Jassminder narrows her eyes and sights at her target once again.
The Vixen leaps toward the ratling who threw the book at her. She closes in and kicks!
[dice=Kick]d20+8
[dice=Damage]d6+7The Vixen hates to pick on a smaller creature, but she really doesn't want it to get away. She mentally prepares herself to stomp the little rat-bastard's backside if he turns tail.
Saiya pokes the hapless ratling drawing a thin line of blood from it, but it still lives. Meanwhile the Vixen rearranges the face of the other visible ratling.
Miyuki continues to cause her nearest ratling to see stars, unable to act. And the ratling near Vixen suddenly feels very unlucky.
Saiya hears a snap of a tiny jaw as the invisible ratling appears beneath her.
Vixen’s ratling hops away and begins concentrating. Vixen sees an opportunity and lunges at the ratling, kicking it so hard that it flies off the shelf and falls on the floor dead.
The Vixen shifts a couple feet, aligning herself to charge to Saiya's rescue.
"Get away from her, ye s@#%!"
She makes a standing longjump to the shelf in front of her—
—then charges, attacking the yellow ratling with a flying kick!
Saiya yelps as the ratling suddenly appears beneath her, even though the snapping teeth don't actually make contact. "What the-" is all she manages to say before yelping again as the Vixen's leg comes perilously close to kicking her in the chest.
(Not that close, really. The Vixen is very good at what she does. But Saiya has a healthy respect for those stiletto heels.)
"Thanks." She turns back to her original target. "Let's get this over with." With a sudden leap, she jumps over the ratling's head so that she can get behind it.
Then she quickly twists around to try and stab it in the back.
Jassminder concentrates on hitting her target, this time.
The Vermilion Vixen stabs her stilettos straight through the ratling's spine killing the creature. As Saiya expertly jumps over the other tiny ratling and stabs left, it wobbles to the right; right into the path of Jassminder's arrow.
Miyuki casts acid splash and attack the closest enemy.
The ratling finally able to act again takes in the scene and lets out a high pitched scream. Her bifurcated tail worms it's way around her waist tightly and she says,
Vix unclenches her fists. It doesn't hinder her kicking in any way, but she hopes the gesture shows that she doesn't want to kill the little rat lady if she's going to stand there and scream.
She says nothing, trusting Saiya can speak the ratling's language.
Saiya's eyes flick to the Vixen, calculating. Personally she's inclined to just stab the damn thing; she had her chance and chose to attack them anyway. But killing something that's pretty obviously trying to surrender seems like a good way to get on the wrong side of those heels.
Idealists. I hate working with idealists. Saiya sighs. But we seem to have a good thing going, I don't want to mess that up. "She's trying to surrender. Any ideas for terms?"
While waiting for input from the group, she switches her gaze to the ratling.
Vix says, “For one thing, no more rats crawling up me skirt. That’s not a feeling I ever want to experience again.
“Besides that... information? I don’t care if she draws a map or hitches a ride in me purse and calls out directions to ye in Ratanian.”
Looking at the cowering ratling, and then at the corpse with the punctured spine, Vix adds, “I killed two of her friends. I gotta live with that. Living with that probably sucks for her even more. Yeah. Ye can tell her I said...” Her voice trails to momentary silence. “Or don’t tell her. ’Cause I don’t really... care.”
The ratling’s disturbingly human face looks in fear at the party and she squeaks,
Saiya's mouth twists as she feels an odd combination of disgust and pity. Okay. Maybe I wouldn't feel right about killing her now either. It's important to be honest with oneself about such things.
(She mentally strikes 'assassin' off her list of possible past occupations.)
The ratling continues to converse with Saiya in it’s twisted language,
"I actually do care," Vix almost inaudibly confesses.
The Ratanian conversation seems to be going well, so Vix just patiently waits for Saiya to work something out. She grabs a book from the shelf and opens to a random page.
Jassminder waits with an almost impassive patience as Saiya converses with the rat-thing. She keeps an arrow on her bowstring, but it's not pointed at anyone in particular; although something about her body language suggests that pointing could happen amazingly fast if it becomes necessary.
Vixen's book is titled Medicine and the Seven Deadly Sins. The passage she reads is "Envy and sorrow are aligned with the cold and dry melancholic humors. Devils might try to exploit the melancholic and must be guarded against ennui and anger of heart. The melancholic must also wrestle with envy." The book goes on to discuss how how the sins are associate with dryness and moisture and how regulating these will help someone balance their humors. The other texts cover psychological theories and treatments, medial practices, and local history. More than one text bears the stamp of Rozenport's Sincomakti School of Sciences.
The Vixen is curious about lust and moisture, but also considers that she may learn something useful about from just about any other book.
Saiya pinches the bridge of her nose. "She says she doesn't know anything, and I'm inclined to believe her. Apparently they used to live underground, but the earthquakes collapsed their dens and now they're looking for a new place to live. Her group was sent here to investigate by someone called Ratch. She hasn't been anywhere else and doesn't know anything about what's going on."
"I think I've gotten everything I can out of her. Any other questions I should ask, or should we just let her go?" Saiya considers. "I guess we could ask her to fetch this Ratch to see if he knows more, but she wouldn't have any reason to comply so it seems rather pointless."
Jassminder looks at her bow, and the very pointy arrow. "I can think of at least one reason for her to comply."
"Sure, she has a reason to say she'll comply. But there's no reason for her to actually come back after she scampers into those tunnels. Unless your arrows can curve through walls."
Vix says, "She's a reason to comply. They want a new home. Winter wants us to find a means o' getting her people out o' here. So, I figure the ratlings can claim the upcoming vacancy.
"...but we might not wanna promise 'em a new home until we're sure we can move Winter and the rest out."
The Vixen kneels before the ratling. She removes her mask, letting that tiny-woman-face-on-a-rat-body see into her emerald eyes.
"Ye got scared," she says in a gentle tone. "I get it, but we're not monsters, and I don't believe yer people are. Ratch's safe to talk to us. He can stay in the hole out of our reach if he doubts me word."
"Suppose that's fair. I still think she'll bolt as soon as she's given the chance, (I certainly would), but I'll ask." Saiya turns back to the ratling.
After a moment of waiting a ratling with a rat perched on his shoulder and a sour expression emerges from the hole. He speaks in common, "Gendy tells me you want to discuss a deal."
The Vixen replies, "It's nothing terribly complicated, Ratch. Ye want a new home; we're helping a human group to vacate the area. There's no reason for us to be enemies.
"The real enemy's out there somewhere." Vix points to the exit of the library that leads to unexplored territory. "Like we told Gendy, we're not out to hurt innocents. We mean to kill the real monsters—the sadistic creatures that torture anyone they get their hands on.
"If yer scouts happen to know what's beyond these doors, we'd appreciate the information. Anything ye tell us that'll help us clear the area o' danger, it's to yer benefit. The monsters out there don't see ratlings any different than humans.
"And for what it's worth, neither do I."
Saiya is extremely surprised to see Ratch actually come out and talk to them. Huh. Maybe Vix is a better judge of ratling nature than I thought.
Or maybe she's just too cynical. Either way, she's extremely grateful that this ratling speaks Common, so those better-suited to negotiations can do the talking.
The ratling shudders in fear, but not at the threat of potential violence from any of the party. He says, ”I know of the Enemy you speak. The Tatterman, the Every-All, the Final Dream. He’s haunted Briarstone Isle for a long, long time. Once he’s turned his malevolent eye on a victim he will hound their dreams until death. Many of the people here have died in their sleep, murdered by him. He once served the Briarstone Witch.” Ratch whispers while looking over his shoulder, ”and he is the herald of Him Who Is Not to be Named, the King in Yellow.”
"Oh. Him." The Vixen recalls her dream. "Night before last, he might've noticed: in me dreams, I'm beautiful and bad... but o' course I woke up before I could kill him. Or he me. Either way, I s'pose the only way to kill Tatterman's to fight him in the real world."
Gesturing to the library, she says, "If ye don't know what's outside, we might ask some of our people if they'd like to do some research. I trust they'll be safe? I mean to tell 'em about ye—that we talked—after a fight. Unless ye see things differently, I'd like to say we agreed our people're never to act as enemies, and this whole monster-free buildings yers once we get the others out.
"So, do ye agree to that?"
If not, the Vixen calmly listens, trying to see from the ratlings' perspective.
If he does agree, she goes on, "Unless ye can tell me anything about what's out there, I've only two other questions: shall I retrieve the bodies o' yer two men? And, is Gendy going to be all right?"
"Of course I agree to your terms. I have no choice. Leave those useless sods to rot for all I care. And don't worry about Gendy."
The Vixen doesn't care for this response. She finds it very unnerving.
"Can I see her then?" The Vixen is certain the Gendy is an innocent. This other rat... she would love to grab his tiny human face and twist it off his rat body. O'er a suspicion, she reminds herself.
She explains to Ratch, "As a show o' good faith, I'll bring Gendy to our priestess and see if she's willing to heal her. Those sods as ye called 'em died by me hands, but I see ye've no interest in honoring the dead. So instead let me prove me sincerity by aiding yer wounded."
Ye cannibalistic piece o' s$*~.
Or so the Vixen suspects, anyway.
"Oh. Him." The Vixen recalls her dream. "Night before last, he might've noticed: in me dreams, I'm beautiful and bad... but o' course I woke up before I could kill him. Or he me."
Jassminder shakes her head. "That's not true. He killed you in that dream. I was there. He killed me too. And then we woke up."
She considers for a few moments. "From what this thing's saying, we shouldn't have woken up afterwards. So maybe he's not all that powerful."
"One other thing: Who is the Briarstone Witch?"
She ignores Vixen's talk about taking the rat-thing to the healers. The thing tried to kill them. Letting it live is the reward, as far as she's concerned.
“I don’t recall dying in the shared dream,” Vix replies, “but I was talking about another dream, where he attacked me in me home turf—the City o’ Rooftopolis!
“He was trying to slit a redheaded woman’s throat, so I leaped from a second-story rooftop to kick him in the face. He had a razor knife o’ some kind, and...”
The Vixen remembers the Tatterman’s words.
“Hey, y’know what? Tatterman said the same thing. He was like, ‘no fair! I killed you,’ and I’m like ‘b#~~%#%@, cry me a river,’ only I woke up before I could retort so that a%!@*## got the last word in. At least I saved the redhead.
“I wonder if she was a Fake Me I made in my dream. Yeah. You must’ve seen a Fake Me die. It’s obviously a dream-warrior tactic I subconsciously developed in me sleep. If I can figure out how to do that willfully, maybe I can pull some real wizard-master s&@*, like an army o’ Fake Mes.”
Ratch shifts uncomfortably on his uncannily human feet and hands. Finally he says, ”Gendy out! They want to see you.” Gendy reemerges none the worse for the ware. Ratch says, ”You can take her if you must but I ask that you not.” Gendy is clearly terrified at the prospect. Vixen gets the sense that Ratch doesn’t intend to harm Gendy.
Ratch answers Jassminder, ”She was an ancient and powerful witch in Sarkoris according to legends. She’s used to frighten your children in stories but she was real.”
The Vixen relaxes. “No... ye’re right I best not. I don’t want to scare her.
“I was afraid when I asked if she’d be alright and ye said ‘don’t worry,’ ye meant like she wouldn’t be alright. And so I did worry.”
That’s the part of the truth she can safely tell.
“I trust ye’ve a means to help her recuperate. We’ll give ye a knock once we clear out the rest of the humans.”
Unless the others have something to say to Ratch, Vix is ready to move on.
"Thank you for cooperating, Ratch." Saiya considers saying something like, 'sorry I helped kill two of your people', but...she's really not. "We'll let you know once we've found our way out. Maybe it'll be a bit safer for you then."
She spends a few seconds looking longingly at the books, but now isn't the time for research. "What do you say we check out the rest of the rooms off the entrance hall? There was one right next to the library, as I recall."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The Vixen simply nods.
It's not until she's sure the ratlings are out of earshot that she says to Saiya, "Thanks."
She doesn't say what for. And what she does say is spoken without Vix's usual air of confidence.
"I've few memories o' the s$~+hole I'm from. But what I remember vividly're the barbarian men. Huge. Muscular. Their immense physical strength solitary in purpose: to crush the weak.
"I know—just now, with the ratlings—it was self-defense, but... killing tiny people. I could've kicked with the instep instead o' me heel. Me attack would've been nearly as effective, but survivable. I chose to kill 'em."
Saiya won't pretend she shares the Vixen's attack of conscience, but she can try to be supportive. Right?
"Being small doesn't make something less dangerous. The ratlings weren't physically strong, no, but they didn't need to be. They had magic for that. Considerably more potent than anything we had on our side; I certainly can't go invisible or teleport at will. Imagine some of Winter's people had made their way into the library instead of us. They would have died."
Her odd yellow eyes flicker towards the Vixen. "The ratlings made their choice. Several times over. They didn't have to attack us; I was practically begging them not to. Even if they didn't trust us, they could have just left. We couldn't have followed them into those tunnels. After the fight began, they still could have turned invisible and fled once they realized we weren't going to be easy prey. Or surrendered, like Gendy did. They didn't." She hesitates, then awkwardly reaches out to pat the Vixen on the shoulder. "They planned to kill us. If you'd attacked nonlethally, they might have succeeded. So...thanks. For attacking with the heel."
The Vixen's eyes are welling under that mask. But not from remorse. She doesn't really know what soft spot Saiya touched. An overly-sensitive shoulder would be as plausible an explanation as any.
"Ye're right, Saiya. They were the barbarians. Not me." Not wanting to be a sobbing fool, she makes it a point to say little else but what she feels should be acknowledged aloud: "I really needed to hear that."
When Saiya tries the door immediately outside of the library she finds that something on the other side is blocking it from opening.
"Allow me to—"
The Vixen kicks the door, but...
"—f!*&!"
Embarrassed, the Vixen checks the bottom of her show.
"Uh, must have bits o' ratling intestine coiled round me heel. Maybe one o' ye can try knocking first?"
Saiya actually has to stifle a slight giggle behind her hand at the Vixen's embarrassed look. "I think you just did. Knock I mean. If anyone's there, they would have heard that."
Vix kicks again.
Swears again.
Then she whips around, making a back much with her left heel.
She grins she n satisfaction at the splintering mess, and when the dust settles, she invites someone far more observant to take a peek.
Saiya tentatively pokes her head through the door. Despite her brief amusement at seeing the Vixen foiled by a door, she is aware that anyone in there likely didn't want to be disturbed. If they did, they would have opened the door themselves. Hopefully there aren't more trigger-happy people with crossbows on the other side.
"Hello? Anyone in there? We don't want trouble, we're just looking for answers."
The Vixen grins. "Glad ye found that entertaining, Saiya. Though, much as I like seeing ye smile, I'm even more glad that didn't happen during the prison break."
She waits patiently for something or someone to emerge from the shadows... and does so from a position of partial cover.
A long desk, several chairs, a sideboard, and numerous once-stately landscape paintings once barricaded the door of this somber conference room. A toppled wall opposite the barrier undermines the room’s defenses, a point driven home by the masked bodies littering the ground. Six bodies in total lie in this room, they are battered and bruised as if they were beaten with a variety of blunt instruments. All of the corpses have had their faces wrapped in sheets, shirts, or grain bags and cinched tight around the neck.
Saiya finds no traps but does see something in one of the pockets of the corpses that is reflecting the light and sparkling.
Jassminder endures the conversation between the redhead and the fetchling, although most of it goes over her head. Concepts such as regret don't have much place in her worldview. Her memories are still shot nine different ways to Starday, but she's reasonably sure she has killed before - a lot. Certainly enough that she isn't squeamish. The fight is over, they won, so keep moving forward.
Her bow still to hand, she carefully looks around. "Mind the bodies. The last one wasn't as dead as we thought." She covers Saiya if the investigator goes to examine the corpses.
Saiya blinks at the condition of the bodies. "Um. That doesn't look like the doing of a ghoul. Or a doppelganger. They were...strangled to death? By whom? Why?"
She realizes that asking such questions is rather pointless, as it's not like the dead are going to answer them. "On the bright side, if they aren't actually dead, at least they're blindfolded." She approaches the corpses slowly, ready to jump back if any of them start moving. Assuming none of them do, she searches them, making sure she grabs the sparkling object she'd noticed from the door.