Same as It Ever Was (Part 22)

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The Corpse-Eater latches violet eyes from the dragon onto another draconic entity... of sorts. Zeke, the Sunguard, who is flying on wings that are his own. Zeke, the Sunguard, blessed by Daeus.

His tongue runs over his lips as he looks at those wings. "I have always wished to know what a winged sith-makar tastes like," he says. "I saw one once, when my brother and I were children..." 

GAME: Telamon casts Disintegrate. Caster Level: 20 DC: 27
GAME: Telamon rolls sorcerer+4+4: (14)+20+4+4: 42
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+21: (15)+21: 36 
GAME: Telamon rolls 5d6: (15): 15

Telamon is horrified by what pours down the telepathic bond. He almost cast that suffering creature into the void... and thanks Ni'essa that he failed. With Simony and Harkashan soothing it, perhaps... perhaps it can be healed, and find a measure of peace.

This, of course, leaves the Corpse-Eater. Telamon's lip curls, and he speaks softly, "Nala, Telanmo, concentrate your wrath on the Corpse-Eater. Do -not- hold back." With that, he gestures, blue light gathering around his fist as he chants, before it lashes out... slashing a furrow across the evil fey's arm.

"You will not have the chance, Legus'elain!" Telamon's voice rings out across the cavern. "Your depredations and cruelties end -here-! You will be -ended-!"

The moment that her red-toned counterpart is back on her feet, Rune takes a halfstep back. It's obvious from her posture that she feels this is not her fight. It is one that belongs to Runelei, Shankahar, Nala, Telanmo and Yiara.

However, the time she has spent with Nala and the others has taught her a thing or two about this world. A lesson she has taken to heart. That even in these phantom echoes of their own lives, there are people who matter. And if someone mattered to Rune, then someone, in turn, must matter to Runelei.

"This isn't my fight unless he decides to make it so." She glances to the Corpse-Eater, and then back to her otherworldly twin. "I don't claim to know you, or everything you've gone through. We're the same and different in so many ways, you and I. But if I know one thing, it's that we carry every loss with us."

Her eyes look down to her own blades, strapped along her sides, and she pulls them free from their sheaths, showing the onyx stones imbedded into the enchanted swords. "In my world, Alaryn made these for me. Crafted them from her hands with onyx stones built from my mate's own crystals that he used to honor each loss." The ones Harkashan still adorns his armor with. "I never thought they would be another of those losses. I carry these for them, so that they won't be forgotten."

Then, blue eyes looking at her counterpart, "I don't know how I know, but I do. Someone made your weapons, too, didn't they? Someone who you honor. So use them well. Because moments like these... that's what your blades are made for. Ending monsters like this..." 

GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+23: (9)+23: 32
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+18: (2)+18: 20
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+13: (7)+13: 20
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+23: (19)+23: 42
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+18: (5)+18: 23
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+18: (14)+18: 32
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+13: (16)+13: 29
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+18: (16)+18: 34
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+13: (2)+13: 15
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+23+4: (4)+23+4: 31
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d6+5: (4)+5: 9
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d6+5: (4)+5: 9
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d6+5+1d6+5: (3)+5+(3)+5: 16
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+23: (1)+23: 24 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+23: (17)+23: 40
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+23+4: (3)+23+4: 30
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d6+5: (1)+5: 6

Tears well up in Runelei's red eyes. "I had someone like that too," she says. "Someone who made my blades. Someone who's gone... Well before her time."

"But we remain," Shankahar says gently, reverently. He puts his hand onto Runelei's shoulder and murmurs a prayer to Althea, his goddess, for fervor, for triumph, for victory, to put an end to the nightmare in front of them, to free them from the horrible nightmare they _are_ in.

Runelei takes up her blades, and she cries out with tears in her eyes as she stabs at the Corpse-Eater. Even though several of her blades look like they almost miss, at the last possible moment, they do hit, drawing fresh black blood and spilling it down the Corpse-Eater's ragged excuse for robes and feathered cloak. "FOR ALARYN!" she cries. Is it the same name in this world? Maybe it doesn't matter. For the moment, they are the one and the same, the sentiment calling for the Corpse-Eater's death. 

GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+27: (3)+27: 30
GAME: Aryia rolls cmb+2+1: (8)+28+2+1: 39
GAME: Aryia rolls cmb+2+1: (11)+28+2+1: 42
GAME: Aryia rolls crunch+2+1: aliased to 2d10+strength+2+1+2+1: (14)+6+2+1+2+1: 26
GAME: Zeke rolls Heal: (9)+27: 36
GAME: Zeke casts Create Food And Water. Caster Level: 20 DC: 22
GAME: Zeke rolls 2d8+10: (16)+10: 26

Aryia clutches her head as the horrid memory fills her mind like everyone else's before smacking her face and looking at Yiara, cheeks wet with empathetic tears. "Change of plans, Yiara. The greatest act of compassion is sometimes crushing them under your fucking heel," she mentally relays before bolting off around the dragon. She leaps over Shankahar, peels across the wall, and propels herself towards the horrid man. With a twist and a hard land, she tackles him by the midsection, driving him into the ruby magicite behind him with a wet slurch. "Doesn't feel good, does it you sadistic prick?" she mentally says to herself. <Telepathic Bond>

Zeke flies across the battlefield, praying to the Dragonfather even as his clawed feet land on the ground. "Saaa. Thisss one callsss upon the Dragonfather, heal thossse who are in need of your blessssing." His claws clatter with a sound of crystal on stone and he reaches the blessing out toward the other blue-scaled sith-makar. "Thisss one doesss not fear any evil." 

GAME: Harkashan casts Prayer. Caster Level: 19 DC: 23

There's a sheer grimace on Harkashan's expression still, as memories keep flooding. But he's a bit better off, as he allows Thirku eat those memories for him, so that they do not overwhelm him.

Instead, he holds onto the dragon he is 'riding' while Simony is doing her magic. His own focus is on Leirune and Runelei, as they share a rather poignant moment. They've spoken before on the importance of those lives that have touched their own - and those around themselves. So he understands very well this bond they share in that moment.

And to that end; "I will empower you further!" He calls out to the group around him, and sends a wave of energy outwards that steals the Corpse Eater's luck.

Simony dabs at the tears that roll down her cheeks, the dragon's acceptance having caused a fresh batch to follow the first. "Momma is going to fix you up, my daughter. Momma is going to make this all better."

Her holy symbol pulls itself free of her robes, held only in place by the silvery chain around her neck. She raises her hands upwards, above her head, and a bright light bathes her and the dragon in a pale pearlescent glow. "NAVOS, oh holy raven-keeper. I beseech thee for your most holy of spells, to work your divinity, and as a TEST of your newly revived compassion. The dragon before me has suffered a most cruel life, most recently at the hands of The Corpse Eater, Legus'elain. I beseech you to free her of her chains, heal her physical body, and mend the hurts of her mind and spirit. Let me mold her into a force for good, with her experiences to guide her, to see to it that no others suffer as she has." 

GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+14+20: (6)+14+20: 40
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+16+8: (8)+16+8: 32
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+21-1: (5)+21+-1: 25
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+21-1: (14)+21+-1: 34
GAME: Riptide rolls 32d6: (118): 118
GAME: Riptide rolls 2d6: (8): 8
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+14: (15)+14: 29
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+16+8+2: (17)+16+8+2: 43
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+21-1: (9)+21+-1: 29
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+21-1: (6)+21+-1: 26
GAME: Riptide rolls 5d6: (12): 12
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+29: (11)+29: 40
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d6+10: (2)+10: 12

Behind Telamon, Nala and Telanmo are reenacting the stories that Telamon has told them about his own adventuring with his lady-love as they coordinate their spellwork together. Nala's the first to fire her disintegrate, and she succeeds, tearing a chunk through the Corpse-Eater's robes. He's not got a leg anymore. Which, considering he's impaled to a chunk of magicite... He wasn't going to use it anyway.

Telanmo's disintegration spell doesn't quite hit the mark, but a little more of the Corpse-Eater's body disappears to it.

Yiara takes one shadowed step and ends up next to Legus'elain, staring at him with silver eyes like Aryia's. "I'm putting you down," she signs with a sneering expression at the Corpse-Eater, punching her rapier into the Corpse-Eater, who is groaning in pain and staring down everyone in great anger. 

GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+34: (2)+34: 36
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+33: (2)+33: 35
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+33: (3)+33: 36
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+31: (20)+31: 51
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+31: (2)+31: 33
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+31: (2)+31: 33
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+31: (18)+31: 49
GAME: Riptide rolls 4d6+18+2d8+12+2d8+12+2d8+18+2d6+6+2d6+6: (13)+18+(11)+12+(9)+12+(12)+18+(9)+6+(3)+6: 129

The dragon has been healed by Simony's plea. It appears Navos is willing to try out Compassion once again. And her eyes--for she is she--focus on the Corpse-Eater.

Her nostrils flare.

(YOU HURT ME.)

Her voice rings out mentally through every single person's head as she tears into Legus'elain, biting into him, tearing him apart with her claws and her wings, and it ends when she aggressively cleaves the shard of magicite from the floor, sending it careening with a great and sudden light that fills the chamber... descending into the pit further and further down into the cave...

And an explosion of magic ushers forth, driving incredible wind up the pit. The crystal dragon whines in pain as she's caught up in the rush of magic, but her body keeps Harkashan, still on her back, from feeling the adverse effects--

And when the light subsides, the crystal dragon remains. Some of the gemstones have cracked and either fallen off, exposing very fresh and raw skin, or simply have cracked and are now causing her to bleed out.

(It hurts,) the dragon says with a whine. (Hurts hurts hurts hurts hurts hurts.)

"It's over?" Runelei asks, almost in disbelief... And she stares over the edge of the pit.

There's a sense of smug satisfaction that flows through the bond as Telamon watches Legus'elain savaged by his friends, new and old. Maybe he shouldn't feel this way, but damn it, this monster's caused more than enough heartache and grief. Let him reap the consequences of his cruelty--

And then the dragon joins in and Telamon turns his face away as the wyrm butchers the malevolent fey. The detonation knocks him off balance, and he staggers into Nala and Telanmo, leaning on them like a drunken sailor. "I hate raw magicite," he mutters to them. "So damnably unstable. Remember that."

He looks back to see the dragon sprawled over, bleeding and injured -- either from the explosion or the sympathetic backlash caused by the crystal breaking. And so he calls for his friends. "Zeke, Simony, Hark -- our new friend needs help, quickly!"

The sudden gust of wind blows Rune's dyed hair away from her face, causing her to blink a bit behind her crystaline glasses. "Well, that was certainly a more impressive way of going out than the last version of him we faced. Though, I have to say both are remarkably satisfying to watch."

With the immediate threat having passed, Rune sheaths her blades, giving her counterpart a nod of shared understanding of just why the weapons are so important to them both, even with their different experiences. "I don't expect even he has survived that. If he had, he'd already be up here gloating and running his mouth off."

She looks across the room towards Zeke, "Thanks for making sure he couldn't get mouthy this time. It was a refreshing change of pace." Though a worried look is cast to the dragon, she knows there are healers enough in the room for that, and her wand can do little compared to divine healing. 

GAME: Zeke casts Heal. Caster Level: 20 DC: 25

Aryia doesn't have the time- ironically- to process all that what happens. Magic blasts, the man is shanked, the dragon is healed an- aw hell, that dragon is close! The pugilist dives out of the way, covering her head from the magical explosion.

Once it all calms down, the mute peers up from the ground, blinking owlishly. "Well shit," a noble woman's voice whistles mentally, "Good shit everyone."

She rises to her feet, brushing herself off and glancing down the hole. And to the dragon in the room. She stares. <Telepathic Bond>

Zeke nods low to Rune, offering a wordless acceptance of her gratitude, and then turning his attention to the dragon and Telamon's warning that the creature is badly injured. Without a second thought, and remembering well the pain that the dragon has already suffered, he unleashes one of the most potent healing prayers that he knows. This suffuses the dragon with the light of the Dragonfather, and Zeke makes a soothing sound low in his throat. The sound meant for hatchlings and other younglings. "Sssssa. Thissss one will sssoothe your achesss and painsss." Zeke need not even draw closer to the dragon, but he does, wanting to reassure this child of the Dragonfather that everything will be well.

Harkashan is a very lucky Sith-makar, not to be put at risk of the great barrage of power that ends up decimating the Corpse-Eater. He's holding on for dear life though, and watches as Magicite is damaged. Until finally, things settle, and he hears the pain of the dragon.

Zeke is quick to aid it however, giving him the chance to scoot down the side of the Dragon and move to join Leirune, Runelei, and Shankahar. "Althea huh?" He rumbles. "I'm curious how your journey took you along that path." He remarks, before bumping tails with him as kin does. His focus goes with Runelei's, down that hole.

"What do you seek amidst the Abyss?"

The Goblin looked away as the dragon took her revenge, and floated down to her when it was done. "It's okay, mommy is here." She holds out her hands to the dragon, a pale glow moving from them to the dragon. "That was good work you did, finishing off Legus'elain. He was a very cruel being, and cause much suffering. You have our thanks, my thanks, and the thanks of his victim's families."

Simony lets out a long breath, and leans against the dragon, offering contact as she continues to channel healing magics. 

GAME: Simony casts Miracle. Caster Level: 19 DC: 27

Shankahar is glad to see his alternate version, accepting the tail bump and returning it in his own way. "The Dragonmother called, and I answered," he says simply. "And it was by her grace I helped return Runelei to life... So I can never be grateful enough."

Runelei frowns as she looks up at Harkashan. "That's supposed to free my dad," she says. "He's caught in this... fucked-up loop of time. I think." She ruffles her own dyed hair in dismay as she says, "It's kind of hard to remember... I think..."

Nala is already kissing Telanmo on the cheek in a sort of 'we're alive!' victorious gesture as she looks across the way to where Yiara is cleaning her blade, and her friends-in-a-dream, Runelei and Shankahar, are free. She looks thoughtful. "Hey!" she calls out over the gap. "Do you want to go back to my house and rest? And then we can talk about your dad some more?"

"Umm." Telanmo looks at the dragon, who is being healed by Zeke and soothed by Simony. "Are we... Gonna bring the dragon back to your house?" He lowers his voice a little. "How is she going to fit?"

"Shove her in like how a rat eats a sausage twice its size," Yiara signs with a little smirk. <Handspeech>

Nala looks contemplative. "Actually. I have an idea." She holds her hand out. "Come here! Put your snoot in my palm."

She's wiggling her fingers to encourage the dragon to come closer, and, eventually, with some trepidation, the dragon does. She flaps over and... carefully... puts her snout into Nala's palm. Nala murmurs a spell...

And the dragon rapidly decreases in size, until she's just the size of a gecko in Nala's hand. "See? Pocket dragon!" Nala beams.

-TBC

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