Kara had an idea it seemed.

“Run!”

Without another word she grabbed Erika’s robe and vaulted the low wall, slamming into a leather flap and bursting into the room beyond. Behind them the invisible thing threw its blades again, Erika could hear them sparking off the stone.

People were shouting, running, shooting and trying to fight but luckily Erika noticing it seemed to have drawn the invisible thing's attention, the downside was it had drawn the invisible things attention.

The wall was cut apart behind them as another volley sang through the air, the smooth gold blades so fast they shattered the bone and stone in their way. Erika was already tired, all the looting, running, fighting, drawing on her well and oh the whole IMPALEMENT hadn't left her in a good state. Kara was practically carrying her as they took a left then a right then a left again ducking and diving through back alleys and byways.

Kara had her shield up still as she toom more and more of Erika’s weight, using the lump of oak and iron as a battering ram to shove aside scattered carts or flimsy walls as they cleared a path down the city’s main road.

“Erika.” Karas voice was surprisingly level, she didn’t even seem out of breath yet but Erika knew it was probably just adrenaline, she’d feel it soon then they were both dead! “Can you cast anything?”

Erika felt around inside her soul, pressing a mental arm to the swollen banks of her well and hissing in pain. “I could maybe manage a low power first tier spell, nothing with a duration though.”

“Any of them helpful?”

Erika groaned in pain as Kara slung her fully over her shoulder and cleared a collapsed stall from a standing start. “Hel’s teeth… uh… no nothing comes to mind… a greater Bairn is sixth tier equivalent so it’s an iron rank… this one’s stealth focused… invisibility isn't cheap so everything but that will be worse but it’s still invisible!”

Kara went to say something then shuddered as a gold barb embedded itself in her shield, Erika looked back and saw nothing of course but it had definitely come from behind… why had it hit the shield?

Erika found something new, in all the pain and the fear she felt a new emotion, one she hadn't felt in a long while, blinding fury.

“Its toying with us!” She hissed, so angry she couldn’t even shout. “It’s trying to cripple and scare before it kills us! Damn it to Nidhogg and its mistress to!”

“Better than killing us.” Kara said mildly, Erika could just barely notice through the red waves of rage that her breath was coming heavier and heavier. “This way we…”

Another barb slammed into her armour, Kara shuddered, yelped but fought onwards momentum and pure willpower driving her along.

“Son of a monkey lover!” She shouted. “I'm going to wring its damn neck!”

Erika stiffened, then grinned.

“Oh… Kara, take us back to the bank!”

Kara didn’t argue, as a veteran delver and combatant she’d been in enough melee’s, last stands, glorious charges and brutal routes to recognise the sound an epiphany when she heard it. Spinning away she pelted along the hewn stone shell of the great city beast, golden barbs thumping into her armour again and again. The invisible thing aimed for her armour every time, Kara screamed as the razor sharp ends of a dozen blades lacerated her, each one thrown with just enough force that only the very end struck her flesh.

Bleeding, furious and scared she ran, past the insect Bairn, past the worried delvers, past a storm crater the size of a house and past the rune covered vault door. Collapsing she forced herself to roll to the side, howling in pain as the barbs were driven deeper but dropping Erika unhurt on the floor.

“Kara!”

Kara shook her head and waved. “Do what you need to do! Its not going to kill me, that’s no fun, its after you.”

Erika felt like her soul was tearing, she wasn't sure… she shouldn’t… she should… help…

Running up the stairs Erika pelted along the vault, she’d seen it somewhere… when they were looting… HA!

A golden barb buried itself in her leg. Erika screamed and collapsed her fingertips scrabbling against a small rough iron panel, the private box opened at her touch, the broken lock screeching as it did so.

The invisible thing was behind her, Erika could feel it… on her skin, the sensation of eyes and attention and death.

“This was your plan?”

An unseen arm reached out and… and… Erika smiled wide enough to hurt as it scattered the dry ground juniper. The dark brown cloud spiralling outwards in the air.

“… What is this? you wanted to smell nice for the gods? or maybe you thought of some ritual that could defeat me? Little girl your second tier magics are nothing to me, no matter what materials and components you wield, did you honestly think your spells could hurt me?”

Erika grinned as she rolled her head around, her shoulder hurt, her leg hurt, her heart hurt, but the pain seemed far away as she smiled at the thing that hung above her, the dust outlining it clearly.

“Yes.” She said simply as she cast [Call Spark]

Some little-known fact about juniper, juniper ash is hugely nutritious and very good for sailors, juniper twigs can be used to make a weak but delicious tea and juniper leaves? When dry they burn very very easily.

The dust explosion rippled through the bank vault, contained only by the stone, flame roared from the windows and the pressure wave slammed the door back open, hurling discarded tents and fouled clothes high up into the air, scattering across the city like a flock of very strange birds.

In the distance something flinches, a mass of twisted flesh the size of a building, its many mouths filled with molars the size of horses swing open in shock, its tentacles and claws droop momentarily in disbelief and the dancing living blood it wields like a flying arsenal falls suddenly like crimson rain.

“Impossible.” Whispers the Meridian as, for only a moment, her souls’ recoils as a part of it burns with her creation.

That moment is enough.

{The Echo of Thor}

{Aria of Vör}

For Sigurn and Alvis to add another title to their names.