[EVENT] i g n i t e

<div align=center>i g n i t e</div>

Taeyang felt ill. It had been a while since he'd last felt so terribly. His stomach rolled, his head ached. Both Maruru and Hisashi had tried to help him, Maruru through her small healing spells and Hisashi through grooming. He was grateful to be clean and although Maruru's touch was cool, it couldn't fix the aches or the fever.

He'd headed towards the infirmary at last out of desperation. Even then, he would have been satisfied with lying in his room until he'd sweated out the aches and heat and the terrible headaches and nightmares, but... Maruru had started crying.

So, here he was, no doubt weaving on his feet as he tried to make his way to the sickbay in the hopes that someone there could fix him.

It was then that he froze in horror, aware of the creature looming in the courtyard before him. This was.... this wasn't real, was it?

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His eyes, however, said his vision held true.

Ifrit, a terror from his nightmares stood before him in all of its hulking glory, symbolizing the flames in its distorted figure. Taeyang despaired, dropping to his knees even as he leaned against the doorway to support himself. The weakness was getting worse.

And again, he'd done something wrong.

Again, he'd brought bad things upon those around him - because he had no illusions of being able to handle this particular creature; not at its full strength!

He would need help.

And probably a lot of it.

<a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqJMTkc4coY#t=98' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'>Ifrit howled.</a>

Taeyang didn't know what to do. There wasn't anyone else here, so at the very least, he was relieved (in a sense) that he'd be the monster's only victim. Of course, that wasn't to say that Ifrit wouldn't continue seeking out others to bring catastrophe to after he'd been disposed of.

The mixed Asian boy struggled to his feet, leaning against the wall. Of all times to be sick, this was undoubtedly the worst. He could feel Hisashi and Maruru protesting his movements, but even they understood that this was important.

Hisashi took to the air, shrieking out a challenge in the way only crows could. Though Ifrit might swat at him, Taeyang knew that his bird friend was more than capable of nimbly taking care of himself.

He'd nearly dropped again when he saw another person (?) approaching. There was a moment of confusion and then distinct terror when he realized that the said humanoid was blue in color. Admittedly, it wasn't the color that scared him as much as the claws and spikes that shoved through his clothing as though they were but threads from a spider's web.

It wasn't until the other person settled in front of Taeyang, crouched defensively, that he realized this was another student - someone that was trying to protect him.

This, more than anything, bolstered his spirits.

Ifrit stared down at them as though they were but bugs waiting to be stepped upon, but he didn't have time to be afraid.

"Maruru, focus on small healing spells for now," he murmured quietly to his leaf fairy friend. He knew no one else could see his familiars - but for the boy he'd met in his first days on campus - unless they allowed them to.

He settled into a more defensive stance as opposed to the awkward sprawl he'd originally landed in and drew paper from his pocket. It was treated paper, blessed by a temple priest and cooked in the appropriate oils and waters for sealings. While he'd used small objects that he could keep with him for Maruru and Hisashi, he knew that something small wouldn't work for Ifrit.

Defeating the fire-based creature, after all, was going to be difficult - and quite possibly beyond their skill. What he needed to do was seal the monster away as he'd sealed the monsters that had appeared in the temple back in Japan.

And this time he wasn't going to let anyone die.

"Hi," he greeted the stranger, though this was perhaps a bad time. "This might be a bad place for you," he added, thinking that he'd at least give this person a fair warning. Taeyang had to face this monster, but no one else had that obligation - though he'd be immensely grateful if he stayed.

Quite frankly, he was terrified. He'd balled that fear up and shoved it down into the depths of his mind, but he was still afraid.

Then, hopeful, he asked, "What can you do?" Admittedly, he wasn't sure if the other person - male, he thought - would be able to respond given the shiny new fangs, but it was a tactical matter now. Taeyang's own abilities were very limited. Still, at least they had these few brief moments to try to come up with a plan - Hisashi was diving at Ifrit, keeping the monster distracted as it swiped at the crow.

Taeyang gave the newcomer a once over before returning his gaze to Ifrit.

"Do whatever helps you most," he said bluntly. He'd seen far worse in the slaughter at the temple and this person, at least, didn't seem to want to bring harm to them. Examining Ifrit, he could see strong muscles in the creature's arms and legs. He seemed hunched forward, not unlike a beast that moved on all fours.

It was noteworthy. It meant that Ifrit might be slower on two legs and the fire that wreathed him was strongest in his extremities.

"Go for joints," he suggested, sweating. "I'll prepare a seal for it."

Which probably wouldn't make a whole lot of sense to the other boy, but it was all he could offer before turning his concentration to the seal he held, making signs over it as he concentrated. Unspoken words formed on his lips as he prepared to use the seal.

Ifrit had no care for their pause, however. He smashed his fists into the ground before them, destroying the carefully tended courtyard as he roared into their faces, the heat and suggestion of flames their only hint as the fire licked its way from his throat and into the air where they were.

He swiped at them, wanting to remove the immediate humans he could see. His children had called him and so he would bless them with his presence, bringing the flames to the land they'd brought him to so they might bless more of these creatures, baptizing them with fire.

He tipped his head back in another feral roar before breathing red heat upon the flagstones of the courtyard.

"Um, anything you can do to distract it would be good," Taeyang said, his voice going a bit high pitched at the end, his panic nearly palpable. He'd dodged the rocks Ifrit's fists had churned up, but had nearly been swatted like a fly. He'd barely thrust himself back in time to dodge the swipe, and the heat had his blood warming, drawing red to the surface of his skin.

Taeyang flinched in sympathy when he saw the way the stranger was thrown. Immediately, Maruru went to the other student. Though she was invisible to him, the effects of her magic wasn't. He'd feel coolness in his leg before the pain eased out. The injury wasn't healed - Maruru wasn't old enough for that yet - but the pain would be gone. It wouldn't distract him during the fight.

Hisashi, on the other hand, could interfere a bit more. The invisible crow cawed and instead of darting in and out of Ifrit's face, raked his claws down the side of the creature's shoulder, drawing its attention and ire.

Not that Edsel would know that. Oh, man, this was going to get confusing. Taeyang returned his attention to the paper he held. He only needed a few minutes, but fights could be decided in seconds.

He hoped they'd be able to hold out.

Ifrit, on the other hand, was annoyed. The bird was annoying. Though he'd ignored it in favor of the choicer humanoids that stood before him, the bird's talons suggested otherwise. He blew fire at it, distracted, and swiped for it.

He missed on both accounts. Hisashi was far more nimble than the hulking fire-god.

Annoyed, Ifrit bared his teeth and growled threateningly. Hisashi, however, only scolded him with his caws and swiped at him again. When Ifrit swiped for him this time, he landed the hit and Hisashi when flying into the stranger's face, stunned.