Work Hard Play Hard

[Fayr]

Lyo sat down and listened to Agate's story and since he knew it by heart his eyes roamed about and he caught some of his friends standing off to the side and he waved to them. They were having fun and he kind of wished he was over there with them and doing what he usually did. Then Lyo looked upon his mismatched new friends around him and a large smile was on his lips. He truly felt these people were true friends to and then he knew he would do anything for most of them.

When the ground collapsed beneath them Lyo used his training and his instincts to absorb the impact and rolled away from a mole man. When he saw the slack Eavan and the enraged Borris he was filled with a silent anger. He took out his knife and fought as hard as he could. He dropped several with some injuries but he was brought down with a club to the head and as he was lifted over the creatures shoulder it was bleeding freely.

[sheroknight]

These dirty mole men (Men that work underground NOT men that were part mole), were carrying him a bit roughly, slung over their shoulders as it was. "Yee vile rats, yee made me drop me ale!" Borris roared. He smelled something there in the tunnels. He couldn't see a blasted thing but he sure could smell it! Truffels! Sweet Root! "Let me down yee vermin, there be truffles and sweet root here!" Borris said as he hit his kidnapper in the back of the knees with his ladle. As the kidnapper hit the ground Borris reached around in the pitch black eagerly grabbing any truffels and sweet root his hands came in contact with. The mole man grabbed up the dwarf and continued in the darkness grumbling angrily. They were soon coming up on the chamber they made for their first resting and feeding of the prisoners, not that any of the prisoners would really know what was going on in the pitch black, but perhaps the now echoing sounds would give them a greater idea. The prisoners were not bound, but they were blind and lost, and that in itself was a good method of restraint for any of the more awake prisoners.

[micaylah]

Eavan continued to feign unconsciousness over the shoulder of the ruffian who had her. Her eyes closed, the darkness did not bother her. She loved the dark. Had learned early on how to use her other senses to find her way. She smelled damp earth and had to fight not to smile. Her ears picked up the steady drip of water ahead. The sound echoing in a way that allowed her to visualize the cavern hollowed within the earth ahead. She would wait until they stopped and learn what she could about their captors.

[Fayr]

Lyo was almost fully unconscious but since he wasn't every jolt was filled with agonizing pain. The dark blood fully covered his beautiful light brown hair and know instead of vanilla it held the stench of blood. He groaned loudly as he felt another jolt go through his injured head and more blood fell. He wished he could just slip into the peaceful blackness of either death or unconsciousness. Though even when he was in intense pain he hoped his friends were okay.

[sheaminal]

Richard noticed it getting quieter from the bar where the Dracon and the dusty man were sitting. As he started to turn his head to get a look at them the floor gave a brief creak before giving out from under him, chair and all. He hit the ground not a second later, closely followed by several chairs, a table, and part of the floor itself. He grunted as he began to lift himself up, pushing the debris off himself. Through all the yelling and screaming he heard someone shout out something along the lines of, "Grab 'em!"

He immediately scanned the area. People of varying types were streaming out of tunnels around the area. The elf girl Eavan was being toted off, the dracon was chasing some poor devil, and Ahlanna was making quick work of several of the tunnel men. That was all he saw before he received a hard blow across his right calf and left kidney, dropping him to a knee. He lashed out back to his left and grabbed onto something warm and moving. He twisted and pulled forward sharply and was rewarded with a satisfying snap of bone and scream of pain. He grinned ferally, "Got you now."

He switched his grip on the man to where he had a hold of both of his ankles and proceeded to use his flailing body as a club on the others around him. The screams that erupted around him drove him further into his blood lust and he swung the man harder and faster. Suddenly the weight in his hands became much lighter than before. He looked at them and saw that he held only the twisted remains of the man's legs in his hands, 'Oh well. Time to get messy.'

Richard rushed the nearest man still standing, deflected his clumsy strike, and tackled him to the floor. He flipped and pinned the man chest down to the floor. He grabbed him in a headlock and spun his whole body off the man, snapping his neck. Continuing his roll he sprang into a mule kick in the center of another man's chest launching him onto a particularly sharp pile of debris. This was followed by silence.

As he climbed to his feet he looked around the area they were in. Bodies littered the floor, some still alive others most obviously dead. Ahlanna was standing not more than ten feet to his front left covered in blood, none of it hers he was sure. She also was scanning the room for any more trouble. Eavan and the elf boy she kissed were missing as was the dwarf, the dusty man, and the dracon. In addition to them, the tavern patrons who weren't dead, cowering behind rock outcroppings, or buried beneath debris were missing as well.

Richard moved towards Ahlanna to check her for any injuries anyways. As he moved towards her the rush of battle began to die down, allowing him to feel the several wounds he received from his frenzied melee. He could also feel a small breeze across the skin of his back and thighs, his poncho had been torn from leaving him fully naked. 'I'll have to find another one, but no matter. The others' safety is foremost.'

"'Lanna! Are you hurt? Judging by the bodies, you were fighting quite a few and they may have gotten you." A look of concern creasing his features as he approached Ahlanna.

[Lynx]

Letting out another roar of ire, she pursued her prey down the dank tunnel. Then he hit the support and the earth fell in front of her. Dust billowed up, obscuring her silver form in a cloudy haze. Another anguished roar shook the caved in tunnel. As soon as the rubble had stopped falling, Agate began to tear at it with her claws. Suddenly she yowled in pain as a knife cut across her wing. Turning in a molten flash, her claws ripped out the throat of the man who had cut her. He fell with a gurgling yelp and was trampled by the rest of his group. Agate moved like quicksilver, blood spurting in showers around her, streaking her scales with crimson as her dirk and claws found their ways into her enemies. For now the devious half orc would have to wait.

Finally the flow of men trickled down. By this time the Draconian, hindered in the narrow and short tunnel, was slashed across the wings many times, her arms crisscrossed with scratches and blood. Her scales had protected her from grievous injuries, but a few knives and spears had hacked past her armored skin. One of her metallic claws was broken off, three others cracked badly. All were dulled and stained with various bloods. Snarling, she made sure all the people were down. There had been many of them, but not enough to overcome her. Limping a bit due to a cut that slashed down her short leather pants and into her tendon, she went out into the main passage. Lifting a lip in a snarl, she saw that the snippy little upstart was there. So was a naked man, which she found interesting. Her eyes, bright as ever, surveyed him, wondering what it was that women found attractive about the human males.

[singent]

Ahlanna turned, as she did so, she pulled a dagger from her side, sagged a little, then stood up and dropped the offending piece. "I'm alright," she said smiling so big her already squinted eyes looked shut. She sheathed her two daggers, one going into her boot, the other at the small of her back. Bruises were already coloring on her arms and face, her shirt now had quite a number of gaping holes and gashes, but she still stood on her own two feet. She looked as if she had been sprayed with a mug of blood, it had soaked her shirt and was already becoming tacky. A little of cut on her cheek did nothing to mar her beauty. "Some of us apparently had too much fun, eh grandpa?" she said from behind a hand as she started to giggle at his absurd appearance.

She turned to see the draconian. "Look, I'm sorry, Agate. I should have been more direct in what I was trying to do. And then I danced around my purpose, so we ended up here. But first we have to tend to ourselves, and then get outta here," she stated pointing a bloody digit at the ceiling. "I'm open for suggestions, cause I haven't the slightest clue right now." She said cracking a smile," But I'm going to help myself to something." She scuffled around til she found Eavan's daggers, as well as her own that she had thrown. Then she started poking around the bar looking for cloths, linens, anything to serve as bandages; but also for anything still intact that was drinkable or edible.

[sheaminal]

"Hmph. I'm not that old, child, but you're right. We're no good to anyone hurt and lost." stated Richard as he slightly frowned at Ahlanna's actions. He moved towards some of the bodies on the floor, "Strip the dead and dying, they don't need their effects anymore." He started doing just that searching for any suitable cloth for bandages, mainly for the smaller elf and some for himself. He didn't miss the grimace or the small stagger as she pulled the knife from her side. 'It seems she puts on a brave face to keep others from worrying.'

As he was sifting through the dead he called over his shoulder, "Hey, dracon! You're name's 'Gate right? How're you holding up?" Richard's hand bumped into a smooth piece of wood, 'Hmm, what's this?' He cleared it off and pulled it from among the bodies and debris, 'Hah! My pole made it through the fall alright.'

[sheroknight]

Simon passed into the large chamber they had prepared, and waved to his mole men. They would tend to the prisoner's wounds and bellys, there was no reason not to be a gentleman. Simon and a few others couldn't stop though, they needed to proceed down the maze of tunnels to prepare the next phase of their plans, they had to make sure their transportation was ready.

[Lynx]

It would figure that one of the two people not captured by the deceiver and his men was the woman who had given her so much grief. Why couldn't Eavan be here? She was millions of times better. However, she knew from her father's training lessons that sometimes one had to work with people they didn't like in order to win a battle. Draconians could be a little grating and aggressive at times and weren't always fun to work with. Part of the reason she'd left, in fact. The males her age were going through their arrogant macho stage and she simply couldn't stand it. Well, she thought resignedly, she would have to work with the two of them if they were going to save their new friends.

Ignoring the elf for the moment, Agate began shifting the bodies with her bare feet. Ugly creatures. Obviously mixed race, no doubt the reason why they stayed underground. "Agate, actually," she corrected him, "like the stone. I am alive, though you should be warned that the tunnel is caved in behind the group that captured the rest." Bending down, she pulled a belt of a large man that looked like some sort of elf and orc mix. It was black and made of leather...matched quite well with her already existing outfit. Slinging it over her shoulder, she crossed it into a chest belt. Stowing her dirk into her belt, she began to collect various small weapons from the bodies. There were some wavy blades, some sharp, and even a miniature scythe or two. Some were simple and unadorned, others crisscrossed with strange runes and topped with glinting stones. The best ones, she quickly found, were from any dwarf-looking men. Nothing wrong with taking what would never be used again.

[micaylah]

Eavan feigned coming to abruptly as the mole man deposited her on the floor of the cavern. It was dark and hard to see but she could gauge the size of the cavern by the echoes of the water she heard within it. She could smell Borris close by as well as hear him muttering something about truffles. She smiled slightly as she turned her attention back to the task at hand. She could smell blood strongly along with Lyo’s scent and her focus turned to him. The mole men had set about taking care of the injured and even seeing to feeding them. Eavan still could not act. This was definitely not the behavior of mere bandits. Something was up and they needed to find out what. Still, she had to find a way of alerting the ones left behind in the cave in.

Eavan looked around the cavern. There had to be someway to leave a trail. They wouldn’t follow within the tunnels to the cavern, that would be too treacherous. She caught the slight reflection of light on the water and followed the faint narrow beam up. Of course, the mole men had equipped the tunnels and the cavern with small air shafts. Eavan looked around her, taking note that everyone seemed to busy to notice her. She sat back and watched as a small wisp of water rose toward the air shaft. Once it had gotten to the surface, she began to form it into the shape of a flower. The form had taken on the look of glass but it was as strong as any metal. Hopefully, whoever followed would be able to find them and follow from above. She broke off the watery wisp and let it fall back from the crystalline flower above. It would hold shape now without a problem. Eavan settled back. She had the start of a course of action. She would leave the “flowers” at the site the air shafts, marking their trail above.

[Fayr]

Lyo groaned again as he was set down on the ground. He wasn't feeling the body racking pain he felt in the beginning so he knew it wasn't extremely serious and even better it seemed the bandits were helping him. If they could fix his wound and he could get some rest he might be able to fight when the time came.

Though they were going to fix his wound they weren't gentle creatures. Lyo winced again as one of the mole man tried to "gently" rub some stinging liquid into his scalp. His head felt like it had been stung by a hundred needles and the constant rubbing wasn't any better. When they stooped he let out a sigh and without any waiting they tightly wrapped his head in bandages. "You guys aren't the best healers." His words meant to come out as witty finished in another groan as he was roughly picked up and jostled.

[singent]

"Alrite, so I don't know about you two, but I don't do too well underground and we'll have more luck ripping apart the boards than pulling those rocks out. Agreed?" Ahlanna asked looking around. "I think the easiest way would be to go up and then try and track the tunnels from there." She said as she took a bite from an apple, it's skin and meat crunching and giving way to her straight white teeth. "But if anyone else has an easier route, I'm all for easy right now, cause this," motioning around her,"isn't quite an elvish environment and I'm quite at a loss." She sat on the wreckage of the bar waiting for a response from either of her comrades.

[sheroknight]

Simon hurried down the path the were right below the borderlands now, and the light could be seen comming out from up ahead. He and his men slowed their pace and eased their way into the light, giving their eyes time to adjust to the bright light of the outside. It was always so refreshing for Simon to be up on the surface, it was like being reborn. Walking into the open he could see their rides where ready and waiting, his men worked quickly. The Kodos were already saddles up, and the carts ready to go. "Good job boys!" Simon proclaimed, patting the nearest man on his back letting fly a cloud of dust. "Lets start getting them in a line so we can get going." Simon said before his grin started to fade, "Now what in tarnation is that?" What it was, was a rider upon a white dragon, with him it seemed a... goblin? "Well there is only one person I know of that rides a dragon like that and would come visit us, but why are you walking?" He asked as the rider approached. "Been a long time Simon, but here on buisness, things have changed and time is an issue." the rider said with a serious look. "I need you and anyone else I can get to help me, I need an army." Simon was taken aback by the rider's request. "We were supposed to get settlers, but an army? There should be some to see you soon enough if you wait here, but they'd be a might bit angry at us." Simon said. "I want you to take who you are willing to give up for this new request, and bring them with me, if any of the settlers want to help, then arm them and they will come with us." said the rider. Simon looked at the rider long and hard. He was serious, something must have happened. "For you friend alright, the Void don't pay us that much attention anyways, what happens when you live in the dirt." Simon said with a grin as he held out his hand to the rider. "You got a deal there friend" the rider smiled slightly at Simon's words. "Thank you friend." said the rider as he firmly shook Simon's dusty hands.

[micaylah]

Eavan looked around the cavern and saw that everyone was being well cared for and fed. She decided to move at last, rising to stand as she called the water from beneath the cold, dank earth to form a path along the tunnel. She could feel warmth in the distance through her connection with the small layer of water across the tunnel floor. The water’s surface reflected the dimly lit cavern and tunnel guided her to her destination. She was surprised as not one of the men seemed to pay her any attention. Eavan hastened her pace, seeing light up ahead. She moved a hand to shade her eyes as she slowly emerged into the outside. There was a myriad of activity going on around her. If she didn’t know better she would have that she was looking at a large group of settlers. Her attention turned to Simon, the man from the bar as she started walking determinedly toward him. “Simon!” she shouted as she moved closer to the men. “What is the mea…” Her voice stopped abruptly as she saw the large white dragon and a familiar face. “Shero?” she asked, her face showing her confusion. “What are you doing here?”

[Fayr]

Lyo cautiously stepped away from his handler as he was being set down. Lyo felt well enough to start moving again and he wanted to be as far away from these things as possible. His footsteps weren't completely silent since he didn't have shade training but known of the people paid him any mind so he decided to follow Eavan who seemed to know what she was doing. His head though hurt to much for him to yell out and he didn't want to draw attention so he saw everything. His jaw tightened as he saw the exchange between Eavan and how she seemed o know them and wasn't the least bit hostile. He had been a fool to trust her. He shook his head sadly and slumped against a rock.

[sheroknight]

Simon and Shero both turned towards Eaven. "Eaven, I'm here to take anyone I can find here as a military. The people here were kidnapped to be settelers in a land that will be spared from the Void. Simon here has been working to help me with this, better question is why are you here?" Shero said looking over at Eaven. His normal smile was gone, he was still suffering from the loss of Kia. "Terribly sorry about all this miss. Shero, this lady was one of the many we grabbed for the new island. Shero here needs our help to fight against some large dragon to save his young miss." Simon said as he took off his hat and bowed towards Eaven with an embaressed look.

[Lynx]

As much as she hated to help the woman who had insulted her, Agate also wanted to get out of the ground. Draconians were airy creatures. She needed open space. "Stand back," she sighed, her wings refolding as she stood up. Where on earth had the snippy female gotten an apple? Sighing again, she looked around. Everything had collapsed sheer into the ground. The mole men, though devious, had indeed done their jobs well. The hole they had fallen into was covered over with collapsed boards and all manner of debri. Probably the roof. The entire inn had no doubt fallen over the hole when the supports were taken out. Raising her hands up as if offering a prayer, she gathered all the wind in the space. The open tunnels whistled as the wind was drawn from them. Finally she had convalesced the giant mass of wind into an almost palatable sphere that could be seen shimmering like liquid silver in the air. It was about ten feet wide and rippled like water. With a slight grunt and an upward thrust, her wings flaring, she sent the ball shooting upwards at great speeds. The sphere of hardened air hit the top with a cavernous crack, splitting wood and anything else in its way. Dirt and debri rained down on Agate. She could feel the night air rush in and let her sphere go. Pushing the air around her down, she shot up through the hole, landing lightly on the side. Elves clustered around, shocked at the sight of the dust covered silver Dracon emerging. Well that had worked rather well. "Come on up!" she roared.

[singent]

Pretty talented for not being a trained elemental, Ahlanna thought. What she had learned in the Shades was that there was only one of those, and he was a KIS...well for an active Shade she thought with a smile. Ahlanna tossed what was left of the apple, stood up on the bar and ran at the wall closest to the hole. She planted her foot and jumped off the wall and through the hole, giving Richard a big grin and wink as she passed to the next floor. She hopped up and pulled herself through the next hole and proceeded in this manner until she could feel the sunlight spilling over her slight frame. She looked back down the hole to see if Richard was coming, as well as to gauge which direction the collapsed tunnel was headed. Getting at least a direction they could go, Ahlanna called,"Do you see anything from up there? They should have headed that way," she indicated pointing in the direction of the tunnel.

[micaylah]

Eavan looked at both men throwing her hands up in grandiose gesture. “Did either of you ever think about just asking them if they wanted to go?” She looked hard at Shero, her expression softening. “I’m on assignment of sorts.” She told him not elaborating and turning the subject to the young miss Simon mentioned. Her eyes caught him as he removed his hat and bowed low. She quickly shook her head, shaking off his gesture not meaning to be impolite. “Shero? What of this woman? How is she? What is she to you?”

Eavan's head turned sharply as she heard the soft sound of rock falling behind her. She looked in amazement at seeing Lyo there slumped against a large rock. She motioned to him to come over quickly.