Val cocks an eyebrow. ”Wait...” she says tentatively, ”are you sealing me or sealing our truce? I wouldn’t mind sealing a truce with you but I got close enough to a couple of succubi to know better than to let beautiful strangers seal me...”
"I'm not a succubus, silly girl. Now come and kiss me," Sefina says with a giggle. "Do you not think I'm beautiful and kissable?"
”I do think you’re beautiful and kissable,” Val answers looking to her captains for any sign that they’d prefer fighting to kissing. When it doesn’t come she moves forwards toward their new ally, adding, ”I’ve just known too many beautiful, kissable women to think that makes kissing you safe, but I guess we’ll need to trust each other if we’re going to be neighbors, right?”
"Oh, but Lovely, a kiss worth anything is never safe," Sefina says with a lusty grin.
As Valeria approaches closer, she feels her attention being pulled entirely towards the naked woman.
Forcing her memories to that of the beautiful, white-haired woman waiting for her back on the Siren, Valeria keeps her wits about her as Sefina pulls her in close. Her wet, but very warm lips press against the slayers in a kiss much more heated then that of what she knows as 'Friendship'. Her heart races as the fey's tongue traces her lips teasingly. Val's thoughts cloud for a moment and she feels a tingle where the woman's lips touch her own.
Her wits come back to her and she steps back. The fey's hands trace along Val's arms as she moves away. "You kiss exceptionally," she says. "I think you'll make a wonderful friend. You'll have to bring your friend next time." She licks her lips. "The one that tastes of ... other."
Sefina steps back again, her feet dipping into the calm water.
"Are you planning on cleaning up the mess the pirates made?" she asks, her voice growing less sultry and more curious. "It would be nice to have regular friends nearby."
"Yes we are." Harmony says, now that Val is safely back on dry land. "Do you know anything that might help us?"
Polli tears her eyes away from the spectical, filling them only with the crimson beauty that her delights in being hers. "I am sorry." she tells her love softly "I had cousin the got a trunk unseen, that was filled with books he couldn't read, not that he tried. Polli would like them he decided, might shut her up for a bit, I was teenager at the time. Turns out one was... racy with pictures, Naughty Nautical Nights. There was a nerid in it, that looks identical... my teenage fantasies got the better of me for a moment, please forgive me."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"I know lots of things," Sefina says with a smile that suggests things unrelated to pirates. "Some might be helpful. Some might not."
She seems to be listening to Polli's whispered conversation as well. "There was a handsome fellow here about a hundred years ago that wanted to draw my picture," she calls out to the sylph. "He had to work to convince me, because the poses were all so lewd. He said that it was for a book of some sort or another." She giggles.
Turning back to Harmony, she resumes her conversation.
"I'll tell you everything I know. But there's a price," she says with a wink.
Polli freezes at the revelation, her eyes returning to succulent form who is taunting her so deliciously. The woman of her teenage fantasies made Real caused all the explictly detailed quite through encounters the young Polli Bogg had constructed coming back as she watched a bead of water travel slowly down hills and valleys.
The bright pink wizard turned back to her love with some effort and asked her even more quietly "save me"
Turning back to Harmony, she resumes her conversation.
"I'll tell you everything I know. But there's a price," she says with a wink.
"I'm not giving you the sylph." Harmony replies, as quick as a flash. "Name your price and we'll see what else we can arrange."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Donomsail grabs Polli's arm and forces her to turn her back on the Nereid. Then she takes her back into the woods to talk to her undisturbed. "Get a grip on yerself. Ah unnerstand ye havin' teengirl fantasies 'bout sexy whatevers Ah've been told they be quite common. But from how she be treated by us it seems tha real thing have some dangers tha fantasy one donna have. If'n ye like when we get back ta the ship Ah'll find a way ta transform mahself ta one o' those 'n' ye 'n' me will safely fulfill all o' those fantasies." Donomsail leans into Polli, pressing her body against Polli's reminding her of what is real, what is right in front of her, and what is already hers.
Sefina laughs lightheartedly. "Again, unless people are being rude or trying to take what doesn't belong to them, I prefer my partners interested and willing." She winks at Polli.
"But I was thinking more along the lines of a kiss from you." She thinks for a moment. "How about this ... I'll tell you what I know about the fort and if you feel it's worth it, then a kiss from you will be the payment."
Harmony looks at Tessa with a question in her mismatched eyes. Receiving an answer in Tessa's gaze she turns back to the Nereid. "You're very confident that your information is good." She says with a grin. "Let's hear it then."
Val backs a few feet away from the naked fairy, but not so far that she might risk having her mind clouded a second time should she have to move near again. She smiles with amusement as the scene of Polli’s awkward desire and the creature’s attempt to get a kiss from the captain plays out.
”What, my kiss wasn’t enough,” she asks the fey with mock indignation.
Polli's blue eyes widen, the lost desperation that was dancing wildly in them settles as her lips curve into a smile. "Yes I think that will help. I can teleport us back right now in fact."
"Come back with your friend and there might be more," Sefina says to Valeria before turning back to Harmony.
"Where shall I begin ...?" she ponders. "I could begin with the men that came long ago and built the fort. They didn't get along well with the cyclopes and so built the silly thing. It didn't help them and they left. The giants were more civilized back then, but not tremendously so. And that was a long time ago ... many, many mortal lifetimes worth."
She ponders again.
"More relevant to you, though, would be the pirates that arrived recently. They fixed up the fort and were using it to store slaves as pirates will." She giggles. "The leader, though, Bikendi, he was looking for something. Him and his apprentice, Ederleigh. Ederleigh was quite friendly." Her expression darkens a bit. "From what I understand, though, he had the misfortune to find what he was looking for and it belonged to the cyclopes. He took it and they came and took it back. So much for all the work the pirates did on the fort. As far as I know, the apprentice is the only one that survived and I think his mind is broken. He wanders sometimes, but never very far from the fort. And he doesn't visit me any more." Sefina pouts. "His master is still around, I think. Although in a different way."
She smiles at Harmony.
"If you plan to take control of the fort again, you're going to need to deal with Bikendi ... somehow. Maybe his apprentice Ederleigh can tell you more. If you repair his mind, that is."
The nereid licks her lips.
"So, was that worth a kiss?" she asks, the question already answered in her mind.
Harmony is forced to admit that, in all honesty, that information is absolutely worth a kiss...
"Stop me if I start being strange." She whispers in Tessa's ear and then steps into the water to grant Sefina her embrace.
The nereid's smile widens as Harmony approaches her.
Harmony's entire world narrows down to Sefina's wet and alluring form. Hands warm in spite of the seawater upon them reach up and cup the bard's cheeks as salty lips press against hers.
The kiss, initially is soft and questioning, but it quickly grows stronger as lips part and tongues probe gently. One of Sefina's hands moves behind Harmony's neck and the other trails down her throat, lightly brushing the skin and creating a tingling sensation as it travels further downwards to cup a breast.
A moment later, to Harmony's surprising dismay, the hand pulls away and the lips release her own. "I'm sorry," Sefina says with grin that implies that she's anything but. "I almost got carried away. But a kiss was the price asked and a kiss was what was paid. I will take no more."
She backs further into the calm water, her feet and legs vanishing into the clear blue. Harmony feels a strong urge to follow after her, but manages to fight it off.
"Feel free to come by anytime. I love new friends."
She glances over to where Polli and Donomsail are conversing at the edge of the trees. "And please let the red-skinned one know that I wouldn't keep her friend. I would return her unharmed. I'm not a monster."
'come back with your friend and there might be more'... the nerve of this b!tch... like it was so good that I'm just aching to get more, first of all, and second, like she was so good that I need to somehow earn more... please... she already admitted that I'm an exceptional kisser... although... it is kind of bad@ss to have that much confidence in your desirability, I guess... not bad@ss enough to get me coming back though, not for that anyways...
Val watches closely while the fey kisses the captain, mentally preparing to grab one of her cold iron arrows if intervention becomes necessary. When Harmony steps safely back, the slayer shrinks back down to her goblin scouting form and prepares to resume moving towards the fort.
Taking your leave of the nereid's grotto, you continue your forey back around the inside of the main bay to arrive at the fort again. You pause a couple of hundred yards out from it, but see no change from last time. Valeria takes a quick scouting trip, returning to inform you that she doesn't see any phase spiders around the main building. There are a couple sitting invisibly on the roof of the chapel, though.
"So, we want to draw them somewhere and then hopefully trap them with Dony's magic." Harmony says, drawing out the sketches of the plan. "Dony, if you cast it before they arrive then would it stop them coming in or just stop them getting out again? Whichever one traps them with us is the best option. We need to go in completely prepared this time. Make sure we're all ready before we go in."
"Ah have two spells. One kin keep one o' 'em here, best ta be used if'n we git one tryin' ta part itself from the rest. Ta other spell kin keep 'em on whichever side we wanna have 'em on. If'n they ta be killed ma wall o' ectoplasm will stop 'em from fleeein'. Tha down side ta tha spell bein' ye need ta be o' strong will ta git within ten feet o' it. But donna worry 'bout that, Ah have a spell ta help there too. All ye needs ta do is tell me where ta put the wall 'n' give me enough time ta cast two spells. " Donomsail looks at the group waiting to hear the information.
Tessa watches with an amused smirk as Harmony goes in for an exchange with the nereid. When she's done she asks Harmony with a teasing smile "Well, how was it? Should I be taking lessons"
"A good home does not have invisible spiders on roofs. Rooves? Roo-ooooooofs? Ever have that problem where a word doesn't sound right? Hmmm. Anyway. I'm ready, to go. Can you make me fast again? I love the feeling of that. Makes me feel like the wind!"
"Yes, tell me when we are starting our attack, and I will cast haste on everyone."
Tessa nods appreciatively, moving Wayfinder into her hand and getting ready to burst into action.
When everyone signals they are ready Donomsail walks up to those that are going to fight the spiders. "Gozreh, mah vriende 'staan op die punt om 'n paar vreesaanjaende dinge in die gesig te staar' en 'hulle het dalk hulp nodig om dit te doen. Gee hulle die vermoë om dapper te wees wanneer hulle te doen kry met diegene wat hul minder mense kan help."
Donomsail puts her blessing on Tessa, Marisan, and Valeria and then the group of ladies move through the fort's gate and into the inner courtyard. Valeria watches as two ethereal spiders quickly descend from the chapel's roof and start to approach, followed by two more from inside the building.
"Let's get them girls!" Harmony says, resting a hand on Marisan and Val's shoulders in turn, before giving Tessa a kiss. "She was good, but I'd rather kiss you any day." She whispers against the red-heads lips.
"So, what new song shall I sing of our triumph?" She asks with a grin, "Itsy bitsy spider?"
Once all other spells are cast on the group Donomsail starts casting one more spell. "Gozreh maak dit so dat hierdie nare agtpote freaks kan teruggaan na hul eie vliegtuig. Skep die muur sodat hulle hier by ons vasgevang kan word 'n' sodat niemand anders 'n' groot begeerte sal hê om hulle te help nie."
Polli casts haste.
Val switches to her four-armed form before they head into the fort, and readies her bow and swords. She moves with Tessa and Marisan, as they head in and quietly keeps her crew mates appraised of the spiders’ positions.
The spiders begin closing and you realize that they're readying to leap.
Combat Begins!
Round 1
Polli weaves her magic into Marisan, allowing their warrior queen to rise about the ground and dash through the air. Then when she gets the nod that they are all ready, she casts another spell to speed them all up in hopes will help end this battle quickly.
Just before the fight, Marisan flexes into an agile stance.
She moves towards the spiders and makes ready to punch one as it appears.
Tessa moves the same as Marisan does, standing ready for these invisible spiders to appear. She bounces on the balls of her feet in anticipation and says "C'mon! Let's do this!"
Harmony casts See Invisibility on herself before combat and readies a glitterdust for the moment the spiders enter the material plane.
sh!t... always charging, never learning...
"No," Val calls out as Tessa and Marisan abandon the casters, "Stay packed together so they can only bite a couple of us! If everyone gets poisoned again this is going to go exactly like last time!"
Shaking her head, the slayer positions herself between the spiders and the casters and readies her bow. "At least make sure you attack the same one... we need to focus our damage on a single spider and drop it as fast as we can."
Harmony readies a spell and Tessa, Valeria, and Marisan ready for the spiders' attack.
And attack they do. The four of them appear out of the air and the ladies strike before they manage to bite. Harmony's spell coats them all with shiny sparkles and only one manages to retain eyesight against the glittery assault. All three of the Sirens' attacks strike and one of the spiders falls before it even realizes what happened.
The three remaining spiders strike at Marisan, Valeria, and Polli. Only the one striking at Valeria can actually see its target, though, and her armor holds up against the venom-dripping fangs. The spiders then vanish back to the ethereal plane, leaving only Valeria and Harmony able to see them.
Marisan repeats the same tactic!
Donpmsail lets out a cry of frustration as she sees her spell not acting the way she expected. However she doesn't let that get to her as there are more important things to deal with right now. She raises her hands, fingers spread and bent crookedly as she starts to cast a spell. "Gozreh, slaan ons vyande met die manifestasie van u woede." With that three lightning bolts comes out of the clear sky and striking the spiders.
Harmony infuses Tessa with magic so that she can see the spiders coming.
Donomsail moves close to where the group is attacking the spiders and casts Ectoplasmic Wall. 'Gozreh, hou nou twee van die agtvoetige nare uit die geveg.' Aiming the spell to catch the two spiders that are close to each other so that they only have the single spider to deal with, for now.
Polli frowns as they are stuck in much the same place as last time, until one of theirs is gutted and quivering on the floor. Thinking it might not be time to throw up her wall yet, she instead readies a blast of force to knock one over.
Val calls out where there spiders are for those they can’t see them. She smiles when Dony catches two of them in her ghost sphere. Studying the one that can still see (and already attacked her) she shifts her position so that the next time it attacks her she’ll be flanking it with Marisan, and she prepares to stab it. ”Only one is free right now,” she reports, ”so everyone target it when it appears.”
Donomsail invokes a bubble of restless spirits, trapping two of the large spiders within its fearful embrace. Their screeches of fear and frustration are audible even outside it. Polli readies a spell for the single free spider.
Round 2
Harmony places an enchantment of vision on Polli allowing her to see the beasties and the remainder of the ladies prepare for the appearance of the attacking arachnid.
Unable to shake off the blindness of the glittery ... stuff, the single loose spider remains where it knows a target is available for it and reappears to ty to bite Marisan. It shifts to the material plane, only to fall to Polli's magical darts, Valeria's shortsword, Tessa's rapier, and Marisan's brutal feet.
Combat Ends!
Two dead phase spiders and two more trapped in a bubble of restless spirits. What shall the ladies do?
"Wow, great work, everyone; that went really well," Val remarks as the battle reaches a lull. "Should we try to break open the sphere before our other spells wear off? That would free them to pass through us, so we couldn't really control who they attack, but that's been working so far?"
Looking around, she adds, "Or, Tessa and Marisan could lay down and we could position the dead spiders like they were feeding... I'll turn little and hide behind one of them, and Captain Vi can make everyone else invisible... that way, when the sphere comes down they think they won and they come to the material plane to join the feast... then, we can lay into them with all our attacks while they're unprepared?"
"Simplest is probably best." Harmony offers. "Dony, can you bring the wall down? If we can time it right we should take out one spider before they can escape."
"I have a similar wall spell that could hold one of them while we deal with the other. Pure force. Not as beautiful as Dony's but it should hold it." but even as the words come out of the wizard's mouth, she frowns (harder), her eyes darting around the battlefield "No, that won't work. Nothing to anchor and contain." she shakes her head "I cannot wrap it into a bubble like Dony can, so that cannot work."
Instead, she gets ready to fire missiles of force all about.
Donomsail is unable to simply dismiss the wall of spiritual energy, so the Sirens resort to the expediency of removing it with physical force. It doesn't take much from the martially oriented ladies before the sphere collapses revealing the two remaining ethereal spiders.
At the sight of their two fallen sisters, the spiders abandon any attempt at ambushing you and scuttle at high speed towards the cyclopean tower in the southeast corner of the fort. In mere moments they vanish through the wall and out of sight.
"Come here!" Harmony calls, her voice laced with magic.