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<div></div><br> <br>The badlands aren't so bad, really. They are just miles and miles of grassy nowhere between the forest and the quarry with nothing on it but sheep and other grazing creatures and the hardy beings who tend them. One such being is a coyote standing at the edge of the carved quarry and looking around nervously.<br> <br>Shira makes her way through the grassy boringness of the badlands, till she arrives at the described meeting spot. She looks up at the coyote and gives a little wave into their direction. "Hello! You are the one those ranchers who were looking for some mercenaries, I assume? Shira Runebreaker. What can I do for you and how would you like it done?"<br> <br>Cassidy is passing the time til others arrive counting arrows and preening herself, brushing dust from her coat with a gloved hand. Shira's arrival gets a nod of greeting before she adjusts her bow tie and straightens up, unslinging her bow.<br> <br>Peter romps through the peaceful, grassy bliss of the grassland, pissing off a few of the shepherds as his clanking armor scares the livestock while he runs by. "Peter Pitkin!" he introduces himself as he finally finds the other mercenaries waiting. "Howd'y'do."<br> <br>Zuri arrives fashionably late. The small salamander is tugging his outfit into place following the blistering sprint up the path to catch up to the others. Pastry crumbs on his leather armor and a smudge of raspberry filling on his sleeve serve as clear indicators of what he was doing to be late. He pats the crumbs away as he joins the group, smiling brightly. "Hi everyone! Hope I'm not too late to catch the bad things." He's carrying a bow and quiver slung around his back, as well as his usual two blades safely sheathed in their twin scabbard. He smiles even brighter on seeing Cassidy. "Hi Miss Cassidy! Long time no see!"<br> <br>The coyote fidgets a little, eyeing the dark canyon warily. "We don't know much," he confesses, "Just that it keeps taking animals. It started out just taking a little sheep here, a goat there. But it has gotten worse. Cows, purple bison, and this latest one was one of the big burdenbeasts. Not even the biggest sandcats can take one of those beasties. But whatever has been taking the critter. . . well, it didn't have too much trouble." He nods down the narrow canyon, "we tracked it this far, but we're just farmers. Fighting things like that isn't really something we're up for. That's why we called you folks in. Don't care what you do with it, just so long as it stops eating our livestock!"<br> <br>Shira nods along with the rancher's words. "Wild animal then. At least likely. Something big." She rubs her chin. "Should not be too hard! Just leave it to m-" She coughs. "us." She flashes the coyote a smile, then turns to face her companions, same smile still on her face. "Lets go!"<br> <br>Cassidy offers a tip of her hat to Peter and Zuri in turn, flashing a smile. "Greetings, Zuri. Quite a time indeed. Good to see you well," she says before looking towards the coyote. "We can do that. Whatever it is, it won't be troubling you much longer. Can you recall any signs of its passing? Did it leave blood or corpses? Or did it take them without struggle?"<br> <br>Peter waves to the arriving salamander, patting his grumbling belly as he thinks of all the treats Zuri didn't bring to share, a little frown in his face. "We gotcher covered!" he assures the farmer, amidst the more proactive freesword's questionings. <br> <br>Zuri giggles at Cassidy. "Yea! And we're meeting out here about to go on a contract, just like old days!" He listens as Cassidy asks her questions, nodding in agreement. "Yea, it might help us figure out what it is, or how to best stop it. No need to rush in all crazy-like." He slinks over to Peter's side and checks his equipment while the conversation winds down.<br> <br>"Blood," the coyote says, "There is always blood, but not much, and nothing else. The thing gets through every gate, every fence, every lock, and never breaks anything. Just swoops in and snags whatever it is that it wants and vanishes. We're counting on you." The coyote steps away from the canyon and watches nervously.<br> <br>"Hmmm. Maybe a large bird of some kind, then," Cassidy notes, nodding. "Very well. Shall we be on our way, then? Sounds like we have a beast to hunt," she says, pulling an arrow from her quiver and holding it in her free hand as she starts towards the canyon. "Eyes on the sky."<br> <br>Peter looks down at his companions, seeming confused before he turns to the coyote, noticing the abundance of shorter beings. His chest puffs up a bit before he turns and bows his head to Zuri respectfully. "Pretty gentle, for a monster," he says, frowning as he considers the implication. "Could be stealers." He looks around the field, letting out a 'huh' at Cassidy's slightly more logical conclusion. "Thaaat makes more sense.." He grunts and lifts his sword over his shouder and holds it at his side, careful not to end up poking his companions. "Yes ma'am!"<br> <br>Zuri nods quickly at Cassidy's words. "Sure sounds like something that can fly.. hm.." He smiles up at Peter. "Well, gentle monster is still an option! Or.. hm.. something else that can go around fences, maybe? I dunno.. or something tall enough.." He wiggles his snout thoughtfully as they start walking down the path. "I think flying thing makes way more sense, come to think of it." The small being stops bounding around energetically for a moment to think. "Maybe I should go wing-a-ling pegasus just in case.. "<br> <br>Shira smirks. "Clearly it is a gentle, giant, flying, fence ignoring monster. Or one of the above. Or a being." The small mouse draws her foil and carefully runs a gloved hand across the blade. "Anyway, I am sure we find out sooner, rather than later."<br> <br>It seems that the rancher has given all the information he has. The grizzled coyote watches the Freeswords talk among themselves, clearly wishing he were elsewhere. The canyon looms, tall and dark and hungry.<br> <br>Shira is wiggling in somewhere in the middle of the group, eying the tall walls of the canyon as they move. "I am no expert, but would a flying animal, beast, whatever even make its home in a canyon, seems like it would be somewhat restrictive to something airborne. Especially if its big, yeah?"<br> <br>"I've seen some that like to nest among canyon walls," Cassidy explains, moving along as she nocks the arrow. "There are not a great many trees out here, and something that large needs somewhere to take shelter from the elements. And somewhere to drag prey. You never know, but we'll find out, I'd wager."<br> <br>Peter is lingering near Zuri, a worried eye looking down to the small mouse as he trudges along with his muddy boots. "Gotta be bandits!" he says, with an excited hop. "Or that. Jeez.. wish I brang a bow or somethin'," he says. "I didn't expect you guys to be so tiny," he chatters idly, nodding to Shira.<br> <br>Zuri nods quickly. "Yea, I remember going cliffdiving over in Cliffside's big yearly faire thing. Lots of birds making nests on the cliff face, so much that they have to move the jump point from time to time if there's too many birds in the way." He giggles. "Best to avoid airborne being-bird collisions, yea?" He peers up at Peter. "Nah, not tiny, just wily!" He grins.<br> <br>It is dim down here in the deep slot canyon. The path is not straight, but winds and twists, following the path of a long dried up river bed. The ground is hard and sandy, but does not show much, if any passage there. The walls are rough and worn by wind and water into strange, sometimes disconcerting shapes. After a bit of a walk, nothing physically changes in the canyon, but a horrible, rotting smell fills the air.<br> <br>Shira squints at Peter. "Size does not matter! Its how skilled you are!" She was about to say something else as her hands clasp over her mouth and nose for a moment, before having to let go to breath. "Well. I guess we found SOMETHING. Or are about to, rather."<br> <br>"Most of my ilk are not known for prodigious heights," Cassidy murmurs idly, wincing at the stench and fetching her mask from her bag, setting the porcelain over her face. "If it was a Being taking them, I doubt they'd have left enough around to rot, if they were smart."<br> <br>Peter gags as the rot hits his nostrils, looking around for the source, a bit intimidated by the spooky shapes of the canyon. "Bleh! That smell!" he woofs, shaking his head as he trudges on. "I never said you were bad. I'm just half smaller than everyone else, I still fight good, ask anyone," he says, puffing his chest out proudly as he marches on to seek the rot out. "If a being was smart, they wouldn't live in a hole and steal from farmers. That would be dumb," Peter declares, a sneer on his face.<br> <br>Zuri gags as the smell wafts its way past his snout. The small salamander quickly covers his nostrils with his hand, and proceeds to talk in a decidedly nasal voice. "This smells worse than that time Rokarion wanted a bunch of starflowers from the swamp. Evil corpse-smelling things. My clothes stank for days!" He keeps his snout plugged as he continues to press forward. <br> <br>Despite the horrific smell, there does not seem to be anything around to rot. . . aside from a rather remarkable pile of skeletons. Stacked in a heap against one wall of the narrow canyon are bones. Bones of all sorts of creatures, small and large, and completely picked clean. Including the bones of one of the huge, reptilian beasts of burden. At least, if someone were familiar with the naked skeleton of one.<br> <br>Shira eyes the skeletons, waving her hand in front of her face in a feeble attempt to get some of the stench out of the air. "I don't think animals stack their leftover bones." She gags slightly. "I also don't know how a being might live in such a stench, but it does seem more likely than some beast stacking bones in a corner, dosen't it?"<br> <br>"Not really," Cassidy says, making her way over to inspect the bones. "Animals don't just leave things lying where they drop. They can be organized. Neat, even. You don't leave food or remains laying all over the place. It's entirely possible they push discarded remains to one side. Hrm..."<br> <br>Peter wrinkles his nose at the sight of the skeletons, though he tilts his head after he is done being disgusted. "How come they smell so bad?" he asks, adjusting his grip. "Well, we know it's around."<br> <br>Zuri nods in agreement with the others. The small being still keeps his snout plugged as he walks over to the pile of bones gingerly. He approaches one of the smallest piles of carrion in order to examine it closer.. as disgusting as the preposition might be.<br> <br>The bones are not arranged in any specific order, just heaped together. Interestingly, there are no insects around the bones, and the smell does not seem to be coming from the pile at all. They are picked clean.<br> <br>Shira shrugs. "Whatever it is, it is not here, we should head on, don't you think? The faster we get done with the job, the faster we are out of the smell." She puts her free hand over her mouth and nose again, as if to check if its air filtering quality has improved in the last minute, but is quick to give up on that.<br> <br>"Yes." Cassidy stands, frowning and glancing around. "The bones are not the stench. Either there is more around here... Or we are not alone," she says, looking to the sky for a moment before back to the ground. "Let's look for tracks. If it's not a flying thing, then it'd leave tracks."<br> <br>Peter grips his sword and raises it to the sky in both hands, gagging and choking on the intense smell. "Eeuck!" he cries, swinging his sword down through the thin air, for some reason! "Creators and Spirits, this smell's making me see stuff," he whines.<br> <br>Zuri leans down as he carefully observes the pile of bones. "Huh.. these don't like they've been 'eaten' from at all. More like.. the meat just vanished and the bones are all that's left. And.." He pauses, his little eyes widening. "Hit the dirt!" He cries out before jumping to the side, rolling onto his back as he scrambles for his bow and aims it upwards.<br> <br>Peter is not completely wrong. He is seening things, but the smell has nothing to do with it, and it is definitely not a hallucenation! Zuri's warning was a timely one as a huge, mishapen claw swipes down from above, just missing Cassidy and Peter as they scramble out of the way. | <div></div><br> <br>The badlands aren't so bad, really. They are just miles and miles of grassy nowhere between the forest and the quarry with nothing on it but sheep and other grazing creatures and the hardy beings who tend them. One such being is a coyote standing at the edge of the carved quarry and looking around nervously.<br> <br>Shira makes her way through the grassy boringness of the badlands, till she arrives at the described meeting spot. She looks up at the coyote and gives a little wave into their direction. "Hello! You are the one those ranchers who were looking for some mercenaries, I assume? Shira Runebreaker. What can I do for you and how would you like it done?"<br> <br>Cassidy is passing the time til others arrive counting arrows and preening herself, brushing dust from her coat with a gloved hand. Shira's arrival gets a nod of greeting before she adjusts her bow tie and straightens up, unslinging her bow.<br> <br>Peter romps through the peaceful, grassy bliss of the grassland, pissing off a few of the shepherds as his clanking armor scares the livestock while he runs by. "Peter Pitkin!" he introduces himself as he finally finds the other mercenaries waiting. "Howd'y'do."<br> <br>Zuri arrives fashionably late. The small salamander is tugging his outfit into place following the blistering sprint up the path to catch up to the others. Pastry crumbs on his leather armor and a smudge of raspberry filling on his sleeve serve as clear indicators of what he was doing to be late. He pats the crumbs away as he joins the group, smiling brightly. "Hi everyone! Hope I'm not too late to catch the bad things." He's carrying a bow and quiver slung around his back, as well as his usual two blades safely sheathed in their twin scabbard. He smiles even brighter on seeing Cassidy. "Hi Miss Cassidy! Long time no see!"<br> <br>The coyote fidgets a little, eyeing the dark canyon warily. "We don't know much," he confesses, "Just that it keeps taking animals. It started out just taking a little sheep here, a goat there. But it has gotten worse. Cows, purple bison, and this latest one was one of the big burdenbeasts. Not even the biggest sandcats can take one of those beasties. But whatever has been taking the critter. . . well, it didn't have too much trouble." He nods down the narrow canyon, "we tracked it this far, but we're just farmers. Fighting things like that isn't really something we're up for. That's why we called you folks in. Don't care what you do with it, just so long as it stops eating our livestock!"<br> <br>Shira nods along with the rancher's words. "Wild animal then. At least likely. Something big." She rubs her chin. "Should not be too hard! Just leave it to m-" She coughs. "us." She flashes the coyote a smile, then turns to face her companions, same smile still on her face. "Lets go!"<br> <br>Cassidy offers a tip of her hat to Peter and Zuri in turn, flashing a smile. "Greetings, Zuri. Quite a time indeed. Good to see you well," she says before looking towards the coyote. "We can do that. Whatever it is, it won't be troubling you much longer. Can you recall any signs of its passing? Did it leave blood or corpses? Or did it take them without struggle?"<br> <br>Peter waves to the arriving salamander, patting his grumbling belly as he thinks of all the treats Zuri didn't bring to share, a little frown in his face. "We gotcher covered!" he assures the farmer, amidst the more proactive freesword's questionings. <br> <br>Zuri giggles at Cassidy. "Yea! And we're meeting out here about to go on a contract, just like old days!" He listens as Cassidy asks her questions, nodding in agreement. "Yea, it might help us figure out what it is, or how to best stop it. No need to rush in all crazy-like." He slinks over to Peter's side and checks his equipment while the conversation winds down.<br> <br>"Blood," the coyote says, "There is always blood, but not much, and nothing else. The thing gets through every gate, every fence, every lock, and never breaks anything. Just swoops in and snags whatever it is that it wants and vanishes. We're counting on you." The coyote steps away from the canyon and watches nervously.<br> <br>"Hmmm. Maybe a large bird of some kind, then," Cassidy notes, nodding. "Very well. Shall we be on our way, then? Sounds like we have a beast to hunt," she says, pulling an arrow from her quiver and holding it in her free hand as she starts towards the canyon. "Eyes on the sky."<br> <br>Peter looks down at his companions, seeming confused before he turns to the coyote, noticing the abundance of shorter beings. His chest puffs up a bit before he turns and bows his head to Zuri respectfully. "Pretty gentle, for a monster," he says, frowning as he considers the implication. "Could be stealers." He looks around the field, letting out a 'huh' at Cassidy's slightly more logical conclusion. "Thaaat makes more sense.." He grunts and lifts his sword over his shouder and holds it at his side, careful not to end up poking his companions. "Yes ma'am!"<br> <br>Zuri nods quickly at Cassidy's words. "Sure sounds like something that can fly.. hm.." He smiles up at Peter. "Well, gentle monster is still an option! Or.. hm.. something else that can go around fences, maybe? I dunno.. or something tall enough.." He wiggles his snout thoughtfully as they start walking down the path. "I think flying thing makes way more sense, come to think of it." The small being stops bounding around energetically for a moment to think. "Maybe I should go wing-a-ling pegasus just in case.. "<br> <br>Shira smirks. "Clearly it is a gentle, giant, flying, fence ignoring monster. Or one of the above. Or a being." The small mouse draws her foil and carefully runs a gloved hand across the blade. "Anyway, I am sure we find out sooner, rather than later."<br> <br>It seems that the rancher has given all the information he has. The grizzled coyote watches the Freeswords talk among themselves, clearly wishing he were elsewhere. The canyon looms, tall and dark and hungry.<br> <br>Shira is wiggling in somewhere in the middle of the group, eying the tall walls of the canyon as they move. "I am no expert, but would a flying animal, beast, whatever even make its home in a canyon, seems like it would be somewhat restrictive to something airborne. Especially if its big, yeah?"<br> <br>"I've seen some that like to nest among canyon walls," Cassidy explains, moving along as she nocks the arrow. "There are not a great many trees out here, and something that large needs somewhere to take shelter from the elements. And somewhere to drag prey. You never know, but we'll find out, I'd wager."<br> <br>Peter is lingering near Zuri, a worried eye looking down to the small mouse as he trudges along with his muddy boots. "Gotta be bandits!" he says, with an excited hop. "Or that. Jeez.. wish I brang a bow or somethin'," he says. "I didn't expect you guys to be so tiny," he chatters idly, nodding to Shira.<br> <br>Zuri nods quickly. "Yea, I remember going cliffdiving over in Cliffside's big yearly faire thing. Lots of birds making nests on the cliff face, so much that they have to move the jump point from time to time if there's too many birds in the way." He giggles. "Best to avoid airborne being-bird collisions, yea?" He peers up at Peter. "Nah, not tiny, just wily!" He grins.<br> <br>It is dim down here in the deep slot canyon. The path is not straight, but winds and twists, following the path of a long dried up river bed. The ground is hard and sandy, but does not show much, if any passage there. The walls are rough and worn by wind and water into strange, sometimes disconcerting shapes. After a bit of a walk, nothing physically changes in the canyon, but a horrible, rotting smell fills the air.<br> <br>Shira squints at Peter. "Size does not matter! Its how skilled you are!" She was about to say something else as her hands clasp over her mouth and nose for a moment, before having to let go to breath. "Well. I guess we found SOMETHING. Or are about to, rather."<br> <br>"Most of my ilk are not known for prodigious heights," Cassidy murmurs idly, wincing at the stench and fetching her mask from her bag, setting the porcelain over her face. "If it was a Being taking them, I doubt they'd have left enough around to rot, if they were smart."<br> <br>Peter gags as the rot hits his nostrils, looking around for the source, a bit intimidated by the spooky shapes of the canyon. "Bleh! That smell!" he woofs, shaking his head as he trudges on. "I never said you were bad. I'm just half smaller than everyone else, I still fight good, ask anyone," he says, puffing his chest out proudly as he marches on to seek the rot out. "If a being was smart, they wouldn't live in a hole and steal from farmers. That would be dumb," Peter declares, a sneer on his face.<br> <br>Zuri gags as the smell wafts its way past his snout. The small salamander quickly covers his nostrils with his hand, and proceeds to talk in a decidedly nasal voice. "This smells worse than that time Rokarion wanted a bunch of starflowers from the swamp. Evil corpse-smelling things. My clothes stank for days!" He keeps his snout plugged as he continues to press forward. <br> <br>Despite the horrific smell, there does not seem to be anything around to rot. . . aside from a rather remarkable pile of skeletons. Stacked in a heap against one wall of the narrow canyon are bones. Bones of all sorts of creatures, small and large, and completely picked clean. Including the bones of one of the huge, reptilian beasts of burden. At least, if someone were familiar with the naked skeleton of one.<br> <br>Shira eyes the skeletons, waving her hand in front of her face in a feeble attempt to get some of the stench out of the air. "I don't think animals stack their leftover bones." She gags slightly. "I also don't know how a being might live in such a stench, but it does seem more likely than some beast stacking bones in a corner, dosen't it?"<br> <br>"Not really," Cassidy says, making her way over to inspect the bones. "Animals don't just leave things lying where they drop. They can be organized. Neat, even. You don't leave food or remains laying all over the place. It's entirely possible they push discarded remains to one side. Hrm..."<br> <br>Peter wrinkles his nose at the sight of the skeletons, though he tilts his head after he is done being disgusted. "How come they smell so bad?" he asks, adjusting his grip. "Well, we know it's around."<br> <br>Zuri nods in agreement with the others. The small being still keeps his snout plugged as he walks over to the pile of bones gingerly. He approaches one of the smallest piles of carrion in order to examine it closer.. as disgusting as the preposition might be.<br> <br>The bones are not arranged in any specific order, just heaped together. Interestingly, there are no insects around the bones, and the smell does not seem to be coming from the pile at all. They are picked clean.<br> <br>Shira shrugs. "Whatever it is, it is not here, we should head on, don't you think? The faster we get done with the job, the faster we are out of the smell." She puts her free hand over her mouth and nose again, as if to check if its air filtering quality has improved in the last minute, but is quick to give up on that.<br> <br>"Yes." Cassidy stands, frowning and glancing around. "The bones are not the stench. Either there is more around here... Or we are not alone," she says, looking to the sky for a moment before back to the ground. "Let's look for tracks. If it's not a flying thing, then it'd leave tracks."<br> <br>Peter grips his sword and raises it to the sky in both hands, gagging and choking on the intense smell. "Eeuck!" he cries, swinging his sword down through the thin air, for some reason! "Creators and Spirits, this smell's making me see stuff," he whines.<br> <br>Zuri leans down as he carefully observes the pile of bones. "Huh.. these don't like they've been 'eaten' from at all. More like.. the meat just vanished and the bones are all that's left. And.." He pauses, his little eyes widening. "Hit the dirt!" He cries out before jumping to the side, rolling onto his back as he scrambles for his bow and aims it upwards.<br> <br>Peter is not completely wrong. He is seening things, but the smell has nothing to do with it, and it is definitely not a hallucenation! Zuri's warning was a timely one as a huge, mishapen claw swipes down from above, just missing Cassidy and Peter as they scramble out of the way. | ||
| − | The attacking THING drops down to the canyon floor, and bares long, yellow teeth and twisted tusks at the Freeswords. It appears to be a hideous amalgamation of bear, hyena, boar and spider with a broad, fat body with thin, patchy fur and a wrinkled snout and hunched neck along with unnaturally long, thick arms and legs. The monstrous thing squats in a froggy crouch, both its twisted hands and its feet on the ground, thick, viscous drool dripping from its maw as it leers at the four beings. It growls in a low, wet, gutteral voice, and it takes a moment to realize that it was actually speaking! "MINE!" It snarls, prowling back and forth and licking it's teeth and tusks with a long, black tongue.<br> <br>Shira takes a few quick steps backwards, away from the monsterous creature. Raising her free hand before her and thrusting at the air with her foil, she conjures up dark mathemagic and literally thrusts it at the monster. The spell manifests itself as a small symbol on the creature's head and is supposed to steal its sight, the small mouse hoping that something living in, or even emitting such odors would not hunt by smell.<br> <br>"Oh, good, it speaks. Then perhaps we can reason with it," Cassidy says, after dusting her coat off from her hasty leap to the side. "They are not yours. We'll leave them alone, but they're not yours. You are taking from the Beings up above. It is theirs," she comments, shooting a look towards Shira. Though she was used to people jumping the gun by now.<br> <br>Peter opens his eyes wide as the beast stakes his claim to the bones, the chipmunk shaking and holding up his sword defensively before looking to companions and gathering his courage. "OURS!" he retorts, charging toward the beast to make a stab at the montrosity. It doesn't seem like he is in quite the state for diplomacy. | + | The attacking THING drops down to the canyon floor, and bares long, yellow teeth and twisted tusks at the Freeswords. It appears to be a hideous amalgamation of bear, hyena, boar and spider with a broad, fat body with thin, patchy fur and a wrinkled snout and hunched neck along with unnaturally long, thick arms and legs. The monstrous thing squats in a froggy crouch, both its twisted hands and its feet on the ground, thick, viscous drool dripping from its maw as it leers at the four beings. It growls in a low, wet, gutteral voice, and it takes a moment to realize that it was actually speaking! "MINE!" It snarls, prowling back and forth and licking it's teeth and tusks with a long, black tongue.<br> <br>Shira takes a few quick steps backwards, away from the monsterous creature. Raising her free hand before her and thrusting at the air with her foil, she conjures up dark mathemagic and literally thrusts it at the monster. The spell manifests itself as a small symbol on the creature's head and is supposed to steal its sight, the small mouse hoping that something living in, or even emitting such odors would not hunt by smell.<br> <br>"Oh, good, it speaks. Then perhaps we can reason with it," Cassidy says, after dusting her coat off from her hasty leap to the side. "They are not yours. We'll leave them alone, but they're not yours. You are taking from the Beings up above. It is theirs," she comments, shooting a look towards Shira. Though she was used to people jumping the gun by now.<br> <br>Peter opens his eyes wide as the beast stakes his claim to the bones, the chipmunk shaking and holding up his sword defensively before looking to companions and gathering his courage. "OURS!" he retorts, charging toward the beast to make a stab at the montrosity. It doesn't seem like he is in quite the state for diplomacy.<br> <br>Zuri nocks an arrow and centers his bead on the creature's... head? He hears Cassidy's call for diplomacy and stops short of loosing it. Instead he keeps careful aim, waiting to see how the creature reacts.<br> <br>An acrid stink of burning flesh joins the reek of rotting meat coming from the creature and its eyes cross to look up toward its forehead where a broken Kevinoscope is searing itself in horrible blackish-purple. It seems momentarily stunned, then it starts to make a horrible, wet, rasping noise. It takes a moment to realize that it is not choking, but laughing! |
| + | |||
| + | "I am blacker than your magic, little mouse!" it gurgles, grinning horribly, and roars as Peter strikes at it, slicing into tough flesh. The monster attempts to backhand the chipmunk, but manages only a grazing strike. It rears back and leaps upward, catching the sides of the canyon with both hands and feet and scrambling upward. "You hurt!" it roars!<br> <br>Shira takes a few more steps backwards. "So it does really talk. Thats...weird. Also uncomfortable." The mouse frowns as she draws on surrounding shadows and weaves them around herself, into a protective second skin, ready to lash out at the beast should it strike her.<br> <br>"I guess the time for talk is over, then," Cassidy says, frowning softly. "Always blood and violence." She glances towards Zuri for a moment, then nocks her own arrow, but does not yet fire, content to watch the beast for the time being. "What manner of creature ARE you?"<br> <br>Peter pulls his sword free from the tough flesh of the beast, staggering back to avoid the swing of the monster's hand. "Ouf.." he grunts, keeping his sword braced for another swing as he watches the beast rise. "That ain't some friendly neighbour you make nice with, lady! That's a monster!" he insists, ready to swing.<br> <br>Zuri is losing hope on a peaceful resolution. The small samalander picks his target: Thr beast's front left leg, ready to fire.<br> <br>The monstrosity swings and crawls up the canyon walls, and shrieks its defiance and rage before leaping back down at the most likely target. Or at least the one that catches its eye. In this case, that just happens to be the shadow shrouded Shira!<br> <br>"Eep!" Is all Shira gets to say as the thing comes down upon her, and she dives into the pile of bones, getting some scratches and scrapes from both the claws of the creature and the hard, pointy things she picked as cover. Making use of her small size, she wiggles deeper into the bones after a short moment, using them as some sort of makeshift cover and barricade.<br> <br>"Now," Cassidy mutters, mostly to herself as she lets loose the arrow, reaching for another no later than the first leaves her bow, set in flight for the creature's neck. "Can't blame a lady for trying. I've learned to hate making the first move."<br> <br>Peter opens his eyes wide as the beast makes for the poor little mouse, the munk quickly rushing to her defense as she makes it to cover. His sword sets alight as the valiant chipmunk takes a wild swing for the creature, spinning around on his heel as the momentum ideally carries his scorchin blade directly into the beast's tough leather.<br> <br>Zuri is silent as the beast suddenlt charges, trying his best to ignore the horrifying shriek. He steadies his hand and waits for the moment the beast has put its weight on his chosen target, and loosens the arrow aimed at it's front left leg. After his arrow is fired he dashes to the side, seeking a better position to fire from and gaining some distance from the monster.<br> <br>The monster shrieks in pain and rage as arrows thump into it, Cassidy's into its huge, misshapen hunch and Zuri's slams into the the flabby, folded flesh of its torso, just beneath one of its great, twisted arms. Not that the creature has much time to worry about the projectiles as the whirling Peter charges in. For all the thing's agility, it is still large and bulky and cannot evade the incroacing reach of the chipmunk's sword, which slashes into its scabby thigh, causing the creature to stagger and lose its balance! The foul thing gurgles its rage as it crashes into the bone pile!<br> <br>Shira manages to worm through the bone pile, far enough to not be squished by the chimeraesque creature. The mouse takes a moment for a deep breath and focuses on her mathemagics for a moment, putting extra care into her next spell, before unleashing it at the wounded beast.<br> <br>Cassidy furrows her brow behind her mask, the second arrow already nocked, drawn, and let loose, trying to catch the staggering beast's belly. She cold ponder the nature of this thing later, but for now, it seems like it needed to be put down. Or at least driven off. "These are not your hunting grounds. Begone."<br> <br>Peter rips through the tough flesh of the monster and stops his spinning, dizzily staggering around as he catches his balance. "I got 'im!" he cries in amazement, though the chipmunk doesn't take long to catch his breath before drawing the sword up, readied for another swing, fire trailing behind as it swishes in the air! The munk reaches behind him to draw his shield, hiding behind a Sweetwater flag. He doesn't take another swing, yet, for fear of falling victim to an errant projectile.<br> <br>Zuri sees no reason to change up his tactic, especially as the creature seems to be leaving the small salamander alone for now. He fires off another arrow, this time aiming center-mass.<br> <br>The monster howls as bones snap around him, and he is definitely a him, and he sprouts a shiny new arrow from his guts. Foul ooze slurps from its wounds and it screams out its pain. "ALL MINE!" it roars, "All is mine! Hunger says it is so!" The beast seems to be in dire straits. | ||
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| + | Until Shira's magic hits. | ||
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| + | Shadows writhe and twist along the beast's flesh and dig in and out of his skin. It jerks wildly, its spine arching viciously. Then it starts to grow. Its mottled flesh stretches and its twisted tusks grow. Maybe shadow magic is not a good choice here. The arrows in its hide clatter to the ground as its wounds heal.<br> <br>Shira blinks a couple of times at the miraculous healing process of the beast. "T-that is not supposed to happen!" The mouse dives back down into the bones and starts to fumble with her soul pendant, pulling out another pair of gems from a little pouch on her belt and swapping them for the ones that were set in the pendant around her neck.<br> <br>Cassidy grunts, a little displeased as the work is undone. "Don't let up your swings, you'll be fine," she says, preparing another arrow. "I don't miss." Bold words. She hopes she doesn't end up eating them as she conjures a bit of fire math to ignite the tip of her arrow before firing it off towards the creature's eyes.<br> <br>Peter turbs to Shira and scowls. "He even said it wouldn't work," the chipmunk yells in a panick, though Cassidy gets his thoughts back on track with her words. He holds his sword to the sky for a moment before it bursts into flames, charging the beast for another stab at it's old wounds.<br> <br>Zuri gasps when the creature seemingly heals out of nowh- no, when Dark Math was used upit. "Is it a construct of Math then? That's crazy! Maybe.. it's not really alive in a way.." He salamander nibbles on his lip briefly before shifting the aim on his bow. He takes aim at the center of the creature's head, where it's brain would be, if it had one, and lets his arrow fly.<br> <br>The twisted beast laughs a horrible, gurgling laugh. "You see!" it roars, "I am blessed! Hunger sustains!" Its snarling victory speech is interrupted as Cassidy's arrow thuds against its rock hard skull and ricochets off, leaving a line of black blood across its scalp. Zuri's arrow thuds into its meaty shoulder and the creature roars again, wordlessly, and the monster crashes toward the archers in a gorilla charge, pulling back to take a swing with a twisted claw at Cassidy!<br> <br>Shira finishes her work on her soul pendant and slips the two gems she had previously been using into her pouch. She pokes head and arms out of her cover, pointing the later at the creature's back and spreading her fingers as she sends flaming projectiles from them. "Lets see how you like some good old fashioned fire!" Before she ducks behind her calcium rich cover once more, she answers to Peter, "That is what -I- would tell people about my weakness!"<br> <br>Cassidy kicks to the sky with another burst of air magic, much like she'd used for travel, but this time she's nocking another arrow as she sails overhead, twisting and firing off the trick shot. There was something to be said about methodical sharpshooting, but this was much more entertaining.<br> <br>Peter offers nothing in the form of conversation or spectacular moves, chasing the monster like his feet were on fire and hacking away at his limb with quick, repeated strikes in an attempt to open it's wounds.<br> <br>Zuri yipes as the creature starts barreling towards him. He does not feel guilty at all that the big mass of angry flesh chooses to attack Cassidy instead of himself. He dashes off to gain some distance from the thing once more and plans his next strike. He takes his next arrow and dabs it with a poultice from one of the pouches at his side, a concoction of herbs and venom with a paralytic effect.. on living things, at least. He nocks the poisoned arrow and lets it fly center-mass at the large creature, hoping it will impair the creature somewhat.<br> <br>The twisted thing staggers to a confused halt as its quarry suddenly vanishes, roaring again in pain as Cassidy's trick shot stabs downward through the thick muscles of its neck and Peter comes in swinging from behind to slice into its thick hide, setting a stream of black blood oozing down its back. Zuri's dart also hits its mark, thudding into the monster's chest, and to top it all off, Shira's fire magic sets what fur it has alight, burning the upper part of half of the thing's back, causing the mottled skin to blacken and blister. Finding most of its opponents are now behind it, the monstrosity whirls, its twisted claw low to backhand Peter before it charges again toward Cassidy and toward Shira hidden in her little fortress of bones.<br> <br>The mouse sees danger coming for her and is not one to trust into brittle bones to stop a charge from something this big. She catapults herself high into the air, out of the bones and into a prolonged ark over the creature, casting another spell at the highest point, two outstretched fingers becoming the starting point for a lightningstrike that aims at the creature's head, for lack of anatomically knowledge of where the heart might be.<br> <br>Cassidy leaps to the side, this time, before utilizing the breeze to conjure a biting gale against the creature in place of an arrow, this time, keeping it narrow and focused, to avoid catching Peter.<br> <br>Peter braces his shield as he's knocked away by the monster, armor rattling as he slams his back against a wall of the canyon. "OWCH!" he calls, giving chase as he tends to do with frantic swings of his blade. His shield returns to his back as he takes his sword in both hands, trying to stab the beast's foot with a hearty shout.<br> <br>Zuri bites his lip as he spots his opportunity. The small salamander picks up speed as he starts running towards the large creature, dropping his bow and drawing both his sword and dagger. As he nears the beast he leaps off, trying to leap onto it's back, dagger flashing as he tries to sink it into the flesh-monster's back to use as a handhold. <br> <br>The monster shudders and jerks under Shira's lightning strike, and is battered against the wall of the narrow canyon by Cassidy's winds. Peter's sword pierces the beast's food and sinks deep into the sandy earth, opening the way for Zuri to scale mount horrible thing and sink his dagger under the creature's armpit. | ||
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| + | THe monster is not done yet, though! It's long, black tongue lashes out and up to wrap around Shira's ankle. Her masterful use of air magic keeps the creature from snaring her, but the spiral where its tongue touched her burns like acid, the fur searing away and the flesh bubbling and blistering.<br> <br>Shira cries out in pain and nearly falls out of the sky by having her concentration broken by the pain. She manages to catch herself after a bit off a fall and rises higher than she was before, hopefully out of reach of the creature. From up here, she lets another lightning bolt loose at the thing, complete with accompanying thunder.<br> <br>"Swiftly now, do not suffer it to live any longer than needed," Cassidy says, as if it needed stating, drawing a barbed arrow from her quiver and nocking it, taking aim for where it had been burned earlier. She remains still, digging her feet in and lining up her shot, intent on making this one count.<br> <br>Peter twists his blade, struggling to do so through the tough flesh of the monster, before drawing it out and rearing back for another swing. He chops like a woodcutter at the monster's shin, letting out a furious scream as he does so! "HHHUUUAGH." As furious as he can be, anyway.<br> <br>Zuri grits his teeth as he looks down at the creature. Still using his dagger as a handhold, he lifts his sword high and then plunges it into the flesh-monster's back. He digs the sword in and twists it, trying to cause as much damage as possible.<br> <br>The bolt of lightning courses through the monster again, arching it in a rictus of pain, the electricity passing through the monster and into poor Zuri and into Peter through his sword. Both of them manage to score impressive strikes before the lightning strikes them, sending rivers of blackish blood oozing along the being's limbs. Cassidy's arrow plunges into the monster's chest. As soon as the lightning finally dies away, the monster crashes to the ground, a bubble of black blood rising from its throat as it lies there, gasping.<br> <br>Shira quickly lands next to where the monster crashed down and heads towards Peter, an eye on Zuri, as she addresses the chipmunk. "Creators! Are you alright? I did not think you would get struck too." She turns her head to check on Zuri. "And you, are you alright, I did not see you, I was too occupied with regaining my balance, I am so sorry!" The small mouse fidgets nervously.<br> <br>Cassidy lowers her bow, free arm falling to her side as she looks over at the creature and those around it. She maintains her distance, though, watching for if the beast decides to make one more effort.<br> <br>Peter draws his sword out from the monster and throws it against the wall of the canyon as he loses control of hsi body, electricity arcing through his armor and across his body to the earth. He collapses to the ground with some violent convulsion before sitting himself upright, looking mighty confused. "Creators!" he gasps, himself, reaching for his nearby blade. "Y'damn near murdered me!" He groans as he gets to his feet, into a defensive stance.<br> <br>Zuri had triumphantly raised his dagger in the air, now held securely by the sword instead. He was about to plunge it down when an arc of electricity courses through his little body. He gets zapped by it, convulses, and rolls off the monster to crash rather unceremoniously on the ground beneath. "... ow."<br> <br>The thing, whatever it was, lies still as black blood oozes into puddles around its inert body. Its breath rattles and it coughs weakly, the sound (and rotting meat smell) terrible.<br> <br>Shira takes a few steps back from Peter, her hands raised defensively, before dropping to a knee and grimassing with a little cry of pain from her own injury. "I was just trying to finish it off quickly, before it does any more damage!" She squirms as she looks at her leg. "Would probably been worse than the electricity."<br> <br>"Looks like that might be it, then... I wonder what this thing is..." Cassidy grimaces softly and looks towards the sky. "And why it was out here. That it could talk is a concern all its own... I will have to see if the library has anything on it when we return. You three are alive, yes? And well enough to walk?"<br> <br>Peter groans and pushes himself up with the sword, wrinkling his nose at Shira. "Ew, your leg!" he says, offering sympathy now instead of anger. He strolls over to her, quickly recovering from his injuries, and lifts the mouse up onto his shoulder without any sort of permission. How rude.<br> <br>Zuri stays on the ground for a moment, looking at the creature from this unfortunate vantage point. He pushes off and rises up to his knees, shaking his head to send specks of dirt and gunk flying off. "It's still alive, too.. barely." He looks up at his sword and groans as he gets up on his feet and tries to reach it. Just out of reach...<br> <br>The creature groans feebly and coughs, blood bubbling from its mouth. "Brother!" it growls, forlornly, looking miserably at Zuri of all people, "Hungry. . ." it trails off, its eyes rolling back as it slumps to the ground and lies still.<br> <br>Shira flails as she is picked up. This is starting to become a habit. "Hey! You could have at least a- Wait. Did the thing just say brother? There are more?" She turns to the creature. "Hey, you...thing, there. Whats this about a brother? How many of you are there?"<br> <br>"I see now," Cassidy says, adjusting her hat. "This is troubling. Decay and hunger." Slinging her bow around her back, Cassidy pulls her spotless white gloves taut and starts back towards where they had met their employer, eager to get out of the canyon.<br> <br>Peter looks down at the creature and follows it's gaze to Zuri, staring at the salamander with confusion and disgust. After a few moment's wait, he follows Cassidy, his eyes locked on the small mander.<br> <br>Zuri blinks at the weird glance he just got, before his brain clicks. "Oh... oh!" He bites his lip. "Uh.. um.. yea.." He looks up at the creature and clambers on top of it again, to retrieve his sword - with a hilt rather ironically shaped like a cornucopia, the symbol of feast. "So uh... we shouldn't just leave this thing to suffer here. I mean, it's dying but it's just gonna linger here!" He looks at the monster, his hand clutching the sword's handle.<br> <br>Shira flaps her arms. "Fine! Be like that and just go die!" She nods to the salamander, while still being carried on the shoulder of the chipmunk. "Go kill it." She pauses. "Or leave it to rot for not telling us about that brother." She shrugs.<br> <br>Cassidy pauses, frowning. "It is not dead? Hmmm. You are right, I will not leave it to suffer," she says, turning and drawing her second bow, the longbow sort, and an appropriately longer arrow to match. "I am no headsman, but I hope this does the trick," she says, taking a squared, formal archery stance and nocking the arrow. She spends a moment to bring it to full draw, lining her shot up. "Pitiful thing... I hope it finds rest. I am sure He will tend to it."<br> <br>Peter looks to the little devil on his shoulders, screwing up his face and putting a hand up, threatening to brush her off as he turns to face it. "It ain't dead? You better make it so. Suffer all it likes, it ends up dead," he declares, folding his arms, sword put away in it's sheath. "Hope it don't have a brother around close. I'm sore."<br> <br>Zuri hops off to let Cassidy have a clear shot. The small salamander sheathes his sword and dagger, and walks off to collect his discarded bow. He looks back at the creature with a similar, forlorn grimace. "Well, job's done." He tries to put on a smile.<br> <br>The killing shot flies true, striking hard into the beast's eye and brain. It exhales one last, shuddering breath and is still. It looks like the job is, in fact, done.<br> <br>Shira frowns. And not only because of her still hurting leg. "Lets just hope we don't get called back because of that Brother. I like a fight as much as the next person, but I prefer enemies that don't talk. Or have acid tongues. Seriously nature. Why."<br> <br>"I don't think we'll have to worry about the brother," Cassidy says, glancing towards Zuri out of the corner of her eye. Though it's easy to miss, with her still wearing the mask. "And I do not think this was a creature of nature. No, this is something quite a bit different."<br> <br>Peter nods in agreement with Shira. "C'mon, then," Peter grunts, stomping along, his boots squelching with dirty blood as he steps across the stony ground.<br> <br>Zuri nods slowly. "Yea, the way it consumed your dark math, almost literally.. mm.. " He wiggles his snout. "Yea, nothing natural. No good at all, in fact..." The small salamander looks back at the creature one last time before walking off, to collect his reward.. though it may not feel like much of one right now.[[Category:RPLogs]] | ||
Latest revision as of 22:10, 28 October 2016
Participants
Date
28/10/479
Log
The badlands aren't so bad, really. They are just miles and miles of grassy nowhere between the forest and the quarry with nothing on it but sheep and other grazing creatures and the hardy beings who tend them. One such being is a coyote standing at the edge of the carved quarry and looking around nervously.
Shira makes her way through the grassy boringness of the badlands, till she arrives at the described meeting spot. She looks up at the coyote and gives a little wave into their direction. "Hello! You are the one those ranchers who were looking for some mercenaries, I assume? Shira Runebreaker. What can I do for you and how would you like it done?"
Cassidy is passing the time til others arrive counting arrows and preening herself, brushing dust from her coat with a gloved hand. Shira's arrival gets a nod of greeting before she adjusts her bow tie and straightens up, unslinging her bow.
Peter romps through the peaceful, grassy bliss of the grassland, pissing off a few of the shepherds as his clanking armor scares the livestock while he runs by. "Peter Pitkin!" he introduces himself as he finally finds the other mercenaries waiting. "Howd'y'do."
Zuri arrives fashionably late. The small salamander is tugging his outfit into place following the blistering sprint up the path to catch up to the others. Pastry crumbs on his leather armor and a smudge of raspberry filling on his sleeve serve as clear indicators of what he was doing to be late. He pats the crumbs away as he joins the group, smiling brightly. "Hi everyone! Hope I'm not too late to catch the bad things." He's carrying a bow and quiver slung around his back, as well as his usual two blades safely sheathed in their twin scabbard. He smiles even brighter on seeing Cassidy. "Hi Miss Cassidy! Long time no see!"
The coyote fidgets a little, eyeing the dark canyon warily. "We don't know much," he confesses, "Just that it keeps taking animals. It started out just taking a little sheep here, a goat there. But it has gotten worse. Cows, purple bison, and this latest one was one of the big burdenbeasts. Not even the biggest sandcats can take one of those beasties. But whatever has been taking the critter. . . well, it didn't have too much trouble." He nods down the narrow canyon, "we tracked it this far, but we're just farmers. Fighting things like that isn't really something we're up for. That's why we called you folks in. Don't care what you do with it, just so long as it stops eating our livestock!"
Shira nods along with the rancher's words. "Wild animal then. At least likely. Something big." She rubs her chin. "Should not be too hard! Just leave it to m-" She coughs. "us." She flashes the coyote a smile, then turns to face her companions, same smile still on her face. "Lets go!"
Cassidy offers a tip of her hat to Peter and Zuri in turn, flashing a smile. "Greetings, Zuri. Quite a time indeed. Good to see you well," she says before looking towards the coyote. "We can do that. Whatever it is, it won't be troubling you much longer. Can you recall any signs of its passing? Did it leave blood or corpses? Or did it take them without struggle?"
Peter waves to the arriving salamander, patting his grumbling belly as he thinks of all the treats Zuri didn't bring to share, a little frown in his face. "We gotcher covered!" he assures the farmer, amidst the more proactive freesword's questionings.
Zuri giggles at Cassidy. "Yea! And we're meeting out here about to go on a contract, just like old days!" He listens as Cassidy asks her questions, nodding in agreement. "Yea, it might help us figure out what it is, or how to best stop it. No need to rush in all crazy-like." He slinks over to Peter's side and checks his equipment while the conversation winds down.
"Blood," the coyote says, "There is always blood, but not much, and nothing else. The thing gets through every gate, every fence, every lock, and never breaks anything. Just swoops in and snags whatever it is that it wants and vanishes. We're counting on you." The coyote steps away from the canyon and watches nervously.
"Hmmm. Maybe a large bird of some kind, then," Cassidy notes, nodding. "Very well. Shall we be on our way, then? Sounds like we have a beast to hunt," she says, pulling an arrow from her quiver and holding it in her free hand as she starts towards the canyon. "Eyes on the sky."
Peter looks down at his companions, seeming confused before he turns to the coyote, noticing the abundance of shorter beings. His chest puffs up a bit before he turns and bows his head to Zuri respectfully. "Pretty gentle, for a monster," he says, frowning as he considers the implication. "Could be stealers." He looks around the field, letting out a 'huh' at Cassidy's slightly more logical conclusion. "Thaaat makes more sense.." He grunts and lifts his sword over his shouder and holds it at his side, careful not to end up poking his companions. "Yes ma'am!"
Zuri nods quickly at Cassidy's words. "Sure sounds like something that can fly.. hm.." He smiles up at Peter. "Well, gentle monster is still an option! Or.. hm.. something else that can go around fences, maybe? I dunno.. or something tall enough.." He wiggles his snout thoughtfully as they start walking down the path. "I think flying thing makes way more sense, come to think of it." The small being stops bounding around energetically for a moment to think. "Maybe I should go wing-a-ling pegasus just in case.. "
Shira smirks. "Clearly it is a gentle, giant, flying, fence ignoring monster. Or one of the above. Or a being." The small mouse draws her foil and carefully runs a gloved hand across the blade. "Anyway, I am sure we find out sooner, rather than later."
It seems that the rancher has given all the information he has. The grizzled coyote watches the Freeswords talk among themselves, clearly wishing he were elsewhere. The canyon looms, tall and dark and hungry.
Shira is wiggling in somewhere in the middle of the group, eying the tall walls of the canyon as they move. "I am no expert, but would a flying animal, beast, whatever even make its home in a canyon, seems like it would be somewhat restrictive to something airborne. Especially if its big, yeah?"
"I've seen some that like to nest among canyon walls," Cassidy explains, moving along as she nocks the arrow. "There are not a great many trees out here, and something that large needs somewhere to take shelter from the elements. And somewhere to drag prey. You never know, but we'll find out, I'd wager."
Peter is lingering near Zuri, a worried eye looking down to the small mouse as he trudges along with his muddy boots. "Gotta be bandits!" he says, with an excited hop. "Or that. Jeez.. wish I brang a bow or somethin'," he says. "I didn't expect you guys to be so tiny," he chatters idly, nodding to Shira.
Zuri nods quickly. "Yea, I remember going cliffdiving over in Cliffside's big yearly faire thing. Lots of birds making nests on the cliff face, so much that they have to move the jump point from time to time if there's too many birds in the way." He giggles. "Best to avoid airborne being-bird collisions, yea?" He peers up at Peter. "Nah, not tiny, just wily!" He grins.
It is dim down here in the deep slot canyon. The path is not straight, but winds and twists, following the path of a long dried up river bed. The ground is hard and sandy, but does not show much, if any passage there. The walls are rough and worn by wind and water into strange, sometimes disconcerting shapes. After a bit of a walk, nothing physically changes in the canyon, but a horrible, rotting smell fills the air.
Shira squints at Peter. "Size does not matter! Its how skilled you are!" She was about to say something else as her hands clasp over her mouth and nose for a moment, before having to let go to breath. "Well. I guess we found SOMETHING. Or are about to, rather."
"Most of my ilk are not known for prodigious heights," Cassidy murmurs idly, wincing at the stench and fetching her mask from her bag, setting the porcelain over her face. "If it was a Being taking them, I doubt they'd have left enough around to rot, if they were smart."
Peter gags as the rot hits his nostrils, looking around for the source, a bit intimidated by the spooky shapes of the canyon. "Bleh! That smell!" he woofs, shaking his head as he trudges on. "I never said you were bad. I'm just half smaller than everyone else, I still fight good, ask anyone," he says, puffing his chest out proudly as he marches on to seek the rot out. "If a being was smart, they wouldn't live in a hole and steal from farmers. That would be dumb," Peter declares, a sneer on his face.
Zuri gags as the smell wafts its way past his snout. The small salamander quickly covers his nostrils with his hand, and proceeds to talk in a decidedly nasal voice. "This smells worse than that time Rokarion wanted a bunch of starflowers from the swamp. Evil corpse-smelling things. My clothes stank for days!" He keeps his snout plugged as he continues to press forward.
Despite the horrific smell, there does not seem to be anything around to rot. . . aside from a rather remarkable pile of skeletons. Stacked in a heap against one wall of the narrow canyon are bones. Bones of all sorts of creatures, small and large, and completely picked clean. Including the bones of one of the huge, reptilian beasts of burden. At least, if someone were familiar with the naked skeleton of one.
Shira eyes the skeletons, waving her hand in front of her face in a feeble attempt to get some of the stench out of the air. "I don't think animals stack their leftover bones." She gags slightly. "I also don't know how a being might live in such a stench, but it does seem more likely than some beast stacking bones in a corner, dosen't it?"
"Not really," Cassidy says, making her way over to inspect the bones. "Animals don't just leave things lying where they drop. They can be organized. Neat, even. You don't leave food or remains laying all over the place. It's entirely possible they push discarded remains to one side. Hrm..."
Peter wrinkles his nose at the sight of the skeletons, though he tilts his head after he is done being disgusted. "How come they smell so bad?" he asks, adjusting his grip. "Well, we know it's around."
Zuri nods in agreement with the others. The small being still keeps his snout plugged as he walks over to the pile of bones gingerly. He approaches one of the smallest piles of carrion in order to examine it closer.. as disgusting as the preposition might be.
The bones are not arranged in any specific order, just heaped together. Interestingly, there are no insects around the bones, and the smell does not seem to be coming from the pile at all. They are picked clean.
Shira shrugs. "Whatever it is, it is not here, we should head on, don't you think? The faster we get done with the job, the faster we are out of the smell." She puts her free hand over her mouth and nose again, as if to check if its air filtering quality has improved in the last minute, but is quick to give up on that.
"Yes." Cassidy stands, frowning and glancing around. "The bones are not the stench. Either there is more around here... Or we are not alone," she says, looking to the sky for a moment before back to the ground. "Let's look for tracks. If it's not a flying thing, then it'd leave tracks."
Peter grips his sword and raises it to the sky in both hands, gagging and choking on the intense smell. "Eeuck!" he cries, swinging his sword down through the thin air, for some reason! "Creators and Spirits, this smell's making me see stuff," he whines.
Zuri leans down as he carefully observes the pile of bones. "Huh.. these don't like they've been 'eaten' from at all. More like.. the meat just vanished and the bones are all that's left. And.." He pauses, his little eyes widening. "Hit the dirt!" He cries out before jumping to the side, rolling onto his back as he scrambles for his bow and aims it upwards.
Peter is not completely wrong. He is seening things, but the smell has nothing to do with it, and it is definitely not a hallucenation! Zuri's warning was a timely one as a huge, mishapen claw swipes down from above, just missing Cassidy and Peter as they scramble out of the way.
The attacking THING drops down to the canyon floor, and bares long, yellow teeth and twisted tusks at the Freeswords. It appears to be a hideous amalgamation of bear, hyena, boar and spider with a broad, fat body with thin, patchy fur and a wrinkled snout and hunched neck along with unnaturally long, thick arms and legs. The monstrous thing squats in a froggy crouch, both its twisted hands and its feet on the ground, thick, viscous drool dripping from its maw as it leers at the four beings. It growls in a low, wet, gutteral voice, and it takes a moment to realize that it was actually speaking! "MINE!" It snarls, prowling back and forth and licking it's teeth and tusks with a long, black tongue.
Shira takes a few quick steps backwards, away from the monsterous creature. Raising her free hand before her and thrusting at the air with her foil, she conjures up dark mathemagic and literally thrusts it at the monster. The spell manifests itself as a small symbol on the creature's head and is supposed to steal its sight, the small mouse hoping that something living in, or even emitting such odors would not hunt by smell.
"Oh, good, it speaks. Then perhaps we can reason with it," Cassidy says, after dusting her coat off from her hasty leap to the side. "They are not yours. We'll leave them alone, but they're not yours. You are taking from the Beings up above. It is theirs," she comments, shooting a look towards Shira. Though she was used to people jumping the gun by now.
Peter opens his eyes wide as the beast stakes his claim to the bones, the chipmunk shaking and holding up his sword defensively before looking to companions and gathering his courage. "OURS!" he retorts, charging toward the beast to make a stab at the montrosity. It doesn't seem like he is in quite the state for diplomacy.
Zuri nocks an arrow and centers his bead on the creature's... head? He hears Cassidy's call for diplomacy and stops short of loosing it. Instead he keeps careful aim, waiting to see how the creature reacts.
An acrid stink of burning flesh joins the reek of rotting meat coming from the creature and its eyes cross to look up toward its forehead where a broken Kevinoscope is searing itself in horrible blackish-purple. It seems momentarily stunned, then it starts to make a horrible, wet, rasping noise. It takes a moment to realize that it is not choking, but laughing!
"I am blacker than your magic, little mouse!" it gurgles, grinning horribly, and roars as Peter strikes at it, slicing into tough flesh. The monster attempts to backhand the chipmunk, but manages only a grazing strike. It rears back and leaps upward, catching the sides of the canyon with both hands and feet and scrambling upward. "You hurt!" it roars!
Shira takes a few more steps backwards. "So it does really talk. Thats...weird. Also uncomfortable." The mouse frowns as she draws on surrounding shadows and weaves them around herself, into a protective second skin, ready to lash out at the beast should it strike her.
"I guess the time for talk is over, then," Cassidy says, frowning softly. "Always blood and violence." She glances towards Zuri for a moment, then nocks her own arrow, but does not yet fire, content to watch the beast for the time being. "What manner of creature ARE you?"
Peter pulls his sword free from the tough flesh of the beast, staggering back to avoid the swing of the monster's hand. "Ouf.." he grunts, keeping his sword braced for another swing as he watches the beast rise. "That ain't some friendly neighbour you make nice with, lady! That's a monster!" he insists, ready to swing.
Zuri is losing hope on a peaceful resolution. The small samalander picks his target: Thr beast's front left leg, ready to fire.
The monstrosity swings and crawls up the canyon walls, and shrieks its defiance and rage before leaping back down at the most likely target. Or at least the one that catches its eye. In this case, that just happens to be the shadow shrouded Shira!
"Eep!" Is all Shira gets to say as the thing comes down upon her, and she dives into the pile of bones, getting some scratches and scrapes from both the claws of the creature and the hard, pointy things she picked as cover. Making use of her small size, she wiggles deeper into the bones after a short moment, using them as some sort of makeshift cover and barricade.
"Now," Cassidy mutters, mostly to herself as she lets loose the arrow, reaching for another no later than the first leaves her bow, set in flight for the creature's neck. "Can't blame a lady for trying. I've learned to hate making the first move."
Peter opens his eyes wide as the beast makes for the poor little mouse, the munk quickly rushing to her defense as she makes it to cover. His sword sets alight as the valiant chipmunk takes a wild swing for the creature, spinning around on his heel as the momentum ideally carries his scorchin blade directly into the beast's tough leather.
Zuri is silent as the beast suddenlt charges, trying his best to ignore the horrifying shriek. He steadies his hand and waits for the moment the beast has put its weight on his chosen target, and loosens the arrow aimed at it's front left leg. After his arrow is fired he dashes to the side, seeking a better position to fire from and gaining some distance from the monster.
The monster shrieks in pain and rage as arrows thump into it, Cassidy's into its huge, misshapen hunch and Zuri's slams into the the flabby, folded flesh of its torso, just beneath one of its great, twisted arms. Not that the creature has much time to worry about the projectiles as the whirling Peter charges in. For all the thing's agility, it is still large and bulky and cannot evade the incroacing reach of the chipmunk's sword, which slashes into its scabby thigh, causing the creature to stagger and lose its balance! The foul thing gurgles its rage as it crashes into the bone pile!
Shira manages to worm through the bone pile, far enough to not be squished by the chimeraesque creature. The mouse takes a moment for a deep breath and focuses on her mathemagics for a moment, putting extra care into her next spell, before unleashing it at the wounded beast.
Cassidy furrows her brow behind her mask, the second arrow already nocked, drawn, and let loose, trying to catch the staggering beast's belly. She cold ponder the nature of this thing later, but for now, it seems like it needed to be put down. Or at least driven off. "These are not your hunting grounds. Begone."
Peter rips through the tough flesh of the monster and stops his spinning, dizzily staggering around as he catches his balance. "I got 'im!" he cries in amazement, though the chipmunk doesn't take long to catch his breath before drawing the sword up, readied for another swing, fire trailing behind as it swishes in the air! The munk reaches behind him to draw his shield, hiding behind a Sweetwater flag. He doesn't take another swing, yet, for fear of falling victim to an errant projectile.
Zuri sees no reason to change up his tactic, especially as the creature seems to be leaving the small salamander alone for now. He fires off another arrow, this time aiming center-mass.
The monster howls as bones snap around him, and he is definitely a him, and he sprouts a shiny new arrow from his guts. Foul ooze slurps from its wounds and it screams out its pain. "ALL MINE!" it roars, "All is mine! Hunger says it is so!" The beast seems to be in dire straits.
Until Shira's magic hits.
Shadows writhe and twist along the beast's flesh and dig in and out of his skin. It jerks wildly, its spine arching viciously. Then it starts to grow. Its mottled flesh stretches and its twisted tusks grow. Maybe shadow magic is not a good choice here. The arrows in its hide clatter to the ground as its wounds heal.
Shira blinks a couple of times at the miraculous healing process of the beast. "T-that is not supposed to happen!" The mouse dives back down into the bones and starts to fumble with her soul pendant, pulling out another pair of gems from a little pouch on her belt and swapping them for the ones that were set in the pendant around her neck.
Cassidy grunts, a little displeased as the work is undone. "Don't let up your swings, you'll be fine," she says, preparing another arrow. "I don't miss." Bold words. She hopes she doesn't end up eating them as she conjures a bit of fire math to ignite the tip of her arrow before firing it off towards the creature's eyes.
Peter turbs to Shira and scowls. "He even said it wouldn't work," the chipmunk yells in a panick, though Cassidy gets his thoughts back on track with her words. He holds his sword to the sky for a moment before it bursts into flames, charging the beast for another stab at it's old wounds.
Zuri gasps when the creature seemingly heals out of nowh- no, when Dark Math was used upit. "Is it a construct of Math then? That's crazy! Maybe.. it's not really alive in a way.." He salamander nibbles on his lip briefly before shifting the aim on his bow. He takes aim at the center of the creature's head, where it's brain would be, if it had one, and lets his arrow fly.
The twisted beast laughs a horrible, gurgling laugh. "You see!" it roars, "I am blessed! Hunger sustains!" Its snarling victory speech is interrupted as Cassidy's arrow thuds against its rock hard skull and ricochets off, leaving a line of black blood across its scalp. Zuri's arrow thuds into its meaty shoulder and the creature roars again, wordlessly, and the monster crashes toward the archers in a gorilla charge, pulling back to take a swing with a twisted claw at Cassidy!
Shira finishes her work on her soul pendant and slips the two gems she had previously been using into her pouch. She pokes head and arms out of her cover, pointing the later at the creature's back and spreading her fingers as she sends flaming projectiles from them. "Lets see how you like some good old fashioned fire!" Before she ducks behind her calcium rich cover once more, she answers to Peter, "That is what -I- would tell people about my weakness!"
Cassidy kicks to the sky with another burst of air magic, much like she'd used for travel, but this time she's nocking another arrow as she sails overhead, twisting and firing off the trick shot. There was something to be said about methodical sharpshooting, but this was much more entertaining.
Peter offers nothing in the form of conversation or spectacular moves, chasing the monster like his feet were on fire and hacking away at his limb with quick, repeated strikes in an attempt to open it's wounds.
Zuri yipes as the creature starts barreling towards him. He does not feel guilty at all that the big mass of angry flesh chooses to attack Cassidy instead of himself. He dashes off to gain some distance from the thing once more and plans his next strike. He takes his next arrow and dabs it with a poultice from one of the pouches at his side, a concoction of herbs and venom with a paralytic effect.. on living things, at least. He nocks the poisoned arrow and lets it fly center-mass at the large creature, hoping it will impair the creature somewhat.
The twisted thing staggers to a confused halt as its quarry suddenly vanishes, roaring again in pain as Cassidy's trick shot stabs downward through the thick muscles of its neck and Peter comes in swinging from behind to slice into its thick hide, setting a stream of black blood oozing down its back. Zuri's dart also hits its mark, thudding into the monster's chest, and to top it all off, Shira's fire magic sets what fur it has alight, burning the upper part of half of the thing's back, causing the mottled skin to blacken and blister. Finding most of its opponents are now behind it, the monstrosity whirls, its twisted claw low to backhand Peter before it charges again toward Cassidy and toward Shira hidden in her little fortress of bones.
The mouse sees danger coming for her and is not one to trust into brittle bones to stop a charge from something this big. She catapults herself high into the air, out of the bones and into a prolonged ark over the creature, casting another spell at the highest point, two outstretched fingers becoming the starting point for a lightningstrike that aims at the creature's head, for lack of anatomically knowledge of where the heart might be.
Cassidy leaps to the side, this time, before utilizing the breeze to conjure a biting gale against the creature in place of an arrow, this time, keeping it narrow and focused, to avoid catching Peter.
Peter braces his shield as he's knocked away by the monster, armor rattling as he slams his back against a wall of the canyon. "OWCH!" he calls, giving chase as he tends to do with frantic swings of his blade. His shield returns to his back as he takes his sword in both hands, trying to stab the beast's foot with a hearty shout.
Zuri bites his lip as he spots his opportunity. The small salamander picks up speed as he starts running towards the large creature, dropping his bow and drawing both his sword and dagger. As he nears the beast he leaps off, trying to leap onto it's back, dagger flashing as he tries to sink it into the flesh-monster's back to use as a handhold.
The monster shudders and jerks under Shira's lightning strike, and is battered against the wall of the narrow canyon by Cassidy's winds. Peter's sword pierces the beast's food and sinks deep into the sandy earth, opening the way for Zuri to scale mount horrible thing and sink his dagger under the creature's armpit.
THe monster is not done yet, though! It's long, black tongue lashes out and up to wrap around Shira's ankle. Her masterful use of air magic keeps the creature from snaring her, but the spiral where its tongue touched her burns like acid, the fur searing away and the flesh bubbling and blistering.
Shira cries out in pain and nearly falls out of the sky by having her concentration broken by the pain. She manages to catch herself after a bit off a fall and rises higher than she was before, hopefully out of reach of the creature. From up here, she lets another lightning bolt loose at the thing, complete with accompanying thunder.
"Swiftly now, do not suffer it to live any longer than needed," Cassidy says, as if it needed stating, drawing a barbed arrow from her quiver and nocking it, taking aim for where it had been burned earlier. She remains still, digging her feet in and lining up her shot, intent on making this one count.
Peter twists his blade, struggling to do so through the tough flesh of the monster, before drawing it out and rearing back for another swing. He chops like a woodcutter at the monster's shin, letting out a furious scream as he does so! "HHHUUUAGH." As furious as he can be, anyway.
Zuri grits his teeth as he looks down at the creature. Still using his dagger as a handhold, he lifts his sword high and then plunges it into the flesh-monster's back. He digs the sword in and twists it, trying to cause as much damage as possible.
The bolt of lightning courses through the monster again, arching it in a rictus of pain, the electricity passing through the monster and into poor Zuri and into Peter through his sword. Both of them manage to score impressive strikes before the lightning strikes them, sending rivers of blackish blood oozing along the being's limbs. Cassidy's arrow plunges into the monster's chest. As soon as the lightning finally dies away, the monster crashes to the ground, a bubble of black blood rising from its throat as it lies there, gasping.
Shira quickly lands next to where the monster crashed down and heads towards Peter, an eye on Zuri, as she addresses the chipmunk. "Creators! Are you alright? I did not think you would get struck too." She turns her head to check on Zuri. "And you, are you alright, I did not see you, I was too occupied with regaining my balance, I am so sorry!" The small mouse fidgets nervously.
Cassidy lowers her bow, free arm falling to her side as she looks over at the creature and those around it. She maintains her distance, though, watching for if the beast decides to make one more effort.
Peter draws his sword out from the monster and throws it against the wall of the canyon as he loses control of hsi body, electricity arcing through his armor and across his body to the earth. He collapses to the ground with some violent convulsion before sitting himself upright, looking mighty confused. "Creators!" he gasps, himself, reaching for his nearby blade. "Y'damn near murdered me!" He groans as he gets to his feet, into a defensive stance.
Zuri had triumphantly raised his dagger in the air, now held securely by the sword instead. He was about to plunge it down when an arc of electricity courses through his little body. He gets zapped by it, convulses, and rolls off the monster to crash rather unceremoniously on the ground beneath. "... ow."
The thing, whatever it was, lies still as black blood oozes into puddles around its inert body. Its breath rattles and it coughs weakly, the sound (and rotting meat smell) terrible.
Shira takes a few steps back from Peter, her hands raised defensively, before dropping to a knee and grimassing with a little cry of pain from her own injury. "I was just trying to finish it off quickly, before it does any more damage!" She squirms as she looks at her leg. "Would probably been worse than the electricity."
"Looks like that might be it, then... I wonder what this thing is..." Cassidy grimaces softly and looks towards the sky. "And why it was out here. That it could talk is a concern all its own... I will have to see if the library has anything on it when we return. You three are alive, yes? And well enough to walk?"
Peter groans and pushes himself up with the sword, wrinkling his nose at Shira. "Ew, your leg!" he says, offering sympathy now instead of anger. He strolls over to her, quickly recovering from his injuries, and lifts the mouse up onto his shoulder without any sort of permission. How rude.
Zuri stays on the ground for a moment, looking at the creature from this unfortunate vantage point. He pushes off and rises up to his knees, shaking his head to send specks of dirt and gunk flying off. "It's still alive, too.. barely." He looks up at his sword and groans as he gets up on his feet and tries to reach it. Just out of reach...
The creature groans feebly and coughs, blood bubbling from its mouth. "Brother!" it growls, forlornly, looking miserably at Zuri of all people, "Hungry. . ." it trails off, its eyes rolling back as it slumps to the ground and lies still.
Shira flails as she is picked up. This is starting to become a habit. "Hey! You could have at least a- Wait. Did the thing just say brother? There are more?" She turns to the creature. "Hey, you...thing, there. Whats this about a brother? How many of you are there?"
"I see now," Cassidy says, adjusting her hat. "This is troubling. Decay and hunger." Slinging her bow around her back, Cassidy pulls her spotless white gloves taut and starts back towards where they had met their employer, eager to get out of the canyon.
Peter looks down at the creature and follows it's gaze to Zuri, staring at the salamander with confusion and disgust. After a few moment's wait, he follows Cassidy, his eyes locked on the small mander.
Zuri blinks at the weird glance he just got, before his brain clicks. "Oh... oh!" He bites his lip. "Uh.. um.. yea.." He looks up at the creature and clambers on top of it again, to retrieve his sword - with a hilt rather ironically shaped like a cornucopia, the symbol of feast. "So uh... we shouldn't just leave this thing to suffer here. I mean, it's dying but it's just gonna linger here!" He looks at the monster, his hand clutching the sword's handle.
Shira flaps her arms. "Fine! Be like that and just go die!" She nods to the salamander, while still being carried on the shoulder of the chipmunk. "Go kill it." She pauses. "Or leave it to rot for not telling us about that brother." She shrugs.
Cassidy pauses, frowning. "It is not dead? Hmmm. You are right, I will not leave it to suffer," she says, turning and drawing her second bow, the longbow sort, and an appropriately longer arrow to match. "I am no headsman, but I hope this does the trick," she says, taking a squared, formal archery stance and nocking the arrow. She spends a moment to bring it to full draw, lining her shot up. "Pitiful thing... I hope it finds rest. I am sure He will tend to it."
Peter looks to the little devil on his shoulders, screwing up his face and putting a hand up, threatening to brush her off as he turns to face it. "It ain't dead? You better make it so. Suffer all it likes, it ends up dead," he declares, folding his arms, sword put away in it's sheath. "Hope it don't have a brother around close. I'm sore."
Zuri hops off to let Cassidy have a clear shot. The small salamander sheathes his sword and dagger, and walks off to collect his discarded bow. He looks back at the creature with a similar, forlorn grimace. "Well, job's done." He tries to put on a smile.
The killing shot flies true, striking hard into the beast's eye and brain. It exhales one last, shuddering breath and is still. It looks like the job is, in fact, done.
Shira frowns. And not only because of her still hurting leg. "Lets just hope we don't get called back because of that Brother. I like a fight as much as the next person, but I prefer enemies that don't talk. Or have acid tongues. Seriously nature. Why."
"I don't think we'll have to worry about the brother," Cassidy says, glancing towards Zuri out of the corner of her eye. Though it's easy to miss, with her still wearing the mask. "And I do not think this was a creature of nature. No, this is something quite a bit different."
Peter nods in agreement with Shira. "C'mon, then," Peter grunts, stomping along, his boots squelching with dirty blood as he steps across the stony ground.
Zuri nods slowly. "Yea, the way it consumed your dark math, almost literally.. mm.. " He wiggles his snout. "Yea, nothing natural. No good at all, in fact..." The small salamander looks back at the creature one last time before walking off, to collect his reward.. though it may not feel like much of one right now.
