-----Original Message----- From: C. Matthias <[email protected]> To: Hallan Mirayas <[email protected]>; Metamor Keep <[email protected]> Sent: Sat, Jan 16, 2016 1:57 pm Subject: Re: [Mkguild] MK: Homecoming (3/3) > Their defense was tiered, one layer upon > another. Wolfram carved Long Scout symbols > into the trees on the edges of the clearing, > pressing his hand on the bark next to each to > leave a familiar scent should Drift have > forgotten the meaning of the symbols. Misha > assembled the pieces of Drift's battlestaff, > Whirlwind, and wedged it into a cleft in one of > the rocks. After the fight in the storm the > staff had been too damaged to repair but Misha > had brought it anyway. Charles hung a Metamor > banner on it and Saroth asked a gentle breeze > to keep the rampant stallion insignia > visible. Merai and Tychicus prepared more > forceful surprises in case the memory jog went > badly. In the middle of it all, a pan sizzled > > Finally, they needed to draw the Beast's > attention, to bring him to them on their > timetable rather than his own. Once they had > finished their preparations, Wolfram had the > answer to that: a curving ram's horn plated > with brass on the inside. Misha's brow > furrowed as he looked from it to its mirrored > twin on Wolfram's head. "Is that, by any chance, your own horn?" he asked. > > "The one Drift broke off, yes. Pascal repaired it for me." > > "And you didn't get it 'repaired' back onto your head?" > > Wolfram shrugged. "Waste not, want > not. It'll grow back, and I get a story and a battle horn out of the > bargain." That's another awesome thing about being an anthro. I love that Wolfram did that. :-) >>>> Oh it is REALLY cool. > Faint crashes in the deep forest heralded > the approach of the Beast, growing louder with > alarming rapidity. Charles flicked out his > Sondeshike and moved closer to Merai. His ears > lowered and his whiskers backed. "I hope this > plan works, Misha. I only survived my last > fight against him because I had... help. If he > does not remember, this will not end > well." Turning his back to the clearing and > the fire, Charles watched their backs should > the approaching beast circle around to come at their flanks. True on two levels. Yajakali stopped one attack. Another ensured Charles survived because for one moment Drift recognized him. > Treetops started vanishing on a > straight-line approach from the northeast, > clouds of leaves and limbs erupting into the > air as their trunks were shattered or smashed > down. Misha tightened his grip on Whisper and > bit back the 'me, too' in his mind from > becoming anything more than a heartfelt > prayer. "Here we go, people. Stay focused and > work together. Everyones turned, save the > rat, toward the path of destruction rapidly > approaching. Misha saw even Charles glance > back over his shoulder briefly. The fox took a > breath and tightened his hands upon the haft of his axe. Saroth? Now." Yeah, the treetops vanishing is a great visual too. > With a gesture from the weather dragon a > breeze uncoiled itself from around the fire and > raced out to meet the onrushing beast. It > carried a message, a very simple message, yet > one that stopped the Beast in his tracks; the > smell of cooking trail-biscuit. Silence > settled on the forest like an uneasy fog. Ten > of the longest seconds of Misha's life followed > before Merai broke in. "He's moving again, > slowly this time. I think he's > circling." Elemacil lowered, its point > tracking on the Beast, and a moment later Merai > amended an affirmative, pivoting in place to maintain her facing. I like how they are reaching out to him here. > The ram banged a pan against his > shield. "Hey, Drift!" he yelled. "Yes, you, > out in the forest! Stop sneaking around and get in here! Dinner's-" > > A cavernous growl interrupted him. In the > shadows of the forest, a pair of golden lights > appeared. A red mouth opened into a snarl > beneath them, lined with darkly gleaming teeth > and a tongue stained black with lutin > blood. The head of a monstrous wolf resolved > itself from the darkness, its glowing golden > eyes showing neither pupil nor white. A > crimson paw the size of a draft horse's hoof > emerged into the light, followed by its > fellow. With the arrogant hauteur of a > conquering king and the narrow-eyed suspicion > of a combat veteran, the War Wolf of Revonos > strode into the clearing. This was a creature > that expected an attack at any moment, expected > to utterly destroy those who tried, and dripped > with the blood of his enemies to prove his capability. > > Exchanging a glance between them, Saroth > and Tychicus began to applaud. This had been > Charles' addition to the plan. If Drift felt > like he was still in the arena it would be the > spectators who applauded, not the > combatants. There was no contest of might to > be had from spectators. It worked; the wolf > froze in confusion with one paw lifted > mid-stride. The two dragons were the only ones > with hands free to clap but, unasked for, > Wolfram let out a whoop worthy of the Summer Festival. And a very clever addition too! For the first time in all this I think Caracark is confused. > The beast's head snapped around, locking on > Wolfram like a lodestone to iron. Golden eyes > bored into the ram for a long moment, then > opened suddenly wide. Ears rose, pulling its > head upward out of an aggressive snarl. Its > jaw sagged open and its lifted forepaw dropped > back to the ground, bracing as if the earth had > suddenly begun to shift like a swaying ship > deck underneath it. Silence descended on the > clearing as the applause faltered. > > "Drift?" Misha spoke quietly. He hadn't > meant to, but the name slipped past his lips before he could stop it. > > The effect was instant. Ears flashing > straight backwards, the Beast flinched as if > from a blow, then froze as every muscle in his > body went iron-taut. For a moment, nothing > moved in the clearing except the faint wafts of > frost that passed for the Beast's breath. Then > slowly, as slowly as an iron statue being > dragged over barren rock, the wolf's head > turned from Wolfram. Tychicus and Saroth > passed under its scrutiny with barely a > flicker. Merai warranted a tightening of the > eyes, a strangled, agonized whimper. Charles > evoked a snarl and a shiver of pelt as muscle fought muscle. And then > > Kill him. And the Beast has found its target. > To the end of his days, Misha could never > say how he dodged that first strike. All he > knew for certain was that one moment he had > been staring into the wolf's eyes from across > the clearing, and in the next heartbeat Whisper > rang in his hands as its flat smashed across > the leading edge of a red blur. The axe rang > in his head, too, a cacophony of warning tones > that he had no time to process. He had > sidestepped, but not enough: even with those > deadly jaws diverted, the huge war-wolf's > shoulder sent Misha spinning to the ground, > just barely missing a disemboweling sweep of a > massive paw already coated in the gore of > countless creatures. The fox tumbled a few feet > onto his back, the world swimming briefly out > of focus before a huge, black-toothed maw > loomed over him, teeth bared for the kill. Whisper is your friend, Misha. You do not know how many times you owe it your life. >>>He knows it! It pays to carry a 3000 year old magic artifact! > Gloved hands jerked Misha to his > feet. "On- on your feet, sir." Shock stumbled > Wolfram's words, but Misha paid him no > attention. Drift had slalomed through the holy > wards and weakened patches of ground that Merai > and Tychicus had made as if he could see them. How- ? I'm hearing Sarah Conner tell Kyle Reese, "On your feet, soldier!" I'm sure that wasn't intentional, but it's what sprang to mind. > The wolf wheeled around, paws splaying, and > Misha's eyes widened. He'd seen dragons take > that stance before. "Cover!" he yelled, and > tackled Wolfram to the ground as the Beast's > maw opened. As the rest of the party > scattered, Tychicus mirrored the beast's > stance, robe dropping away as he grew. His > chest ballooned with indrawn breath until the > moment the war wolf's stomach tensed, and then > dragon's fire and hell-born ice crashed > together between them like the fists of > giants. With a thunderous, ground-shaking > roar, each nullified the other. Fog exploded > from the collision of extremes, the roiling > cloud instantly whiting out visibility to a > bare handful of strides. The evenly matched > contest lasted only a second before Tychicus' > fire blasted suddenly unopposed, coring a hole > through the cloud and lighting distant trees on fire. The wolf had vanished. Naturally, he knows when his attacked is matched; no sense wasting energy when it won't work. > "Drift? Are you-" Misha, you really need to stop doing that. >>>>Hope spring eternal! He still is trying to get to Drift. > A wedge of Longfugos force slashed through > the air a fraction of a second too late to > intercept the blast, but it drew the Beast's > attention. "Merai! Wolfram!" Charles yelled > as he ran into the assault path. "Get Misha > out of that ice before he > suffocates!" Spinning up his Sondeshike as a > shield, he turned his full focus on the beast > before him. Filling his lungs as full as he > could make them, he shouted, "Drift Edward > Snow! You know me! You know who I am! We met > in the Arena of Blood, where you saved my life! Now help me save yours!" > > The Beast snarled. Was this tiny creature > a fool? He faced Carcarak! The Beast of > Revonos! The foremost servant and chosen > champion of the Lord of the Sundered > Shield! Not even the lowest, most witless of > imps would dare to bring a shield into his presence, and this... this... > > Rat... Recognition! It was only a week ago after all! > "You don't need to fight anymore- we are > both free! Our chains are broken! Come back to us as family! Come home!" > > With a deafening roar, the Beast erupted > into sudden, brutal violence. Thrashing about > like a hooked fish, he slammed his head against > nearby boulders hard enough to crack stone, bit > his own limbs until bone gleamed, and churned a > bloody circle into the earth around > him. Tattered flesh and shattered bone healed > as quickly as Charles remembered, only to be > torn and broken anew in a mad paroxysm of > self-destructive fury, and Charles backed away > in shock in spite of himself. His shielding spin faltered. Not quite the reaction Charles hoped for, but a few moments fighting himself is good for Misha. > Had Charles' reactions been any slower, he > would not have caught the sudden shift from > thrashing to strike. The flurry of force > punches he hurled into the Beast's path split > the wolf into three directions as it dodged, > but the ones that sprinted left and right > shattered into snow spray almost > immediately. Only the one who had leaped > skyward landed whole, staggering and > panting. Many of the hits had landed, but it > only seemed to make the beast, if possible, > even angrier. Gathering his feet back under > him in a bound, the war wolf hurled himself, > jaws agape, at Charles.... and at the same time > held back, inhaling for another blizzard. > > With only a fraction of a second to deduce > which threat was real, and the tattletale chain > obliterated in the earlier explosion, Charles > set himself for a Longfugos air slash to > counter the blizzard. The farther wolf looked > solid and real, while the leaping one flickered > and shimmered as if not able to fully > solidify. He guessed correctly: the pouncing > beast passed right through him with barely a > chill. But then the far one, mid-breath, > flickered and faded and Charles had just enough > time to hear movement behind him before two > massive hindpaws slammed into his > shoulders. Adamantite-coated claws knifed into > his back, lifting him from the ground and hurling him across the clearing. > > Saroth, returning to the fray, swerved out > of a swooping side attack to pluck Charles from > midair, unconscious and bleeding. He winged > away, getting the rat to safety, but the > Beast's open maw tracked on them, preparing to > blast the bronze weather dragon from the sky. That's twice now I've let you beat my character up. You owe me big time. ;-) > Merai lifted a hand in a warding gesture, a > glowing barrier sphere rising up around her, > but the shadow-wreathed servant of the Lord of > the Sundered Shield cleaved through it with > contemptuous ease. Arriving in a blur of > speed, darkly gleaming claws carved apart the > light like swords, shadow and light tangling > and dissipating in smoky swirls and > eddies. Frosted teeth bared to bite, but Merai > and Elemacil were waiting. The holy sword > flashed, forcing the hellbeast to flinch away, > and Merai swung with all her strength, guided > by the sword's spirit toward a decapitating strike. Nice to see something actually hurt him. > Wolfram charged into their midst, bulling > shield-first into the Beast's shoulder. Teeth > snapped shut on air instead of priestess, and > white fire furrowed the wolf's cheek and ear > rather than spearing through his > brain. Carcarak rolled with the tackle, > snarling over his stolen kill, and launched > Wolfram into the air with all four paws. As > the swordless fighter land in a clanking > sprawl, the Beast turned away with a dismissive snort. > > It was a mistake he would regret only > seconds later. As Carcarak inhaled to freeze > Merai and Misha in one blow, Wolfram's hooved > foot slammed upward between the Beast's hind > legs. The building icy blast choked off in an > anguished spray of frozen shards. In instant > response, one hind foot lashed out, catching > the frantically backpedaling ram across the > shield like a thunderstroke. With that much > power behind it, even a glancing blow smashed > Wolfram off his feet, nearly wrenching his > shoulder out of socket. The Beast followed a > moment later, whirling and pouncing with a > murderous roar. Metal-clad teeth cleaved into > the ram's upraised shield, crumpling it around > his arm like cheap tin foil. His blazing eyes > promised to cleave that arm apart and then rip > out the stump, then do the same to the other > arm, then each of the legs, and then... He > didn't get the time. Wolfram gritted his teeth > against the pain, seized Carcarak's ear with > his left hand, and slammed his horned head > against the beast's brow. It didn't do any > damage, but the forgotten familiarity of the > move bought the ram a moment's pause. He put > it to best use. "Payback for when you kicked > me there, Drift," Wolfram growled, his face > dripping with blood from the Beast's gory > fur. "Back in training when we first met. Remember?" And this is why we love Wolfram. :-) >>>That is a great scene! :D > Then Misha broke free of his > fast-disintegrating ice prison. He hefted > Whisper into a crossing block. "Drift-" Misha? SERIOUSLY? >>>Seriously! > Drift whirled, death in his eyes, and > slammed his jaws shut on the black axe's > shaft. The runic weapon struck back instantly, > ripping life energy from the beast like a > wolverine eviscerating a rabbit. Carcarak, > desperate to stay alive, pulled every last drop > of daedra energy from the broken linking spell > embedded in the collar around his neck, > devouring every spell and enchantment ever > woven into it or through it. The collar, > overstrained far beyond anything for which it > had ever been designed, flared white-hot for a > tenth of a second before detonating, hurling > Misha, Whisper, and the War Wolf in three separate directions. This is why you need to carefully read the safety precautions for a Runic Weapon before touching it. >>>> Misha knows what the axe can do! It's Carcarak who failed to read the safety manual. But to be fair it is written Hieroglyphics and a bit hard to read. >>>>Had anything less powerful then Carcarak had done it they wouldn't have survived. It's drained the life from some pretty powerful people in the past! > Silence fell, broken only by the TCHOKK of > Whisper burying itself two feet into a boulder as it landed. >>>> The axe will cut thru anything - wood, stone metal. The only thing it cant >>>> cut is those packets they but the ketchup and mustard in at the fast food >>>> places. But then NO ONE can open those things up. > Cradling his right arm carefully across his > stomach to avoid all of the sheared and > crumpled edges of the destroyed shield wrapped > around it, Wolfram struggled to his feet, > muttering something he'd probably have to > confess to Father Hough later. His body ached > and his shoulder screamed at him with every > nudge or shift, but it still compared favorably > to getting thrown through a wall. Merai > dropped the energy shield she had re-raised > around her, her arm nearly finished thawing, > and Misha levered himself upright, both looking > about as bruised as Wolfram felt. "I'm getting > too old for this," the fox grumbled as he > pulled Whisper cleanly from the rock. >>>> Ok. Admit it We ALL saw that line coming. Saroth > landed in a whirl of wings, still carrying > Charles. The rat wobbled drunkenly when the > dragon set him down, but gestured that he would > be okay. His mail would need to be replaced, > as would the padded undershirt, but together > they had taken the brunt of the claw strike: > the rat Sondeckis had been too light for the > wolf's double back-kick. Only Tychicus > remained insensate, and even his eyelids were beginning to flutter. > > And in the middle of them all, his > blood-soaked fur charred and blackened where > the collar had been, the mighty Beast of > Revonos lay sprawled in limp-limbed oblivion. And he made a satisfying whump when he hit the floor! Excellent combat sequence and an excellent and enjoyable next chapter in Drift's tale! >>>>Agreed. A VERY good story. _______________________________________________ MKGuild mailing list [email protected] http://lists.integral.org/listinfo/mkguild
_______________________________________________ MKGuild mailing list [email protected] http://lists.integral.org/listinfo/mkguild
