A pang of guilt crosses the wyrmling's mind as he considers the fate of the crazed creature he new faces, but only for a brief moment.
Were I crazed beyond reason, I would expect the same mercy. Your pain ends today.
Relio renews his assault and concentrates his savagery on the beast's head to end its rampage...and its suffering.
Round 9
Hiss-like growl is issued from Sidra's lips. She admired the crazed creature's will to survive and keep on attacking them, but she wished it would die soon for it lacked any ability to reason from whatever the torturer had done to it.
Sidra struck the creature at its neck with her bare hands, hoping to deal a finishing blow.
Sadly, Sidra did not possess the strength to do much of anything in this attack and hoped the young dragon would finish the creature off soon.
Kroug watches the web break, strand by strand and flashes on a half-remembered moment: A smoldering worm melting through rock. A rock wall. His wall. His room. Invader!
With muscle memory his arms dance in the air conjuring a white frost. Then with a pointed finger he focuses it at the creature below.
The wyrmling manages to land all it's strikes on the creature's exposed face, but the medusa's fist misses. Kroug shoots a ray of frost at the creaure and strikes the exposed muscle of its lower jaw and it howls in pain.
The sphinx sees an opportunity to pounce as Relio pulls away, and attacks with her claws
Once claw strikes the intended face, and tears into it.
The creature staggers back a few paces, rearing and bleeding heavily, but seems to be holding on to life with its last breaths. It swings out wildly with both fists;
striking
the medusa and the wyrmling each once
As fierce as it still seems, it is apparent that it is not long for this world...
Even for an altruistic creature, a silver dragon is still a natural predator with limited patience. Relio's pity for the fiend is running out as it continues to hammer him. Growling as deep as his young voice will allow, he exhales a frigid burst of air and ice at the creature, causing signs of frostbite to appear in patches all over its skin.
Round 10
Sidra felt the unexpected fist slam into her and she reeled from the pain which shot through her body. Her anger was a living, breathing thing, and she hit the creature at the back of the skull with her bare hands. Again, she lamented the loss of her beloved bow. Her petrifying gaze could not turn this thing into stone and she believed the torturer had something to do with her diminished power or the creature's unnatural ability to heal itself from the brink of death.
Again, her blows were not accurate or powerful enough.
Her scream echoed in the hallway, "Kill it!"
Staring at his frosted hands, Kroug refocuses and let's loose another blast of icy air.
As the frost washes across the beast, and the medusa strikes at it once more, it finally drops to its knees. Giving one last chortle of a howl, blood, thick from the cold and frothing slightly, bubbles from its ugly pitiful maw. It weakly swings its limbs out at anyone near, but at this point all the former ferocity has left its dying body. It falls to the stone floor with a wet and twitches twice,the belt rattling slightly as the last of life leaves the creature, then it moves no more.
the sphinx seems to tense a bit at this, but then after a few seconds snorts at the body, flicking her tail. "Yes." she says, nodding to noone in particular.
Holding her sore/wounded side, Sidra moves up to the dead creature and stares at it a moment or two, the only sound issued are random hisses from her serpentine hair. First she searches its body for any weapons or items which could be useful. Then she lifts her head and listens carefully and looks around to determine the best route. She is still determined to find her bow, arrows and mother's necklace and then get out of this strange prison.
Kroug waits until the body is completely still and watches the snake woman rifle through it's possessions.
"Magic." He says descending on a thread, still keeping a wary distance. "Magic flasks. And helm. Take care."
He grasps the helmet in both hands and studies the magic auras carefully.
Hearing its voice and then watching as the spider creature descends on its thread, Sidra heeds the counsel with a brisk nod.
Sidra is cannily searching for any weapons or clue as to passage out of this place. She has the torturer's notes and is still desiring to find her stolen possessions.
The medusa easily spies the flasks the spider creature spoke of. About the waist of the now fallen humanoid is a rather thick belt. 6 flasks are fastened to the belt by metal snaps. The flasks themselves are slightly smaller than a medium sized humanoid's hand,and are also steel. The have corks on the top but instead of stoppering the container, they cover spikes. It appears these potions are not normally drunk, but injected.
As the medusa rifles through the beast's items, Relio's nose leads him closer. Sniffing about the body, he knows that it is edible, but something about it turns his stomach. the combination of chemicals, surgery, and a generally unnatural scent staves off his hunger.
"How many more are mad with pain like him? Are we the only ones left with our minds?"
After the magic becomes clear, Kroug quickly drops the helm in disgust. "Necromancy."
He climbs up the side of the wall to look over the snake woman's shoulder. He keeps his distance, but focuses on the potion flasks to determine the magic inside.
"Little dragon, you ask questions which have no answers at present. Let us find a way through this prison before we encounter more like this wretched creature."
Hearing the clang of the helmet on the stone floor, Sidra suddenly focuses her attention on the spider creature, "You, on the web, find a way to carry these potions, if you consider them relevant. You seem to be the only one among us who possesses magic lore. We cannot tarry here any longer. We need to move."
The foul odour of rot and refuse assails Sidra's nostrils from the left hallway.
"We should go right. Left smells of refuse and rot. It smells of death."
Sidra starts moving down the right hallway cautiously, following the path set by the dried footprints.
Kroug gathers up the flasks being careful not to nick himself with the sharp ends and bundles them in a cocoon of webbing. He fashions a thick strap to the bundle of webs and slings it over his shoulder.
"Yes, we go right. Leave death behind." He skitters along the ceiling, cane in hand.
Sidra does not turn her head but instructs in her usual commanding manner, "Come along, little dragon."
After stretching and shaking off the tension of the battle, Relio'Than follows, 'huffing' at the decaying odor of the hallway and moving his head about, searching the air for scents of more palatable matter...or fresh air.
There must be some way out, as there is some way in...and if the exit is not near, then food must be...
The group of you walk in relative silence for a short while (150 feet or so) along the curved hallway, a very short while indeed, as you soon come to another door.
This one is set in the opposite wall, and like the other is composed of the same white marble-like stone. Above the doorway is an impression, and a brass fitting with several scratches around the rim. It appears to have (at one time) held a fixture, but has since been pried away. The last remnants of the bloody footprints are here, and lead directly to the door.
It is partially open, and flickering light comes from within, as well as the smell of earth and wet grass.
Sidra broke the silence after noticing the angle of their movement. She announces the next to no one in particular. "This right hallway has been leading gradually upward. I would hazard a guess that the left passageway led down."
Sidra could smell the earth and grass through the small opening. The bloody footprint stopped at the door and Sidra contemplated what that would mean to them -- to enter this door and find what manner of creature beyond.
"Do we enter or no? Spider creature, come down and see if you can find any magic on this door."
"Upward and outward," Kroug said with a hopeful smile.
Kroug slinked along the ceiling and scanned the door for magical auras. Then with a silent realization he turned to the others.
"I am called Kroug."
The wyrmling cast his gaze to the side in contemplation, debating whether to share something as important as his name with such strange creatures.
Name? Do I have a name? I recall nothing outside, and yet...I feel as if I should know...
He inconspicuously eyes the others, coming up with no short and suitable ideas for names for them, and laughs to himself.
Can't very well keep calling each other by our species forever, now can we?
"Call me...Relio'Than. I feel as if it is incomplete, but it will do for now."
Sidra watched as the spider creature contemplated the surface of the door, seeking to discover some magical aura. When it spoke its name, as did the young dragon, Sidra observed them closely and silently. Then she uttered her name, the s' elongated and sounding like the hisses coming from her serpentine hair. "Sidra Anguis."
Kroug detects no magic on the door currently, though he does detect faint traces of abjuration, as if there was something there, but it has been dispelled or faded away.
"Faint magic. Nothing left to harm." Kroug notes the others' names then cranes his head around to listen and peer through the top of the cracked open door.
Sidra heard Kroug advise that the door no longer held the fullness of magic it once did.
Leaning into the small opening, Sidra draws a deep breath to determine if it is safe to cross the threshold into the space beyond.
Peering through the cracked door, both Sidra and Kroug can see a similar white to the hallway and chamber the gound their freedom in. The room is dimly lit, but the difgernce here is thst there is a lot of green. And movement, accompanied with the sound of twisting wood. Both the medusa and spider thinh get a stronger sense of the smells inside, now detecting some kinf of flower, sweet, like honeysuckle. Without opening the door though, you can't see much more.
"I can smell fear and desperation."
Sidra hisses in anger and defence, attempting to intimidate whatever lies within.
Her natural immunity to poisons may have been her saving grace in resisting the urge to enter the room with the strange smells.
"Do not breathe the scent in. Step back. There is danger within."
Sidra begins inching back from the opening, keeping her eyes open for any other signs of danger.
At the mention of fear and desperation, Relio's senses go on alert; he does not register the warning of dangerous scents, as his nose has already received the odors from within.
Food...
Relio's hunger responds to the welcoming aroma without even triggering his rational thought. He stalks forward, head low, like a cat which has spotted a mouse.
Prey...so hungry...
Visions of mountains and clouds start to fill his imagination, as if he is remembering a lair he never knew.
Sky...
"Freedom!"
Kroug pokes his head in then, feels the pull of magic and quickly scuttles away. His eyes go to the others looking for any effect. With Sidra's warning he feels some relief then sees the hunger in Relio'Than's eyes.
"The dragon's caught in it's snare. Subdue." Turning to Relio'Than he speaks, though he knows it is futile. "Do not go into that room, my friend."
His fingers flicker building up a soft glow that begins to crackle. With a flick of his wrists the energy speeds toward the dragon's head.
Sidra observed the glazed expression, even with the young dragon's head slightly bent downward.
Upon Kroug's declaration as to Relio's ensnarement, Sidra did what she could to bar his entry to the place beyond the door, where the smells were wrong and dangerous.
Sidra watched as Kroug made magic with his fingers and directed it toward the young dragon. She hoped the spell would take effect and stop Relio in his tracks. Otherwise she would have to attempt to use her body as ramming pole in order to protect Relio. She owed him for felling the crazed, tortured creature they had encountered down the passageway.
"Plants are outside. plants mean animals. food. freedom. There..."
Sidra braces her feet and stands firm, hoping her meagre strength can hold the young dragon at bay.
Yet, she knows she is not strong enough this time against his poison-induced frenzy, even one as young as Relio'Than.
Calling up to Krough, she orders him, "Use your webbing to tangle his feet and wings. We must bring him down or else he will be lost in that chamber."
Kroug quickly gathers a bundle of webs and tries to restrain the small dragon. He keeps one on the door looking for movement.
Relio squawks in surprise as the tangle of webs knocks him to the floor.
"What are you doing?! That's our way out! We need to go through there!"
Do I recognize the spell that's affecting him and how long it will last?
Wow...I guess not.
"That is no way out, my friend." He turns to Sidra. "The webs will not hold long. Not sure what magic affects him. We should leave this place."
With that he tries to web the door shut.
Coming up behind the door and seeing Kroug attempt to use his web to lever the door shut, Sidra pushed against it with her full weight, not giving until the small opening was gone and Kroug's web sealed it shut. Perhaps with the sealed room, the poison in the air would diminish and its effect may wear off the young dragon.
In Draconic, she attempts to reach the befuddled mind of Relio. "Little dragon, stop fighting and attempt to breathe in the clean air. Do not concentrate on this induced need, for it is not real. That way is for death and nothing more."
Looking to Kroug on his web dangling from the ceiling, she once again speaks in Common, "Can we drag the dragon along, together? Will your webbing hold?"
Sidra peers further down the hallway and around, hoping to gauge a safe place to move through and out this underground fortress.
Unfortunately, she was unable to gauge much when all the stone looked the same and the young dragon tugged at his web restraints.
As Sidra suspected, within a minute or so Relio's breath softened, and with a cough, he spat out a small wad of amber-colored fluid. With it gone, his will was once again his own. It was if he was waking from a dream almost, and those first few breaths after seemed more pure.
The door stuck well, and the group was faced with another decision. Continue on; for the hallway clearly continued on, or head back in the other direction. With the bloody footprints no longer visible, it seemed the group would get any further clues into the wereabouts of their owner.
In the stillness, the faintest clicking sound could be heard, no doubt the small mostly destroyed construct behind them still twitching uselessly.
"Look, the young one seems better now. We do not need to drag him along. Does the web come away?" The decision to close the door had been a sound one.
Sidra looked to Kroug then to the ground where the bloodied prints ended. She wondered what creature went to its doom inside the room.
The clicking was somewhat grating but Sidra put it from her mind.
"Relio, how do you feel?"
To both, Sidra adds, "I think we should continue along this hallway. No going back."
Kroug watches Relio silently as the magic slowly wears off, then slides down the wall to peel away his webbing from the dragon.
"Yes, continue forward. Dark magic." Kroug sniffs the amber pool on the floor to see if he could determine it's properties or origin.
Shrugging off the dizziness, Relio shudders as the last vile droplets spatter on the floor.
"Ugh. That smell...it steals the senses, and plants urges in their stead. I will not be taken like that again." He growls, scowling at the closed door.
With the webbing peeled away, he stretches his wings and digs at the last remnants of sticky threads with his claws and his teeth, shaking his head to clear it.
Sidra observed as Kroug bent forward to smell the amber-coloured fluid regurgitated by Relio. When he proclaimed it 'dark magic', she kept away from it. She did not possess such knowledge and would rely on his wits when it came to magic.
"Relio, if you have suitably cleaned yourself of the webbing, let us continue. The longer we tarry in this corridor, the more likely something wretched will cross our path. Come, we must go now."
And with no further warning, Sidra begins moving forward.
"Indeed. I want out of this prison."
The young dragon folds his wings and follows a few feet behind the medusa this time, scanning for exits and sniffing for edible scents.
Continuing down the hallway, the group finds the same similarities as before. After about 200 feet of walking along the white stone floors, you come to 3 things of note.
On your left, are two doors, side by side with only about 3 feet of wall between them.
The first door is unmarked, and a quick tapping on it shows that it is lighter and probably not a thick as the others.
The second door, like the one you passed 200 feet back has a similar brass fitting above. Unlike the door that is not jammed with webs, this one still has a bit of what appears to be onyx in the fitting, although it is broken and at one point you're sure there was a full stone.
The hallway dead-ends past the two doors about 50 feet. Another of the cherubs floats silently, it's light casting a dim glow. It hovers just under an archway with an alcove about 3 feet deep. The back wall of the alcove is of similar stone to the rest of the hall and the other doors, but it shimmers slightly and closer inspection shows that the cause is a thin blanket of water constantly running over it.