Snowstorm started gathering once again as Pyra once again channeled her spell, torrents of snow reducing field of vision and chilling wind threatening to once again lift Lucas of the ground. He tried repeatedly in the last five minutes to close the distance for a strike, but the Witch was a formidable opponent, knowing her strengths and playing well into them. She used all of her varied skills, balls of ice intermixed with the icicles always forcing him to backwards and keeping him from range. His only ranged skill was unusable, seeing his sword will attack three different targets without prejudice and that will probably the rest of the warriors to attack, probably resulting in butchering of Lucas and his party seeing as the number disadvantage grew even more, as several more parties of warriors returned from their expeditions in the forest. By his estimate, everyone who landed on their shores and was still alive was gathered here, watching the duel. The rest of his party was now literally surrounded by enemies and that spelled doom for them if Lucas screwed up. He braced himself for the incoming wind and activated “Bulwark of balance” when he felt his feet leaving the ground. Pyra was ready for this particular trick this time, as the wind immediately doubled in intensity, once again lifting grovel from the ground. Luckily for Lucas, her reasoning was wrong, as she lifted him last time due to expiration of his skill, not the power of hers. He decided to capitalize on that mistake and he activated “Infused piledriver”, rapidly spinning towards the Witch. She was visibly confused for a second, but she regained her senses just in time to move slightly and avoid direct hit on her vital body parts. Instead, the sword went deep into her arm, piercing it all the way to the other side and mangling it to the point of uselessness. She screamed in pain as the snowstorm subsided all around them and with her healthy hand she swung, her hand coated in ice. The hit connected with the temple of Lucas, making his vision blurry and sending him flying.

“You took 250 points of damage”

“She managed to land two direct hits on me. I’m getting sloppy” Lucas thought as he muttered “Dodge” and avoided a stream of icicles going his way. Without the other hand, the stream was a lot more manageable and Pyra soon realized that as she stopped and reached to one of the pockets on the cloth she wore. Guessing what was about to come, Lucas went into full sprint, intent on stopping her from drinking the potion. Unfortunately, Pyra was prepared and as Lucas step on unassuming piece of grovel, it exploded into torrent of ice. Projectiles themselves were stopped by Lucas’s armor, clanking uselessly against the hard steel coral material which made his armor, but the chill that seeped to Lucas’s bone was enough for the blue – skinned woman to uncork his potion and drink it. She immediately felt more relaxed and Lucas could see the mangled flesh rekniting itself. He was still under the effect from his last potion, so he couldn’t match what she had done, meaning she just got a big boost in attrition battle. With her ice wall potentially coming back online soon, Lucas needed to be swift and bring this one to the close. He started sprinting, closing the distance quickly, but going in zig – zag motion, his hope that the Witch hadn’t set any more trap before hand and that this movement will make it difficult to predict where he will be to correctly set a trap. He wasn’t worried about her other attacks, as she showed time and time again that she couldn’t hit him when he build – up his speed properly. To her credit, she did try, but her every attack went wide. She was dangerously close now, and he activated “Soul – shattering strike”. His sword went just a little wide and Pyra tried to use that chance to once again slam him with her ice – coated fist. Lucas was ready for this one, activating “Punch parry” and intercepting the swing of the Witch. With his sword hand, he threw “Guiding Strike”, once again hoping one of his most used combos will work like it did countless of time before this. Pyra met his sword with the hand of her own, coated in ice. Lucas strike managed to break the ice coating, but the collision was enough for the sword to miss the intended strike and go wide. Lucas activated “Dodge” and somersaulted over the ice wielding woman, ice ball flying through the space he occupied a moment before. Both combatants took more steps from each other before taking a second to take a breather, fatigue creeping in both of them.

“Are all fighters from this settlement as strong as you?” Pyra asked, Lucas sensing she was buying some time to regenerate a little bit. He took the bait, truth being he also needed a moment to collect himself and push down the fatigue.

“Why do you think I had been sent as a scout? Do you send your strongest warriors on such trivial business?” Lucas bluffed, seeing a potential to get a satisfying conclusion to the problematic situation he was now in.

“I do have to wonder if we have the numbers to take your settlement then. My warriors here and I can rush and kill you and those under your command, but what will be the blood toll for such an undertaking? Ten? Twenty?” Pyra continued, her eyes watching for Lucas’s reaction. Lucas had to admit he asked a good question and did a quick analysis. He was sure they will be slaughtered, but with the power and teamwork between them and with Margaret ability to raise someone from death’s door to full fighting fitness and do it as long as she is alive and have mana, Lucas made an estimate.

“Thirty five of your stock killed for sure, maybe more, depending how capable you are as a leader. Every one of us can dodge your skills and what we aren’t able to dodge affect your people as well. And we already proved we can take multiple of your man and prevail” Lucas concluded. Pyra looked at him wide – eyed, but after some mulling on his words, she figured out there was some logic to his words.

“Icewander tribe, we retreat” she shouted and fifty warriors that were gathered there started loudly protesting the decision. “Your orders are given. If you are unhappy with them, you can challenge me for my role. Otherwise, get to work” she shouted menacingly to the crowd that shuffled a bit, Lucas even spotting one man and one woman getting ready to step up before stopping, reconsidering and giving up on the idea.

“Don’t count yourself lucky, swordsman. You are a capable warrior, but we will be back and in even greater numbers. Even Harald himself may take notice of you, giving you the glory of dying by his hands” Pyra said, her lips trembling when she mentioned this Harald. She then turned to leave, her job being to oversee the loading of her warriors back on their ice boat. Lucas retreated back to his party, Margaret already striding towards him, her hands glowing green. She touched him and Lucas felt immense pleasantness coursing through his body.

“You are healed for 400 points”

Lucas winced seeing this prompt, knowing full well that this will expire after a full day had passed, but he couldn’t deny he needed it.

“Let’s retreat to a more secluded place, shall we?” he asked the rest and they nodded. Quickly, they were on the path leading them up the cliff, away from the shore. Lucas remembered even the unconscious alchemist, which was now fully awake and thrashing against his bonds. Lucas released him from his bonds and quickly made a shushing sound, alchemist watching him, but gratefully remaining silent. They retreated to the seclusion of the forest, but with a clear view of the blue – skinned invaders. They were almost finished picking the shore apart from all their loot and Lucas thought he even spotted some merchants that made a market in the vicinity of the dungeon loaded onto the ship, bound and gagged. After a while, they left and Lucas watched as their boat sailed away, thinking of next steps. He didn’t have a doubt they will be back and in greater numbers than this time. But now, they had some information about the threat and Lucas was sure to put his new spy network to full effect to find out more. Also, he needed to get stronger as Pyra showed he was getting a bit complacent with his personal progress, on the account of strengthening cohesion of his party. There needed to be balance for the progress to be effective and Lucas let himself get a bit carried away due to enjoying the company of the people currently with him.

“What are you doing here?” alchemist pulled him from his thoughts with his question. Ted was the one to answer him, however, as he told the tale of their journey and the task that brought them here. H then returned the same question and alchemist sighed.

“I will speak while we travel back. We shouldn’t linger here too long” alchemist responded and they started their travel back.