The wide arcing swing of Sylpid's powerful Wings gifted Tabitha no small amount of comfort as they raced forward on the way Fouquet was headed before she'd sunk into the earth. It was entirely possible, if unlikely, that Fouquet still sat there waiting out the storm in a sort of bunker-like structure underground. Given the sheer amount of power she'd distributed in such a short time Tabitha had to wonder how much willpower she had, and whether or not she'd had enough to hold that structure.
Fixing her glasses, and parting her hair so it wouldn't annoy her on the flight. She assumed no, the thief wouldn't be able to do that much at once. Holding the possibility however, that somehow, she would still be able to cast when confronted.
Afterall, holding assumptions and stubborn thought processes led many to an untimely demise. She of all people knew this quite well, her eyes narrowed in thought. Then there was Louise, who, somehow, had gained the ability to cast without a wand or staff. Her familiar was also one to question. In the brief moments of consciousness Tabitha had grappled after her crash, she'd witnessed *both* Healing Sylphid. Which was very strange. She'd of course heard the rumors Guiche had spread about, but assumed them to be nothing more than an exaggeration.
After all, who would legitimately think it possible? To even dream of summoning another no-
Tabitha shook her head, stopping her thoughts from going further.
She'd JUST thought of the futility of stubborn thought processes, it would be quite hypocritical to believe that something simply couldn't happen because she thought it couldn't. There was more to magic then she simply knew off hand. Despite hours of grueling yet rewarding sessions of endless study, and experimentation. It appeared there was simply more to the situation, therefore she would study, and discover more.. As she always had.
Slowly a faint blue figure with a blotch of salmon slowly came into view. Good, she thought, gently running her hands across the coarse neck of Sylphid, silently encouraging the beast to trek on, and overtake them. She was catching up.
Tabitha had been left in the infirmary when they departed. It took the nurses a good ten or so minutes, examining, and doing meaningless things to ascertain she was, in fact, fine.
An annoying ten minutes to be sure. For while she sat, Louise and her Familiar had already departed, off to apprehend the fiend. Despite being all but chewed up and spat out naught half an hour prior. The Blue haired Dragon rider truly couldn't decipher what they were thinking. It was a stupid Idea all around, but nonetheless they went. No battle experience, no plan. Just charging headfirst into the fray.
Making her job harder by far.
She sighed as she overtook the two, watching as they glided along the ground on a rock. She had more pressing concerns however. Such as reaching Fouquet before they could, so she could prevent the slaughter that would no doubt ensue.
And also pay her back for hurting Sylphid. A wound that, Despite Louise's best efforts, was still prevalent, and could be felt in the dragon's careful flight pattern. Causing a subtle, yet passionate rage to be slowly cultivated over the course of the flight. Sylphid had been kind, and caring, to her. Thus she would suffer no disrespect toward it. MUCH less actual damage.
Tabitha had no doubt in her mind she could win given the proper application of effort, power and skill. The thing that concerned her was the staff. Fouquet, from other reports the Mage had seen, had never displayed that much control or power at once, that in combination with the understanding she'd stolen a valuable artifact from the school, led Tabitha to believe that it was empowering her in some way.
With a swing of her staff, and a small utterance, Tabitha cast a spell of detection, searching plainly for Traces of magic, or Anything Fouquet could have left. She caught trace, and sight of the mage in question, holding the staff in hand, and seemingly experimenting with it. Before catching sight of her pursuers.
All at once spires of stone sprung from the earth in an attempt to impale Sylphid and her rider. A few aiming directly for the wings once more, Seems Fouquet was focused more on incapacitating her than killing her outright.
She didn't have any time to think about that however, as she quickly pulled Sylphid Into evasive maneuvers. Guiding the Rhyme dragon quickly and fluently through the air as she was accustomed.
However, The spires were quicker than she'd imagined. Despite dealing with them before. They were rising more quickly than Tabitha could efficiently and safely evade, so she decided to test their reach.
After narrowly managing to dodge another Flurry from the torrent of earthen magic. She pointed Sylphid Skyward, darting into the clouds above. The blue haired Chevalier turned to accurately judge the spire's speed and length… Only to find it had stopped in its tracks.
Tabitha was confused for only a moment, before looking back at Fouquet, and seeing Louise and her familiar slinging spells and reckless magic at the Thief, mostly bolts of bluish color that littered the golem she created. Small pops of the magical explosion they conjured, echoed to Tabitha and her frustrated sigh that she let escape not long after she saw what they were doing.
Which was to say. Being idiotic. She'd no time to think that Guiche's rumors were true, or that the spells they were firing were fairly powerful or that they didn't need a wand, or staff, Only that she had a limited amount of time before Fouquet had decided that she was done with these amateurs.
Tabitha narrowed her eyes, and dived down as fast as she could, leaning down to talk to Sylphid. " Grab them, gently." She cooly spoke to her friend.
As soon as her master spoke her desires, Sylphid moved to intercept the two just as the Thief began to cast again. Narrowly avoiding a barrage of attacks aimed directly for the two inexperienced wizards. Causing shrieks and sounds of surprise as they were promptly swept up. Barely understanding that they were now in the air, and rising higher into the clouds, where Tabitha could safely raise them to Sylphid's back. While also concluding her previous observations, and making new ones.
One being, the two who were now sitting idly, if on alert, on the back of her Dragon. She turned her head slightly, so her voice could reach them through the winds, While also keeping an eye on the thief, who's spiked Earthen implements had stopped not yards from where they hovered.
" You, Defend?" she questioned, holding tight her staff and Sylphid. Echoes of anxiety pulsing deep within.
The familiar turned stoutly, and waited a moment, as if questioning something. Before giving one firm nod, to assure Tabitha that Her trust would not be misplaced. She sorely hoped not, else it could likely spell death for more than one here.
He turned to give Louise a nudge, pulling the girl out of her stupor, and allowing her thoughts to once more grace reality.
"It was as though waking up from a dream, only if that dream was now reality, and you could very likely meet your end if you weren't careful"
This is how Louise would come to describe coming back to her senses on the day of her first notable battle. Riding in on The dragon of a classmate, whilst her and her familiar held shields made of pure magic stoutly, Meanwhile Tabitha conjured and subsequently released condensed lances of air, aimed for the staff Fouquet held tightly.
Meanwhile, the thief had changed her method of attack, instead deigning to conjure an abundance of earthly projectiles, mesh them together and forcibly meld them into a spinning missile of power. Launching it with a great deal of force after calculating The trio's flight pattern. She needed to whittle them down. Defending was draining her quite a bit, and if they succeeded in this hit and run tactic, then it would become a battle of attrition, and she would surely lose.
Louise was too busy defending against another torrent of spires to realize that Izaneus's ward had been smashed, and that her familiar was now toppling off their draconic transportation, and slowly plummeting toward the ground. Louise barely managed to catch his blue coat stained with a slight shade of red, falling past the edge of her sight. His eyes displaying a mixture of fear and surprise as she turned around.
She called his name, anxiety choking her, as Izaneus fell.
She knew he could break his fall and heal the wound she thought she saw. But he would have to survive down there as they made another pass, until Sylphid was able to grab him again. She believed in his magical capability…. But didn't truly know how he was in a one on one fight.
And couldn't deny she was worried. They'd spent days just going over the basics of his magic, all so she could learn it herself. She didn't know how well she would be able to handle him getting hurt, though she would never outwardly express this, she didn't need to .
"We'll get him back up here." Tabitha quickly answered, having to abort her original plan of simply pulling the Familiar back up using magic, as Fouquet was deliberately trying to push them away, throwing a swarm of projectiles their way, she weaved as best she could, while getting ready for another pass.
Louise nodded quietly, doing her best to block some of the missiles that flew too close to her and her ride.
Fouquet smiled wickedly. Her eyes focused on the fleeing Dragon, turning back to the boy she managed to ground, as long as she was able to-
She had to cut her thoughts short as a Crackling blast of electricity slammed into the Golem behind her. Immediately making her raise her guard.
Izaneus sighed, as he too raised his, conjuring a ward to protect him in case he wasn't able to react in time.
"Well.." He began, anxiety and doubt growing evermore powerful as the moments passed like hours.
" Guess I still need to work on my aim."
Heya guys! Thank you for the criticism! I thought I was moving fairly slow. But I see that I was looking over the whole thing, and not in the moment, so I can imagine it might've felt rushed or hurried. and for that I apologize!
Regardless, Ill try to take things a tad slower now, and keep working to make this something great! Thank you all for your continued support!!
Anywho! thats all for today. Goodnight!