Underbelly of the World [MadEmperor]

[DragonSong]

"That's bull and you know it," Hana retorted, with all the confidence of someone who wasn't currently surrounded by hostile forces. "The box alone is worth ten. We've seen what it can do." Her lips curled up on one said and she prodded, "How'd Validor snatch the thing from you, anyway? Seems like the kinda thing you'd wanna keep well-guarded."

Are you trying to piss her off?!

Yes. Hana tipped her head to the right. River glanced in the direction she was subtly indicating, and her stomach tightened. One of the "Countess's" thugs had relaxed his guard just enough to leave one of the holes in the temple wall clear--at least, clear enough that they could make a break for it, if they were lightning fast. And if they could keep the Countess's attention away from the security gap.

The whole point of this was to get this mob off our tails, River reminded the kitsune.

Yeah. But I don't trust her with this box anymore than the sword--I'm really gonna break it.

You sure?

Yup. Countdown: three...

River reached for her mate again: We're gonna be coming out hot--get ready to fly.

[MadEmperor]

The Red Countess' confident demeanor turned into a glare. "I would choose your next words very carefully. I do not take such disrespect lightly."

Her fighters tightened their grips on their weapons to add a threat to her words. The plan was working.

[DragonSong]

"Oh, do forgive me, your grace," Hana said with an overly-dramatic, sweeping bow.

Two.

"But honestly, I think the thing is more trouble than it's worth."

Three!

She yanked the music box back out of her pocket and dashed it to the stone floor of the temple, shattering it with a few tinkling, discordant notes. River was already moving, changing to wolf form in mid-air as she leaped for the gap in the wall.

Hana was on her tail. "Go go go go go!"

[MadEmperor]

"Bring me their heads!" the Countess screamed furiously as she jumped to her feet.

The fighters nearest the gap rushed to intercept the pair, but the sword slash from the first to arrive went high. He hadn't been prepared for her to become a wolf.

"Dragon!" someone shouted from outside.

[DragonSong]

Oh thank gods.

"Do you see him?" Hana shouted, not even pausing as she ducked a fired crossbow bolt and began zigging erratically after River as they rounded the southern edge of the ruined temple.

River had seen something else.

Kah, go high! There's some sort of—I don't know, but it looks like it fires huge bolts! Get out of range!

[MadEmperor]

Thanks for the warning! Kahroan appeared over the trees as he banked upward. A huge bolt flew past, narrowly missing his right wing.

"Don't let them escape! Use everything we have!" the Countess shouted from the temple.

Several men were waiting out front and rushed the women, swords swinging.

Across the small plaza between them and a way out of the temple complex, they heard a crash of thunder. The sky being clear, it had to be Thrax, apparently not on Kahroan.

[DragonSong]

"Get to Thrax!" Hana shouted as she spun to hurl a half-aimed ball of fire at the men attacking them. "If we're all together, Kah can pick us up and go!"

River nodded, changing direction erratically in an effort to throw off the ranged fighters' aim as they pelted across the small courtyard, looking for Thrax in the evolving chaos.

Head for the trees! the shifter called in beastspeech to both Hanako and Kahroan. We can use the cover to mount and get in the air!

[MadEmperor]

There was a powerful thrum and a pair of men were sent crashing through a wooden barrier covering a broken section of the outer wall. Thrax's voice carried across the courtyard. "This way! Hurry!"

Kahroan banked around and flew back to the trees, where Thrax was making a ruckus. The ballista fired again and the dragon performed a rolling maneuver to avoid it. The bolt glanced off of his breastplate, causing him to grunt.

Gods, that was close. If it wasn't for this armor, that would have killed me.

[DragonSong]

River yelped instinctively when she saw the bolt strike him, heart racing even though she could see that his armor had deflected it. Too close. Way, way too close.

"Shit!" Hana haphazardly threw another bolt of blue foxfire over her shoulder. "They're gaining! Move move move!"

[MadEmperor]

Suddenly, a ball of fire flew past them and struck the ground in front of the gap, creating a fiery barrier. "Enough!" the Countess yelled.

[DragonSong]

Damnit!

Hana couldn't control natural fire as easily as she could her own. She skidded to a halt just behind River, who was growling and eyeing the height of the flames as though she was considering jumping.

The kitsune spun to face the Countess, panting lightly. "It's over," she shouted over the crackling of flames. "The damn thing's busted! Now no one gets it!"

[MadEmperor]

The ruby amulet around her neck glowed bright as the Countess held fire in her hands. "There is still the matter of the sword! Hand it over, and I promise your deaths will be swift!" she called to them as her fighters surrounded them.

[DragonSong]

River and Hanako fell back to back, both crouched warily. But they were staring down half a dozen ranged opponents, all of whom would be able to get a shot off the moment one of them moved.

If anyone's got a surprise play up their sleeve, now would be the time! Hana cast out desperately.

[MadEmperor]

Thrax looked on from beyond the flames. Fear had a tight grip around his heart as the flames danced in his eyes, conjuring memories of his village burning. It told him to run, to save himself and keep his clan alive

Don't be a coward. You can save them. You know how.

No. I can't do that. I won't.

You would let them die? Just like your clan?

Thrax's resistance buckled under the weight of his survivor's guilt. He reached into his pack and pulled out the sword. As soon as he unwrapped it and put his hand around the hilt, he felt a surge of power travel up his arm.

"You mean, this sword?!" Thrax bellowed as he put out fire with one swing, blade absorbing the magic.

The Countess stepped back, afraid. "You fool... That blade will devour you whole!"

[DragonSong]

Both Hana and River whirled, startled. River just stared for a breath, wide-eyed, but Hana's expression crumpled.

"No..." she whispered, already feeling the twisting magic of the thing thick and cloying in the air around Thrax.

"Move, now," River hissed, grabbing her arm and jerking her back to the more pressing emergency. "He's given us an opening, and we're taking it."

[MadEmperor]

"I was going to keep anyone else from using it, you idiots!" The Countess scolded. "Now I really can't let you go."

"Kill the gnoll before it takes him over!" she ordered, and her fighters all focused on Thrax.

Thrax leaped into the nearest fighters, cutting them down with more skill than he had ever displayed. He channeled electricity through it and slashed, sending a fan of lightning bolts into the enemy. He was grinning like a maniac and enjoying himself far too much.

[DragonSong]

River's pace slowed fractionally. Takes him...over?

Hana's expression had shuttered. "Get to Kah, and get out of here," she told the wolf sharply. "And here--take this."

She tossed something through the air that River had to quickly shift to human form to catch.

The music box.

"What--?!"

"You had to believe it was broken for the trick to work," Hana replied without looking at her. "Sorry. Now go, quick. Thrax and I will catch up."

River couldn't tell if she was lying, and she didn't like it. "Hana--"

"Go!"

[MadEmperor]

The Countess was too preoccupied with a rampaging, empowered gnoll to notice the handoff.

Kah landed somewhere in the woods ahead as Thrax started chanting something he had been trying to figure out by the campfire. The sky darkened, which was very much something he normally lacked the power to do. Around the blade, power crackled as if begging to be released. Each slash cracked like thunder, and each cut was like a hot knife through butter. The only reason he wasn't drenched in blood was the fact that the wounds were cauterized.

"Don't. Hurt. My. Friends!" the bard yelled, charging the ballista.

[DragonSong]

River ran, using scent as much as sight to guide her to her mate. She allowed herself the briefest moment of relief when she saw him before she threw herself forward and swung up onto his back, arms wrapped as far around his neck as she could manage.

"Thrax has the sword," she panted. "Hana--stayed back with him. Told me to go..."


"Got your back!" A massive, silver-white fox leaped over Thrax's head, bowling over the archer who had been lining up a shot behind him. Looking back over her shoulder, Hanako called, "Thrax, let's go! We're safe, we need to move!"

She didn't really expect it to work. She could feel the power from that blade, and there was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. But she had to try.

[MadEmperor]

"What's with her and self-sacrifice?" Kah asked. "Can we really just leave them behind?"


"No! They'll never stop until we're all dead!" Thrax growled, glancing at her with black eyes like pits full of hate.