"Four," Kalchine says. "Or 3, if Chest Thumper is one of them. He's much bigger now than he was when we came."
That's a bit of an understatement since he was a statue small enough to fit in Kalchine's hand when they came into the camp.
Fin smiles at Maka weakly. ”This is Viktor, the dead guy we found; the tomb fairy raised him from the dead. He’s gonna help us take out that infernal machine…he only speaks Russian though, you’ll have to get the details from Q…”
"Is that what y'all were doing? I really need to pay better attention." Maka rubbed the back of her head with a laugh.
Viktor just leans in a corner, waiting for you to tell him what to do next. He seems unphased by Chest Thumper.
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Selena gathers Bull, Saki, Maka, and Viktor around her so they can touch one another as she can teleport ‘em to the Hut’s porch…
Assuming the nearest vegetation is among the graveyard, Fin awaits for the dear lights to pass and then stealthily moves to the graveyard…
…and then he awaits till the coast is clear before waving Q, Kal, & CT over so Kal can do his plant travel thingy and get them close to the hut…
Amazingly, nothing interrupts you as you do this.
...does the camp seem oddly quiet right now?
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Every few minutes Sakitu peeks out through the cracks in the walls in the barracks looking for Fin. The fact that there is no alarm sounding or no rush of soldiers running off to a fight or, in general, no activity at all, makes her feel at least a little better about Fin's well being. If he and Quasit were spotted, there would be an alarm somewhere.
After an impossibly long wait she sees Fin and Quasit approaching. There's another man with them. With a shock, she recognizes the man as being the same person who's body parts they have been collecting.
They finally make it into the barracks and explain the situation.
"Heading back to the hut sounds like a great idea to me. We can rest and then also plan what to do next."
Kalchine and especially Chest Thumper stay hunched down and as inconspicuous as possible as they make the way across camp to the graveyard. Once the humanoid member of the duo finds a tree or patch of grass large enough, he makes sure everyone coming with him is linked up, including personally grasping one of Chest Thumper's fingers.
"See you back at the hut," he says to the other group before stepping into the plant and disappearing, Chest Thumper flashing away, as well.
"Now hold hands and don't let go! If you let go because you get bored or pick your nose, I won't waste my time coming back to get you." Selena starred at Maka while saying this. After an arcane utterance, Selena completed the circle and sent her group to the porch of Baba Yaga's hut.
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"We're back Cluckers! Were you a good boy?" Maka patted the porch wall while calling out to the hut.
"Bull, you warm up inside and make sure everything is still safe. I'll keep an eye out for Quasit and the others."
Maka does notice some footprints on the ground that don't look like any of yours, but doesn't see anyone currently present outside the Hut.
"Hey, there's footprints down there! Cluckers, why didn't you tell us there were people?" Maka jumped down from the porch, a quick burst of flames arresting her descent. She did her best to examine the footprints, wishing she had paid better attention to Fin's lessons on tracking.
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Fin comes out last at the tree near the Hut, shaking his head a bit to acclimate as he’s still not used to this travel by plant thing; he looks up and sees the others have beaten them there. He sees Sakitu standing there, smiles, and waves as he starts to walk over to her…
…but stops short as he sees Maka looking at footprints. Murmuring, ”What have we here, Maka?” as he kneels down to take a closer look…
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"Hey Fin!" Maka greeted Fin with a wave. "There's some foot prints all around, I think some people were here. And there aren't any giant chicken prints so Cluckers didn't do anything about them. " Maka called up to the hut.
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"Hey, let's make like a tree and leaf! Get it?" says Quasit jocularly before being sucked into the tree portal.
As she steps out, she staggers dizzily for a moment. "Whoa. I think I just got pollinated." She brushes bits of bark from her clothes and picks at a patch of sticky sap on one of her wrists. "I can't tell if that little jaunt took a couple seconds or a few days. It was a couple seconds right?"
Then she notices Maka and Findurel checking out the footprints. "More yetis?" she asks curiously.
To a skilled tracker like Fin, the snowy ground easily yields up its story. A rider came near the Hut, dismounted, then walked around the Hut (though keeping a healthy distance from it--perhaps it started to stir a couple of times, given how hastily the rider retreated at a few points?) before returning to their mount and riding back towards the camp.
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”Nope, not yetis,” Fin says as he looks up to Quasit and Maka. ”T’was a rider, Q…he came on a horse, dismounted, and walked around the Hut…seems he was wise as he gave the Hut a wide berth. Don’t be too hard on Cluckers, Maka; he retreated hastily a couple times or so, most likely because the Hut reacted in some way to discourage his curiousity. He remounted and ride back in the direction of the camp…I wonder if it might have been the leader of those undead horsemen…we saw neither him nor his horse after they fell thru Sakitu’s hole…and neither was in that pit when I checked later…I know I hurt the bastard, a pity I didn’t slay him…”
Fin gives a weary yawn. ”I think we should enter the Hut, rest, regroup, and talk more with Viktor about Rasputin, Anastasia, and that damn infernal machine of his…and maybe Selena can rid me of this damnable curse…”
If there are no objections, Fin will slowly walk over to Sakitu, brush his lips against hers, murmuring, ”Been one helluva night, Hlao-roo…”
As he enters the Hut, he looks up and greets the skeletal doorman. ”’Sup, Bones?”
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Quasit listens to the news about the lone rider visiting the Hut and frowns.
"I'm not sure those headless guys ever leave that inner compound. Their job is to guard that inner area, not to go scouting."
"But we didn't see any mounted troops among the regular soldiers. Just infantry and those haunted tanks. And it seems like whoever found the Hut didn't really know what they were looking at, considering the way they circled it and studied it for a while."
"My guess is that some local found the Hut, looked it over in confusion, then headed off to the camp to report what he'd found and hopefully get a reward. Which means we might be getting one of those patrols showing up here any time. Remember how quiet the camp seemed when we were leaving? Maybe a big chunk of them weren't there any more because there are on their way here."
Quasit shrugs. "Can't be helped. I always assumed that if they didn't know where the Hut was that they'd find it eventually. We're still safer in there than anywhere else. Even if they roll those tanks into this wood, I think the Murder Hut would still make quick work of them, if provoked."
As she steps out, she staggers dizzily for a moment. "Whoa. I think I just got pollinated." She brushes bits of bark from her clothes and picks at a patch of sticky sap on one of her wrists. "I can't tell if that little jaunt took a couple seconds or a few days. It was a couple seconds right?"
"It was only a couple seconds," Kalchine reassures Quasit.
"And we won't really know if you were pollinated unless you start to grow an apple," he says in a deadpan tone, though there is a faint smile on his face and he can't stop his ears from flicking playfully.
He grows more somber as news of an unexpected visitor arises.
"I haven't been around the hut for long, but clearly it is a powerful magical place. It seems easily defensible from the inside but we should probably post a guard from now on. I'd hate to find out what would happen if it got blown up the hard way."
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Quasit shrugs. "Can't be helped. I always assumed that if they didn't know where the Hut was that they'd find it eventually. We're still safer in there than anywhere else. Even if they roll those tanks into this wood, I think the Murder Hut would still make quick work of them, if provoked."
"I'd make even quicker work of them!" Smoke snorted from Maka's nostrils at the idea of those stupid metal wagons shooting Cluckers.
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Selena wasted no time going inside the hut. The small witch had plenty to do and spent several minutes gather various tools and ingredients. Soon, the aroma of simmering herbs and bubbling potions wafted through the air, as she meticulously unfurled a weathered scroll, its ancient runes pulsating with arcane energy.
The process to absorb the scrolls magic and filter it through her familiar was not a complicated one, at least as these sorts o things went, but it was delicate. The ingredients had to be carefully balanced to an individual scroll and there was no substitute for time as far as processing them went. Nothing could get too hot, too cold, sit for too long, nor stirred too strongly.
The scroll had to be broken down into small pieces, leaving as many whole theorems intact as she could. She then placed the pieces in a small tin which she placed in the fire, letting the head carbonize the paper instead of burning it. Once the pieces had been sufficiently 'cooked', she used a mortar and pestle to grind them into a fine ash.
It took several hours of tedious work, but finally, she neared completion. The small cauldron in front of her bubbled with an iridescent liquid. With a final flourish, Selena poured the scroll ash into the cauldron. The potion frothed as it transformed into a shimmering azure hue. With a gentle hand, she offered the potion to her fox familiar, who eagerly lapped at it with a grateful whine. As the potion took effect, sparks of arcane energy danced around the fox, illuminating the room with a warm glow.
"What would these fools do without me?" Selena said to snow as she scratched the fox behind the ear. The witch rose and focused on filtering the new spell from Snow to herself. Once complete, she left to find Fin and remove his curse.
Selena is able to remove the curse on Fin without too much difficulty.
Viktor seems to be taking in all the activity with dull disinterest. He speaks when spoken to, goes where you ask him, but otherwise just sits and broods.
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"And we won't really know if you were pollinated unless you start to grow an apple," he says in a deadpan tone, though there is a faint smile on his face and he can't stop his ears from flicking playfully.
Quasit grins broadly at this. Any time she pullsd the serious Triaxian out into some decent banter, it was a little victory.
"I've grown worse things." she quips as she hoists her eyebrows.
"I haven't been around the hut for long, but clearly it is a powerful magical place. It seems easily defensible from the inside but we should probably post a guard from now on. I'd hate to find out what would happen if it got blown up the hard way."
Quasit glances around at the clearing, as if expecting to see someone lurking behind one of the trees.
"Do you have any sort of Warding spell? Or maybe like a spell that can make an animal or a bird keep watch for us?" she asks. Then she cocks her head to the side. "Do you have birds on Triaxus?"
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Having not been as wounded or wearied as other members of the group, Quasit settles down on the porch to take the first watch. She spends much of the next hour watching Selena doing her strange ritual with the scroll and her fox, but from a safe distance, making sure to look away if Selena tries to catch her eye.
After sitting on the porch in the dark until the first traces of dawn begin to tinge the eastern sky-- at least she assumed it was east. Who knew on this planet? --she heads off in search of Bulvi, waking him to take the next turn.
She pulls out her bedroll and tries to sleep but once again finds herself mostly just staring at the ceiling, her mind racing. She flops around uncomfortably for a bit, then gives up and gets up again. Mostly she was worrying herself sick about messing up the disarming of the stupid machine. Locks were one thing, but devices like this were utterly beyond her. She tried replaying all Victor's instructions in her head and imagining herself doing it, but the whole thing made her belly cringe and ripple inside her like a mouse in a bottle.
Vaguely aware that Victor was just sitting around moping and not even trying to sleep, she eventually gets up and gestures for him to follow her out of the sleeping area to a deserted room. She strikes up a conversation in Russian.
"So, how did you end up working for Rasputin anyway? Did you always realize he was evil and crazy?"
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"It sounds like Rasputin must have been some sort of important advisor to the Tsar and Tsarina? Did they die when the Bolsheviks overthrew the Provisional Government, or did Rasputin kill them?"
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"Why did you design this machine? For your own reasons or because Rasputin asked you to? How much do you know about what his plans for it were?"
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"Do you know anything about these 3 vampire priests that the soldiers referred to?"
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"Do you know where Anastasia is? Did you ever meet her? Was she working with Rasputin?"
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After Selena cures him of the curse, Fin still fatigued smiles weakly at her as the burden he felt feels so much lighter. He rises, faces her and bows gratefully, continuing to bend over and plants a light brotherly kiss on her forehead. ”My sincere thanks to you, Selena…I feel so much better…I am in your debt…”
He smiles then turns to find Saki, going off to curl up with her in a corner somewhere and sleep off the fatigue…
…and when he awakens a couple hours later, he brushes his teeth, stretches, quickly and quietly goes thru his monk forms, then gets dressed and geared up…not wanting to awaken Sakitu, he heads outside…
…and runs into Quasit. ”G’morning Q; let Bull sleep in, I got my full two hours and I feel like a new Elf. I’ll take the next few watches till everyone awakens and eats…get some rest…”
He heads outside, draws his bow, and goes into scout mode, patrolling around the perimeter, blending in among the trees as he moves, keeping a wary eye about for any signs of danger or tracks…
Viktor sighs as Quasit interrogates him. "Rasputin presented himself as a holy man, though in truth he is practically the devil himself. I was too caught up in the idea of the machine--proof that there are other worlds, invisible to our normal devices! Separated not by space but another dimension!" He actually seems to be getting a bit animated. "It would have revolutionized our understanding of the universe! Given us incredible sources of energy for industry!"
Just as he's getting warmed up, he stops, face falling. "Ah, but that devil Rasputin didn't care for any of that! He was killed, yes, so when he appeared, alive, we all thought it was a miracle! But we forgot the devil can work miracles, too. The Tsarina had trusted him, and so when he claimed he would restore the rightful line of Tsars we believed him."
Viktor shrugs. "Not that I really cared about more than finishing the World Engine. And that seems to be what Rasputin really wanted, too. It was not long after I finished it that he started summoning his demons, and then he had me shot."
"I don't know if he really has Anastasia or not. I heard the rumors, of course, but if he has her, he's keeping her hidden somewhere. I did see the three priests, but I didn't realize until too late that they were monsters too."
Fin has barely traded off with Quasit when he hears the sounds of those metal war-wagons approaching from the camp.
I am in your debt…”
"Just don't forget that." Selena said with a smirk of superiority before heading towards the study. She had earned a good read.
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With the group settled inside, Maka set about making dinner. The fire monk moved gracefully around the makeshift kitchen she had set up over the last several meals. She hummed softly to herself as she worked, accented by the occasional flame dancing along her shoulders.
With a flick of her wrist, she sent the flames underneath a pot of water. Steam beginning to curl from its mouth faster than seemed possible.
Maka had chosen simple ingredients: dried Triaxian mushrooms, a handful of fresh herbs foraged earlier that day, a pouch of rice, and the last of her turmeric and portable soup.
Maka added the portable soup into a small jar and mixed it some of the hot water to make a thick broth. Slicing up the mushrooms, she added them to the jar to let them suck up the broth.
She added the rice and turmeric to the pot of water and covered it with a lid. The flame winked off with a wave of Maka's hand after several minutes. Both the rice and the mushrooms simply needed to sit for a time, which had been the reason for their choosing. Taking Bulvi by the hand, the lovers found an empty room to retreat to.
By the time Maka had returned, the mushrooms were swollen with broth and the rice had turned a warm yellow color. Fluffing the rice before setting it aside, Maka turned her attention to the mushrooms.
Maka conjured more flames beneath a sturdy iron skillet, quickly bringing it to the perfect temperature. She greased the pan with fat before adding the mushrooms with a healthy amount of salt and pepper. The mushrooms sizzled in the skillet, releasing a tantalizing aroma. She adjusted the flames with precise movements, ensuring the mushrooms were cooked to perfection.
Once satisfied, Maka winked the flames out of existence before adding the herbs. She let the heat from the pan wilt them slightly, which brought out their aroma. Moving quickly, Maka made everyone a bowl of rice before ladling a healthy amount of the mushrooms on top.It was a simple but hearty meal, with a warm, earthy flavor.
"Dinner's ready!" Maka called out to the others.
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Even though she’d been half-expecting this, the actual news seems to catch Quasit off guard. She pauses for a moment, slowly self-mussing her hair, thinking.
”The soldiers have probably been looking for the Hut ever since our first skirmish a couple days ago. No doubt they plan to surround us from a safe distance and get us as we come outside again. If they actually try to bombard the Hut, it’d just stomp them to death… wouldn’t it?”
She pauses again. The Hut had made quick work of that pack of giants. But could it withstand these monstrous alien cannons bombing it from a distance? Was it designed to withstand that? Whatever else the Hut was, it was their ride home to their own planet. Crummy as Taldor was, it was still home.
”Maybe we can use this to our advantage. If they surround the Hut and settle down for a siege, it’s probably best if we’re not here inside. Let’s get everybody out and move a safe distance away. Then we can leave the Hut and the psychowagons in a standoff, and head back to a weakened camp tomorrow without trouble. And if it’s only a small force coming to investigate, maybe we can take it out ourselves, and chew up a few dozen more of their forces. Or maybe Cluckers will wake up and just stomp them for us.”
Maka scarfed down her bowl at an inhuman speed before taking cover by the door. Sliding her goggles down, her golden eyes swept the area for threats.
"I don't want to leave Cluckers all alone to get shot at. I'm not afraid of those stupid wagons, just let me and Fin at them! I can blast them to bits and Fin might as well be invisible in the trees."
Kalchine has followed Chest Thumper into the kitchen, who has followed his nose there.
He frowns and his ears droop then lay back as he hears the news of the incoming soliders.
He gives a curt nod. "Unless we can fight at range from within the Hut, it's better to get outside. At least some of us will likely be able to hit them before they know we're present. I don't know how tough the Hut is, but they can likely destroy it with enough time. And it can serve as a distraction whether it sits still or defends itself," Kalchine adds.
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"They didn't attack the Hut before, and I'd bet they won't try it now. And at this point, we don't know if we're facing twenty guys or 200."
"As a small force, mobility is our biggest tactical advantage. We need to keep the initiative, assess the situation and pick our moment to act. If they actually roll up and start to just open fire, we'll jump in and help however we can, preferably focusing on the wagons while Cluckers smashes the guys with rifles.. But remember that Saki and Selena and Kal have used a lot of their magic already today. And magic has been our other big advantage so far."
Peeking around the corner of the Hut towards the camp, Maka can see two of the metal wagons leading a number of human soldiers, with one headless figure on horseback behind them. Somewhat off to one side a cloud of sickly yellow mist with some barely-seen figures within it is also approaching.
Maka conveyed everything she saw to the others. "Two of those wagons, some gross mist and spooky stuff inside it, another of those headless riders, and like...some amount of guys. Definitely not 200 though." Maka wasn't going to bother with all the brainwork of that much counting when she was just going to blow them up anyway.
"See we can take them! Saki, Selena, and Kal can stay safe inside then open up the door to blast whatever magic they have left. Although it might be better if they stay inside even if we go sneaking."
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"Two of those wagons, some gross mist and spooky stuff inside it, another of those headless riders, and like...some amount of guys. Definitely not 200 though."
At the mention of the headless rider, Quasit glances at Findurel. "You were right. He got out of that pit somehow. That one obviously has more tricks than his buddies."
"Clearly after he got out of the pit, he came out here to scout the Hut, then went back and rustled up this strike force of his. And considering that it hasn't been that long since we faced him in the camp, he must've already pretty much known where Cluckers was. I'm beginning to think those yetis weren't so random after all."
"See we can take them! Saki, Selena, and Kal can stay safe inside then open up the door to blast whatever magic they have left. Although it might be better if they stay inside even if we go sneaking."
"If the Murder Hut springs into action, it might be hard to fight from the doorway. And the spooky fog may be able to get inside the Hut, and I'll bet it does something nastier than obscure vision. I think they mean to surround the Hut with the fog, force us outside, then open up with the guns and the battlewagon cannons."
"I still think we're better off all outside. The wagons have the small guns pointing all around it, but that big cannon can only face one way, and it can't really target something right next to it. Coming at them from an unexpected direction will help us take them down."
"OK, Fin, the Headless Horseman is all yours. He's your focus. We're going to circle around behind them while they move up to the Hut then you fill him with arrows from behind."
"Maka, Spooky Fog is your focus. I think we want to attack it from range and keep it away from the Hut. Hopefully it burns ok."
"The rest of us will try to keep the wagons busy so they can't focus on you two. Maybe the casters can use some spells to sow confusion among the rank and file while Bulvi and Thumper and I hack the wagons up close."
"But we need to move now, before they can see us leaving the Hut."
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Fin nods, ”Aye, Q, I’ll find us the best way around ‘em…”
He draws his bow, casts blend, and heads out doing his scout thing…
…he’ll keep his eyes wary of any tracks, his eyes and ears alert for any movement, as he stealthily leads them behind this enemy force, eyeing to spy some high ground that might also provide some cover…he’ll scout about 30’ ahead, giving signs for his friends to stop when needed and to proceed when it’s clear…
Fin doesn't get far into the forest before he notes signs that something moved through here very recently. Bears, maybe? And a human, based on the bits of tracks he can find.
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Sakitu stifles a yawn and wonders if she will ever get a full night's rest again. After Fin heads out, she stands next to Quasit, peering out one of the windows trying to get a glimpse of the incoming machines and enemy.
"I hope we can stay hidden from those guys. Do you think that this is the last of it? I mean, after this, do you think that's all the bad guys in the camp? Maybe Rasputin will be forced to deal with us then. But maybe that's not a good idea. It makes me a little scared. Ok. A lot scared. But that's better than just waiting."
She adjusts the bag that's slung over her shoulders. "I'm ready when you are. Do you think I should make myself invisible though?" She looks at the others who are getting ready to head out. "Or anyone else?"
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"I hope we can stay hidden from those guys. Do you think that this is the last of it? I mean, after this, do you think that's all the bad guys in the camp? Maybe Rasputin will be forced to deal with us then. But maybe that's not a good idea. It makes me a little scared. Ok. A lot scared. But that's better than just waiting."
"I don't know if it's everything, but it looks like he's making a big throw sending all this stuff out here at once. Though it's possible that the Headless Horseman is doing all this on his own initiative. Whoever's idea this was, it feels a little desperate. I think it spooks them how we're teleporting in and out past all their men."
"If we manage to deal with all this now successfully, it certainly makes our job easier when we head back there tomorrow and take out the towers and turn off the machine, which was the thing I was most worried about."
Quasit grabs her friend's fuzzy hand and gives it an encouraging squeeze. "Hey, we're gonna be fine. We just have to be smart. Stay close to Kal so he can heal you if any of those bullets get you."
"Do you think I should make myself invisible though?" She looks at the others who are getting ready to head out. "Or anyone else?"
Quasit nods. "Can't hurt. And if you can give Bulvi some invisibility it'll help him a lot I think. Say, do you think that hypnotizing lights spell you used on the dragon in White Castle would distract some of those riflemen? We need to buy Maka and Fin some time so they can deal with the Fog and the Horseman without getting peppered by 20 guys with rifles. How depleted are you?"
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Upon spying the bits of tracks, Fin looks back to his friends, waves Quasit over. ”Looks like we have more company, Q, bears and a human; they were here recently, and the human might be a skilled tracker as he left just a trace of tracks. I assume they are hostile and might be in league with the approaching camp forces…we’ll need to stay alert and ready to fight as we proceed…”
Fin proceeds as before as he tries to lead his friends behind the enemy force unseen…
Kalchine mentally reviews his resources then frowns, his ears laying back.
"We need to consider the possibility of avoiding this fight, entirely," he says. "At least until we can recover our resources. I am almost out of healing and I can boost Chest Thumper's effectiveness but I don't have much left that can affect numerous opponents.
"I'm sure that Sakitu and Selena are in similar states with their magical resources."
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"Can't hurt. And if you can give Bulvi some invisibility it'll help him a lot I think. Say, do you think that hypnotizing lights spell you used on the dragon in White Castle would distract some of those riflemen? We need to buy Maka and Fin some time so they can deal with the Fog and the Horseman without getting peppered by 20 guys with rifles. How depleted are you?"
"I'll wait until we're just about to fight someone before I make him invisible. My spell only lasts a little over a minute. I feel like I have enough magical energy to do those lights again. I don't know if I can all the soldiers at once though."
She nods at Kalchine's comment. "I'm running a little low too."
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Upon spying the bits of tracks, Fin looks back to his friends, waves Quasit over. ”Looks like we have more company, Q, bears and a human; they were here recently, and the human might be a skilled tracker as he left just a trace of tracks. I assume they are hostile and might be in league with the approaching camp forces…we’ll need to stay alert and ready to fight as we proceed…”
Quasit has no sooner finished comforting Sakitu than Fin waves her up ahead to show her the tracks. Frowning, she jogs ahead and looks at the tracks with her own inexpert assessment, then shuts her eyes and sighs deeply.
"I suppose it's too much to hope for that the bear tracks are older then the hunter tracks?" she says, already knowing the answer. "Well that's just super. Like we don't already have enough to deal with, we also have to worry about this world's version of Goldilocks and her three bears jumping out from behind a bush."
She glances back at her weary friends and gestures for them to come up as well.
"We need to consider the possibility of avoiding this fight, entirely. At least until we can recover our resources. I am almost out of healing and I can boost Chest Thumper's effectiveness but I don't have much left that can affect numerous opponents."
Looking at the lack of cover in the ground ahead of the Hut, Quasit rests her hands on her hips and gnaws her lip for a few seconds before answering.
"We may not have a choice. If they open up on the Hut with those wagon-cannons, they can probably damage the Hut. Even if the Hut wakes up and defends itself, I'm not sure how long it can last on its own." she says uncertainly. "But they may just move into position and surround the Hut to wait us out. We just don't know. But whatever they plan to do, I still want to be a safe distance away so we can reserve our options."
"Fin, could you follow these tracks? Or is the hunter hiding them too well? If Goldilocks is setting up around the Hut to ambush us, they may be watching us already... but we don't have time to play Hide and Seek."
"Let's move north a couple hundred feet and find some cover, then see what happens. If Goldilocks is hunting us, they'll either go and report us to the Headless Horseman, which hopefully we can observe, or they'll try and jump us alone. It's probably too much to hope that they're just some local and his bears passing through. If they start attacking the Hut, then we move back up to help out as best we can, I guess. If they get wind of where we are and come after us, we move away north and lead them away. And if Goldilocks attacks, we deal with them as best we can."
Even as she's saying all this, clearly just making it up as she goes along, Quasit is sounding less and less confident. "I wish I'd had time to grab a bowl of that race." she says mournfully, almost to herself.
Even as she's saying all this, clearly just making it up as she goes along, Quasit is sounding less and less confident. "I wish I'd had time to grab a bowl of that race." she says mournfully, almost to herself.
"I'll heat it back up for you after the fight!" Maka assured Quasit, unsure how else to be helpful in the moment.
Selena had roused and readied herself while quietly observing the situation. Eventually making herself known with a dramatic sigh. "Firstly, this hut is one of the most powerful arcane creations on the entire plane. I highly doubt any of the forces out there could cause significant harm to it. Even if they could, the hut can not be destroyed. At most, it can be forced into a temporary stasis to heal. And no, that would not disrupt the interior demiplane. It is entirely possibly that only my grandmother could truly destroy it."
Selena's tone was that of a teacher who was tired of repeating themselves. "Secondly, I still have enough energy for at least two more teleports so I'll not be running into the open with some number of those rapid fire guns." Selena starred daggers at Maka, clearly not happy with the fire monk's lack of counting.
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"Fin, could you follow these tracks? Or is the hunter hiding them too well?”
Fin shrugs. ”I think so…but these woods aren’t very deep…bears aren’t known for being very stealthy and I think we would’ve heard them were they close to us…but I could be wrong…”
"Let's move north a couple hundred feet and find some cover, then see what happens…”
The Elf shakes his head. ”I think we’re gonna have to revise our plans, Q…I had forgotten how thin these woods are at this point. There’s a lot of bare space between the camp and the Hut; these woods only run about twenty or thirty feet in the direction our enemy is coming from. After that, we’d have to cover a lot of mostly open ground, without being spotted, to get behind them; I think I can do it, and perhaps you as well, but not the others. They’d be seen and caught out in the open…and that wouldn’t end well for us with all the advanced weaponry they bear…”
He sighs. ”We need a plan B, Q. Perhaps I can continue on and get behind them…we could coordinate with that bird figurine. I could try to drop that headless dude and perhaps Maka could take out the tanks like she’s done before…and then go from there…”
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"Let's move north a couple hundred feet and find some cover, then see what happens…”The Elf shakes his head. ”I think we’re gonna have to revise our plans, Q…I had forgotten how thin these woods are at this point. There’s a lot of bare space between the camp and the Hut; these woods only run about twenty or thirty feet in the direction our enemy is coming from. After that, we’d have to cover a lot of mostly open ground, without being spotted, to get behind them;
"I agree with Quasit. Let's not try to get around the incoming troops. Let's either move away from the camp, putting the Hut between us and them or move parallel to the tree line. If we want to be very aggressive, we could even circle the camp in the forest and then come in from the other side while they have so many troops committed to this. We're low on resources but they're also expending a lot of resources on this," Kalchine says.
"Everyone stay close to Chest Thumper and they won't be able to follow our tracks," he continues.