Liberty Beguiling

"I didn't ask for banter, Capricornus.  I asked you to come down here and act the part of a man instead of a scared little boy, hiding behind a goat mask, afraid to show his acid-scarred face.  Twice now, I have demanded that you prove your so-called birthright and fight me for the right to lead.  Disobedience leads to punishment, son."

Capricornus snarls and looses his arrow at Petros, before leaping from the battlements. He hits the ground with a roll, planting a fist in the earth and then exploding into a charge towards his challenger.

Petros is impressed by the goat-man's leap and when he charges at him with such speed, Petros gulps and realizes that this might have been a worse idea than he thought.  His thoughts immediately went to the dream of his father then.  The dream he'd had every night for years.  "Like stone."   Petros firms his resolve and readies for the coming onslaught, drawing his sword and summoning the golden power that gives him speed unlike any he had ever seen before.  Faster even than this raging goat-man.  As his feet are enshrouded in crackling energy, he begins to slowly--for him--circle to the right of this beast-man, keeping his distance, for now.  Soften him up first, like he tried to do to me with that arrow.  "Is that your father you keep in your basement?  I sure bet he's proud of you."

"You know nothing," the distorted voice echoes once more from beneath Capricornus's goat's skull mask. The shadows of the bone covering obscure any trace of his humanity, making the bandit seem more like an enraged spirit of the savanna, "and now you will pay for your ignorance." Raising his bow once more, Capricornus sets an arrow to it and draws back the string. Even as fast as Petros is moving, the archer tracks his target's motion with expert skill, loosing a shot that strike with devastating precision, boring deep into Petros's torso and lodging itself between his ribs. Petros takes 40 piercing damage to vigour and 3 piercing damage to wounds, reduced to 37 and 3 by DR and soak -> 0/32 Vigour, 8/16 Wounds, 8 Bleed Azul's action.

Azul's amethyst eyes fill with worry as he sees the arrow pierce into his friend. His hand moves to his sword before he moves it away with considerable effort. Petros went into this duel willingly, truth be told he was the one who issued the challenge. It wouldn't dishonor them both to intervene. And as he looks at the Hellinian even battered, and wounded. Petros still looks defiant, his glowing aura not diminished in the slightest from the wound.  Azul moves closer to the duel but his only action is to yell "Stay strong!"

Petros's wind is completely knocked out of him by the force of the impact, and pain explodes in his side as the arrowhead digs into two of his rib bones below and left of his heart.  Looking down, he sees blood pour out of him, and he hears his father's voice, "It's time, son.  Like a rock.  Make me proud."   Looking back up at his friends-- his friends! --he sees large-hearted, stone-faced Azul reach for his sword in reaction to the grievous wound, and Petros puts up his hand to stay his friend.  Sval looks on with an unreadable look--to Petros, at least.  The scarred man was mostly an enigma, but he liked him all the same.  He was dependable, and true.  He'd miss getting to try and crack open that hard-shell of a man.  New and strange and beautiful, Zizi fluttered too far away for Petros to make out their tiny features, but he pitied Capricornus for the pain he was confident the little fairy would soon rain down on him. Noble and solid Xan had a grim look on his face.  He could feel a faint, positive energy coming from the man towards him.  Smiling inside, Petros was touched that the man was trying to help him even is this 'duel' that had so quickly gotten out of hand.  And Brim. Beautiful and odd Brim. He would miss her most of all when darkness took him.  Brim, always seeing the best in people even if it wasn't there at all to see. Always willing to give a second chance. And maybe that was it.  The hardest thing to do, perhaps, but the noblest. You'd have to be as strong and as stubborn as a stone to offer a second chance--to offer forgiveness--to someone who had just tried to kill you.  How much more so to the one currently killing you?  What bravery that little goblin has inside of her.  So small.  And she had left everyone she knew behind because they were wrong and bad.  Even though it was the only family she had.  Even though it was all she knew, she somehow figured out it was wrong all the same.  He didn't think he had that kind of goodness in him.  The goodness to offer that second chance.  To be that brave.  To risk everything you had.  He could still use his magics to heal himself.  If he called on his friends, they would come.  But that weaseling his way out of bad situations...that was cowardly.  Yet it was all he knew.  The only way to survive. He had almost decided to make one last appeal directly to the men of the castle...perhaps his men turning on him would stay Capricornus's hand and allow Petros to heal and retreat.  Perhaps..  But seeing Brim over there--was that a tear in her eye?--changes his mind.  Realizing that he has been walking backwards--gliding, really, in some strange staggering way--he stops himself, and falls to his knees.  Surely what he was about to say wouldn't change Capricornus.  The words would probably change no one.  Not even himself.  But he hoped that by merely believing it...by the sheer act of saying it...that that would change him.  And if he was going to change at all, there was no better time.  There was no other time. "I'm sorry your father hurt you.  It was wrong.  I'm sorry I mocked you for it.  That was wrong.  And I forgive you for this.  For all of this," Petros says in almost a whisper still amplified by his magic so that all near can hear, spreading his arms wide to take in his friends and companions, the fortress and bandits, the countryside and subjugated peoples.  And blood pours from the wound in his side, and his vision fades to black.

brim is moved, so she moves to make a move

Horrified at the devasting assault on Petros, Xan moves forward following Brim towards the fallen form ahead of them, Dawid following close behind, he slides to a stop a few paces behind the goblin readying himself for a fight and also the chance to heal his comrade. " Dawid stand ready to pour your healing into him, there is little time."

Sval watches Petros fall with some benign confusion riddling his mind. Why was this bandit, a murderer and brigand, by all accounts, being given the same accord that would be given to a knight or noble warrior -- someone like Aleixo? Those that were honor-bound would now have to accept the bandit's tyranny.  Good thing that Sval was bound by something different. A calling to let no evil go unpunished. Without so much as a second thought, the Norscan walks toward Capricornus, knocking and loosing an arrow at the goat-man. The projectile grazes his shoulder, and he turns his eyes on Sval. "Honor is for those who have earned it," Sval says simply, dropping his bow and drawing his sword, fingers flexing on the grip of the weapon, ready to catch arrows or fight. "This devil has not earned it."

"A target's a target, love." Zizi exclaims as they loose an arrow from their hidden vantage behind a crate. The projectile buries itself between the bandit king's ribs with a pained gasp. "But I suppose it is a bit more personal now. Let's kill this fucker!" They exclaim before darting back down behind the crates.

"Ah, the hypocrisy of 'civilisation'," Capricornus snarls, falling back towards his fort. He fits another arrow to his bow and looses it at Sval. The shot thumps painfully into the Norscan's gut, but his chainmail prevents any real harm. "Kill them all!" Capricornus bellows angrily. Behind him the palisade gate rolls open to reveal six more bandits. Two are especially prominent. A dark, lithe tattooed figure wielding a rapier and wearing studded leather armour, and a giant of a man with a makeshift club. Up on the towers, another four pelt the approaching invaders with arrows and crossbow belts, striking both Brim and Rikrak with glancing shots.

Azul draws his blade as the bandit's emerge, though instead of his usual determination only sadness and shame radiate out from the Dragonborn. How is that between his noble party and a group of cutthroat wannabee dictator bandits, that his friends are the ones found lacking honor. Moving closer to the battle Azul raises his shield and takes a defensive stance.

Holder of places

Seeing their target retreating into the safety of his fort and out of the range of their bow, Zizi zips up and gives chase. "Fucking coward!" She roars, loosing another arrow which strikes the dirt at Capricornus' feet.

Capricornus continues to backtrack towards his fort. Once inside the gate he spits blood in the dirt and raises his blow at Zizi to return the favour, delivering a glancing strike to the pixie's shoulder. As soon as their leader is inside, the men on the ground roll the pallisade gate shut, while those atop the towers pepper Brimblebread and Rikrak's defensive advance with arrows.

Azul gathers his arcane might and chases after the fleeing bandits.

As Petros swims in a sea of blackness, pinpricks of light begin the resolve themselves as he hears a tiny but loud voice call out "fucking coward!" I'm no coward!  Petros thinks to himself.  Sitting up, he groans in pain and grips his side, seeing his would healed over.  Xan must have healed me.  Wincing, Petros realizes the arrowhead is still inside him.  He pulls his dagger and cuts open his side right above the embedded steel.  Steadying himself as he cuts a little too deeply and hits the arrowhead, digging it into his rib again, he calls upon the gods and radiates healing energy at his side.  As he watches, the sharp metal is pushed from the cut he made, and drops in to his hand.  A memento, if he lives to see tomorrow.  Now what is going on?

" We need to move, do what you can for him, but the others need us too." Xan shouts to Dawid who nods, his half elven features tightening as he concentrates the healing light flying forth into the still badly wounded form of Petros, he turns back to Xan, his task complete and the two set off as fast as they can towards the others, anticipation mingled with concern and not a little wrath, filled the heart of the aasiamr healer as he closed the distance getting closer to his friends and to danger.

Zizi continues their pursuit, cursing in sylvan as they narrowly avoid being skewered by one of Capricornus’ own arrows. She grits her teeth as she watches the gate close behind him, and with a flourish of iridescent sparkles she attempts to cast the lot of bandits in prismatic outlines.

Arrows rain from the ramparts, but in the pale moonlight fail to find a single mark.

Worry builds in the dragonborn as he watches the arrows fly from the ramparts. Fortunately Brim & Rikrak proved to fast for the archers but the others may not be as fortunate. With a roar that is reminiscent of his races distant ancestors, Azul bursts forward. His magics leaving a trail of amethyst fire as he moves.  Reaching the Fort's walls he jumps up and digs armored gauntlets in and quickly ascends the forts walls. Hanging onto the ledge of wall Azul catches sight of the three archers. In a swift motion Azul's right arm bolts out and grabs the man in the middle by the collar and with a massive effort hurls him up and over the wall. Surprise and then fear washes over the mans face before he smashes into the ground still alive but bleeding.

The pain and weakness suffusing Petros makes it clear that he would be next to useless in the battle he sees unfolding before him.  But maybe he could use it as a distraction.  He makes a break for the cover of the woods.

As Petros runs from Capricornus's fort, the pendant that he wears around his neck begins to grow warmer and warmer until it becomes painfully hot.

Petros takes the pendant in his hand and brings it close to his mouth and says "I'm not leaving, darling.  Just redeploying."

" Let's go Dawid, let him do as he wishes, our friends need us." Xan says following Dawid wide eyed look as Petros sprints off into the distance. "Keep you wits about you, our foes are many." With that the older man rushes forward, as he moves thd angelic wings begin to form again, the energy of them shaping from his back and growing outward, as he runs they form further until they begin to beat, rising jo mup into the air. Dawid running along in his wake sees the change once more come over his master nad is struck by how the release of the power seems to alter Xan's character, this way of being seems more on line with a righteous servant of a wrathful god than the gentle healer he knows. Dawid can already see the smoke and flames beginning to shape around Xan's fingers as hd prepares to strike.

Brim scrambles through the battlefield, tears burning on her face as the image of Petros' body falling limp on the ground remains seared in her mind. She nimbly dodges and ducks in and out of the way of oncoming arrows raining from above as she finally reaches the gate. A scream from above catches her attention as a body falls from atop the palisades and she fears for a moment until she sees Azul standing triumphantly up top. Ambling forward, she scurries up the fence, reaching the top in short time while Rikrak hurries up behind her. As he scrambles up over the sharp-tipped top of the gate spikes, he slips, nearly lodging his leg on one were it not for Brim catching his hand as he falls back, pulling him in close to her. The two simultaneously gulp, coming face to face with each other, and then once more, as they turn to look at the mob of Capricornus' men gathered around them.

Zizi closes the distance quickly, pressing their back against the wooden planks. Attempting to use a gap in the gate like an arrow slit, they fire a shot through but it’s too narrow to draw a solid line to her mark.

Still bleeding heavily and suffering from the arrow buried deep in his flesh, Capricornus retreats around a corner into the shadowy depths of the ruin's interior. As Brimblebread and Rikrak watch the man go, the pair hear a bestial, bellowing screech echo back from the same general direction. Meanwhile, the dark, tattooed figure with the rapier darts forward, thrusting at Brim, before stepping aside to make room for his allies. However, the little Goblin is ready for the attack and quick on her toes as she dances aside. Outside the fort, the armoured man who Azul pulled from the ramparts of the tower pushes himself to his feet with a groan. Fishing a leather skin from his belt, he gulps down the contents before drawing sword and shield and glancing about warily. Atop the tower, the man on Azul's right eschews his crossbow in favour of a curved blade and delivers a powerful slash to the dragonborn's side - only to meet nothing but linked steel chain. Inside the gate, two of the bandits close on Rikrak, one receiving a solid thump to the gut from Brimblebread for his troubles. The first strike is a glancing one that jolts the kobold as the blade bites into his leather armour. The second looks like more of a threat for a moment, but Brim's defensive blow skews the bandit's aim and Rikrak is able to dodge at the last moment. Seeing the futility of their comrades attack on Azul, the other two men atop the tower attempt to hurl him back over the edge, but neither is any match for the dragonborn warrior's athletic prowess. Meanwhile, down on the ground, another pair of bandits close on Brimblebread, clipping her with a pair of blows delivered together in quick succession. Finally, the lumbering, giant of a man in front of the goblin hefts his greatclub with a vacant grin and brings it swinging down at Brim with prodigious strength. It's only thanks to her defensive stance that she manages to throw herself to the side before it slams into her. The thick block of wood hits the earth with a loud THUMP , raising a small cloud of dust.

For a brief moment Azul allows the himself to feel amused by the warriors antics. He could feel Athena with him today, their blades couldn't pierce him, their shoves couldn't move him. It would be no easy feat but he knew victory was close at hand. Drawing his sabre Azul raises his blade high above his head, and at the same instant the resummoned Sofia darts from her perch atop his armor screeching and flapping her wings in the bandit's face. For a moment the bandit's attention is split and Azul's blade comes down hard cutting into the man and leaving a wound that would fester if the man had any chance of surviving this encounter. As he slashes Azul charges the man knocking him from his feet and slamming down hard with his shield as the bandit falls. Feeling something in the mans bandits burst as the shield connects, and noticing the light slowly leaving the man's eyes. He then spins and aims another shield bash at the bandit to his right, but the attack was hastily done and easily dodged.

As Petros brings the pendant to his mouth, he feels a warm, prickling sensation begin to spread across his skin. Yesterday, Hades, even a few minutes ago he would have fought with all his might to ward off whatever alien magics were trying to force their way into him.  But, Petros had accepted his fate and he had vowed to this forest nymph that he would destroy Capricornus or die trying.  If she wanted to dispose of him now, then it was her right.  He had all but failed already, and his dwindling hope that he could do anything to stop the goat-man was almost gone.  So be it, Guardian.   As he thinks these words, grey ripples across Petros's skin and he's infused with wild sylvan energy.  He feels a renewed vigor in his muscles and a new resolve in his mind.  As his sprint carries him out of sight of the castle walls behind the edge of the hill, he makes a sharp left turn and runs along the wall.  Hopefully they wouldn't see him coming.

Brim's heart is aflutter with both fear and focus as she dodges the barrage of blows Capricornus' men assail her with, and nearly feels it burst when the big brute bludgeons the ground where she'd just been standing. Instinctively, her and Rikrak jump into action, turning to each other just briefly enough to share a nod - and in Rikrak's case, a crazed smile - before jumping towards their attackers. Rikrak quickly jabs the big one in the ankle with his dagger. It's no wounding blow, but the man turns his attention away just long enough for Brim to leap three feet up and just as quickly bring her crook three feet down onto his skull. On any other man, she's sure it would have knocked them clean out, but the hulking brute seems relatively unfazed.  Without missing a beat, Brim lands and twirls around Rikrak, booping the man in front of him on the nose with the flat of her crook as she goes. With a chuckle she winds her away around out of reach of the big man while simultaneously providing Rikrak the opening needed to drive his dagger deep into his opponents ribs with a fiendish cackle of diabolic delight. 

Xan dishes out the fire, soaring closer to the battle he again takes on the mantle of an angel of vengeance, wings spread wide as he calls forth fire sending a pair of flaming bolts at the bandits trying to defeat Azul,  striking both only one slumps to the floor the other looks shaken and badly burnt but holds his ground. With a last pulse of energy Xan summons his ethereal spear and launches it at the armoured man but although the blow strikes true it seems to barely faze him. Dawid throws an eldritch blast at him, the spell striking the man too, bit again his armour protects him. Dawid audibly gulps and backs away, fearing the man might rush him.

Sval takes a running leap and heaves himself over the gate, dropping down in front of a massive brute wielding a big club and sporting an even bigger underbite. He reminded Sval a tiny bit of one of his older brothers. The ranger grunts as he draws his sword, the blade faintly damp with acid. He feints at the brute's head, and then catches him on the inside of his left knee.

The assassin is relentless, ignoring the swirling melee beneath them as they rocket after Capricornus. The second they clear the corner he’s ducked behind Zizi turns on a coin, whipping her bow into position and firing. “Gotcha!” The growling owlbear now behind her is of no importance, at last she’s cornered her target. By the time Capricornus’s eyes clock the fairy, there is already an arrow protruding from his stomach. “Why do you keep running Capricornus, you scared or something? And here I was thinking a bandit king would have more guts than that.” they jab with a malicious grin. In response to the pun a cacophony of disjointed laughs sounds around her. The cackling of their spirit entourage is chilling, and even the powerful beast at their back shrinks back from the necrotic chorus.

Capricornus appears to have lifted a large slab of wood that covers an opening in the ground  near the inner wall . The goat's skull mask obscures his face as he ducks inside, even as Zizi taunts him. "THE SCARED LITTLE LAMB'S RUNNING AWAY AGAIN!" The fairy screams manically. By the gate, Dovan circles the melee like a hyena, slipping around to Brimblebread's left flank, where he seizes the opportunity to deliver a vicious thrust to the goblin's side. However, as he makes to dance away again, Brim catches the man with her crook, holding him in place. On the ground outside the walls, Akiros gulps down another potion, before clambering back up the exterior of the palisade. Vaulting the top with remarkable agility for a man in armour, he swings his sword at Azul with a roar, but the blow clatters off of the dragonborn's shield. Besides him, Ayles clutches screaming at his burns, before succumbing to the mortal wounds. Meanwhile, Cragger steps up to support Dovan, stabbing brutally at Brim. The blade comes away slick with blood. Too scared to be seen retreating by Dovan, Dirty Jeb slashes once more at Rikrak with his blade, even as his blood soaks the dirt beneath his feet. However, the kobold neatly sidesteps the strike. Back atop the tower, Falgrim takes advantage of Akiros threatening Azul and slips around to get behind the dragonborn. His blade finds a weak spot in his foe's chainmail, also drawing a steady steam of blood. As Sval hits the ground on the inside of the gate, Fat Norry and Topper Red move to engage the Norscan. He skillfully dodges the first strike, while the second merely glances off of armour. Deeper inside the fort, the owlbear bellows furiously and charges Zizi, who flits between its claws, before they can strike her. Infuriated by Sval's attack, Auchs comes at the Witcher with a heavy swing of his club. However, the simple-minded man is surprised to find his attack met by a shining blade that catches the clumsy weapon in mid-air.

Petros sprints back across the hill towards the fort and makes an attempt to climb the sheer wall of the fortress, but finds the wood there too smooth to grasp.  He continues on along towards the back of the castle hoping for better prospects.

Azul roars as the coward's blade pierces his armor, look down he sees a stream of bright red flowing down his chains. Flourishing his blade as Sofia's talons scratch at the man's eyes. Slashing his blade down hard on Akiros, unfortunately the bandit is able to raise his sword enough to take some of the momentum out of his blow. Seeing the other bandit advance out of the corner of his eye he spins bringing his shield down hard on the coward. The first blow breaks the man's nose, the second shatters the bones in the bandit's right leg. 

Brim and Rikrak continue to get focused on, do minimal damage. It is their lot in this battle.

Xan moves, circling the battle looking for an opportune moment to strike, seeing Azul flanked he calls forth another burst of fire ripping it in half as he throws it so a small bolt flies at each man, the lighter armoured one takes a solid hit, he already seems to be out of the fight but Xan is annoyed to see the weapon still held in his hand. The second man who had climbed back up the wall didn't even seem to notice the fire splash against his back, with a sigh Xan calls up the Spear from where it waited, striking at the same man but again his chainmail seemed to block the blow and rob it of its strength. Cursing Xan turned back to see Dawid sprinting towards the gate, trying to get back into the fight, " Come on, my young apprentice, there is much to do."

Sval's parry clearly takes Auchs by surprise, and the ranger takes every advantage. The blade goes from blocking the unwieldy club to plunging clear through the brute's midsection. Bracing a foot against the brute, Sval pulls his blade free and watches the man's face change into a mask of pain and surprise.

Ducking out of reach of the owlbear, Zizi pursues Capricornus down the stone steps into the dark hole in the ground. The room below feels miserably damp. The ceiling is thick with cobwebs and greasy swaths of mould cake the carved stone walls and floor. Three archways in the walls open into other rooms, all of which are filled with mounds of crates, furs, sacks, weapons and other obviously stolen loot. As Zizi rounds the corner of the stairs into the room, she is immediately met by an arrow from the waiting Capricornus. It catches on the little fairy's armour, skewing her flight path and sending her tumbling through the air for a brief moment before she can right herself. As soon as she has, she sends her own shaft hurtling back in return. It thumps into the bandit's leather jerkin, which seems to put up unnatural resistance, but the impact nevertheless forces him back a couple of steps. As Zizi's eyes slowly adjust to the flickering torchlight, she spots another man lurking behind Capricornus. A decrepit old man dressed in rags. He seems to be clutching two bloody arrows in his hands. Before the fairy can think any more of it, Capricornus gulps down the contents of a soft leather skin and begins to advance on her, even as Zizi retreats towards the entrance. The flow of blood from the bandit's wounds slows and stops as he harries the fairy with another pair of rapidly shot arrows. The second lodges itself in her side, bleeding heavily. Outside, the owlbear screeches its terrible roar, clawing and smashing at the entrance to the passage in an attempt to reach Zizi. By the gate, Dovan narrows his eyes as he faces off with Brimblebread. Once more he lunges at her, but the little Goblin is too fast for him and he quickly pulls back out of reach of her crook. Cragger strikes in kind with the senior bandit, but not fast enough to hit the speedy paladin. Meanwhiel, Dirty Jeb screams and clutches at his ruined face, throwing himself at Rikrak, even as the blood begins to cloud his vision. The little kobold is buffeted, but stands his ground. Atop the tower, Akiros pushes his offence against Azul, delivering a well placed strike past the dragonborn warrior's shield. However, Azul neatly turns it aside with judicious parry, letting the remaining force glance off of his armour. Behind him, Falgrim howls in pain, clutching briefly at his shattered leg, before passing out entirely. Seeing the pointlessness of their light weapons in the face of Sval's armour, Fat Norry and Topper throw themselves at the Norscan, pulling at his arms as they drag him towards the ground. Howling in pain, Auchs takes one final, desperate swing at Sval. The club slams into the witcher's stomach, knocking the wind out of him, and moments later the enormous bandit staggers and collapses still bleeding heavily from the wound to his torso.

After parrying the warriors blow Azul faints back and slashes with his sabre though the attack was far to slow and the warrior easily dodges the blade. Azul then smashes out twice with his shield. The first misses but the second connects, the man's armor protects him from much of the blow but some momentum still passes through.

The old man walks up behind Capricornus, placing a hand in the centre of his back as he fights. There's a glimmer of blue as the bandit is magically rejuvenated.

Brim deftly dodges more strikes from Cragger and Davon, timing a leap out of the former's way just in time to rebound with a resounding swing of her crook. The weapon connects with a heavy thud that nearly knocks the man out right then and there, and Brim finally takes a moment to pause and catch her breath momentarily. Rikrak meanwhile jabs gleefully forward with his dagger, sinking it to the hilt in Jeb's sternum and letting out a chaotic holler of excitement. Fortunately, Brim is too focused at the moment on the constantly wavering and retreating Davon to notice entirely. In a move borne more out of self-preservation than any desire to inflict greater physical harm, she slides the crook up over her back and calmly draws a short, pointed-rapier from a sheath by her side. The weapon feels particularly light in her hands, having gone so long since last being unsheathed. It's nimble weight and dexterity feel much more adequate for, ideally, avoiding or countering the attacks of the man before her.

In which Xan be all throwing fire and Dawid be all no upper body strength.

Sval draws a magical sign in the air and thrusts it at the two men holding him. A blast of telekinetic force throws one of the men into the air. He lands on his head with a heavy thud and staggers back to his feet, wavering. The other holds on to Sval's arm and the ranger looks at him.  "You're going to wish you'd let go,"  he says quietly. Not a threat, just a fact. To the right, the man who Sval has just sent flying across the yard clutches at the wound to his head. Blood pours from his scalp and he sways once more, before crumpling to the ground. The other, seemingly too lost and desperate to do anything else clings onto the ranger for dear life. He puts everything he has into one last ditch attempt to force Sval to the ground, but he's no match for the Norscan who runs him through with one clean flash of his blade. At the other end of the gate, Cragger Kench also clutches in terror at the wet mess of blood that Brimblebread has left pooling in his hair, before collapsing unconscious on the ground. Seeing his men decimated before him, Dovan turns and bolts into the shadows of the fort. The gate is clear. Atop the tower, Akiros swings one final time at Azul, but his powerful strike connects only with the dragonborn's shield. He glances down at massacre at the gate and realisation dawns upon him. "I yield!" The warrior declares, his accent unusually well-spoken for a ruffian. Akiros takes a step back and raises his arms slightly to indicate surrender, although he does not lower his guard as he waits for confirmation. "The day is yours." On the cellar stairs, Zizi's lethal predicament quickly becomes clear to her and the fairy abruptly shrinks, darting out past the owlbear before it can brings its claws to bear. However, the arrow in her side hampers her speed and she leaves a dripping trail of sparkling blood behind her as she flies. Slowly advancing up the stairs behind her, Capricornus approaches his owlbear, before growling a single quiet command to it. "Beaky, kill ." The monstrous beast roars once more and turns to give chase, moving faster than Zizi can flee. The first snap of its beak tears a brutal gash across the fairy's face and a mighty swing of Beaky's enormous paw swats her from the air, slamming its prey unconscious against the stones of the ruin. The owlbear doesn't hesitate to carry out its master's orders, tearing Zizi asunder on the spot.

Azul's eyes fill with contempt of course the bandit would dishonor himself to avoid continuing their battle. Kicking the man's weapon off the edge he "Go! Leave the Savannah, and never come back. Or you will feed the flames." Smoke comes out of his nostrils as he locks eyes with the bandit before turning and heading towards the sounds of the owlbear. Tearing off a piece of his cloak as he runs and using it to staunch the flow of blood from the cut. 

Brim lets out a scream of anguish as the small fairy is ripped to glittery pieces right ahead of her. She wasn't sure why Zizi had gone ahead without them to face Capricornus alone - especially after witnessing what had happened to Petros when he tried the same thing - but it didn't make it hurt any less. Were it not for the tears blotting out her vision, she wouldn't have been able to tear her own gaze away from the grisly sight of the owlbear mauling her companion to shreds.  As the stragglers clear out and Dovan retreats, she finds herself sucking in shallow breath after shallow breath, trembling from the weight of her own injuries, and quickly old goblin instinct kicks in - loot what you can, stay alive.  Her eyes scour the battlefield for a moment until she comes over the corpse of the big one from before and quickly finds herself rummaging through his things, finding a couple bottoms of pristine red glow. Downing one quickly, she finds it doesn't have much kick to it and attempts to raise another to her lips, only for her muscles to give out on her.  "Ser Rikrak... help,"  is all she can weakly utter before dropping to her knees. The kobold ambles over, putting his palms under the butt of the bottle and pushing it up towards her, allowing her to drink it down in full. While still not as potent as she'd have imagined, within moments the effects of both potions take hold, bringing her back to fighting strength. Thank you. She doesn't say a word, but her looks conveys everything she's feeling to her companion. Together, the two rise back to their feet and run forward, taking cover behind the large stone wall ahead of them while the bloodthirsty bear bounds further up into the battle.