LARP: 19

Fook charged forward, almost vanishing into the darkness.
 
I was huffing behind. "Fook, you're leaving us behind!" I called, reaching out toward him.
 
Even as I did so, I could hear words being spoken by that dark elf woman with the glowing tattoos. She was some kind of spellcaster, her eyes glowing as she made motions with her hands in the air. An arcane glyph appeared hovering before her, and then vanished as she looked at Fook and said one more word.

Suddenly, we found ourselves approaching Fook from behind. This was odd--he seemed to be standing completely still! It took me a moment to process what was going on, and couldn't focus more than a moment. Another dark elf warrior, this one a male, slid in, charging toward Fook, ready to stab him. Fook wasn't getting out of the way or moving at all.

Fook... had to be under some sort of spell! That dark elf was coming in fast; there were only moments to act.

"Hey coward, why don't you pick on someone your own size?!" I called to the dark elf. It made no sense. Fook was much taller and bigger than the dark elf... and frankly, I was much smaller than him. Not only that, he was wielding a blue-tinted sword, and clearly was well-versed in battle. He had a focused look of grim determination, the detached gaze of an executioner.

My words didn't completely throw him off, but they did distract him--enough that his sword which had been going right for Fook's gut, instead went two inches off, more into Fook's side.

 Still, I could see Fook's blood pouring down his side. And still, he couldn't move!

 Kalim slid up around my side, snapping out her whip, and tangling it around the man's legs. He slipped down, landing on his side. Just as he did, Moon popped out from behind Fook's other side, and fired his pistol at near point black range into the chest of the drow fighter.

I looked down into the dark elf's eyes as he lay there bleeding, and I said to him, "I hope you die for hurting my friend like that." 

He reached up at me for just a moment, and then his hand slumped back down.

More words from the female dark elf. Turning from the felled male warrior, I saw the woman moving her hands, speaking more arcane words I didn't understand. Then, lancing out from her fingertips, a beam of white energy flew toward us. I crouched down, having nowhere to take cover, afraid it was going to finish off Fook. But no!

It wasn't Fook it hit, but instead Moon!

"Aaah!" Moon cried, staggering back, his body glowing--radiating with white magical energy. Suddenly he was the most lit up thing in this mine shaft, even brighter than the magical stick that had fallen to the ground beside him.

Not only that, but as he crumbled to the ground, shards of his shirt caught flame as they fragmented off his body, landing on the soot around him. I wasn't exactly sure what it was, but small smoldering flames began to spread in the soot. It wasn't an inferno yet, but we had no one that could put it out and it looked to be spreading fast!

"We have to stop that woman!" I called to Kalim.

"Correct, my dear Eimi," Kalim said back--surprisingly calmly.

 I could only spare a single moment to glance back. First, I looked at at Fook, who was still so rigid he couldn't even reach out and stop the blood from pouring out of his side.

I wasn't sure if Moon was going to be able to get back up after that hit to his shoulder; his shirt was torn and bleeding.

I knew I could only heal one of them with my words. I had to make a snap choice.

"Moon, I believe in you, please get up and help us win this!" I cried to him, surprised at the emotion sneaking into my voice--the twang of desperation, the choked back tears.

I tried not to cry, seeing Fook continuing to bleed--perhaps even to bleed out.

Behind me, I heard Kalim saying words, and turned back just in time to see her unleash one of her green blasts directly into the tattooed woman.

Suddenly, a grunt from Fook. I saw him crumbling forward. As he began to fall, I tried to step toward him, to catch him, but he was so heavy I almost immediately was staggering under his weight. "Fook!" I cried.

With Fook crumbling down into my arms, and nearly toppling us both, I could only barely see Moon rise out of the corner of my eye, level his pistol, and fire.