Hiritus casts his spell; the worm constricting Nurthk releases its grasp, and begins immediately to burrow away. All but the one farthest from Hiritus, the one near Xiao and Cray, have the same reaction, turning toward the ground.
Oliver moves to assist Tatlock (who quite quickly runs back, climing onto the cart for safety), striking at the one near the boy as it tries to flee, but fails to make contact. Fendric, meanwhile, feels his body become gripped with paralysis.
Raven (autopilot) fires away at the worm which has not turned. He sends out three arrows, all of which find their mark; the thing is left motionless, flat on the ground, trailing away from the archer.
Cray strikes at but misses one of the fleeing worms.
Brich steps in, slipping his hands under the unconscious Sturt's shoulders, pulling him toward the safety of the cart. Federich steps in and presses his sword through the arched back of one worm as it tries to escape; it is pinned in place, and falls motionless moments after. Koehl gets a slice in at the worm which has bit Fendric, but it is less substantial.
Xiao steps in toward the one which has released Nurthk, but fails to injure it before it escapes. Cylantro's target is not so fortunate; she sends another flash of light across the camp, and the worm which has injured Fendric now falls motionless, head half-buried in the ground.
The two remaining worms (the ones which have attached Nurthk and Tatlock respectively) disappear from sight, burrowing away toward safety.
Brich hefts Sturt up into the cart, aided by Tatlock and Harrold (who both seem nervous about touching the unconscious man at first, but are compelled as much by Brich's stern gaze as any moral compulsion to help all the same).
Nurthk feels his paralysis pass almost immediately; Fendric has to wait several more tense seconds, but feels his disappear as well. In the intervening time, no additional worms appear.
]
