"Well.....I don't think we're in any shape to take on an entire encampment. We need to fall back and regroup." Looking down at Drago she asks, "Is that better? Do you think you can stand?"
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Sienna nods. "Right, we should head back. It'll give them some prep time but it'll be safer for us. Konstantyná needs to hang back."
She touches the wand to him again, willing it to make him better again.
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She looks at the wand and shakes it, "This thing hates me.....lets get back....but, I need to stop and talk to that giant fellow first. I don't want him to think we're just abandoning them."
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"Here Tarja, help me stand him up." She puts an arm around his waste to help him, while Tarja helps support him from the other side.
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While his wounds were fully healed, Drago didn't wake up immidiately. The bond between him and Tarja had been re-fortified, so she would not disappear anytime soon. But the Dhampir would not awaken.
She looks at the midwife, "What's wrong with him? Why won't he wake?" She lays him down gently on the ground and goes on her knees next to him. She shakes him slightly and says, "Drago....drago wake up..." She waits to see if he opens his eyes before doing anything else.
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"The pressure of almost being crushed by that thing may have been a bit overwhelming for him. As much as I'd like to teach that jackass a lesson right this second, we need to fall back. I'll carry him, let's head back down there." the magus says.
"I'm not sure," Konstantyná says, shaking her head.
With a loud gasp, Drago openned his eyes and put a hand on Konstantyná's throat. Almost the same instant, he released her. "I'm...I'm sorry. I was.....back in Chalandra's dungeon." The Dhampir shuddered at the memory. Sitting up, he asked, "What happened?"
"We won."
She smiles a little, "You had the s@&* kicked otta ya by a nasty machine.....but, it's broken and we're gonna fall back and regroup for now. I'm messy and need to get the dark dwarf guts off of me."
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Feeling the soreness all over his body, "Yeah, I got that. What about the slaves, did we free them?"
"Not yet, I can try and see if I can shatter the giant's bonds but we might not be able to fully free them until we come back and finish this."
Sādhanā says solemnly.
She looks down sadly, "No.....not yet, but we don't have a choice right now. We'll come back for them once we have our strength back."
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She looks at Sadhana solemnly, "I don't think we can break them though.....they're made from adamantine."
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"I've never tried breaking adamantine with adamantine, but for at least a few minutes Oblivion can draw upon Zahvroma to essentially become adamantine himself with my help." she replies "It's worth a shot."
Helping Drago to his feet, Tarja piped up, "The Aasamir is correct. We are in no condition to engage the entire encampment of those....dwarves. Besides, I will not allow the Stormborn to endanger himself in such a state." The look she gave Drago left no room for arguement.
But argue he did anyway, "I feel fine. Granted my power has dwindled a little, but I'm strong enough to continue the fight."
She looks from Sadhana, to Tarja and Drago, and then back down at the ground. While rubbing her temples she says, "Okay, lets get down there....it's worth trying. Then we'll fall back to the baths." She turns and starts heading back down to where the enslaved giant and others are.
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Tarja gave Konstantyná a pleading look, as if to say, Please talk some sense into him.
"Don't go looking to her, she's not in charge of me." Drago snapped. He was angry, not at his companions, but himself.
Nodding, Sādhanā leads the way down.
Laying a soothing hand on his arm, she turns and looks at him. In a soft voice she says, "Please....please Drago....no one is telling you what to do. We need time to regather our strength....that fight took a lot out of all of us. We need time....please don't be upset."
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Drago pulled his arm away, and Arista could have sworn there was lightning in his eyes as he looked at her. Remaining silent, he walked after Sādhanā, scooping up his crossbow as he walked by. The storm within him raging furiously.
She shakes her head as she walks after them. He's gonna have to learn how to get that rage under control or it's going to be the death of him.
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She has a distraught look on her face as she tries to shake Drago's reaction off and concentrate on what needs to be done. Feeling the emotions welling up inside of her, she wipes her eyes and tries to put on a brave face as they approach the giant.
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Konstantyná narrows her eyes at Drago, but keeps silent. He would have to assume the role of Szef in his own way...if he can put the past behind him.
"Humm," the giant says, looking at the group. "It seems as if you had a hard fight, but I suppose the sorcerer wasn't among them, hummm."
She looks up at him, "No, just now four very dead dwarves and a broken ass piece of junk war machine. I guess this sorcerer you speak of would be Vencious? At any rate, no....there wasn't a sorcerer with them. My friend is going to try and break your chains.....but, even if she can't we will come back for you and the others. That's my promise to you."
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"Humm, very well," the giant says, seemingly sighing. "Humm, but I do not speak of Vencious. I speak of a dark dwarf skilled in bending metal to his will. His magic is powerful, but your friend is free to try to break my bonds, hummm. If it does not work, I doubt you will find us in this place again the next time, humm."
Focusing intently on a link of the chain, Sādhanā slows her breathing, deepening her bond with Oblivion, reaching out to Zahvroma, drawing power from it's veins.
Sādhanā's blade leaves a groove in the chain, but is nowhere near breaking it. It would take at least a dozen attempts such as that one to even break one of the five chains.
Arista looks at Sadhana, the pain of knowing that their leaving could cost these people etched into her face.
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Desperation takes hold of her, the thought of having to leave these people to whatever cruel fate lay in store driving her as she begins to stike the link of chain repeatedly.
Sādhanā has cut almost an inch into the three-inch thick chains. "Humm, don't wear yourself out on my account. Come back tomorrow, humm."
"Stop....Sadhana stop....you're just wearing yourself out. There's no good answer here.....We wore ourselves out in that fight and need to regroup. We can't win in this condition.....and even if we freed the other slaves......they would take their anger out on him." She gestures to the giant. "All we can do....is come back later to fight again.....it's not the best answer.....but, it's the only one I have right now." She nods her thanks at the giant. "Can you tell me your name, so we know what to call you?"
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"Humm, Birgir," the giant answers.
"It's nice to meet you Birgir, I'm Arista, that's Sadhana, and these are our friends.....well.....more like family really. We have Cyna, Sienna, Ylrhea, Drago and Tarja, and Konstyntyna. We came here to destroy Vencious and restore the tower......but, our task has become more complicated than we originally thought it would be. Tell me.....what brought you all the way out here? Were you and these other people out here for a reason when you got captured?"
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"Humm, before the abyss appeared, before Malfeliax was bound to the earth, this was my home. I was a guardian of the Tower of Order, along with my people. I built the bridge you crossed to get here. These smaller ones were villagers from the southern places. The dark dwarves would kidnap them in the night. Many of them grew up in these mines, not knowing what became of their families, hummm," Birgir answers.
With a yell of frustration Sādhanā stops her attacks on the chain. Tears of rage well up in her eyes at the idea of having to leave the helpless to be further victimized because of their actions. A park of her wants nothing more that to charge back in and take on the encampment, hurling everything she has left at them.
Her better judgement overcoming her instincts, she stands silently fuming, the results of the day weighing heavily on the Anizari.
Ylrhea touches Sādhanā's hand. "I know it sucks, but we'll come back and bring holy vengeance down on these a$@!@#$s."
She looks up at him and tries desperately to hold back the torrent of emotion she feels welling up in herself for these people and the anger at what's been done to them. "I see....I'm so sorry Birgir....I wish we could have ended this right away....but, things are just not that simple. I want nothing more than to destroy them.....everything and leave them a bloody mess on the floor....but....we just....can't right now. Right now we have to fall back and regroup....and I just....I hate that. We will be back though...I...I promise we'll be back."
Hardly able to contain the raging storm of emotions within her she stops and turns her head away for a moment, not wanting anyone to see how much this decision is truly hurting her.
The giant puts down his pickaxe and lays a hand lightly on the aasimar's shoulders. "Humm, I have lived a long time. Patience never hurt anyone, humm. Go and rest, humm."
Not trusting herself to say anymore without having a total breakdown she simply nods her head. Not seeing any other options she squeezes his hand before turning to head back out of the caves.
Drago just stood in silence, his inner rage seething at his multiple failures that day. He then came to a decision. While the others weren't watching, he began to back away towards the recent battle.
But Tarja barred his way, "And where do you think you're going, Drago Zakharov?" She said loudly enough to get the others attention.
"Out of my Tarja, I'm ending this." He angrily replied.
"No, I don't think you are." The Eidolon said with equal resolve.
"Szef, we must go," Konstantyná says, her voice icy.