"What are you doin', Hm? While you're at it, who are you and what do you want?"
Awful replies with exasperated effort. He relights their campfire and positions the wood around it to help get it dry without the danger of catching fire itself.
"Actually, before you answer that, why don't you go ahead and leave first? Thanks."
Andras tries to split his attention between the boy and the crowd, and ends up making the situation worse for everyone. He stands tense ready for a fight with hands on weapons as he talks down to Jet. It makes for a strongly threatening pose. With the crowd already against him, he inadvertently makes it look he's ready to attack the boy. At the same time, his words, while intending to be genuine, fall short.
-------
Jet stood there, anger raging through the his entire being. His uncle just wouldn't listen! He never listens! He's always ordering him about, and when he's not ordering him he's ignoring him! Uncle has never just sat and talked, or played catch, or taught him how to fight, or anything! He just drags him from place to place and snaps at him and lectures about things being for his own good!
And he cut the one thing that gave Jet purpose, gave him meaning. He lost mom, he lost grandpa, he lost him home and his friends and everyone he'd ever known, only to be dragged from place to place by a man who barely said two words to him on any given day!
From Jet's perspective, his uncle, who just betrayed him, is now looming over him and talking down to him. His uncle stands tall, with weapons ready to be drawn, talking about how things are for his own good. Will his uncle cut him down? Jet had seen his uncle use those swords to great effect, slicing and killing monsters greater than he without breaking a sweat. His uncle was the greatest swordsman he'd ever seen. And here he was, hands on hilt, as if he was going to kill Jet if Jet didn't agree that breaking their unique and speciap home was somehow good for him. His own uncle, the monster.
--------
The man stood in the crowd watching the whole thing. A strange monster came raging through. Screams were everywhere. Screams of terror, of fright, of anger. One of them came from his own mouth, but he was barely aware of it. He's knees shook.
He had been living in his own little world for as long as he could remember. He doesn't even remember when he came to that strange realm where imagination altered reality, it had been so long ago. But as soon as he realized he could create a small pasture and home, he did so. And he'd been living a quiet peaceful life. Sometimes he'd imagine himself a wife. Sometimes they'd have a child. He'd keep it going until she grew old and died. And then he'd weep and live alone for a while until he wanted companionship again. And then he'd imagine himself a new wife. He'd been through many. So many. But none of it was really real. No matter how real it all felt, it was all just his imagination.
But something changed. His world collapsed. He was playing outside with his three children as his wife was bringing lemonade on a platter. Merric! Children! Come get some lemonade!" his wife called out, her smile brightening the world. Then, suddenly, the world started to disintegrate. It started with the grass; breaking apart and floating upwards. "Look, Daddy!" his daughter called out, giggling at a piece of floating grass as it faded into nothingness. Almost in slow motion, he heard the shatter of the lemonade pitcher as his wife dropped it. He turned to watch the platter bounce off the ground. His wife's shrill scream pierced the air, and he watched as she started to disintegrate. Her own flesh was peeling away and floating off into the air. And then his children started to scream as well, as they too peeled apart like whisps of burning paper floating into the wind. What was happening? Hai world, his wife, his children - they were all falling apart!
The next thing he knew, he woke up with a sharp pain in his back. And he was cold. Dreadfully cold. He hadn't been this cold since... well, he couldn't remember. The pain in his back was fighting for attention against the cold. A sharp rock was jutting up from the ground and poking into him. He rolled off the rock, only to bump into someone else laying on the rocky ground. He muttered out a half apology before realizing that there were people all around him. Everywhere he could see. Hundreds of them. All dresses in different clothing and styles, people of different disposition, different skin color, hair color, humans, elves, halfling, centaurs, and more! All of them on this strange rocky terrain, all waking up at the same time.
"Where are we?" a voice calls out.
"I think we're home." another says.
"Johnny? Johnny! Where are you! Johnny!" another voice calls out. No answers come back to the voice.
"Home? What do you mean?"
Merric knew. His wife was gone. His children gone. His world of comfort, where everything he could ever desire was gone. "That place," he said, "It's gone. It's over. We're... We're back. We got kicked out of heaven and we're back."
"Heaven?" a voice scoffs. "That place was a shit hole! I for one and glad to be back! Maybe me mum's still alive!"
Another voice starts a manic laugh, "I knew it! I f%##ing knew it! I knew if I didn't have to sacrifice to that stupid plataue I'd make my way back! F+#@ you, plataue!"
And then the screams started.
Merric turned to see what th commotion was about when he witnessed the most terrifying thing he'd ever seen in his life. A horrific half man half boar with glistening tusks, exuding an arua of fear was charging through the crowd. A high pitched scream involuntarily escaped from his own mouth as his bladder emptied into his pants. The monster was chasing a child. A child!
People braver than he were attacking it, but nothing could hurt it! Swords and clubs and maces were just bouncing off it it! And then, suddenly, the beast became a man. A human! And everything became so much worse.
He knew what this was. It was a memory from so long ago that he had forgotten even the memory existed. But somewhere in the back of his mind he'd known of cursed men. Men hated by the gods, men who'd done such a terrible thing that the Horned God himself had cursed them to live a wretched existence of half and half beast. A vile and wretched existence that was threat to everyone around.
"Shapeshifter! Skin Changer! Were Beast!" the voices coming from the crowd matched Metric's own thoughts. They were right.
And it was chasing the boy.
Merric knew he had to do something. He.. he wasn't a courageous man. He wasn't a fighter. But he was a father. He was a father a hundred times over. He had to save the boy.
-------------
Sir Gunther Piroux was a proud man. His back stood tall and his beard was properly groomed. His armor, shield, and sword were polished. He was the embodiment of all that was good and right.
For twenty years, he served the New God. He had joined as a lad, believing in Astrid's words about corruption. How the empire was falling to evil, how the kalasan religious were corrupt to their core. How the old gods turned their backs on man and gave nothing but curses and fear.
He saw her body. He was among the few who found Astrid after she had been ripped from limb to limb. He wasn't anything special. He was just apprenticing. But he was lucky enough to be an apprentice to someone who was influential within the religion and as such, he was a part of the search party for her.
It was obvious that Astrid had been betrayed. Whether it was the Kalasans or the Old Faith, they couldn't exactly say. They had enemies everywhere. But what was obvious were the wolf tracks and the teeth marks. And the stab wounds.
The next few weeks were a blur for young Gunther. Each of the master priests had different opinions as to what had happened to Astrid. Or the Martyr as she was beginning to be called. Master Karius thought it was the corrupted priests from Kalasan. Mistress Verona had her eyes set on the empire.
Gunther's own master had his own opinions, and that's how Gunther started his twenty year career hunting down werewolves and other cursed beings like them. He became famous within the cult, having earned titles and lands and respect from every priest to every acolyte. He was the embodiment of goodness, a man who's smile could warm the heart of any child, and who's steely gaze could draw fear from the most corrupted beast.
Gunther remembered the day he became trapped in the God-being. A Woad cult had ensared him. He was so close to eliminating their cursed existence. But those corrupted souls were clever. More clever than he. And they trapped him in a strange place where his mind could alter reality.
Over the centuries, Gunther learned to make nice with his neighbors; he taught what teachings of the New God that he knew, and created small practice worlds to keep up with his passion for hunting half-man beasts, be they wargs, minotaurs, or skinchangers. Of course, hunting in a world where your enemy is a creation of your imagination doesn't help sharpen the senses. You can never face anything truly new and learn from it.
He may have been a great hunter and hero from his past, and he still carried his silvered sword to fight the curse. But he was sure that he wasn't as sharp and quick as he used to be.
"But now," he thought with a smile on his face, "now I get to finally face a truly new challenge. And there's not just one. There's two." His grin widened.
"I have silver," he announced, as he drew his silvered sword.
-------------
It all happened at once. As soon as Andras turned to look at Hokey, Jet started backing away.
At the same time, Merric started running before he could even think. He was running toward the boy, aiming to grab him up and carry him as far from the monster as he could. Merric had made a split second decision to rescue the child, even if it meant his own life. He didn't even hear the words "There's a second one! Two skin changers!" For surely, if Merric had heard that there were two monsters, he would have been too cowardly to save the child.
At the same time Sir Gunther stepped forward, his silver sword thrusting towards the wereboar in its human disguise.
"Ooo, aren't you the fiesty one!" she teased. The young woman, perhaps no more than 14, was dressed as a tomboy. Loose fitting men's clothes cakes with dried mud adorned her kithe frame. She had short cropped brown hair with a cap covering most of it. "You boys look like yer fixin to leave this place. Well. Maybe I'm fixin to go with you."
Hokey takes a few faltering steps back as she is confronted with all the malice directed towards her from these yappy mongrels. But, either because she just slew a god or because this happened everywhere she went, she was no longer afraid, just irritated. The armored warrior suddenly rushes to attack Andras while she is momentarily gathering her wits.
Not after everything it's cost to keep these idiots safe up to this point! Hokey flares up, as her usual two mystical motes explode above her and she grabs her amulet.
Hokey barks out appointedly to command the crowd, while simultaneously covering Andras in several translucent barriers, as much a display of her power as to defend him from the warrior's sudden blow.
she continues to threaten the crowd, as her motes strobe menacingly and cast her face in mystifying shadows.
Hydrand turned to face the youth warily.
Is that... mischief, I sense? Surely a child of this size isn't capable of more, but... I don't know how old this one exactly is, or what her experience was in... in there.
"Well, we're fixin' something." Hydrand said, mimicking her with his deep and unsettlingly unnatural voice.
"I'm not sure going with us is exactly what you want. You don't know us, and I'm sure you don't want to be Taken Advantage of. You should wait somewhere Else for the rescue party that should be coming along soon enough."
Hydrand really leaned into the implication, in case the kid was dense. He'd seen bad things happen to young girls in a previous life.
If she has half a brain, she knows what some of those bad things are and will mosey right along.
"And don't make a habit of asking strangers for free shit, it usually doesn't end well. Now beat it!"
Awful barked at the kid, his tone a little too harsh for the situation. His demeanor and appearance were usually enough to keep normal folks away, this girl's audacity made him nervous.
He wanted to say a few things to Hydrand, to ask him where Andras and Hokey could be. He didn't want her to know that though...
BZZZ-T CShhhhhh...
Son of a f++~, would she leave already? And where, in all the hells, are Andras and Hokey? They've been gone too long. Damn it, man!
It'd be just our luck if she was with some shitty gang and is gathering info about us cause they want our shit. Those f~!!s.
Hydrand pauses, feeling Awful's voice pop into his head as if he was...
AH! Piloting the collider? We truly have been changed by that place...
but for the better. Hydrand thought towards the AH CommLink. He could pick up a familiar sort of resonance indicating he was able to communicate in return.
Excellent. One moment.
Hydrand looked out past the girl standing in the doorway, her diminutive size not doing much to block his view.
I'm not seeing any group out there at the moment, but depending on the size of the shitty gang, this could be just one feeler. Better if she wasn't allowed to return to report her reconnaissance.
Also, I'm noting that the turmoil in the Returned People seems to be centralizing now. Some hubbub down the way a bit. That should keep the attention away from here for now.
As Hydrand peered through the doorway, he was sure to include obstructive body language that could either be perceived as intentionally rude and/or fully dismissive of the girl's presence.
...
Wait, but she has to get back to wherever she came from or whoever might just come looking for her anyway. We just need her to know we're not the type of people you want to mess with.
The girl scoffs, "Hurt me? You boys look one heck of a lot nicer than other crowds I've seen. Sure as heck don't want to tangle with that skin changer and that knight out there fighting. I'd rather leave the island while I can."
From the distance, you hear a faint ...TOWER ARCANE...
Merric comes rushing in from the side and behind the strange woman claiming to be from some tower he'd never heard of. She seems powerful, and he doesn't want to mess with her. He runs to Jet and whisper-shouts to him, "With me boy, let's get out of here."
Sir Gunther was likewise already stepping forward, shield up and sowed flying towards his prey. But as soon as the second one announces she is from that accursed tower, he smiles. Perhaps it'll be a real challenge after all.
The sword slashes at the Skinchanger, and then the sword redirects towards Hokey! "The Tower Arcane is nothing but a bastion of corruption! Just like Eponymous!"
Round 2! Go!
Many in the crowd gasp at the mention of the tower arcane. "The tower arcana?" "I don't want to have anything to do with that!" But not everyone knows what it is. "What's the tower arcane?" "Aren't they those freak wizards from up north?"
Feeling the rush of wind at his back as the sword misses him, Andras springs into action, once again turning back into his bestial form.
He pounces at the knight, ripping the sword out of his hands, the silver burning at his skin.
Hokey, get this thing away from him, and more importantly, away from me! he growls.
He then takes a less aggressive stance, but remains wary.
I told you. I do not wish to hurt anybody. Leave me be. This is between me and my nephew. Leave here, and I will not follow you. Though I may look the more bestial of the two of us, I assure you, my compatriot is the one with the shorter temper.
He defiantly stares down the villagers and the knight, daring them to attack him again.
Hokey smoothly deflects away the warrior's extended blow that glanced off the barriers she summoned. Andras swiftly follows the opening to smack the sword out of the warrior's hand, which Hokey immediately picks up, in a rare and brilliant display of teamwork.
Hokey passes Andras the Salt bottle she pulled out, as she straightens up, whispering, "Drink it, just in case."
She intakes another strong breath while gracefully flourishing the shiny sword and then addresses the crowd.
Hokey looks at Gunther and says, "I don't know if you heard the boy, but he called my companion his uncle. This is a familial matter, kindly take a step back. Don't make me hurt you to stop you."
Quick as a whip, Andras slices with his claws and knocks the sword out of the Knight's hand. Hokey reaches in to grab it before Sir Gunther can recover the blade.
"FAITHFUL TO THE NEW GOD! AID ME!" Sir Gunther calls out in response.
"I shall aid you, noble knight!" a woman dressed in a white robes announces. She holds aloft an ouroboros, the symbol of the new god, and chants. Blinding light flashes from her and flies straight at Hokey.
Just as the spell is cast, a bolt appears in the priestess' chest. She gurgles up blood. Behind her, a man stands with a crossbow. "New God b*&&@." he spits, as she collapses to th floor, dead.
The crowd erupts. Everyone starts screaming, yelling, fighting, or running. People dressed in the colors of the Holy Kingdom beging attacking those dressed in the adornments of the Old Faith, or colors of the Empire. Factions begin to form as enemies across land and time wage war upon each other in the middle of this island.
Sir Gunther takes advantage of the ensuing chaos, swiping at Hokey to grab his sword back.
The sword is ripped from Hokey. "I'll take that, you tower wench," Sir Gunther sneers. "This isn't over, Skinchanger. Your alliance with the tower proves the Empire was behind Astrid's death. War is coming. Flee back to your emporer and tell him. The Holy Kingdom will be marching soon."
He turns and starts to walk away, leaving his back open for a free attack, if you choose to take it.
Chaos swirls around you. Everywhere people are fighting. Make an agility challenge roll or take 1d6 damage from an errand attack hitting you.
Seeing the man turn his back, Andras shifts back into human form.
With a hint of sympathy in his voice, he speaks.
Good Sir. I am sure your intentions are noble. But the emperor is dead, slain by the hands of his own Orcish entourage. And Astrid has been dead for hundreds of years. She is well beyond any revenge now. Does not The Codex of Truth, Astrid’s own writings, say that the son must not be punished for the sins of the father.
Andras pauses.
As hard as it may be to believe - I was raised with the teachings of Astrid and the New God. My mother was pious and devout. And I know that my form may seem as an abomination, but I have used it to protect my friends, and slay corrupt beings. In fact, it was us who freed everyone here, if you would believe that. I am learning to master the darkness. I do not want to be something to be feared.
A pleading tone enters his voice.
Please, Sir. If not for me, but for the sake of my nephew. I promised my sister to keep him safe. Please, help us get him off this island safely.
Andras looks around for Jet, trying to make sure that he’s accounted for and safe in all the commotion.
On hearing the familiar evocation, Hydrand puts a hand on the young girl's shoulder and gently pushes her to the side as he urgently steps forward for a better look at what's happening.
War is happening.
And my allies are out in it... But I can't leave our escape attempt here or we may never get off this island. We've got to get out of this powder keg before we become embroiled in it!
"Ok, well I can see I'm not going to convince you that we're more dangerous than that so you may as well step inside where it's safe.
Hydrand, with a hold on her shoulder still, pulls her with him as he retreats back into the house.
"It's getting to be pretty bad out there" he elucidates to Awful and Bertram. Then he turns to the girl and says, "What's your name? I can't just go about calling you 'girl', now, can I?"
Hydrand spoke in clipped facts so as not to give away the deception. He didn't know if this girl had friends or if she had any designs on stopping them from making the crossing, but she was already on a road to crossing he and his friends. That made her a target.
Keep your enemies close...
The knight ignores Andras' words and walks away, his sword and shield focused on rescuing New God cultists from the heathens within the crowd. "To me, faithful of Astrid! To me!" he calls out.
Meanwhile, Andras turns from him to scan the crowd for Jet. The boy isn't visible in the chaos of bodies fighting each other.
More to come....
Awful was frustrated, but this wasn't the worst situation they had been in. They just got done surviving that.
"Mother. F@~&. Well, you should probably go make sure they're not getting themselves killed... I guess. Bertram and I should be fine here. Not to mention, Brot'ook will be back with more wood any moment now, anyway."
He turns away and stokes the fire while giving Bertram a face.
"But if she's staying here, she stays in that corner, and I'm not gonna stop Brot if he's hungry and tries to eat her."
Andras scans the crowd, looking for any sign of his nephew.
Jet? Jet?
He calls out in vain, aware of the futility of being heard over the melee.
Hydrand looks to the girl and says, "Well, in the corner with you." and gives her a little shove.
Hydrand, a bit giddy at the link he now shared with Awful, starts walking toward the exit. His concern for Hokey, Andras and Jet growing as the sounds of battle grow with each step towards the door.
He looks toward the battle to see how it's going, and to see if there's any tell-tale signs of his friends being embroiled in it; to see if they needed his assistance after all.
After a thorough scan of the battle while walking a ways from the decrepit house, Hydrand notes when he's finally out of sight of it. He turns around and circles back to a spot where he has a clear view of the house and can get back quickly, but folks in the house would be unable to see him.
"Ma name's Kylie," she says as she moves to the corner indicated.
After a few minutes of watching Awful and Bertram work on the makeshift boat, she says, "You know, you doin that wrong."
As Hydrand moves outside, he doesn't see anyone that seems to be associated with her. Instead, what he sees is absolute chaos. Hundreds upon hundreds of people, all from different times and cultures - people who suddenly were forced out of whatever imagined "afterlife" they previously held - are fight amongst each other. Screams roar out. Blood is everywhere. Groups are starting to form as individuals recognize symbols and colors associated with religions or nations.
"There!" Andras calls out to Hokey, seeing Jet between a group of people just as the crowd opens up for a moment. He's hold hands with a middle aged man. They are perhaps 20 yards away.
Andras attempts to make his way through the riotous crowd, but people just get in his way, uncaring as to his plight. He grimaces through clenched teeth.
Come on... out of the way, you halfwits.
"What the- Why would you do that, you stupid...!" Hokey exclaims, reeling back from suddenly being blinded.
This is what I get for playing nice with these backwater mongrels.
Hokey can hear the crowd erupting into a frenzy around her, and tries to remain upright while waiting for her vision to recover.
"There!" Andras exclaims.
"Where is 'there?' I can't see! Argh, damn those cowardly Astrid savages. You try to be peaceful and they run with a parting blow, instead." Hokey says while slipping on her knuckledusters to continue to defend herself while she is blind, without hurting anyone.
"No interruptions!"
Awful barked.
"Go fix your own boat if you know how to."
Andras runs from the blind Hokey into the crowd, not catching up with Jet, but moving through the crowds enough to the point where Hokey can no longer easily see him when her vision returns.
Suddenly, a loud screech can be heard over the din of battle. A primal caw from something huge and a shadow passes over you. Up above, a gigantic bird flies - a roc - circling as if looking for meat.
Roll a d20. On a 1, the Roc targets you.
Make a Speed challenge roll to chase Jet. 1 bane if you don't have hooves. On a failure, treat the ground as hazardous terrain and move at half speed.
Make a Defense challenge roll. On a failure, take 1d6 damage from the crowd.
As you bicker inside with a young girl, you hear the screech of a giant avian creature coming from outside.
The crowd oppressively bears down on Andras, and despite his best efforts, he struggles to make progress. It’s like swimming in molasses. The only silver lining, was that none of the crowd seemed to have silver... so far.
Hokey slowly recovers her vision and could only make out the pandemonium the crowd was in all around her, at first. She couldn't see any signs of Andras or Jet and finds herself alone in a sea of strangers.
The usual plan, then. Get clear, get vision, get a plan.
Holding steadfastly to the wisdom she earned through her many adventures,
Hokey immediately dashes out of the crowd. She successfully escapes the crowd and runs as close as she can to the nearest vantage point. She turns back to see the crowd while catching her breath and spots a weird darkness flitting about.
What the hells is that? Seems too...oh shit, why is it always me? Hokey thinks with a sinking feeling, as she sees a giant Roc screeching and diving right towards her! She prepares to defend herself, even while scanning the area for some cover that could protect her from this new threat.
The screech of the Roc send everyone in a panicked run. Forgetting about their hatreds and animosities, people across the island start to seek shelter. The bird is larger than almost any creature you've ever seen; it rivals the dragon you onc crawled through in sheer enormosity.
The bird dives, aiming for a tasty morsel within the crowd. Hokey can only tell it's gunning for her because the giant shadow just keeps getting bigger as it blocks out the sun.
The Roc grab Hokey, sharp talons pressing into the faun, nearly crushing her. With the flex of its wings, it starts to ascend into the sky again.
Andras continues to try and chase after Jet, but the crowd just keeps pushing him back. When suddenly, the screech from above sends everyone running in a panic, trying to get away.
A huge ear splitting screech is heard from outside, quickly followed by screams of terror. Within moments, people come flooding into the building, seeking shelter from the terror above.
You can see the bird above, and as it screeches, the crowd stops fighting and starts running. With the crowd clearing away, you can finally see someone you know - Hokey. The giant bird comes flying down right on top of her and slams into her with it's talons.
It is perhaps 50 yards from where you stand. And it is absolutely massive.
As the crowd disperses, Andras finds a way through the throng. He looks up, seeing the giant bird attack Hokey.
Goddamn it. First Jet, then Hokey.
He yells after the boy.
Jet, we need that bow of yours to help Hokey. She’s in danger.
Knowing that Hokey had always been kind to his nephew, he hoped that Jet would see some sense and stop running.
Hydrand saw the rush of people heading towards the house.
Not on my watch.
He sprints to the entrance, arriving just as the crush of people hits the door.
Made it. Now to sto-
He didn't even have time to debate a solution before a veritable wall of anachronism plowed him through the doorway. He turns and digs his feet in, just barely stopping himself before he's crushed against the wall.
As the crowd settles, everyone huddles down and goes still. Hydrand follows suit, and then places a hand on the shoulder of someone nearby.
Someone who Hydrand perceives to be... weaker.
What is happening?
He asks them, keeping his hand on their shoulder.
The Roc's punch collides into Hokey, and she releases a glow of light as her body heals while being damaged. Hokey stands a bit stunned as the Roc's talons open and quickly surround her.
Hokey struggles against the talons closing in around her. She pulls out her pistol from an inner pocket and shoots at the ankle in front of her. She feels the unmistakable heft of a loaded gun.
Good thing I kept one more Plan B in my coat!
Hokey grimly fires her pistol, only to miss due to a tremor in her arm.
Gods damn it! I should've gotten more rest. is all Hokey can think before the talons around her close.
"What's going on?!? There's a giant f~&!ing bird out there!!!"
Andras finally finds some footing and manages to gain some traction on finding Jet! With the crowd clearing up, it's becoming easier, but the middle aged man and the young boy are headed towards a group of buildings; if they get there, Andras will lose them for sure!
A gun shot rings out across the island, loud and clear. Those outside instinctively look to see what's going on, and you see Hokey struggling to free herself from the talans of the largest bird you've ever seen.
Those inside will see the same if they step outside to see what's going on.
The giant bird's wings flap and a buffet of wind hits the ground, sending dust and debris flying everywhere. It's starting to lift off! Within mere moments the bird is already five yards off the ground, and then another five!
Andras frantically looks over his shoulder at the Roc, flying with Hokey in its talons.
I really hope the others can handle that… I’m sure Hokey would understand. She took a huge risk for Jet’s sake too.
He hurries along, trying to gain ground on Jet, grateful for his ungulate lower half allowing him extra purchase on the uneven ground beneath his feet.
Plus, I could use that bow…
Well, it's going to be pretty f+#!ing hard to boat out of here with that going on...
Hydrand stands and strides from the building to see what's going on.
Oh... that's not good.
Feeling the beginnings of rage, he begins marching steadily towards where the bird is lifting off the ground with Hokey.
Aw f*!#.
Was all Awful could think before the people came flooding into the building. He kicked hot ash from the fire at the horde to delay them a few moments. Picking up a well-lit stick from the fire he held it out in front of him and made his way through the crowd, toward Hydrand.
Emerging just behind his companion, he shouts.
"The Collider would be really convenient right about now! I guess we'll have to make due."
Hokey struggles to put away her gun and then focuses to draw out some magic to convince the Roc to let her go. Her golden mote surges in size and brilliance as she feels a faint connection to the magic she was trying to unleash. Suddenly, her mind feels like it's being pulled towards the silver mote and she screams as she feels herself splitting for an intense, everlasting second. She weakly tries to extend her Spell Guardian Defense for a little longer.
This is it; the last moment to finally catch Jet before he's gone for good! Andras has a chance for one last burst of speed.
Abandoning the wood to make a small raft, Hydrand, Awful, and Bertram rush out of the building to see a gigantic bird lifting Hokey off the ground. It's far, but they rush towards her to get as close as they can. (Assuming you're moving a total of 30 yards using move + Rush, you're now about 10 yards from it).
Hokey summons the energy to cast a powerful spell, but the energies needed to control it go wild and she loses control! The energies surge within her, causing a second tail to grow from her backside!
The bird flaps its giant wings once again, lifting higher into the sky! It is now 30 yards up! (This thing has a fly speed of 20!).
Andras summons a final reserve of energy, narrowly avoiding tripping on the rocks as he hurries to catch up with Jet. Arriving next to the boy, he speaks quickly, ignoring the man with him.
Jet! I know I’ve not been the best uncle, and I promise I’ll make it up to you, but right now Hokey is in danger, and she needs both of us to help. Do you still have that bow she gave you?
Hokey is lifted up to dizzying heights as the Roc effortlessly climbs up into the sky. She struggles to come up with a solution, when she recalled the spell she had given up when she resolved herself of her past. She tries to cast it, but fails and unleashes a dense wave of mana to explode out, concussing both herself and the Roc. She extends her protection as she tries to think up another solution.
Will I even make the drop, at this point?
Awful tries to catch up to Hydrand while fiddling with his parts bag.
"Well, I uh, have a bomb as an option, and ...Let's see here, umm... aaaaaaaaaand, one of these!"
Awful produces a Bolt Thrower from what was once a pile of old and worn parts. He places it on an adjacent rock, turns it slightly so it's aimed at the bird, cocks the mechanism, and lets it go.
The middle aged man is breathing hard; he's not used to running like this. But yes determined to save this child from that terrifying beast that is somehow intent on eating this young child.
When, unexpectedly, his foot steps wrong and he twists his ankle, sending him flying towards the ground. He hits hard. He rolls over onto his back, body screaming in pain. His breathing is hard and ragged and he feels like he's going to throw up. This is it. He's going to die. The monster will catch them and there's nothing he can do.
The snarling monster starts growling and grunting words (of course it can talk! It's a half man!) about bows and some hoke thing - he really isn't sure. It's hard to hear with the blood rushing through his ears and the heavy gasping for breath.
-------------
Jet looks angry and scared; when Andras calls for the bow, Jet looks down like he didn't even realize he had it. He screams, "Here! Take it!" and throws it at his uncle.
Hokey releases more uncontrolled magic into the air, causing everyone around her to become impaired. The Roc lurches down a solid ten yards, making Hokey's stomach twist into a knot from the sudden drop.
"Alright you big, ugly stupid piece of shit."
Hydrand cursed the Roc under his breath. He had half a dozen creative ideas for saving his favorite fractious faun from falling. He had another half dozen ideas..
...for what I'm going to do to this stupid f*$*ing BIRD...
He limbers his mace and snatches the bomb from Awful.
"...if it DOESN'T DROP MY FAUN."
Hydrand whips his arm in a wicked arc, easily throwing the bomb such that it strikes the Roc towards the skull and away from where Hokey is grabbed.
The Roc screeches at the explosion, squeezing Hokey in it's pain before letting her drop to the ground.
As soon as Hokey begins to fall, Bertram starts casting a spell, molding the earth beneath her into soft clay.
(Divided in half, and that's 12 damage total).
The Roc immediately begins to fly upwards and away, moving another 20 yards away from the group.
Awful's automatic bolt thrower launches a bolt, and it flies past the roc to land somewhere in the ocean.
Andras watches Hokey plummet to the ground, and turns back to Jet.
Well… turns out I didn’t need the bow after all. Come on, let’s go and see if Hokey’s ok. She’s been kind to both of us. Let’s go for her sake.
Andras shifts back to human form and extends his hand to Jet.
Please.
Seeing Jet stubbornly hold his ground, Andras sighs inwardly.
If not for my sake, for hers. Remember when we both worked to save her last time? What if she needs us again? She saved my life before and she did her best to get you out of that bargain with the weird god… thing.
Hydrand watches Hokey drop and marks the second in his mind.
Tick.
He watches as Bertram casts magic into the ground where she will arrive momentarily.
Tick.
He prepares himself to watch her die. Steeling himself and remaining firmly attuned to that moment...
Tick.
...three seconds ago.
Tick.
She hits the ground with more whumph than thud.
Tick.
Hydrand becomes very still, feeling time eddy about him as the moment comes.
Tick.
Oh thank the gods.
The wave of relief shudders through him. He releases his grasp on that previous moment like white knuckles easing their grip.
He steps toward her and places a hand on her shoulder to help her up.
The rest of the party will see her immediately disappear from view, eyes somehow unable to find her sitting in plain sight. If he'd not done it in front of them before, it might have been concerning.
"I've hidden you. Let me know if there's more I can do, I'd be happy to. I'm glad you're OK."
He states this to the open air, unable to be certain of her presence next to him. The gentleness in his words is somewhat disturbed by the unsettling nature of his voice. He hopes she sees through it.
All the while, his eyes are skyward, watching the roc's flight with scrutiny to be sure it's left for good.
Hokey slams into the mud below with a sickening Squelch, putting an abrupt end to her free fall. Her world is pain and she can't move, breathe or even perceive anything beyond the true void of that pain. But pain was good. Pain was precious time she still had to continue to desperately cling to this miserable life she led.
Hokey gasps for air, as she forces herself to Do something! She rides the surge of adrenaline that accompanied that panic to try to heal something, anything, right now. Her red gloves light up and release a warm, healing light that lingers on herself, Hydrand and Bertram.
Hokey feels every fiber of her being rejuvenated, as her body completely restores itself to its condition prior to this unfortunate Roc attack. The pain evaporates and is replaced with euphoria in its absence. And then the light dissipates around her and leaves behind the drab, dull world along with the din from the massive free-for-all happening a short distance away. Hokey rolls over and begins to laugh maniacally.
"Next time, I'm just gonna kill them all... Let's go back home, Hydrand. I'm tired of all this."
"Hah! Don't tempt me."
"Thanks, Hokey... Again. And again and again."
Hydrand turns towards Awful and Bertram.
"And thanks to you two. No way you're not tired of this place, too. Let's make like a dying god and change our surroundings, shall we?"
Hydrand looks between them and then scans the area for Andras.
...he should be here. Why isn't he? Don't tell me I have to...
"Urrgh! Has anyone seen Andras? Well? I didn't disappear him, he can't be that hard to find."
He starts marching, but stops and looks back towards where Hokey would be, hoping she'll confirm that she's with him.
I'd wager her disappearance will end any second now.
"If we're lucky, Andras's been horridly joined with Jet so he doesn't run off again...
"Go away! I hate you!" Jet raged back at Andras.
Panting heavily, the older man got up, and moved to position himself between Andras and Jet, "Hiding in human skin doesn't make you any less of a monster. Leave him alone. You've traumatized him enough."
Hokey somehow miraculously survives the fall. While hiding behind Hydrand's spell, she heals herself and the others around her.
Looking around, the Roc is moving on, away from the island. The simple meal it hoped to find here bites back too hard; there's sure to be better food elsewhere.