Kahtia whipped up magics and forced the strange clockwork to move into the time bubble, trapping it with the dragon and giving her and her friends - well, most of them were friends - just enough time to escape the strange creature hunting Mouse. Perhaps Mouse can answer some questions about that later and give some more insight on what was going on.
Meanwhile, the time bubble pops and immediately the dragon roars another earth shaking roar.
AA-XIII's head snapped back to the Dragon as the unnatural stillness ended and it roared. Something in the Clockwork clicked as it began to Edgewalk the gaps of altered time. Somehow it's obsession with chasing AA-03, was set aside and instead he was filled with the majestic awe of the creature before him. He was aware of a small number of noble houses were audacious enough to use the design of Dragons as their heraldry, and now he knew why.
He was interrupted in his moment of reverie by the monotonous voice that began speaking. "Warning! Time anomaly released. Warning! Warning! Threat level raised to extreme." came a monotone voice.
He opened his hands to show he had no immediate hostile intention.
The dragon ignored the clockwork, choosing instead to swipe a gigantic claw at the annoying pest who invaded its home, barely scrapping it before the clockwork teleports several yards away - saving it from the backswing.
The three reptilians all charge, biting and clawing at the clockwork, nearly killing it. Then the dragon lobs a blob of lava at the entire group! The lava melts two of the reptilians, but the third and AA-13 both survive.
The clockwork ducks away and then runs across the natural bridge over the lava, making its way towards the cave leading further into the underground network. The reptilian runs after it, charging to get a swipe of the claw. The reptilian runs after it, charging to get a swipe of the claw.
AA-13 injects a healing potion and then dives past the dragon, making a beeline for the interior cave system, hiding beyond the reach of the massive beast. It roars in frustration. The reptilian takes chase, but AA-13 is ready for is and a quick blast of magic ends the creature's life.
Kahtia's skirts and cloak flutter as Tess carries her, soaring up the stairs, and her heart feels like it might beat right out of her chest, she's filled with so much adrenaline. When they reach the top and her friend puts her on the ground, the mage gestures across the muddy camp, to where they came in. "We should retreat further, in case that beast has another way out, or that clockwork escapes the wyrm!" Already starting to move, the raven-haired woman looks to her fellows and asks, "Everyone okay?"
Once the group emerges from the cave, Tesswyn gently places Kahtia on the ground. A few moments later, she doubles over and groans as the bushy beard retracts back into her face and her eye reappears in her empty socket with a wet pop. The rogue takes a few shuddering breaths before straightening up, managing to keep her bile down.
"As well as can be expected after inviting a Dark God to share my body," she mutters. She looks around at the other survivors, far too few for her liking. "We saved all we could. We should leave this place and not come back. Each time we've come here has been a f@*#ing nightmare. Best to just collapse the cave entrance and not look back."
Charles eyes finally recovered as the group was beginning to hurry up the stairs. He sighed in relief. "It's alright Drot'ook. I can see again, let's just get out of here."
Without anything in their way and knowing they had a long hike up the stairs ahead of them, he began turning his focus toward what all that would mean for everyone.
Charles looked over at Tesswyn and Kahtia in turn. Then his gaze fell on to the clockwork, Mouse.
"I think if either the Dragon or that clockwork were coming out after us, we'd have heard of it by now." He paused. "I think for the first time today since you all arrived out of nowhere, we can take a minute to discuss what's been happening. Setting the dragon aside for the moment, that clockwork... has it been a problem for you? Also, what was this company it mentioned?"
As you ascend the stairs on the long climb out, you quickly catch up to some of the stragglers. The miners, in good shape and only having been caught earlier today, are able to climb quickly. Only those who are injured or care enough for those are slower to ascend.
The time passes as you make your way outside into the foul air surrounding the cave entrance.
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Mouse holds out his hands in an attempt to stop Charles from speaking, but it's too late. A whirring sound comes from within the machine and after about thirty seconds the voice of a cheery man begins to spill out.
”Hello sir or madam, you have been pre-selected to receive this exclusive offer on behalf of Fitzpatrick Engineering. We are offering you the opportunity to purchase the latest in technological breakthroughs courtesy of our Lionel Fitzpatrick and his development team.
You may know us from our works in the industrial sector, our trains and Steam Machine™ automobiles have gotten you and everything you need where you need to go! Well Fitzpatrick Engineering is now coming to you, to your very home! Introducing the Companion Droid™ robotic servant! You tired of paying workers to clean the manor, handle your pets and tend the garden? Well no longer! The Companion Droid™ is capable of doing all those things and more! A five-star chef, a chauffeur and personal bodyguard that never sleeps or eats! And the best part is, you never have to pay it a shilling! For one easy payment of 99 Crowns you can have your very own Companion Droid™ for every job in the estate! When you fill out your application feel free to choose from our catalogue of models, coming in a variety of sizes and appearances. But don’t you worry, every one is perfectly trained to suit your needs. Feel free to visit our main office in Lij for a more extensive look at our products! Again, for just 99 Crowns you can have the perfect servant for a lifetime, or more!
Offer is only available to those preselected by Fitzpatrick Engineering, attempts to sell, trade or haggle are deemed grounds for blacklisting from all Fitzpatrick holdings. The Companion Droid™ is not a toy and Fitzpatrick Engineering is not liable to replace damaged models. Clockworks of any kind have small moving parts and are a choking hazard for children under the age of three. Fitzpatrick Engineering is not responsible for the death, dismemberment or injury of the owner at the hands of the Companion Droid™. Any intentional attempt to damage or destroy the Companion Droid™ is grounds for retrieval of the product by the company. Do not under any circumstances attempt to retrieve the power source of the Fitzpatrick Companion Droid™. 99 crowns is a promotional value for select customers and is subject to change at Fitzpatrick Engineering’s sole discretion. Please allow 3 to 6 months before delivery.”
Charles blinked several times at the overly enthusiastic marketing ad.
"Okay, well that's the first time I've heard of anything like that but that at least explains where you and that other clockwork came from. But unless I miss my guess entirely, you aren't here through any proper ways."
He looked back at the cave entrance and to Tesswyn. "No. I can't agree with collapsing this tunnel, not now. Not after this many people lost their lives. We came here knowing it was going to be dangerous. Drot'ook and I were going to be the ones dealing with the dangers directly. We didn't know there was going to be a dragon and we didn't know there would be some sort of cult of lizardfolk surrounding it, and we certainly didn't know that some other clockwork would show up.
Now we know exactly what's down there. We've nearly killed all of the lizardfolk. We know the dragon can't fly, is in the lava, and has some sort of spell reflection defense. The other clockwork, XIII, is probably destroyed or at least very badly damaged.
There's some things we need to deal with. An entire group of people we need to help. Plus, I'm not letting this expedition having been a waste of lives for some of the people who trusted us enough to follow. I won't ask you, Kahtia, or Mouse to follow us further. You did plenty by just showing up and helping when you did." He looked adamant and stared at Tesswyn with legitimate thanks in his eyes. But then his face fell a little.
"I'm sure Drot'ook and I could handle things at this point..." he chuckled at the thought but his words were somewhat subdued. "but if you want to try and help your friend get rid of the problem with this company, this Fitzpatrick Engineering debacle, we could really use all of your help."
Tesswyn meets Charles gaze, arms crossed over her chest. At length, she rolls her eyes and sighs. "Fine. Let's get some rest, then. Tomorrow we'll come back and try to kill a f&$#ing dragon."
Drot looked to be in poor health, but with Charles' restorative magics behind him he was eager to figure out a way to end this mess of an exposition as quickly as possible.
"Here, here Charles. The good that will come of the resources within the ground here will do far greater good than we could on our own. One word of warning though... What the dragon thinks it knows about us is nearly as valuable as what we know about it. This is a very intelligent creature, and I believe what it has seen of us from the brief encounter we were involved in, might give it an impression of our abilities we can use against it."
He begins to make dense notes on fresh notebook pages, detailing the encounter they've just had with tedious descriptions of every action and reaction that he can recall.
You make your way back to camp, the group of miners you just rescued from the caves walking behind you, where you find the miners you previously rescued cleaning up and packing up the base camp. Cheers go up as everyone sees each other alive.
What do you say, my lords? Shall we head back home?
Tesswyn's rest is plagued with disturbing nightmares. Fire-breathing dragons, murderous clockworks, and one-eyed gods war in her dreamscape, and she awakes looking haggard and shaken.
Before the others are up, she is sitting at the edge of the camp dressed in only a loose shift. She dips a straight-razor in a jar of cream and uses it to shave the fast-growing hair from her arms and legs.
Kahtia was uncharacteristically quiet as the group retreated further from the mine, and as Charles declared his intentions.
Early the next morning, the mage completes her morning rituals and then seeks out Drot'ook. As ever, she appears composed and collected as she approaches the orc. She is dressed for the day, for battle. The sun warms her face as she draws back her hood, offering her friend a slight smile.
"Drot'ook. I trust you slept well?"
After the orc answers, the shapely sorceress wastes no time in striking to the heart of the matter. "I fear this decision to delve back underground and fight that creature in its lair is a poor one. It commands immense power -- and you saw the runes inscribed on its scales? Proof against magic, against the likes of you and me. And then there is the matter of the other clockwork -- that thing commands spells from the schools of both teleportation and time, Drot. It is also a powerful adversary." After a moment's pause, she adds, "Is there no way to talk Charles out of this? What have we to gain for risking our lives?"
His confidence bolstered now that Tesswyn agreed to his plan. Charles moved to organize the groups of captives and their camp to help organize them.
At the mining camp the cheers that greeted them upon their arrival made him feel like a hero, although their words after allowed him grasp how their situation truly was.
"There are some things I must say before we decide what is going to happen next. You all agreed to follow us when we broached the idea of a mining expedition to you. It was an opportunity to change all of our lives and the lives of those we cared for. This expedition was potentially dangerous, but no one came here prepared for what happened with that tribe of lizardfolk. I am glad that we were able to rescue as many of you as we did. If everyone had made it back, then I would say we return home. But the truth of the matter is that there are those who died when they should not have. The tribe that captured you all did so at the behest of a terrible beast, a beast that might well be a danger to us all.
I ask for all of your support in this matter. Let us not have simply come here and wasted lives, only to go home empty handed. The immediate danger with the lizardfolk tribe is gone now and I intend to deal with the dragon tomorrow. Stay here for the day to see this to an end and make this expedition worthwhile."
Having learned from his earlier mistakes, Charles gathered the other camp of wildly dressed humans together before they scattered off into the wilderness. He brought the boy named Micah and the younger girl who hadn't spoken to them before out as well.
"Hello everyone, I know that what you all just went through must have been terrifying but I want you all to know that we have gotten rid of the Lizardfolk who captured you and that you are safe now. My name is Charles. Is there a leader or voice for your group among those of you gathered here?"
Mouse was rather embarrassed to be struck with that old problem again after so long. His attempts to cover his face do nothing to stop the advert in its entirety. Fortunately for the automaton, his face continues to show no emotion. It seems the aged preacher is satisfied with this solution however, and leaves Mouse to discuss future plans. It was with some relief the machine saw him go on and with surprise when he asked him to stay out of the battle with the dragon.
The clockwork was silent for a time, internally he thought that this would be his perfect chance to escape, to flee again. But... he had been running for months now, with his home at his back and nowhere to go. These people were capable, to say the least, and were at least somewhat friendly with him. Perhaps it would be better to stay with them for now.
Being an automaton, Mouse didn't really need to sleep. It was a fact that while convenient, was a constant reminder that he was no longer a human. He sat as he did on the island so long ago, his legs crossed in imitation of the statues he'd seen amongst the tribals. Something about it was comforting. As he rested, Mouse thought back on what he'd seen the past day and wondered what he should do. By morning, he was resolved. The dragon was a threat to these people, and if he was to be accepted by them, then it must be destroyed.
It seemed to Mouse that Tesswyn had trouble sleeping, but he did not attempt to comfort her. He was a stranger to these people after all.
"Is there no way to talk Charles out of this? What have we to gain for risking our lives?"
"Ehm... Yes, actually. The fatigue from yesterday's battle seems to have kept me from finishing my notes. No matter, they can be finished another time."
He listens with intensity as Kahtia voices her concerns, pleased at her bluntness. It was refreshing for him, after choking on the tension that fogged the air between Charles and Tesswyn for the better half of a day. He nodded his understanding as she finished.
"That is understood... Of course he can be talked down, he knows the risks, he's just willing to risk them. I wonder if, before making our decision either way, it would behoove us to run reconnaissance on the outcome of the fight that took place after our departure. If the dragon retained mortal wounds, we might finish the job quickly."
He pauses and thinks a moment before continuing with an arched brow.
"Time and Teleportation, a bad combination indeed. If the other clockwork lives, now would be the time to find it and destroy it. It seems he has someway or another to find the Mouse, and he now understands that we intend to protect it. Giving the assassin time to plan its next attack seems the more dangerous choice. Hmmm?"
It's difficult for Kahtia to not smile at the sight of the orc and his desk, his quill and his papers. She knows well the love of writing, of books, of lore made permanent. As he answers in his thoughtful way the redhead moves closer, her eyes on his, but flicking to his work despite herself -- she is curious about what he is writing. Her smell is pleasant in the close quarters of the tent, and the portions of her flesh that are visible -- her slender throat, her generous cleavage, her tattooed forearms and hands -- are inviting as ever to the eye, and the touch.
"True enough -- if the thing lives, it will come for Mouse again. My fear is that we will end up fighting two of the most fearsome opponents we have ever faced -- at the same time. It nearly cost us dearly yesterday, and we were lucky as few lives were lost as there were." Pausing for a moment, she nods, then adds, "Gaining some insight regarding the outcome of the battle would be smart. There may even be more lizard creatures than we saw, coming from deeper in the earth. Will you at least take my side in having logic guide us in this, not passion, vengeance, or greed?"
Kahtia was able to see a detailed sketch of the fearsome dragon with arrows, notes, and smaller parts of the beast drawn and detailed on their own. Drot's face remained solemn even while his eyes wondered briefly.
"Indubitably."
He states in a very matter-of-fact way.
"I have, what may be, the perfect tool for us to use. Here, in this book."
He hands Kahtia another tome, much like the one he had while casting the Time spell that saved them from utter defeat.
"The Fundamentals and Structural Conditions of the Many Traditions, the first edition in fact. Where I got the book is a story for another time, but look at page 1608."
Flipping through the pages of the book presents a kaleidoscope of colors to your eyes, each tradition represented by its signature hue. Finally, the page is flipped and the title glows with a deep orange and red flame See Through The Flame.
Kaht's eyes linger on the drawings. She has no skill in it herself, but loves carefully crafted illustrations -- truly an art to capture the world on vellum and parchment that way. "Your work is impressive," she says lightly, pretending she doesn't notice his briefly roving eyes. She takes the proffered book and pours over the page in question. The woman's green eyes reflect the glowing writing, and she smiles slightly as she flicks her gaze back to the orc, still holding the heavy book.
"What did you have in mind, Drot'ook?" she asks.
However, you also see the clockwork assassin. It's traveling through those same tunnels you escaped from all that time ago. Bits of fire and lava shoot out from random locations in the old halls, so you only see it some of the time. It is also injured, but its self repairing mechanisms seem to be active.
Kahtia works with Drot'ook in preparing his scrying spell, sitting with him as they light the fire, and as he chants the words of power from the tome he'd shown her earlier. When his eyes glaze and the woman can only see orange firelight reflecting in them, she smiles.
"He is seeing through the flames," she announces to the others. "What do you see, Drot? Tell us..."
When you're ready, you can sneak down the stairs and make your way back to the dragon. You'll have the initiative and you can prep any spells/potions/etc as you like. Just keep track of the duration.
"He is alive, running. He seems to be mending himself but I am uncertain as to where he is going. Away from the dragon, for now."
A network of cracks in the coals begins to glow and Drot seeks their other target.
"The drake is alone, tending to its wounds, which appear to be superficial. Unharmed for the most part..."
After looking around the fires in the surrounding area, Drot begins the the closing mantra of the spell. Suddenly the white coals turn to dust that rushes into the air and dissipates. The orc radiates an uncomfortable heat and his clothes are soaked with sweat.
"W- Water, please..."
Tesswyn casts oak skin and drinks another potion of fire resistance when they near the lower caverns. She keeps the talisman of the One-Eyed God in her grasp and nods her readiness.
Kahtia gives Drot'ook a skin to drink deeply from, then they make ready. She casts Arcane Armor; at the bottom of the steps, just before they begin their assault she intends to also cast Entropic Power.
Mouse does not have much to prepare, simply cleaning his firearm with an old rag. The automaton checks his supply of bullets and powder one last time, then prepares to delve into the caves once more.
The clockwork goes first, moving carefully to not attract the dragon's attention.
When they were just a few minutes away from the end of the stairs Charles paused and cast Divine Aid on the group. Right as the group was about to hit the room he casts Blessing.
When Charles casts his spells, Tesswyn invokes the One-Eyed God. Ravens briefly circle her head as her eye fills with stars and her beard spills down to her chest.
When they reach the dragon, she moves into the cave, spreading out away from Charles. She opens her mind's eye to the signs around her and fires an arrow at the dragon!
Using the magical energies she'd recently learned to harness, Kaht is able to cast Vigor on every member of the party. As Charles casts Blessing, she then Harnesses Magic again and follows it up with Entropic Power.
Brimming with sorcerous energy, the mage follows the group into the cave and begins the battle by moving away from the others, eastward, and summoning a shadowdrake, which she sends to battle the dragon!
After casting his preparation spells while approaching the entrance to the dragon's lair, Drot drew the crossbow that he was able to scavenge from the miners and forest men. He wasn't used to the finesse needed to wield anything like it, but he was sure he knew someone who was.
He steps into out into the open, growls a spell and fires at the dragon!
"MITTLERER SCHLAG!"
He then steps back behind whatever cover he can find to reload the crossbow!
As everyone quickly prepares for the upcoming fight, they sneak into the cave and unload a barrage of attacks!
Drot's crossbow bolt hits the dragon and deflects off the scales, bouncing off into the back of the cavern somewhere.
Kahtia brings forth a shadow monster.
Charles and Tesswyn both launch arrows into the beast, injuring it twice, while Mouse sneaks in further to get into an advantageous position.
The dragon roars at the assault; the loud reverberations shake your bones and nearly pop your eardrums. The pain is intense! You can feel the fear well up inside you, but Charles protection from the New God washes it away and you're able to stand strong in the presence of this frightening creature!
It pushes forward swimming through the river of lava and charges Tesswyn, having watched her fire the arrow!
Damage Counter
Dragon: 21
Tesswyn accepts the hit, dropping her bow and drawing sword and shield. "Thy wyrd hath come!" she pronounces, slicing at the dragon's belly.
"By the grace of the New God, I call forth your divine presence and act as your vessel, wielding your true power against the evils of this world!"
There was a flash as a brilliant blue light flowed around Charles, his eyes began to glow and a symbol of the ouroboros flared in the air around him before before shrinking down and glowing on his forehead.
"Come, dragon. You face the power of the New God now!"
XIII had not made a full recovery from the previous day, the dragon had nearly destroyed him and even now he could feel the lingering effects of the curse on him corroding his gears. When his tracking device began to signal that AA-03 was closing in he had to choose what he was going to do.
He had realized something though, a clarity had come over him in those stressful moments where his programming had been out-shifted by his thoughts in time. He found he was intrigued by AA-03, how did he get out of his programming? He had to know... but that dragon was going to be in his way. So he made a decision, he would have to help remove the threat to them all. Then maybe, maybe they would talk.
He cast his own spells, his thoughts free momentarily outside of his own programming and he readied his crossbow, aiming for the dragon as it rushed out from the lava pool.
Something was wrong with his internal systems and he could not make his arm fire in time before it jammed and the bolt skipped harmlessly off of the Dragons scales.
While the dragon was distracted, Mouse tried to land a sneaky shot into it's side, but the dragon's scales managed to absorb the shot. He caught a glimpse of the silver automaton, but was more focused on the raging behemoth before them.
The thought still niggled at the back of his mind though, and he subconsciously started searching for escape routes.
With the battle begun, with arrows flying and the dragon's maw snapping, Kahtia Yazra continues to head east in the cavern, hoping to avoid having the whole group of them be caught in a single blast of fire or wave of lava. Her book of shadow magic was still in her hands as her shadowdrake plunged towards the beast's head, trying to distract it, and then the redhead cast the spell again -- summoning a second magical drake! The creature took to the air immediately and joined its fellow -- and the battle.
A sinking feeling came over the orc as the group began their assault. While he loaded another bolt onto his crossbow he thought to himself, as he had done many times before, that he was getting too old to be fighting in these ridiculous battles. He deserved to live out his life in his library, with his books! He finished loading, but instead of letting loose at the dragon, he mumbled a spell in preparation for his next attack!
"Virtus; Augendae!"
Drot and Charles spend the round powering up - Drot with the power of study and knowledge, Charles with pure faith in the New God.
Mouse fires his gun, the explosive force concussing throughout the cavern.
Kahtia brings forth another denizen of the darkness, trying to distract the beast.
Suddenly, the other clockwork assassin appears out of the back tunnel! It loads up a crossbow and takes fire at the dragon! You may have an ally! Or is the dragon just a common threat?
The dragon, in turn, attacks Tesswyn - the only one who seems is capable of hurting it.
Dragon Counter: 30
Knowing they had only so much time, XIII ratched his internal gears into motion with a high pitched whirring and continued his own supporting assault against the dragon from afar.
Tesswyn winces in pain, but feels her injuries mending from Charles's injection. She attacks again, but even her insight isn't enough to land a good hit this time.
The overgrown reptile was proving to be a difficult target, as the automaton's bullet glanced off its hardened exterior. The loud crash of the machine's firearm was at least distracting the dragon.
The glow of his magic burns brighter than ever as it travels down his arm, empowering his crossbow bolt. He spots the other clockwork in the distance and his stomach sinks. He still had his escape card, but hoped he wouldn't need it again.
Kahtia commands her drakes to attack as she hurries to put away one grimoire while bringing out another -- this one a thick, musty book with a worn leather cover. It is filled with ancient rune magic, and she reads aloud from its pages, her eyes lighting with orange light as she entraps the wyrm in a glyphic prison. Floating runes form in the air, encircling the beast, a barrier between it and her fellows.
Everyone by Kahtia fires upon the dragon, dealing some considerable pain. Kahtia, meanwhile, summons up a magical cage to surround the dragon!
Feeling the pain from multiple angles and attacks, the beast roars and focuses on the assassin with the crossbow! He turns and leaves the cage, blasting through it and rushing the Android. It reaches it and attacks with tooth and claw!
Dragon counter: 86 (The dragon is now injured!)
It was strange to the Hunter coming to their aid. Though, Mouse thought grimly, his own body would be worthless to the company if it was melted to slag. Still, the foe before them was best overcome together.
The rogue automaton charged into melee at its brother's side, electricity sparking from its body.
Tesswyn's one eye sparkles as the injured dragon goes after the other clockwork. She switches back to her bow and fires two arrows into its back!
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"Nice shooting!" Kahtia shouts at Tess before summoning up a different spell, one the group has only seen her cast on one other occasion. "Hit it with everything you have!"
Weaving her battlemagic, Kahtia narrows her eyes at XIII -- perhaps if they defeat the dragon together some arrangement over Mouse can be struck. When she summons a legions' worth of flashing, spinning swords, she places it right through the middle of the dragon, but spares the clockwork that same fate. With the right placement, not only will the swords strike the serpent, but it will have to risk them again if it intends to come back towards the adventurers. Blood dribbles from the woman's freshly gashed thigh as a dagger flashes and she bolsters the spell with a casting of Entropic Power.
Meanwhile, the mage's two summoned shadow monsters continue to dive-bomb the monster, trying to gash it with their dark talons.
Charles moved after the dragon, even as it focused on the strange other automaton. He called forth Astrid's guidance even as he struck out at the monstrous entity.
"Astrid, guide my blade against this foul beast!" he was brimming with holy power but he called forth his direct holy power and with a blinding, ice blue light, he struck out.
As the Dragon rushed forward and its maw came down on AA-XIII, it activated its defensive measures.
"Evasive maneuvers advis-."
"SHIELD, NOW!" he shouted over his automated response. It did not stop the dragon's assault, but it did weaken its initial bite.
XIII moved in fast, striking at the rune scaled dragon as it chose him to attack.
The whirring gears continued to hum, their sounds getting louder as XIII continued his assault, there was a moment where things seemed to falter internally again...
... but it seemed to be a feint, as the gears jumped free instead he drove his spear past the dragon's defenses.
Ignoring his system diagnostic warnings and the danger of the beast in front of him, rather than removing himself from danger, XIII unleashed a last surprise assault as it found yet another opening with the dragon.
Finally something in the Clockworks body seems to catch and the gears ground together in a halting motion, several sparks shot out as XIII became suddenly still.
It had been a long time since Drot had seen this band of heroic misfits unleash their collective fury with such conviction. It reminded him that everything that had happened in their lives up to this point had to be fought for, with tooth and nail.
See the other clockwork stutter and stop, Drot subconsciously switched books, looking for a piece of information he knew he had seen in his Encyclopedia Scientia. Before finding what he was looking for he came across an old spell he had put together for Charles, to help with their search for their companions, immediately realizing its potential application to this encounter.
Pulling scrap material from his bag, crafted five makeshift ocular apparatus and commanded them all to life!
As the tiny eyes whir into motion towards the dragon, Drot barks out a quick warning to his allies.
"Cover your ears!"
Five painfully similar, high pitched tones range out as the little sentinels lazily flew to their posts and spotted the unauthorized dragon. With unnatural speed they B-Lined a path straight to the beast's center mass, striking it with a surprising amount of force.
Spells and swords clash together in an explosion of power.
When the dust settles, the dragon is dead with large chunks missing from its body; scales, flesh, and blood splattered around covering both you and th cavern.
The assassin android is immobile, stuck in a powered down position similar to what some may have seen Mouse do in the past.
Sinking to her knees, wincing at the sound of Drot'ook's shrieking constructs, the black-haired mage dismisses the wall of swords and her two shadowdrakes when she sees that the dragon is dead, and that the other clockwork, XIII, is unmoving.
"Is everyone... alright?" she calls out to the others, a bit breathless from the adrenaline still surging through her veins.
Tesswyn winces and recoils at the burst of cacophonous noise. The ringing in her ears drowns out all other noise.
"F#*+! More warning next time!" she shouts at Drot, though she can't hear his reply, if any. She moves over to confirm the dragon's death, then regards the immobile form of XIII. "What do we do about him?"