The Solitude of Judgement

The orc looked for a while, circling around to view the object from different angles. She made hand signals for "cannot save" and "immediate extraction".

Tenever's face tightened, but he nodded. Astarlane flipped her hand up to call for attention and signalled "visual contact" and "threat behind". The orc mage signalled "free fire" without hesitation, which Tenever communicated with three taps of the foot.

Astarlane opened up immediately, forming a spinning vortex of bolts from the fire in her hand and throwing them downrange in a nearly continuous stream of flashing flame. Blue-white impacts illuminated a golemlike figure composed of shattered stone. Astarlane moved sideways, continuing her barrage.

The orc mage calmly closed her eyes and knelt, whispering rapidly in Orcish, leaving Tenever to throw an arm protectively over her while she completed her incantation. He fired once, twice, one-handed, huge rounds flaring brightly in sprays of ignited titanium shards where they struck the golem.