Snippet #2774379

He might have passed through some of the gates throughout the city, but Brand was still far behind everyone else. Back in his normal form, he was using blasts of fire to propel his movement, having found it almost as effective and much more efficient than using his knight form.

“Oh!” he exclaimed, as he passed through another. As if in response a kinetic blast reeled overhead as he ducked just in time for it to blow his hood over his head. He grunted, pulling it down and looking back, skidding on one leg as he tried to keep his balance. Three grimacing mages were closing up behind him, two of them taking aim. The one in the centre still had her palm out from the spell she had just fired.

“We’ve reached that point already, huh?” he remarked, as the guy to the attacker’s right threw a fireball at the pyromancer. Brand rolled his eyes, yet another fire mage trying to attack him.

The iron ball, coated in flames to trick Brand, hit him squarely in the face with a very satisfying metallic sound and Brand was sent tumbling, just managing to twist in the air and get back on his feet, surfing awkwardly on a stream of flame so he could concentrate on his attackers. The iron ball bounced heavily into the ground between the two parties. The assailant grinned at having read him so easily and caught him off guard. Just as the other two were charging another kinetic blast and what looked like lightning of some sort, Brand swerved to the side, fire-skating in zig-zags either side of the street.

Ducking to and fro, assorted spells zipping over his head and around him, Brand weaved in and out of lamp posts which to all their surprise began firing lasers in all directions. With a short yell, Brand hopped of out the path of one of the projectiles. Grinning, Brand shifted into the form of a firebird and darted from side to side of the street, agitating the turrets enough while dodging them with ease, so that his pursuers were soon otherwise occupied and he could speed ahead.

Feet connecting with the ground as he switched back to normal, he glided through another gate. He could see the next one up ahead, and as one of the competitors passed he swore he saw them disappear. He gritted his teeth with apprehension - if this was the final gate there was probably something in store. Just at that moment, two rather unassuming cars ahead unfurled themselves and two enormous robots stood on the way. The dustbins either side of the street also gyrated, taking aim and firing cannon-blasts which Brand avoided precariously, screaming. He grazed his cheek as he barely got past a robot as it punched the ground. The second he more time for, and passed between its legs. Both followed up with another attack, but he had already passed through the gate and vanished from their sight, giving them a playful sneer.