Crossroads

[Rattler]

"Normally archers aren't thrown into situations like this," Evelyn said. "And this isn't pillaging behavior. They're looking for something. Something specific."

[JA-394]

"Nothing about this is normal," Nora snapped in Evelyn's general direction, "Just be happy that some people here have ranged weapons and theirs haven't found us yet."

[DeadJim]

"Don't worry, I'm always happy." Ada smiled at Nora.

[Tyler294]

"Alright ladies, our destination lies just ahead. We'll execute Attack Plan Alpha!" the guard captain declared, putting himself into everyone's line-of-sight.

"And what's Attack Plan Alpha?" June inquired.

"ATTTTAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCK!" the guard captain responded, before charging around the corner with his sword, promptly aggravating all the nearby Dwellers.

"I had to ask..." June muttered.

Naturally the noise meant even their cover wasn't safe anymore, as Dwellers from other directions were now moving in to investigate.

"Well citizens, it was nice not knowing any of ya." one of the guards stated, before also charging around the corner, followed shortly thereafter by the other guards.

[DeadJim]

"Chaaarge!" Ada yelled as she followed for a few feet, before stopping and turning around, "Wait a minute... was I supposed to bring a weapon?"

[Tyler294]

"Here, you can have one of mine." Karl offered, giving her a thick tree branch he'd been carrying, in addition to his trash can lid shield.

[Rattler]

"If we survive this... five times my usual rate for dealing with that stupidity," Evelyn growled as she drew her sword, referring to the Guard Captain.

[JA-394]

"Always about the money, I suppose," Angel said under her breath.

"It does make the world go 'round," Nora brushed it off.

"Not if is FLAT! … Are yu a flat Earfer, Nora?" Vance was still drunk.

[Tyler294]

"Guys..." Karl gulped.

"Sounds to me like she's a Round-Earther." June noted, "I've met people who've seen the edge of the world, it is definitely flat."

"Guys?" Karl raised a finger.

"Did you maggots hear me!? I SAID ATTACK!" the guard captain roared back at them.

"I'm not on your guard force anymore arsehole! You can't tell me what to do!" June shouted back.

"Guys!" Karl snapped.

He pointed at the dozen or two Dwellers that were coming up behind them.

[Rattler]

Evelyn turned to deal with the attackers behind them.

"June... how are you on arrows?" she asked as she raised her shield.

[Tyler294]

"I have... six left." June replied, drawing out her sword, "Best save them for when we really need them."

Not waiting to let the people yap any longer, several of the Dwellers yelped a battle cry, then charged in.

As June severed the first attacker in two, Karl hung back behind and suddenly started talking to the wall.

"What do you mean you're hungry? You're a ghost!"

"..."

"That's a totally different kind of feelings!"

"..."

"I am not jealous, this is not the time to be h--"

"Talking to walls? Yes, Karl, this is NOT the time to be talking to BLEEDIN' WALLS!" June suddenly snapped, "Now shut up and do something to help!"

[JA-394]

Two Dwellers approached Vance, one of which got floorboarded.

"OW dey goin to need ta goo you back tagether, IN -"

The second Dweller, incensed at being ignored for comedic purposes by a drunken board man, smacked him with its own board - a shield, and drew its sword, but Nora dispatched it with her knife.

"AROOROOROOROO-"

Plowing through a wall and several other Dwellers to get to them was the large Dweller from the tavern, minus about half its face. It charged into Vance and Nora, grabbed one in each hand and commenced the ground pound.

Before it could do too much damage though, a small magical explosion ripped its chest open, allowing Vance and Nora to once again see Angel Grace coming to their rescue, this time with dark magic.

"The heck?" Nora briefly pondered what had just happened before the Dwellers were on them again.

"I got this!" Angel called with confidence, using said dark magic to raise the giant Dweller back from the dead on their side. But as the beast was starting to rise, a book came out nowhere and struck Angel in the face.

"... Ow," she rubbed her nose.

[Tyler294]

Karl quickly snatched up the book and busted a random Dweller's jaw with it.

"Hey, you use magic too? That's awesome!" he said to Angel.

[JA-394]

Angel flashed him a smile.

"What do you use?" she asked.

[Tyler294]

"Ice!" Karl responded, creating a ball of ice in his hand, "I can kind of do snow too, but it always melts too fast. Hot weather doesn't really agree with me or my magic..."

[JA-394]

"Care to uh, demonstrate?"

Angel pointed at the large Dweller who had indeed been reanimated. Unfortunately, the ritual was interrupted by the book, so it was still hostile. It was also slowly making its way to them.

"You pick him I'll stick him?"

[Tyler294]

"Um..." Karl wasn't sure what she meant, "How do I... pick him?"

[JA-394]

"You... do ice stuff? I'unno. Double-team him? Maybe?" Angel's words were failing her as the Dweller drew ever closer.

[Tyler294]

"Uh, sure... um, how about..." Karl paused, then suddenly threw the ice ball, which struck the undead dweller in the face.

And didn't exactly do much, because he's undead you moron!

"Um... maybe this will work better?"

Using the same technique he'd used earlier, he fired a blast of ice at the ground at the Dweller's feet, freezing them down and preventing it from moving any further. Unfortunately, being outdoors in the sun and surrounded by fire meant that his magic was much weaker... and well, the ice likely wouldn't hold it very long.

[JA-394]

"Well... here goes nothing," Angel conjured a bolt of strange black energy in her hands that she threw like a spear, aimed at the Dweller's chest, which, seeing as there was a gaping hole in it, went right through it and did nothing. It did however impact a wall behind it... turning the wall into a second giant, angry, charging Dweller.

"..."

[Tyler294]

"Was... that part of the plan?" Karl gulped.

With the other Dweller charging in, Karl fired another beam of ice at the ground, creating a flat, slippery surface that would be difficult to charge over.

Problem was... it was only about six feet in total diameter, meaning it would be easy to avoid if the charger watched where it was going.

[JA-394]

"No..." Angel sighed in exasperation.

The second charging charger charged, but fortunately did not watch where it was going and cartoonishly went flying off the ice and slammed into a flaming structure.

With it temporarily out of the picture, Angel was free to focus on the undead first Dweller that somehow hadn't reached them yet.

She reached ever deeper into her bag of tricks and conjured a portal underneath its feet, sending it off to parts unknown.

"FINALLY!" she cheered her mostly-failed efforts as a magicer.

[Tyler294]

"Teamwork!" Karl smiled.

"HEY! If you two are done flirting, the rest of us are fighting an actual battle here!" June snapped, appearing in front of them covered in Dweller blood.

[Rattler]

A spear of light landed right on top of the Dweller that slipped, raditiating light around it that seemed to hurt the Dweller and any hostiles that came within a certain distance.

Nearby was Evelyn, her sword back in its scabbard and in a position that indicated she had thrown a spear. She was also starting to show some fatigue at this point due to heavy fighting and use of her own abilities. Before a Dweller could take advantage of it, said Dweller got bashed in the face with Evelyn's shield before she slashed it as she drew her sword.

[DeadJim]

"Was I supposed to charge now?" Ada asked as she held her large branch awkwardly.