Olivius heads into the room and finds nothing there except for a well that appears to be full of fresh water and a tunnel leading Northeast.
Olivius follows the northeast tunnel, wanting to hit combat before the spell expires and is wasted.
Feora will follow him, shield in tow as she works to find a spot where she might feel more useful than she has been.
Still wondering why he's here, Horatio follows.
As the group comes around the corner, the find the humans in chains, huddled in a corner of a room, a few torches wedged into niches in this cave's rocky walls burn fitfully. This area is obviously used for labor-intensive tasks such as making rope from vines, drying meat, and tanning hides, but the working conditions are squalid at best.
The three humans cower at the back, but very little else seems to be in the room from what you can see from the hallway.
Olivius growls in frustration. Still no foes. They need to get on with his Kobold hunt before the spell wares off. He switches out his shield and spear for his Bardiche, hooks the upper end of the crescent blade into the chain binding one of the men and twists.
"Oh no! Are you three okay? Don't worry, we'll get you out of here." Trig says to the three humans, running over to comfort them after Olives breaks their bindings.
Horatio follows Olivius, clapping the... now much larger man on the back, somewhere around the lower ribs rather than the shoulder he was used to. "Looks like the kobold hunt will have to wait, eh?" he asks, before crouching next to Trig, also attempting to provide the people with some comfort. "How did you get down here?" he asks, rummaging through his pack for some food. "Can you tell us anything about this place?"
As soon as the group enters the room.
They see another group of kobolds waiting in the shadows, prepared to strike.
Both Olivius and Horatio spot them before they can get the jump completely on them.
Olivius is naturally funneled by two large coloumns into a specific place. Kobolds close on his right and left. Seeing more space on his right for his allies to maneuver, he stabs that way, trying to clear a space.
As one of the kobolds move to charge Olivius, it finds it's opened mouth met with his spear's tip, which then comes out the other side of the kobold's head, ending him...forever.
Trig raises her tiny hands into the air once again, completing the arcane gestures and chant necessary to call another eagle from the First World. A shimmering green portal opens in the air a few feet in front of Olivius, and the majestic bird flies through with a cry. Seeing a kobold just in front of it, the eagle dives at the little lizard-rat. The eagle manages to land a solid blow with one talon, tearing open the side of the kobold's head.
No time. The thought races briefly through Horatio's mind. There was no time to react, no time to draw Rosaline before the kobolds would be on Olivius, no time to begin that performance, that glorious music to sharpen senses and increase muscular power.
Acting purely on instinct - and to his own amazement - he begins to sing. It isn't much - it's little more than an old Varisian melody he heard years ago, from someone long gone - but it's enough. Surely the feeling rising from his diaphragm feels like that golden light that's so familiar on his fingertips...
Perhaps it was just the acoustics. Had to be.
Feora giggles and watches Horatio sing, and smiles. "Pretty voice. Get in there and help him, ok buttercup?"
Feora gives Horatio a friendly playful palm straight to his rump.
After Horatio moves up, the kobolds begin to react, frantic after Olivius dispatched one of their number so easily, muttering in Draconic.
After this happens, Fligg and Feora's spells go off, the eagle rending a good bit of flesh from one of the kobolds, but the bugger is still growling.
Just as Horatio's voice finds some footing, so to speak, he hears Feora saying something behind him - and next thing he knows, she's smacking him on the backside.
His voice cracks, the last note coming out strangled and short, but the song continues to bound off the walls, echoing around the cavern. He glances back at Feora in amazement, opens his mouth to say something, and shakes his head, deciding against it. Instead, he draws his rapier, stabbing at the kobold closest to him.
Olivius feels the magic of the song seep into him. It wasn't Horatio's best, but it was good enough. He jerks his spear free of the Kobold's skull and shifts his weight left. His spear darts across his body and plunges into the chest of his next victim.
Trig watches in glee as the eagle attacks again. The bird makes a weak bite, and then lashes out more accurately with its talons.
The distraction of the bum swat was enough to throw Horatio's aim off, leaving his weapon to come up just short of striking.
Olivius continues his reign of destruction, downing another kobold, while the eagle lands one scratch that finishes it's target, as well.
The kobolds move to flank the giant fighter and attempt to take him down.
One of the spears finds it's mark a little better than expected, catching Olivius's knee and tearing into his flesh.
As the spear lands, the one opposite the striker gets excited...and fails to have any chance of landing a blow.
Trig casts a spell on the nearest kobold, trying to daze it.
The eagle flaps forward into a flanking position with Olives and continues its attack.
"Du är ganska säker för dessa små varelser!!" Horatio calls back to the kobolds, taking another stab at the kobold before him. "Lägg ner era vapen, och vi ska vara barmhärtiga!"
Horatio's attack goes wide and as such does not back up his words very strongly, but the eagle, on the other hand, tears through one of the kobolds.
The two kobolds continue their assault.
Again Olivius's guard is broken by the weak spear, but the weapon doesn't penetrate his flesh, simply leaves a bruise. 1 nonlethal damage
Olivius isn't having much luck defending this time around, but his spear might as well be the harbinger of death incarnate.
"Du hade din chans, ödla-kin," Horatio shrugs, before attempting to stab the kobold before him again. As he does so, the chorus echoing in the air fades out, leaving only the sounds of battle.
The eagle flies around to continue attacking, while Trig tries to daze the kobold south of Olivius.
Between Olivius's spear and the Eagle's bite, the two remaining kobolds are quickly dealt with, leaving only three humans as previous occupants of the room...before your death squad arrived and mopped up the kobolds.
They still seem to cower in the corner.
Olivius breaks out his Bardiche and sunsers the prisoner's chains.
The chains shatter with a scream from the prisoners, eyes wide with terror as the large weapon comes up and down on each of them rapidly...doing no damage to any of them, but freeing them.
"You're safe now, don't worry!" Trig says, smiling to the prisoners. "You can go home if you want."
The one male speaks up, looking towards one of the two women, "They destroyed our home when they took us...we...we have nothing."
The second female speaks very softly..."I...I can't even say how long I have been here...I..I worked on my family farm...I..." she begins to sob.
Horatio attempts to calm the sobbing woman, clasping her hands gently. "Shhh, it's alright," he says reassuringly, offering a small smile. "We'll get you home, okay? Where's your family farm? We can take you back there."
When he looks at the other two prisoners, rage burns in his green eyes, simmering just below the surface of his otherwise calm face. "They'll pay for that, mark my words," he says softly, keeping his voice level with some effort. "If we can't take you home, we can at least get you somewhere safe. Come on," he announces to the group. "We have a new priority. The kobolds can wait another couple of hours."
If they're still here. There's always the chance that they'll do the smart thing and run.
"We should take them to town. They can live there now."
The man looks at them, "To town? Just get us out of the caves. If you leave, the might see the," he pauses to look at the corpses of kobolds littering the room, "Carnage that you have caused and migrate somewhere else. Kill them. Kill them all."
"Just get me out of here...I'll show them to town, I still remember the way," the farm girl says.
"Well the way out is just down these steps. Can't miss it, follow the trail of dead kobolds," Trig says, pointing to the way out. "Good luck! We'll see you when we're done killing all the kobolds."
"Before you go," Horatio interjects, "what are your names? So we know how to find you again. And what did the kobolds have you do? Were you digging?"
Olivius stands and leans on his Bardiche. He had a few cuts and bruises, but nothing that wouldn't heal.
Whoa..., where am I? What's going on...
You're asleep sweetness. I've been taking care of things.
What do you mean..., I'm..., who are you?
I'm you..., just a different you. I'm your fire, your passion, your strength. I am the one that keeps us alive. The one that fights for us when you can't.
So uhm..., that means that..., who sent you? Why are you in me? What's going on?
Feora shakes her head for a few moments, having been having a rather long internal dialog, looking very distracted. Her hair slowly starts to lose its color, fading from its firey red color to an ashen white.
Fight is over now little one, you need to tend to the others.
Feora looks over to the group, very disoriented until she sees Olivius. "Olives! What happened?" She rushes over to start working on bandaging him, and tending to his wounds.
Whoa, Whoa. Why the sudden concern? You saw me get scratched. It's nothing. They'll heal over in a couple days as long as I don't collect more.
When she persists he sighs and shows her the rat bite.
Feora looks at the bite as she works. "Oh no, no no no. Not good, very not good. I think this is going to get infected. We need to get done here soon Olives. I think your going to get sick from this."
Feora is concerned as she keeps working. No no no, why did this happen? Why wasn't I able to stop this?
Because silly, you can't stop everyone from fighting, and getting hurt. But you are better than me at healing.
But then, how..., how am I going to do this. I'm not strong enough to heal it away. My magic can't do that.
Hush you, you don't need magic for this. Your arms may be black from heat and char, but its not just fire that flows from them. Your touch is magical by itself. I have watched you simply by touch and attentive care heal the sick from worse spouts than this.
Feora whimpers a bit as she keeps trying, working diligently on Olivius's body to try and shore up the bite for now, till she can get him someplace safe.
Horatio raises an eyebrow at Feora as she fusses over Olivius. "He's seen worse, you know. Soon he'll start hurting himself just so he can be patched up." Though if that's what one has to do to get your attention... He shakes his head, fousing instead on helping the former prisoners to their feet. "Come on, let's keep moving."
The man begins to speak again, only to get cut off by the woman at his side, who had not spoken up until this point, "I am Sela and this is my husband, Carlo Bellathi. Thank you...thank you so much. Bof can show us to her farm or to town. We will never be able to repay you, but if we ever can do anything for you...we will."
With that, she stands and looks to the other two prisoners.
"Well, Mr. and Mrs. Bellathi, it's probably time for you to get back to town." With a pained smile, Horatio begins to escort the former prisoners back out of the caves. "Feora, I trust you won't let Olives bleed out while I'm gone?"
Olivius gives Horatio a HaHa sarcasm face in responce to his comments. If I get sick, I get sick. It'll still be better than what these little rodents will be here soon.
Blood drips slowly off his spear as Fiora frets and binds. Still, its good to have them bound. Reduces the chance of tearing the wounds.
As Horatio leaves for escort duty: I'm fine, Limpy. Don't get lost.