Outer Courtyard - Windhaven
You are standing in the outer courtyard of the Windhaven Aerie, a huge open area, paved with intricate patterns of small tiles. A large fountain splashes and burbles against the east wall, providing drinking water as well as pleasant sight and sound. The air here is cool and fresh, though you often catch the unmistakable scent of the gryphons that come and go. This is a busy place, with many exits in all directions, not only on ground level, but also for several stories up above, with ledges and perches for the airborne folk to move easily.
A steep ramp has been recently added. Tucked up against one wall, it leads to one of the lower ledges, allowing injured gryphons access.
Contents:
Fayla
Aoriuki
Kreeth
Telgan
Charlotte
Fountain
Obvious exits:
Warehouses Visitor's Wing Baths Ramp Atrium Ledge Out
Aubri comes down the ramp.
Aubri has arrived.
Fayla stands near the fountain, one hand in a bucket of the icy water, watching the rapid gathering of gryphons.
Dove quietly pads down the ramp followed by her larger mate Aubri.
Charlotte sits by herself, watching the goings-on, curiously, her head tilted to the side.
Kreeth is pulling a carry-net into shape, his weaponry attached to his battle-harness.
Telgan nods to himself. "Greetings Dove, Aubri... we are almost ready to go."
Aubri bobs his head and nuzzles Dove. "Ready?"
Dove nods silently to Telgan. She looks up at Aubri and says softly, "Yes."
Charlotte uncurls her long, snaky tail from her hind paws, and she stands up, moving closer to the gathering and slipping into it, silently.
Telgan gets up, tail flicking and lashing in nervousness. "Dove," he says to the gryphoness, "Understand that we need you as a last resort. We can't risk large magics that might throw off the measurements the unicorns are taking -- Aoriuki says small firebolts might not be a problem. At any rate, we can /not/ have you ... spiring? or whatever you call it... while they're working. I'll tell you when. We'll hold off on magic unless it looks like a choice between that and death -- and if it's that bad I will be considering canceling the mission.
Telgan says, "Most likely, your part will be, with me, to keep everyone safe while the carry nets are being arranged and getting the unicorns to safety." in common.
Dove nods to Telgan slowly. "I understand. Aubri is here to ensure that I do not get out of control. We will hang back unless needed." She does not sound very happy about going but is resigned to following through. Something is bothering her, but what?
Aubri grumbles, "Assuming there IS a 'back' to hang in..
Kreeth has finished organizing his net to his satisfaction, and attaches a corner-clip to his harness as several others do the same. "When you're ready, Telgan."
Fayla peers curiously at these other gryphons, she doesn't recognize. The white one sure isn't Jenna!
Telgan nods slightly. "Thank you, Kreeth. Is something wrong, Dove?"
Aubri nods and cocks his head at Dove, murmuring, "Don't worry, we probably won't need you..."
Charlotte slips closely to where she can hear the conversation, while weaving through the crowd. She is not sure what she can do, so she does nothing but mingle.
Dove shakes her head slowly, "Just the usual fears. But I made a promise and I intend to keep my word no matter what." She looks up at Aubri and adds, "Having Aubri here helps calm many of those fears at least." She steps closer to him as though his mere presence reassures her.
Aubri flushes a little and nuzzles Dove, a bit embarrassed to be pointed out.
Telgan says, "Well, having YOU along makes ME feel better. We have all the hand to hand we'll need -- two wings! But when they're vulnerable..."
Charlotte twitches her eartufts and flicks her tail, looking afraid, golden eyes veiled. But, she wants to go with and she will do it, she won't let her fraility get in the way.
Telgan shakes his head and clears his throat. "Into the carry nets," he says loudly to the unicorns.
Dove nods. "If I see any Krzzn'tai, I will focus on keeping them back long enough for everyone to get out and safely in the air. I will be fine, regardless, even if someone has to retrieve me later. Don't ask how, it's hard to explain. I only hope it does not come to that though..." Her voice remains soft as she talks to Telgan. She otherwise does not acknowledge anyone's stares or glances at her.
Aoriuki blinks quietly at Telgan and peers at the nets. "Er...you..uhgm.." he blinks, "Want me to...erf...get in..-that-?"
Aubri puts a claw on Dove's shoulder, "No staying behind, Dove. You're coming back with everyone else."
Dove looks up at Aubri, smiles weakly and nods.
Kreeth smiles at Aoriuki - or at least, his beak gapes open. "You can walk if you'd rather. But I'm in charge of this net, and I'm not going to let you fall."
Aoriuki peers at the net, then slowly climbs into it, his facial expression somewhere between terror and shock, he mutters to himself quietly in Kefetiuan about Gryphons and their remarkable primitiveness...
The half-wing of four gryphons lift into the air simultaneously, bringing the net up around Aoriuki, and a second group does the same for Kwynaiel, and the rest. They're suspended in the center of a spider web-like structure that opens above them like a funnel. The leader of each group calls a command, and as one they start to move forward.
Charlotte flicks her tail slowly back and forth.
Fayla watches, impressed. She mutters something to herself in centaur, and shakes her head in wonder.
Kreeth keeps his half-wing a way above the Courtyard, waiting for the magi to join them.
Aubri taps a claw impatiently, rumbling under his breath. "Any time, any time..."
Dove looks up at the ascending gryphons and their living cargoes before looking at Aubri, nodding, "Let's go." She spreads her wings and takes off, keeping up with the wings above.
Aoriuki clings to the net, looking, to be blunt, -terrified-...he gropes about his robe, looking for the pocket with his 'medicine'.
Aubri nods and lifts with a blast of blown dust, circling his way up into the air.
Charlotte watches as the gryphons swing into flight, her tail flicking nervously back and forth, as her foreclaws clutch at the cobblestones.
Fayla watches the gryphons take wing, and waves to them.
Fayla says, "Be safe!" in Shrilkish.
Kreeth smiles down at his passenger as his strong wings beat, holding him in place. "Don't worry, it won't break. Lie back and enjoy the view."
Telgan watches to make sure everyone is on their way, then takes wing himself, flying up to take the lead as the flight moves west.
Dove keeps to the back of the aerial convoy and follows.
Aoriuki pulls out the usual small hip flask and hiding it against his body, nods at Kreeth, clinging to the net with his free hand. He pops the top off his flask, letting the cork fall down, dangling on the chain that holds it, and takes a large, prolonged draw from the bottle.
Western Interface - Shrilk
The surface here, almost a kilometer above the ground, is too vertical, and too smooth, to climb upwards. From here you can see a great distance to the east, across the open plains and hills of western Shrilk.
The Faelrah mountains rise to the southeast, and further away still are the Wirtkill mountains, to the northeast.
Contents:
Aubri
Telgan
Aoriuki
Wraith
Obvious exits:
Down
The net lowers, slowly descending. Hopefully the group's come in high enough, and quietly enough not to be noticed quite yet. The Bugs don't like bright sunlight, and are not in evidence.
Aoriuki takes one last gulp from his flask and tucks it back into his robe, he proceeds to scramble from the net as fast as his ancient legs will carry him...
Kreeth leaves himself clipped to the net for a quick getaway, and unslings one of his spears and the crossbow. Someone has to be prepared.
Dove silently glides at the back of the flying convoy along with Aubri, Charlotte behind them.
Telgan nods slowly, landing as the nets come down, landing with a low thump. He says quietly, "Try not to make more noise than you have to. We don't want to call attention to ourselves. Weapons out, form a circle around the unicorns."
Wraith keeps his distance silent and observing unless one where to carefully scrutinize the surrounding rock his color melds nicely with the surrounds rendering him unnoticeable to the common eye.
Aoriuki peers about and hrms...
Charlotte stays close behind the Grylrans, flying silent, her body hardly throwing a shadow to the ground. Aubri she recognizes from meeting him once when she used to live in Grylra.
Dove glides close to Aubri, calling out to him, "I'll land. Easier for me to already have contact with the stone. You know what to do if you see any danger. Don't hesitate." She says so quietly, she's not even sure if he hears her, "I trust you..."
Dove circles and finds a nice upthrust of stone to perch on so she's out of the way, yet can see as much as possible. She patiently and silently keeps watch for anything suspicious.
Aubri nods and lands beside Dove. He grins at her reassuringly and brushes her with a wingtip, careful not to even move his feet. "Shh.. Don't talk more than necessary."
Kreeth is never still, though his feet never move. He scans the area, watching for anyone and anything moving. Sharp eyes stare, searching for the bugs he knows will come.
Aoriuki wanders over to the second net and leaning heavily on Kwyn's arm speaks in low tones in rapid-fire Kefetiuan, Kwyn stays silent but nods several times, then pulls a heavy leather case from out of the carry-net and lays it on the ground in front of the elder unicorn.
Aoriuki stoops down and unfastens the clasps, opening the case slowly and proceeds to withdraw the contents. First, a narrow, skeletal tripod of curving, delicate members. Then, something the looks like a cross between a small telescope, and a pair of binoculars, then a second smaller telescope, which bolts to the first one. He lifts them both with a gruff grunt of effort and wiggles it onto a bolt on top of the tripod. A few quick twists anchors it in place...
Charlotte touches down gingerly onto the ground, following in the example of the other gryphons, close enough to Aubri and Dove to hear the words of advice. Silently, she stands there, not even her tail dancing in the nervousness that she feels in her heart.
The occasional metallic clank of a weapon is the only sound, as gryphons form a ring with spears pointing outward. If necessary, they can quickly tighten the ring into a nearly impenetrable ring of pointy bits.
Telgan watches the unicorn's operation, almost holding his breath as he waits to see if they were spotted. If attacks start now, it's unlikely they could hold out until the mission is complete.
Aoriuki ignores everything going on and proceeds with fine-tuning his instruments. He makes no noises except for the faint wheeze of his breathing and the soft-sharp *snik* and sliding noises of optical components being moved. His hands play over a bewildering variety of knobs on the sides. He peers through the binocular like one, then through the upper, monocular. Switching between them rapidly, he turns the knobs back and forth, then changes the azimuth of the entire affair and repeats, his brow furrows and he scowls, then adjusts the focus optics and rubs his chin.
Telgan looks up at the elder unicorn. "Well?"
Aoriuki waves a hand at Telgan, an irritated expression on his face, dissmising the gryphon with a gesture. He tilts his head and pulls the lenses off of the binocular affair, stooping to replace them with another pair from the case, He returns to peering through them. Making what appear to be repeated sightings into the shielded zone. He leans back and rubs his eyes, then peers through again, this time turning a large knob on the side very slowly, with great care...
Telgan bobs his head. "Sorry."
Wraith makes very small movements if any as he watches the group his nares flaring as they *taste* the air.
Aoriuki stops, twists the knob backwards a minute fraction, then forwards. He stops, looks again, -barely- touches it, then nods, as if satisfied. He cranes his head to the side, reading the value from the large dial. He holds up a hand to Telgan, one finger extended, as if to say 'One more thing...'
Dove looks around at the silence of the air through the stones. It's quiet...too quiet. And too easy.
Aubri ruffles his wings and settles them again, glancing back and forth nervously for any hint of motion, listening for the scratchy sounds of digging.
Kreeth adjusts his grip on the spear, every sense on the alert, watching for movement.
Charlotte tightly curls her tail tuft around the fake blue jeweled bracelet that graces her left hind leg's ankle. Standing becomes too much a chore, so she carefully moves down to her stomach to rest.
Aoriuki adjusts the upper scope, then takes a deep breath and peers through it while twisting the barrel slowly. As he does so, it begins to...shiver it seems, then, wobble. Shaking the entire tripod, he holds his eye away from it as it begins to rattle, the looser parts of the assembly below clattering a bit. He scowls and twists it further, the rattling starting to become more of a sound, a low rumble. Quiet...but growing louder. He looks somewhat alarmed...
Dove tilts her head to see Charlotte resting. She shakes her head silently at her as though that's not a good idea. She then goes back to watching the surrounding rocks for signs of activity other than the groups.
Telgan advises everyone, "Relax, this is going to take a few hour --" he breaks off as the trembling starts... "What?!"
Charlotte blinks her golden eyes at Dove, then nods her head as she understands the silent head shake. She slowly stands back up to her feet, still with her tail tuft curled around her ankle, squeezing it hard.
Kreeth begins to curse softly as he tries to pinpoint the direction the rumble is coming from. He signals his half-wing to be ready, and that when they lift they should head to Windhaven at half speed.
Dove darts her head around, trying to pinpoint where the rumblings are coming from most. She places both forefeet firmly on the stone beneath her as though she's gripping it. She half closes her eyes, concentrating. She points, calling out, "There!"
Aoriuki turns towards Telgan for an instant, looking terrified, "It's interacting...I've never seen it happen..but..with a shield this powerful...I have to find the resonant frequency of this thing...dammit..." he breaks off into a string of violent sounding expletives in Kefetiuan, he peers through it one more time, then shakes his head and pulls the top scope off and drops it to the ground, a faint *crunch* is heard, then the noise ceases. He sighs, "Sorry...feedback...dammit...-dammit-."
Dove shakes her head, "No, there's something there..in the stone!" She leaps down, racing for the unicorn.
Kreeth keeps searching for the horde of bugs he's sure are coming closer.
Fear bursts into Charlotte's slender chest, her feathers rousing up as she sees the "thing" the unicorn using "interacting", or at least, that what it appears to be...
Telgan shudders, then lowers his head to look at the cracked lenses. "Um. Can you still do this without that bit?"
Wraith remains still either unafraid or unable to feel the fear.
Dove pulls up to the unicorn, looking around. She sees no sign of bugs and is confused. She looks at where the interface is hidden. She turns to look up at Aori. "There's something there...I feel it."
Aubri shakes his head and chirrups at Dove, "It's just his magic gizmo, don't worry. Try to relax, okay?"
Aoriuki nods softly and looks, pained. "I was almost done...It's a semi-periodic n'th order general expansion field system, close to what I expected, the most important variable in analysis is (he says something odd in Kefetiuan)...which to a degree is influenced by (something else in Kefetiuan) spacing. On very large shields, instrument interaction can occur due to unpredictable (something even stranger in Kefetiuan) resonant modes." He pauses, observing Telgan's reaction, then continues. "I have a fair idea of the range in which it lies...I..." He sighs, "I may have to make some estimation..."
Charlotte slightly relaxes as the item that was causing the ruckus is shattered on the ground.
Dove shakes her head at Aubri and points, "No, it's coming from further there...but it's..." She looks where she's pointing very confused, "It's not moving..."
Telgan growls softly. "HOW much of an estimate?"
Aoriuki pulls out his 'medicine' and takes a fair swig, not giving a damn at this point who sees him. He stuffs it back into his pocket and looks rather annoyed at the whole state of affairs..."It all means that whoever -built- it left a mode somewhere in the 35th harmonic open, damn sloppy work...sloppy!" He pauses, then looks at Telgan. "Er, I can tell you after I've made it...er..."
Kreeth ignores the long words. Maybe he'll understand them one day, but for now keeping his eyes open is far more important.
Charlotte's eyes are pinning on Dove, the thin gryphoness trusting Dove's judgments even if they sound confused, her body tensed, her five senses instinctually on full alert.
If the Krzzn'tai didn't know there was anyone here before, they certainly know now. Clicking chitin can be heard now, though distantly.
Aoriuki rubs his chin, "I can try and narrow the estimate if I get more accurate readings of the first few shell-orders and their expansion coefficients...from that I can get a decent estimate...but it'll take a while." He peers nervously at the shield.
Telgan nods. "Do it."
Wraith ear tufts flick at the distant sound and he grinds his beak expecting what is to come.
Aoriuki sighs and peers over at Kwyn...then returns to what remains of his instrument and resumes peering through it, manipulating almost all the dials in a continuous stream of motion. Every few minutes, he pauses and lifts a small notebook from his robe and makes a notation in it with a scriber stuck between the pages....
Kreeth looks off in the direction of a grinding sound - is that a bug, much closer than the others?
Dove peers intently at the shield, wanting to look closer, with her own senses but does not. Not so close to the unicorns' equipment. She glances around, hearing something, but not recognizing it just yet. She silently moves away from the unicorn and the shield, going back to her perch and Aubri. She whispers to him, "I don't like it..."
Aubri clicks his beak, "Come on back up here and let us know if anything gets close. They're all over the place here, we already know that."
Aubri nuzzles her reassuringly. "I hope all that commotion didn't attract any, though..."
Aoriuki pauses, after at least half an hour to rub his eyes. Peering at his notebook he makes a few scribbled calculations in the margin, then writes a note to himself in curling Kefetiuan cursive, then returns to his instrument, turning it through a few degrees and flipping a strange looking filter in front of the main lens...
There's a hiss from one of the guards. "I see one!"
Dove sighs, "Only one way to find out...wait." She turns to face the shield, staring at it for a few brief seconds...she shakes her head and looks around, turning sharply at the guard's words.
Telgan swings around, on guard. "Get ready. They heard us. Aoriuki..." he sighs.. "Um, hurry."
Kreeth turns to look in the direction the guard points, then turns back to his own watch. He is on the far side of the circle, and must not be taken by surprise.
Aubri 's claw tightens on Dove's. "Not yet, not yet...let the guards take care of them..."
Aoriuki murmurs what would appear to be the Kefetiuan equivalent of 'Oh shit.'. He mutters to Telgan, "Dammit..one more...one more." Not taking his eyes off the oculars, he twists the knobs quickly, fumbling as his nerves get worse. Kwyn moves closer to his side, ready to grab either him, or his instrument, should the need arise...
Her tail having cut off most of the circulation in her left hind leg, Charlotte releases it and starts in a sudden building of terror as her eartufts flick when she hears the guard calling out that he has seen one. Her head swings on her graceful neck in the direction the guard is pointing, her golden eyes wide.
Wraith talons grip something laying on the ground before him as he intensely stares in the direction of the coming sound.
Chittering angrily and moving with frightening speed, four of the beasts appear over the rocks and move right for the party!
Dove calls just loud enough for Telgan to hear her and no louder, "Tell me when it's safe for me...then get the hell out of here!" She starts softly growling under her breath, the anticipation of battle growing.
Wraith's body tenses his muscles in his rear half rippling at the sight of death approaching.
Aoriuki scribbles something in his notebook, then scowls! He twists the instrument over and peers at one side of the shield....whizzing the knobs around at high speed as he scowls...then blinks....pulling out the notebook he scrawls something hurried in the left hand margin...his head whipping back and forth from book to oculars...
Aubri ducks his head and scans around for more.. good, only four. So far.
Kreeth looses his crossbow at the bugs as most of the other guards do the same. Reloading takes a few seconds, but is done with the ease of long practice. As he reloads, he scans to his front again.
Telgan nods to Dove, and tenses, watching the oncoming bugs.
Charlotte is frozen like a deer caught in headlights, if headlights existed in the Shrilk sphere. A sudden lump builds in her throat, which keeps her from shrieking out in terror as the four Krzzn'tai race toward the parties.
The crossbow bolts mostly bounce harmlessly off plating, but one lodges in a soft spot above the creature's middle-leg joint, making it keen in alien pain and anger.
Aoriuki gulps, and peers through the device for what seems like a very very long time, then snaps the filter up and scrawls in his logbook. After a moment, he stuffs it into his robe and shouts to Telgan, "It's Done!" As he says this, Kwyn grabs the instrument and -hurls- it into the nearest carry-net, giving the elder unicorn a hearty shove for the opposite one, deciding that broken arm is probably better for the old coot than being eaten alive...
Telgan takes off, flying up to get a better view -- and a better angle for throwing spells. "There's more coming," he calls down. "I count... fourteen..."
Wraith raises up on silent wings as the rest are distracted by the threat. His body briefly casts a large shadow on the ground below.
Dove looks at Telgan and calls out, "Now?" Her growls grow louder as she scans the stones beyond, seeing the approaching sentinels of death. Her eyes seem to flash brightly, but it's probably a trick of the light...
It seems like seconds turn into years as Charlotte lingers on the ground, afraid and frozen a bit too long for comfort.
Kreeth gives the signal, and his half-wing takes off, scooping the older unicorn up in the process. He hopes that the creature has the sense to hang on to the ropes, or someone else can stabilize him. The half-wing, who have practiced this maneuver ever since they knew about this mission, perform flawlessly.
Aubri squeezes Dove's leg and backs up a little, nodding. "You're on!.." He grits his beak, hissing.
Aoriuki aaaughs and clings to the ropes, one of his legs dangling over the outside..if he's half as terrified as he looks, he may well keel over from fright...
Telgan pulls a carved stick out of his belt, hissing arcane words as he pulls it back, and throws... A huge fireball erupts in the midst of the oncoming semi-horde. "GO! GO! GO! Dove, do it!"
Dove rears back on her hind legs, foreclaws spread wide as she skreees loudly in battle lust! Her paws hit the ground hard, causing twin rock spires to shoot up underneath the two front bugs coming close. One is gutted cleanly between it's abdomen and thorax plates, but the other moves so quickly, it actually manages to doge the spike intended for it, only wounding a leg against it. It keens in alien pain and approaches the crying white gryphoness.
Her wings not seeming to want to move, Charlotte starts to scramble backward, almost tripping over her snaky tail in the process. Her hind paws kick up dirt and pebbles, her foretalons click loudly on the stone. Her wide, terrified eyes, however, remain on Dove and what Dove is doing, as she scampers backward.
Confusion erupts in the ranks of the bugs as two or three are incinerated, and a more thrown by the flash, some speared by rock! They redouble their speed, getting frighteningly close...
Kreeth's gryphons do some fancy mid-air flying, trying to get the terrified unicorn into the middle of the net. They succeed in tangling the net into a sort of bundle with Aoriuki wrapped securely in the middle. They have trouble flying at any speed, with their wakes washing over one another, but they are at least staying up and together.
Wraith skrees like a wounded banshee, his cry echoing off the the stone and reverberating all around. He grasps a heavy dropping spear in his claws and dives straight for the lead bug and the rest of the hoard at break neck speed.
Telgan blasts a firedart between Dove and the nearest bug. "KREETH!" He cries, "GET OUT OF HERE!"
Kreeth's team are going as fast as they can. They are well out of reach of the bugs, and getting further away all the time. Kreeth will not be coming back to help his friends - orders are orders, and this unicorn's safety is paramount.
Aubri ducks a little and steps forward to protect Dove, crouching in case his attack is needed against the other 13.
Aoriuki twists about in the net...though, he seems to understand that while tangled, he's not going to fall -out- of the net...he just clutches anything he can hold and hope fervently that the gryphons don't drop the net. he cranes his head, trying to see what's happening on the ledge...
Dove rears up, slamming the stone before her, hitting faster and faster with each contact. Spires rise up, impaling here, slicing there, but mostly causing distraction and forming a block in the path of the approaching Krzzn'tai. She skrreeees one more time, the cry seeming to melt over her, causing her feathers and fur to turn shiny, metallic. Her eyes flash and glow bright red as she springs into the air fast.
Wraith continues his dive the spear thrust out in front of him as a weapon he crashes in full force into the back of his target bug thrusting the spear deep into the grove of it's shell plating. He himself crashes hard onto the very tail end of the back. His claws biting barely effectively into the shell as he he grips his blade in his beak and begins hacking at the one bug with a furious animal fury.
Dove streaks into the air like a shining dart, swiveling to hover in the air just long enough to get her bearings. Then, with a skreee like the cry of death, she dives down, foreclaws extended before her. She's going to hit right in the middle of them!
Aubri screeches, "PEOPLE! WE ARE LEAVING!" He stays until the warriors are clear to escape.. Leaping into the air to join them, and help disentangle any fights too close to risk Dove's intervention. He drops on the back of one impaled-but-struggling bug and bites at the back of its neck, sawing through flesh until its clear-green blood spurts.
Kreeth is long gone, Aoriuki with him. Ao should be able to see the small figures leaping into the winds, but Kreeth is headed for home.
Aubri's loud scream finally galvanizes Charlotte into action. Long pointed wings spread up over her back, as fur and feathers stand on end, and Charlotte kicks off with her back feet, her wings flailing at the sky as she comes up from her stumbling gait, tail lashing wildly behind her trim haunch.
Wraith slashes at the joints of his target bug and rolls off having had enough of this he comes up from his roll holding a black square in his talons and grins evilly as he takes his other talon and lays it on the top. The runes on the surface begins to flash each flash coming quicker then the last he drops the cube among the hoard and leaps into the air
A strange pulling seems to start up with the center being where Wraith just dropped the cube.
Telgan backwings, hovering over the field with a grimace. He can't throw anything at this point, everyone is too close.. "GET OUT!" he skrees. "Everyone's safe! Hurry! Fly!"
Charlotte has only just left the ground.
Wraith moves quick and agile running out from the middle screaming "Everyone get the skies out of the way......This place is going to erupt....." he throws a head back at the blindly flashing cube. He doges out of the bug till he gets clear enough to get high as fast as he can pump his wings.
Aubri leaps off the dying bug's back with a nod at the now-unengaged warrior as wings begin to pump and lift gryphons into the air. Aubri rushes southward as the charge flashes, screeching at Dove, "PULL BACK!"
Dove is completely oblivious to Wraith's screams, her only thought is stopping the bugs at any cost. Her skree breaks off suddenly as she impacts the ground immediately between three Krzzn'tai. The ground erupts in rock spires all around from her. Unlike the unfortunate incident last time she did this, the spires are only 10 feet high instead of 10 meters. Krzzn'tai keen their alien cry of pain as they are impaled, pinned, and generally assaulted. Then the entire area lights up with a flash from where Wraith's cube fell.
The cube seems to expand in a silent white light. As the light expands everything it touches incinerates upon contact a split second ahead of the growing light a shockwave erupts pushing the air ahead of it.
Charlotte is focused only on one thing, to get away from this travesty. Her long, pointed wings flail more at the sky until she gets over the lump of fear in her throat, and pulls into a more steady upward trajectory. Fear won't help, only calmness and rationality, even though her heart slams wildly into her chest. She makes it half-way up into the atmosphere before the cube goes off with its blinding flash!
Wraith is winging up past as he watches Dove go the opposite direction back down into the fray. He turns after her screaming in just guttural sounds for her attention.
Telgan stares at the thing Wraith dropped. Twisting around as he senses the energies growing, he makes away as fast as he can. Nothing he can do for anyone else now...
Kreeth hears the bang, and sees the flash reflected from the rocks beneath. He hauls his burden on, flying together with his team to bring his precious cargo back to Windhaven in one piece.
Aoriuki still clings, terrified, to the net, wishing he could haul out his flask...his head whips around to stare at the ledge as he hears the noise....
Aubri flies hard to escape the expanding shockwave and almost makes it, the blast washing over him with a sharp bang and tumbling him out of control! He closes his wings and tries to steady himself, flares them hard, landing with a heavy thud and looking back in panic for Dove!
Charlotte is instantly deafened by the ripple of sound that comes crashing through the very fiber of the air. Her petite eartufts slam down along the back of her head from the sound, and she lets out a sharp, short cry of pain as her eardrums feel the unpleasant effect. Suddenly, disorientated, her flight starts to swerve her around, her wings flinging her frail body around.
In the lingering echoes of the bang and flash, a clanging din and guttural screaming can be heard. When sight is cleared from the bang, a silver flash can be seen slashing, clawing and biting at the center of a cluster of four remaining Krzzn'tai. All four bugs look badly beaten but fight with a mindlessness that rivals Dove's current state.
Telgan dives back in, the concussion splashing past him in a loud, but not deafening clap... he folds his wings, one claw in one of his pouches...
Wraith gets hit by the wave in his attempt to follow back down and gets thrown back high into the sky. His fur and feathers smoke as they have been singed but he is either numb of the pain or to enraged to feel it. He dives back down swooping low over broken bodies looking for anything living target he can find.
Kreeth can do nothing but fly onwards, towards home. He checks around him, seeing that the other carry-nets got away not long after his, and that there are still gryphons flying back near the Interface - he turns forwards again, wondering how many deaths he'll be mourning tonight.
Windshadow scrambles up from the plain, below.
Windshadow has arrived.
Aubri shakes his head hard, leaping back into the air and turning back to the blasted earth. He takes a swipe at Wraith as he passes, screeching, "What did you think you're DOING??" with a harsh gryphon epithet. He drops toward Dove, crying at her to retreat.
Aoriuki makes his way carefully downwards.
Aoriuki has left.
Kreeth makes his way carefully downwards.
Kreeth has left.
Charlotte clutches her crimson forearms close and tight against her chest as she blindly flies in patterns that make no sense whatsoever. At least her wings are keeping her aloft as they work with a mind of her own. And it's so strange to not hear a single thing. She is like a bat with no radar in effect... all that is known that she is keeping aloft but helpless by the disorientation.
Wraith clamps his fighting blade in his beak and lands heavily on the ground grimacing as his limbs complain from the abuse but he stalks forward into the mess towards a bug that is still alive barely. He leaps atop it and begins to rip into it's damaged shell consumed by the need to kill.
Telgan dives towards Charlotte, ripping an intricately weaved form from his pouch. He screams something that sounds pretty horrible, in an unknown tongue, at that moment grabbing onto Charlotte as he passes.
Telgan holds Charlotte's wing-shoulders, using a spell to fill his wings with wind, helping him support her... turning her towards home...
Charlotte feels someone grabbing onto her, and she lets out a terrified, startled shriek - thinking it is a bug.... oh, skies, no! She starts to struggle a little against Telgan, kicking her hind paws around and lashing her tail.
Wraith's bug collapses under him blood spouting from many wounds coating him in gore. He raises his head in a animal scream.
Dove slashes and rakes at one bug, practically ripping it's already singed head off. It's dieing carcass tumbles to the ground, twitching. Before it even lands though, she'd already pounced on another gashing what's left of it's burnt abdomen, taking a rake from it's claws across her flank. The sheer sound of bug chitin ringing on Dove's hide is like hearing metal hitting metal. In seconds she has that Krzzn'tai dispatched as well. She looks up, skreeing in defiance as Aubri calls her off. She pounces one last time at the head of a third Krzzn'tai, bouncing off it to get airborne, raking at it, trying to literally rip it's head off as she leaps! The Krzzn'tai is badly hurt, but still manages to swing at her, raking her across a foreleg before she gets out of reach. The fourth Krzzn'tai turns, heading for the ground-bound Wraith nearby as easier prey.
Wraith turns sharply as a new prey comes for him and he leaps before it, a wild look in his eyes. He drops his blade and pulls his heavy spear out of his under pack. He leaps into the air and power glides towards the bug. Spear held in front of him. He skrees at the bug in challenge.
Aubri whistles at Dove again and curves back for another overflight, lower, joining her as she rises. "Calm down, Dove, relax," he says from her wing.
Wraith lands closer to the bug planting the spear butt into the ground and continues to scream at the bug in challenge.
The Krzzn'tai rears up at Wraith as it closes on him. It's momentum carrying it forward.
Windshadow rises like a shadow over the battlefield, arcing into view briefly as he dives on a cluster of three bugs below. One is crushed beneath his weight as he lands squarely on its thorax with a sickening chitinous crunch, a second falls immediately thereafter as both foreclaws clench with deadly efficiency through its mandibled skull before wrenching the head clean off. The third bug spins to attack with reflexes almost too swift to follow, but its lashing claws are met on the downswing by Windshadow's claws on the rise. He rears rampant, gripping the arms wide apart and rending carapace, and before the bug can strike with its mandibles his narrow black beak has scythed viciously through its head, between the eyes. Tossing the spasming carcass aside, he whirls and surveys the battle for his next victims, wings mantled darkly at his sides.
Telgan tries to hold on, pulling her higher... "Relax, Charlotte! It's me! Just fly!" he shouts...
Wraith holds firm keeping his spear held firm and secure as the bug rears over him.
Charlotte cannot really hear Telgan, the percussion still having its deafening effect on her, but she soon relaxes as she realizes no death stroke has instantly occurred, felling her from this world! She clinches her golden eyes tightly and just hangs in Telgan's grasp on her wing-shoulders for the ride home.
The Bug weight comes bearing down on Wraith, but it impales itself on his spear. Once the bug is impaled Wraith rolls out of the way and takes wing fast into the air and away.
Wraith makes his way carefully downwards.
Wraith has left.
Telgan guides her, but is quickly tiring... he slowly releases the wings, letting her take her own direction....
Charlotte makes her way carefully downwards.
Charlotte has left.
Telgan makes his way carefully downwards.
Telgan has left.
Dove skrees in acknowledgment to Aubri's commands and otherwise follows him unerringly as he returns to Windhaven.
Outer Courtyard - Windhaven
You are standing in the outer courtyard of the Windhaven Aerie, a huge open area, paved with intricate patterns of small tiles. A large fountain splashes and burbles against the east wall, providing drinking water as well as pleasant sight and sound. The air here is cool and fresh, though you often catch the unmistakable scent of the gryphons that come and go. This is a busy place, with many exits in all directions, not only on ground level, but also for several stories up above, with ledges and perches for the airborne folk to move easily.
A steep ramp has been recently added. Tucked up against one wall, it leads to one of the lower ledges, allowing injured gryphons access.
Contents:
Kreeth
Aoriuki
Mathias
Fountain
Obvious exits:
Warehouses Visitor's Wing Baths Ramp Atrium Ledge Out
Telgan comes down the ramp.
Telgan has arrived.
Windshadow comes down the ramp.
Windshadow has arrived.
Telgan lands, looking ruffled and tired.... "Is that.. everyone?
Mathias heaves a slight sigh of relief seeing people return safely.
Kreeth lands Aoriuki gently, and his half-wing start untangling the net. It took his team as long to get here with their burden as it took the unburdened gryphons.
Aubri comes down the ramp.
Aubri has arrived.
Aoriuki rolls out of the net and lies on the ground, looking stunned...he twitches quietly and pulls out his flask, then takes a very very long gulp from it and peers up at the sky....
Dove slowly pads down after Aubri. Her appearance is simply shocking to look at. She is no longer a soft, downy white but bright metallic white. Except where she's been singed by something that darkened the underside of one wing and her entire side by it as well as a slash across her flank and a gash up one foreleg. Her eyes glow bright red but show no emotion whatsoever. It's like staring at a glowing statue. Very unnerving.
Charlotte comes down the ramp.
Charlotte has arrived.
Aubri noses her and murmurs in her ear, calming and telling her to turn off the shield.
Mathias sees the hurt gryphons and seems wary of Dove, having not seen such before.
Telgan pads over to Charlotte.. "Are you all right?" he asks...
Mathias moves quietly and cautiously, calling for healers.
Kreeth manages to get Aoriuki's drinking arm free.
Aoriuki nods his thanks to Kreeth, then takes another sip. He looks thoroughly -wrecked-. He doesn't really say anything yet, just stares up the sky and his lips twitch a little...
Dove seems to sigh in relief as her body shudders visibly. The metallic coloring seems to fade back to Dove's usual soft downy white as her eyes close, only to blink open a second later, her normal pink once again. The singing and wounds are still there. She gasps as consciousness returns, along with the pains and energy drains from it all. She sinks to the ground under it all.
Mathias speaks quietly under his breath 'So she is one of them....'
Kreeth frees one of Aoriuki's legs, and then the other. Finally the last strand of net is away from the unicorn's body, allowing the creature to move again. The gryphon unclips his harness and removes the spears from his outfit before going to find out how the others fared.
Charlotte shakes her head at Telgan, pointing to his beak with a foreclaw then to one of her eartufts, trying to signal that she cannot hear to well, quite yet.
Aubri nuzzles Dove and lays down beside her, nuzzling. "You did a great job, Dove."
Aoriuki lies on the ground, taking short nips from his flask. He blinks a few times, then moans softly, then emits a string of rough, abrasive, very very very rude sounding Kefetiuan...
Telgan sighs softly and preens Charlotte's eartufts.
Dove nods to Aubri as the pain from her wounds really sting!
Kreeth makes sure of who hasn't come back, then turns back to the unicorn. "I've got a few more for when you run out."
Mathias sighs as he sees how rough a night all here have had.
Telgan groans softly, stretches, and shakes his head. "I think I'll go to sleep. For a week. Don't bother me. Good night."
Charlotte blinks as Telgan preens her eartufts and stands there, stupidly. "Uhrr, good night."
Mathias wants to ask how it all went, but doesn't want to bother any of the exhausted returnees.
Telgan gives Charlotte a little smile. "You're welcome," he says, and pads away up to the ledge.
Telgan flies up and lands on the ledge overhead.
Telgan has left.
Though all are tired and some are charred, most of the returnees seem to be happy. They got the information.
Mathias mutters to himself, 'This is what happens when I lock myself away with books and a scholar for days on end.'
Dove winces as her wounds are tended by a healer who smears some sort of salve over her cuts and whispers to her about caring for them. She eventually looks up, seeing the human again. She nods to him, believing he saw her in her other....state. She says in common, "Greetings again."
Aubri blinks at Mathias and murmurs to Dove, "What.. is that?"
Mathias nods a greetings to Dove as she is tended by healers. Never was much for healing, so stays out of their way for most.
Dove sighs as she stands up, getting her bearings back to herself. She answers Mathias, "I am not sure just yet, but I think the unicorns got their information they needed. We were ambushed by lurking Krzzn'tai, but we held them off with no casualties so far of our own. We are lucky in that respect." She then turns to Aubri, "Let's go home."
Mathias fades back into the shadows to quietly watch as the healers work.
Aubri noses Dove and smiles. "Shall we go home?" he smiles, turning toward the gate and looking over his shoulder at her.