Liberty Beguiling

As Petros listens to Aleixo give a spontaneous, rousing, and tactically useful speech, he closes his eyes, shakes his head to himself, and sighs as his annoying companion naturally falls into the role Petros had assigned him.  As he opens his eyes back up, he sees a screamer wasp land on Valerie's small sliver of exposed neck.  His skin shivers a bit from the memory of the time he was stung by one in his youth and caused him to involuntarily scream from the intense, firey pain.  Snapping his hand out quickly, he grabs the folded wings of the wasp before Valerie can try to brush it away and pulls it swiftly away from her and towards his other hand which he uses to pull it's abdomen off before flinging the parts to the ground.

The ambushers unnoticed, Hamon leads his men right up to the gate. However, as he rounds the edge of the great wooden door, catching a first glimpse of Valerie and the upturned cart, the dirty-looking man suddenly realises his mistake. "To arms!" He yells, his horse rearing as he wheels it back. "It's a trap!"

"No, no, no, there is no trap my friends !" As Melanthios strides across the ramparts, his illusory disguise melts. Like cool spring water dripping from his body after a swim, the colors and shapes are washed away and his true form is left refreshed and gleaming. Even more so than before, his honey eyes and bright smile shine. The ivory stripes and streaks through his hair glow golden and cast ripples of light across his statuesque body. He continues strumming the whole time, even as his cloak slips down slightly to give a tease at his sculpted physique. "This camp is still ripe for the taking, continue on inside as you intended and lead your men to victory." The ensorcelled words ring out and wash over the raggedy villain, carried on a scent of honeyscukle and incense. 

"Lies! To arms!" Hamon yells, wheeling his horse around to pull up against the palisade and heaving himself off its back and over the edge of the parapet. With a bellowing roar, his men charge into the breach, some sprinting full pelt, while the front-most ranks begin to advance more cautiously when they see what awaits them inside the gates. Arrows fly at Melianthos and Linzi, but none find purchase past the cover of the parapet. The far more pressing danger, it seems, is posed by the riders scaling the palisade like their leader before them and the screeching, winged beasts that accompany them. They hyenavultures scratch viciously at Azul, Linzi, Melianthos and Sval and snap their wickedly hooked beaks. The two warriors are protected by their armour, but the firbolg and the halfling struggle to fend off the aggressive creatures. Azul takes 6 piercing and 5 slashing damage to vigour, reduced to 0 by DR. Linzi takes 5 piercing damage to vigour, reduced to 3 by DR. Melanthios takes 7 piercing damage and 7 slashing damage to vigour, reduced to 12 by DR -> 20/27 Vigour Sval takes 6 piercing and 5 slashing damage to vigour, reduce to 0 by DR. Azul's action.

"Hold my spear." Aleixo instructs Dimi as he drops it, pulling his Javelin from his back. "Zeus smites those who chose the wrong side!" He releases the Javelin, whispering " silent klay" The steaks through the air, crackling as it becomes a bolt of lightening, passing through the line of attackers, scorching them terribly, as everyone's eyes adjust from the sudden flash of lightening they see the really very frightening sight of the man at the back of the line. Staggering as the electrical current still sparks through his brain from the once again solid Javelin that is sticking through both sides of his mouth, muffling his screams as he bites down on it. 

Azul sinks into his fighting stance relying on his armor to protect him as the bandit and the  hyenavulture tear into him. Fortunately his armor holds absorbing the blows and with a bit of artful dodging he is able to get through the assault unscathed. Taking a second to gather his breath and survey the battlefield he finds that the bandits where in position. Taking an enormous breath, he reels his head back and unleashes a torrent of flame illuminating the path in front of him. HIs breath sparks  the oil spreading a burning path towards the bandit gathering. Two bandits  manage to roll away just in time but the others are caught in the flames. The smell of flesh beginning to permeate the air.  Azul turns his head just in time to see one of the vultures slash at Mel. He thrust out with his spear and manages to nick the cat. As Sofia swoops in front of it's face. He clangs his spear into his shield as Aleixo's lightning arcs through the bandits "A throw Zeus  himself would be proud of"

Sval drops his bow on the tower and in one motion draws his sword and brings is slashing down at the hyena-vulture. His blade sings through the air, and the beast frantically dodges away, only just making it.

Linzi glances about fearfully, searching for a way out, but she and Melanthios are cornered on the ramparts by the hyenavultures. The drop behind her descends into the now burning pit of detritus. With nowhere to go, she focusses on protecting herself. "Come on Melanthios," she tells her firbolg friend in earnest, "we can do this." On the far side of the killbox, Amiri snarls in frustration at her inability to reach the invaders and readies her weapon in preparation to strike. Orion, on the other hand, blanches as the hyenavultures leap up towards them and takes off east down the palisade, before dropping down to ground level and around the side of the stable. Xan's action.

Xan watches down towards the oil barrel as Azul's breath attack ignites it and burning oil catches several of the nearby men. "Sval, it worked !" He calls out, satisfaction evident in vice, turning he sees the Norscan desperately fighting off a hyenavulture, the creature landing hits which appear to have been turned aside by Sval's mail. Seeking to help him Xan abandons the plan to extend the fire to stop the retreat, especially as they have enough men inside fighting them already. He calls forth a small mote of fire and hurls it at the creature but it dodges a feint from Sval as he acts and his aim if off by a fraction. Not finished yet he summons his ethereal spear placing it near the field before thrusting it forward, staggering the creature  bit seemingly not doing much actual harm. "We need to clear these walls, and watch out there are archers beyond the walls too". Xan then drops to a knee by the ruined ballista, looking to stay out of sight of the archers.

"Ion!" Dimi's voice rings out from behind Aleixo over the clamour of the charging men. "Ion, don't listen to Hamon. I'm alive. I'm here with Jerry. They can help us Ion!" Standing besides Dimitrios, Jerry is more tight-lipped, but when Dimi begins to call for attention he stands up straight besides his comrade and waves to be seen. Meanwhile, Valerie hurls a javelin at the nearest bandit, drawing blood with a deep wound. Melanthios's action.

Melanthios recoils as his magic fails, and his position is compromised by the vicious monsters. Linzi's words reach him, but his response is apologetic. "Perhaps, but I'd rather not do it right here." He begins strumming his cittern faster, and the shimmering strings begin to radiate visible waves of sonic magic. From Melanthios' back, glowing diaphanous wings materialize. Their buzzing vibrations match the tempo of his song perfectly, and with a graceful movement the bard soars backwards through the air. Motes of light drop down on his allies as he passes above them until he lands safely on the other side of the cart.

Hearing the sounds of battle and clashing of steel begin in fervor, the explosion of heat and flame from just on the other side of her cart, Brim braced herself to enter the fray. Had things not gone according to plan?  Heavy footfalls tread upon the cobbled path leading into the post, approaching closer and closer. She gripped the unevenly-hewn ashen crook tightly. It helped to quell some of the jitters in her bones, the immense size of the raiding party weighing on the forefront of her mind as she attempted to keep her composure as best she could. When the sound of Dimi's voice called out, Brim momentarily felt hope the plan could still come together, but the charging continued unabated and Dimi's plea rang shallow and unconvincing. My fault , she sighed to herself. She realized she shouldn't have expected one so freshly placed on the path to know the way to bringing others to it as well. She barely knew what she was doing and she'd been on it for almost two months now! Steeling her nerves, the little goblin girl adjusted the rim of her pointed hat to sit a bit further back, allowing her to see clearer as she turned, scrambled up the side of the cart, and quickly surveyed the scene before her. Her mind raced with words of inspiration. Talk of second chances and amends and do-overs. You won't regret this!  Or perhaps... Let me help you start over!  As she stood proudly over the mass of folk, she stood her crook on the edge of the wooden cart and placed her other hand against her hip, beaming out at them all. And in the moment of adrenaline and fear, she boldly declared, "Let me help you regret this!" No sooner had the words left her mouth had the embarrassment washed over her. It was all she could do to swing her crook down haphazardly, the hook of it colliding with the head of a man nearby, before she hopped back below the cart, curling up in a ball on the inside of it to hide. As the sound of a body crumpling on to the stone rang through her ears and her face turned beat red, she clenched her eyes shut. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Aw man I ruined it!

Petros watches helplessly as winged dogs descend on Linzi while the enemy, as yet, had not come within his reach.  Reaching out with his thoughts to the gods who seemed to haunt his dreams with strange images, he pleads for them to intercede on Linzi's behalf.  She's so small.  And no fighter.   A feeble glow descends from the heavens, lighting one of the dogs, making him yelp slightly from the pain.  That's it?!?  That's what you provide?

The front rank of bandits recoils in the face of the wall of flames. Panicked by the lightning from Aleixo's javelin, one desperately tries to clamber up the barricade of spears and wooden spikes, but only injures himself in the process. Another stumbles through the flames, loosing a wild arrow in the direction of Petros and Amiri, before succumbing to his injuries and collapsing to the ground. The remaining two back away from the fire and arc their own arrows over the smoke, but neither finds its target. Meanwhile, Hamon slips down from the parapet, tumbling with surprising agility as he hits the ground, and around the back of the upturned cart towards Brimblebread. The little goblin swings at the man with unerring accuracy, but the blow is deflected by his well-made armour. Quickly retaliating, Hamon leads with a bash of his shield, but the wooden board sails over Brim's head with a whistle. Two strikes of a quick, light blade follow, one striking true as the armoured warrior drives the goblin back. Brimblebread takes 6 slashing damage to vigour, reduced to 4 by DR -> 36/35 Vigour The riders that had accompanied Hamon quickly follow suit. The first also hits the ground running and looses a crossbow bolt at Melanthios, but the bard is too quick a target. The second clambers down more awkwardly, before dashing forwards to support Hamon in the melee with Brimblebread. On the other side of the trading post, the hyenavulture facing Sval bites down on the Norscan's shoulder, but fails to do any significant damage even as it flails wildly with its claws. "Traitors!" Yells the closest bandit, swinging his blade at Jerry who struggles to defend himself in his weakened state. Having failed to penetrate Azul's armour the man besides him leaps at the dragonborn, trying to hold him down, but Azul throws his attacker off with little difficulty. Linzi, on the other hand, is cornered by the remaining three hyenavultures. Desperately ducking and weaving, she manages to avoid their claws, but is bitten by all three. Linzi takes 15 piercing damage to vigour, reduced to 9 by DR. The archers outside the walls continue to pepper Xanthos with arrows. Two thunk into the exterior of the palisade, but one the sorcerer is forced to deflect at the last moment with an arcane shield. The remaining bandits seek to circumvent the fiery barrier, using their allies horses to mount the wall and drop down the other side. Azul's action.

Roaring in rage at the man who tried to tackle him, Azul drops his spear and grabs the man's leg and ripping him from the palisades and sending him crashing down in front of the kill box. Giving Aleixo a nod Azul picks up his spear and raises his shield back into position.

Seeing the man fall at his feet, Aleixo seizes the opportunity, thrusting his spear forwards. Rather than stabbing the man though, he thrusts the spear beneath him. His muscles ripple with the exertion as he throws his herculean strength into levering the man up and flipping him over into the firepit. 

The creature looks up at Sval, snarling and gnashing its teeth. The Norscan takes a step back and calmly runs a acid-slick cloth across his blade. He ducks under a swipe of the creature's claws and uses his sword to draw a neat red line in the flesh of its ribcage. The hyena-vulture yelps in pain, and scrambles back, blood dripping from the wound. As the acid ate its way into the creature's body, Sval looked about the battlefield. Brimblebread and Linzi were both surrounded. Eyeing the hyena-vulture, he can see the fight draining from the creature with every second that the acid burns in its chest.  Sval takes a few steps back, then runs and hurls himself forward. He hits the stairs up to the tower and rolls, coming up with his sword ready right next to the bandit that was climbing the stairs behind the hyena-vulture.

Linzi continues to concentrate on evading the trio of hyenavultures. "Sval! Help me!" She yells desperately. On the other side of the killbox, Amiri sees the bandits coming up behind Brimblebread and charges to the goblin's aid with a mighty roar! Her enormous blade flashes twice, beating the closest assailant back.

Xan sees Sval leap to the defense of the bard, it was the right thing to do but he knew he was alone now. A sense overwhelmed him and he thrust out a hand, summoning by pure instinct a glowing barrier of force, a split second layer an arrow struck it and shattered, one which had been reaching for the centre of his chest.  With a sigh he turned back towards the beast Sval and he had been fighting throwing the spear into it again, making flinch in real pain. They were too close and the aasimar could see another bandit moving up behind the hyenavulture. Pushing himself hard he reached out with two hands, eaxh of which produced a mote of fire, his aim was true, both hit their targets, the creature collapsing due to the wounds it has sustained, losing an eye and suffering horrible burns, the bandit being singed by the blast without any real harm being done. "Well then, let's see what you've got." He muttered as he waited for their attack to continue.

Jerry recoils from the attack, cowering as he pulls away from his former comrade on the walls. Dimitrios, on the other hand, raises his crossbow, loosing a bolt at the invader! The shot flies wide, but Dimi narrows his eyes and immediately loads another. Valerie turns from her watch behind the cart, moving around Amiri to join the barbarian in relieving Brimblebread. Her sword strikes true, drawing blood from the bandit. Melanthios's action.

Melanthios flutters back up into the sky momentarily and turns back to the nasty melee he had just escaped from. There is a break in his song as he creates a painfully high note inside the mind of one of the hyenavultures. The creature winces, but is so occupied with attempting to devour Linzi that it shrugs the pain away. 

Brim barely had any time to wallow in her shame before the raiders stormed through the area and over towards her, led by a fierce-looking man brandishing sharpened steel. She had just enough time to raise the crook over her head, it's magically-enhanced timber catching the brunt of his blade. With the rest of the men approaching to her right and Valerie and Amirir beside her, she shoved forward with the crook towards the leader. Finding purchase with her crook, she felt a surge of renewed confidence, only to realize she'd struck true to the thickest section of his armor, leaving him looking quite unfazed. She reached out once more, striking him right between where the shoulder armor met his gorget. A burst of radiant light exploded off of the spot, reflecting in the semi-gleaming armor.  She took no time to take any sort of joy in the hit, as she'd barely made contact with him than she had bolted away from the group as quickly as her little legs could carry her, over to the small raised stairs and parapet overlooking the choke point they had erected.

Petros, hearing a yelp from their new goblin friend looks away from Linzi--seeing Sval going to her aid--and towards a group of onrushing bandits who had made their way over the wall and ran into Valerie and Amiri.  Oh, seven-on-two.  That's is not going to go as well for them as they think, he thinks to himself.  Let's at least make it a singed seven-on-three.   With that, he leaps into action, jabbing his sword into the ground and jumps, slapping his hand on the upturned cart as he arcs over the corner closest to him and immediately drops, ducking under Amiri's heavy blade and squeezing between her and the rest of the cart.  Fanning his hands out he yells "Fotia!" as fire leaps from this fingertips and arcs out across five of the seven men.  Petros isn't sure which is worse: the smell or the screams.  Either way, as the men try to shield themselves from the flames, Petros takes a few quick steps backwards, saying to Amiri as he goes, "All yours, luv," and rolls past the corner of the cart, snatching his sword back out of the ground.   

Three men run screaming from Petros's flames, their skin blistering horribly under the intense heat. Two don't get much further than ten paces before they collapse from shock and blood loss. Another retreats towards Oleg's home, stopping by the tables to bind his wound. Those who escaped the worst of the flames circle Valerie, striking at the armoured warrior from several directions, but of six blows only one can touch the Appolitan knight, easily repelled by her heavy armour. Her blonde hair dances in the wind as she twists and turns between her foes. Those men still near the gate retreat back around the upside, following their comrades in using the horses to mount the walls. Meanwhile, the hyenavultures surrounding Linzi savage the halfling mercilessly, but her small size and quick wits keep her from serious harm, although the fight is clearly wearing at her. The archers outside the trading post continue to harry Xan up on the ramparts. His cover protects him from two shots, but one nicks his shoulder. Xan takes 4 piercing damage to vigour -> 27/26 Vigour On the walls, Sval finds himself under attack as rapid sword strikes engage him from both sides, but his chainmail protects him from real harm. Sval takes 24 slashing damage to vigour, reduced to 3 by DR -> 34/32 Vigour Down by the gates, two men remain trapped by the flames. One pulls himself up out of the pit with a grunt of exertion, barely holding his ground when Aleixo tries to knock him back in. The other struggles in vain to mount the spiked barricade, taking a deep wound to his stomach before collapsing from blood loss.

Seeing Linzi in mortal peril Azul shouts "We are coming Linzi" He then drops his spear and unsheathes his saber slashing at the man ruthlessly. Sofia flies down low blinding the man with her feathers giving him the perfect opening to lash out with his shield twice. The first hit steals the man's balance the second breaks his leg. Azul then nods to Aleixo and crouches below his shield, holding it above his head like a platform. Hoping that they can get to Linzi in time.

Seizing the opportunity, Aleixo leaps with all his strength, landing on the offered shield and springing up onto the platform, landing shield first into the the bandit stood there, he flings him from the wall with his momentum. turning quickly he strikes hard at the nearby hyenavulture, throwing it forwards too, unfortunately he had not accounted for Linzi stood behind it as she was, the momentum of the beast carries into her, knocking her from the parapet. He quickly hurries over to check she is ok, luckily she has caught onto the ledge. He stands protectively over her. "Apologies, sometimes I do not know my own strength." Reaching down, he raises the halfling effortlessly onto his back as he guards against the Hyena vulture limbing onto the pallisade beneath them. 

Sval nods to Aleixo as he sees the centurion pull Linzi to safety, and then whirls on the bandit on the stairs. He knocks his opponent's blade aside and nearly decapitates him, but the bandit ducks under the blow. Sval's keen eyes catch small lengths of hair that his sword severed from the bandit's head. You won't be so lucky next time.

Linzi squeals as the hyenavulture barrels her over the edge, just barely managing to cling on for dear life. "Thank you Aleixo!" The halfling exclaims, still concentrating on evading the wild beasts. Meanwhile, Amiri's frenzied roars echo about the entire trading post. She kicks Hamon back and her enormous sword clangs off the man's half-plate. Xan's action.

Xan hurls the ethereal spear again at the bandit near Sval, hoping to protect his friend, the blow misses him by a fraction and the healer curses strongly. Bringing forth fire to each of his hands his launches them out, one striking the bandit squarely causing a cry of pain, the other singeing one of the remaining hyenavulture near Aleixo and the little bard, Linzi. Xan doesnt wait for another volley of arrows and instead darts towards the stairs getting down low enough that the enemy wouldn't be able to see him from outside.

Jerry finally gathers his wits and raises his own weapon as Dimi reloads his crossbow. They train their weapons on the invader duelling Sval on the walls and each loose a bolt with deadly precision. The first penetrates the man's leather armour, striking a deep wound in his chest. The second takes him in the eye, sending the bandit crumpling to the ground. Meanwhile Valerie concentrates her efforts on Hamon, but the skilled warrior is too fast for her and dodges the knight's blade. Melanthios's action.

Melanthios soars up to the rooftop to gain a better vantage. Once again there is a break in his rhythm as he creates an ear curdling noise within Hammon's mind, but the bandit shrugs it off.

One of the fleeing bandits slumps to the ground as he succumbs to his wounds, while another pulls out a bottle of some kind and downs the murky looking mixture within. Meanwhile, Hamon rounds on Amiri with a series of brutal strikes, driving into the barbarian with his shield, before following up with an underhanded thrust that passes her guard and draws blood from a deep wound to her belly. Seeing Hamon surrounded and worn ragged, another of the bandits approaches from behind the man, hefting sizeable axe in his hands. He locks eyes with Petros for a moment and then brings the weapon crashing down on Hamon's armoured back. Upon seeing this three other bandits move in to surround their former leader, hacking and slashing at him from all sides. "Traitors, all of you! What are you doing- aaargh!" Hamon screams as an axe carves a gash in his face. Up on the walls, the hyenavultures swarm around Aleixo. Tooth and claw harry him from all sides, but, for a time nothing penetrates the Hellenian warrior's thick armour. Nevertheless, eventually one of the monstrous beasts gets lucky and jagged claws find an opening in the splinted mail, drawing blood from Aleixo's side. Aleixo takes 30 damage to vigour, reduced to 6 and 2 wounds by DR -> 41/47 Vigour, 17/19 Wounds, 2 Bleed Seeing the tide of battle turn against them, the archers outside the walls mount the horses, along with one escaped warrior, and bolt to the north as fast as they can spur the beasts on.

Petros dodges back into the fray managing to double-step in a way to throw off Hamon's defenses and land a glancing slice with his sword on Hamon's shoulder, although his stilleto is stopped short by the thick armor.  Unfortunately, Hamon rightly sees Amiri as the true threat, and concentrates on her.  Petros attempts to shout a warning as he sees the upward thrust coming, but he is too late.  Something inside his chest twists as he sees the blade dig into her stomach.  "No!"  he shouts just as Hamon's men converge, pulling his concentration away to defend himself.  But, as he locks eyes with the nearest brigand, the man turns on his leader.  They quickly cut him down, and all Petros can think of is ending this fight as quickly as possible so he can get to Amiri.

Seeing the Hyena Vultures surrounding the Aleixo and Linzi, Azul bounds up the ladder grabbing his spear as he runs. Seeing the beast after he climbs he leaps up lashing out with his spear stabbing the beast deeply and then moving in closer and bashing the the monster with his shield shattering some of it's teeth and hitting it so hard it's brain audibly rattles. Seeing the beast fall he turns to the next and smashes into it with his shield. 

Catching his breath, Aleixo strikes out twice with his shield. Trying to force the creature in front of him back, he succeeds in hitting it heavily, but it remains where it is.

Sval drops his sword and draws his bow. The bandit leader was still standing. He takes aim at the gap in the brute's armor -- right below his armpit -- and draws power from the cold pit in his chest. The arrow knocked on the string grows barbs and small bramble-like growths. He let the shaft fly and it embeds itself in the bandit's meaty arm. The brambles begin to thicken and grow, attempting to ensnare the bandit, but he easily breaks away.

Linzi clings on for dear life to Aleixo's back as he fights. Meanwhile, down in Orion's yard Amiri sees red, truly frenzied after taking Hamon's blade to her gut. Raising her enormous blade above her head, the barbarian brings it down from above in a massive overhand swing that severs the man's sword arm at the shoulder. Hamon's screams take on a new pitch as he collapses in shock, but Amiri isn't done. Lost in her frenzy she hacks at the fallen man with her huge blade until there is little left to recognise. Xan's action.

The tide had well and truly turned but the danger hadn't yet passed. Xan saw Sval and Alexio on the wall with the last hyenavulture preparing to attack again. Running back towards them he draws the diamond from his pocket and holds it out splitting the flaming energy into two fist sized balls of fire which he launches at the creatures, one misses the further creature by inches, flying off beyond the fort entirely but the other orb smacks squarely into the chest of the closer monster. It drops down, burning horribly, dying but it still isn't quite dead, Xan studlnned at the resilience of the creature skids to a stop up on the tower, hoping his friends will be able to quickly dispatch the other beast.

Seeing their former comrades turn on Hamon, Dimi and Jerry back away from the barricade, hurrying up around the back of the stables. Meanwhile, out in the yard, Valerie levels her blade at the nearest of the turncoats. "Drop your weapons now if you ever want to hold them again," she barks.

The battle having come to a resoundingly surprising - if not wholly welcome - resolution, Brim looks around at the bandits who'd raised arms against their own leader and practically began to vibrate with giddiness.  "You all did so well! I'm so proud of each and ev'y one of you! It's not an easy path but you'll see that it was the right one!" She hops up into the air a bit at the end, pumping the crook up over her head. 

Petros sees more blood oozing out of Amiri's stomach wound as she frenetically chops at Hamon's corpse.  She doesn't know she hurting herself worse.  Have to help her.   Petros drops his weapons as he rushes up to Amiri, placing his right hand on her bare stomach, his left hand cupping the back of her head, and channels warm energy into her that begins to knit her wound together.  Looking into her eyes trying to get her attention to calm her down so that she stops tearing open her wound, he says, "Amiri, I..."  As she looks back, eyes much calmer than he expected, discomfort grips him and he pulls his hands back as though they were gripping a hot stove and takes a step back. "I, uh, sorry.  Are you ok?"    Why did I just freak out?  Gods know it's not like I haven't touched a woman before. "Uh.  Nice work there,"  he says, nodding his head towards the bloody, pulpy mess on the ground.  "Well, I, uh, better check on the others."

Its packmates fallen, the remaining hyenavulture flees into the savannah. Out in the yard of Orion's trading post, the remaining bandits throw down their weapons with a clatter and surrender to Valerie.

Petros turns to Valerie, saying "Good work, Valerie.  Please take these men over there and guard them.  We will talk with them one at a time." Turning to Brim, he continues, "Brim, I presume you would like to extend our offer to these men?  That is fine, but please take Azul with you when you talk with them individually, and please first check with Orion and see if he has anything to say about any particular man here."  Turning and raising his voice to Azul, Petros shouts "Azul, once Sophia has given you the all-clear, would you please accompany Brimblebread to talk with Orion and then with Valerie's prisoners?"  Turning back and lowering his voice to a normal level again, he addresses the closest prisoner.   "Where is Krysten?"

Up on the ramparts Aleixo thrusts his spear into the hyena vulture, cutting off its escape. Beside him Azul lands the killing blow finishing the beast. "We do make a good team. I am glad once again to have faught beside you. I am sorry that something almost came between us." He takes the dragonborn's arm firmly in a warrior grip. It is at this point he hears Petros calling up. "God's have mercy. Is he doing it again. I swear he wishes to wear down my good nature. Promise me you do not intend to punish these men further Azul, that I may not have this argument now?" 

Sval picks up his sword and wipes the remaining acid from the blade and then sheaths it at his back. He does a quick scan to see if anyone is injured. AS he passes by where Xan was standing, he says,  "You okay, old man? Sorry for leaving you to fend for yourself." 

As Aleixo's spear flies out Azul jumps forward slashing with his sword first cutting deeply along the animals hide and then twisting to the side bringing the edge of his shield smashing down on the hyenavulture's head. Seeing the rest of the bandit's surrender Azul takes a deep breath and flicks the blood off his blade and sheathes it in one quick motion. Hearing the Hellenian speak he turns with a genuine smile across his snout. Grasping Aleixo's arm he say "Do not mention it my friend. We fought well today and held the line, our shield wall is quite formidable." Azul's smile fades as Petros calls up to the Dragonborn and Aleixo asks for his promise.  His amethyst eyes narrowing as he thinks on the situation. He begins speaking his gravelly Hellenic tinted with a thoughtful almost tired tone  "I do not wish to bring discord to our group. Nor do I wish to rehash our argument, my thoughts have not changed. To me redemption at sword point is still a fools errand, these men would have gladly ended our lives today. If their own weakness did not stop them from doing so."  The Dragonborn sighs as he kneels down to pick up his spear, he pauses and begins speaking again but coldly almost academic in nature  "But their fate seems to be of great importance to you and the rest of our friends. So I give you my word, the traitors will not face any additional punishment at my hand. But why you care so much for the fate of these cowards whose allegiance sways like a flickering flame is beyond me." He then heads down the steps to the fort's floor, looking back as he descend he begins speaking again in a kinder tone "You and the rest have become like a new clan to me. Our unity is more important than any notion of justice. Look at what we accomplished today my friend, if we continue like this our names will be etched in the world's histories for eternity." Moving towards the prisoners he speaks in draconic to Sofia "stay in the skies old friend, I worry that this was just their first thrust." As the owl flies off Azul walks towards the turncoats. 

"And that is why I care Azul!" He calls out after him as he walks. "What we do here matters. It will be sung and written as an example to others, I only ask that they may learn as we all did, by atoning with our actions, that is what I would have written of me!"

"She went north to Capricornus," the man grunts back at Petros, idly kicking at Hamon's corpse. "She wants more men."

" I'm fine, Sval, thank you though. You did the right thing in going to help down there, the halfling might have died otherwise. We can heal them up but we are a long way from bringing them back from the dead ." Xan looks out over the battlefield,the corpses of the hyenavulture and the dead body of Hamon and beyond them the clutch of prisoners. " Dare I say it, this could hardly have gone better. We all survived,almost without injury and they were soundly defeated ." His eyes focus on Aleixo and Azul as they speak. " Why do I feel the greatest challenge will be from ourselves?" They will need us to be cool heads now Sval, this is a time for measured celebration, not squabbling."