The group walks in silence through the jungle for one hour... two... The buzzing of the mosquitoes fill your ears as the insects swarm around you. The buzzing is about to drive you mad when it suddenly stops. Shivers stops the group and seems to listen.
Then a thundering buzzing noise starts to grow from behind you!
"RUN!"
VV’s magically-enhanced strength may be suppressed, but her muscular legs allow her to sprint even with a woman in her arms. Being able to rescue is what she trained for.
With magic strength and magic growth, she could carry them all. But in her normal strength, she can only have one person in her arms. One woman, but *two* lives. There isn’t a chance the Vixen will let her pregnant friend fall.
“For the baby!” She scoops Martha and bolts!
You easily scoop up Martha and begin to sprint away from the buzzing storm! She clutches onto you, looking over your shoulder in fear!
Shivers also begins to sprint but he seems weighed down by his bag! And the Madam's old bones can only take her so fast!
Glancing farther back you see the swarm of Mosquitoes, Giant and small alike, but you seem to be faster than them for now!
Up ahead a large fallen tree blocks your path, mushrooms and mold growing upon it. Now you could go around it, or attempt to jump over it to save some precious time!
Addy fears for the others, but with two lives in her arms, she can’t stop!
She makes a quick assessment of the obstacle before her. If jumping it is feasible, she does so. She mentally prepares herself for the possibility of more obstacles behind, or even an obscured pit!
Thus—
—she springs upward for height!
—and if there is anything to clear, she will use her momentum to spring forward (or at the safest angle possible)!
—and she does her best to keep her footing upon landing!
The Vixen leaps over the log with heroic ease and easily sticks the landing!
As buzzing continues to grow you see a small clearing up ahead, with large red flowers growing bountifully in side. You think you hear Shivers shout something, but you can't be sure over the buzz...
Now, one could go around the field of flowers, but it might take a tad bit to long!
VV makes a slight detour, angling to her left. She glances back, then uses her Mockingbird talent to call to Shivers: “Through red flowers or around? Point the way!”
She asks Martha to watch to see (1) which way Shivers points, if at all, and (2) how he and Zulu are doing.
If she gets an answer from Shivers, that will determine which way she carries Martha.
She has another thought about how to throw off the mosquitos, but isn’t sure it will work…
Martha stammers "Um.. ah, he's pointing at the flowers! A-and hes f-fine b-but Madam Zulu is falling behind!"
Following Shiver's instructions, you run through the flowers, knocking pollen up in the air! Shivers close behind, does the same, and so does Zulu, although the swarm is on her heels!
As the swarm moves through the patch of flowers some of them start to veer or drop! Other fly above or around, slightly slowing them down. You have no idea what kind of flowers they are but you thank the gods they exists!
If the mosquitoes seem incapable of following, VV asks Martha, “Can ye move on yer own? I won’t endanger yer baby, but Zulu might need me.”
If Martha can handle herself, VV will slow her pace and set Martha on her feet. She’ll then double back, tumbling through the red flowers to ensure her body is sufficiently covered in pollen.
If there’s a better way to save Zulu, it’s one that doesn’t involve putting Martha down.
Vix throws her voice, projecting a grandfatherly voice with an accent like Zulu’s. “Faster, Zulu!” The masculine voice scolds. “Mere vermin cannot defeat a Rainsford! To the flowers, girl!”
Zulu understands this to be a vote of confidence—even if she knows damn well that voice isn’t really her grandfather’s!
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Madam Zulu's eyes widen as the voice reaches her ears, and she makes a wild jump for the flower!!!!
The purple robed body flies through the air crashing in the flowers, pollen coating her, before she scrambles up and continues to run!
"J-just a l-little farther!" Shivers yells as he clatters across the clearing!
The Vixen slows down slightly. As long as the mosquitoes aren’t catching up, she wants the others to feel they’re not being abandoned.
“Where to, Shivers? And is there a place with a door?”
"N-not exactly! Master Splorer was worried about these things, so he made it t-that t-they can't l-leave the jungle biome!" He yells ahead!
And as soon as he finishes you see the border up ahead! But... theirs a river in your way! You could probably jump across with ease, but the others might not be able too!
The Vixen calls back, “I can get Martha across that river easy enough—by jumping o’er, not swimming! Any reason to worry about what’s in the river itself? The skeeters can’t swim, but this loony place probably has piranhas!”
"Possibly! Master Henry always talked about adding a river monster!" Shivers yells, almost tripping!
The Vixen yells back, “If ye can’t make the jump, run alongside and I’ll come back o’er for ye!”
VV gets Martha across…
And if her pregnant friend is safe, she leaps back for Zulu and Shivers!
Even if the swarm is closing in, VV chances one more round trip!
The Vixen leaps across the river, carrying the others across without even breaking a sweat!
Martha lets out a small whimper as you bring her across, while Shiver's backpack almost comes off when you take him! Both begin to run as you drop them off. The bloodsucking swarm almost get Zulu right before you grab her and leap across!
Now that your all on the other side, you see the stone border of biome and you all make a run for it!
The group stands on the other side of the border, tired and sweating, now among the tall grass of the savanna. The swarm of mosquitoes stop short of the border, there wings buzzing heavily.
The tall yellow grass surrounds you, and the sun seems to shine a little brighter here!
The Vixen checks on her little group. “I suggest we walk a bit, and enjoy some o’ that jerky.” She almost adds ‘before a lion jumps at us,’ but decides not to. “How’re ye holding up?”
Martha is breathing heavily and holding herself, but she nods and says, "I think I can hold out."
The madam's face is both pale and bright red! "I will be better once we are able to leave!" she growls, gnashing her teeth.
Shivers is... well, shivering, but he nods and take out some jerky. "W-we should be a l-little safer here... T-the last animals t-that Master Henry stocked h-here were some lions... but t-their docile..."
VV remembers the lion from her childhood.
“That’s how I recollect lions are. Well… best we avoid ’em just the same, Shivers. Lemme know which way’s best.”
If Shivers has no opinion, VV assumes perpendicular to the border will do.
Shiver's wipes his forehead and points off in the distance,
"Well, w-we would j-just have to g-go straight ahead... I suppose..."
With that to go off of, you continue your journey!
VV supports Martha by offering her arm, or anything else she needs.
She tries to keep morale up by asking about Zulu’s grandfather. “Did he find lions docile? Or yerself, for that matter, Madame Zulu. Any means o’ taming a wild predator? And does the dampener hider yer ability?”
The madam raises a gray brow as she shuffles through the grass.
"I cannot say if my grandfather was familiar with lions. I am certainly not. Animals are not my forte..."
She frowns at your last question.
"I do not know. It may, but I can not be sure... You see, the spirits are fickle, and they choose wither to curse and grace me with visions. I have no control over them, you understand?"
VV replies, “We best keep a steady pace toward shelter or a boat. Whichever’s closest.”
Everyone solemnly nods, and you continue your trek.
You walk for what seems like hours, nothing but golden grass in your view. Just when you think you MUST be going in circles, you see a lone tree in the distance! With a seeable destination in sight, the groups pace quickens!
You arrive at the tree, and Zulu and Martha sit for a moment in the shade, and Shivers is able to set down his heavy pack.
"It sh-shouldn't be much farther... he mumbles.
As you wait for the others to catch their breath, you look around, then behind you...
It's hard to tell, because of the tall, waving grass, but you think you can see somthing coming from the way you came...
The Vixen isn’t terribly observant. She asks the others (quietly), “Who or what do ye s’pose that is?”
You gaze out, and Shivers does the same... Certainly, there is something coming... whatever it is, its large, and shiny!
"I... I c-couldn't say..." Shivers mumbles.
VV notes the rate of the large shiny thing’s approach.
“If we can’t outrun it, we best make a stand.”
If Shivers, Zulu and pregnant Martha know how to use guns, they might want to lock and load. The Vixen trusts the others to divvy any weapons amongst themselves.
Martha carries the most innocent life in her womb, VV reminds herself.
Shivers mutters...
"What if it's good?"
but that idea seems to be shot down as the running thing lets out a primal roar!
Shiver's immediately dives for the pack and pulls out a few firearms! He grabs one and so does Martha, though she seems to want to bolt than fight. Besides her fear through, she shakily loads the gun. The madam gets a tighter grip on her club and grabs a knife, a look of determination on her face.
"If I die I'm haunting you..." she deadpans.
As the thing comes closer it becomes obvious that it is...
Buckley, the monstrous butler, in his full battle gear, and running forwards quickly, changing between sprinting like a human and running on his knuckles like an ape!
Perhaps you can take the first move while he's charging?
The Vixen decides to time her attack so she can unleash her trippy kick combo on her foe!
With a barrage of kicks you send the butler tumbling head over heels, his massive frame flatting the grass!
With a roar of defiance, he leaps up with surprising speed, and brings down his fists!
Martha shrieks at the beast's roar, but fires all the same!
Her shot misses, whizzing past harmlessly!
Shivers, the shaking fool, drops his ammo while trying to reload, while the madam stands ready to strike, but keeping away from the savage servant for now!
Holy crap!
The Vixen is surprised at how fast the big guy rose up! On the upside, it sets him up to be tripped again!
She unleashes another barrage of nonlethal kicks!
The beast stumbles back at each kick, and falls back with a hard crash! The beats roars in a mixture of pain and anger and kicks up back to his feet, his fur billowing up and down!
He runs at you lifting his fists into the air!
Martha yelps as your struck by the beast, and falls backwards in fear!
Shivers raises his rifle and fires!
The bullet tinks against the armor uselessly!
Madam Zulu continues to keep he distance, her face unmoving as she watches.
The Vixen can’t really take much more of a beating, but then, is that really a shock.
“Time to sleep, ye big lug.”
The Vixen’s tired attack flails a bit. She watches the big guy, wondering if he’s going to get up and clobber her some more...!
Even tired, you manage to land some hard hits, causing the beast to stumble back! He tumbles over, his helmet becoming loose and rolling away!
The shaggy butler puts his hands in a position to push him self up, but his arms are shaking. He bares his teeth and growls, but his strength fails and he falls back, unconscious!
The Vixen pats the big guy on the head. “Sleep it off,” she says gently. She doesn’t bother tying him up. He’d break loose if she used chains. A rope might as well be a string.
She instead picks up the helmet that rolled off. “Any chance he was being controlled? I mean, I’m not gonna kill him regardless, but there’s a gentleness about him. I think.
“Not lost on me that I took a few blows to the head.”
Shivers wrings his sweaty hands together.
"I w-wouldn't c-call him gentle but he's usually n-not this violent..."
You take a glance inside the helmet and see nothing. No magic gem or odd wires. If he was being controlled it wasn't via the helmet, at the very least.
"What ever happened lets hope thats the last trick she has up her sleeve..." the madam mutters.
The Vixen seems puzzled by the lack of evidence, aside from Shivers’ word that the big guy really is, normally, a gentle giant.
“Maybe Amp lies and said it’s ya who did in Uncle Henry. Well, with me powers dampened, I can’t move him.”
It then dawns on the Vixen.
“Does the helm help me resist the power dampener?” She picks it up, but asks Shivers to try on the helm first. She doesn’t explain that she wants to make sure donning the helm doesn’t put him in Amp’s control.
If it proves harmless (after much stalling: “Ye feel anything? Nothing? Ye sure? Oh, right. Ye don’t have super powers, do ye? Heh. Me bad. Lemme give it a go then…”), the Vixen then tries the helmet on. The first thing she does is try reaching her fairy via their magical bond. And then there’s her uncanny ability to lift a giant. If the helm does nothing for her superpowers, she takes it off.