(7, 1) Malakai intoned a few arcane words, and shields of ice with a strong ceramic core formed around the party's left forearms. It wasn't much, but the spell could partially absorb a blow before it shattered.
The party walked the mile to Times Square. A scrap of ripped paper drifted past the magician on the wind, and he took it. There was a date - August 2nd, 2733 - near the top and part of a story below. It was impossible to tell exactly what it was about given that only the first six or seven words on the left side were still there, and even then some of those were too faded by time to read. From what Malakai could gather, though, it was a dedication. Some new memorial or construction for an event roughly three years ago according to the time they found themselves in. He put it in his pocket.
The square was up ahead, but the party stopped as machines came to life near them. Tall poles on either side suddenly blazed with a bright light, made more visible by the shadows cast by the ruins around them. Curious, the party walked onward, each post on either side lighting up as they passed it. Up ahead, Tel'ars was lighting another cigarette, sheltering it in the palm of his hand from the wind. "Glad you could make it," he said. "Out of all the life I've exterminated, I think I like humans the best. They have that spirit of defiance, that willingness to dance with the flames as they consume the world around them. It's admirable. Almost makes me wish I was one. What did you think of the lights?"
He smiled. "They're hardly important. I've brought you here, to this day, for one specific reason. Look to the sky. See the shooting stars? It's a meteor shower. Beautiful sight. I've altered their trajectory so they'll hit Earth. Specifically, they'll bombard all of New York... except right here. In this square. If this is to be humanity's last stand, their last real heroes coming together for a final battle, I thought it should be suitably dramatic. It'll make it more satisfying when I win." He got up from the bench and carelessly tossed his match aside. From seemingly out of nowhere he produced a halberd and rested it on his shoulders, arms hooked around it like a scarecrow.
"I'll let the lot of you take the first shot. It's more sporting. So, whenever you're ready." He took a deep drag on the cigarette, turning half of it into ash from one breath. He never exhaled the smoke.
All right, battle officially begins now.
(As you might have guessed, this fight will progress in stages, but each character that survives a stage will get a reward of some sort. This is the first, and easiest, stage so the reward will probably just be a skill-up.)
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Topic: CvRTD Bonus: Turn 2: First Phase End (Read 49202 times)