Story time? Story time!
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"Which one is it?!"
"I have no idea!"
"Just go for the tongues dearies!"
"We are attempting to do so!"
It was a mess. Enclosed room, three gargoyles. No obvious way out. We were doing fine before; four of us against one gargoyle. Hoshiko taking some hits, but she landed a huge blow and we had it corralled just fine, but now...
Everyone was too close to use any of my bombs, and there was no time...
I catch Hoshiko diving in the corner of my vision, against the one gargoyle we haven't tried, and she somehow manages to grab the tongue without getting hurt-!
The door starts creaking open. A stony claw swipes towards my head and I barely swipe it away with the shaft of my spear! "Hoshiko got it! Out, out, out! I'll heal!"
"Good work! Now they just need to get away from the gargoyles!" the DJ announces and I backstep away from the melee in response.
"Move move move!" I scream, scrambling towards the door.
First Brock runs past me after getting torn up a little more. Then Anne and Hoshiko together, covering each other as they stumble past the rickety wooden bridge with that weird magical stone yelling epithets while Anne cackles like a witch out of hell-
My third limb slips into my bags, ready to prime and fling a bomb if needed. The second we all get across I'm burning this bridge-wait. Crap, they fly...!
Stumble. This fucking bridge nearly flings me off when I try to get over it, and Brock nearly falls thanks to a rotten plank, but Hoshiko and Annie zip across and we all brace and slame the door together!
"Oomph." Rough. Really rough. The first room nearly took us all out at once. My heart pounds and my skin's slick with sweat. "Well, that was dangerous. Let me heal you all up first before we use any tools," I start, but Brock's already pulled out a wand of some kind.
There's a bit of an argument or something between the other two girls in our group; something about that rock Hoshiko has. Something...Eien stone? Something similar to that. But all the while Big Annie's keeping an eye out, so I'm not too worried as Brock and I patch everyone up.
Brock looks around; he's still rather prim and proper no matter how I look at him. Hoshiko's is...like make up. It's a stage appearance. But Brock, he doesn't feel like the sort who usually would get involved in this stuff. "In this room...the object was the point the sundial at noon, was it not?"
"Yes," I respond, moving over to the sundial, but a hand falls onto my shoulder.
"Just a minute, dearie," the old lady asks for, casing the room with a razor sharp gaze. I'm honestly quite fond of her already, actually. There's a moment...Annie whistles. "Woo-ee, lookit all those trap doors." She points them out one by one; I blink, not having noticed them before.
This...is similar. Or generic enough. Probably an ambush, and the door won't open immediately even after we trigger the sundial.
Brock preempts me though, and a small ball of light flickers to existance at his finger tips; a shadow is casted onto noon and a slow, thunderous grinding starts...
The trapdoors pop open. Tasteless, rascist caricatures march out, all brandishing spears, and I grimace as they ready themselves. "Fun."
"Looks like the temple guardians are unwilling to let this go for free!" the DJ announces again, but I've already slipped a bomb into my grasp. Slightly different, altered to burn slower. More like napalm than an incendiary bomb.
He wasn't expecting it. At this range all I have to do is flick my wrist and the vial flies out with practiced ease, nailing the closest guard in the face in an explosion of glass and vibrant red flames; he hits the floor, trying to roll and put it out, but it's pointless. The explosion even catches the guy next to him, singing and making him wince as the sudden wave of heat washes over him.
Three left. They all charge, fanning out to keep us separate and threatened. One dashes at Brock and nicks him on the side while Hoshiko catches a harder blow on the arm-
Paid too much attention to everyone else. The guard I caught in the splash lunges at me before I'm even ready, and it's only with a painful twist that I manage to even limit the damage to a nasty slash over my shoulder blade!
Brock steps back calmly and does something. Casts a spell, I realize belatedly, and his guard's spear clatters to the floor covered in...Oil? Huh.
Then Hoshiko roars and her blade flies forward in a massive slash, whiffing, and she huffs in frustration but Annie's slipped to the side and her dagger slips into an opening!
"Better run, boy!" Annie taunts.
Blood splatters against the floor from the last guard's stab wound; I don't have time to appreciate the double teaming. My guard's weapon darts forward again like a snake but it catches air as I step back-!
He doesn't expect the bomb. Not when both my hands are visible, but they're not the only limbs I have. My tentacle flings it under my guard in a practiced motion and it shatters on his chest-!
It's a brilliant explosion that engulfes him completely; I barely avoid the splash, and not even the roar of the audience at the flashy kill masks the crackle of fire or the short, horrible scream.
No time to appreciate the kill. More melee exchange, but I have space to work with now. Brock blocks an unarmed strike and ripostes...with words. The crowd laughs while I catch the tail end of what must have been a dick joke, considering where Brock's pointing, while Annie and Hoshiko are still dancing around the last guard.
Hoshiko tries another big blow but the guy's smart enough to dodge. Not smart enough to avoid another stab, complete with Annie repeating "I said better run boy!"
There's an attempt to respond, but his words aren't anything but blood and his breathes are labored.
"Oh, that's a nasty shot! But...yes, the guardian is still breathing!"
Until my spear catches him in the throat and finishes him off.
"Wait, no. He's not breathing anymore! Maya is a one woman cleaning machine here! Will she steal all the kills?" the DJ asks and the crowd responds loudly.
"Ah, wait, that's not what I'm trying to-" I start. No, really, it's not like I was trying to do anything like that!
Annie shrugs beside me while we glance at the last guard, who's still woefully unarmed. "You just can't help some people, can ya?" she asks rhetorically and I pout in response, but still...
"Looks like the last guardian's in a bit of a pickle! No weapon and no friends, but look! The door finished opening! Is this his lucky break, or will the Silver Snakes finish him off?"
I glance at the exit and notice...what look to be chests. Several. Hoshiko, Annie and I share a look and I can tell we all want to leave...
"Let's leave Brocky boy there to clean up, eh?" Annie starts.
Brock looks over at us, his rapier still drawn, and nods in response. "You girls go ahead," he says.
I give him a moment's look before I head over. "If you're sure. I'd suggest coming with," I say, and Hoshiko and Annie follow.
There's no sounds of violence or anything. Just Brock walking in after us, followed by a wave of applause.
"Left him alive?" I ask, and Brock nods. I smile and turn back to the room, faced with five expensive looking chests.
----
After avoiding what Annie told me was a flame arrow trap and a bad fight with what was most likely a mimic, we slipped into the next room and managed to get the silver monkey right on the first try. There was a moment where I was a little too itchy on the trigger finger and set something on fire that I shouldn't have, nearly catching Annie, but we're in the Green Room now so it's fine, right?
Right.
Hoshiko hisses as I tighten the bandages. "Should be nice and stabilized now," I say. Annie pats her own sutured up injuries appreciateively.
"Heh, you're better than some of the sawbones I've seen in my day," she praises, and I find myself smiling honestly.
"Thank you," I say back, as Brock casts a spell around him. He shimmers, making his image flicker every so often; it's a defensive illusion spell. Which reminds me to drink my own extra defenses, seeing as this next area should be one of the last...
An extract of Blur and Shield. I can only hope they're useful for whatever lies in the next room...
----
Ridiculous. I never expected...really? I was dumbstruck. Of all the things we could have fought, to see this person in particular facing us.
Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. I can't bring myself to move. Annie and Brock are the same, and Hoshiko's trying to fight this twisted game against it alone.
He's huge. A legend. Even with these rules, it's...is it even possible? Can we even fight this? Is this where it all ends?
"AS THE SONGS OF YORE SAID, I HAVE THIS PIECE OF ADVICE FOR YOU: JUST WORK THAT BODY, WORK THAT BODY, MAKE SURE YOU DON'T HURT NOBODY. BESIDES THAT TALL FELLOW."
Hoshiko's companion's words slice into my mind. It's so absurd. This entire situation is so absurd, I can't help but laugh. The fear, the paralyzing crippling fear? It's gone.
My hand swipes across my belt, pulling two very important concoctions out as I dash towards Dikembe Mutombo.
"Let's jam."
Drink the first.
Throb.
Muscles tighten and enlargen, eyes sharpen. I can feel some senses dull in response but it's all part and parcel. My spear clatters to the floor; it's not going to be useful here at all with that shield around Dikembe. Nails become talons and teeth become fangs, and though I don't see it personally I can feel the wave of transformation run up my tentacle and cover it in fine scales...
Hoshiko throws the ball again as I close in, but it goes wide; I try to intercept but Dikembe is faster, grabbing it. He shoots for the hoop and nails it, and I can tell the magic of it is about to send it flying at me-!
It misses and sails over my shoulder, smashing into the floor. No time, I have to take the chance!
Drink the second.
This one's simpler to explain, in so much that growing to ten feet in height is simple with all the associated benefits and cons and I swing to face Dikembe. At this size I should be able to stop his shots a lot easier...
There's a sudden pressure on my back; someone jumps onto it, jumps off. It's Hoshiko, and she just used me as a springboard so she could dunk the ball!
It slams in, shaking the foundations of the room, and the ball flies out and swerves with the hoop's magic straight into Dikembe's face.
"Yes!"
"HAH!" I exclaim, vocal chords stretched by my mutagen.
He tries for another shot and I leap at the same time, guarding...the feint lets him try to underhand toss it below my guard but I don't only have two arms to guard with!
The ball clatters to the floor after my tentacle swats it aside. We're still in the air, facing each other with a snarl. If only I could just hit him...!
Both of us hit the ground again at the same time, but that's not all Dikembe steps on. He slips backwards, falling onto his ass, and I glance back to see Brock grinning at the handiwork of his second Grease spell.
The hoop is alluring and I have the ball, but the opportunity is too good. Dikembe's on the floor in front of me, so--!
Slam dunk. Not on the hoop, but on his gut! The ball bounces high into the air after that blow and Hoshiko uses my back yet again to swipe it out of the air and shoot it at the hoop before she lands-!
Another beautiful shot, sending the ball straight into Dikembe yet again. Hoshiko slides onto the ground and...suddenly looks around, surprised. "Not many seconds left on the clock!" she shouts as Dikembe stumbles upwards...
There's an uplifting, energizing and strangely familiar hum in the air as Big Annie finally recovers and grabs the ball...and walks with it? To...up...on top of the hoop. And she drops it in.
The hoop's magic enchants the steel spiked basketball one last time and Dikembe crumbles to dust as it smashes straight through him.
I'd sigh in relief if a cloud of bats didn't enter the room and swarm us just as that happened.
Or rather me.
"OUT!" I scream, trying to swat them away.
----
Loot: 2750 gold and 1700 xp each.
+2 Bball of Returning.
