Keeper of Life - NaPoWrMo Entry

Fang wove through the bodies like fluent water, his image shifting each second, as he twisted a guard came down with him. He rushed out, spun and tumbled with a guard. The guard rolled away panting. “Kill it!” he screamed. Bolts of lighting flicked into the body on the ground. It took only another second before Fang shifted, took down the caster and thrust himself into a group of six. As they regained their footing they looked to each face trying to find the imposter.

Claw ran toward them disrupting their attention under a diving pegasus. Two guards dropped under Fang as he rolled out and caught the dipping pagasus. Their bodies mingling on the ground. A guardian planted her hooves as armor streamed past her. She lit a star, held her head back and went to thrust it forward. As she did a hoof slammed into her skull sending her errant bolt into a crowd of guards. The explosion shattered ears. Their bodies flew until contacting the far wall, helmets and armor now melted into their cracking flesh.

The two of them battled an army, and they were holding. Lightning trailed off the ground as the guards tried to distance themselves. The melee fighters pulling behind the casters, but it was with no avail as the lightning caster fell, blood spouting from her throat. The chaos caused them to scan their own ranks. Fang and Lance closed the distance under the hail of bolts and thunder.

“Their leader is in the building, bring it down!” one seemed to call. Fang was glad they were so stupid.

A guardian lit up the group, their cover blown and she fabricated bolts that hovered in the air.

“No!” a guard tackled her, stopping her from firing into the group. “Are you mad?” he said looking into the now meshed group of shambling guards.

“All of you, stand apart, you up top get ready!” she said.

Fang cursed under his breath as they spread across the street. One at the far edges approached the buildings, close to a door. “You stop!” a voice called. All attention turned to him.

A guard passed a glance and nodded to Fang.

The body shifted into the appearance of Coal and dove into the building. It was instantly lacerated and filled with streamers of color. Dust billowed from the entrance as the rocks began to yield. Another figure shifted and skillfully closed the gap of the stunned guards who'd spread out. He had taken eight before they even tore their eyes from the collapsing building, the rubble spilled out and buried the guards surrounding it.

Valor pounced into the panicked fray.

“The hay is this?!” she called demanding answers. Warrant Fire was picked from the crowd, they now surrounded Lance, his back to the destroyed building.

“We have them Matriarch,” Fire said. “The large one was in the building when we brought it down, this is the other one.” she said. “Wait.” She looked around and Valor grimaced. “You three scan everything!”

They all looked to each other and made ready, as if their friends could suddenly become their worst enemy. All the guards looked disheveled, nervous, afraid. “The other escaped,” Fire said. “It doesn't make sense they just suddenly attacked. No matter he won't get away,” she said and called the pegisus to begin scanning the district.

“How many did you spot?” Valor asked.

“Two, their leader and this one.”

“Only two?”

Fire paused, and thought, instantly aware of her mistake. “You spread out, you into the skies. You get the injured out of here!”

“Kill it,” Valor said to a guardian. They surrounded him and stuck together. He dove at them but couldn't close the gap. His body rolled against the uprooted cobblestone, dead.

“You two, with me, to The Tree!” Valor ordered and sped off.

As Fire looked at the collapsed building and to the numerous wounded she was filled with a disquieting rage. How had only two of them taken down so many? Were they truly that weak? She watched a guard shamble around the rubble, as if lost. The rocks tumbled loosely as a body underneath tried to get free.

“Are you daft?” she roared, “Get him help!” She whirled around and ordered the rest to begin digging. As soon as they finished scanning the guardians helped as well.

Two pegasi pulled up a body buried under a large rock. “He's alive!” she yelled and he was placed on a stretcher.