Amanda's eyes widened at the sight of the magic, more advanced than anything she had ever done. She had hopes to one day master the elements herself, but nothing like this was close to being within her reach.
"That's more than a neat trick," she said. "One day I--"
She was cut off with a shriek from above, as without warning the zhenniao dove down towards them. It had been startled earlier, spooked into flying away, but it had returned to its nesting grounds, and seemed none too pleased with the intruders that were still trespassing there. Its poisonous beak stabbed straight towards Amanda's neck.
Letting out a shriek, she threw out a telekinetic push, deflecting the beak at the last moment. She stumbled back, the bird swiping at her with its talons. She threw out a burst of magic again and again, doing the best she could to use her power to ward off the sharp talons, though she still ended up taking several deep cuts across her arms, and the bird was showing no signs of giving up its assault.
"That's more than a neat trick," she said. "One day I--"
She was cut off with a shriek from above, as without warning the zhenniao dove down towards them. It had been startled earlier, spooked into flying away, but it had returned to its nesting grounds, and seemed none too pleased with the intruders that were still trespassing there. Its poisonous beak stabbed straight towards Amanda's neck.
Letting out a shriek, she threw out a telekinetic push, deflecting the beak at the last moment. She stumbled back, the bird swiping at her with its talons. She threw out a burst of magic again and again, doing the best she could to use her power to ward off the sharp talons, though she still ended up taking several deep cuts across her arms, and the bird was showing no signs of giving up its assault.
