My original title was too short so then this happened.

The Corvus Venatici were travelling between cities, and had just returned from visiting their extremely wealthy sponsor. They had camped on the side of the narrow path they had been travelling on, their huge caravans like crimson beacons garnished with their shimmering symbol of a flame surrounded by delicate coils. Their music travelled throughout the land. Some sat with drums of various sizes on their knees, others sang, their beautiful voices twisting in with the melody of the instruments. Still there were others in the centre of their large circle, dancing around each other while shimmering material billowed out behind them. The rest clapped along, their laughs and bright smiles mixing in with the overall beautiful, relaxed and homely atmosphere.

The troupe's lute player was a massive almost inhumanly burly and muscular man of around thirty years with the kind of soul that wouldn't hurt a fly, though he supposedly was a veteran of the earth clan's army in eros and was loudly boastful of this which some found annoying and others found to be endearing. He tried to play the part of a macho man but came off as a good natured buffoon, with an almost inhuman talent for the lute.

Cerise twirled to the sound of the music alongside some of her peers, a bright grin on her face. She had little time to comprehend what the fuck had happened, as she was just too happy to be with her family again.

and then the other dancers were struck with chain lightning, which she just barely avoided unintentionally when she twirled to the side

The sudden piercing bright light stunned Cerise for a few moments, and sent her stumbling. When her eyes cleared, her mouth hung agape in shock and her eyes widened to the size of saucers. Her hands clasped in front of her mouth, which muffled her scream of horror, if only slightly.

As a hail of sharp icicles rained down upon the group, may were cut sown in a bloody and gruesome manner, cerise saw several shards flying towards her, yet they were interrupted when the lute player stepped over cerise and thrust his amrs toward the sky. A pillar of rock shot from the ground that shielded him and cerise, Icicles shattered upon the rock.

Cerise just sort of sank to the ground in despair.

An assassin emerged from the trees, they were wearing black clothes with a face wrap, and holding a dagger and wand. The lutist stuck his pillar of stone twice sending large chunks of rock flying at the Assassin who dodged both weaving out of the way with ease, but was hit and sent flying back when the lutist kicked the rest of the now five foot by three foot pillar at him. The lutist was then immediately sent flying by a bolt of electricity thrown from his flank. He was sent tumbling and stopped a few meters away, unconscious; as two more assassins emerged from the trees.

Cerise trembled on the ground, and gave a little yelp when lute dude was thrown to the ground with more electricity. With stumbling movements, she reached out for the dwindling fire in their camp, and sent it flying towards the assassins.

This was easily dodged by both assassins, the one on the left made some sort of lightning Glyph in the air, but before he could use it both were struck in the chest by some sort of lightning shaped like javelins. As both Assassins fell with massive holes in their chests the glyph that would have fired the spell to seal her fate dissipated

Cerise could barely hear over the sound of her own thundering heart beat and laboured breathing. She watched as they fell, unable to drag her eyes away from the sight.

"Cerise are you hurt?" Valstad's calm and familiar voice rang out as she could hear his footsteps approaching

Cerise ripped her gaze to look at the familiar, approaching figure, yet she could not trust herself to speak.

Valstad offered her a hand to get up, the carnage did not seem to affect him much

"Shit! Val I told you to call me!" Eph's voice rings through Val's head as he appears next to him in astral form "Cerise you okay?"

"If i'd have stopped to make the call she'd be dead" Val said bluntly to Eph

Cerise took his hand, and rose on shaking legs. While she did so, however, she stole a glance at the massacre she had almost been a part of, and with a pathetic little whimper, her hand rose to her mouth.

Eph just sighs and nods , he attempts to wrap an arm around the poor girl but it just passes through her.

A monotone "There, there" Was the best Val could offer in terms of comfort

Cerise couldn't possibly respond without bursting into tears, so she just continued to stare at her dead family.

Eph decides to materialize since the danger has passed , and so appears next to Cerise in a puff of smoke "C'mere poor girl" he exclaims as he gives her a hug.

Cerise wrapped her arms around him and sobbed her little heart out.

Eph just nods and holds her close , allowing her to completely soak his fancy silk shirt.

Val wordlessly went to see if anyone could be healed

Cerise turned her head to watch what Val was doing, silently pleading for some to have survived.