[Nexus] The Black Dragon's Den XIII

[Recaiden]

Stavrus has brought this on all of them, has he? That's the conclusion Tahlia draws. She should have enforced his death the moment he expressed his expectation of doom. And those words. They're not just words. She has to see that they both survive this, so that the lizard can be properly punished for what he's done.

He's so fast. She didn't know anyone could move that quick. But then, he's not just anyone. There's a pressure in the air; he's no longer blocking the lines of force where he used to be, but instead is charging in and tangling new ones. On the other hand, she's been waiting for this. All she has to do is return to the way she was thinking before.

It should be easy.
But all she can manage is to throw herself to the floor, below the swing of the crescent.

[Earl of Purple]

The squirrel bats his pearl through the air with his cudgel, into the path of the sweeping sword. Himself, he leaps out of the way and dashes under a table, though his basket is left in the path of the sword, and is destroyed. A large variety of small objects, more than should fit into the basket, explode out as its magical coherency is breached. The pearl, when that is hit by the sword, explodes into a burst of electricity.

The squirrel darts out from his hiding place beneath the table and aims a solid blow to Knight Rhodes' ankle. His strength, augmented by the helmet upon his head, ensures the the force of the blow is harder than it would be, and the cudgel's momentum is augmented by seperate magic upon the wood itself. The result is that the blow may be of sufficient velocity to knock Knight Rhodes over.

[The Alexandrian]

Truth be told, Adeline has no love for chaos and murder, it's just that violence, cruelty, and exchanging favors are the most efficient and dependable weapons in her arsenal when it comes to diplomacy. She's barely literate, the daughter of a lady of easy virtue reared by a stern uncle that had the decency to keep her fed and clothed in her youth but never treated her as one of his own. She was one of her city's first female guards (if not for the war, the guard never would have permitted females to join their ranks) and one of its toughest, a decorated if corrigible member of her city's equivalent of a SWAT unit.

Despite her rough edges, Adeline is gem, at least whenever Yvette is around. No matter what went on at work or in the city at large, Adeline always tried to treat Yvette to the best the city had to offer whenever she was about.

"Slaying monsters isn't anything new to me, dear. Seemed like every other emergency my unit responded to was caused by some mage's pet that escaped from its tower, so I can take care of your monster problem for you and be back before supper tomorrow, if I don't have to travel very far to reach the infested dwelling."

[Cyber Punk]

The flaming knight turns to Stavrus. "Lizard. Thou art responsible for causing a knight to stray from his path? Does thou expect us to wipe thy mistakes clean?" He says quietly, ignoring the bolts of light.

He sees the knight moving with speed and reacts just as fast, reaching to grab Rhodes' hand. "Do not stray, fellow knight. The evil sinks its hooks in thy mind, causing ye to act haphazardly." He admonishes. Before he can find out what the Path is and if it is something he can abide, he will first ensure this knight does not stray.

Truth be told, Adeline has no love for chaos and murder, it's just that violence, cruelty, and exchanging favors are the most efficient and dependable weapons in her arsenal when it comes to diplomacy. She's barely literate, the daughter of a lady of easy virtue reared by a stern uncle that had the decency to keep her fed and clothed in her youth but never treated her as one of his own. She was one of her city's first female guards (if not for the war, the guard never would have permitted females to join their ranks) and one of its toughest, a decorated if corrigible member of her city's equivalent of a SWAT unit.

Despite her rough edges, Adeline is gem, at least whenever Yvette is around. No matter what went on at work or in the city at large, Adeline always tried to treat Yvette to the best the city had to offer whenever she was about.

"Slaying monsters isn't anything new to me, dear. Seemed like every other emergency my unit responded to was caused by some mage's pet that escaped from its tower, so I can take care of your monster problem for you and be back before supper tomorrow, if I don't have to travel very far to reach the infested dwelling."

[Private Booth]

"Non, mon cherie." Yvette raises up a finger in correction. "Ve vill go... how you say, togezher." She smiles, playing footsie with her friend. "Eet ees parfait, ve vill get to do some of ze catching up."

[The Alexandrian]

[Private Booth]

Adeline is having a hard time resisting the urge to make out with Yvette in public while people are (hopefully) killing each other on the other side of the room. She pauses for a moment to gently squeeze Yvette's foot before resuming their conversation.

"Yes, we have a lot to catching up to do, don't we? Come to think of it, I'll need your help transporting whatever monsters we kill to the market after we've stripped them of whatever pleases you. Bits and pieces of the beasties should fetch a fair price if we find the right buyer, and we could really use the gold."

[Murkus]

Stavrus scarcely manages his own escape, throwing himself to the floor beside Tahlia and smashing the air from his lungs in the process. The Knight of the Path's monstrous cut is stopped near its end as electricity arcs up the length of his sword. Already it thrummed with power, but now it burns him, forcing a cry of pain from his misshapen mouth. Still, pain does not stop him, and it only forces him to grip his sword even tighter. The bar before Rhodes lies ruined and shorn in two.

The flaming knight seizes Rhodes' wrist only a second too late, and may have the treat of feeling the squirrel's electrical blast transferred into his own armor. Rhodes shakes violently, the obscene corruption on the side of his head writhing and twisting with pain. Knight Rhodes of the holy Path whips his face around, intact eye narrowing. He roars, spittle flying, "You are no fellow of mine! How dare you touch me!" He throws out a hand, and his fingers curl into claws. "Begone!"

The growth on Rhodes moves. Its arms arch up with obscene cracks, spontaneous growth triggered by his absurd willpower. The spindly black limbs shoot toward the flaming knight in a sudden swarm, bristling with piercing pincers and tiny claws that attack the gaps in the interloper's armor.

Not an instant later, the good knight will be able to watch bewilderment cross Rhodes' ruined face as his foot is clubbed out from beneath him. His attack via the black growth almost certainly fails as he tumbles down, onto his back, armor booming as it collides with the barroom floor. He lays there for a second or two, stunned.

[Reinholdt]

Rein knew it was about the goods! It's always about the goods. People get so bristly and upset when stuff gets stolen from them. It just doesn't make any sense.

While this all makes the duffel all the more tempting, the speed in which the bar was destroyed stays Reinholdt's paw from shrinking down and skirting the fight to get the prize while no one's looking. There's no way he wants that level of melee danger turned on him. It's a miracle no one seemed to get hurt.

Imagining bar service is temporarily postponed until matters are resolved, Rein pulls out his own flask and starts drinking from that while he enjoys watching the mayhem. Always carry a spare.

[Recaiden]

Tahlia takes a few panicked breaths. So this is what it's like to be one of the people she had killed, back in the day.
But despite that, she can't bring herself to hurt the knight. He doesn't know what he's doing. This isn't his fault.

None of that applies to the creature on the floor next to her. She falls back into that violent state of mind, and follows through with it. It's just like the force she's still applying to hold Stavrus's wounds shut. Except this is like being held firmly in an invisible vise, and then struck by an unseen hammer. She doesn't know how much force it takes to shatter a lizard-person's kneecaps, so she just uses as much power as she can. If it takes the whole leg off or something, well, telekinetic tourniquets are easy.

"This is your fault, isn't it? Lizard! Stavrus? Tell us everything."

With one hand under her, she pushes a little bit off the floor.

[Earl of Purple]

The squirrel barely manages to dodge the falling Knight of the Path, jumping onto the knight's armour and running up his leg, onto his torso and onto his chest. Once he's close enough, he'll swing a second blow, just as powerful as the first, at the growth in Rhodes' face. He's assuming that it's a weak spot, and it is at the least not currently covered in metal. He's not noticed Tahlia picking on the injured Stavrus, since he's far more concerned about his mammoth opponent- one who will probably not underestimate his size and primitive equipment again (assuming he'd even noticed the squirrel to underestimate him).

[Cyber Punk]

[Private Booth]

Yvette reads Adeline's mind and has something in mind that'll give them both what they want. "But of course, mon cherie! Zat ees une excellente idée!" She claps her hands. "But first, we have ze incomplète affaire. Let us rent a room, mon cherie, and passer la night togezer."

[The Knight and The Lizard]

The flaming knight is a being made of searing fire that can take any form he wishes. His armor is less armor and more an extension of his will of fire, molded to appear as armor. Beyond the gaps in his armor is only more fire, blazing with heat.

He raises his shield to block the growth, and unless it is immune to fire, it will get burned. If it is immune to fire, it still wouldn't be able to penetrate his defenses.

When Rhodes tumbles down and is stunned, the flaming knight points his sword at him. "I am Thaddeus, The Flaming Eagle, a General of The Holy Order Of The Consuming Fire. My fire will consume the darkness that sinks its hooks so into thy mind. Let me aid thee, Rhodes."

[Murkus]

((Sorry about the delay, had a lotta work the last coupla days!))

If the black growth can be harmed by fire, it seems it will require considerably more heat than the General possesses. The growth's host looks up the length of that flaming sword and blinks his intact eye.

"You can aid no one," he whispers, right before he tries to swing his arm inward at the back of Thaddeus's leg. The hammer blow is meant to trip the General and, with any sort of luck, put him on his back. Rhodes will certainly need the respite from the Flaming Eagle, as another foe reappears, and is in short order battering his head - his head, yes, that's all - with a strange club.

"Begone," He murmurs, growth writhing as it's struck, but Rhodes himself feeling no apparent pain. He's a Knight of the Path, after all. A savage little thing hitting him in the head wouldn't hurt! He's durable! Beyond the race of ordinary men!

His eye falls on the squirrel. His other fist is brought around, attempting to deliver a right hook to the Squirrel's body that is powerful enough to send him flying.

Stavrus, meanwhile, has his knees broken all of a sudden. He hadn't even gotten to gain his feet yet. There's a horrifying sound of combined snapping, punctuated with a raw howl of pain, and a string of pitchy, breathless cursing.

"Agh! Woman!" Stavrus curls up on himself, partly concealing his pistol inside his coat. His eye twitches to where Tahlia lies. "I have n-nothing more for you! There were more people than I and Rhodes when the place fell apart! He killed them all! I didn't do anything to him, you stupid cow! Uagh, Gods, my legs..."

[Recaiden]

The woman winces. That never sounds nice.

"You aren't speaking falsehoods. That was all true. But you're still deceiving us. So if you have nothing more for us, I suggest you be silent." It wouldn't do to hear him screaming about his arms in a moment.

Tahlia gets back on her feet, swinging up from the floor as if she weighs nothing at all, in a way the joints of the human leg really can't enable on their own. She doesn't spare Starvus, let on the floor, a glance. She has a lot to say to him, but none of it is kind, and little of it is likely to be helpful. So she looks around for the duffel bag, lost in all this confusion. She thinks she ought to be able to just stretch a hand towards it and call it to hand, and if it can be laid eyes on at all, that's what'll be tried.

"My apologies, Knight Rhodes. My earlier statements were made in haste and error."

[Earl of Purple]

The squirrel is punched, and flies across the bar, hitting the wall with a solid thunk and sliding to the floor. He's still gripping his club, and stands back up with a groan. The way he's holding himself, he's suffered several broken bones, including his club-arm, as the hand is pointing completely the wrong direction. With his other paw, he corrects the angle of his forearm and pulls the wound straight with a muffled curse in Squirrel. He's out of the fight for now, but he will heal quickly and won't let a few fractures stop him. Or even more than a few.

[Cyber Punk]

The hammer blow hits, and only succeeds in moving Thaddeus to the side a few inches. To compensate, he plants his feet firmly on the ground, leading to a few scorch marks. Before he can retaliate, there's the sound of an ethereal eagle's call that only he (or anyone with supernatural hearing) can hear, and he steps back and dematerializes his sword. "I must depart, but I cannot just leave. But the call indicates dire straits. Milady!" He points to Talhila. "Thou appear to possess hidden inner power. It is in thy hands. I shall return when I can."

With a whoosh, he takes to the air and begins to fly out of the inn... just as Holly Dawson steps into the bar (at the time of writing, the blonde sniper on the left side of my signature). SHe has a sidearm on her pistol and the implant equivalent of Byakugan eyes. Such eyes on a sniper, it's no surprise she doesn't need a scope for her sniper rifle.

Her eyes fall on Rhodes and his half-face and she pulls out her pistol and takes aim. "What the frag is goin' on here?" She yells, scanning the bar with her all-seeing eyes, her vision focusing on the writhing mass that makes up part of Rhodes' head. Luckily for her legs, she's not within striking distance of Rhodes' arms. Probably.

((I might have swapped a 'too-powerful-for-this-scene' character for a 'not-powerful-enough-for-this-scene' character...))

[Murkus]

The squirrel (temporarily) vanquished, the knight disappeared, and Tahlia not quite moving against him, Knight Rhodes collects his legs beneath him. The towering, vile creature slowly regains his full stature, and in short order looms over Tahlia with his old quiet stillness. She has the bag now, after all. It flew to her hand as easily as any other ordinary duffel would have.

He pays only a little attention to the small, distressed cries of Stavrus, or the outburst from the rude young lady entering the establishment. Hells, she isn't - can't possibly be - talking about him. Of course not.

No, the perfectly normal and friendly human Knight extends his ghoulish fingers. Toward Tahlia. Smiling gently. "I forgive you. I forgive your transgressions against me, for that is the will of the Path and the code of the knight. Give me the bag and let me show you your Path."

[Recaiden]

An eagle's cry, and the other knight retreating? She nods. Stavrus's broken bones prove she's up to hurting people who deserve it. And if Rhodes proves himself to fall into that category after all?

Tahlia hands over the bag, extending her hand and then letting it float from her over to the knight's outstretched hand. Just in case maybe it wouldbe best not to touch him.

"Here."

Here's her hoping this doesn't turn into anything like 'you have strayed and are on the path to destruction'.
She slowly retracts her hand, wondering what could possibly be in the duffel to be worth all this violence. Worried that she won't like finding out the answer.

"What is it?"

[Earl of Purple]

The squirrel is still occupied straightening his broken bones and holding them whilst they heal. He's healing the severe wounds fast enough to literally watch, but the little wounds, the ones that don't directly threaten his life, or hamper him in a way that would threaten his life, are healing naturally. He's let go of his club so he can use both hands in their work, as he has to correct the bones before they heal. Otherwise, he'll have to break them again.

[Cyber Punk]

Holly trains her gun on Rhodes' back, keeping her eyes on his, watching for any sudden movements on his part. As he speaks, she loads silver bullets into her machine pistol, her handgun never aiming anywhere other than Rhodes' head.

"Hands where I can see em, drekface."

[Reinholdt]

Tahlia wouldn't actually consider giving him the bag of course. She's much more reasonable than that right? At least not before looking to see what is inside it first? She's turning around now and... damnit really? She's... extending her hand. She's going to just give it to him. No way. No freaking way. ARGH.

Reinholdt can't take it anymore. A lack of curiosity is one thing, but when paired with a willingness to hand over a potentially dangerous thing to an insidious fellow it is just too much for him to handle. Hopping onto a crouch on his seat, he pushes off and turns pink, flying through the tavern at speeds not generally recommended, knocking over more than a few drinks. But immediate action is required if he's going to attempt to muscle dive between the two's exchange and snatch the duffel along the way. "Pardon me! Just borrowin-" Oof! Ow. Probably should have put on the brakes after that maneuver instead of just crashing into the bar on the far end. The price of getting to the goods quickly.

[Murkus]

Rhodes is elated. It does not look good on him. His overlong hands close around the duffel, and his face stretches with an obscene grin. His mouth drops open to answer... and is instead filled with a cry of indignation as a flying pink Reinholdt soars between he and his prize.

The tall knight recovers from his flinch and brandishes his sword, looming toward Tahlia but throwing a glance in Reinholdt's direction. "You tricked me. You lied. To a man of the Path. I--" His head perks up, the evil little limbs extending from it stopping in place. He seems to have heard Holly this time.

"Certainly," he answers, whirling with a flourish of steel, a huge crescent-curve meant to cut a new hole in the interloper's belly. Foes now, thieves later.

[Recaiden]

Tahlia watches Reinholdt fly past, and for a moment she just stands there astonished.

...

"What are you doing?"
Then she has to go after him, storming over to the end of the bar where he's crashed. Maybe this will at least reveal what the bag contained.
And someone just drew a gun, but it's not aimed at her, so that's okay for right now. Right this very second, even if it's not going to stay okay for long.

[Earl of Purple]

The squirrel stands up. Most of his bones have fixed, at least sufficiently for him to start walking, and by the time he arrives at where the Knight of the Path stands next post they'll have healed sufficiently for him to fight again. So that's what he's doing, with his cudgel slung over his shoulder and a significant limp getting steadily better as the squirrel moves.

[Cyber Punk]

Luckily for Holly Dawson's innards, she catches sight of the glint of steel and roll-dodges away in the direction of his swing, firing off a few shots at his centre of mass. A few strands of her long blonde hair is cut off the tip of her ponytail.

"Drek. Now you've done it, tentacle-face!"

When she lands, she fires a few more bullets, curving them to hit at Rhodes from the side instead of head on.

[Reinholdt]

Whew. That worked. Mostly. Reinholdt flips himself up into a crouching position, carefully holding his prize, as Tahlia storms over. He looks at her with intense motivation and states, "I don't know yet." Well there you go. As good a thing to be doing as any.

Of course, he times her arrival with the attempted unzipping of the duffel bag to reveal the source of this conflict. Being dramatic is important in the execution of big reveals.

[The Alexandrian]

[Private Booth]

Yvette reads Adeline's mind and has something in mind that'll give them both what they want. "But of course, mon cherie! Zat ees une excellente idée!" She claps her hands. "But first, we have ze incomplète affaire. Let us rent a room, mon cherie, and passer la night togezer."

[Private Booth -to- Private Room]

Literally or figuratively? Either way, Yvette's interpretation of Adeline's desires is pretty spot-on.

"I'm already one step ahead of you, my minxish friend. I've already booked a room for the night. It's the last room on the left - the key is *rummages through pockets* right here *hands key to Yvette*. You should go check out the room and make yourself comfortable while I arrange for dinner and desert to be brought to us when it's suppertime. I'll meet you there in, say, two minutes?"

Yvette and Adeline really ought to take care not to wear each other out too much over the course of the night's prurient activities since they have to run around a crumbling fortress and murder a bunch of innocent monsters tomorrow.

[Murkus]

Gunfire! Deafening twangs as Holly's bullets rattle and ricochet. The armor of the Knight was issued by his order, and as far reaching as they are it is imperative that it be reinforced against projectile weaponry as well as resistant to magical attack. However, this particular plate can deflect only so many rounds, and Rhodes howls as he's driven backwards a trio of paces toward the ruined bar.

First one salvo, then a second, and the knight is battered to one side. He raises his arm to defend himself, at least as long as the lead storm continues. The instant that terrible thunder stills, Rhodes reaches out and snags a heavy wooden chair from one of the nearby abandoned tables. With a liquid swing of his gangly arm, he hurls the improvised bludgeon at Holly, then slowly begins to turn where Reinholdt and Tahlia are holding their improvised palaver.

Even if his attack slows Holly's continued fire, he finds himself again blocked... by a squirrel.

Rhodes is still spread-legged, sword held at the ready. The claws extending from his skull clack and snip the air ponderously. His eye quivers in its socket as it bores into the small furry animal.

"You block my way, that is the Path itself," he remarks. "Please move."


Meanwhile... the prize revealed. Per se. The interior of the bag is filthy, coated with black ichor and webs of strange rubbish. Sitting in the bag's bottom comfortably, as though the duffel hadn't just been thrown hither and yon, is a small impish creature coated in the same exact stuff. A miniature humanoid, glistening darkly, it's flesh mingled with a growing spread of what seems to be a white fungal substance. The spindly thing is no taller or heavier than your average hardcover novel.

This creature is holding a large, half-melted coin in its lap. It admires it with rapt attention, but can tear its gaunt eyeless face away from the metal long enough to peer up at Reinholdt. Stars twinkle down deep in those empty sockets, stars of some distant other domain, and a cold hungry greed that will outlast the end of every world that is.

And the impish thing speaks, jaw unhinging with a liquid schlop, and it is with a purring satisfaction it croons, "Ahhhh, another admirer for the King's gold. Come, look, see!" He holds the piece of silver-white slag up for Reinholdt's inspection. "Does it not shine for thee!"

If Reinholdt is familiar with mind-affecting power, he may begin to feel the inside of his skull itch at the very sight of it. This piece the tiny being holds was - perhaps is - part of a hoard. It has witnessed its owner, and captured that being's visage in its reflection, so malign and lingering is the hoard-keeper's terrible will. Look, he can almost see it... trapped in the contours, between each ruined angle...

There is no compulsion to keep staring at the image-trap, but should Reinholdt do so he may begin to have his skull renovated.

[Recaiden]

What.

Tahlia stares baffled at the bag, the thing in the bag, the coin held by the thing in the-okay, no, that's bad to look at.
She tears her gaze away, staggers away, any direction that's not near that thing.
Her ears are ringing, her skull is itching...

"Rhodes, why?"

[Cyber Punk]

[Private Booth -to- Private Room]‎

"Ooh, I cannot wait, mon cherie." Yvette responds melodically, licking her lips and giving Adeline her best sexy look as she palms the key and gets up. "Oh, and if you can make eet one minute, you vill be given somezing special." She winks, then sashays away.

When Adeline comes back to the room, she'll find her fun-friend lying in wait with scant little separating her body from the bedsheets.‎

[Earl of Purple]

"I'm only small, Master Ape-Giant. I am sure you can find away around me, if you feel such a thing is truly necessary. Though perhaps you need a mirror. You have fallen into physical corruption, and I only hope it does not include mental or spiritual corruption too. I don't follow your Path. I follow my heart, and that says Master Lizard-Giant was defeated, and broken; and still you pursue him. That, Master Ape-Giant, is dishonourable. But I am not beaten, and here I stand. My name is Slightly Bizarre, famous adventurer, who thrice slew the Vampire-Viper of Shiddermere, defeated the Badger Tyrant in his Castle of Bone, and discovered the Well of Souls. Fight me, if you dare." His words trigger his skull-helmet's fear effect, possibly inspiring fear of the squirrel in all who hear. Though he's tiny and a squirrel, so rational beings can easily quash the fear. Raising his cudgel up before him, kissing its head and raising it to salute his comparatively-colossal adversary. If Rhodes steps forward, Slightly will dash forwards and swing his cudgel at his ankle. He's small; the blow is easy to dodge, but if it lands it has far more power and momentum than it should due to the enchantments upon both club and helmet.

[Cyber Punk]

Holly's eyes widen as a table is sent hurtling towards her. "Oh drek!" She spins like a top in place, deflecting the improvised bludgeon as a kinetic shield forms from her movements (cyberpunkish 'kaiten', anyone? :p)... only to stop dead when suddenly filled with fear of the squirrel. Luckily, the table gets deflected.

She's afraid... of a little squirrel. Why is she afraid of a little squirrel? "Ridiculous." She shakes it off and adjusts a setting on her gun, turning it into a shotgun with a very narrow spread. Being hit by it is equivalent to getting hit with an explosive slug, only the slug is filled with silver and mithril.
‎
Holly helps to steady the stumbling Talhila, her movements having put her at arm's reach to the other lady. "The better question is why he isn't dead yet. Head in the game, chummer."‎