Escaping The Empire - The Nonhuman Chronicles

Gerid turned... away from the group, making it look as if he were inspecting a different outcropping even as he kept a metaphorical and literal ear out for the actions of the escapees. It was possible they might not have realized he was close enough to see through their illusion, depending on the experience and knowledge of the caster. In addition, even if said spell caster was certain he was close enough and also even with the moonlight being so bright, he was fairly sure there was enough ambient shadow that him acting as if he simply had not seen them yet was believable.

Doing a quick headcount, he was both relieved and concerned the poor faun girl was with them. It was good to know she had survived her... ordeal and still seemed to have some life in her but he did not relish the idea of sending her back to his commander and the surviving men again and the thought of having to kill her in self defense was even more distasteful. If a fight broke out, he hoped she would run instead of joining it.

Speaking of a potential fight, he waited to see how the others would react to his seeming inattentiveness. If they made a move to rush him as a group, he was confident he had enough distance and advantage navigating the terrain he could disengage and retreat. If they sent one or two out to attack him, he also liked his chances, even against the Minotaur as training to fight creatures much larger than himself was something he had gotten used to at an early age. If they tried some trickery he was not expecting or (as infinitesimally unlikely as it probably was) attempted to negotiate with him, he would have to deal with it as it came... and improvisation was something else he had found he had needed to get used to fairly quickly in his life.

[As an added note for those with a higher sense of smell and if the wind is blowing in the right direction, Gerid probably smells a little weird since he's got both the scent of a human and elf.]

 

Nice try. Too bad I know the range of my own spell... I'll give him points for trying something unusual, though. Ariel watched the unknown person and considered her options, before finally settling on one. The angel waited until she was sure he could not see her, then made signs with her hands to Kerri and Axel, trying to tell them to rush the person. After that she cast a simple spell – one that would entangle the person in a web of shadows, immobilizing him for a few moments. Hopefully that would be enough time for her companions to reach him, but if not – she was ready to use a blindness spell on him. We can't afford to take any chances, but at the same time he's more useful alive than dead. At the very least he can answer a few questions...

 

Kerri may not have been the brightest, or most combat experienced...but if she had something going for her, it was the fact that they were very few things that could match up to her full sprinting speed. The thing looked relatively light on his feet, though she as confident she could outpace the vast majority of things. Just straight up attacking was usually something that was actively discouraged by most of her past allies, though in her personal experience most conflicts usually ended in violence. It wasn't that she couldn't negotiate or think through complicated logical puzzles. She didn't chose conflict out of being unable to think of alternatives. Kerri just chose to do it since it was the most efficient option.

Light armor. Not one of those wrinkly old people faces like veterans. Some type of grunt or scout. Clearly, he didn't just happen to come across here by accident. He had to be going out of his way to look for them...which irritated the wolf. By herself, she probably could have already blown past here, ages ago while if she left it to rest of them, they'd still be talking about whether or not they should climb the mountain in the first place. If anything, Kerri somewhat considered this as a good indication that she was actually proven right about how they're just a liability.

When Ariel seemed to give her the go ahead, it just so happened that Kerri was already in position to bound off. He probably was ready for combat and while Kerri wasn't really built to be taking hits, she had dealt with enough empire patrols to know what they were all about by their faces:
Old bushy beard guys: "Don't bother pursuing. It may be a trap and I'm too much of a wuss to attack."
Scarred beard guys: "We must accept every challenge and attack directly because we're too stupid to do anything different!"
Young clean faced guys: "I got a lot to prove, so I need to go off and kill the monster on my own and get myself killed!"

He would clearly belong to the last group, and it usually all ended the same way. They would severely underestimate their target and overestimate their own abilities. While he probably planned for conflict, and had an idea of what to expect, even more experienced empire soldiers tended to fail to realize just exactly how quick the wolf people really were.

 

Gerid started to turn back towards the group again and planned to take a step towards them... but then his eyes widened as the very shadows themselves suddenly grabbed hold of him, freezing him in place. The instinct to pull away was strong but he fought it down, his training telling him that tensing up could just make the situation worse. Especially since it looked like the wolf-girl was rushing towards him while he was vulnerable.

He knew he could not beat the wolf-woman in pure speed even if he wasn't magically bound, but he was hopeful that he could use that speed against her. He let his body go slack and prepared for the impact, already feeling the grip of shadows on his body starting to weaken, planning to roll backwards with the collision, use the momentum to raise his knees into her stomach, and then flipping her over onto her back.

 

Kerri's rush tactic was working well. She hadn't really paid much attention to what Ariel was doing, but she did...something. He was even slower to act than she expected and she wasn't going to let the opportunity pass by. It was only when she got just close enough to make a proper stab, things had changed and he reacted. Not before, she managed to have her claws graze against his forearm in a sharp sting, but unable to hit any veins or anything particularly important.The sudden feeling of weightlessness quickly changed with a hard and painful thud, rocks digging against her back, suddenly her lack of willingness to wear proper clothes somehow backfiring as the gravel pressed in her skin. "...ow."

The silent lack of reaction was all she really responded with, facial expression not really changing from just looking mildly confused, but unconcerned. It didn't last long before she was already getting back up to her feet, giving her head a quick shake, looking more annoyed by it than anything else.

 

Axel charged, as best he could, after Kerri. The terrain made a full rush virtually impossible with his hooves, and the wolf-girl reached their pursuer long before he did. But her own charge ended... unexpectedly. Axel tried as best he could to hurry his pace and brought his ax overhead, ready to bring it down with one mighty chop on the newcomer.

 

Gerid hissed under his breath at the small prick of pain that hit his arm as the wolf girl's claws made a thin cut along the material of his uniform and the skin beneath. He had no time to dwell on it though as, however clumsily, the minotaur was now making his move, the axe blow one he was sure would split his chest in half if it connected.

Instead of wasting time trying to get up, Gerid rolled to the side to get out of the way of the axe blow's arc before lashing out with a kick aimed at his much larger opponent's ankle.

 

Talia maintained her distance while watching the fight going forward. She vaguely recognized the solder as one of the men from the caravan, but not one of the ones who assaulted her. That didn't mean that she felt any sympathy for him being ganged up upon though. She contemplated running forward and stopping the fight though. It's not like he was trying to actively harm them and it's doubtful that he would be able to get back to his group and gather up everyone and get them here before they were gone in the morning. In her fear of the fight, she had backed up away from the fighting to hide behind a more distant rock. Unfortunately, the noise from the fight was both a distraction and an attraction to whoever else might be lurking on these mountainous ridges. A slight shifting of rock from the other side of the pass caught the girl's attention and she turned just in time to see a cloaked figure rushing at her. A gasp escaped her lips and she lobs the rock in her hand at the figure. It collides with a thunk and gives her a chance to bolt back towards the rest of the party.

@Omega98 @Auraicide @moonblack
"Help! T-There's more!" You all hear the surprised shout of your less than useful companion and see her bolting towards the rest of the group. Unfortunately the faun isn't used to running on such uneven terrain and falls and tumbles about half-way between the skirmish ahead and the tumbled and faceplanted on the rocky ground.

A figure with a small knife drawn is favoring his shoulder where he was struck by the rock and is quickly approaching Talia's position. Four more similarly dressed people emerge from hiding. Two with bows that are training on the melee ahead and another two with blades drawn. @Daylan you recognize them as the same bandits who raided the caravan.

 

It was clear to anyone watching that the half-elf's kick was meant to dislodge the minotaur's footing and cause him to collapse as opposed to actually hurt. However, even with the terrain, there was so much mass pressing down on his hoof, that all the kick really did was hurt.

Axel grunted and yanked his ax out from where the blade had embedded in the ground when he heard Talia call for help. The minotaur chanced a glance back at the faun just in time to see her faceplant. She was in trouble and he wasn't sure how much help the angel would be. With an angry grunt, he turned to regard the wolf-girl. If she was back on her feet he might be able to turn back and help the other two companions. If not... fuck.

 

Well, fuck. Ariel swore as she looked at the cloaked figures. After quickly going over her options she decided to focus on protecting Talia – the faun seemed like the most vulnerable among them.

Remaining where she was the angel cast another spell and some of the nearby shadows melded into a kite shield positioned between Talia and the unknown people. It would protect her from at least a few attacks and give her time to recover and get up. It would also give the attackers something to think about.

With her spell complete Ariel crouched down and tried to hide herself behind the largest rock available so that the two with the bows would not have a clear shot at her.


(Clarification: The shield is just that – a shield. It's not some sort of barrier that surrounds the target. Like a normal shield it protects the front, but not the sides or the back. Left on its own it will float in the air a little above the ground, but by focusing on it Ariel can make it move around. As for endurance, it can take a t least a few hits before falling apart – it may imitate a real shield, but it isn't. And yes, Ariel does have better spells, but they are slower to cast, plus she does not want to reveal all her abilities just yet.)

 

"Ugh..what?" Kerri could follow what was happening, much to her annoyance. They had changed targets. They had went from trying to rip apart the elf to ripping apart these random guys. Bandits were a pretty common sight and given her old history, the look she gave them was somewhat mixed. Her face remained looking just entirely unimpressed by their appearance and even as her claws extended out again, she remained looking uninterested. "...stupid ambush spot. No high ground advantage or anywhere to run..." Yet, as soon as her head perked up to see one of the new combatants, while still on all fours, she immediately went the distance to dispatch the closest one.

Her tone didn't make it sound like she was in anyway concerned or really noticed the actual danger. More of just offering general practical criticism to their practice. It didn't end there. While she didn't look in anyway interested to what they were doing, it didn't stop her from closing in the distance towards the nearest one and letting her claws sink to his flesh. She had dealt with enough shady types to understand how they worked. They were looking for an easy score and weren't expecting any actual resistance. Generally a Minotaur would be a strong deterrent, but they must have took him for being too passive to be a real threat if he was travelling in groups. So it feel to the wolf to show off a little of how perfectly willing she was to resort to gorey and graphic violence as her claws expanded outward in the nearest one's chest. Bandits weren't kitted out in the kind of armor like the empire that would make it a problem. Either light armor or just cloth, but nothing that would be enough to avoid the red stains starting to soak the wolf girl's palms, all the while her eyes didn't move the slightest inch out of still looking half asleep.

 

Gerid's seemingly eternal frown deepened as the bandits came into view. Taking the rest of the group's distraction as a chance to hop back up to his feet, he swiftly drew his hunting knife before throwing it in the direction of the throat of one of the bowmen. "Sloppy," he grumbled under his breath in agreement with Kerri's assessment as he hunched over to lower his profile while starting to dash towards the wounded looking knife-wielder.

 

Axel knew he had no time to pause, but he was confused. He'd thought that the newcomers might be working with their initial assailant, but when he threw his knife at them he wasn't so sure. Was this a ruse? Get him to turn his back and then be stabbed from behind as he faced the new arrivals? He didn't know.

Kerri was charging the cloaked figures and Ariel was ducking for cover behind a rock. He could either (try to) finish off their pursuer, or move back to help his companions. With one huff he made his choice. The hulking minotaur gripped his ax and slammed his fist against the ground before he bellowed out a mighty roar and charged the five newcomers.

 

The bandit attempts to slash away at the shield and even the small blade leaves a pretty nasty cut through it. You figure that it'll only be able to take about one more hit before it disperses. Meanwhile, Talia appears to be in a bit of a daze. A small welt appears on her forehead where she banged her head against the rocks on the way down. It doesn't appear to be a severe injury. Just one to slow her down.

One of the arrow shots comes whizzing past you. It cuts close and you can feel the air off of it as it flies past you. It would appear like these bandits know at least basic tactics. One of the blade-wielding ones move to cut you off. He takes a low swing at you which you easily dodge. You leap, claws forward at his chest. However, he drops his blade and grabs your wrists to dull the impact. Your claws dig through the leather armor and scratch him a bit, but it's not quite the impact you were looking for. However, both of you collapse into a struggling power for supremacy and you do catch sight of a backup knife on his belt. Possibly more concerning may be the bowman reloading his arrow.

Your blade strikes true and collides with the man's throat. He gurgles in surprise at the blade suddenly appearing in his throat as you charge forward at him.

You find yourself lagging behind Kerri as you charge forward at the men in the rear. One fires their arrow at Kerri, just missing her as she collides in a pile with another bandit and the other archer fires an arrow at you. As a much larger target, you're also much easier to hit. The arrow manages to find a gap in your armor and it sinks into your shoulder. Fortunately, your thick hide means that the arrow doesn't really dig deep and the impact throws you off more than the pain or damage does. The other blademan protecting the archers moves into your path. He looks a bit fearful, but seems to be bracing himself to use the force of your charge against you.


@Tjf Feel free to jump in when you feel appropriate. I'm going to presume that Wilhelmina hasn't strayed far.

 

Axel growled at the sting of the arrow and stumbled back a step. He shrugged through the pain, stepped up, hefted his ax high, and swung at the blademan in front of him.

 

Without breaking stride, Gerid reaches out once he's close enough to grab the hilt of his knife and yank it out of his victim's throat. "Die," he growls before turning and throwing the bloody weapon again, this time looking to do the same to the second bowman while he was focused on the wolf-woman.

 

Shit! This is not going well! Time for plan B. Ariel decided as she set about casting another spell, aiming for the archers and the guy attacking Talia. From the surrounding shadows a few dozen small black arrows arose and shot at her chosen targets. Individually each one was weak, a little more than a scratch, but regular armor offered no protection against them and the pain caused would be very real – and hopefully very distracting. As a bonus there was a chance, albeit a small one, that anyone hit by such an arrow would be blinded briefly – and in the middle of combat even a couple of seconds was plenty.

 

Wilhelmina, deciding to return to the group of nonhumans, climbs the hill overlooking their battle. She overlooks the fight, and decides to spring into action. The countess heads down the hill, heading towards the nearest bandit with their back to her, planning to bite into his neck from behind, and drain him dry.

 

The man clearly wasn't prepared for the full weight of your assault. He attempts to block your swing, but you smash past his defenses and sink your axe into his body. What little armor he's wearing crumples under the weight of your blow and the bandit follows suit.

While not very powerful, your tiny arrows serve to slow down the reloading and distract the bowmen. They vainly try to bat away at them, but only succeed at getting tiny lacerations on their hands. None of them are unfortunate enough to get blinded however.

You watch the two figures tussle violently across the ground, before they roll off the hill and downwards out of sight. The archer that you fling your blade at is nailed, but not quite in the throat. He's a bit too distant for that and you manage to land your blow slightly lower. However, between the knife throw and the tiny arrows from Ariel, it's enough for him to miss his shot on you by a wide margin.

With all of the distraction of the rest of the party. You find it pretty easy to move up behind the other bowman and grab him before he fires another bowshot. With a shocked gasp, you sink your teeth into the base of his neck and drain his blood until he goes limp. Then well after he passes out from blood loss.



There's one bowman remaining and he's heavily injured.

 

Gerid's already dour expression turns even darker somehow as the arrow whizzes past him, he spots the return of the vampiress out of the corner of his eye, and the wolf-woman going tumbling off the cliff along with her foe. Both of the latter two factors complicated things... but there was one enemy to finish off before dealing with that.

He looked over his shoulder at the angel. "Can you make a bigger one of those arrows to aim at his heart or brain?" he asks cooly, "Or do I need to... get my knife back again?"