Fifth, Sixth, Ninth, & Eleventh Stick - @Littlefeets, @BlueInferno, @katabasis, & (@unsungcheerio & @Skyler2)
“Samantha!”, Julian yelped as he watched her fall to her death. When her body landed, there was a distinct sound of bones cracking and a quietly uttered pun, “Things have gotten dead serious here.” Luckily, no one seemed to hear Yoohan.
First to run to her side was Julian, leaving both Desiree and Kathryn staring in shock, water erupting from Dee’s eyes. “Sam, are you okay? Can you hear me? It’s me, Julian. Wake up. I’m getting worried now. If you’re messing with me, it’s not funny. Say something.” Julian’s voiced was becoming increasingly panicked.
In that short space of time, Aelric had managed to ignore Kendra’s situation and carefully climb back down, running over to kneel beside Sam. He had two sets of eyes following him, one was Dee and the other was Yoohan. he didn’t notice, instead, feeling for a pulse that wasn’t there, Aelric began chest compressions on Sam. “Juls, she’s not playing, she needs breath to her lungs.”
Julian looked at him with glassy eyes that knew Aelric was right. He nodded and put his mouth to hers, trying to fill her lungs.
Just a few metres away, a distraught and worried Desiree saw where Sam and Aelric had placed their bags before climbing, and a person rifling through Sam’s. “What are you doing, Ryn?”, Dee reacted though croaked sobs. “That’s not yours.”
Kathryn replied unemotionly, not turning to look at Desiree, “Sam is dead. No one else seems ‘ter want it so I’m ‘elpin’ meself.”
“You have no right.” Dee didn’t know where her voice was suddenly coming from. Perhaps it Aelric rubbing off on her, although he was much of a talker either, or maybe it was her way of standing up for Sam one last time. Whatever it was, anger consumed her. “Put. It. Down.”
Kathryn stopped and so did Yoohan, who turned her eyes away from the boys to watch the dramatics. Kathryn turned on her haunches to look at Dee, straight in the eyes. “She is dead, can nae you see that. She will nae need it any more. Just because yer lover an’ I do nae see eye ‘ter eye, we got ‘ter have a problem ‘ter?”
“No.” Dee paused, long enough for Ryn to think she had won. “My problem is with you taking Sam’s STUFF.”
Yoohan rested her hand on Dee’s shoulder to try to calm her. Although she loved drama, maybe now wasn’t the best time with these heightened emotions. So she attempted to lighten the situation by softly saying, “Perhaps Kathryn was hungry and stealing food but her plans were foiled.” To that, Dee only shrugged off her hand.
Bird-things:
Flying Guardian 1
Skill: 7
Stamina: 8
Flying Guardian 2
Skill: 8
Stamina: 8
Kendra did have the time to focus on what was happening at the bottom of the statue. Right now she had to pry out this gem before the bird-things got to her. She couldn’t get to it, her fingers kept slipping. Then just as the first guardian dived at her, she pulled with all might and her fingers still slipped, sending her elbow backwards into the birds beak. It recovered quickly, diving at her again but she climbed down two handholds and the bird went crashing into the gem turning it too, to dust. This time it was the other guardian who dived her. Thankfully it had given her enough time to take out one dagger while she hung on one hand. She struck the second bird and the first attacked again. It was disorientated and she swiped at it. It flew around in a small circle and aimed again, this time flapping wildly with its claws out. However, Kendra got her arm between its legs and struck it with her dagger in the abdomen. The guardian dropped to the ground.
The second came at her from behind in the same position as the first and clawed along one shoulder blade. (-1 stamina) Kendra clenched her teeth together at the agony and almost let go of the statue. Though when the bird came around, she was ready; striking at it as hard as she could. It was flapping unsteadily now, just one good thrust was what she needed. When it came closer, she threw her arm and caught it, she twisted her blade. It fell to the ground too.
Yeonhwa brushed the dust and muck from the tunnels off his clothes. While he did, he watched the scene take place before him. Trying to revive the dead, an argument over a backpack, and a girl fighting two creatures alone with no one watching. No one but Yeonhwa. He thought about the possibility of approaching, but what would be the point?
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Aelric
Skill: 10
Stamina: 18
Luck: 10
Desiree
Skill: 9
Stamina: 20
Julian
Skill: 9
Stamina: 22
Kathryn
Skill: 11
Stamina: 19
Luck: 6
Kendra
Skill: 12 9
Stamina: 13
Luck: 10
Yeonhwa Kim
Skill: 7
Stamina: 15
Yoohan
Skill: 12
Stamina: 21
Seventh and Eighth Stick - @passionfruit, @Daunt, and @Caticorn
ORCs
First Orc:
Skill: 5
Stamina: 5
Second Orc
Skill: 6
Stamina: 4
Four morning stars coming flying toward, shot from each of the orcs’ hands. One wheezed past them, over their heads. Another bounced off one of Crystal’s daggers as she swiped at it in order to avoid contact. As for the other two stars, they found their targets. Each planting themselves into Scarlet and Emrys’ thighs. Emrys grumbled, his teeth clenched, while Scarlet’s agonised scream was internal. (-3 Stamina each)
Staggering backwards, away from each other as they attempted not to touch shoulders, they managed to regain their balance with support from the tunnel walls. With the tunnel being too narrow for both orcs, the second one stayed back and focused it’s attention on Crystal. She wasted no time, attacking the second creature, swiping with her daggers. They cut through the orcs leather. She has so much momentum, Crystal spun on the spot and swiped again before the orc could counter the attack. Slashing up and down this time, drawing blood, and leaving the body of the orc on the ground at her feet. Coming to a stop unsteadily, Crystal looked pleased with herself.
Acompanied with a slightly unsteady step forward and a quick intake of breath, Scarlet took her sword in both hands and went for the first legs. The first orc, the one wearing a hat, jumped over the swinging sword and came back down on the uneven hard rock surface like a ton of bricks; crashing to the ground. Emrys lept at the opportunity when he was down, not wanting to mess around, and brought his axe down hard, into the Orc’s head, killing him.
Emrys hobbled over to search the second Orc’s pockets. He found a Gold Piece and a hollow wooden tube. Pocketing them both, as Crystal did the same with her Orc but came up dry, he sat down carefully to search his bag for cloth. Scarlet was already on the ground, about to pull the star from her leg.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he told her matter-of-factly with a hint of irritation.
“And why not?”, Scarlet snapped stubbornly.
Eventually finding cloth, he ripped it with teeth and and hands before retorting sarcastically, “Do you want to bleed out?” Emrys wrapped the torn rag around the top of his thigh and tied it tightly. Then with swift precision, he pulled the star out and pressed down hard on the wound with the strange hat he’d grabbed off the dead orc. Holding it down with one hand, he picked up the other half of ripped rag to offer to Scarlet. “Need me to help or can you do it yourself?”
“I can manage,” she snapped, snatching the cloth and tying it around her own leg as he had just done to his. Crystal stood by watching them. Grimmacing when she pulled out the star, Crystal could tell by her face that she was trying to hold back a scream as she pulled. “I suppose you going to share you bandages?”, she asked snarkily as she watched him wrap his leg.
“Why? Were you not smart enough to bring any?”
“Hey!”, Crystal interrupted loudly. “Enough. Unless you want me to leave you here and go off ahead of you alone.” She flashed Emrys a sharp smile, as if to say that she would do it even if they entered together as a team.
When the squabbling was over and they were bandaged up to continue, to continue west. As the walked along the tunnel further, droplets of water start falling from the ceiling. Crystal, who was leading her two hobbling comrades, saw wet footprints heading west, made by the same boots that they were following earlier. They lead the trio to a closed iron door on the right-hand side of the tunnel, but didn’t seem to go any further.
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Crystal
Skill: 11
Stamina: 20
Emyrs
Skill: 11
Stamina: 13
Scarlet
Skill: 11
Stamina: 13
Questions:
Fifth, Sixth, Ninth, & Eleventh Stick
What will Ryn do or say? Will she wish to or be allowed to stay with the group now or will she go off ahead of them?
What does Dee do/say? Will Julian and Aelric hear it and step in?
Will Yoohan say any more or try again to stop in from escalating?
With the creatures gone, will Kendra climb down or try AGAIN to pry out the jewel?
Seventh and Eighth Stick
Do you wish to open the door or keep going west?