Eska launches another bolt at the remaining enemy.
Brax brings his battleaxe and shield up in a defensive stance to block the kobold's attack as he glances over at Arianna. "Duna matter who kills it jest as long as we kill it...quick!" he exclaims.
Arianna and Orion put down the remaining two kobolds, leaving the street ahead littered with corpses but free of threats - other than the blaze, of course.
The fire surges, and the dragon continues to circle overhead, surveying the raid from above. The road continues south towards the stream, or west directly towards the keep. Traveling through alleys between buildings might offer a more stealthy approach though Brax's horse may have trouble navigating the narrow path.
After the last of the kobolds is dead, Arianna turns and quickly goes through the house that they had been breaking into to see if there were any people who needed help getting to the keep.
Navarre nods to Arianna. She might have been a bit reckless in the fight, but her heart was in the right place.
"I'll stay out here and keep watch."
Arianna rushes into the home. The main floor has been thoroughly rummaged through, with chairs and tables are turned over in a heap and silverware and broken glass covering the floor. She doesn't find anyone on the main or upper floor.
Orion checks the corpses and retrieves half the used ammunition. He also finds the kobold who did manage to get inside the home has an opaque quartz with a dark brown wavy pattern in his pocket.
Brax follows Orion's lead in looking for spent bolts and manages to find a misfired bolt protruding from the wooden wall of a nearby structure. "Best be headin' fer th' keep as quick 's we can," he states. "If we be fightin' everethin' along th' way, best way's th' direct root. Oy, anyone in 'ere?" he calls out toward the house the raiders broke into, hoping that Arianna can hear him before he makes his way back to the wagon.
Arianna listens at the door for a moment before calling out and seeing if there's a response. If she doesn't get one, she'll kick the door in or wrench it open, which ever way makes more sense.
"Hello? Are .. are the lizards gone?" There's some rummaging from behind the door, and then the handle turns. Inside of the musty cold room are two children, a sandy-haired boy and a blue-eyed girl. The walls are lined with packages of dried meats. "Oh. You're different. But where's mommy?" The boy peeks past Arianna. "Is she okay?"
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Orion is on his knees, busily yanking a bolt that has buried itself feather-deep in the chest of a kobold. He works it back and forth, this way and that, but the barbed tip just grates against the ribcage of the fallen lizardfolk. Uttering curses of rage and impotence Orion gives it a MIGHTY yank, but instead of exiting the shaft breaks in two.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screams in anger and uselessness. He clutches the broken bolt in his hands until his knuckles turn white, fearing that he will die here and, worse, allow all the others to die because he will not be able to keep enough barbed tips in the air, and, after firing his last missile, will die screaming, helplessly stabbing with his too-small blades.
His reverie is interrupted with a small tap on the shoulder.
He thinks that words were said but he took no heed, instead his eyes fixate on the full quiver of bolts thrust in his direction by the warlock.
"Gratitude, Navarre," is all he is able to get past his hoarse throat as he takes the quiver and straps it to his belt.
Arianna's expression softens as she sees the two children come out. She gives them a smile as she kneels to look them in the eyes.
"The lizards are all gone. I tricked them, you see," she says as she weaves the image of the black dragon she'd used on the roof, but this time it was much smaller, tiny enough to fit in the girl's hands if it curled up. It flits above her own hands as she reassures them. "They thought a dragon had come to help and my friends and I slew them all. I did not see your mother, but I don't think it's safe here either. We have some other children, and their mother and father, with us. We can help you get to the keep. I think you'd be much safer there than here."
The children's eyes widen as the little dragon appears. They're entranced by the dragon as it flaps its tiny wings. "Whoaaaa... That's so cool! Come on, Frankie, let's go with the magical lady." The girl grabs the boy by the arm and drags him out.
A boy and girl come out the front door of the house, soon followed by Arianna. The kids run over to Linan's own, and Linan regards them with a mixed sense of relief and worry. "That's Frankie and Alicia. My kids play with them all the time. I take it their mother wasn't around..." Linan shoots Cuth a worried gaze. "She must be .. at the keep. Yes. That's the only place she could have gone. Shall we press on?"
The road continues south towards the stream, or west directly towards the keep. Traveling through alleys between buildings might offer a more stealthy approach though Brax's horse may have trouble navigating the narrow path.
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Gathering up whatever bolts he could find, Orion straightens and gazes over this part of town. "I say we strike west, straight at the keep.
Belike we might find more of this accursed cult, but I've no worries t' that. The more we kill, the fewer there are to run amok in the town...and the fewer we have to hunt down later.
If'n we strike south or north, sure we might make an attempt at being more cautious, but such a route takes us no closer to gettin' these barins t'safety, an' we might find ourselves in hot fights, and more of them, for our troubles.
Let's stay straight, and let our STEEL be our guide."
"Aye just cut right through them" Eska chimes in.
"Agreed, but we keep to the shadows as much as we can," Arianna says before turning her attention to Linan and Cuth.
"The house was being ransacked by the cultists, but they didn't get too far. I didn't see any signs of a struggle, but I didn't see their mother either. After we get to the keep, I can go looking, but... I wouldn't be too hopeful if she's not there, and I doubt she will be." she tells the guardswoman and her husband in a low, grim voice.
After a brief, hushed conversation, she turns and hustles ahead while trying her best to keep out of sight to learn what dangers lurk ahead. Her sword stays out, always ready to come up at the first hints of trouble.
'Shadows? Their kind fears the Chromatics and their minions too much. The hunter shows promise though...'
"You would...have us...STAY...to the shadows? There are more...of...YOUR...kind...hiding in...their homes...We should look...TO...gather...as many that...WE...can." he pauses weighing each of your worth in his gaze, "Let us...MOVE...to the keep...but we must...LET...the innocents know...they can find...safety...with us."
Navarre shakes his head.
"As much as I want to get as many as possible to safety, if we stop to search every building along the way we will be going much too slowly. Also, if we assemble a large group, it will attract too much attention. We cannot risk those we have found already in case we find others."
He thinks for a moment.
"Let us get these children to the keep, and then those that are willing can come back out to search for others."
Turning to Navarre Raakuzedu’lon’ros quickly retorts, "So you...WOULD...skulk to the keep?...What will...YOU...say when you...HEAR...the cries of...OTHER...children being slaughtered by...THOSE...that follow the flame wyrm?"
"If we hear cries along th' way, 'en we stop an' 'elp," Brax interjects as he climbs back up on the buckboard of the wagon. "'An we fight if any more ah them," he says, sweeping his hand toward the bodies of their fallen foes, "get inna way. But we have ta get to th' keep. We canna help anyone if we're dead, including 'em," as he looks back at the children. "An yer wounded," he speaks to Raakuze. He snaps the reins and urges the horse and wagon forward, albeit at a pace everyone can keep up with, in the direction of the keep.
Raakuzedu’lon’ros casts his gaze both at Navarre and Arianna, but finally nods as Orion and Brax add their opinions. "Very well." with that Raakuzedu’lon’ros climbs on the wagon and loads a bolt in crossbow, "I...WILL...live. Let us...LEAVE."
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"Someone has a stick up their arse," Arianna mutters to no one in particular before continuing on ahead to make sure the way is clear.
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Eska feels conflicted as she finds herself agreeing with Raakuze. Outvoted already she remains silent. She offers a noncommittal shrug to Arianna's comment "...Dragonslayers, am i right?"
Cuth frowns at Arianna's news, but Linan's expression only turns more sour. She hefts her borrowed sword. "If the raiders have made more orphans today, I will see to it that the limbs of any prisoners we take - when we take back the town - are removed. One at a time. And then I think I will leave the torso to bleed out." Cuth cringes, covering his kids' ears, but the guardswoman grunts and marches forward with the rest of the party.
...
With Arianna at the lead, the party continues forward towards the keep. Beyond a short road turning southwest are two quadrupedal dinosaur-like reptiles, with arched backs and long legs. Their heads extend on long necks from the upper middle of their front back. They slowly walk towards the keep, but turn back and look down sideroads, as if they're patrolling the area or looking for easy takings. Arianna spots the two creatures about 100 feet from her position. They have not yet noticed her.
Arianna just gives Linan a grim nod before she goes off. Personally, she would just let them bleed out and not even waste time with cutting off their limbs, but she also hadn't know the people these raiders had killed for years.
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Arianna turns to head back to the others to report what she's found, but freezes as she scuffs the sole of her boot on the cobbles and sends a small piece of rubble clacking down the road. Slowly, she turns her head to see if the roving beasts notice her in the shadows.
The two reptiles stop suddenly at the sound of movement, and lunge their heads back to survey the source of the sound... but the dragon above breathes fire onto a nearby farmstead at the same time, the explosion masking the sound of Arianna's fumble. The dragon-like dogs continue their patrol, and Arianna is able to get back to the party and report on what she saw.
"Two big lizardy things up ahead, they look like they're just movin' about looking for people like us. I could lead them away, but I'd have to get close for it to work," Arianna tells the others once she's back at the wagon.
Brax brings the wagon to a stop as Arianna returns and reports what she's seen. "Ere they draguns? Kobolds? What be we facin', lass?"
Arianna gives Brax a helpless shrug.
"Haven't any idea. Just they look mean and walk on all fours like a hound. They didn't have any handlers, but they got distracted by the dragon roasting something in the distance, which is just as well. they have good hearing and I thought I was going to be busy leading them on a merry chase for a moment when I wasn't as careful as I should've been."
"If they track by sound we definitely won't be able to get past them with a wagon."
He thinks for a moment, then shakes his head.
"As much as I would prefer to avoid fighting while we are escorting these folks, it might be the best option in this case. If you use the same sort of distraction that you did before, it has a rather short range. That means the two of you would have to split off for some time. That's high risk for you, and if we run into more foes in the meantime, we would be lacking two of our capable combatants, putting us at a disadvantage as well."
He sighs.
"We don't know how fast these things are, so it might be best to repeat what we did with the last group - soften them up from range while they close the gap."
"I do na use me noggin a 'ole lot, but if we canna sneak by, why na set a trap for them beasties? An if it goes ta hell, a least we still have th' advantage of where we fight 'em."
"If we...ARE...to do something...Then let...US...do it now." Raakuzedu’lon’ros' does nothing to hide his impatience. "Whatever...THESE...are they are abominations...created...BY...the chromatics." with that Raakuzedu’lon’ros draws his long blade and fits his shield on his left arm.
Grabbing his crossbow he hands it to the mother with his remaining bolts, "Use...IT...to protect...YOUR... young."
Eska tired of the group deliberations at each corner elects for the simplest method. "Com'on then a fight's a fight. Children or no children this here is our problem and we have the power to FIX it. No use scratching our heads about it! We'll lick our wounds when we get to the keep. It can't be much further. "
With no more words to spare for the group she slinks ahead in hopes of ambushing the patrol dogs
Raakuzedu’lon’ros slowly drags his leg trying with all his will to control his body as he follows the one called Arianna and the others.
'Dragon dogs? We will see.'
"Get back Dragonslayer you will know when you are needed!" Eska hisses at the clunky warrior and his not so stealthy attempt to follow those with lighter feet.
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"So much for trying to ambush them," Arianna mutters as she slinks off with Orion and hears Raakuze clanking along behind. Eska's movements are as quiet as she could have hoped for. Her own are whisper quiet as she approaches the post she'd first seen the strange creatures, but then...
Orion takes the lead, stealthily moving between buildings to gain a better position on the foes ahead. Raakuze passes his crossbow to Linan, who happily accepts it, and approaches with Brax and Navarre. Eska quietly weaves her way ahead. The dragon dogs turn and begin another patrol cycle of the alleyway...
But then... CHONK CHONK CHONK comes the overly armored and loud Calishite man stomping along "stealthily." Arianna nearly trips over his boot, but grabs hold of the wooden lining on a nearby building. The scorched panel comes loose and an awful tear fills the air as it rips off.
The dragon dogs turn and bark loudly at the would-be ambushers.
Brax passes the reins to Cuth. "Take good care o'er," he says as he hops down and unslings his axe. He slips up to one side of the building with Navarre and Linan. From somewhere on the other side of the building, he hears a commotion, followed by sounds of barking. But the latter noises sounded like no type of dog he'd ever heard bark.
"Looks like th' jig's up," he grumbles as he unslings his axe. "Let's 'it em while 're occupied." With that, Brax moves around the corner and down the side of the building.
Navarre swears under this breath at the 'stealthy' approach of the others. Peering around the corner he sees the two dragon-dog-things start up at the noise.
"Son of a... we're split up, so lets try to split them up too. Good dwarf, if you could try to intercept the beast that hopefully comes this way, lady Linan and I can strike it down from range."
With the element of surprise gone Eska moves in to engage her dagger ready.
Brax and Navarre both prepare to defend the party, one brandishing his axe while the other charges up an eldritch blast. Eska closes in on the dragon dogs, expecting them to come to her...
But instead, the dragon dog leans its head back, spreads its jaws and vomits up a globule of sizzling goo in an arc. The acid rains down on Eska's shoulder and eats away at her flesh.
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As the acid ball comes hurling at Eska she calls upon the power of bloodline to shield her from harm. Where the acid should burn away her flesh it is instead protected by blue scales.
She calls out antagonizing both of the drake-dogs
Arianna lets out an irritated sigh as the ambush plan goes out the window and she has to run to get closer to the others. She silently curses her carelessness for not having a bow for attacking from range as she passes Eska and ducks the flying globs of acid to get right up in the dragon-dogs' faces.