Ruin's Dawn: Ocean Forge

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

She had died once before. A man named Noth had killed her by slitting her throat in a maze as they had tried to win an artifact that Ymiden had wanted to give Moseke. And as she watched the two people approaching her with swords, she realized that she was about to die again. Only this time, whatever miracle that had saved her from death the last time would not save her again. They weren't in the world the maze had been in, after all.

But there were two things that was different now. Tei'serin wasn't quite as helpless now as she had been when Noth had killed her. And she had a weapon. She had fought as hard as she could when she had been in the maze, and she would fight now. She might not be able to save herself, but she didn't have to make it easy for them to kill her. Perhaps this time, she would be able to take one of her enemy with her, at least. That might give the others a better chance of survival. If nothing else, she wasn't going to go down without a fight.

It's been an honor serving you, Moseke. she thought as she sprang into action.

Tei'serin was drawing her bow even before Chip called for her to loose arrows. But it took trills for her to do that, and trills more for her to ready an arrow (competent ranged combat and no combat experience beyond shooting at stationary targets, or experience with drawing and firing a bow rapidly). To her inexperienced eyes (competent detection, but no knowledge of armor or weapon quality), their armor looked like it was good quality; too good for her arrows to pierce. If there was time to take aim and fire an arrow before the enemy reached her, she would aim for the throat of the nearest enemy that Chip wasn't attacking. It was a much harder target, and one she had severe doubts she would be able to hit, but she thought that she had a better chance of managing a throat shot than piercing the enemies' armor with her arrows. Likewise, she didn't dare fire an arrow at an enemy that Chip was harassing out of fear of missing her target and hitting him instead.

If there was no time for her to take aim and fire an arrow before the enemy reached her, she would grab the shaft of her arrow and attempt to stab her enemy with it (master medicine to let her know what the most effective target is, competent blades, and novice strength).

[Pegasus]

Kisaik saw the writing on the wall and it was large letters. One moment, there was him and Nathan - two against six, as Kisaik put it.

Then, with the same

Pop!

Bang

Riiiiiiip.

Which had been heard earlier and was all kinds of the wrong sound for a Rupturing portal, Nathan simply disappeared.

And then, there were two.

Which, frankly, were very much not good odds. They wouldn't have been good odds if the two who remained were combatants who were used to working together, but they were strangers and, while Kisaik was very good Expert at both Rupturing and Athletics at keeping moving, his ability with a bladeCompetent Blades was far less. While Tei'serin lacked his athletics and magic, she had a similar skillCompetent Blades, Competent Ranged in terms of combat.

The six Aukari advanced and they found themselves scuppered by a number of things. The fact that Tei did not fire anywhere that Chip might be meant that Tei did not fire, for Chip was doing his best to be a distraction and a nuisance to them all. Since he was using RupturingSo he flew and leaped, and stabbed his way through the Aukari, trying to maintain his concentration enough to open up miniature sky-stepping portals here or there, to Pull and Push the Aukari off balance. as well, he managed to attack in a flurry.

This lack of co-operation of movements between the two remaining meant that while Chip was in the fray, Tei was not. She hesitated, waiting until she had a good shot for fear of firing and hurting an ally, while he leapt forward and urged her to fire.

Kisaik used everything at his disposal; already a small target he made himself more difficult to hit. One of the Aukari managed it, though, he sliced through the air and - thanks to Kisaik's broach, gifted to him by Saoire - the man screamed as blood poured down his chest. That, combined with a Pull meant that he was off-balance and injured.

But there were too many of them and they worked together seamlessly.

Three of them focused on Kisaik and he found himself facing a rain of attacks. They drew smaller blades ~ long knives ~ and they closed in on him. It turned the tide and meant that Kisaik was now in the situation where he would have to use his athletics and rupturing to defend, not attack. Blow after blow came in, raining on him and the small Knight and Warden of the First Tree knew that he had mere trills before, inevitably, they hit. For Kisaik, the next seconds would be about not being where the multiple blows were happening. Or, of course, not.

Meanwhile, Tei's hesitation meant that the two were on her. She stabbed with an arrow, but one of them batted it out of the way almost carelessly ~ and they attacked. The one who had parried her blow struck at her, aiming his sword to hit her in the temple on the left side of her head. His companion stabbed forward, aiming for her right shoulder.

The fallen one who had stumbled shouted. "Their blood for Faldrun!"

Situation: Critical

Your actions in the next five to ten seconds will have far-reaching impacts both on the two PCs remaining and, potentially, Ascension.

Please be specific and as precise as you can be in explaining what you do.

Please don't assume any outcomes, I'll do that.

Please see point 1 in OOC Info tab.

Any questions, let me know.

OOC Info

1. Please would you mind not putting skill checks in the midst of your post. If you're wanting to do that, please put them in a note so I can hover over it and see what you've identified. Putting things in the middle of the narrative really pull me out of your post - if the note code doesn't work for you - then please put an OOC at the bottom of your post, thank you. To be clear, though, I don't need you to do that - I check your skills when I determine if your action works.
2. Unfortunately, due to RL, Shl'drei will not be able to continue modding you lovely people. But! No worries - he's passed on his notes and I will be taking it from here.
3. Due to the time-sensitive nature of this, I can not hold out for people to post. If you miss a round, there will (I'm afraid) be consequences. That said, doing silly things like slapping an immortal will also have consequences- if you know you're not going to make a deadline just communicate and we can work something out.
4. As per point above - Nathan has been written out
5. You are in a combat situation - every action and word takes time, please remember that in your post.
6. Please let me know what it is your are going to do - don't assume things work or don't , I'll decide that based on your skills, their skills and a secret thing or two.
7. Any questions - ask away!

Next Post: Tuesday 14th September

Please post by Monday 13th. I'm on UK time and will be posting during the day.

[Kisaik]

Theme music

The part where Kisaik induced them to strike each other while clinging to one Aukari or the other wasn't working as he'd intended. These aukari were simply too cohesive, too tactical and precise, and wouldn't unwittingly hit each other as they missed him. As if they'd grown up fighting alongside each other. He didn't have a prayer under normal circumstances, but these were not normal circumstances. He was the Warden of the First Tree, with a bag of tricks about a mile wide. He wasn't out of tricks just yet!

He could see now, with they delivering rains of blows between them, all aimed at Kisaik's head, he was indeed in dire straits. He could only reflect one more attack before his broach ran out of magic for a season. So he'd have to engineer and maneuver a way for him to get hit once, and not a single time more. While he had faith in his armor, the fiery sword of one of those aukari looked as if it'd cut through cobalt like butter, even masterwork-crafted cobalt armor.

The tunawa mortalborn then blinked out from between them, emerging further away from Tei, nearer to the corridor from whence they'd arrived. His intention was to draw off the attack of at least one of them. Failing that, he'd continue to frustrate their attempts to nail him down with their weapons, by blinking farther and farther out, and then back again to where they'd started the fight if he drew them off course by much. He opened up sky step portals, small portals to pull the others away from the lead aukari, enticing him or her to make a singular attack upon Kisaik.

So he'd lead them around in circles, hoping to catch a singular blade blow for Saoire's broach to intercept, and then once the attack failed, he'd blink away again, back away from the fray. Yet his intent was to never leave viewing range of the aukari, but merely lead them along, buying time.

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

There was a horrific tearing sound, but Tei'serin ignored it. She had far more pressing matters to deal with. Two of the Aukari were pressing in on her with swords, and one of them brushed off her attempt to attack them with an arrow as if she was a fly. The arrow flew out of her hand, and there was no time to reach for another...not that it would have been of any use to her if she tried.

But she wasn't completely helpless even so. With two enemies attacking her at once, she simply dropped in an attempt to avoid the blows. What better way to evade something than not to be in the path of the attack at all? But as she dropped, she held her palm out, angled up at the faces of her enemies and blew on it lightly. Knowing what would happen, she held her breath as small, pollen like seeds were released. Normally those seeds might not reach the Aukari as she was trying to put distance between them, not get right up in their faces. But it was possible that the momentum of their attacks would bring them into the path of the pollen like seeds. It was also possible that they would not notice the seeds as they were focused on their attack. Or if they did, that they might dismiss them as a means to distract them from their attack. And if they were to breathe the pollen like seeds in, they would succumb to their effect, and begin to feel very sleepy.

If she was able to drop to the ground, she would try to put some distance between her and her enemies by scrambling away from them while still holding her breath. If she wasn't able to get away, or if her enemies pursued her too quickly for her to escape, she would use her hand's contact with the stone floor of the cavern to turn her own body into stone. If she managed it, it might offer her some protection from the enemies' swords. It might even damage their weapons if the blades struck a stone surface with force.

OOC

Tei'serin is using Lemun Suna (Minor): Standing for 'seed sleep,' the user is capable of causing drowsiness in an opponent by blowing lightly on their palm. Small, pollen-like seeds are released from the palm into the opponents face. These spores have a sleepy effect on any that succumb to the pollen including the user. At a low level, this ability will subdue an opponent for 5 bits.

If she succeeds in dropping to the ground, but is unable to scramble away (Novice Atheletics) and Lemun Suna fails to incapacitate the enemies, she will use Sru'Alubosa (Moderate): Standing for 'nature form,' the user is capable of turning their body into pure stone or wood. They must be in direct contact with sturdy, natural objects containing stone or wood. Other natural objects such as earth and sand are not encouraged, however, at higher levels, the substances may be maintained for short periods of time. Potential loss of the body/body part is high if the user is not familiar with that natural component.

[Pegasus]

"Their blood for Faldrun!"

With one Aukari down, there were five enemies against the two of them.

Tei'serin, facing two of them, dropped down, trying to avoid the blows. It was not a graceful move she made, but it meant that the blade which had been aimed at her temple passed over her head. The second blade, though, the one which had been aiming for her shoulder, simply moved with her as the aukari in question easily followed her movement. Tei felt the sharp pain of a sword piercing her skin and he stabbed literally through her shoulder.

The pain was immense and she felt hot blood begin to run down her. The sword had fully impaled her and it would have been worse had her attacker not gone "with" her movement as it could have easily been exacerbated by her own downwards momentum. Luckily for her, he mirrored her movement ~ her shoulder was bleeding and her arm hung limply, uselessly, by her side.

Unlucky for him, though, it was the wrong arm.

Tei lifted her other hand and blew seeds into his face. His eyes rolled in his head as he breathed in a full breath of them and he fell.

Which posed a bit of a problem, because he fell forward, on to her. His weight landed squarely on her and she felt the cold hard stone floor beneath her. Of course, that did move the sword in her shoulder and fresh pain shot through her.

At the same moment, Kisaik was taking some fairly major risks. Relying on his size and speed, he hoped that he could get just one attack to hit him. And he did. It was a particularly vicious blow and well aimed. The brooch worked the way it should and, rather than splitting him in to kibbles and kindling, there was a single scream and the aukari fell.

So. Five against two was now three against two. Much better odds. However, one of those three had fallen, literally, on Tei. She was bleeding and in a lot of pain and there was a sword sticking out of her shoulder, front and back. The aukari atop her was asleep, which made him a deadweight and between her situation with her shoulder and her lack of physical strengthunskilled then she was trapped.

It also meant that her vision was somewhat limited.

Kisaik saw him first. The aukari who had been attacking Tei and whose blow she avoided was moving forward, sword out. He had a perfectly clear angle and could easily take it. In about three strides (for him), he would be able to take her head clean from her shoulders. Tei would see him in her line of vision immediately after.

The other two continued their attempts to turn Kisaik into firewood. However, they were growing frustrated and he might be able to take advantage of that.

If Kisaik helped Tei, the two attacking him might get a blow in. If he did not, then the one attacking Tei might. That was a bit of a conundrum for him.

And as for Tei, well she was bleeding, pinned to the floor, had a sword through her and there was another one about to attempt to turn her into the two-piece model of Tei'serin.

Situation: Critical

Your actions in the next five to ten seconds will have far-reaching impacts both on the two PCs remaining and, potentially, Ascension.

Please be specific and as precise as you can be in explaining what you do.

Please don't assume any outcomes, I'll do that.

Aukari Wounded: 1 fatal, 1 significant, 1 sleeping
PCs Wounded: 1 significant.

Any questions, let me know.

OOC Info

1. Please would you mind not putting skill checks in the midst of your post. If you're wanting to do that, please put them in a note so I can hover over it and see what you've identified. Putting things in the middle of the narrative really pull me out of your post - if the note code doesn't work for you - then please put an OOC at the bottom of your post, thank you. To be clear, though, I don't need you to do that - I check your skills when I determine if your action works.
2. Unfortunately, due to RL, Shl'drei will not be able to continue modding you lovely people. But! No worries - he's passed on his notes and I will be taking it from here.
3. Due to the time-sensitive nature of this, I can not hold out for people to post. If you miss a round, there will (I'm afraid) be consequences. That said, doing silly things like slapping an immortal will also have consequences- if you know you're not going to make a deadline just communicate and we can work something out.
4. As per point above - Nathan has been written out
5. You are in a combat situation - every action and word takes time, please remember that in your post.
6. Please let me know what it is your are going to do - don't assume things work or don't , I'll decide that based on your skills, their skills and a secret thing or two.
7. Any questions - ask away!

Next Post: Tuesday 21st September

Please post by Monday 20th. I'm on UK time and will be posting during the day.

[Kisaik]

Kisaik saw what his broach was capable of, and would have marveled at its usefulness if he had the time. It was almost as if Saoire knew Kisiak would need it! But no time to ponder that, it was out of charges and now he had to play full on defense against the two attacking him, trying to turn him into a burning twig. By virtue of his Rupture Gleam, he was aware of what was going on around him. He knew the situation with Tei, that she'd been stabbed with a sword and fallen under the one she rendered unconscious through her Divine magic. There was another set to behead her with a single blow. Kisaik was busily dodging attacks from the two that were on him, but he couldn't allow Tei to be harmed!

So with a single moment of concentration, he swung his shadow sword above his head, and perhaps just before an Aukari would've struck him, he slipped into the snapshot portal. The egress formed just above the sleeping form of the aukari that had fallen on Tei, and as Kisaik shot out of the portal, he would use some of his concentration to use that egress to Pull the body off of Tei, enough that she would be able to use what strength she had to get out from under him. At the same time, he flung his way out of the snapshot portal, using his shadow sword, he would slice across the gaps in the beheading aukari's armor, preferably his neck, to slice his throat.

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

Tei'serin shrieked in agony as the sword pierced her flesh. Blood began to pour from the wound, and her left hung uselessly at her side as she dropped to the ground. Her healer's mind clinically told her that even if she should manage to survive this somehow, she would be partially crippled at best. With a wound like the one she had taken, it would be impossible for her to regain full use of her arm even if it healed perfectly. But she also knew that while the bleeding was heavy, she wasn't in immediate danger of bleeding out, and wouldn't be as long as the blade remained embedded in her shoulder.

But her attempt to put her attackers to sleep had only been partially successful. One of them had succumbed to the seeds...only to fall on her when she couldn't scramble away in time. She shrieked in agony again as her injured arm was jostled as the man landed on her. She was pinned to the ground, and her second attacker was already moving towards her, ready to chop her head off. She was dead, and she knew it. But something in her refused to give up even now.

Chip appeared out of nowhere, and did...something. Tei'serin couldn't see him well enough from her position to know exactly what he was doing. But it seemed to her as if he was trying to help her. She didn't know why he would do such a thing, but she was deeply grateful for it. And it served to prove one thing to her. Any and all suspicion that Chip might be working for Thorin and was here to test her somehow was dismissed from her mind. There simply was no way that anyone who was testing her on Thorin's order would endanger themselves to help her.

If his efforts worked and she was able to drag herself out from under the sleeping man and away from the sword that was coming for her, she would do so. As she did so, she would pour some of her remaining energy into the ground and try to raise a wall between her and her attacker. Tei'serin didn't know if she had the strength left to do it, and even if she did, the barrier wouldn't last for long. But even if it only delayed the man a trill, that was a trill's more time she had to try to get out of the path of his blade.

If Chip's efforts failed and she was unable to drag herself free of the sleeping man and away from the oncoming sword, she would press her good hand firmly on the stone floor of the cavern, and turn herself into stone with one of the abilities that Moseke had given her. Maybe that would give the man pause. Even a good sword could be damaged if it struck stone, after all. And if it didn't, being stone rather than flesh might offer her some protection; maybe even enough to keep her from getting her head chopped off.

[Pegasus]

Things were tricky, very tricky indeed for this brave pair of souls, and they weren't getting easier any time soon.

"Buzz...."

Kisaik determined that he would help Tei and he did so. There were plus points and minus points to this, though. His clever use of rupturing meant that Tei could scramble out from underneath the sleeping aukari. Unfortunately, it meant that there were three of the aukari attacking the two of them and neither of them were in a position to really defend. Also, Kisaik was very aware of the vibrating intensity of the spark inside him and he knew that this was well into overstepping.

"Faldrun!!!!"

The fanatics screamed as Tei dragged herself out and then tried again to build a wall using her Moseke granted ability. She'd struggledFirst, Tei created a shield around herself, trying to block the tongue of the lava-lizard. It worked, this second time, but she felt the drain of it on her physical form. She was tired and the ability was very draining on her. She didn't know whether she'd be able to use it again without resting. From this post with it previously and, when she'd used it last, she hadn't been losing blood.

"Buzz...."

So, weakened and damaged as she was, in searing pain from the wound and suffering blood loss, she tried it again.

And Tei'serin saw the world swim in front of her as dizziness and nausea overwhelmed her. She started to scramble backwards, but then she found herself simply unable to move. Pain and exhaustion from over using the same ability meant that her consciousness was slipping away from her and she remained prone.

"Buzz, Buzz...."

Which meant that the aukari attacking her hit. Thankfully, she had been able to move a little before she tried to use the ability again and so he did not cut off her head, but his blade cut deep into her hip.

Meanwhile, Sir Chip had left himself open to attack in order to help Tei and those attacking him took full advantage of it. There was one who was attacking Tei and two on him and even though he was small, he was not impossible to hit. One of the two missed him and sliced into the back of the sleeping aukari, but the other one struck him. Their swords were quite unwieldy against Sir Chip's small size and so the blow sliced his arm, right down from the shoulder to the wrist.

However, it did that after Kisaik had cut the throat of the aukari trying to hurt Tei and he clutched his throat and fell.

And it was that. That was the final thing needed for Faldrun's grip on this place to be tipped over and for the actions of all those mortals who had answered the call to come to fruition

"Buzz...."

It was quiet at first. But it grew louder and it grew louder. In the depths of her swirling consciousness, perhaps Tei'serin wondered why she wasn't dead. Sir Chip might wonder the same, two aukari remained, and with his injuries, was very poor odds. But they were distracted. Looking around. Confused. One of them lifted his hand and Kisaik saw that the tattoo which marked him as Aukari Occult was faded, twisted, unclear. Like it had all the colour and structure and shape pulled out of it. It had not been like that a moment ago, but it was very much like it now as he swatted at thin air.

Except, of course, it wasn't thin air.

"Buzzzzzzzzz"

Kisaik saw them first. Tiny blobs of metal, it seemed. Silver and sleek and at first they seemed to be just like... blobs. Like it was raining silver.

But then, they all showed themselves at once. Large drops of silver rain sprouted wings and revealed small but beautiful creatures, each one about four inches tall at the shoulder, six inches long, and eight inches from wingtip to wingtip. Tei saw them but was only really peripherally aware. What she was more aware of was the fact that there were a few dozen of them and they seemed to be ... well, for want of a better word, blowing on her.

Kisaik saw them and he saw that they were attacking the aukari. Now, Kisaik was injured, but he could join in if he chose.

However, the ground started to shake. To rumble. To shake more.

"Buzzzzzzzzz
Rumble
Rumble"

Perhaps the two of them had forgotten the dragonlings? Maybe the lava bees had slipped their minds. It would be understandable, of course, given their situation. And the magma lizard? What had become of that. As the two remaining aukari looked at each other in panic and turned to flee, Kisaik at least could see that the sky was rending open. Debris began to fall and Tei'serin was in no position to be able to stand, let alone run, although at least now she was regaining her consciousness to the point of being lucid. She noticed that the creatures blowing on her had - just very slightly - healed her.

And then, the ground where the dragonling eggs had been exploded.

The creature which burst out of it was enormous. A dragon - there could be no doubt that it was a dragon - made of sheets of steel welded together, burst out and roared. The sound was incredible. Opening it's wings, the dragon stood on it's back legs and looked down at the scene before it. It was easily 45 foot tall, but when it stretched out it's wings, they were maybe 20 foot across and were lacking any webbing or feathers. However as she - for this dragon was a female - looked down, her body glowed an intense red and flames enveloped her. On her neck and back, flames licked around her, giving the appearance of a mane but it was in her wings that it was most obvious. Wings of fire wrapped around her steel wings and literally doubled the wingspan.

No mortal had seen her like for a hundred generations.

The dragon looked at them with glowing red eyes. On her chest was a gleaming crystal.

"What is this?"

her voice was almost amused. How could that possibly be?

"You stand against the Godling of Turmoil? I am Vindecaldra and I would know the mortals who worked to protect my eggs against Faldrun's minions."

Eyes gazed upon them and Kisaik and Tei might notice that the two remaining aukari were no longer in sight.

"And weakened Faldrun's power here by slaying them."

Around her, dragonlings flew and the small silver creatures fluttered. A dragonling screeched and Vindecaldra tilted her head.

"Tell me what happens here,"

she said.

There was no doubt, it was not a request, but an expectation.

OOC Info

1. There's a dragon.This is your final post so please make sure to say everything you would.

Final Post: Tuesday 28th September

Please post by Monday 27th. I'm on UK time and will be posting during the day.

[Kisaik]

Theme

Chip cried out when his left arm was sliced off by a burning brand, the lost limb singed and ashen and dead, falling on the ground like a lost twig. He wouldn’t be able to reattach it. In a few trials, he’d be able to regrow it with some effort, perhaps more trials than usual given the fiery nature of the attack. But for now, there was still a battle going on.

Kisaik didn’t feel as if he could give more than he had, so he fell back to Tei’s position, floating on his orange wings weakly as the silver dragonets flew all around, buzzing and flitting about like so many metallic hummingbirds.

His shadow sword returned to his shadow at that moment, and he began flitting and weakly floating toward Tei’serin. There was a buzzing, and as the aukari began losing the battle, even as they’d more or less defeated the two adventurers left, the buzzing began to grow in volume.

The tunawa flew backward on his wings, carried by a draft that brought him to Tei’serin’s side, by the fallen aukari. Kisaik laid his remaining hand on her core, not far from where she’d been wounded by the Aukari’s sword. He began channeling an ability from Loshova, Spring’s Eternal Renewal, to gift her his own healing factor. She’d find that she’d heal twice as fast as long as they maintained contact, though she must’ve been in terrible pain. He remained on her, maintaining contact with his hand however she moved.

But then there was a rumbling, in addition to the assault that was unleashed upon the Aukari. A buzzing and rumble and quake.

Then the earth opened up, and out of the chasm, was revealed a dragon. Kisaik had heard legends of such things, but he didn’t know they were real. Now, one of them stood before him, all shiny and fiery and majestic. And Kisaik immediately knew this was a nice dragon. A good one, for one, because its little look-alikes were blowing healing upon him and Tei’serin currently. And also, because it spoke kindly with amusement, and declared itself the enemy of Faldrun. That was good enough for Kisaik.

He floated down toward Tei’Serin’s feet, and with that, knelt before the great creature.

”Oh Great Vindecaldra! Dragon of the Heart of the World! We come at the behest of the Immortal U’frek. Allow me to introduce myself! I am Mädärä Kisaik Ciuruọrun sọ Kufuata Karo Kashe Däuä, Tìfmi Härumtä sọ anou Faewun Samuwar, ọbavi sọ tẹlẹ, igbaradi sọ anou tabi ọludïbọ, Saoire's chieja kẹmïkälï kukïrï. I and my companions have come to thwart Faldrun, and end his bid for ascension to recover the power for an artifact he possesses…”

Kisaik sighed, and hung his head, ”I believe we’ve failed.” The tunawa was silent for a long moment, allowing that Tei’serin could get a word in edgewise, if such was her inclination. In either event, he maintained contact with the woman to help facilitate her healing. ”But! I pledge my loyalty to your cause, oh great Dragon! What would you have of this humble knight, so lately failed in his task?”

Little sappy droplets formed at the edge of his eyes, as he sorrowed at his failure.

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

Her desperate attempt to buy herself some time to drag herself out from under the Aukari that had fallen on top of her failed...badly. Dizziness and nausea overwhelmed her, and she was violently ill. The movement sent agony screaming through her injured shoulder once more. Tei'serin didn't have to see the lack of a wall between herself and the attacking Aukari to know that it had failed. Too weak to move, she could only wait for death. But at least she had tried.

As her consciousness faded, she felt agony explode in her hip. She was too far gone to scream though. She closed her eyes.

A buzzing sound filled her fading awareness. Tei'serin didn't know what it was, but that didn't matter. She couldn't do anything about it no matter what it was, and it wasn't adding to the agony that she was in. As it grew louder, she listened to it. It gave her something for her fading consciousness to focus on, and that wasn't a bad thing. Even in as much agony as she was in,Tei'serin knew that once she passed out she would never wake up. So anything that delayed that was a good thing. She didn't want to die.

The next thing she became aware of was air moving around her. It almost felt as if someone was blowing on her. That thought registered in her mind enough that she opened her eyes. Tiny silver creatures were blowing on her. That was...something. But the creatures were beautiful, and she wasn't aware enough to be afraid anymore. Which was just as well really. Otherwise the ground shaking beneath her might have terrified her.

Debris rained down on her, and her awareness returned slowly. Tei'serin realized that she was still alive...barely. She wondered at that. She should have bled out by now. The healer in her was absolutely certain of that. So why hadn't she? Then it hit her. It had to be the tiny beautiful creatures. Somehow, them blowing on her had healed her just enough to keep her alive. Maybe. Probably. It was the only thing that Tei'serin could think of, anyway.

"Thank you." she said to the tiny creatures.

Then the ground exploded. A creature burst out of the ground where the eggs had once been. A creature made of fire and metal. And it was huge. Until now, Tei'serin hadn't known that any creature could get that big. She stared at it, terrified. Tei'serin had never seen anything like it. No...that wasn't quite true. The creature in the vision she had seen was similar. Sort of. If the creatures were birds, these creatures would be different kinds of birds, but they would both be birds. But these weren't birds. They were...something else. She had heard stories about dragons as a teacher. The kids she taught had told each other about the stories they had been told. Sometimes they would draw pictures of what they thought a dragon would look like. And when she was very young she had heard some of those same stories herself. Before Thorin had become her guardian. But until now, she had thought they had been just that. Stories.

The creature roared, and Tei'serin flinched. Renewed agony tore through her injuries, and she made a soft sound of protest at the agony. Then the creature...dragon...began to talk. It...she...wanted to know what was going on. And it was not a request.

Tei'serin felt Chip touch her. Up until that point, she had lost track of him, and had not been certain whether he was alive or not. She was relieved to know that he was alive, and when she realized that he was trying to heal her, she thanked him sincerely. Chip told the dragon who had introduced herself as Vindecaldra about how U'frek had brought them there and given them the quest to find an artifact and keep it out of Faldrun's hands. So she continued the explanation with something else.

"We did fail." Tei'srin said, echoing Chip's words.

But it would have been a miracle had they succeeded when they didn't even know what the artifact they were supposed to be looking for and protecting even looked like...

"My name is Tei'serin Nji'ryn." Tei'serin she added a few trills later, wondering if the dragon would even care who they were.

"Three of us were brought here by U'frek, but one, a man named Nathan disappeared during the fighting."

She wasn't sure if the portal that had taken him away had been his own doing or not, so she didn't speculate on whether he had fled, or had been taken away by someone else.

"And a fourth person joined us later. His name was Dr. Revel. But he was..."

Was what, exactly? He had turned out to be an enemy for certain, but was he just her enemy, or was he an enemy of everyone who U'frek had brought here. Dr. Revel could have been lying about how he had gotten here. Had he even told them at all? Tei'serin tried to think back, but she couldn't remember. She had been alone when he had turned on her, and it was possible that he had been working for Thorin rather than being an enemy to the whole group. There was no proof either way that he had been serving Faldrun.

"I don't know who he served...or if he served anyone. But he was not a friend." she said simply

"He disappeared as well, but not the same way as Nathan did. Dr. Revel was eaten by his own shadow...or at least that's what it looked like."

Was there anything else that she should tell Vindecaldra? Tei'serin didn't know. The agony she was in made it hard to think, and she had absolutely no idea what a dragon would think was important. Tei'serin very much did not want to anger Vindecaldra by babbling on about things that she didn't care about. Then something struck her about what Vindecaldra had said.

"Um...Chip was the one who killed the Aukari and weaken Faldrun's power. I didn't do anything as useful as that." she said apologetically, not wanting to take credit for something that she didn't do.

But she did fight back when the Aukari had tried to kill her. She was proud of herself for that fact. She had tried. Even if she had been unable to prevent herself from getting injured, she had tried. It was unlikely that she would ever heal enough to be able to fight again, but if she did, she would continue to try and get stronger. Moseke had asked it of her, after all. And she thought...she hoped...that if she was ever in a fight like this again that she would not hesitate to try and kill her enemies if they were trying to kill her.

A thought occurred to Tei'serin, and she wondered if perhaps Vindecaldra already knew that she had been too weak to kill any of the Aukari. If that was the case, she hoped that she hadn't angered the dragon by saying that she hadn't killed anyone.