Rocks and White Flames

Zeph did one last lap around the camp while everyone was getting into position. It didn't take long for the group of experienced mages to arrive. They hid just behind the tree line and split into groups to attack the camp from different sides. The three cultists on patrol didn't detect their presence as their base was surrounded. Bernard and Alex went to the side near the magical beast pens while the valir separated to take surround the rest of the camp. Eli watched Zeph's projection and while the young lord confirmed that everyone was where they needed to be.

Alex prepared to break the barrier surrounding the camp from nearby the beast pens. Hopefully, the cultists would believe that one of the creatures was responsible. A large magic circle started forming in front of Alex and Bernard prepared a spell to cast after the barrier shattered. After the barrier was broken, Bernard would unleash a haze of mist that would ensure the magical beasts stay asleep, and would most likely knock out any of the cultists that entered the area.

Eli watched Zeph's live stream as the young lord continued his owl reconnaissance while pouring magic into the ground beneath him. He was surrounding the camp in a barrier of his own that would ensnare anyone who tried to escape the attack with a sudden rush of magical vines. The three patrolmen looked none the wiser according to what Zeph was seeing. Bernard already suspected that these cultists were like most of the others, given power but with no training on how to use it. However, that was no reason to throw caution to the wind. One never knows what might happen in a battle involving magic. One last call over the comms let Alex, Bernard, and Eli know that everyone was in position and ready for the attack.

Max was bouncing on his toes waiting for the barrier to finally break. Finally, he felt a small disturbance in the air as the invisible shield of magic shattered. The old dwarf was good. There wasn't any sound or wave of magical energy that usually accompanied the forceful breaking of a barrier. If he wasn't paying attention, Max was sure he would have missed it. Not waiting any longer, he poured power into is feet and dashed into the camp. Every step as he ran forward seemed to dig into the ground as if his weight increased dramatically.

Rocks started to form on top of Max's body into a suit of dark grey armor as he approached his target. By now, the cultist's realized something was wrong. A wild smile spread across his face as he burst through the first earthen hut filled with sleeping cultists. The breaking of walls could be heard across the camp.

A few of the lesser demons reacted in time to protect their masters with a quick barrier. The summoners looked at the rock covered creature that broke into their room. It took a few moments before they realized it was a man.

"We're under attack!" one of them said as he threw a wave of energy to push Max away. The others prepared magic attacks of their own and ordered the demons to kill the intruder.

Max saw them preparing to attack and went with his favorite form of defense… a good offense. Slamming his foot on the ground, Max sent a wave of earthen spikes at the cultists to interrupt their casting. One of the men felt the impact on his shoulder followed by the piercing pain. He looked down and saw that the spike had rendered his right arm useless. He looked back at the intruder, only for his eyes to be met with darkness.

The wave of spikes was only the first volley. Immediately afterward, Max thrust his fists forward and sent a barrage of rock arrows. Their numbers dwindled. Surprise attacks always made things easier. Then he felt an impact on his abdomen. One of the lesser demons managed to hit him with a blast of crimson energy that started to eat away at his armor.

"Stupid imp," he said and stomped on the ground once more. It caused the area to shake and knock the cultists and demons off balance. He charged forward forming a spear from the ground and rammed it into the closest demon. He continued to blast the little blighter and created another, throwing it at another cultist. A loud scream let him know that the attack was a success. "I have a question for you idiots." The remaining enemies paused for half a second, an amateur mistake. "Have you ever heard of shrapnel?" A sinister laugh escaped Max's lips as he lifted a fist and opened it in a dramatic fashion. The spears, rocks, and spikes that were in the area exploded violently.

The hut finally gave way to all the damage and collapsed. Max walked out virtually unscathed except for the bits of dust and scratches that were caused by his own explosive technique. He took a moment to repair his earth armor. "Hmm. That was easier than I thought it would be." After looking around, Max saw another group of cultists and started to make his way there to continue the attack.

Zeph watched with interest as the Valir started their attack. The explosion caused by that familiar looking red-headed guy got the cultists scrambling like ants. They started rushing out of the tents and huts with their lesser demons. He watched as a group to the east was hit with a tide of white flames as soon as they got out into the open.

Miriah launched he signature fire magic at the cultists, hoping to kill the six summoners before the lesser demons could protect them. Unfortunately, the familiars were far more alert than the people they were bound too. A vermillion shield of energy surrounded the group of cultists as the little demons held their arms out to defend them against the flames.

"Tch, guess I'll have to put more effort into this," she said to herself. A white magic circle appeared in front of her outstretched hand. "Purify!" she shouted out instead of chanting. As long as the words helped her focus intent into the spell, it didn't matter what she said. Pure white flames shot from the magic circle in the form of a blazing spear as it slammed into the demon's shield. The quick barrier couldn't hold against the new attack and broke. Two of the lesser demons were got in the fire and screamed as they turned into ash.

"Shit!" one of the cultists cried as he saw his familiar burn. He threw an orb of red magic at Miriah. His ability was something given and not earned. She could tell that his control was amateur at best and would easily be blocked by her shields. The other cultists followed with their own simple blasts of magic. The familiars, however, took their time to cast something.

Miriah didn't dodge and simply used her magic shield to block the cultist's attacks while she retaliated in kind. The cultists who no longer had familiars to protect them felt like the white fire crawled into their veins as the young woman's attack hit them. They screamed in agony as the fire burned them from both inside and out.

Fear welled up in the remaining cultists. Luckily half the familiars were dedicated to protecting them while the others were preparing an attack. Miriah had to finally dodge when dark chains appeared from the ground and tried to bind her in place. Most of them missed but a couple managed to wrap around her legs.

"Hah! Got you now bitch!" one of the men yelled. He charged up a large blast of dark magic in his hands before he fired it. His allies did the same.

Miriah smirked, "Do you now?" White fire started to flare out from her body. It raced down the chains burning them into dust. When the cultist's combined onslaught made contact with the flames, they stopped in place. In moments, they were engulfed in purifying fire. She brought her hands up in the air before slamming them downward.

The flame that surrounded her body surged outward and flew towards her enemies in a giant wave of fire. Everything nearby caught fire as white flames burned them into nothingness. When the fire finally subsided, nothing of the cultists or her enemies remained. Miriah let out a short sigh. "Well, on to the next group."

Zeph stared in awe and fear at the brutal attacks that the short woman used. It was both humbling and shocking. At that moment, the reality of what a valir truly is hit him. They may be heroes, but they aren't the kind of heroes he was imagining. Living in a peaceful world watching heroes in cartoons and movies instilled in him a type of naivety. In real life, a hero who stops evildoers can't always do so without killing. He had to refocus. 'Not right now,' he thought. "Right now, I need to keep watch on what's going on in the area.