The Desperate Rescue. [In Game]

[Kalnath]

Dirk had pressed his back flat against the cliff face and was staring into the sky with unmistakable terror. His eyes, wide and quivering, followed the black shape as she slowly glided overhead. On some level, Dirk had secretly hoped that they would never encounter Zira again, unlikely as it seemed, and now the living reminder of his mistakes was passing right above them. His heart started racing in his chest while he held his breath, as though afraid the slightest noise or movement would somehow draw her attention.

Valira and Akalfa's proud declarations snapped him out of it, their words inspiring and shaming him in equal measure.

If you can't have faith in yourself, then put your faith in them.

"Right," he said, regaining composure. "We can do this. We will. Whatever happens, I'm right there with you." Dirk smiled, though there was still nervousness behind it.

 

[Ecnalab]

Zira would soon pass out of sight with her prize, and the company would be left to decide their next move.

 

[TheIrishOtaku]

Valira smiled, both at Akalfa's compliment and her and Dirk's faith in the groups success. The fact that they were so confident, despite the fear and apprehension they were feeling, caused her heart to swell with pride and only further confirmed in her the rightness of what they were planning on undertaking. She knew that Daisy would echo these sentiments, and would prove just as helpful during this last final difficult leg of this journey.

''Thank you all, for your kind words, your determination and for your very presence! It has been an honour and a privilege to fight know you and to fight alongside you!''

Valira's voice quavered with emotion, she quickly steadied it before continuing

''For now, I think the only thing we can do is follow Zira! We can hardly attack her from this distance, and even if we did doing so could harm Sholgra. Ironic, escorted to our destiny by one of the very things that we must defeat to see it come to pass. If Zwarr were here he could right an ironic song about that....''

Valira smirked a bit at that, trying to lighten the mood a tad.

 

[MagicBanana]

Daisy gazed at the sky, impressed beyond words or action by the beast in the sky. It was the first time she'd seen a dragon, only having heard of them in tales of triumph and glory. She understood in that moment why they had the reputation they did, even if it was only a momentary glance at it's powerful form from far away. Valira's declaration of glory and honor roused her from her stunned silence, and filled her with confidence to do what must be done. "Let's go and rip that overgrown newt's wings off!" She exclaimed, excitement clear in her voice.

"So, what's the plan for when we get to the lair of these beasts? I doubt a reckless charge will amount to much more than charred bones and ash. But we also probably can't just grab the stolen people and go, seeing as how dragons are greedy and won't really like us taking what they think of as their treasure." Daisy asked, not allowing her fervor to take complete hold of her and overrule reason. "A fight is inevitable, but how would we realistically handle it? Dragons are resistant to mundane weapons and even magic, so we'd need to basically drop a mountain on it."

 

[OmegaUmbra]

Akalfa could see Dirk shared the same nervousness as herself, but smiled reassuringly at him, admiring the faith he had in his friends regardless of how they both felt behind the bravado. She also thought deeply on Valira's comment and chuckled, missing the Tiefling bard's melodic flair, able to brighten even the dimmest of circumstances, sure Dirk and Valira must have missed him just as much. Turning to the High Elf she nodded.

"It would be a ballad of epic proportions I'm sure. When we cross his path again someday we'll have to ask for a tune. Maybe bring him a dragon scale or two as a souvenir." The Dark Elf said fondly at the thought, before turning her attention to Daisy. Another good point raised once more by the witch, her intellect already proving quite helpful. It was an insightful question the sorceress herself failed to ask lost in righteous fury. How would they deal with the great dragon and his progeny? Akalfa scowled, racking her mind through the possibilities.

If the dragon had a half-child, and that half-dragon operantly wasn't immediately hostile, could that make room for...diplomacy? Though the more Akalfa thought on it the direr that route seemed. She doubted Valira or Dirk would want to attempt conversating with their friend's kidnapper, and attempted assaulter, nor did Akalfa herself want to speak to someone like that. Especially after hearing of her ill temper. There had to be a way to go about this smartly. For certain, but she couldn't figure it out on her own.

Akalfa turned to face Sune before she spoke.

"To be frank my ideas of infiltration do not feel adequate. Since we're all in this together now, I'd like to ask if you have any opinions on how we could go about this. Or at least any tips. If you would."

Akalfa bit her lip, conveniently auditing the phrase 'please' from her request, feeling slightly uncomfortable to ask the demoness. Putting her in any position of leverage was not something Akalfa wanted to do, but if anyone could be knowledgeable about the subject, it would be the all-powerful demon.

 

[TheIrishOtaku]

''I'm sure he would love one of those, he would probably use it as a pic for that strange instrument of his! What better way to rekindle our friendship than with a gift and a song!''

Valira chuckled heartily at that, quickly returning to the task at hand as Daisy brought up a very good point. Their options seemed rather limited, and she was a bit embarrassed to admit that no ideas came to mind. Daisy had hit the nail square on its head. A frontal assault would probably be suicide, negotiation was technically possible but quite unlikely given who they were dealing with (Not to mention they weren't exactly in the strongest bargaining position) and they had no special weapons to speak of. Stealth and the element of surprise seemed their only option. Akalfa asking Sune for advice therefore was a necessary evil. As much as it annoyed her to do so, it would be folly not to explore every possible avenue. Sune was clearly quite worldly (in more ways than one) and had special abilities so she could be exactly what they need. Valira could swallow her pride if it meant success in this noble mission. Of course, it was a bit galling to do so regardless.

''Yes any ideas or advice you could provide would be most helpful Sunelarra. We would be very grateful indeed.''

Valira put as much charm and warmth into her voice as she could, giving the demon her best smile as she waited for a response.

 

[Kalnath]

Off to the side, Dirk cleared his throat and raised his hand.

“I know you didn’t ask me,” he said, a bit guiltily for interrupting, “but I do know quite a bit about housebreaking. I… can’t say how relevant much of it would be for a dragon’s lair, since I’ve never seen one, but the basic principles are probably the same.”

He pointed up at the mountain as he quickly summarized what he could, not wanting to take too much time.

“For starters: the best time to sneak inside is when nobody’s home. However, from what little I've heard, dragons seem very... sedentary, and we shouldn't depend on them both being gone at the same time. That being the case, we'd want to try for a time when they're both either asleep or distracted."

"Second: any hole you can fit through is a valid entrance. Any hole you can fit through quickly is a valid exit, and the more of them there are, the easier it’ll be to escape when things go sour. I think it’d be worth taking the time to find as many as we can before we commit."

Admittedly, both pieces of information were quite obvious - but sometimes people forgot the obvious, and you had to remind them. He'd certainly missed the obvious enough times now to realize that.

 

[MagicBanana]

"Very insightful." Daisy responded, gaze still affixed on the mountain. "I'd say stealth is a very good plan. A fight may be inevitable, but if we can sequester the hostages then we can lure the dragons away and into an area where we hold the advantage in a fight. A confined area would deny them flight, but it would make their breath harder to evade."

"Or we can get the captives out and literally drop the mountain on their heads, assuming we can find or create something with that much destructive potential. Though that may not kill them, and if it did we wouldn't be able to get those scales and claws." Daisy's eyes squinted as she concentrated on coming up with some kind of middle ground.

"I'm only suggesting fighting them because there's no way we could get the captives back to the capital before they wake up. It's weeks of travel to get there by horse, and none of us have any. We will need to deal with the dragon and half dragon, or else they'll just burn down the countryside looking for the princess, your friend, and anyone else they might have captured."

Daisy turned to look at Sune. "Unless someone here knows how to teleport a large number of people a great distance. In which case, we can grab them and get back to the capital in no time at all, and even lure the dragons into attacking what is doubtlessly a well fortified and armed location."

 

[TheIrishOtaku]

Dirk and Daisy both made very good points and Valira was grateful for their insights and expertise. It seemed that combat was indeed inevitable, although if they were to fight it would have to be on their terms and with as much of an advantage as was reasonably possible. Sune's abilities could prove to be a trump card, as Daisy so astutely pointed out, although something told Valira it wouldn't be that simple. It rarely was on these sorts of quests. Valira mulled over what she had heard so far, racking her brain to think of a solution to this problem. Sadly, none came to mind given their limited resources.

''The two of you are quite right, it seems that this will only be accomplished through a mix of stealth and physical combat. Out of your suggestions Daisy, I would say the first one makes the most sense. We get the hostages to safety, then we fight our enemies in a fitting location. The battle will at least be easier even if it will still be harrowing to say the least.''

Valira was feeling a mixture of excitement, anticipation and fear. This was it, the battle that would decide whether they came home in triumph having accomplished noble deeds, or if they would end up as lunch or worse for the foul beasts they sought to slay. Valira swore to herself that no matter what happened next, she would face it with a shout on her lips and a sword in her hand.

''If everyone is in agreement, perhaps we should scout the surrounding area for a suitable spot beforehand. We could improvise in the moment, although that seems a bit reckless even for us.''

Valira smirked at that, a bit of self deprecating humour to lighten the mood.

 

[Ecnalab]

The sound of rocks clacking together caught the groups attention, and they turned to see a cluster of small stones clatter down a nearby scree covered hill. Though they didn't see anything at the top, it was odd for rocks to fall for no reason.
A shiver ran down several of their spines, particularly Dirk's; he knew when he was being watched, and right now he felt like there were eyes all over him.

 

[Kalnath]

Dirk glanced around warily, his expression carefully blank except for his eyes. This feeling was all too familiar. It brought back uncomfortable memories of shadowed figures in alleyways that would slowly approach while saying things like "Reckon you just made a wrong turn, friend..." without a hint of amicability in their voice.

Instinct was telling Dirk to leap over the nearest fence. He subconsciously drew closer to the others.

"Well, we still have a ways to go ahead of us. You should keep an eye out: maybe we'll find a good spot for it along the way!"

Dirk nodded toward the trail ahead. He spoke almost nonchalantly, as though nothing were wrong, but kept looking around them in a way that suggested he wasn't just surveying the landscape.

 

[OmegaUmbra]

Akalfa nodded at all three of their responses. They were all good ideas, and she considered every one. What seemed uncertain now was shaping up to be a decent plan of action.

"The three of you all make a good point! I apologize for my...lack of better ideas, to say the least." Akalfa said sheepishly looking off to the side with an awkward smile. Usually quick on the draw, finding herself lacking felt a tad embarrassing.

"Scouting the area sounds like a good idea Valira! Best to-"

The sound of the stones toppling momentarily caught Akalfa's attention, stilling her words. No matter how small, stones don't fall like that for no reason. It was as though something disturbed them...yet nothing was in sight. Despite herself, a strange feeling couldn't help but take hold. A chill, an anxiety-inducing sensation that made the hair stick up on the back of her neck. Seeing the way Dirk's eyes shifted around as he spoke without his mask said waves. That the feeling that came over her may have been more mutual than she had thought.

Still staring at the hill Akalfa glared.

"That was odd." Deciding to give no further comment in case something was amiss, like someone or something watching them perchance, she turned to the four and smiled. A smiled less so out of friendliness, and more so along the lines of 'play oblivious.' She was always a paranoid girl, at least when she was in the swamp. The desolate land before them brought back some of those instincts. She just couldn't shake the anxious pit in her stomach. Flicking her eyes between the hills and her companions she kept her forced grin.

"I'm sure something suitable isn't far. I'll be sure to pay close attention."

The Dark Elf's careful footsteps and the way her eyes wandered said all it needed to.

 

[TheIrishOtaku]

Valira's eyes narrowed at the sound, keeping her hand firmly on her sword in order to draw it free at a moments notice. It wasn't surprising that they were being watched, although the question was whether it was the work of their beings employed by their main foes or another independent party. It didn't really matter, either way they had been spotted and any further attempts at stealth seemed pointless. They would just have to be ready if recon turned into an ambush. She could tell that Dirk and Akalfa were disturbed, she didn't blame them, and she immediately picked up on what they were trying to communicate. She nodded at the two of them, acting like nothing was amiss while still remaining focused.

''Indeed, let us be off then. I'm sure the area we seek is hiding in plain sight.''

Valira gave them a smile just as calculated as Akalfa's had been as she led the way forward.

 

[MagicBanana]

Daisy froze as she heard the rocks tumble, even if she didn't see them. Her lips pursed as her eyes narrowed in reaction to the noise. Stones don't fall unless they're disturbed, but an experienced predator wouldn't let themself be known like that. Whatever was watching them was either inexperienced, or wanted the group to know it was there. The dead silence that hung over the group was deafening, until Dirk and Akalfa broke it. She steadied her heartbeat and relaxed her face, going back to a more neutral expression. If it wanted them to know, it was better to play dumb like the other three were. And if it was inexperienced, playing dumb would let them get the drop on it.

"Must have been the wind." Daisy said in response to Akalfa calling the noise weird. She faced forward again, and slowly scanned the area. Whatever made that noise was either gone or unable to be seen, and she didn't really know which prospect was more unsettling. "Then let's be off. It'll be dark before we know it." She said with a similar calculated smile as she followed closely behind Valira.

 

[Ecnalab]

The group made to leave, and as soon as they began to move away, the skree that covered the side of the hill erupted as something massive rose out of it. Dust bellowed up in clouds, as the stones fell all around them, but it didn't obscure their assailant, as it towered over the dust clouds.
A single yellow eye perred out of a oblong head, who's only other feature was wide mouth full of crooked teeth. This head sat atop a body that was mostly folds of fat and hair in the rough approximation of a man.
"Cyclops!" Sune cried, just as club the size of a tree slammed into her, sending the demon flying down the gourg, as she took the full force of the surprise attack. The monstrous giant lifted its club a full thirty feet into the air, and readied to swing again.

 

[MagicBanana]

Daisy watched in horror as the cyclops burst through the stone and slammed their demonic companion away. "Sune!" She cried out as the demon soared through the air and landed with a dull thud. "You'll pay for that!" She screamed out in anger as arcane lights formed around her.

"Skin of parchment, bones of glass! Become unable to support your mass!" Daisy shouted the incantation for her curse, attempting to rob the cyclops of its strength, but leaving herself out in the open. Hopefully this would either work and the cyclops would be too weak to do anything, or the sight of magic would scare it off like an ogre.

 

[Ecnalab]

Her spell took hold, and the creature did look winded, as it's strength seeped from its body. So, when it's hand lashed out, and swatted her away, it only hit her with the strength of a rino, instead of an elephant. Daisy still felt the air blasted out of her, as she hit the ground, and she was pretty sure every bone in her body was broken. At least, that's what it felt like as she lay there, trying to catch her breath.

 

[OmegaUmbra]

Akalfa let out a frightened gasp seeing the way Sune went flying and tumbling down from the force of the cyclops's savage attack. Her and the demon weren't on the friendliest terms but the last thing she wished was to see her battered in such a way. Terror overtook Akalfa, taking in the horrendous visage of the beast, slowly backing away to gain some distance. If it was one thing she could guess, it's that they shouldn't be up close and personal with a creature who could easily step on them.

A modicum of relief was felt seeing the monstrous creature lose it's strength at Daisy's incantation. Akalfa almost felt confident, until it batted the witch away with the force of it's mighty fist. The Dark Elf's eyes widened in fear of Daisy's safety. This was bad. Very bad. The sorceress's heart was pounding in her ears, terrified. But she couldn't afford to sit and do nothing! They had come so far, and they weren't going to lose now. They just couldn't!

Panic stricken and enraged Akalfa's palms burned with a sizzling red glow, throwing her hand back and hurling a fireball towards the cyclops's arm occupying the giant club. There was no telling where the fireball would truly hit, if at all, but it could prove a decent enough distraction for them to gain some ground, and perhaps even make sure Sunelarra was still in one piece.

Deciding not to waste a second more, Akalfa made a break for her fallen companion. Hopefully the cyclops would be distracted enough so she could grab Daisy and make sure she was alright, and maybe give Dirk and Valira a fair shot at the beast.

 

[Ecnalab]

The cyclops roared in pain, and rage, as it dropped its club and clutched its arm; the massive wooden weapon nearly landing on Valira.

 

[Kalnath]

Dirk winced as Sune and Daisy were sent flying by the monster’s blows, one after another. He’d drawn a knife in his hand without thinking but it suddenly seemed very inadequate. Akalfa shouted for them to pull back, which was probably the smartest thing they could do. And yet…

The cyclops - for all its size, and for all its strength – still had one glaring weakness. With which it had been glaring right at them. If he could just reach the head...

“Keep its attention – I have an idea!” Dirk quickly nodded to Valira, before he abruptly put away his dagger and sprinted toward the cyclops. He darted between the monster’s feet as it reeled from Akalfa’s fireball in a frantic attempt to get behind its back.

It wasn't a great idea, but at least he was trying.

 

[TheIrishOtaku]

The surprise of the creatures attack was matched only by the horror and sheer rage Valira felt as it assaulted her companions. Despite her issues with the demoness, Valira took no satisfaction in seeing her hurt like that and she hoped that the demon was alright. Daisy was clearly in bad shape, and Valira's concern for her was just as great. She couldn't check on either of them however as she needed to remain focused on the enemy in front of her, Akalfa's attack having done some damage but not enough to end the fight. Nodding back at Dirk, she hoped whatever plan he had was a good one. His bravery filled her with admiration and respect, and gave her even more motivation to face the beast.

''Foul beast, you dare assault my friends!? For your arrogance you shall taste my blade!''

Valira ran forward with a furious war cry, slashing her sword at the horrid monsters left leg and doing her best to keep its attention solely on her.

 

[Ecnalab]

Dirk dove between the cyclops' legs. The big brute looked down confused, until Valira's sword cut across its knee. It howled, before falling to its knees, and bringing its fists down in one fell motion. The ground around Valira was plunged into a cloud of dust as the beast beat its fists into the dirt at her side, missing her by inches. The two were now on opposite sides of the monster.

 

[Kalnath]

When Dirk spun around, he was surprised to see the cyclops was that much closer to the ground. Surprised, but not disappointed – it just meant he wouldn’t have to climb as far.

Taking a deep breath, he launched himself at the giant's back, gripping tightly to its copious body hair as he pulled himself up toward its shoulders.

 

[Ecnalab]

The creature lifted its arms, swatting at him like a fly, but unable to reach the center of its back. This left it's belly wide open.

 

[MagicBanana]

The force of the blow nearly knocked Daisy unconscious from pain alone. The sickening sound of what felt like bones popping and cracking did nothing to ease her mind, though it was too busy reeling from pain to really think about anything. Stars filled her vision and all she could hear was the tweeting of birds as she tried to recover from being dazed. After a second or two, she blinked away the stars and saw Akalfa by her side. Attempting to move yielded only pain throughout her entire body. She definitely broke something, though the pain shot through her body too indiscriminately for her to discern what was and wasn't broken.

Daisy finally took a gasp of air in, oriented enough to feel the burning in her lungs after having had the wind knocked out of her and not taking a breath for so long. She took deep breaths of air, coughing all the while, and wincing in pain. "Okay, shouldn't have stood in the open like an idiot." She finally manage to say, scolding herself for making that dumb of a decision. "Akalfa, get the vial of light red liquid from my bag. It will heal me." She instructed, knowing that the dark elf was more specialized in blasting than healing. It wouldn't do much for her broken bones, but it would stop the internal bleeding that was likely going on right now.

 

[OmegaUmbra]

Akalfa nodded as she franticly searched around for the bag. Finding it still aside Daisy she breathed a sigh of relief seeing nothing broke on the impact of the fall. She did as instructed and lifted the light red vial, careful not to go through the witch's things too much. She doubted Daisy could lift the vial herself, given a broken bone or two may be present, or at the very least considered the woman was probably winded from the attack. So she lifted it to Daisy's lips herself, making sure to pour slowly.

Looking between the three Akalfa considered her options. While she could join the fight once more it might just get in the way of what Dirk was carefully planning, that and clunkily chucking spells could get Valira hurt amid her swordplay (especially when you consider how close that tree-trunk was!) The sorceress would need an opening without the risk of her friend's bodily harm, if she were to land a calculated hit. It was simply too risky. Watching the battle unfold was downright nerve-wracking. Disturbed as it made her seeing her companions so close to the beasts flailing fists, the only thing the Dark Elf could do was have faith in their abilities until an opportunity arose; wishing deeply for the cyclops's horrible demise for having the gall to attack her comrades.

Looking back down at Daisy for a few moments she did wonder if the potion was a fast-acting cure-all or simply subsided the pain momentarily, so she took care not to manhandle the witch.

"I'm guessing you cannot stand yet, judging by the force of that monster's blow. Do you believe anything to be broken? Is there any further aid I can provide?"

 

[Kalnath]

Dirk dug the toes of his boots into the folds of the cyclops' back as he tried his best not to fall or be grabbed. There wasn't much chance of climbing any higher as long as it kept trying to reach for him like this.

He held on tightly with one hand while the other went for his dagger. Even if he couldn't reach the monster's eye, perhaps he could still give one of his friends more of an opening. Dirk grit his teeth and braced himself before driving the short blade into its thick hide.

 

[TheIrishOtaku]

Valira saw the opportunity that was presented to her and took it, slashing the blade of her sword right across the cyclops's exposed stomach. She intended to disembowel the beast, leaving out a harsh shout as she brought her sword to bear. A spurt of blood covered her face but did little to slow her momentum as she cleaved into the monsters flesh, its intestines hitting the ground like so many grotesque sausages. The odor was rancid and if Valira hadn't been so focused on the task at hand she would have lost her lunch. She hoped that Dirk would be able to get off the thing in time before it collapsed to the ground. If he wasn't careful he could be crushed beneath its weight, a more ignominious end Valira could hardly imagine (not to mention a smelly one).

 

[OmegaUmbra]

A distinct splattering sound roused Akalfa's attention. Her eyes widened to a size not unlike a deer in the light, watching the savage display in front of her. Brutal, yet she couldn't say it wasn't deserved. Seeing the monster's wobble gave her a sudden realization that Dirk and Valira were very much in the 'splash zone', so to speak, and in the general vicinity to be squished flat depending where the mountainous thing would fall! Panicked, she layed the witch down as gently as she could and made haste. She'd need to be fast and precise! Running over to the two as fast as she could, muttering under her breath as her heart beat like a drum.

"No no no! No toppling just yet!" She shouted, carefully focusing her vision and her aim as she pointed her hand forward, aiming a lance of ice towards the giants feet and praying to every god above her accuracy was sound. It wouldn't stop the fall eventually but would possibly give her two companions enough time to abscond safely.

 

[MagicBanana]

Daisy drank the potion as Akalfa held it to her lips. The slight taste of cherries meant it was the correct one, and the effects were felt immediately as the searing pain only became a dull throbbing throughout her body. The sound of bone cracking could be heard from the witch, as the broken pieces of her arm and leg mended themselves in a somewhat sickening display. She probably shouldn't stand up just yet, but she did reach out and grab her pointed hat which had fallen off when she landed. "You've done lovely Akalfa, but there isn't anything else for it now. And I can stand, but it probably isn't the best idea." She finally managed to say, lifting her head up just in time to see the deluge of gore wash over Valira.

"Nevermind. Getting up. It is not the time to be resting." Daisy said as she lifted herself back to her feet, unsteady as they were, while Akalfa ran off to assist Valira and Dirk with subduing the cyclops. She placed her hat on her head once more, and stopped a moment to evaluate the scene. The beast was slashed and gored by Valira who was under it, while Dirk stabbed it's back on top of it from the other side. If it fell forward, it would crush Valira. If it fell backwards, it would crush Dirk. If it fell to either side, it would likely fling Dirk off of it and launch him away. But he was an acrobatic man, and could likely do a fancy roll to avoid getting flattened by the force of the impact. But how could they force it to fall to one side?

An idea struck Daisy, and she shouted out to the one lifeline they had. "Akalfa! Blow up the left leg!" She shouted to the dark elf sorceress. Choosing the left leg was important for that, since the high elf and human could likely hear her, Valira could go to the cyclops's right while Dirk could possibly jump off before the leg was blown off. It wasn't exactly pretty or perfect, but it was better than leaving it as a coin flip for who would and wouldn't be crushed.