The sharp whistle of arrows splitting the air and the clang of clashing blades rang out incessantly.
Avril leaned against the rough bark of a tree, gasping for breath. Her once-bright, determined eyes were now clouded with a weariness she couldn't shake.
The squad of Surface Elves she led was steadily being pushed back by the ferocious attacks and strange Magic of the Zor Elves, their defensive line on the verge of collapse.
A ghastly green bolt of acid whizzed past her shoulder guard, its corrosive stench making the hair on her arms stand on end.
Relying on her hard-won combat instincts, she threw herself into a sideways roll. At the same time, her Longbow almost reflexively returned fire, forcing back the Zor Elf Mage who had been trying to close in.
But the movement sent a wave of profound weakness and emptiness through her body, nearly causing her to stumble.
"If it weren't for..."
