It's A Mad Mad Mad Manta [Job ; Solo]

The air seemed ominous on the Plains today as Asha clutched her staff to her body, going to meet the traveling merchants who requested bodyguards to lead them just out of the perimeter of the Mainlands. Asha never considered herself much of a body guard, and she certainly didn't have much confidence in her abilities, especially when it came from protecting people from certain death where there were vicious monsters about. As she approached The Plains, she took a deep breath, just enough to boost her confidence a little, and walked up to the merchants, casually holding out her hand to greet them.

"Hello! My name is Asha Samara--I'll be your escort across The Plains. There's been talk of some particularly vicious animals lately so the academy's decided to help some of our visitors out to avoid being mauled by wild...life..." The merchants looked at her in horror as she was a bit too honest and forthcoming about The Plains, and after reassuring them that she was using the most extreme example possible, she would be more than enough to care for their well-being. After one of the merchants, a kind woman who sold various trinkets, corralled the group to shove off and begin their journey to leave Magnostadt, Asha followed, staying at the middle of the caravan and keeping an eye out for any monsters. The trip was, thankfully, uneventful. Apart from a few hiccups where the worst merchant ever kept claiming that monsters were following us, making everyone more uneasy than they should've been, the journey went along fine. They were nearing the last stretch of the journey when the girl who cried monster shrieked once more--she was always so antsy about being in the back of the caravan that Asha assumed she just wanted attention. Asha was going to ignore her, until she heard the merchant scream again, this time she shrieked so loudly that Asha rushed to the back, fearing the worst. When she arrived at the back of the caravan, Asha watched in horror as a bird dove right for one of the carriages, piercing through the fabric and nearly impaling one of the people in the carriage with its talons as they yelled in fear.

"Help! Help us! Get them away get them away!" The merchant screamed, running towards the front of the caravan in fear. The other merchants started to panic, and began to shove off, leaving Asha frantically trying to keep everyone together while she dealt with the monster.

"Please stay together! Stay with me! We don't know how ma--" Asha yelled before another merchant's scream interrupted her at the front of the caravan. The two mantas squawked and frightened the merchants, rising into the sky, and diving down into the ground. Unable to keep the peace for the merchants any longer, Asha raised up her staff and kept her eyes firmly on the manta at the front of the caravan. As she saw it come just into range, Asha sliced her staff through the air, sending four, thorny roses towards the now stationary mantra in hopes they would all strike it.

"Hey ya stupid birds! Why don't you pick on somebody your own size? Rgs'ah Alurdah!" The roses sang through the air, striking the mantra attacking the front caravan with all four roses as it shrieked in pain and fell to the ground, "Everyone stay here and take cover! I'm going to lure them away!" She ordered, running away from the caravan and into the heart of The Plains. She was nervous, and as she saw of the manta follow her, she didn't want to rusk there being more of them around waiting to strike. As the manta chased her, it dove up into the sky, and dove down, biting Asha. She was unable to dodge the bite, and it came down and bit her shoulder. Asha screamed out in pain as the manta dug into her flesh, tearing a bit off as it retreated from her body and backed away. Asha clutched her shoulder with her hand, and grunted through her teeth as the pain shot through her body. She felt slightly woozy, and she was either hallucinating, or there were two mantas now. She shook her head, trying to regain her composure, and focused intently on the manta. Mustering up all the strength she had left, Asha cast a spell as quickly as possible before the manta jumped at her, preparing to do another attack. In an act of desperation, Asha focused magoi and did something, hoping it would connect. She closed her eyes as she fell to the ground, only to hear the blood curdling cries of the manta being defeated by some strange creature before her. Her life construct Zahhak was summoned and sent flying toward the manta, coiling around the mantas body so tightly that its bones broke and fell to the ground. Asha took deep breaths and tried to stand up, shaking around as the imminent threat seemed to be gone. Asha clutched the staff in her other hand, limping back to the caravan when she heard the manta's squawk again. Asha turned around slowly to see a manta about fifteen meters from her, its wings warming up to flap vigorously. In the time it took her to just a spell, the manta flapped its wings and shot a sharp current of wind at Asha. Unable to take another hit, Asha summoned her borg, watching as the spell bounced off the barrier before it shattered. Leaving no time for the manta to react and charge at her, Asha raised her staff and stared it down, focusing magoi until she released her spell at the manta.

"Quah Alsif Krmah!" And with one motion, the vines raced for the manta, one of them coiling the creature's neck as the other vine pierced the body of it, leaving it lifeless and dead in The Plains. Asha sighed in relief, hoping the danger was over, and walked back to the caravan, still in severe pain from the fight. The merchants gasped and watched as she walked back, having already cleaned up some of the mess left by the marauding creatures. Making no excuses at all, Asha continued to escort the merchants out of The Mainlands, healing her wound with Tgndid Ms'ny as she walked with them.

WC: 1058/1000
Magoi: 110/200