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Post by indeath on Oct 12, 2022 17:38:54 GMT -6
((August hugs Leo, removes the ham with a skewer then drops it in a bucket of water to cool off. Then he rips strips from his robe as oven mitts to take it past the gate for the beast.))
“We did it! I bet it’s the best darn smellin thing this side of the gate!”
August attempted to high five the mummy but instead went in for a quick hug.
Then he got one of the long pokers from the pile and slid it in, carefully removing the hot meat. Then he dunked it in a cold bucket of water for a little while. He wasn’t sure it would help but it seemed like a good idea. He needed oven mitts. He tore some strips from his robe and took the ham out, holding carefully in his hands.
“Alright fellas! Wine ham is go! Open the gate y’all and I’ll drop this off Uber Eats style!”
He marched proudly to the gate, ready for action.
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Post by tsukikoko on Oct 12, 2022 18:52:19 GMT -6
[OOC: John grabs the burial shroud off Leo to shield his head from the heat and helps carry the ham with August, to get this whole delivery business done more quickly.]
If nothing else, this group were good enough at completing tasks. John turned his muzzle to the wind, scenting and listening, but the Manticore was so far fixated on chasing the scaled one, which bought them some time.
Still, his furry brow creased as he looked at August carrying the ham. It was large, heavy and they couldn't afford to be caught outside with it when the Beast returned, or on the wrong side of the fire Vincent was preparing. The fox expelled a breath heavily through his lips; he supposed he could assist with that. At least the ham smelled divine. He could cope with something like it touching him.
But he wasn't about to touch something so hot directly to his fur, not while a mere mortal.
With a scamper, a deft leap and a flick of his head, the fox tore Leo's burial shroud from him - he wouldn't mind, John was sure - and swept it atop his own head to offer some protection from the heat of the ham. He then ran over to August and shoved his head under the ham to take on some of the weight, floating off the ground in order to reach. Hopefully this would speed up their progress.
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Post by hadopelagic on Oct 12, 2022 19:09:19 GMT -6
((OOC: Una lights the firebrand and follows her pals. Items: Lit firebrand))
Una knelt beside the pig fire and lowered her firebrand into the flames, waiting for it to light. WHOOSH. With a gasp, she held the burning end away from her.
"It's so bright - ah! Wait for me!"
Running with her arm fully outstretched (to protect her face), she hurried to the gate.
Una would do her best to guard her friends as they worked, keeping the fire between them and the manicore. Their plan was good; the manticore would eat the drugged meat, fall asleep, and then ... She didn't want to contemplate what happened *then.*
What if he was the last of his kind?
He'd killed so many innocents. Children! And if they didn't stop him, he'd continue terrorizing the village until nobody remained. He'd try to eat all her new friends. Even the clever dog!
At least he'd be dreaming in the end.
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Post by beastly on Oct 12, 2022 19:14:08 GMT -6
((Vince pours the pitch on the ground, asks Una to set it on fire.)) ((Items: Pitch, flint))
Vincent ran out as soon as the gate was opened, face a scowl. He was starting to get the adrenaline rush, focused entirely on his task. He poured the pitch on the ground, a short distance away from the wooden wall, turning to Una. He eyed the stick Una has with fire, and gestured quickly.
"Would you?"
He was on high alert, head up and looking around.
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Post by jarahamee on Oct 12, 2022 20:17:38 GMT -6
The beast lunged after Ash, moving in bursts. It began to pause here and there, panting, between its concernedly fast bouts of leaping to rest in the thick, wet grass. Its tongue had a concernedly rough appearance, made to lap meat from bone; its eyes shone greenish-yellow in the darkness where they caught the moonlight. Ash noted that it was able to jump fairly high when it wanted to. Perhaps it could leap the fence of the fortress with enough motivation.
As he lead it onward, he noted the dark shape in the sky drifted lazily lower, closing in on him, slowly first, then ever faster. If Ash was accustomed to the manner of flying creatures, he would know it was preparing to dive. If it was focused on him, he did not have a lot of time.
August embraces the mummy, who looks subtly surprised somehow. It very carefully embraces him back, before patting him once with its thin, dried arms. It moves to help support the wineham, staining itself with the dark juices. August wraps his hands to create mits to move the wineham before grasping it to move it.
John tears a piece of cloth from the mummy’s body. As he guessed, the mummy does not seem to mind, and tears off a second, larger piece to help tie around John. Underneath the shroud, the being’s legs and torso appear to be wrapped in dark, discolored cloth. The body of this once powerful man seems to have dried into an unnaturally thin form as part of the mummification process.
Una and Vince prepare the ground behind August, John and the mummy.
John, August, and the Mummy move beyond the line of pitch. The darkness is silent. How much farther do they want to go?
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Post by indeath on Oct 13, 2022 4:01:31 GMT -6
(( August places the ham and I suck at judging distance so hopefully it makes sense. Then runs back in a game of last one is a rotten egg.))
It was hard not to smile a little as they moved forward, the three of them. August directed them far enough from where the fire would be for the manticore to feel safe, but close enough they could still see it. More importantly he didn’t want the manticore coming back early. He plonked it down unceremoniously on a patch of grass.
“Alright fellas! Last one back is a rotten egg!”
August ran back towards the gate as fast as his legs could take him, which was a lot slower than normal but hopefully faster than the other two. He looked back to make sure they were following though.
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Post by tsukikoko on Oct 13, 2022 6:35:44 GMT -6
[OOC: John does a runner back to the fortifications.]
A rotten what?!, John thought, his fuse so exceptionally short today that even such a childish jibe filled him with indignation.
His fur fluffed out and a high-pitched yip escaped his jaws as he took off, at speed, towards August and the fortified structure beyond. Not a chance in hell he'd be the last one back. If anything, the fox now seemed determined to be the first one back.
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Post by kilnarak on Oct 13, 2022 15:34:11 GMT -6
[ Ash turns about to rush back toward the village. ]
Painfully aware of the movements of the creature above, Ash gave one more heavy beat to gain a little height, then turned sharply, angling his flight back toward the walled village. He pushes himself to move as quickly as possible, sure that he's running out of time. He keeps a firm grip on the candle, although given the speed it is possible it may go out on the return trip. He needed somewhere safe to land - somewhere covered, or perhaps a tall tree? But like as not he'd need to reach the village and land inside the walls.
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Post by beastly on Oct 13, 2022 19:33:06 GMT -6
((Vince waits for those on foot to get inside before returning himself. He asks the guard to close the gate and prepares to lunge if the monster comes in.)) ((Item: Flint, butcher's knife))
The hunter waited for Una to light the pitch, and for the others to get in, not caring about any rotten egg status. Once August, the fox, and Una were back in the village he scrambled back in, ignoring his knee's complaints.
He looked up, seeing the quickly approaching Ash. He squinted, then grabbed a butcher's knife from the 'weapons' brought out by the dragon man.
He looked to the guard.
"Close it- please."
The Manticore would probably be there soon. He stood on the inside, to the side of the gate, muscles tensed, much like a crouching animal himself. If the monster made it through the pitch, if something went wrong, he was prepared to lunge.
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Post by hadopelagic on Oct 13, 2022 22:57:10 GMT -6
((OOC: Una waits with the others; Items = lit firebrand))
Una stood behind John/Vince, still holding the firebrand. As they waited to close the gate, she peeked around the man to stare outside, searching for movement in the shadows. But the world beyond the burning pitch was utterly dark; Una couldn't see a thing.
For the moment, she closed her eyes and listened.
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Post by jarahamee on Oct 13, 2022 23:57:43 GMT -6
The night was dark, and clouds hung low over the rolling, misty hills that surrounded them. From where they stood they could see the rolling hills appeared endless, eventually disappearing into a horizon of rounded mountains that contained the dark water of the bog. August, John and Vince dashed back into the walled city after placing the wineham outside, moving over the line of pitch and back within. The mummy trailed behind, moving steadily but not as quickly as the rest. He was, apparently, the rotten egg. Despite being slow, whatever was happening with Ash and the manticore took long enough that he too eventually made it back inside. All of them waited, prepared to close the doors as soon as either Ash or the manticore reemerged.
But then something else had happened. The dark sky was pierced by barely perceptible movement and a soft whoosh of air as something large came down from the heavens, careening off into blackness.
Ash flew back toward the safety of the walled city, flapping urgently. The air was cold and wet. There were no trees to hide behind, at least here. The hills were covered with carpet-like, thick green grasses, and low-lying brush in muted colors. They had reached the hour of night when mist began to gather in the grasses, low to the ground, pooling in the darkness of the moors below.
The tawny color of the great beast bounding after the reptilian made it stand out even in the relative darkness, and its eyes caught the moonlight here and there, glittering in an unsettling sort of way, like candles themselves in the dim light. It paused, panting, seeming more out of breath but incredibly excited as Ash changed direction, sending up pieces of sod with its massive claws.
And then, the great flying creature dove.
For a moment, Ash thought maybe he could escape it. He was close enough he could see the lights of the city, and he was moving quickly; much faster than the flying creature had been moments before. At least until now.
It plunged towards him with incredible speed. It was not a quiet flier, but it did not seem that it had to be. He moved to one side, a mark of his experience. The candle guttered as he did so but remained lit. He felt the hot breath of whatever it was behind him on his back, and then, terribly, the impact of its great clawed feet on his wing and back.
The incredible pain came moments later as the claws raked into his wings and his side, tearing through them as the huge bird missed piercing his body with its talons (ASH IS NOW INJURED. ASH CAN NO LONGER FLY). His relatively flimsy body had ripped instead of proving a good place to grab, and his body and the candle fell down in the darkness.
Directly in front of the manticore.
The flying creature, now that Ash could see it, was not a bird, though it had seemed bird-shaped from afar. Its face was scaley and filled with sharp teeth, and it had a short but lashing reptilian tail with skin that allowed it to fly, or perhaps glide.
Gravity carried it after Ash, and it twisted in the air after him until both of them hit the ground, Ash first. His left wing was shredded and his side was now bleeding. Worse, the manticore followed the lure of the flame, and now the massive creature stood in front of him after one of its great bounds, yellow eyes wide with excitement. Thankfully, it seemed temporarily distracted by the massive Flying Creature which seemed just as startled to see the lion-like monster.
Ash is between them. The candle is sitting on the ground in front of him, still burning fervently.
The manticore makes a terrible sound, like a child’s scream, which transitions into a lion’s roar, and the flying creature screeches back, picking itself up from the ground, squaring off, flapping its great wings as it regained its balance, adjusting taloned feet. They both tower over the fallen Ash.
Ash has the sense they will not remain distracted for long.
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Post by kilnarak on Oct 14, 2022 1:23:34 GMT -6
[ Ash abandons the candle and instead crawls toward the 'bird' - hoping it's distracted enough that he can slip by underneath it. ]
Ash had a moment to realize his error, feeling the breath of the creature above him and the pressure of it's nearness. And then it's claws were in his back and all he was aware of was pain. He screamed, feeling the talons rip through one of his wings like it was little more than tissue, his scales little protection from the sheer strength and force of the creature. It didn't manage to grab him, but it's claws did rake through his flesh, but with only one wing to carry him he dropped from the sky like a stone. Instinct made him tuck his good wing against his body as he fell, the ruined one trying to do the same to little effect. He landed hard enough to knock the air from his lungs, and he felt his vision darken at the edges. He wondered if he would black out.
Somehow the candle survived the fall, standing perfectly on the ground within arm's reach. He gazed at it a moment, uncomprehending, and then his gaze moved past it to the claws paws of the beast. He twitched, scales lifting, and he tried to shove himself away from it. As he did he became aware of the flying creature, which had landed behind him. It almost looked like him in his larger form, though it lacked the proper number of limbs. It wasn't looking at him, at least, but rather was focused on the manticore.
Ash froze a moment, waiting for one of the two to pounce upon him. But when that didn't happen, he decided to crawl - he moved toward the bird, hoping to get under it and away while it was distracted with the manticore.
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Post by indeath on Oct 14, 2022 5:13:30 GMT -6
((August worries about Ash and speculates on the blobby shadows fighting.))
August was relieved that they had all three made it back. His little game was his way of encouraging speediance without causing panic. Though he was concerned about their scaly dragon friend, he hadn’t made it back yet. Still he didn’t want to panic and have everyone race out only to be eaten. He’d seen enough movies to know how that ended.
He gasped as a large shadow seemed to fall from the sky, in front of what he had thought was probably the manticore or maybe a large moving bush. His vampiric vision seemed to be on the fritz along with most of his other powers.
“Lawdamimbo! Ermmm can manticores fly? I think it’s fighting somethin’ or there might be two of em but they’re havin’ some kinda ruckus!”
Then an inappropriate thought crossed his mind.
“Oooh ya don’t reckon it’s makin’ babies do ya? Hopefully whatever they’re doin’ it makes em hungry for Wine-ham!”
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Post by beastly on Oct 14, 2022 12:39:12 GMT -6
((Vincet hears Ash and tries to think up a way to help. He snaps at August, then runs to the gate.)) ((Items: knife, flint))
Vincent heard the dragon man scream, but looking out into the night he saw very little. His heart beat hard in his chest as he tried to determine the next move. The vampire could see in the dark. They had put fire in front of the front entrance to the village, potentially they could let Ash in the back? He stood, trying to put the pieces together.
When the vampire spoke, Vincent scowled hard. Two manticores? Two after Ash? His follow up statement made Vincent wrinkle his nose in a snarl.
"You idiot," he glared," he could be dying."
With a deep breath, Vincent ran a hand through his hair. There hadn't been a lot of screaming, not the kind he'd associate with someone being ripped apart by monsters. Ash could still be helped, if they hadn't just ripped his head off. Being distracted by the vampire's antics wasn't helping. Solutions, Hudson.
"The back, Ash!"
Vincent yelled, hoping he wouldn't draw the monsters to them by with his raised voice, but he couldn't think of anything else. He gripped the knife, as pitiful a weapon as it was, and ran to the back gate. He looked it over critically, and opened it.
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Post by hadopelagic on Oct 14, 2022 14:30:23 GMT -6
((OOC: Una removes her tunic, covers herself in pig mud, and joins Vince at the back gate. She calls to Ash with birdsong. Items = Firebrand.))
When she heard the cry/roar of the manticore and the horrible screech of a second creature, Una's eyes popped open. There were two predators out there? And one of them could FLY? She stared at August in stunned silence as he described the distant, indistinct scene.
Una had been at the top of the food chain for so long, she'd almost forgotten how to survive on a lower link.
But once upon a time, she'd been small and delicious. To survive those early years, she'd relied on camoflage and distraction. If a beast didn't notice you, you'd live to swim another day.
Then, Vince shouted for Ash and headed for the back gate. So there was a chance that Ash had survived? They couldn't leave him! Una took one step after Vince, intending to follow him to the back gate, but ... suddenly, she noticed the pigs (G). More specifically, she noticed the pig's muddy wallow.
"We must blend in to the earth," Una told August. Then, she removed her tunic and ran toward (G), the firebrand held high. Once she reached the mud, Una gently pushed a pig aside, dropped on her butt, laid back, and wiggled. The firebrand, she held aloft. Next, she turned onto her front, slathered her body with the mud, and stood. Una experimentally sniffed her arm.
Ah. Both her natural scent AND her appearance had been disguised!
Satisfied, she joined Vince/John at the back gate.
"I can call to Ash with bird song," Una informed Vince/John, and then she demonstrated with an imitation of a crow calling. Ash seemed to like crows; he'd spoken to the freaky ones earlier that night.
Internally, Una was preparing herself for a decision: if Ash didn't return, would she sneak out there to find him? If he did return, but needed help, would she answer that call? It was best not to dwell upon hypotheticals. When and if the time came, she'd know the answer.
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