The Desperate Rescue. [In Game]

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[OmegaUmbra]

Akalfa scrambled as the seconds ticked down. There was nowhere near enough ice for it to hold properly! Before full on alarm could take her, Daisy's command snapped the Dark Elf away from her dismal thoughts. This was not going to be pretty. Akalfa had exhausted herself physically using such time consuming spells within mere seconds of each other without heed, but there certainly was enough in her for another large blast, at least one more; and it needed to count.

"This has got to work..." Taking a deep breath she steadied her shaky hand, aiming straight for the cyclops left leg. "Steady...steady..." The sorceress spoke under her breath stilling her nerves.

She needed to give this everything she had.

Reeling her hand back Akalfa channeled her arcane magic, the intensity of the heat radiating off of the second fireball nearly being too much to bare. Without ceremony the Dark Elf sorceress threw the fireball straight for the cyclops leg. Holding her breath as she watched the the ball of heat flit through the air like a catapult.

 

[Ecnalab]

The explosion nocked Valira back, as the creatures leg went up in smoke, and it fell to its hands and knee. The cyclops was a mangled bleeding mess, but not yet dead. Then something happened that made their heats sink. The monster's guts began slithering over each other, and back up into its stomach, as its leg started to regrow. and the knowledgeable among them all came to the same horrific conclusion... regeneration; this thing was part troll.

 

[Kalnath]

Dirk couldn’t see most of what was happening, nor could he properly hear the others’ shouting over the cyclops’ bestial roars; but he felt the heat of the fireball as the monster suddenly lurched forwards. A moment later and its back was horizontal. It should have been a sign of triumph, but even at a distance his friends’ expressions indicated that things were not going as well as they seemed.

With some effort, Dirk wrenched his dagger out of the giant’s back and lunged toward its shoulders. In his haste, he failed to notice how quickly the wound healed - too focused as we was on taking out the monster's eye.

 

[Ecnalab]

Dirk plunged his long knife into the creatures single eye, and it bolted upright, throwing him off. The cyclops howled as it scratched at its eye, trying to dislodge the piece of metal from it, but it's bulky fingers were too unwieldy to get it out.

 

[Kalnath]

Dirk barely had time to brace himself before he hit the ground with a painful thud that sent white spots flickering across his vision. Still, he’d done it! He sat up to observe his handiwork, watching the blinded monster rub and pick at his knife like a stubborn fleck of sand.

Dirk got to his feet, wincing from the impact, and circled around to where the others were.

“Okay, I think that gave us an edge over him. Now what?” They were still missing one - he glanced about for wherever Sune had landed.

 

[Kalnath]

“Are you sure? I think we may have it on the ropes now...”

Dirk didn’t exactly like the idea of losing one of his weapons, but if that was what it took…

 

[Kalnath]

Dirk patted himself down. About the only objects of real use he had on him were his other dagger and some flimsy-looking rope. A crude spear wasn't out of the question, if they could quickly find a long enough stick.

He glanced over at Valira, whose blade was not only longer, but had also proven itself eminently capable of carving through the creature's flesh.

"Maybe if we can hold it still enough..." he muttered, before turning back to Daisy and Akalfa. "As long as we're exploring our options, do you think it could regrow its head?"

 

[TheIrishOtaku]

Valira was left dazed by the blast for a minute or two, shaking her head clear of the wooziness as she shakily stood back up. She had been dimly aware of everything that had happened and been said, so she was up to speed on the situation at hand. The creature's regeneration came as an irritating surprise, even as Valira took heart at Dirk's actions. All things considered they were handling themselves quite well, but they weren't out of the woods yet. Approaching the others, the High Elf joined the discussion at hand.

''If you think that cursing my sword would help to finish off this foul beast, then go ahead and do so. Keeping it restrained is risky, especially given the rather poor quality of the rope at hand, but may still mean the difference between victory and defeat. Destroying its head, piercing its heart, strangling it, whatever we do we better do it fast. It'll get the dagger out of its eye soon enough.''

Valira glared at the cyclops, the good sense of Daisy's initial suggestion of retreat paling in comparison to the appeal of seeing this monster dead. Wounded pride and anger filled Valira's being, and she was ready to pay back the cyclops ten fold for what it had done to her and her friends.

 

[OmegaUmbra]

Akalfa watched in horror and disgust seeing the massive creature slowly knit itself back together, the sound of its entrails retracting made her body cringe in revulsion. At the least Dirk's plan still proved ingenious and useful. Looking away she was glad to see Valira and the rogue had made it away safely, as well as Daisy. Though the Dark Elf turned to Valira for a moment seeing she was winded.

"Apologies Valira, I may have overdone it..."

Talk of their new plan did temporarily trouble her mind. Worries of failure were prevalent, but red-hot rage and the need to defend her comrades burned brighter than cowardice. Akalfa was exhausted but would stop at nothing to aid her companions in seeing that cyclops fall.

With a shaky breath, she spoke, turning to the three.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

 

[Kalnath]

An image began to form in Dirk's mind. It would be difficult, and it would take all of them working together, but...

"Can you freeze its limbs again? Enough so that it can't get up or flail around so much? Daisy, it would help if you can make it even weaker, or feel sleepy, or sick. Then I think the two of us could pull it down together. We'd only need to hold it still long enough for Valira to get at its neck!"

"I know it's a gamble, I know it's a reckless suggestion that could get us all killed, and I know I'm making a lot of assumptions... but I know we can do this. We don't have to run."

He hefted the coil of rope in his hand, and smiled. "Besides! If we can't even deal with a blind, crippled giant, how can we say that we'll take on a dragon?"