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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Capellan" data-source="post: 1375665" data-attributes="member: 6294">"Forgotten Honour" by Eric Price (Dragon Scale Counters) - Part 9Ming Li's fists hammer into the ribcage of the skeleton on her left.  The powerful blows splinter the creature into shards of bone, but another quickly takes its place, tearing at her with its claws even as the one on her right redoubles its attack.Bone spurs tear flesh, and the monk staggers, bleeding heavily from these fresh wounds.  Struggling to hold onto consciousness, and surrounded by enemies, it is clear she cannot survive in her current position.  But there is no room to fall back, which leaves only one other option.Crouching low, the monk flexes her knees and flings herself across the gaping pit before her.It's not an elegant jump, nor a particularly efficient one, but it is powered by desperate strength.  Ming Li's feet do not quite reach the far side of the pit, but she has her whole weight thrown forward, and momentum carries her over the edge, to land with a sprawl on the stone floor beyond.Seeing the skeletons about to block the tunnel, Rose gulps and steps forward into the gap, keeping the path to the pit open for her comrades.  Lacking the reach of her skeletal foes, and armed only with a shortsword, she concentrates on defending herself, not trying to strike back.Elspeth waits, watching for an opportunity. She sees it as the two skeletons strike at Rose, then both start to draw back for another blow.  While they are off balance, she rushes forward and throws herself across the pit, slamming into Ming Li as the monk begins to rise.  Both women tumble to the ground, but both are safe.Twinkle looks at the pit and blanches as she realises that the gap is more than three times her height.  Digging into her pack, she pulls forth a coil of rope and loops it around her waist, tying a rough knot as quickly as she can."Catch!" she calls, throwing the other end to Ming Li.  The monk catches the rope and draws it taut, then braces herself as best she can.  She nods to the gnome, who takes a deep breath, then runs forward, leaping into space.  As she does, Ming Li reels in the rope as fast as possible, giving the gnome's jump a little extra impetus.It's not enough.Twinkle misjudges her run, and is forced to leap off from her weaker foot.  Even as she's in mid-air, it's clear she isn't going to the far side of the pit, and she lunges forward as best she can, fingers scrabbling for the edge.Her fingers reach it, but the rest of her doesn't.Twinkle slams face-first into the stone wall of the pit, then tumbles halfway down the side before Ming Li can haul in enough rope to stop her descent.  The monk rapidly pulls the gnome to safety, and Twinkle flops over the edge of the pit onto the stone floor.  Her hands and face are covered in scratches and scrapes, while her nose is broken and streaming blood.Rose, abruptly realising that everyone else is quite happy to jump to safety while she fights the skeletons alone, hurls herself across the pit behind the gnome.  Though she is no taller than Twinkle, she judges her leap much better, landing cleanly on the far side.  The gnome, seeing this, bursts into tears of pain and frustration"It's not fair!" she wails."Things rarely are." Elspeth observes, shortly.  "Macwood!  You're next!"The bard, who is now alone on the far side of the pit, rolls his eyes."And I thought I'd wait for the skeletons." He mutters, watching as one of the undead moves into the space left by Rose, blocking him from jumping the pit.  He backs up the stairs a little, so that only one of the skeletons can reach him at a time.Ming Li unties the rope from Twinkle and throws it back to Macwood.  Pressed by the aggressive undead, the halfling has no time to tie it around himself, so instead he simply loops it around his arm, then grips it tightly."Pu-" he begins to shout, but Elspeth and Ming Li aren't waiting for an invitation: they begin hauling on the rope immediately, dragging the surprised halfling right through the press of skeletons.  Two of the undead grab at the bard with their claws, and - though they fail to get a firm grip - each wounds him badly.Barely conscious, Macwood throws himself across the pit, his leap assisted by a wrench on the rope from Elspeth and Ming Li. It's enough - just - to see him safely across, but the effort causes him to black out, and he collapses as he lands, lying bleeding at the feet of his companions.</blockquote>

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