"I am your Prince and what I do is for the good of our people. These men and women are traitors and we are at war. If you would see the bloodshed minimized open the way for us that we may cut the head off the snake. Only an act of Power will convince these wayward souls that Elaran is a parasite that will suck this culture dry." Octavian said quietly, his eyes closed and his attention focused on the hammer. "You see what is coming for all non-humans. We must band together or die apart."
The war hammer remained silent as the vibrations stopped before Octavian would get a reply from the hammer.
Suddenly he'd get a sudden warm sensation like a warm fire being lit around him. Everyone else would even feel a sudden warm sensation fill the hallway as the Warhammer's glow grew just slightly before dimming into its normal state.
The wizard straightened after the hammer calmed and opened his eyes. He looked at the surrendered rebels and spun the hammer once in his hand. "Those were the souls of Megara waking up. The shard of Vulcan that WE recovered from the destroyed city safeguarded them from enslavement and now they once again live to protect their people." he pointed the hammer at Jasmine. "This...filth as you like to call it, she is the one who carried the shard and placed it in my hands. No scheming, no reward asked for, just a simple gift. This ELF and this HALF ORC are responsible for a shard being returned to our people."
Octavian stopped the lecturing and stepped through the carnage. He passed his hands over his body to invest himself with an intangible field of protection, investing the spell with a fragment of power to strengthen it. Once that was done he motioned ahead. "Turn left up ahead, I remember the way to the inner sanctum."
He looked over at the rebels who had 'changed' sides. "The secret path. Now Jasmine and Pazeek, if you would be so kind as to scout ahead so that we don't stumble into another fight like that unprepared, I would be grateful."
"We already know that their will be a few isolated guards up ahead, as per what the battlemage told us.If you want, Pazeek and I could try to soundlessly eliminate them on our little scouting trip, unless you want to use noisy spells instead." Jasmine remarks, before deciding to stealthy move and scout ahead - whether Pazeek joins her or not.
Pazeek, being just a tad deafened at the moment, doesn't even hear Octavian's request and so pays no heed to it. Instead, he rubs at the feather-covered openings on either side of his head that serve as ears, trying futilely to clear them. When he finally notices the others preparing to move on, he does likewise, but not without worriedly--and pointlessly--asking in a somewhat loud voice. "Do you any of you have any problems hearing right now?"
Bree flinched and looked away as Octavian's hammer met the face of the Illidari that dared to besmirch his loved one. Then the most painful and unearthly noise followed. She cried out in agony as it felt like her ears were bleeding and all sound was gone. She looked around, frightened and confused as everything became all too quiet. She saw mouths moving, but couldn't hear anything at all. "Octavian! What in the name of all that is good did you do?! I can't even hear myself!" She shrieked and clutched her head, but whether an answer was given or not it fell on deafened ears. She did her best to keep everyone in her line of vision so as not to get separated from them until her hearing came back.
It was scary not being able to hear anything, she hoped it wasn't permanent as she ran along with them. She followed as best as she can as they worked their ways along the different branching paths of the temple. As they moved on, she could slowly begin to hear muffled sounds from the others. "I really hope you aren't saying anything important right now." She said rather ruefully as they raced to find Elaran.
Inja had started growling menacingly at the unrepentant soldiers, but the bird man had been quicker and now their life's blood was draining on the floor. There was some other commotion and then a very loud noise, which made her wince and paw at her ears. The bird man and the little one seemed to be in trouble though, so she takes up position near the little one, butting her head affectionately against her to let her know it was alright and Inja and Yama were right there to protect her, one on either side of the little one with the warm magic. It looked like there would be more fighting ahead, so Inja takes the time to invoke some protections on herself and Yama.
Octavian stopped as the group recovered from his hammer and a look of embarrassment crossed his face. "I'm sorry I didn't know. Let's take a few minutes to get everyone sorted before we risk our lives again. Could you watch our backs Jasmine?" he asked before moving over to Pazeek.
The wizard smiled at the tengu while placing a hand on his shoulder. "Can you hear me Pazeek? We are..." he trailed off when he saw the Tengu staring at his lips in confusion. Octavian sighed and motioned with his other hand that they were going to wait.
The party waits till the deafened members regain their hearing while Jasmine heads forward quickly and quietly, her footfalls very precise and quick with her elven grace.
As she got to the exit of the secret passage, just peering around the hidden door at the end she could see that the inner chambers had obviously seen some battle, though only a few priests bodies were tossed in a heap to the side. There were two guards posted as a door that was shut about twenty-five feet away. She could also see a couple guarding what seemed like an archway to the right about fifty feet away.
The inner chambers were darker and lit with torches that were lit with a blue flame. There were many doors heading to other rooms that branched off of the main atrium. The ceiling was arched and domed with an intricate mosaic of what seemed to be the story of the Illidari. Towards the center, the back wall there was another archway which leads into the anvil of Vulkan.
Bree bumped into someone's back, confused as to why they suddenly stopped. "Why we stopping? Trouble?" She looked around at the others remaining still, so she remained still as well. She winced as her hearing slowly and painfully returned. She gave Octavian a dirty look, still feeling a ringing and inner ear pain when she moved her jaw. "Octavian, when this is all over, I'm going to bite you." She huffed angrily and listened quietly. When they made their plan to move quietly, she pressed herself against the wall as best as she could, trying to hide with the rest of them.
Spotting the guards down the hall, Tsakua takes quick action. Moving into shadow, he disappears, reappearing about 3 feet behind the guards and just the other side of a nearby pillar. Without hesitating, he jumps out, puts a hand on either side of their heads, and smashes the luckless Illidari together, skull against skull.
With his hearing finally returned, Pazeek grumbles and chirps quietly before nodding his own agreement with Breewyn's threat. "Aye, your hammer is supposed to be smiting your foes, not your friends," the tengu mutters with an aggrieved tone in his voice before shifting to a quieter mode of movement that sees him gliding down the hall, quite literally so as he takes flight once again. At Breewyn's side, the hippogriff likewise shifts into careful, predatory stalk designed to conceal its approach, but stays grounded.
Jasmine heads into the room along with everyone else, a little less stealthy than she usually is. While she is fully prepared with her bow ready to fire, she prefers to let someone else such as Tsakua handle the guards, wanting to save some of her special abilities for a trickier opponent.
Inja and Yama pad silently down the hall, still flanking the little one. As they move, the cloud of fine sand raised by the others' movement causes both of them to sneeze.
Bree grits her teeth at the sound of the loud sneeze from both the of the large cats. She stops breathing for several moments, just listening intently.
When only the silence settling around them greets her, she breathes a deep sigh of relief and tries to once again move quietly with the rest of the group.
As the group tries to be stealthy, Yama had to release quite a loud yawn during the middle of the trek, causing everyone to freeze for a moment before moving on. Though luckily none of the guards heard a noise.
The two guards positioned by the closed door had not even a chance to react as Tsakua immediately appeared, grabbing both their heads with great strength and cracking them together. A sick crack could be heard from their heads meeting as they crumple to the ground, unconscious. The sound of the bodies crumbling to the ground caused a great clamor, raising the alarm of the trio of other guards by the stairwell. A sudden shout was issued as the group moved in quickly onto Tsakua.
The first blade came in and Tsakua was quick with unslinging his shield, shrugging off the first blow before twisting as the second guard tried to flank him, his sword scrapping off the shield with a horrendous screech of metal. The third took the opening that presented itself and thrust his blade forward into a stab. His blade puncturing Tsakua's abdomen, digging in for several inches before the blade was yanked out, blood spilling from the wound.
Jasmine immediately appears from stealth, loosening a shot.
Surprise round
Pazeek wings quietly into the junction and maneuvers for a landing behind the nearest of the guards whose attention is unfortunately--for them--diverted by Tsakua's actions.
Bree carefully makes her way closer to where Tsakua is, hoping to be able to touch him and heal his injuries.
Inja and Yama pad towards the guards, circling around to come at them from opposite directions.
Octavian stepped out from the passage and threw a telekinetic blast at the first guard, the wave of energy causing a ripple in the air as it flew from the wizard's hands.
The first guard stumbled slightly from the blast from Octavian, quickly looking over to him he snarled and shifted directions, charging Octavian. His blade coming in true in a slash, the blade cutting across his chest.
The second guard held his attention on Tsakua, striking again at him but the blade missing from Tsakua dodging the attack quickly.
The third, getting hit by Jasmines arrow, quickly spins from his attack and levels a sword towards Jasmine. Yelling a string of words flames suddenly appear around the blade before a ball of fire shoots from the tip.
Octavian grunts as the sword slices open his skin again but manages to not stagger from the pain. Turning slightly to shield his casting from the guard the wizard cast another defensive spell on himself and a disc of energy appeared on his forearm.
Bree continues to quietly move among all the commotion to Tsakua's side, avoiding the guards as much as she possibly can. Once she is able to reach him, she touches him and chants softly a spell in celestial which calls upon her wellspring of power to soothe his injuries.
Jasmine nimbly dodges the worst of the fireball, before instantly retaliating with a bowshot.
In a poor position, the tengu is unprepared for the soldier's sudden shift toward Octavian, and the reflexive blow at the open back cuts nothing but air. With a frustrated croak, he flaps closer, catching the soldier between himself and the wounded mage, but the bastard--forewarned by the tengu's vocalization--isn't caught out and helpless; the avian's second stroke catches the upraised shield instead of its user.
Grumbling in annoyance, Pazeek looks to his companion and caws a short command in his native tongue while jerking his head back toward the soldier getting free with the fire attacks. <"Sharpfeather, attack!"> Accompanied by a harsh call, the hippogriff takes to the air with a leap and crosses the distance between himself and his target with only a few hard wingbeats. Landing with a clatter of claws and hooves, he snaps his head forward and catches the fireball-using soldier with a vicious bite.
Fire-shooting swords? What sorcery was this? With a snarl, Inja moves in to savage the third guard, assisted by Yama.