Kavell's glaive strikes true, raking across the figure's chest and drawing blood.
He strides forward, twirling an odd shaft with a pointed tip between his fingers as he moves to strike!
His weapon slams into Kavell's sword-arm!
Another ninja tries to leap to Kavell's side...
...and ends up with a glaive drawing much blood from him as he moves. He tries to grab at the paladin...
...only to grab nothing but hazy air.
The remaining ninjas start to swarm Friday, one of them even charging forward to meet him before he can raise his spear! One slips between Kavell & Kasha to stab at his kidneys, and the rest simply try to hit him while his guard is down...
The last one moves forward several feet, shortbow in hand, and takes aim at Kasha...
...and her aim is thrown off by the mass of bodies between her and her target. The arrow flies out over the water.
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At a safe distance, a raven sitting on the docks raised a wing to its head.
"Huh, I didn't think it was possible for Valeria to get that furious. Wonder what's set her off over there."
************************************************************************
Stepping back from the ninja (and clamping down on the confusion and frustration at actually having to fight honest-to-gods, black-clad, ninja), her tail had already recovered the fire wand they'd retrieved a while ago. She didn't intend to use it just yet, simply get it ready. Instead, she started weaving a familiar spell around Friday.
Locking her eyes on the masked assassin before her, Kasha makes a gesture, tiny leaves sprouting along her armor as she calls forth the power of nature, vines erupting from among the timbers of the boat to entangle her opponent.
”My apologies, but I need both my arms.” Friday quickly tells the talking helmet before putting it on so he can lunge with his spear at the Ninja attacking Kavell. ”Fall in Kavell! They’re going for vitals.”
Friday's spear pierces the man's ribcage with a *SNAP* and he collapses as the spearman yanks it out.
The entangling roots leap towards the flanked assassin, but in a display of lightning-quick reflexes, the figure twists out of the way of the grasping vines.
He was confused by Friday's words at first, but it only took a second to realize that he was in a very good position to be surrounded...and he didnt think that was a good spot to be in. He backpedalled quickly keeping the assasin's in front or to the side of him and struck again at the one directly in front of him.
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Kavell's glaive lashes out again, and another ninja falls to the deck, bloodied and dead. The ninja in the middle of Kasha & Kavell steps behind the paladin and swings her siangham at his back...
...and lands a harsh blow to the back of his ribs.
The two assassins on Friday force their way into the reach of his spear and strike with their daggers. Helgarval glows as it settles on the spearman's head...
...and although one ninja's blade is deflected aside, the other plunges into his gut.
The last ninja throws her bow aside and bears down on Kavell, twirling a knife and easily leaping out of the way of his opportunistic strike!
...but even with the distraction her companion provides, the paladin is barely able to turn her knife aside!
The fire begins to spread from the pyre on deck...
As the ninja escapes and attacks one of her companions, Kasha's vines relentlessly go after him.
Seeing Kavell become the focus of the assassins, she reaches out to touch the Paladin's shoulder imparting a touch of primal animal fury in him.
Valeria completed her spell on Friday, hoping that if the size increase would put anyone overboard it would be one of the ninja.
With the spell complete, she shifted up to the one engaging Kavell from behind and took a swing with her staff.
Looking down from his new height Friday plunges his spear at the ninja on the other side of Kasha attacking Kavell.
Friday swells to several feet in height, surprising the two ninja attacking him. One of them manages to leap away from the man's sudden increase in bulk. The other... isn't so lucky.
With a surprised, feminine yelp, the other ninja is thrown overboard with a loud *SPLASH*.
The remaining ninjas don't seem to be deterred, even though one of their number is suddenly entangled by the vines Kasha conjured, and another is gutted by the now massive ranger's spear.
The fire spreads further, threatening to consume the upper deck!
"Its time to go perhaps I think?"
He called out as he struck at the ninja just in front of friday with his glaive.
Even as he struck he had begun to move torwards the ropes where the boats waited for them, It was time to get off the boat black clad assassins or not.
Kavell's swing goes wide, and the ninjas, in a surprisingly fanatical last stand, throw themselves at the party again...
The entangled ninja wriggles around in the vines...
...and easily slips out of them before striking at the shamaness responsible.
The blunt instrument impacts against Kasha's armour, but fails to wound her!
The other ninja advances on Friday, dagger twirling!
And he fails to get into the massive ranger's guard!
Her armor deflecting the strike, Kasha slashes at the ninja with her sickle.
With no other real options given the situation, Valeria swung her staff yet again before stepping clear of the ninja.
Friday lunges again at the ninja attacking his friends.
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o_O
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Valeria & Kasha strike decisive blows to the surrounded ninja. Friday impales the ninja attacking him, and then with a mighty heave, sends the corpse literally flying from the ship and off across the harbour.
Stepping back to get a proper angle on the last ninja.
"Lets get off this ship my friends, I'll keep this one at bay."
He called out even as he attacked.
Kavell cuts the last ninja down.
A quick look over the side of the burning ship shows that your kayaks have been cut loose and set adrift in the water... but the ninjas had kayaks of their own. They've tied them off.
"Looks like they won't be needing their boats." Kasha comments, moving to where the kayaks are tied off. "Let's go before this thing is completely engulfed."
”Um... will one hold me?” the giant Friday asks.
"Hhnn...good point, Valeria, you might want to....cancel the spell if you can." Kasha replies.
"Yeah, hang on," she said before gesturing towards Friday and muttering a series of arcane words, reversing the spell and shrinking him back to his normal size.
Friday bow to Valeria before removing the Angelic helm. "My apologies for that."
The party reaches the kayaks and sets out for shore without any further interruptions. The ship burns, being consumed in a pyre of grand orange flames, the smoke from the blaze spiralling into the sky.
Though neither Ulf nor the sword Suishen were aboard, the party has uncovered something new--the identity of those who pursue them.
"let us make our way to shore. i will explain more there" Helgarval intones, settling into Friday's lap.
"Here's hoping whatever of his spirit was left finds peace now." Kasha says as they row for the shore. "And find out how those ninjas knew where to find us."
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Friday silently looks over at Valeria.
The party rows to a quiet, frost-laden shore where no one is around, the fog concealing them. The burning orange glow of the ship continues onward into the distance.
"you seek an Ulf Gormundr, correct? his expertise in crossing the most dangerous of mountainous terrain makes him invaluable to those who wish to continue northward" Helgarval's voice rings.
"and that is why he has been abducted"
"Continue." Friday politely tells the talking helmet.
"he was only held on the ship for a brief time" The angelic helmet's wings seem to droop. "the Frozen Shadows learned of your band's investigations and had him moved"
"the guild they got the funeral ship from is called the Rimerunner's Guild; a front for their intrigues, and a source of finances for their operations" The helmet glows a soft gold colour for a moment. "there may be evidence as to where they've taken Ulf within their walls"
"Thank you, is there anywhere you would like us to take you to on the way?" he asks.
"i do not have a particular destination in mind" Helgarval twitches in Friday's hands. "i was assigned a mission from the powers of Elysium--i must ensure the Five Storms must fall"
”Five Storms?”
"I take it they're the organisation those... assassins," she still couldn't bring herself to admit that storybook ninja were actually real, "work for?"
"indeed"
"they are a cabal of foul demons who seek the throne of the Jade Emperor of Minkai"
"The throne of the....it looks like we have a common enemy then." Kasha says resolutely. "Even if they weren't already trying to kill us."
"yes"
"is the Jade Heiress alright?"
"Yes."
"If by 'Jade Heiress' you mean the granddaughter of Rokuro Kaijitsu, then yes." Something about what Helgarval said twigged something in the back of her head, like something she'd read or heard years ago. "Wait; what do you mean by Jade Heiress?"
"yes. but we know her ancestor under his proper title: Amatatsu Tsutoku."
"she is the true heir to the throne of Minkai. that is why the Five Storms seek her death"
"So as long as she lives, they will hunt her or any surviving members of the bloodline down, unless they are destroyed?" Kasha asks.
"Which means we might need to dig them out of Kalsgard before we leave, make sure we don't get caught in a pincer. We get Ulf, get him to safety, then find wherever these Five Storms are based around here and show 'em that getting at Ameiko won't be easy."
"I'm on board with that." Kasha replies, her distaste for the corrupting influence of demons clear in both voice and expression.
Friday gives a silent and solemn nod.
"So looks like we're on a hunt."