Sara inches to the side, flanking with Zhi and Maria and claws out frantically at the rider with her hands in an attempt to blind and intimidate her.
Zileksa inches forward and throws down Calistria's blessing to help sway the fight.
Melodie, seeing that the archers are apparently her problem, hops over the low balcony, pulls out her chakram and sends it spinning across the grass towards them.
Maria drinks her extract of shield and moves back into melee, once more dodging the drake's jaws. Zileska blesses the party, then Melodie hops down from the porch and hurls her chakram at one of the archers, badly wounding him!
Gallindra fires on Fathrie, but misses. Sara moves into a flanking position then reaches up for Fathrie. She misses once, but hits twice, leaving the vengeful woman shaken. She then yanks Fathrie's helmet down over her eyes, temporarily blinding her!
Zhi moves to flank, and though she stumbles on the way, the drake can't react fast enough to attack her and Fathrie can't see her! Her blade doesn't pierce the dragon's thick scales.
The wounded archer drinks a healing potion while the other one fires at Melodie, his arrow going far off course. Fathrie slices blindly at Sara, scoring one glancing slash with her off-hand weapon. The drake finally manages to bite Maria! Its teeth tear the tiefling open, leaving her bleeding on the ground. It whirls and swings its tail at Sara, knocking her back!
Melodie can't spare a glance to the rest of the melee, hurling her chakram again to try and deal with the archer who has healed himself.
Throwing a nervous glance at her wife who's moving close to the drake's reach, Zhi continues to stab at the beast.
"Mel! Watch out, its got a long reach!"
Melodie cuts down the wounded soldier with a strike from her chakram.
"Someone needs to take that drake down so that I can get to Maria!" shouts Zileska just before she points again with her holy symbol.
A spiritual lash appears and strikes at the drake rider!
"Someone's trying!" Zhi barks back as she continues to dodge the scaly creature.
Sara tumbles back towards the drake and rider, trying to duck out of the way of the drake.
She kicks the beast, heel pushing into its thick hide.
Sara is unable to tumble past the drake's reach, but its jaws snap shut on empty air. She kicks the dragon, and Zhi stabs it twice from behind. Gallindra shoots it as well. It roars in pain and rage.
The archer misses Melodie, and Fathrie misses Sara with all of her attacks. The drake bites at her again, though, its jaws snapping shut around her and nearly tearing her in half. It then swings its tail at Zhi, but the rogue's mage armor takes the brunt of the hit.
The spiritual whip snaps and lashes the drake's rider. Zileska, meanwhile, sighs and rushes toward the battle.
She blocks with her coiled whip as she reaches down and touches her holy symbol to Maria, muttering something under her breath as she does so.
Zhi continues stabbing at the drake, trying to ignore her friend lying next to her.
Wrenching herself out of the drake's jaws, Sara takes a deep breath and tries to not get flustered by it. These things happen all the time, after all, it's why she wears a mithril shift. She watches the blinded rider, waiting for an opportune moment, and as the drake leans towards her, she lunges out with both hands and wrestles with the woman, trying desperately to pull her out of the saddle.
Melodie, meanwhile, ducks away from teachers shooting and throws her chakra once more.
Zileksa's spiritual whip lashes Fathrie, lightly injuring her. The drake whirls as Zileska runs towards it. It takes a bite out of the cleric, electricity jolting the half-elf. She grits her teeth and concentrates as she reaches down to heal Maria.
Melodie continues to attack the blinded archers, badly wounding the last of the pair. Sara grabs Fathrie and pulls her out of the saddle, holding her in a chokehold. Both Gallindra and Zhi fail to land any good hits on the drake.
The injured archer stumbles away from Melodie, trying to flee and avoid his comrade's fate. "Unhand me, harlot!" Fathrie snarls at Sara. She slashes at the brawler with her flaming scimitar. The drake roars as it defends its mistress. Its teeth tear into Sara, then its tail smashes her and sends her flying, leaving her bleeding and dying as she hits the ground.
Seeing the last archer retreating Melodie is caught in momentary indecision. With the massive dust-cloud brawl going on she can't really see what is happening until she circles the melee and sees Sara's rag-doll like body slumped against the wall.
That makes up her mind and she unleashes her voice, weaving a song of pain and fear around the drake before yelling.
"Gallindra! One of them is fleeing! Stop him!"
Trusting to her magical defences, Maria quickly got to her feet. Wanting to help bring the drake down quickly, she aimed her next strike at what she believed to be the most vulnerable part of the monster.
The drake suddenly stops its attacks and lets out a remorseful shriek! It thrashes about and bashes its head against the ground. Maria takes advantage of its overwhelming emotions to stand up and stab it in a vulnerable spot, badly injuring it!
Gallindra moves to get a good bead on the fleeing archer. She fires, but her shot sails over his head. "Damn!" she curses.
Growling in frustration, Zhi takes the opportunity to cast a spell and then circle around the shrieking creature to put herself between Sara and the beast.
Sara bleeds out, nearing death.
Zileska jogs past the repentant drake to reach Sara.
Not knowing when to quit, Sara pulls herself up and kicks the rider.
"Can't keep me down, b@#$~!"
Zileska's spiritual weapon lashes Fathrie as the cleric moves to heal Sara. The brawler gets up and rejoins the fight as the drake smashes its head against the ground. Fathrie slashes blindly at Maria but doesn't hit. Her helmet finally slides up far enough for her to see again. The archer continues to slowly flee from the fight.
Seeing Sara by her side seems to raise Zhi's confidence.
"Traitors burn!" she shouts out as she stabs again at the winged beast, trusting to Sara to deal with the woman.
In addition to the kick, Sara throws a punch and kicks the drake ineffectually. The punch connects in the woman's stomach, possibly sickening her.
Gallindra's next shot finds its mark, downing the fleeing traitor. Sara kicks Fathrie, and as she doubles over, she punches her in the stomach. The woman vomits a bit as she passes out, unconscious. Zhi scores a light hit with her off-hand weapon, but it's enough to push the badly wounded drake over the edge. It collapses to the ground, blood pouring from myriad wounds.
Sara straightens out her dress and kicks Faathrie in the stomach angrily. She waits a couple seconds more and then stomps on the woman's neck, cracking it.
Zhi grimaces as Sara passes final judgement on Fathrie but doesn't protest. She knows that the woman would have faced a more painful fate for her crimes back in the city.
She cleans her blades and finds her wife. Once she finds her, the first thing she does is look her over for any signs of injury. Finding none, she pulls her in for a tight hug. "Are you ok?" she asks, her lips close to Melodie's ear.
Zileska bends down and catches her breath, hands on her knees, for several moments. Finally she straightens.
"Unfortunately now the Taldan military will have to replace this unit," she says. "But... not really our problem."
Once the foes are well and truly dead she assembles the ladies for a little more of Calistria's stinging blessing.
"Let us hope their replacements will have more integrity than Jaleissa and her cronies," Gallindra says disdainfully.
After cleaning up the caravanserai, you journey back to Yanmass. You reach the city a short time after noon. Upon arrival, Gallindra turns to Melodie. "Thank you for allowing me to aid you in bringing the traitors to justice. If there is more I can do to help make the city safer, I will continue to accompany you if that is your desire."
Zhi checks in with her agents, who report that Earl Merkondus is currently taking lunch at the Gilded Baldachin, along with his protege Embla Hightune. As you approach the opulent inn, a pair of burly bouncers move to block your path. "This is an exclusive establishment. Invitation only."
"Yes, I'm sure it's very exclusive. Exclusive enough that I don't think you really want a row taking place on your front steps," Zhi says with a raised eyebrow. "We have no wish to create a disturbance. We only require entry for a few moments to have a legal discussion with someone who is currently having lunch. We have been granted the authority to do so by the Merchants Council."
She smiles sweetly.
The bouncers look at each other. With a shrug, they step aside and let you pass.
Inside the inn's common room, you quickly spot the opulently dressed earl and his tall, severe companion. Embla scowls when she sees you, perhaps remembering her recent defeat at your hands. Merkondus maintains a pleasant smile that doesn't reach his eyes.
"Ah, if it isn't Princess Eutropia's flunkies. To what do I owe the displeasure of your visit?"
"Why, we wanted to greet the Gray Kingmaker in person." Melodie says with a cold, cold smile. "And to invite you to come with us to the Merchant Council
Where you can stand trial for treason, murder, sedition and any other crimes they care to charge you with. Why don't you come quietly? Save disturbing these nice folks dinner. We know you were behind the divs. They'll put you away for a long time for that."
She deliberately refrains from mentioning the traitor regiment, hoping that Merkondus will be overconfident and come with them expecting to clear his name.
Outside, Sara dons the Lion's Cloak and spritzes herself with some perfume. Inside, she sits down right beside the Earl, pulling off her bloodied lace gloves and laying them on the table, showing off her numerous cuts and scars from the evening of brawling.
"Games up, Grey Kingmaker. Just like she said, we have all we need to expose you. Would you rather stand trial willingly and maintain some of your dignity or resist and get murdered in the street?"
Merkondus tries to maintain a calm facade, but he flinches away from Sara. "I see. The game is up, then, is it? I suppose there's only one proper thing to do, then."
He reaches for the hem of his fur coat...
Melodie growls a low sound that is remarkably scary.
The earl grits his teeth and fights off Melodie's spell.
Sara's movement is subtle but immediate. Staying seated, she pushes a fork into Merkondus's arm, breaking the tines off in his flesh and twice stomps his inseam with her heel.
"Still have time to reconsider, Earl. Is this how you wanna be remembered?"
Maria remained quiet as the group made their way to Merkondus, agreeing with the general course of action. Before going in, she discreetly drank one of her extracts to enhance her strength.
As things kicked off, Maria positioned herself near the Earl, her hand wrapped around the grip of her sap inside her coat. As he made his move, Maria clocked him over the head with it.
Pointedly keeping her hands away from her weapons, Zhi sneers at the Earl.
"Earl, we've just returned from the caravenserai where your entire hired regiment of traitorous cavalry were operating from. We executed them. Every. Single. One." She shows her teeth. "Including the officers. Do you really think we'll even break a sweat dealing with you? You can come with us willing and walking or we can drag your beaten and unconscious body behind us. Your choice."
Zileska's hand drops to her whip, and she waits with only a flick of the wrist needed to send it spiraling out to grab... whatever the Earl is taking from his coat, if it seems to be a weapon, wand, or potion.
Merkondus cries out in pain when Sara stabs his arm, but her stomps don't seem to hurt him--some magic has thickened his skin. Maria whomps him on the head with her sap, but he still manages to grab his cloak, ignoring Zhi's attempts to cow him. Zileska stands ready to disarm the earl, but instead of drawing an item, he simply flourishes his cloak and speaks a command word. There is a puff of smoke, and Merkondus is gone!
Embla Hightune raises her hands. "I know there's no way I can take you all on by myself. I surrender."
"Where did he go, Embla?" Sara demands, rummaging through her purse for a potion or two, quaffing them. "Or where is he headed?"
She glares at the girl but her face and tone soften, and she pulls on her gloves. "Don't make this difficult on us, sweetie; we accept your surrender, but we don't have time to escort you anywhere. Go wait for us at the jail. You've seen what we can do, what a bunch of chumps we made of the Bravos. You wanna make it through this without us hunting you down and formally arresting you? Go to the jail and wait patiently for us there. All we need from you is to talk."