Pretty Damned Thieves

After the storm last night, the day has given way to a day that is blue and sunny. The sun is bright, and a gentle wind sweeps across carrying a slight chill that is not entirely unwelcome. It's an odd dichotomy, a strangeness that leaves one feeling vaguely unsettled in spite of the pleasant atmosphere that the weather today tries to create.

Two pretty women have stopped on the corner to talk to a gentleman, their conversation low and private, but clearly something they're pleased to talk about given the smiles that abound. Other than them, the area is largely clear of people.

GAME: Telamon casts Overland Flight. Caster Level: 15 DC: 23

With the storms having receded, the weather is actually pleasant to Telamon. The coolness feels strangely -right- on his skin, as he drifts casually through the air, his flight spell carrying him wherever he wishes. Dressed in his usual out-and-about garb, the breeze tousling his hair as he wanders across the temple district's skyline towards the trades district.

He pauses, getting his bearings, and realizes he's not too far off from Andie and Dolan's place. With a grin, he begins to descend from his current altitude, looking to drop in with congratulations and see if there's anything they might need in preparation for the big day.

Rhar trots her way happily out of the plaza proper; another special delivery from Gurr's Gear completed! Well, Gurr, the lupine of unusual size, is the one trotting, but Rhar is also happy. The dropping of offs was a bit late due to the weather. All that wind is terrible at mussing up fur, and the rain is even worse: it takes off the protective layer of dirt!

"What chew up next?" the smaller of the two asks the larger from atop his head and bend over almost double to look into Gurr's eyes. Rhar doesn't need to see where they're going; Gurr's the one driving.

"Thanks for fixing my armor so quickly, baby." Dolan's mostly at his ease on this bright and sunny day. "That was the damndest storm last night. Not that I'm complaining, mind you." His wicked grin blooms across the mobile half of his face as he looks up at the woman with him. "But it's a damned good thing we had all that food preserved. There's damn near nothing left. What say we get some dinner?" He looks much better than he did the other day, cleaned up and with the dent knocked out of the breastplate he wears.

"Glad to fix it, babe," Andelena replies with a very pleased smile on her face. The Sunguard is dressed in her own mithral armor and white cloak, clearly coming off the tail end of some time spent at the Temple. "Sooner or later everyone in Alexandria's gonna start wanting me for my work with a blade. I'll try not to let the fame get to my head." There's the moment the smile turns into a wide, prideful grin. Well-deserved, really, considering the sword Dolan's wearing.

Then she snickers. "Yeah, funny how we both work up an appetite after a whole night of fu--uuhhh." Andelena's expletive is cut off when she whips her steel-gray eyes up to the sky, squinting at Telamon. "Bry, is that Telamon up there? Anyone tell that man he _doesn't_ have to fly up in the sky or some shit like that? Sky's for the Knight and for the birds."

Of course she's grinning from ear to ear. These are jokes, after all. "Telamon! Come down to earth and talk with the rest of us fucking peasants!" she calls down after him.

The group of three starts to move, passing by Dolan and Andelena, actually splitting apart to avoid the couple as they move by and one of the women stumbles, almost falling on top of Andelena. She catches herself and mumbles an apology, which her friend echoes as she helps her friend catch her balance.

GAME: Telamon rolls perception: (18)+23: 41
GAME: Andelena rolls Perception: (19)+12: 31
GAME: Dolan rolls perception: (2)+17: 19
GAME: Rhar rolls perception: (13)+21: 34
GAME: Andelena rolls Reflex: (16)+6: 22

Telamon laughs brightly, descending down towards street level. "Maybe you should -try- flying before you knock it, Andelena," he teases, his dark eyes sparkling. "After last night it was just too good of a day to not take a stroll around..." He pauses as the two women and the men pass, and heaves a sigh.

"Alright, you three," he raps out in a surprisingly businesslike tone, and it's clear -who- he's addressing judging from his pointing finger. "That was some damned good pickpocketing -- my compliments to you and your instructor. Now give it back." His voice isn't brooking any nonsense, either.

Rhar looks up from Gurr's big, handsome, trying-to-look-through-Rhar's-head eyes to see... peoples! While Gurr is pleased his lien of vision is now clear, Rhar waves a hand vigorously towards the growing collection of people. Talking, bumping, even flying. "Hi! Is good-hey! No swipe!" Now her waving hand is waggling instead. "Give back! Say sorry!" Gurr doesn't call out, or otherwise say anything. He just rolls those big eyes some and turns his trotting peoplewards.

Dolan is paying absolutely zero mind to anything, a thing that is most unlike him, entirely distracted by the direction Andelena is pointing. He cranes his neck upwards to see what she is talking about, and so he is caught entirely off guard when Andelena is almost knocked over. "Egh, careful," is all he offers, grinning in what is intended to be a friendly way at the ladies and most likely ends up simply being weird. "Oy, what?" The words Telamon says instantly put him on guard. "They steal something from you, baby?"

Andelena's steel-gray eyes go wide, and _then_ they go narrow in one hell of a whiplash moment. Her hand lashes out for the woman who bumped into her but misses the hand she was going for. "They sure fuckin' did, baby. Hey! Don't go sticking your hands into other people's shit. Especially not a _Sunguard's_ shit. Hand it back over," she demands with a growl.

The woman looks embarrassed, offering Andelena a pouch; kind of half-tossing it to her, and then - with her companion in tow - and the man as well the three take off! Each one takes off in a different direction, running and ducking in the nearest alleyways to avoid anyone following in their footsteps.

They don't give back. They don't sorry. How rude! "Hey!" Rhar calls out at the three (well, sort of as they're running different ways), then shouts at the ones remaining, and Gurr. "Sic 'em!" Gurr decides to start bounding after the first woman (maybe that one is the swiper?).

GAME: Telamon casts Wall of Force. Caster Level: 15 DC: 23
GAME: Telamon casts Mage Armor/Quicken. Caster Level: 15 DC: 23

Telamon grabs a fistful of time, enough to fast-cast his magical armor spell. That done, he soars after the man, winglike vanes open wide now and carrying him along over the rooftops as the man ducks into an alley. "Oooh, bad move." Tel curls his fingers in deft gestures, chanting, and a shimmering field of hexagons appears in front of the man for a moment before vanishing again. "Alright, this was fun, but you need to drop what you took off my friend. The next spell won't be so kind." The starborn sorcerer hovers in midair, giving the fellow a disapproving look as he ostentatiously cracks his knuckles.

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+20: (4)+20: 24
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6+10: (5)+10: 15
GAME: Dolan rolls cmb: (18)+11: 29
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+9: (1)+9: 10 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+20: (7)+20: 27
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6+10: (4)+10: 14
GAME: Andelena rolls CMB: (16)+11: 27

Meanwhile, Dolan doesn't give up so easily. He wants some answers, and he's nothing if not persistent. Good thing, too, as a fist catches him full in the face, cracking his right cheekbone and leaving bruising beneath it to make the scarring only look uglier. Pain flashes through his mind, and his vision swims, but we don't need no stinkin' vision here.

He launches himself at her, wrapping arms around her and trying to wrestle her to the ground. "All right, bitch," he snarls. "What did your friend take? People just looking for coin don't come out this way. Give it up. Why the Temple District?"

Andelena does something much the same as her husband-to-be by chasing after the other woman, down to the fist to the face that leaves the scar on her face nice and red--but unlike Dolan, she doesn't have success with grabbing the woman. An angry growl leaves her. "Okay shit-for-brains, you weren't pawing around for gold. Market District's a way better place for that. Gimme back what you _really_ took."

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+23: (14)+23: 37
GAME: Rhar rolls gurr bite: aliased to companionmelee: (2)+15: 17

The man that Telamon chases down gives him a self-satisfied look and sprouts bat-like wings and with one pump gets himself quite quickly airborne. Similarly across the town and down an alleyway or three, Dolan's grasped woman manages to wiggle free, grunting and wiggling. "We were looking for you!" She screams practically in his face and manages to get free, a pair of wings sprouting from her back.

Two streets over Andelena and Rhar find that their foe is likewise growing wings and wordlessly, but with a satisfied expression, takes flight.

GAME: Telamon casts Glitterdust/Quicken. Caster Level: 15 DC: 24
GAME: Telamon used a Rod of Normal Persistent.
GAME: Telamon casts Suffocation. Caster Level: 15 DC: 23

Rhar blinks as the woman starts to fly away. "Wings?!" Her surprise is short-lived, however and she reaches for the woman who was swiped from next to her. Toes grabbing onto Gurr fur, she calls and tugs, "Come! We catch!" They won't get away that easy! Not until wolves fly! Er, well, more because they can't.

"Yip-yip! Go!" She urges Gurr on and he bounds forward with a leap... and doesn't angle back towards the ground.

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+13: (3)+13: 16 
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+16: (16)+16: 32
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+16: (2)+16: 18
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+9: (7)+9: 16

Sprouting batlike wings was probably -not- the best option around Telamon, who's already developed a healthy dislike of fiends, demons, and such. "Alright then, hard way it is." He pulls his metamagic rod, the raven-engraved ivory flashing in the light, as he swiftly gestures a familiar spell. "Mulan ukum!" A spray of fine blue and silver glitter fills the bat-winged thief's face, causing him to sputter.

But it's just the prelude. Telamon points the rod, and intones, "Pagta, zuh nam-kud, kilul." A flicker of energy jumps from him to the thief, and suddenly all the air is being drawn out of the fiendish fellow's lungs, strangling him in mid flight.

GAME: Dolan rolls weapon1-4: (10)+13+-4: 19
GAME: Dolan rolls weapon1-4: (1)+13+-4: 10 (EPIC FAIL)

"Oh no you don't." In an instant, the greatsword comes off of Dolan's back, the harness dropped to the cobblestones. "Who sent you, you little shit." The greatsword comes across, a wild swing aimed for the wing but coming nowhere hear it. "Seraquoix? Jal'goroth?" He scowls blackly in frustration.

GAME: Andelena rolls weapon10+1: (19)+13+1: 33 (THREAT)
GAME: Andelena rolls weapon10+1: (1)+13+1: 15 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Andelena rolls weapon10+1: (17)+13+1: 31
GAME: Andelena rolls damage10+1+damage10+1+1d6+1d6+6+6: aliased to 1d8+5+1+1d8+5+1+1d6+1d6+6+6: (3)+5+1+(7)+5+1+(5)+(2)+6+6: 41
GAME: Aftershock rolls 12d6: (28): 28
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+7: (9)+7: 16
GAME: Dolan rolls weapon1: (16)+13: 29
GAME: Dolan rolls 2d6+6: (11)+6: 17

Andelena's red hair streams wildly behind her now that she's midair. She hadn't counted on being in the skies shortly after ribbing Telamon for flying around in the playground of the gods and the birds, but--and while she loathes to admit it--she has to hand it to the Tarienites on this one. Life's funny like that.

That thought is quickly dismissed as the wolf she's riding rapidly gets closer to this being. She draws Deliverance. "Okay Livvie. You with me?"

"As always, dear," the warm and maternal voice from within the blade responds.

Then the two speak in unison: "Holy Knight, may I be the servant that delivers your judgment!" The blade Andelena wields ignites in holy silvered flames, and there's a grin on the Sunguard's face as it occurs to her: this is the stuff she dreamed of doing but always thought she'd never get a chance.

And--

Her blade connects. It's a cascade of holy flames and flashing steel as Deliverance parts a wing from this assailant. Andelena's steel-gray eyes are as equally as lethal as her blade, intent on sealing the deal started by the first stroke.

GAME: Andelena rolls weapon10+1: (20)+13+1: 34 (THREAT)
GAME: Andelena rolls weapon10+1: (17)+13+1: 31
GAME: Andelena rolls damage10+damage10+1+1+1d6+1d6: aliased to 1d8+5+1d8+5+1+1+1d6+1d6: (7)+5+(7)+5+1+1+(4)+(1): 31
GAME: Aftershock rolls 12d6: (44): 44

The man that Telamon cut off from his supply of oxygen falls to the ground lifelessly, and when he hits the ground a moment later there's a bloom of fire that thankfully doesn't spread through the area, but is enough to make anyone consider twice approaching the conflagration.

Dolan finds his person cocking their head to the side as the sound of the explosion reaches them an evil glint in their eye. "Seems like you'll find out soon enough." The mocking words are echoed by a blow of Dolan's blade, but the woman doesn't hesitate to take flight, flying away from Dolan.

Andelena strikes the woman that stole from her a second time, stealing the other feebly flapping wing and throwing her to the ground. Or rather someone's roof. The resulting explosion caves the roof in and the flames quickly take hold there.

GAME: Telamon rolls perception: (6)+23: 29
GAME: Telamon rolls perception: (7)+23: 30

"Ha!" Rhar cries as the not-so-sneaky thief becomes a one-winged not-angel. "Ha!" Because now she has no wings. Then Rhar blinks. "Why go boom?"

While Rhar is scratching her head in puzzlement (with her toes), Gurr is a bit more alert. He is also better at counting: there were three, that was only two that fell. Spying the last one, he turns and run-flies towards the last one.

GAME: Telamon casts Hydraulic Push/Quicken. Caster Level: 15 DC: 23

Swiftly, Telamon swoops down where the fiendish fellow has... detonated. Well, that was messy, but not entirely unexpected. Catching sight of a smoldering-still-on-fire lump, a suspicion springs up, and he grabs it uncaring as to any flames before streaking over towards where the house has caught aflame as well. A quick gesture and a chant, and water is suddenly blasting from his palm, starting to put out the fire.

GAME: Dolan rolls perception: (18)+17: 35
GAME: Dolan rolls 1d20+11: (11)+11: 22
GAME: Dolan rolls 1d3+3: (2)+3: 5
GAME: Dolan rolls cmb: (16)+11: 27
GAME: Andelena rolls weapon10+1: (8)+13+1: 22
GAME: Andelena rolls weapon10+1: (18)+13+1: 32
GAME: Andelena rolls damage10+1+1d6+6: aliased to 1d8+5+1+1d6+6: (2)+5+1+(4)+6: 18
GAME: Andelena rolls weapon10+1-2: (20)+13+1+-2: 32 (THREAT)
GAME: Andelena rolls weapon10+1-2: (10)+13+1+-2: 22

"Fucking demons." Dolan's snarl is fit to be tied, but he lowers the blade, and runs back towards the sound of the crash. It doesn't take him long, though, his sharp artificial eye spotting what the natural one did not. "Unh-uh." One firm boot comes crashing down atop a rat that had come streaking out of the building, with something wooden in its mouth. "Nice try, you little shit."

STOMP. Not one ounce of mercy is present in that booted foot.

It has the creature pinned firmly beneath it, and he reaches down towards the wooden thing in its mouth.

GAME: Andelena rolls weapon10+1-2: (7)+13+1+-2: 19
GAME: Andelena rolls damage10+1d6+1+6: aliased to 1d8+5+1d6+1+6: (7)+5+(2)+1+6: 21
GAME: Andelena rolls weapon10+1: (2)+13+1: 16
GAME: Dolan rolls will: (20)+11: 31 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
GAME: Andelena rolls weapon10+1: (7)+13+1: 21
GAME: Rhar rolls gurr bite: aliased to companionmelee: (3)+15: 18

Having finished her promise, Andelena keeps on the offensive. Her blade flashes out twice in rapid succession, holy flame still blazing, her work and effort not done yet.

"You get back here right now, you split-tongued bat-winged scum-sucking _bitch_," Andelena hisses after her.

The woman being tracked by Andelena and Gurr finally gets enough height - and vanishes in a puff of foul-smelling smoke. Gone. Meanwhile, the rat under Dolan's foot scrabbles against the ground for escape and begins to bubble black smoke from its mouth and eyes. The smoke rushes Dolan, but the man stands firm in the face of it and the smoke dissipates into nothingness. Leaving him with a totem in one hand and a flattened rat underfoot.

Once the house fire is extinguished, Telamon descends once again, his expression irritated. "I should've expected that. We'll need to warn the others to be on guard now against pickpockets." He slides his metamagic rod back into his haversack, taking a cloth and wiping the worst of the flaming demon pate off the totem he's holding before offering it back to Dolan. "This is yours, I believe," he says with a faint grin. "And I think your lovely fiancee drove off the third fiend after gutting the second. So... I think we won this one."

"I don't think so, evil one. Jal'goroth needs better pawns." With both hands, Dolan shoves the tip of the greatsword through the rat's neck, and wrests the wooden totem free from its mouth. He looks up, then, to find Telamon offering the totem to him. "Fuck," is all he says, reaching to take it and leaning the greatsword against his shoulder. "At least we got 'em back. Thanks, Tel. That was a close one."

He surveys the rat corpse under his booted foot. "Looks like I'm going to need to get a means to fly."

Gurr tries to follow, but then there's just a puff of stinky smoke where the woman once. Gurr sneezes, with Rhar doing so a hearbeat later in an echo. A smaller, squeakier one. "Are all fire?" There was smoke, and booming fire, and ... "Fire! We help!" Rhar nudges Gurr, who is already underway, to descend so that they can help with the burning homes. And Andelena probably wants to get back on the ground before too long.

"Yes, we can and _will_ help," Andelena says, turning her attention now to all of the aftermath of the chaos. "Get us back on the ground, I gotta go make sure everything's okay. I gotta..."

Once she's back on the ground, and it's clear the fire's managed, she goes and finds Dolan. Her red hair streaming behind her and covered in the viscera of two delimbings from a creature that was clearly more than the beautiful woman whose guise it took, Andelena looks all for everything like the triumphant crusader. "Baby, come here," she says.

What was supposed to be a quick stop back at the house for a dinner out on the town has turned into something else. Heroics and one long, long kiss with no regard for anyone or anything else. Andelena finally pulls away and says, "Okay. But we _gotta_ go actually get dinner or we're gonna fucking starve."

So it goes in the Temple District sometimes. At least the day's saved.

-End