Silver Insanity

Fang sinks his teeth into the next serpent in line, and with a practised twist of his neck, slams the creature into the ground - incidentally tearing a good chunk out of its side. Fierce and Maya's attacks aren't quite so impressively brutal, but are still quite effective.

Ferim steps forwards, one foot landing casually on the neck of the first serpent. There's a sharp crunch, a moment of silence, and then a massive roaring boom as the creature's corpse explodes.

Completely unphased, Ferim attacks the second serpent. It manages to twist about on the ground and avoid taking the full brunt of his tentacle lashes, so he leans forwards and bites its throat out. There is a second large explosion - this one results in Ferim looking somewhat scorched, but still not particularly concerned.

The remaining four serpents turn and flee towards the far exit. When it, too, begins to flow shut, they launch a volley of flame bolts at the stone, blasting a hole that they might still be able to fit through.

Maya, Fierce and Fang try to attack and trip up the one in the lead and instead of springing away, stay to block the exit until it can be fully closed off.

Only Fang manages to hit this time, and even he fails to deal much damage. The serpent's counter-attacks, given nice stationary targets, prove much more effective; their claws and teeth leave numerous wounds in Fang's hide.

And then, as the serpents look on in dismay, all the damage they've dealt simply fades away. And the exit finishes sealing itself off, too.

"We surrender," states the injured serpent.

Maya: "Fine, stay where you are." The three quickly back away till they're safely out of attack of opportunity range, and then spring back in to attack the one Fang hurt last round.

Once it becomes clear that verbal tricks will avail them nothing, the serpents fight to the death - like the proverbial cornered rats. When the third one goes down, the last three simply detonate themselves in a last-ditch attempt to at least take out somebody. Which leaves you and your pack seriously burned, but decisively victorious.

Cass does not, however, immediately attend to your wounds - or Ferim's, for that matter. Instead, she carefully collects a bit of the shattered remnants of each of the serpents, and starts into a very long and complicated thaumaturgical ritual. Whatever she's doing is well beyond Fierce's understanding - but it seems to be something to do with the souls of the deceased.

Fang hopping around excitedly: "AAAAAROOOOOOOO!!!! Yeah, that was awesome!!! Maya we slaughtered them, they didn't even stand a chance!!! Did you see me and Ferrim, we so owned that fight!"

Fierce, looking slightly embarrassed by Fang's behavior: "We only had it so easy because the great spirit Cass follows lent us his power."

Fang calming down just enough to look confused: "Wait, what spirit?"

Maya: "You know, all the chanting, tentacle waiving, and the way you felt better after the serpents tore into you?"

Fang: "Oh that, Fierce does that too...

Fierce: "I keep telling you, I do nothing but borrow from the spirits, they hear my prayers and aid us."

Fang: "So there are spirits in our pack?"

Maya: "How many times do we have to cover this?"

Fierce: "There are spirits watching over every pack, especially those who take the time to listen."

Fang: "Well if you don't do it, why the chanting?"

Fierce: "It's the prayer."

Fang: "Then why the symbols and stuff?"

Fierce: "They represent the spirits and create a channel that helps them to interact with the mortal world."

Fang: "So you don't do anything then?"

Fierce: "I provide devotion to the ways of the spirits, I spread the great dreams of the hunter."

Fang: "How do you do that? It seems I talk more about hunting then you do."

Maya: "Alright you two, that's enough, we have more important matters to attend to."

Fang: "Speaking of which, what was that whole self destruct thing? I'd have at least tried to win. They just gave up, talk about weak."

Fierce: "Maybe they felt their chances of defeating us was greater that way and cared more about their cause then a chance at their own survival."

Fang: "Well it was boring, I barely feel like we had a fight it was over so quick."

Maya: "Yeah, I found it too be a little too quick and easy myself."

Fierce: "I found it enlightening. It is rare I get to see another like myself with so much devotion to the spirits as to receive so much of their blessing. It reminds me of why I devote myself so."

Fang: "I still don't see what you do that's so special other then talk all cryptic now and then."

Maya: "Stop trying to goad Fierce."

Fang: "But it's fun, the little hunter things catch and shake the little prey things when she's angry, I like when they do that."

Fierce just sighs and lies down.

Fang: "You're all no fun. I'm gonna go figure out how I'm gonna tell Englesworth about this one."

With that Fang goes off and mutters to himself while doing a mock battle of the fight, trying to get everyone's general moves down.

Maya and Fierce smile happy that he's gone and gotten himself distracted.

Eventually Cass finishes whatever it was she was doing, and turns to the task of dealing with any remaining injuries.

"That's all that's going to be down here today. The fighting on the surface should be finishing up about now, too. Where would you like to exit the tunnels?"

Maya: "We shall return to the fort, I'd like to check on Willoughby and I'm sure Fang wants to talk to Englesworth."

Fierce: "Actually I'd like to stay behind while you do that and talk to Cass about the great spirit she follows. If Cass is willing that is."

Maya: "That's up to Cass."

Cass leads the three of you back to the fort - and seems quite willing to spend some time talking to Fierce.

Continued in Chapter XIII.
Continued from Chapter XIII.

Maya, Fierce, Fang and now Englesworth, all leave the fort together heading towards the south.

Fang is still distracted talking to Englesworth, while Maya and Feirce are discussing the general idea of Fierce's newfound knowledge. Every now and then they smile as the note improvements in Fang's storytelling capability.