Flynn leaps from Skyfall's back and rushes to the hut, putting his boot unceremoniously through the door.
He glances down at the dying Tabitha and finally setting eyes on the cowardly leader of this band.
Lennth, see to Tabitha, she might yet be saved! he snarls at the man then, as animalistic as Melo. You've earned what's coming you bastard!
Melo shouts out his anger building as blood is spilt, tabitha crumpling to the floor only bring back memories of Cyn.
He charges at the man dropping his shield and club, His skin ripples as he attempts to change as he slams into the map attempting to grab him and stop him hurting anyone else.
Seeing the men outside dropped, Valex moves toward the hut, drawing his blade along the way. His racing mind has gone blank, his fear and anger replaced by a cold, cold cruelty that begged to be turned upon their opponents...
Feldus moves quickly to the entrance of the hut and, seeing there was little room to maneuver, hangs back and looks around quickly making sure no other threats are apparent.
"Lilith! Make sure no one else is coming! I need to check the leader's hut!" He yells to her.
Flynn swoops in on Skyfall's back, landing and immediately charging in to the hut.
Lenneth steps back and extends her magic to Tabitha... and finds nothing there. The girl seems to be dead.
Melo moves in and wraps his muscilar arms around the man, who screams and spits in his face, but seems to be held fast for the moment.
Feldus moves to check another hut, but is sure there is no-one else moving with evil intent this night.
Lilith begins further spellcasting.
The man struggles with Melo, trying to break free, but only succeeds in drawing a shallow wound on the druid's arm.
|
At the beginning of Lilith's turn a Lantern Archon appears withing the hut and immediately attempts to cast Aid on Tabitha. Lilith closes the distance, entering the hut. When she sees the girl shes shrieks in horror and rage. YOU BASTARD! Pulling the silver knife at her belt she advances on the man ready to do him in. Nothing but vengeance burns in her eyes. But as she prepares to strike the archon moves between her and the pinned man pulsing dimly in her face.
Valex moves into the hut, his face stone. He extends the point of his blade, carefully - oh, so carefully - laying the tip in the hollow of their enemy's throat. He tilts his head and raises his eyebrow, silently asking the man Do you stop, or do I press down?.
Flynn has neither the restraint of Lillith and Valex nor the inclination to show mercy.
He bulls his way into the Hut his Lance held low like a spear and as the man struggles in Melo's grip he drives the weapon up into the man's gut hard enough that he feels it crash against the wooden wall behind him.
The Lance runs slick with blood but in his white-knuckled grip Flynn has no difficulty keeping hold but instead twists the weapon wickedly.
I'll give you the same chance you gave her you piece of filth!
Melo groans in pain as the man continues to fight, but his anger builds not letting him get away this time not letting anyone hurt them again he bites out at the man's neck his animal nature taking over just as Flyn lances him.
The man growls and struggles as Melo savages his throat, trying to bring his knife up once more, Flynn bursts in to the hut, the fragile door disintegrating under the impact. The ranger's lance explodes through the man's body, blood spatters the walls and everyone inside.
The man's look of stubborn defiance changes to one of disbelief and pain, and then he sees nothing as his lifeblood pulses in to the hard soil of the floor. The two Solace children cower away from you, clutching at each other in terror. Aura lies on the floor, covered in darkness despite the magical lights present. Both Tabitha and Mallis lie unmoving, and unseeing.
There is quiet.
Flynn nods in grim satisfaction as the man slumps to the ground.
We need to know how many more there are. The one I left outside the wall will tell us.
Feldus returns to the hut and takes in the scene silently, noting the still forms of the ex-leader along with the dead forms of Tabitha and Mallis. His gaze lingers briefly over the witch who cradles her daughter, before focusing on Aura noting with a look of interest the magical darkness that surrounds her.
"We have to make sure none of them return as groaners." He says softly almost a whisper. Nodding in response to Flynn he turns to retrieve the lone survivor.
He will tell us all he knows before he joins his leader once again...
Flynn mounts Skyfall and once again circles the camp, using the Archon's light for guidance. Then, once satisfied, he swoops down to where he left the injured man moments ago.
Melo pants, blood running down his chest as the man crumples to the floor his mind returning to him. I let go.. but maybe this world needs animals I tried to be nice. He looks down at Lenneth cradling Aura in her arms and is quick to realise what just happened might not be good for the group.
He drags the body outside taking it away from the others. Once outside Melo looks down at the bloody body neck ripped apart, drawing his sickle he drives it into the man's head. Ending him for good. "I'm going to walk the wall. Check on everyone else." He shouts then skulks away.
The man outside the wall has not moved, Flynn's blow has likely left him unconscious for a while.
Lenneth pulls Aura to her, shadows flicker across her body and the girl, whilst appearing unharmed, does not wake.
The rest of the village seems calm, either the fighting was quiet, or more likely the villagers are cowering in their homes afraid to come out and hopeful that whatever is outside will resolve itself without hurt to them or their loved ones.
Flynn lands beside the prone form of the man he left there earlier. He had given him a stern whack on the side of the head - painful and certainly enough to knock him unconscious, but not for a long time. Hopefully, just long enough...
Skyfall.... Grab! he says quietly but with absolute authority over his companion.
The six-foot bird gives a short caw of affirmation and then hops over to the man and seizes him tightly by the shoulders.
Good girl. Flynn whispers in her ear and strokes her head. Now. Climb!
With a couple of great flaps of her wings the roc stutters at first with the weight but after a concerted effort takes to the air, flying high over the woods the man dangling like a doll from her powerful talons.
Now then... let's hope you're not a heavy sleeper. I've got some questions for you.
Flynn becomes aware the man has regained consciousness when the screaming starts. He scrabbles ineffectually at Skyfall's iron-clad grip on his ankles, before babbling how sorry he is and that he won't do it again, that Flynn is a good man and won't kill him, that he can change and atone for his crimes, he has a wife and kids he lost in the Harvest, how he's a good man that just fell in with a bad crowd...
Flynn roars, entirely unsympathetic to the man's plight. You think Mallis wasn't a good man? Tabitha not a good woman? They were my friends! More than that, they were my family now.
He kicks with his heels and suddenly Skyfall is in a death-drop, plummeting toward the ground at an absurd pace, the trees and hard ground rushing up to meet them. And then suddenly they are climbing again, back up into the night sky.
How many of you are out there, where are they? Don't make me ask again!
Ahhh!!!!!! he screams as Skyfall hurtles towards the ground.
No-one else! We were all that was left after you took over!
As the roc narrowly misses the ground and starts to gain height again for another swoop, he babbles almost incoherently with panic and fear.
You killed the others, it was Arrison's doing, he told us we could take the village back if we ran you off. That's it I swear!
Skyfall has flown high enough now that the village is the size of a plate below.
Let me go!
You're done with this village, do you hear me! Flynn roars as he pushes Skyfall through the air back toward the wood.
He looks for a clearing and lowers down to a height of about ten feet before saying;
Skyfall, leave!
The man drops and lands in a heap, enough to knock the wind out of him but do no serious damage. Flynn meanwhile lowers his lance and points it at the man's chest.
You're lucky I'm giving your life. But I'm going to be watching this treeline like a hawk every day. If I see even the sign of your passing through, I will hunt you down. Do you understand me? Get up and start walking.
The man collapses in a gibbering wreck, Flynn gets the impression he really didn't expect to be spared, He continues thanking Flynn with every breath, even as he drags his injured legs in obvious pain, crawling away as fast as he can manage in case the halfling's decision changes.
Feeling sick to his stomach, Flynn releases a long, shuddering sigh of relief and resignation when the man is out of sight.
Feldus glances at Lilith as he overhears her words. Moving over to her he responds with a flat look on his face. "No. Not me. I WAS the thing I HATED! No longer. I will die a thousand deaths before I become that again!" He utters vehemently before abruptly turning and walking away.
He then turns his gaze to his halfling pack mate. "Well done. You just sentenced him to a fate worse than death. Wandering the forests until he either starves to death or a groaner claims him. A fate he richly deserves!" He then spits a wad of mucus on the ground. "Good riddance!"
Returning to the hut and taking in the somber scene, he helps Lenneth drag the bodies of both Tabitha and Mallis out of the hut and off to the side. As he pulls them along to a suitable burial place. He stops and addresses Lenneth. "This will do. We can build a cairn for them here. They need to be ensured they....do not rise again, Lenneth. I will do that for you if you wish but they are your friends, not mine. I barely knew them."
He's got what that Arrison filth never gave Tabitha - a fighting chance. If he dies out there, I don't care. Flynn says callously. He was a cannibal who killed my friends. I let him out into the world he didn't want to try and change.
Despite his words, the halfling looks weary. Weary of it all.
Valex, his face stone and his voice a winter's wind, holds out his arm to stay Feldus as he goes to attend to Tabitha.
"I will attend her. My failure to her is as complete as my failure to Ashliegh. Let this be a bit of useless penance."
He will carry her outside the walls and see to her continued rest...
Melo looks on, the blood drying and caked over his face and chest. "I wanted to believe we could just continue being ourselves like nothing had happened but that's impossible, this world won't let it be."
He steps up and places a hand on Flyns shoulder. "We all have to change, harden ourselves to it all. We will never be like them, but we have to use their tactics against them." He looks out at the wall. "I let them get away last time and we lost so much because of it. Never again, you did a big thing letting him go Flyn I couldn't. If I still had any strength left in me i'd run out there now and cut him down. I feel sick thinking what he could do, now that he has nothing to loose."
The night is cold and still as each tends to their work, taking care of the fallen.
Of Whisper there is no sign, in fact you don't recall seeing her the previous day either.
Robban's body lies crumpled by the wall, a knife still sticking out of his back. There is a sound like crackling parchment, then you realise he still draws breath, albeit barely it seems.
Feldus gazes at the unconscious form with a worried look on his beady face. "He was stabbed in the back, caught unawares. This sounds like the handiwork of someone who lives in the shadows." He glances around him, a nervous look on his face. Looking up to address the elf mage he asks softly, "That halfling woman...she is quite at home in the shadows. What do you know of her?"
Seeing his friend lying in a pool of blood, a terrible rage borne of frustration and weariness rises up in Flynn.
he roars, balling a fist and smashing it into the stout wood of one of the huts for lack of an enemy's face to plant it in.
He bites down so hard he hears his jaw crack as he rushes to Robban's side.
Who did this brawd? I'll see them dead by morning and then we're done with this place.
Melo looks down at Robban unable to help him, his powers spent in the day. This is what it's come down to.. more death maybe I was wrong to join them. Lost in thought he waits, waits to see if Robban can be saved.
As Lilith's magic takes hold, Robban's body arches and writhes, the knife sliding out with a *pop*
He snarls and thrashes, but remains unconscious even as his wound heals over. Finally his eyes pop open and he rolls over, evidently still quite hurt given the way he is moving. He focuses on you and relaxes.
Thought that was it, heard something behind me and then... he shudders
I didn't see anything, I just smelled... rot...
He shakes his head to clear it. Lenneth's magic takes hold then, and he straightens up, flexing his arms then scooping up his club from where it had fallen.
What happened?
Once Robban mentions smelling rot, his beady eyes get an alert expression and he sniffs the air experimentally. "How long ago was this?" He curtly asks the wounded man.
Feldus inhales deeply, but can't detect any groaners. This combined with the recent quick scout of the area leads him to believe there are no zombies nearby.
Robban shrugs and rubs his head
I have no idea, I was unconscious he replies simply.
As Lenneth describes what happened, his face grows pale and downcast.
By the absent gods, what filth these scum were. I am sorry.
He shakes his head sadly.
Whisper? I think it was yesterday morning, I thought perhaps she had gone with you or gone on ahead or something, but if she wasn't with you then I don't know where she is.
He looks glum.
I don't really know what to say, let me know if there is something I can do. I'm sorry again they caught me off guard.
His brow furrows, deep in thought.
That's never happened before.
Back in the hut, the children clutch each other, staring at Aura's motionless form, shadows still dancing across her skin.
Feldus glances nervously around him as if he expected a blade to protrude from his back. "Yeah, sounds like a Cultist to me." He nods darkly before suddenly yawning loudly. "I am dead on my feet. I need....we ALL need rest now, but do we dare spend the night here?"
Melo looks at Robban, as he explains. This doesn't seem right What were you doing out by the wall Robban? He says as his stomach knots up.
Robban glances up at Melo
Couldn't sleep, and don't go anywhere without this he pats his club.
Thought I heard a noise, turns out it was something he sighs.
The night stretches onwards, and the sun barely lightens the sky as dawn breaks. The village busies itself as if nothing had happened, though you catch some of them looking at you knowingly, apparently keeping their thoughts, and their stories to themselves for now.
An hour or so after dawn, a familiar figure comes walking down through the north gate. Whisper. She glances around, assessing the situation as she moves through the village. As she reaches your hut she holds up a sack, and making sure there are no children around, opens it to show you. It's the head of the man who fell down Lilith's pit, who Flynn let go last night. She smiles at you all with a flash of sharp teeth. Then her brow furrows, and she points at each of you, then adds more fingers to her outstretched hand and looks questioningly.