Doom turns to terror: 13MAR21
17
MAR/21
Union: The Raider’s together, Again
Niki looked back to Richeut. Niki was starting to have a mischief in his smiles. He was starting to like the challenges of these dungeons. Watching Yetto, to make sure he does not rush off to his death. He just knew that at some point Yetto in his assured arrogance would wander off into something he could not handle. He knew that Richeut had a similar arrogance that might get him killed as well. He would need to watch him as they moved through the rooms. This man would attack anything to save his Sabrina, even if it meant his own death. “Okay, the creature is there. There is just enough space to move past him. Follow me and keep up. We will be fine.”
Niki charged past the creature, dodging as he moved by. He could not take a look back as he went down the hall. As he turned the corner, he took his first look back. He knew Richeut was moving to slow, “hurry Richeut.” He looked down the hall, and Inex was just in front of him. Inex smiled as a Dragonborn can, “Em I glad to see you.” Niki heard the smack of a lava rock attack. He heard Richeut scream, and in his mind’s eye, he saw him grabbed and flung into the well of fire. Niki looked up, “you too. No time. Gather the others, we must help Richeut.” He peeked back seeing only the creature and he launched Selunes power down the hall at the creature. It was a weak bolt, but he knew in that instant Selune was now giving him more power.
Inex ran around the corner. He gave the creature something to think about as a new Hyena showed up just beyond the lava monstrosity. He dashed back. Wink came running and as she did, shrank down to a tenth of her former size. She yelled to Niki as she passed him, “I will check on Richeut.” Niki moved through his friends to find Arnia. She was still in a state. Knowing his connection with Selune was stronger than ever, reached out for help. He could not know if Selune could hear him in this hellish place. Arnia blinked back to her former self. She was confused, but Niki could not give her all the details, “trying to save Richeut, we can talk later.” He ran back to the corner but could no longer hear Richeut. In his heart, he knew he was dead. Wink reaffirmed that as she headed back down the hall, “he is dead, but his sword remains.”
Niki through a moonbeam over the lava monster, “we should recover it to give it to Lady Sabrina.” The creature through a lava ball down the hall. The heat of it tore through Wink. Niki ducked behind his shield. Niki hit it again from a distance. The creature tired of the conflict and headed back into his lava well. Niki and wink ran up to recover the sword. Arnia now understanding came up, “The treasure is not worth your lives.” Niki looked back to her, “we should return it to Lady Sabrina.” Wink climbed the wall of the well. She was still six inches tall. She jumped off and with her head bowed a little headed back down the hall, “the sword is destroyed.”
Yetto and Inex had moved to protect the groups flank. They met another man on the far side. A man the group would soon learn to call Argyle the Betrayer. Who he betrayed never became clear? He and Yetto were soon fast friends. The problem came as he moved into a chamber of the far end of the dungeon. The path was partially blocked by another hyena. Inex had moved his summoned beast to this side to protect them. After the disappointment in the fire well, Niki and Wink headed back.
Yetto was pointing down a hall. Inex had been down there and came back, “that guy is down there is a big green sigil.” Niki stepped up, “what kind of sigil.” Yetto looked really confused, “one that breaks my “amazing” charms.” From the hall, Argyle could be heard, begging for Yetto to join him. He sounds sane. Yetto’s mouth perched to one side, “he was not that sane a minute ago.” Niki huffed, “I will check it out. If we go in; all go in.” He went down to the edge, “I am coming in my friend.” Trying to make it look like he was moving around the corner, Niki reached his shield into the open. The loud pang came from the room as a heavy bolt launched and struck into his shield. Niki stepped out and asked Selune for power. His power splashed upon a purple sphere. Niki shocked yelled to the Raider’s, “we are going in.”
It took some planning to organize the team, but they went in. The green sigil protected him from magic. Yetto tried in vain to dispel it twice. The Raider’s feared the effects and moved about within the room to avoid entering it. He was brutalizing the team. Old, desiccated heads surrounded the room. Niki thought they were the source of his power. He grabbed one and with spite through it to the ground. Yetto, moved up to him in the green sigil. Argyle punished him for his entrance. Wink came in as well and survived much better. Niki wanted him out of the sigil, he swung up to push him out with his shield. Just as he left the sigil edge, Yetto’s charms hit him, and he was his friend once again, “Yetto, don’t hurt me.
Whahahahahahah.”
Argyle struck deep into Niki. He should have dropped but the bracelet he wore magically placed some of the damage on Wink. They were connected in health. She screamed and fell back. Arnia now on his right stabbed him with her sword. Niki moved up to protect the wounded Yetto, and to flank him on the left. Arnia used her new advantage to take Argyle out. Niki feared he might heal through the power of the green sigil and ended him for sure. Wink moved up to his body, “I think I can talk to him in this state.” She looked into his increasingly graying eyes. She learned his name, and that he was part of the Nautuhl worshipers that took over House Kazan and their Badna priests. It became clear why this house was disliked so much within Raam. They were of the White and Raam was for the Black. Niki worried that Draj would send an army. Was this part of some early incursion into Raam.
The Raider’s searched the room and the body. Arnia grabbed his heavy crossbow. Niki picked up his shortsword. He had needed a better weapon for a long time. His shield was not damaged, but Niki loved the old tortoise shell shield, so he cast mending on it. All of the little stresses and scratches washed away. Some long dead gladiator would be proud of his former shield.
The room had no tunnel or door. They had missed something within the complex. They started to move through the south end of the complex looking for something they missed. They had to be careful to not wake the lava creature. They moved past it and closer to the entrance. Wink moved cautiously down the hall. In the corner, she found a small latch and move a door open.
Niki took up the last position, “if the lava thing comes back, I will try to block it.” Wink stepped in, “I found a tunnel, I will search it.” Niki took a quick looked down the hall, “everyone else into the side tunnel to protect you.” Arnia and Inex moved to safety. Yetto stood uncomfortably close to Niki. He wanted him to move into the side tunnel. Panic came over Niki. He was strangely scared of Yetto. He was about to yell at him to move, when Wink yelled, “look out.” Niki saw her duck a giant boulder rolling towards them. Yetto did not move at all. He stood as if frozen. Their eyes made contact and never lost it. Yetto seemed to be fighting something internally as they shared the moment. Niki yelled for him to jump, but he stood firm. It was fortuitous for Niki, as the squashing of Yetto’s body gave Niki just enough time to step aside. Yetto’s crunched body saved Niki.
Arnia started to search his flat destroyed body. Niki moved down to be with Wink as they entered the cell on the end of the hall. Lady Sabrina was chained to a wall. She claimed to have been tortured but she did not have a scratch on her. Wink was suspicious and looked over to Niki. Niki shook his head telling her, he had the same concerns. Niki revealed a little information, while Wink was a little more careful, “what did we find behind the secret door in your bedroom?” Lady Sabrina must have recognized we were there to save her, “documents, our records.” Wink unlocked the shackle on her side and tossed the tools to Niki. Niki grabbed them in midair, twisted them around, unlocked the shackle and tossed it back, in one fine motion.
She could barely walk but wanted to get out of the cell before Angree came back. He could control an earth elemental and used it to beat and brutalize her. She was scared. Niki took point. He moved quickly but cautiously. This place was dangerous, and he did not want to lose anyone else. Yetto was the only one to die in this place today. Arnia was strong and Lady Sabrina leaned on her as they moved through the tunnels. Niki stopped just short of the entrance. The Raider’s understood him and all stopped in the hall behind him.
Niki fell back to whisper, “there is a guy up here talking to the statue. I think it is Angree.” Inex whispering as well, “give me a second and I think we can all sneak by.” Inex quietly made magical soft pads on their shoes and they started to move across the room. Niki watched to help guide the others across the space. Angree was talking to the statue. Niki never even thought to try and listen. His inner brain must have been broken at that moment. As Arnia moved across, she slipped in a piece of pillar debris. It made a little grinding noise. Niki without thinking picked up a rock and though it past Angree. His eyes turned back that direction. All the Raider’s and Sabrina were out of the dungeon. Niki was the last to leave. He stared at Angree. He wanted to push him with his shield and shove him into the fire trap. He licked his lips. As he slowly backed out of the room, he contained his own inner conflict.
Niki Swallowed all of inner rage and rushed to join his friends up above.
The Party breaks apart:
The streets around the stables were in chaos. Niki thought chaos was not a strong enough word. Some crowd was yelling and cheering in a bad dark way. He knew this sound. This crowd noise came back to him and reminded him of his childhood. They stepped out. Even more buildings were burning. This city was on the verge of being completely destroyed. He could hear the crowd. It was up ahead and to the right. He looked the other direction. It was all blocked by fires and debris. They had no choice but to move towards the dark crowd.
Niki moved up to the edge of a building. This scene became clear to him. He had been in this very scene months before. As if in a glitch in his own mind he saw his grandfather, Artellius in Sandini. Sandini was tied to a pole on top of a future fire pier. Niki could already smell the flesh burning. He came back around the corner and slid his back down a wall, “they are about to burn Sandini at the stack.” In turn the rest of the Raiders, stepped up to the corner to look. Niki knew they should just run past this. They had Lady Sabrina and they should get her to safety.
Arnia: “we need to save him. That is not okay.”
Niki: “did you see that crowd. We should just move on.”
Sabrina: “give me a sword, I will stop this.”
Wink: “we need to do something.”
Niki: “we should just move on.”
Arnia: “I will not move on.”
Wink: “I can sneak up and take care of him.”
Arnia: “and what are we going to do?”
Niki: “Arnia, we need your great power to protect Sabrina. Wink and I will sneak up. You and Inex will head with Lady Sabrina to house Gardiward.”
Arnia: “and what do I do when I get there?”
Niki: “go in. You saved her.”
Arnia: “I want to attack that priest, piece of snake.”
Niki: “Wink and I are faster and quieter without you. Give us a chance.”
Arnia: “Fine!”
The wall to Niki’s back was feeling haimish to him. It was time to go. Arnia took Lady Sabrina and Inex and moved to the edge of the burning buildings. Niki suggested a route for her. He wanted her to have as much cover as possible. Niki lifted himself off the comfort of the wall to join Wink at the corner. Wink started to talk in Pakku’s signs, “see that pile of stuff over there, we can hide there. I will take the shot.” Niki, hoping they were on the same page, “the plan is to take out Sandini. To end his suffering.” Wink looked down, “I cannot let him suffer, but we can not attack.” Niki shifted to look into her eyes, “if this goes to shit, and it likely will. I will draw them to that alley over there. You go into hiding. If you can get around, maybe you can cut him free in the chaos.” Wink understood and took off to the debris pile.
They came up behind the pile. Niki took a quick peek over the top. Wink with her smaller stature peeked out the side of the pile. The scaley priest, glared at Niki, “there are the friends of the defiler, Yetto.” Niki had been spotted. The entire crowd turned to look at him. Wink ducked back. Neither thought she had been seen. Niki waved his hand below the sight of the crowd, telling Wink, “the shit as slammed into the wall.” Niki could not see the man but heard the voice of Oocho in the priest’s voice.
Niki stood and yelled, “He is the one causing the chaos here. You just can’t see it.” Oocho led a group of thugs towards them. The crowd turned to watch. They are expecting to find Niki the next person tied to a pole and set on fire. The pain of his grandfather and family washed through him and came out of his mouth, “Today it is someone you do not know. Tomorrow it will be you, or your loved ones. This will come to your home. Fight back now.” After his rage, tear filled mini speech, he took off running to the north. He was hoping to draw all their attention away from Wink.
Familiar Support from the Nexus:
Niki ran off one direction. He was trying to draw all of their attention. He had no one idea if he could get away, but he wanted space for Wink. He hoped even if he did not make it, she could free Sandini. Wink disappeared in the way only she could. He lost track of her as he jumped from the wreckage. He ran north. As he ran, he saw Arnia, Inex and Lady Sabrina. He had hoped they were already to safety but here they were. He made it to the alley and turned back. He would need to charge back. It would likely mean his own death. If he could save all these people, it would be a life worth living.
Oocho and his thugs turned but did not move. They were looking up into the sky. Niki started to feel the wind pull by him and rush up to where they were looking. He was not sure if he wanted to look. What could be so bad it was drawing their attention? As he started to look up, his thoughts went to Wink, “run Wink, use this to free Sandini.” Niki’s gaze followed the rushing wind. He was dumb stuck. He did not move or think for long moments.
Above Raam a vortex was opening. Yellow-orange energy filled the area. The wind flowed around the vortex. It was opening larger and larger. As the edges of the vortex grew other animals started to burst from its edges in tiny flashes of Yellow. A complete surfeit of small animals burst from it. Birds, lizards, snakes, small mammals of all types, and bugs. Lots of large insects came out. Hundreds of creatures burst out. The power of how they popped into existence kept them flying. They all came out slightly bewildered. Gravity quickly took over and they started to rain down upon the ground. As the gravity hits them, they became aware of their situation. Many started scream and cry out.
As the birds figured out what was happening, they started to dive in and grab the wingless among them. Many birds flew in to grab two other animals. They were not made to fly with such weight the glided down and impacted with a great impact. Most seemed to survive this but were stunned in the process. One great birds of Prey grabbed three creatures. It was able to gently drop his cargo on a roof but failed to pull up itself and smacked into a building wall. It laid on the ground unconscious.
Even with the bird rescue, small animals and large insects impacted all over the area. In a couple of cases followed by explosive bursts. Some impacted with such a speed their little bodies burst leaving them a flat carcass on the ground. Some maybe even the worse off landed but survived. They were clearly wounded and groaned as the last of their life slowly fled them.
Niki watched in horror as a fury mammal hit the ground next to him. Its body hit so hard it could not contain the body fluids within. As if in slow motion, Niki made eye contain with the little creature. He could see the panic and fear in its large sad eyes. It made an ever so slight howl noise as it past by. It hit the ground with a splat. All of its blood and inners burst out. It sprayed Niki. Niki was coded in fury animal inners.
As Niki looked around, he was not the only one. Niki took his shortsword and mercy killed a snake that landed next to him. He knew he would never be the same. First the two dawns and now a storm of small creatures raining around him. He reached out to Selune, “please take these creatures into your grace. They could not have deserved this Tiamat of a final life.”
A strange fat bird flew from the vortex center. It looked like an owl, but much bigger and fatter than the ones in Raam. It must not have been used to the light of the day as it squinted it eyes as it breached the center of the vortex. It was fat enough that it could barely fly and glided down to a rooftop where it panted. Next a small ground of Pegasi started to fly from the center of the vortex. They were the flying guard. Niki saw Pakku leading the group as they came through. Some of them had two riders. Many had their own supply of small animals with them. They dove down and landed on the edge of what was about to become the battle zone. Pakku in a move he had practiced many times jumped from a paused Pegasus to land on a roof, with his crossbows out and ready to fire. One of the men with Pakku looked familiar, but he could not place him. He was a tall man dressed in a fine purple armor. Niki thought he looked like the Purple Warrior.
As the Vortex started to close a small flight of birds flew through. They were mostly carrying companions as well.