"Hungry, aren't you done filling our stomach, yet?"
WAIT!!!! HOW CAN WE ALL BE RELATED!?!?!?!? YOU WOULD DARE LEAVE WITHOUT EATING!!!!?" Hungry protests and begins to wolf down all the food he can before the body begins to move.
Hungry rapidly stuffs your stomach full of chimera, after which you continue on your way towards the human nest. Mo stays behind for a bit to pack some chimera meat for later.
As before, you have to sleep for the night out in the wilds. You eat the last of the saved chimera meat in the morning before continuing onward.
The forest trembles at your footsteps (okay, only a little bit), and it seems like everything takes that as a sign to be elsewhere. You're feeling rather hungry by the time you near the human fort... and see smoke up ahead.
A lot of smoke.
"Pacem! Give me intelligence on what's up ahead!" Ziphora orders."Remember, if you run into any trouble, retreat back to us as swiftly as possible."
Pacem gives Ziphora a salute with a wing,"Aye, aye, captain!" Then does as she bids, flying towards the fort.
Smoke, the dirt of the air. Tomorbataar observes, a hint of sadness in his voice. Such a pity...well, let's see what there is to see.
Tomorbataar votes to move closer to the human nest.
Beachhead also votes to move forward. He hides as best he could, which is really really good. Just saying.
Ziphora votes to stay still until they get a report, or Pacem gets shot out of the sky(and returns to the little place in her brain).
Once he gets above the trees, it's not hard for Pacem to see what's going on--four dragon-looking things are flying over Fort Thorn. One of them spits a fireball down at the fort, and the column of smoke rising from it grows thicker.
Pacem returns to Ziphora before he gets spotted.
"The fort is under attack! I repeat, the Fort is under attack! By four flying hostile fire breathing things!"
"Does anyone have a way to cook up some protections against fire? I'm not so keen in getting roasted." Ziphora asks the rest after hearing Pacem's report.
Nah, I got nothing. Tomorbataar replies, still sounding melancholy. We've also got to figure out how to keep them from just flying above us and spewing fire. I've got nothing to throw and no way to hit people that are far away. Tomorbataar stretches his neck to full length to demonstrate this, reaching as high into the air as he can.
If we can get some fire resistance though, and some way to get them to land, they won't be able to hold a candle to us. Tomorbataar looks excited, like he's getting a little bit hot under the collar.
Tomorbataar votes to wait until they can come up with a good plan for battle.
Hothead throws a quick resist energy on everyone, and announces he can make wings of fire.
"Onward and foward! In the defense of our humans so we can get them to cure Beachhead's funk! We'll ask them nicely if they want to stop first, if they don't we'll murderhobo them all!" Ziphora proclaims.
Votes to go to the fort. Guns blazing. Wait. We don't have guns. Gunboat diplomacy time!
Ahah, we shall be the flaming lizard! Tomorbataar cries, urging them forward.
Tomorbataar votes to move towards the humans.
Those foolish other flying flaming lizards have met their match. Tomorbataar says, assuming a forward position and lowering into a battle stance. Murderhoboooo!
Beachhead also votes for manslaughtertramp.
"I hope the humans are alright, I'll be super pissed if they can't fix your energy drain."
Ooo, I wonder if the humans taste better cooked or raw? Hungry thinks to himself.
Hothead, terrified at the thought of fire, protects each of his sibling heads (and himself) with resist energy, then summons wings of flame on your body. You soar into the air towards Fort Thorn, leaving Mo on the ground to catch up later.
Soon enough you see it ahead. Some of the buildings are smoldering, and you can see four flame drakes circling in the air. Of course, they can hardly miss you coming, and soon they're flying towards you.
"Look, the humans are under our protection." Ziphora draws herself to her full height. "Please stop harassing the humans and get out of here before we're forced to take violent measures,"
Beachhead readies his action to attack as soon as an enemy is within striking distance.
A sudden growl passes through Tomorbataar, his voice taking on a hitherto unheard tone. You keep away from our friends or I'm going to have to rip your wings off! Tomorbataar looks ferocious, ready to smash some skulls if necissary.
Tomorbataar stares at the nearest dragon, gauging its reaction. Does it seem to fear him? Is it worried about a particular blow and covering a certain part of its body which has healed badly? He studies its flight pattern to see if it's favoring one wing, and observes the size of its muscles and claws, as well as where it has scales and where he can smash it good.
The drakes seemed unmoved by Ziphora's words, but one looks a bit nervous about Tomorbataar.
Hungry casts his blindness spell at one of the drakes.
But it shrugs the spell off.
They all fly towards you. One of them spits a fireball at you as it flies.
Hothead's spells ward off the fire, though only just barely.
Beachhead emerges from his hiding spot beneath the body and lunges upward, seeking a vital spot on the underside of one of the drakes.
[dice=""NINJA!"]1d20+11[/dice]
"You leave me no choice." Ziphora sighs regretfully, then blasts the fire drake with an empowered water jet.
Afraid? Tomorbataar cries, gleefully leaning forward. He puts leaves a little bit of curvature in his neck, and when the lizard he studied closes, Tomorbataar suddenly springs forward, keeping his head increadibly close to his foe and giving sudden assaults to different areas of its body. Go on then...try it.
"Drat! I was hoping that would work. Ah well." Hungry takes a deep centering breath as he throws his head back with a firm "Tormegra" as a spiked violet spiral formes around his head which dissipates into a sickly black aura that encases his head.
Ziphora's blast doesn't hit her target squarely, and it appears to largely be deflected by the drake's scales.
When they close, however, Beachhead springs out of hiding and tears into one of them, savagely wounding it... badly enough that Tomorbataar's first blow sends it tumbling out of the air. His other head-bash hits another one, bruising it badly but not killing it.
Then the drakes attack, teeth snapping at you.
One of them tears a piece of Hungry's neck off, but the other two are ineffectual.
Ziphora turns on her water jet, at point blank range at the one that Tomorbataar headbashed.
If he can, Beachhead will lash out at the drake attacking Hungry.
<--
Tomorbataar shouts in glee, looking around and trying to get a sense of what's going on as he begins bashing the next drake. Tomorbataar winds his head towards Hungry as best he can, trying to position himself so that he can keep the drakes at bay, and launching out with more attacks from in close.
"THAT HURT!!" Hungry shouts as he lunges forward.
Beachhead and Tomorbataar bite and batter the drake that attacked Hungry, and then Hungry drains its remaining life force. Said life force is delicious, but not at all filling. The drake drops from the air, dying.
Ziphora's blast of water finishes off another, leaving one drake that is clearly reconsidering this whole idea, given that it is now fleeing at top speed.
Ziphora lets it flee, smug. It's learnt it's lesson afterall. "And that's what you get for attacking our humans, and us!"
I got it! Tomorbataar shouts, trying to strike the drake in the head.
Beachhead lashes out, hoping to chomp down on the drake's tail, for comedic value, if nothing else.
"Do you have to do that, guys? He's learnt the error of his ways and is already fleeing for his life!" Ziphora berates her brothers, knowing that what she says is (probably) going to fall on deaf ears.
"We shouldn't let it get away! What if it returns with more allies?!"
Dramatically drawing a diamond with his snout and shouts "Extinga Agootis" as bright, blue waves of filaments course through the air towards the Chimera.
In spite of Beachhead's bite striking home, the drake manages to slip away, dodging Tomorbataar's attack. Hungry's spell chases it, but when the filaments catch the drake they just dissolve away.
Beachhead votes to land and check on the human camp.
Ziphora votes the same.
Tomorbataar looks a bit disappointed that his swing missed. Well, guess that one's not going to die today. He looks up and then back down at the humans.
We'd better go see if we can put out that fire. Wouldn't want any more smoke in the air.
You descend towards the ground, looking over the fort as you do. It looks like there are a couple of buildings smoldering, but only one that actually has visible flames.
Your wings of flame disappear as you touch the ground outside of the fort. None of the humans seem inclined to talk right now, however, as they all seem busy rushing about, filling buckets with water and splashing them on the flames.
Ziphora helpfully and enthusiastically sprays her waterjet all over the place in attempt to put out the fire on the building.
For once, Tomorbataar is content to sit back and watch others do the work, not trying to help put out the fires.
He might be a little afraid of getting soot on himself.
Ziphora's water jets quickly put out the fires. They also quickly start doing structural damage.
Sir Torlgrith looks up and waves his arms, trying to get your attention. "That's enough!" he shouts. "Thank you, Ziphora! The fires are out! You can stop now!"
"No problem, Sir Tolgrith!" Ziphora is inordinately proud at her work of putting out the fires, and bobs her head up and down while spraying a small water jet upwards like a fountain. "My brothers are feeling in a blue funk, do you have a way of fixing them?" She asks.
"Oh Mo! Start dressing those drake carcasses." She orders Mo, then turns to Sir Tolgrith. " Oh yes, do you have some potatoes, carrots, celery roots, butter and bread crumbs? I'm going to stuff these drakes and have them roasted. You're welcome to share our food." She offers maganimously.
But you should put your camp back in order first, I think. Tomorbataar adds, surveying the wreckage. Wouldn't want any weebles growing in the ash.
As they speak with the humans, Tomorbataar produces the Staff of Leadership and Cleanliness (as he remembers it), showing it to the humans. Is there anyone among you who can tell us about this artifact? We found it surrounded by some...things... Tomorbataar shudders at the memory, It's got some magic to it, as well.
Tomorbataar votes to wait around until they've eaten and the camp is clean.