Homestead Survival

<15 August 2024, GRAND MESA OF SUMMER , A+>
[Julia]
Julia watched as Theo was weighed down by the skill of the smaller male elemental. Ordus spoke up, "Julia, look."

She followed where Ordus was pointing and saw a Goblin rushing at their wall carrying something that glowed.

"That can't be good," Julia muttered and stood to launch several shots at the Goblin with her Glimmer Branch. The Goblin seemed completely unphased and continued rushing forward. She opened her mouth to call out to Theo, then saw that he was struggling enough with his own fight. Julia set her jaw and took off at a sprint, summoning the Staff that she had tucked into her pouch in case she ever needed it.

She met the Goblin just as she saw the anvil form from Theo's Master Tool. She swung hard at the Goblin, taking it in the head. At the same time, something slammed into her shoulder, spinning her around and sending shooting pain through her.

[Theo]
Theo watched Julia slam the Staff into the head of the Goblin, crumpling it to the ground just as the arrow impacted her shoulder.

"No!" Theo cried out, forgetting about the female elemental. Anger, fear, concern, and a plethora of other emotions welled up inside him as he turned to sprint to Julia.

The Goblin was stirring. And Theo was worried that he would not get there in time. Ordus rose from the dirt, the Staff in his hand as he emerged from the ground. The earth-aspected Elemental man slammed the Staff down on the head of the Goblin once more, and then he held a hand over the Goblin, and the earth slithered into its nostril for a few moments. Then he scooped up Julia, nodded to Theo, and rushed towards the opening in the wall.

Theo turned back to the fire aspected woman. She was saying something in her language. Theo did not know what words she was saying, but he could tell from her tone and the snide smile on her face that he was being insulted and that Julia was being mocked. A necklace that she wore, which Theo had failed to notice before, pulsed, and Theo felt the item pull on the emotions he was feeling.

Theo expected the Ring of Eternal Mourning to stop it, but it did not for some reason. He fought the necklace, and then Theo had an idea. He looked at the woman who had an orb of fire in her hand and was waiting patiently for something. She was smiling as if she had won. The necklace pulled on Theo, wanting to enhance something. So Theo fought it on all the emotions he was feeling, except for one.

Where before Theo was feeling many emotions, he let the necklace pull on one. The smile dropped away from the woman's face as she saw unblemished rage encompass Theo's face.

[Ban'Xe' Flarra]
Flarra was reading the emotions this pitiful man had as he watched the female Human get shot. A plethora of information flowed from her Firey Insight skill. He watched the Earthen traitor kill the Goblin, then turned back to Flarra.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Flarra smiled at him. "Oh, poor, poor baby. Did your little plaything get hurt? Does that make you angry?"

Flarra activated her necklace, deciding the last use of the item would be best spent here. She felt the Choker of Forced Emotional Enhancement pull on the Human's emotions. She saw a surprising level of willpower come into play as the Human fought the necklace.

She wondered if the annoying ring that had stopped her Entice skill earlier would act again, but it did not. She watched the wheels turn in the head of the Human. She watched as his emotions seemed to level out. Then, she saw that he had experienced a burst of inspiration. Then, he stopped fighting on one emotion. Flarra's face fell as his body was flooded with a singular emotion.

She looked at his eyes, and there she no longer saw a man. There, she saw only rage. She turned to call out for assistance, but the man squatted and leaped forward, spamming a skill that turned out to be a Taunt. Flarra felt herself turn to attack him despite what she wanted to do.

[Theo and Ban'Xe' Flarra]
Theo leaped through the air, covering the most distance he could as fast as he could, leaning heavily on his stats and improved physicality. Theo knew that he was not fully in control at the moment; rage was leading, and he suspected that it would continue to do so until this woman was defeated. He Taunted as he flew through the air and finally felt it take hold of the woman who had been turning away. He landed, and she rushed towards him.

Flarra threw the orb of fire at him and then began to lash out at him with claws of fire on her hand. She was surprised when he ignored the heat from her fiery form and grabbed her by the neck. Flarra was about to use her Fiery Expulsion skill when he slammed a fist into her face.

Theo had seen her mouth open and decided that the build of power he was feeling was less than optimal. So rage stopped it the only way it new how. With a fist. He slammed his clenched fist into the higher-level being over and over. But the flames that wrapped the woman seemed to heal and protect her.

Flarra started laughing. She could not help it. The punches did little. Her flames were tied to her vitality, and as such, she was mostly immune to simple, bludgeoning attacks. She saw that her laughs were enraging him further, and that brought her great joy.

Theo saw the woman laughing as he pummeled her, and the rage grew even more. He realized that the flames were helping her. He smiled as his rage-addled brain came to a conclusion. "Smother the flames."

Flarra struggled as the Human grew still, holding her down. He said something, and then he held a hand up over her head. Twenty-five seconds later, a black wooden cube just over four and a half feet to the side appeared with a small latch on the bottom.

Theo looked at his dimensional storage.

"It's gotten bigger." He said without interest, rage controlling his actions. "Oh well, time to smother these annoying flames!"

Theo reached forward and opened the latch. The doors swung to either side, letting roughly thirty-seven cubic feet of sand plunge down on the woman.

Flarra panicked. When the door opened, she saw the sand dropping, not even having time to scream as it collapsed out of the strange box. She fought to sit up, feeling her flames begin to smother. But the hand of the Human held her there as she struggled in futility.

[Theo]
Theo felt the effects of the forced rage subside as the struggles of the woman stopped. His dimensional storage had disappeared, so he rose, grabbed his master tool and axe, and sprinted to the cabin.

"I hope that Julia is okay." Was his only thought as he ran.