Samnell
Explorer
XI-Stupid. Just Stupid.
Wherein our hero is reassured he was right about humans all along.
Meepo was trying not to laugh. The whelp had just shown himself so monumentally stupid even the humans had to recognize it. They were humans, but there had to be some level beyond which even they would see stupidity, and this must be it. Not only had the mad child killed himself, which was always welcome, but he'd done it in one of the most amusing ways possible.
Meepo spent a silent moment in prayer, beseeching Kurtulmak to send rats to tear at the Jaryth's corpse and pluck out his juicy eyes. Eyes were the best part of humans, they tasted so much better than any part of a goblin. Meepo would miss eating Jaryth's, but he'd rather not risk catching whatever insanity had possessed the boy. Sun- loving human gods could hide their filth in anything. The thought of it sent shivers down Meepo's spine.
Then Burble took leave of his senses and went rushing down the rope into the ravine. With a sigh, Meepo followed. No good would come of this. "Well I see your powers did not work as you thought lad. Silly bugger. Hold still and I will get you up and able to move at least. Next time, just climb down you idjut," Burble lectured as he called on his god to mend Jaryth's wounds.
Meepo had no idea why Burble wanted to save the mad child, which only worried him more. Despite showing himself to be as bright as before, had Meepo's halfling friend been infected by Thurston's god after all. If he had, what about Meepo? There was a lot of blood in that room. It was everywhere. Meepo's stomach lurched as he remembered licking clean his spear.
"So you willing to heal the lad some more If needed or you still staying quiet? I am down to one heal now," Burble looked up into the light at the Worthless Dung Druid. "Come on, we do not have all day you know," he bid the others come down.
This was not good. Burble sounded almost eager to go back into the ravine and put his life at risk once more. That was the kind of stupidity Meepo usually associated with Jaryth, Rowland, Lorn, and the Worthless Druid.
Jaryth stood in the wake of Burble's healing and faced him with that wild, empty look in his eyes once more. Meepo began to consider climbing back up into the sun. Suicidal mad human whelps seemed more of a cause of worry for the moment than the infernal sun up above.
"Thank you Burble. Did offer to heal Thurston too, right before you gave him the killing blow? Or did you have your pet kobold do it while you busy knocking me out?" the whelp asked acidly. Meepo's hand darted to the hilt of his sword. Damn the humans, if the boy went mad now his shrieking could bring rats and worse down on innocent kobolds and halflings alike.
"Burble make nice Jaryth. Stupid boy jump off cliff make nice Burble. Burble make nice Meepo. Meepo make nice Burble. Burble make nice Jaryth. Jaryth make nice Burble." Meepo retorted, his anger overcoming his reason for a moment. He instantly regretted it. Reasoning with the whelp might just push him further out of his mind, or whatever it was humans kept in their brains… however little that might be.
"Did you make nice Thurston when you put a hole in his chest and forehead? Or, were you the one who slammed me on the head, so I wouldn't hear you?" Jaryth asked, hissing almost like a kobold might. That didn't bode well either. Had the whelp's fall knocked some sense into him?
Meepo's eyes flashed in the darkness as he replied, "Stupid Warrior not make nice Meepo. Meepo let live. Meepo make nicer than Stupid Warrior." That wasn't exactly a lie, Meepo and Burble had killed Thurston. It was a far quicker and more humane fate than the holy warrior clearly intended for them; sun-blinded god-kissers as empty- brained as humans.
"So. You didn't kill him. Then you must be the one who hit my head. That hurt. A lot." Meepo wondered how Jaryth expected it to feel, and regretted that Burble had hit the boy instead of him.
"Meepo not hit head. Meepo guard camp. Meepo bounder." Meepo borrowed the title of the guards of his clan. He might as well get some use out of them.
"Did Burble tell you to say that? You do know, don't you that we can't ever go back to that town. If we need supplies, we'll have to get them from the kobolds or the goblins, or do without. No more healing. No more comfy beds. Nothing. We step in the town, and they'll kill us, all of us. Them. You. Me. Burble. All of us." That was a sacrifice Meepo was willing to accept. Thurston's death was well worth it.
"Thanks my friend and just ignore his bleating tongue. From now on he is a brat kid who cannot seem to show thanks for a friend who was watching out for him. Let him carry on all he wants. He just will not get no more healing. He can accuse, rant, and carry on like an idiot, and attract all the rats. Maybe he will learn that some would have tried to aid him, but he does not appreciate that. Just stay away from him, as I doubt we can trust him now that he thinks we are an enemy." Burble said consolingly.
To Jaryth Burble shook his head. "I said before, if you want go have something out, we should have handled it above. Now we have rats and other crap around. You going to rant here, or will you at least hold off till we can get to a safe spot? If you hate me for what happened to Thurston, your sadly mistaken, but I guess you will never see it that way. Seek your friends elsewhere, but for now, I suggest you keep your yap shut unless you want the rats chewing on your carcass like Syl's." Meepo had no idea who Syl was, but she sounded like a good enough example for Jaryth to follow. Human whelps needed more rat-eaten role-models to guide them to their deaths. The world would be a better place if they had them.
"You don't feel any remorse do you? I suppose you'll kill me next, and blame it on the rats. Because I don't like you or your god." Meepo had to admit Jaryth had a good idea there.
"You destroyed the only thing i cared about, Burble. I hope you're happy. You killed my only friend. Enjoy your fascist kobold dictator, Burble. You two are perfect for each other. He wants to kill his brethren for power, you want to kill anyone who stands in your way." Madness was sharpening Jaryth's perceptions. Meepo would have to do something about that.
"And it is you, then, Burble, who killed my friend. You said it was a favor that he was dead. To who? Obviously, not to me, I liked him. I wouldn't want him dead. Did you get mad because he said your goddess was a lie-spreading evil blight to the world?" Jaryth shrugged.
"Isn't she? She's the goddess of deceit and thieves, Burble. She's not really for truth, justice, and the Oeridian way, y'know. She's more for greed, chaos, and lies." More stupid human god nonsense.
Kurtulmak, Meepo do anything. Just send rats to eat whelp's eyes? Meepo make nice…
"So you want to take that tone? You want to blame me and Meepo for this? Well so be it then kid. From now on you can get all your healing for Embrill. I will not take your insults when I have tried to aid you in the ways that I can. Meepo is a friend and no pet you idiot. Piss off for all I care then." Burble said indignantly. Meepo hoped that was a sign he was still free of Jaryth's sickness. The halfling readied his bow.
"It's the truth. I came in and told you what happened and asked who did it. YOU grabbed your dagger and stepped away from me. Why?" Jaryth looked intently at Burble.
"Did you think that I thought you were guilty? Did you think that I had found you out? I KNEW you did it, I just needed proof. That was it. You grabbed your dagger. YOU were going to attack me, to protect your secret. No one else did. Everyone else said how they had been helped by Thurston or how they were here all night long. You behaved in a threatening manner." Jaryth was rambling, but his rambling was far too accurate for Meepo's taste. He definitely needed to do something about this.
"You have no remorse. Why didn't you wait? At least until I was out of sight? I wouldn't have had to wake up to that. If you had any kindness in you, any soft spot for me, you would've granted me that one mercy. But you didn't you killed him and then took everything that was on him. You bastard.”
“We can't even go back to that town now. They'll kill us, as soon as they see who we are, they'll kill us. We have to go to the kobolds now for our supplies, unless you wanna traipse around the countryside for another damned town." Jaryth was beginning to ramble now. That might undercut his credibility with the others if they heard. Meepo could see ways to exploit that.
Burble had had enough. "I would ask you to show me a little respect. My GOD is a man kid, and as for being a liar all depends on how you see it. A thief, well he IS called the Laughing Rogue. Truth? That is very suggestive. Justice? Ain't no such thing kiddo, just what you can make for yourself in the world. The Oeridian Way? Kid, look at me? Do I look human? And not every one is of your race. Olidammara looks out for his worshippers and we pay him back with smiles and worship. If you do not want a god, so be it. That is your choice, but I suggest you not fault me for mine. It was through my god you got healed. You want to spite him, well you go right ahead, but you will get no healing or aid from me." Meepo could question Olidammara's judgement in healing Jaryth, but at least he hadn't driven Burble mad.
“You liked Thurston? Well your loss, but I will tell you straight, I ain't sorry he got offed and he is a headache I am glad to be rid of. You want to seek more like him, then take the horse and ride for the Pale. There you can have an entire country just like his sanctimonious ass.You wont get it from me. I have been truthful from the start how I felt about him and if you want to hold that against me, your loss indeed."
"Meepo say truth. Burble say truth. Jaryth not believe. Meepo and Burble make nice Jaryth. Jaryth not believe. Meepo even want share goblin with Jaryth. Jaryth not believe." Meepo shook his head and pretended he had no idea what was wrong with Jaryth. He needed to build credibility with the other humans who could surely hear this from up above.
"Why can't you admit it? You f***ing killed him and you can't admit!" Jaryth began to climb back up the ravine, using the handholds near the rope.
"I hope you enjoy the kobolds, Burble. As for your god: It is your loss. You placate a being who cares NOTHING for you. The gods are simply parasites, they feed off your worship, and give you nothing in return."
Jaryth continued climbing. "Forget it, this is pointless, you don't care about me, I don't care about you. You don't care about anything but yourself. You keep your friends because they please you. Not because you ant to help them, but because they are your servants, or they make you happy. Embrill's right, you should just leave. No one likes you anyways." Of course the whelp neglected to mention that Meepo liked Burble. The boy really should show more appreciation. Meepo and Burble saved him from life with Thurston.
"Olidammara make nice Jaryth. Jaryth not make nice him." Meepo observed, once more feigning sorrow for those above. This would be a perfect opportunity to exploit human stupidity and gain sympathy amongst the anti- Burbleites.
"You can think what you like Jaryth. I refuse to get in with it with you here. You want to accuse me above, then do so, But right now we got rats about and I suggest you hold on top your hatred or ill will till later, unless you want to fight it out with them damned rodents. As for the dagger, hey, your the one that came riding in hell bent in anger and accused ME of killing Thurston, so what was I supposed to do, just stand there when you might try to kill me. Sorry to disappoint you lad, but that is life and you best watch out for yourself first and foremost. If I wanted to attack you, trust me, you would be dead already." Burble said defiantly, though he carefully pitched his voice so it wouldn't carry too far and alert any rats about.
"I didn't accuse you, Burble. You put that there yourself. You and your guilty conscience." Meepo had no idea what Jaryth's final word meant. Humans had too many stupid words that didn't make any sense.
"Jaryth lie. Meepo liked Jaryth. Meepo made nice Jaryth. Meepo not make nice Jaryth now. Jaryth not make nice Burble. Meepo not make nice Jaryth. Meepo not make nice until Jaryth make nice Burble." Meepo said angrily. "Burble make nice and make nice more Jaryth and Jaryth not believe Burble. Jaryth stupid." Meepo firmly stated his position. There, let the humans align themselves around that.
"Meepo, do you EVER think for yourself? Or do you let Burble do it all for you?" Jaryth yelled from the wall. He was doing a lot of talking and not much climbing.
"I take no chances when I can help it Jaryth and you have been ranting at me for a lot here. I aided you and you spat on me for it, so I cannot trust you, now can I? You got your powers of your mind, and I have no inclination what you may be capable at. Plus you might try to get others to join you. I know Embrill would jump at a chance to kill me, so sorry, I will watch myself all I can, thanks all the same." That was good. Burble reminded the others of Jaryth's abilities.
"I have said what I will. I leave you now to your hatred. Talk to me later when you have something calmer to say, and best, away from the rats." Burble dismissed Jaryth. He motioned for Meepo to join him by the stairs leading down into the ravine.
"YOU can't trust ME?!" Jaryth laughed incredulously as he climbed higher up the cliffside. "You're the psychotic, and you can't trust me?! That's rich! It's so funny! It is to laugh! Har har!"
Rowland called down quietly, "Um guys... you do remember the rats, don't you?" It must be the Dragonblood. Only that could explain Rowland's occasional attacks of thought.
"Meepo watch." Meepo only needed look for a moment into the darkness. "Meepo see rats! Rats coming up stairs! Rats come from next landing!"
It was typical. Kurtulmak still hated Meepo. The whelp he wanted the rats to eat was halfway up the wall and Meepo was still down below with Burble.
Rats rushed up the broken stairway from the darkness. They burst into the reach of Burble's torch moments after Meepo's warning. Up above, Bryant spotted the closest Rat to Burble and Meepo, just up on the last flight of stairs and sends an arrow after it. The rat took the shaft in the back but kept coming, trailing blood. At least one of the humans had done something useful.
Another rat rushed up past the last, thick tail dragging on the floor as it scampered up and lunged at Burble over the side of the stairway. The rat's diseased jaws clenched shut on Burble's calf and tore out a great chunk of flesh as the rat's weight pulled it free. Burble screamed in agony as his calf muscles were torn in half. Blood showered the landing and stairs. Meepo cried out "Burble!" as he tore at the hilt of his sword.
Burble fell back next to Meepo and felled a rat, but another came rushing up in front of Burble and menaced him even as his wounded leg makes it painful to even think of moving back further. Streaks of light and crossbow bolts rained down from above. Meepo hoped none of the humans were stupid enough to hit him or Burble.
A rat came rushing forward, neatly scurrying around Meepo and getting behind him before the kobold could react. Meepo screamed out curses at his predicament.
Jaryth climbed back down and drew his dagger as Embrill reached the bottom of the rope. The worthless druid was fast…Meepo hoped he was rushing to his death. Then, it happened. Meepo heard a screaming above and looked up and back just in time to see Lorn's huge, armor clad form slip from the rope and fall through the air. The fallen paladin cried out as he fell.
Crying out in shock and terror, Lorn fell into the ravine. His desperate attempts to catch the rope or the handholds in the wall were doomed to failure. With a clanging crash Lorn landed hard on the Worthless Druid, driving both to the ground hard. Embrill hit hard enough that his head rebounded with a crack. Embrill vomited blood in Lorn's face and teeth clattered against the fallen fallen paladin's breastplate. Lorn's knee was buried deep in Embrill's back.
Meepo couldn't help himself, as he drew out his sword he was swept up in gales of yapping laughter. One stupid human had just killed another with his stupidity at rushing down the rope like a madman. Kurtulmak liked Meepo after all.
Wherein our hero is reassured he was right about humans all along.
Meepo was trying not to laugh. The whelp had just shown himself so monumentally stupid even the humans had to recognize it. They were humans, but there had to be some level beyond which even they would see stupidity, and this must be it. Not only had the mad child killed himself, which was always welcome, but he'd done it in one of the most amusing ways possible.
Meepo spent a silent moment in prayer, beseeching Kurtulmak to send rats to tear at the Jaryth's corpse and pluck out his juicy eyes. Eyes were the best part of humans, they tasted so much better than any part of a goblin. Meepo would miss eating Jaryth's, but he'd rather not risk catching whatever insanity had possessed the boy. Sun- loving human gods could hide their filth in anything. The thought of it sent shivers down Meepo's spine.
Then Burble took leave of his senses and went rushing down the rope into the ravine. With a sigh, Meepo followed. No good would come of this. "Well I see your powers did not work as you thought lad. Silly bugger. Hold still and I will get you up and able to move at least. Next time, just climb down you idjut," Burble lectured as he called on his god to mend Jaryth's wounds.
Meepo had no idea why Burble wanted to save the mad child, which only worried him more. Despite showing himself to be as bright as before, had Meepo's halfling friend been infected by Thurston's god after all. If he had, what about Meepo? There was a lot of blood in that room. It was everywhere. Meepo's stomach lurched as he remembered licking clean his spear.
"So you willing to heal the lad some more If needed or you still staying quiet? I am down to one heal now," Burble looked up into the light at the Worthless Dung Druid. "Come on, we do not have all day you know," he bid the others come down.
This was not good. Burble sounded almost eager to go back into the ravine and put his life at risk once more. That was the kind of stupidity Meepo usually associated with Jaryth, Rowland, Lorn, and the Worthless Druid.
Jaryth stood in the wake of Burble's healing and faced him with that wild, empty look in his eyes once more. Meepo began to consider climbing back up into the sun. Suicidal mad human whelps seemed more of a cause of worry for the moment than the infernal sun up above.
"Thank you Burble. Did offer to heal Thurston too, right before you gave him the killing blow? Or did you have your pet kobold do it while you busy knocking me out?" the whelp asked acidly. Meepo's hand darted to the hilt of his sword. Damn the humans, if the boy went mad now his shrieking could bring rats and worse down on innocent kobolds and halflings alike.
"Burble make nice Jaryth. Stupid boy jump off cliff make nice Burble. Burble make nice Meepo. Meepo make nice Burble. Burble make nice Jaryth. Jaryth make nice Burble." Meepo retorted, his anger overcoming his reason for a moment. He instantly regretted it. Reasoning with the whelp might just push him further out of his mind, or whatever it was humans kept in their brains… however little that might be.
"Did you make nice Thurston when you put a hole in his chest and forehead? Or, were you the one who slammed me on the head, so I wouldn't hear you?" Jaryth asked, hissing almost like a kobold might. That didn't bode well either. Had the whelp's fall knocked some sense into him?
Meepo's eyes flashed in the darkness as he replied, "Stupid Warrior not make nice Meepo. Meepo let live. Meepo make nicer than Stupid Warrior." That wasn't exactly a lie, Meepo and Burble had killed Thurston. It was a far quicker and more humane fate than the holy warrior clearly intended for them; sun-blinded god-kissers as empty- brained as humans.
"So. You didn't kill him. Then you must be the one who hit my head. That hurt. A lot." Meepo wondered how Jaryth expected it to feel, and regretted that Burble had hit the boy instead of him.
"Meepo not hit head. Meepo guard camp. Meepo bounder." Meepo borrowed the title of the guards of his clan. He might as well get some use out of them.
"Did Burble tell you to say that? You do know, don't you that we can't ever go back to that town. If we need supplies, we'll have to get them from the kobolds or the goblins, or do without. No more healing. No more comfy beds. Nothing. We step in the town, and they'll kill us, all of us. Them. You. Me. Burble. All of us." That was a sacrifice Meepo was willing to accept. Thurston's death was well worth it.
"Thanks my friend and just ignore his bleating tongue. From now on he is a brat kid who cannot seem to show thanks for a friend who was watching out for him. Let him carry on all he wants. He just will not get no more healing. He can accuse, rant, and carry on like an idiot, and attract all the rats. Maybe he will learn that some would have tried to aid him, but he does not appreciate that. Just stay away from him, as I doubt we can trust him now that he thinks we are an enemy." Burble said consolingly.
To Jaryth Burble shook his head. "I said before, if you want go have something out, we should have handled it above. Now we have rats and other crap around. You going to rant here, or will you at least hold off till we can get to a safe spot? If you hate me for what happened to Thurston, your sadly mistaken, but I guess you will never see it that way. Seek your friends elsewhere, but for now, I suggest you keep your yap shut unless you want the rats chewing on your carcass like Syl's." Meepo had no idea who Syl was, but she sounded like a good enough example for Jaryth to follow. Human whelps needed more rat-eaten role-models to guide them to their deaths. The world would be a better place if they had them.
"You don't feel any remorse do you? I suppose you'll kill me next, and blame it on the rats. Because I don't like you or your god." Meepo had to admit Jaryth had a good idea there.
"You destroyed the only thing i cared about, Burble. I hope you're happy. You killed my only friend. Enjoy your fascist kobold dictator, Burble. You two are perfect for each other. He wants to kill his brethren for power, you want to kill anyone who stands in your way." Madness was sharpening Jaryth's perceptions. Meepo would have to do something about that.
"And it is you, then, Burble, who killed my friend. You said it was a favor that he was dead. To who? Obviously, not to me, I liked him. I wouldn't want him dead. Did you get mad because he said your goddess was a lie-spreading evil blight to the world?" Jaryth shrugged.
"Isn't she? She's the goddess of deceit and thieves, Burble. She's not really for truth, justice, and the Oeridian way, y'know. She's more for greed, chaos, and lies." More stupid human god nonsense.
Kurtulmak, Meepo do anything. Just send rats to eat whelp's eyes? Meepo make nice…
"So you want to take that tone? You want to blame me and Meepo for this? Well so be it then kid. From now on you can get all your healing for Embrill. I will not take your insults when I have tried to aid you in the ways that I can. Meepo is a friend and no pet you idiot. Piss off for all I care then." Burble said indignantly. Meepo hoped that was a sign he was still free of Jaryth's sickness. The halfling readied his bow.
"It's the truth. I came in and told you what happened and asked who did it. YOU grabbed your dagger and stepped away from me. Why?" Jaryth looked intently at Burble.
"Did you think that I thought you were guilty? Did you think that I had found you out? I KNEW you did it, I just needed proof. That was it. You grabbed your dagger. YOU were going to attack me, to protect your secret. No one else did. Everyone else said how they had been helped by Thurston or how they were here all night long. You behaved in a threatening manner." Jaryth was rambling, but his rambling was far too accurate for Meepo's taste. He definitely needed to do something about this.
"You have no remorse. Why didn't you wait? At least until I was out of sight? I wouldn't have had to wake up to that. If you had any kindness in you, any soft spot for me, you would've granted me that one mercy. But you didn't you killed him and then took everything that was on him. You bastard.”
“We can't even go back to that town now. They'll kill us, as soon as they see who we are, they'll kill us. We have to go to the kobolds now for our supplies, unless you wanna traipse around the countryside for another damned town." Jaryth was beginning to ramble now. That might undercut his credibility with the others if they heard. Meepo could see ways to exploit that.
Burble had had enough. "I would ask you to show me a little respect. My GOD is a man kid, and as for being a liar all depends on how you see it. A thief, well he IS called the Laughing Rogue. Truth? That is very suggestive. Justice? Ain't no such thing kiddo, just what you can make for yourself in the world. The Oeridian Way? Kid, look at me? Do I look human? And not every one is of your race. Olidammara looks out for his worshippers and we pay him back with smiles and worship. If you do not want a god, so be it. That is your choice, but I suggest you not fault me for mine. It was through my god you got healed. You want to spite him, well you go right ahead, but you will get no healing or aid from me." Meepo could question Olidammara's judgement in healing Jaryth, but at least he hadn't driven Burble mad.
“You liked Thurston? Well your loss, but I will tell you straight, I ain't sorry he got offed and he is a headache I am glad to be rid of. You want to seek more like him, then take the horse and ride for the Pale. There you can have an entire country just like his sanctimonious ass.You wont get it from me. I have been truthful from the start how I felt about him and if you want to hold that against me, your loss indeed."
"Meepo say truth. Burble say truth. Jaryth not believe. Meepo and Burble make nice Jaryth. Jaryth not believe. Meepo even want share goblin with Jaryth. Jaryth not believe." Meepo shook his head and pretended he had no idea what was wrong with Jaryth. He needed to build credibility with the other humans who could surely hear this from up above.
"Why can't you admit it? You f***ing killed him and you can't admit!" Jaryth began to climb back up the ravine, using the handholds near the rope.
"I hope you enjoy the kobolds, Burble. As for your god: It is your loss. You placate a being who cares NOTHING for you. The gods are simply parasites, they feed off your worship, and give you nothing in return."
Jaryth continued climbing. "Forget it, this is pointless, you don't care about me, I don't care about you. You don't care about anything but yourself. You keep your friends because they please you. Not because you ant to help them, but because they are your servants, or they make you happy. Embrill's right, you should just leave. No one likes you anyways." Of course the whelp neglected to mention that Meepo liked Burble. The boy really should show more appreciation. Meepo and Burble saved him from life with Thurston.
"Olidammara make nice Jaryth. Jaryth not make nice him." Meepo observed, once more feigning sorrow for those above. This would be a perfect opportunity to exploit human stupidity and gain sympathy amongst the anti- Burbleites.
"You can think what you like Jaryth. I refuse to get in with it with you here. You want to accuse me above, then do so, But right now we got rats about and I suggest you hold on top your hatred or ill will till later, unless you want to fight it out with them damned rodents. As for the dagger, hey, your the one that came riding in hell bent in anger and accused ME of killing Thurston, so what was I supposed to do, just stand there when you might try to kill me. Sorry to disappoint you lad, but that is life and you best watch out for yourself first and foremost. If I wanted to attack you, trust me, you would be dead already." Burble said defiantly, though he carefully pitched his voice so it wouldn't carry too far and alert any rats about.
"I didn't accuse you, Burble. You put that there yourself. You and your guilty conscience." Meepo had no idea what Jaryth's final word meant. Humans had too many stupid words that didn't make any sense.
"Jaryth lie. Meepo liked Jaryth. Meepo made nice Jaryth. Meepo not make nice Jaryth now. Jaryth not make nice Burble. Meepo not make nice Jaryth. Meepo not make nice until Jaryth make nice Burble." Meepo said angrily. "Burble make nice and make nice more Jaryth and Jaryth not believe Burble. Jaryth stupid." Meepo firmly stated his position. There, let the humans align themselves around that.
"Meepo, do you EVER think for yourself? Or do you let Burble do it all for you?" Jaryth yelled from the wall. He was doing a lot of talking and not much climbing.
"I take no chances when I can help it Jaryth and you have been ranting at me for a lot here. I aided you and you spat on me for it, so I cannot trust you, now can I? You got your powers of your mind, and I have no inclination what you may be capable at. Plus you might try to get others to join you. I know Embrill would jump at a chance to kill me, so sorry, I will watch myself all I can, thanks all the same." That was good. Burble reminded the others of Jaryth's abilities.
"I have said what I will. I leave you now to your hatred. Talk to me later when you have something calmer to say, and best, away from the rats." Burble dismissed Jaryth. He motioned for Meepo to join him by the stairs leading down into the ravine.
"YOU can't trust ME?!" Jaryth laughed incredulously as he climbed higher up the cliffside. "You're the psychotic, and you can't trust me?! That's rich! It's so funny! It is to laugh! Har har!"
Rowland called down quietly, "Um guys... you do remember the rats, don't you?" It must be the Dragonblood. Only that could explain Rowland's occasional attacks of thought.
"Meepo watch." Meepo only needed look for a moment into the darkness. "Meepo see rats! Rats coming up stairs! Rats come from next landing!"
It was typical. Kurtulmak still hated Meepo. The whelp he wanted the rats to eat was halfway up the wall and Meepo was still down below with Burble.
Rats rushed up the broken stairway from the darkness. They burst into the reach of Burble's torch moments after Meepo's warning. Up above, Bryant spotted the closest Rat to Burble and Meepo, just up on the last flight of stairs and sends an arrow after it. The rat took the shaft in the back but kept coming, trailing blood. At least one of the humans had done something useful.
Another rat rushed up past the last, thick tail dragging on the floor as it scampered up and lunged at Burble over the side of the stairway. The rat's diseased jaws clenched shut on Burble's calf and tore out a great chunk of flesh as the rat's weight pulled it free. Burble screamed in agony as his calf muscles were torn in half. Blood showered the landing and stairs. Meepo cried out "Burble!" as he tore at the hilt of his sword.
Burble fell back next to Meepo and felled a rat, but another came rushing up in front of Burble and menaced him even as his wounded leg makes it painful to even think of moving back further. Streaks of light and crossbow bolts rained down from above. Meepo hoped none of the humans were stupid enough to hit him or Burble.
A rat came rushing forward, neatly scurrying around Meepo and getting behind him before the kobold could react. Meepo screamed out curses at his predicament.
Jaryth climbed back down and drew his dagger as Embrill reached the bottom of the rope. The worthless druid was fast…Meepo hoped he was rushing to his death. Then, it happened. Meepo heard a screaming above and looked up and back just in time to see Lorn's huge, armor clad form slip from the rope and fall through the air. The fallen paladin cried out as he fell.
Crying out in shock and terror, Lorn fell into the ravine. His desperate attempts to catch the rope or the handholds in the wall were doomed to failure. With a clanging crash Lorn landed hard on the Worthless Druid, driving both to the ground hard. Embrill hit hard enough that his head rebounded with a crack. Embrill vomited blood in Lorn's face and teeth clattered against the fallen fallen paladin's breastplate. Lorn's knee was buried deep in Embrill's back.
Meepo couldn't help himself, as he drew out his sword he was swept up in gales of yapping laughter. One stupid human had just killed another with his stupidity at rushing down the rope like a madman. Kurtulmak liked Meepo after all.