GLoG 91

[Deathkeeper]

Forest Path

"Well there was the radioactive waste, the Vivrecka incident, being drugged at the cafeteria, being bitten by a werewolf, and that wasp curse. But I'm immune to that sort of thing now, as far as I know. So this should be the only thing from now on unless a god butts into my business." Isaac explains, counting on his fingers.

[Zefir]

Island - lake

Stomping noise and metal that got torn apart? That kind of sounds like a fight or maybe a big monster breaking down his steal cage. Some people might have turned around by now, but not the careless unnamed one. As he got into the boat he starts heading for the island whisteling a pirats song

[Morty]

[Forest Path]

Iknika's ears droop progressively during Isaac's list.

"You're... really cool-headed about all this. Have you just got used to it?"

[Deathkeeper]

Forest Path

Isaac's shoulders droop as he sighs.
"Well, I hated each and every one of those times. Well, maybe except one, I like my new eyes Viv gave me. But I go to a magic school, expecting it to not be so crazy just isn't sane. And like I said, I used to be really worried about these things because they happened so often, but I finally should be immune to them. Of course that doesn't mean I'm immune to being set on fire or eaten by whatever things people accidentally summon, but at least I have one less thing to worry about."

[Morty]

[Forest Path]

Iknika puts a hand on his elbow, tentatively. It's not like she can reach any further.

"Must be hard, not being able to talk to your parents about it."

[Deathkeeper]

Forest Path

Isaac looks down at her.
"It happens. We get along, but I have to keep a few secrets to keep the peace. They'd freak out if they knew, but it's not something that can be fixed. And it shouldn't. I do kind of like being big, even if I'm not used to it yet..." he muses.

[Morty]

[Forest Path]

Iknika's ears twitch.

"I guess it has its uses. Not that I'd know. I'm never going to be even as tall as your normal form. Even if everyone tells me I'm tall for my age."

[Deathkeeper]

Forest Path

"Maybe not normally. Give me a few days and I could see about a potion to make you tall for a day or two. Or even like me! That might actually be easier, having a base. But still. Magic!" he declares proudly, gesticulating with his trunk.

[Morty]

[Forest Path]

Iknika's ears perk up.

"This sounds like the kind of potion that's prone to going wrong," she observes. "I've grown up around a lot of alchemists, you know."

[Deathkeeper]

Forest Path

"Maybe, but usually if you mix it in a way to ensure it's temporary there's no harm either way. And besides, just making things bigger is a fairly low-level, safe mixture." Isaac assures her.

[Morty]

[Forest Path]

"I'd think growing in size is a pretty drastic change," Iknika says. "So you're an alchemist, too?"

[Deathkeeper]

Forest Path

"Not necessarily. Some magic mushrooms do that by themselves. It's growing safely that's harder. And yeah, Zaff's expects all its students to be proficient in at least three magical arts. I took alchemy since it seemed...straightforward. Less esoteric than finger-wiggling magic." Isaac explains to her.

[Morty]

[Forest Path]

Iknika shrugs.

"I've never paid a lot of attention to alchemy. It's really common down in the colony, and I never wanted to be common. I was wondering what I do want to do, when I met Lady Eschelle and she suggested knight training."

[Deathkeeper]

Forest Path

"Well, it seems like it all worked out for ya. Say, uh, you wouldn't mind if I visited from time to time, would you? Because you live here, right? I uh, think it might be fun." Isaac asks Iknika nervously. Are his big ears turning a little pink?

[Morty]

[Forest Path]

Iknika looks up and smiles. Knowingly, perhaps. Her sharp teeth gleam from between her lips.

"Well, I don't live here, but I visit here often. You can drop by the colony too, though. Just... not in the elephant form. It'd get cramped."

[Deathkeeper]

Forest Path

"Well, I can't make any promises. If someone tries to mug me I can't really help it. But I'll try to make sure that I arrive at a managable size." he says, sounding confident again, even if his smile is still hidden under his giant nose.

[Morty]

[Forest Path]

"I could stand between you and would-be muggers," Iknika offers. It's hard to tell how serious she is. "That's what knights do, you know."

[Murkus]

[Island Center]

The Buzzard King does not heed Anchor's challenge for now. Surprising as it is, there are bigger fish and all that. He drools and grins, snarling with wreckless glee, feeling warm godsblood stain his hand...

Then she seizes hold of him, and he barks his surprise! The gangly giant wrenches backwards, likely dragging the Empress forward a few steps or digging her feet into the earth, but he can't quite get free! "No, no!" He does cry, whipping his head toward the scion's sword arm.

With a sideways animal lunge and a resounding SNAP, King Lammergeir catches the blade with his teeth. "Mmhmhm," he laughs wetly, shuddering as he holds the sword still. His voice, this close, is a huge and terrible thing. "A jesht, love, s'all..."

The King's weight lurches forward, and they might struggle together for a moment. He whips back his head and releases the blade, yowling his fury and his power, before attempting to knock his helm against hers. The King aims to stun the Empress so he can pull his cleaver free.

[Deathkeeper]

Forest Path

"Iknikaaa, I am not helpless. I am a very intimidating giant pachyderm, thank you very much." Isaac insists, crossing his arms. His childish whining isn't helping his case.
"Thanks, though." he adds, giving her a glance with one eye.

[Morty]

[Forest Path]

Iknika snickers.

"Didn't save you from getting a shield to... you know where."

[Deathkeeper]

Forest Path

"I just don't have good reaction time!" Isaac insists, throwing up his hands. He decides not to mention that he'd also never go full force against a cute little girl like Iknika.

[Morty]

[Forest Path]

"Well, I do," Iknika says, proudly. "My teacher is pretty big herself. Not as tall as you are in this form. But she's doing a good job teaching someone goblin-sized. She's got a squire who's as old as Brinika... but not quite as small."

[Deathkeeper]

Forest Path

"I don't think I met Brinika..." Isaac observes, wondering how tiny one would have to be to be considered tiny by a goblin.

[Morty]

[Forest Path]

"She's one of my cousins. Hangs out here a lot, with her aunt and... half-wolfen cousin. She looks a lot like me, but shorter," Iknika explains. "She's growing quickly, but she's still a few years younger."

[Deathkeeper]

Forest Path

"Aw, is that why you're here so much? It's good to have family. I don't really have much besides my parents." Isaac muses. Being an only child can get hard sometimes.

[Morty]

[Forest Path]

Iknika rolls her eyes.

"It can be good, but... well. I've got four brothers, and several times as many cousins. I envy topsiders sometimes. They don't need to deal with that. It's easy to... get lost in a crowd when you're a goblin."

[Recaiden]

[Island Center]

Spoiler: Previously

Show

If The Empress had any inclination to respond to Anchor, it is immediately halted by the earth-shatteringly loud groan of metal being torn apart. The carving knife, as ancient as The Empress' own armor, loses much of its momentum in the effort to puncture through the thick plate, but puncture it it does. It sinks in deep, piercing the woman right below her ribcage and out her back. Moving to interpose herself had left her open and she seems to have paid dearly for it.

Even so, with blood pouring out of her armor at both the entrance and exit wound, The Empress doesn't seem to fault. Her shield is dropped as her left gauntlet snatches the hand holding large knife. The Empress, great-granddaughter of strength and winter itself, squeezes with enough strength to likely crush the hand holding the knife, but she won't let go as she tries to hold it and its owner in place. Her right hand, still holding her sword, lashes out once more to try and cut through the Buzzard king's arm.

The Buzzard King does not heed Anchor's challenge for now. Surprising as it is, there are bigger fish and all that. He drools and grins, snarling with wreckless glee, feeling warm godsblood stain his hand...

Then she seizes hold of him, and he barks his surprise! The gangly giant wrenches backwards, likely dragging the Empress forward a few steps or digging her feet into the earth, but he can't quite get free! "No, no!" He does cry, whipping his head toward the scion's sword arm.

With a sideways animal lunge and a resounding SNAP, King Lammergeir catches the blade with his teeth. "Mmhmhm," he laughs wetly, shuddering as he holds the sword still. His voice, this close, is a huge and terrible thing. "A jesht, love, s'all..."

The King's weight lurches forward, and they might struggle together for a moment. He whips back his head and releases the blade, yowling his fury and his power, before attempting to knock his helm against hers. The King aims to stun the Empress so he can pull his cleaver free.

Stomping noise and metal that got torn apart? That kind of sounds like a fight or maybe a big monster breaking down his steel cage. Some people might have turned around by now, but not the careless unnamed one. As he got into the boat he starts heading for the island whistling a pirate's song

Some mistakes, you pay for again and again. Is this among them? Both of these battling giants are deeply rude. But The Empress is protective of others. On the other hand, The King has a solid sense of humor.

Anchor steps and puts all of herself behind a swing at The Empress, the blade sweeping down in an attempt to cut a leg out from under her at the joint of the knee. (You won't find her jumping in hopes of striking higher at this early stage). Perhaps the armor will be weaker there, and the strength of just one man will be enough to accomplish something.

"What is wrong with you things?" You delicious things.

Perhaps this is a foolish waste of effort. That spilled blood. That severed arm. Perhaps a wiser person would have run off with a prize and let the fight continue.

[UncleWolf]

Island Center

The sea shanty singing seafarer might arrive at the island just in time to possibly see Anchor's blade arc towards The Empress' knee. Unless it is a truly heavily enchanted blade, it won't cut through the ancient chain of the joint, but the force of the surprise blow is more than enough to cause the leg to collapse under her weight. Especially when it happens as her foe slams his head into her own. She gives a grunt, refusing to cry out in pain as the carving knife is dragged upwards inside her when she's forced to her knee. "...so be it." She says finally, recognizing the situation for what it was. She lets go of her heavy blade, useless in such close quarters and flanked, and slams her palm hard onto the ground at her feet.

When she speaks once more, the Words are unintelligible even as they cause three waves of pressure through the air strong enough to cause ears to pop as they try to equalize it. The first Word brings with it numbing cold, freezing the blood on the carving knife and around her wound into a large crystal of red ice. The cold feels as if it comes straight from the depths of winter itself and her foe might find his blade firmly trapped and sealed along with the wound. The second Word causes curls of frost to sprout from her hand and dig into the ground.

Finally, not even a second since she was knocked to her knee, she speaks the third and final Word, causing the ground to erupt around her. A close ring of glacial spikes erupts in a full circle around her feet. Each spike is the width of a normal human's arm and is covered in jagged edges and points capable of piercing through steel. They grow a full meter and a half in length quickly but when they stop, another ring starts to grow further out. Each spike is angled at nearly 60 degrees, giving them quite the reach, and the bases of the spikes are only half a meter apart. The rings grow and spread until there is a full ten meter radius out from The Empress filled with the deadly barbs.

The entire time she will keep a hold of the Buzzard King's arm, making sure at least one of her foes is likely to be shredded.

[Deathkeeper]

Forest Path

Isaac smiles, and offers her one of his huge hands.
"Well, that I can help you with. Wanna know what it's like to see over the crowd?" he offers her.

[Morty]

[Forest Path]

Iknika hesitates for a moment, then reaches out for Isaac's hand.

"Sure, why not?" she asks with a smile.