ferryman had brought. Even if he was alone, a blue whale could cause severe damage across the coast. If Elysium was prepared to evacuate, that wouldn't be much of a problem, but he could attack in the dead of night; the Elysites had to sleep at some point, and the gods were cutthroat, caring little for such things as "honor."
Still, if she thought about it for too long, she would stop functioning entirely- and that wouldn't do.
Rin had been at the marketplace herself, intending to purchase firewood, when she noticed Nemhain carrying bales of hay out of the corner of her eye. Elysium no longer kept horses, at least as far as Rin was aware. Quirking a brow, she glanced down at the log she had been examining, then put it back into place. It would still be there when she got back.
"Following" Nemhain would have been a strong word; Rin had decided to return to camp to satiate her curiosity about what the hay bales were for, but she took her time getting there, not especially concerned about keeping the persona in her line of sight. Perhaps they were intended for training purposes, since testing one's powers against moving targets was impractical here. The Pitt would probably have no issue with such a thing, but Elysium was better than that.
Sure enough, Rin arrived at camp just in time to see Nemhain fling a hay statue into two of its brethren, as easily as if she were bowling- then spike them with ice shards, like pincushions. When the Ferryman had attacked her, Rin had briefly caught a glimpse of the melting shards buried deep in his foreleg; considering what they'd done to the hay, if he'd been hit in the throat, eyes, or chest, he definitely would've been dead on the spot.
Could Nemhain have been quicker, as she remarked? Probably, but that was mostly because their opponents were fallen deities. The Captain probably would have been caught in the blast, given that whales weren't exactly known for their agility, but a god like Mercury might be able to weave their way out. Still, most creatures would have a hard time dodging such an attack.
Now that she thought about it... lifting a paw and glancing down at its scarred surface, she narrowed her eyes and focused her energy. Small, glowing sparks flew from her paw pad, but each lasted only a moment before fading away- the end result looking more like a dollar-store firecracker than the flames she had used against the Ferryman. Most likely, her control over fire had been amplified by the fact that she was in mortal danger.
Perhaps her mind was limiting her, on the basis that too strong a flame could trigger a flashback... or on the basis that she'd burned herself by accident the last time she used them.
Well, arrows had been serving her well so far. She could hit targets with them at a longer range than she could with fire, anyway. "What's the furthest distance you can send those shards?" Rin asked after a few moments, glancing up at Nemhain. She still had to set up the combat training session she'd mentioned at the previous assembly, and having a better idea of all the Elysites' capabilities would help her plan accordingly... maybe she'd also invest in a few training dummies, so that the others could test their powers.
/ish
Even logic wasn't on their side. The Captain had appeared to Rin by himself, but for all they knew he might have additional allies- and they might be significantly more of a threat than the reapers that the Ferryman had brought. Even if he was alone, a blue whale could cause severe damage across the coast. If Elysium was prepared to evacuate, that wouldn't be much of a problem, but he could attack in the dead of night; the Elysites had to sleep at some point, and the gods were cutthroat, caring little for such things as "honor."
Still, if she thought about it for too long, she would stop functioning entirely- and that wouldn't do.
Rin had been at the marketplace herself, intending to purchase firewood, when she noticed Nemhain carrying bales of hay out of the corner of her eye. Elysium no longer kept horses, at least as far as Rin was aware. Quirking a brow, she glanced down at the log she had been examining, then put it back into place. It would still be there when she got back.
"Following" Nemhain would have been a strong word; Rin had decided to return to camp to satiate her curiosity about what the hay bales were for, but she took her time getting there, not especially concerned about keeping the persona in her line of sight. Perhaps they were intended for training purposes, since testing one's powers against moving targets was impractical here. The Pitt would probably have no issue with such a thing, but Elysium was better than that.
Sure enough, Rin arrived at camp just in time to see Nemhain fling a hay statue into two of its brethren, as easily as if she were bowling- then spike them with ice shards, like pincushions. When the Ferryman had attacked her, Rin had briefly caught a glimpse of the melting shards buried deep in his foreleg; considering what they'd done to the hay, if he'd been hit in the throat, eyes, or chest, he definitely would've been dead on the spot.
Could Nemhain have been quicker, as she remarked? Probably, but that was mostly because their opponents were fallen deities. The Captain probably would have been caught in the blast, given that whales weren't exactly known for their agility, but a god like Mercury might be able to weave their way out. Still, most creatures would have a hard time dodging such an attack.
Now that she thought about it... lifting a paw and glancing down at its scarred surface, she narrowed her eyes and focused her energy. Small, glowing sparks flew from her paw pad, but each lasted only a moment before fading away- the end result looking more like a dollar-store firecracker than the flames she had used against the Ferryman. Most likely, her control over fire had been amplified by the fact that she was in mortal danger.
Perhaps her mind was limiting her, on the basis that too strong a flame could trigger a flashback... or on the basis that she'd burned herself by accident the last time she used them.
Well, arrows had been serving her well so far. She could hit targets with them at a longer range than she could with fire, anyway. "What's the furthest distance you can send those shards?" Rin asked after a few moments, glancing up at Nemhain. She still had to set up the combat training session she'd mentioned at the previous assembly, and having a better idea of all the Elysites' capabilities would help her plan accordingly... maybe she'd also invest in a few training dummies, so that the others could test their powers.
/ish
tags (06/13/20):