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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 7612380" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 300</p><p></p><p>“Behind us!” Rodan yelled, in case any of them had somehow missed the fact that they were now flanked.</p><p></p><p>Kosk changed course in mid-stride, turning to engage the second creature as it rose up out of the pool. He tried to damage one of its lower legs with his staff, but the thing shifted at the last instant and the weapon bounced harmlessly off its body. He tried to follow up with a kick to one of its leg joints, but that blow as well missed as it swept forward to attack Xeeta and Rodan. The dwarf cursed as it lunged with its claws at the two tieflings. Rodan ducked under the first, narrowly avoiding contact, but Xeeta was snared and lifted off her feet as the claw snapped hard around her waist.</p><p></p><p>Quellan quickly glanced behind him before turning back to deliver his attack on the first creature. But the momentary distraction had cost him. Even as he swung his mace, the creature smashed one of its claws into his body. The impact knocked him backwards, and he fell to one knee. The monster toppled back forward fully onto the ground, the end of its body rising up out of the water to reveal a flanged tail, like that of a lobster.</p><p></p><p>“Quellan, get back!” Glori warned as she rushed forward. The cleric instantly obeyed, leaping back a scant instant before the bard unleashed a <em>thunderwave</em>. She’d clearly intended to finish the job of knocking it back into the water, but the creature had gotten a firm purchase, and its weight was too great for her to dislodge. The pulse of sound clearly had an effect on it, but it reacted by seizing her in a punishing grip in one of its claws, the weight of it driving her down to the ground.</p><p></p><p>Rodan drew his sword and tried to rush to Xeeta’s aid, hacking at the claw that held her. But the creature’s rapid movements caused the blow to miss, glancing harmlessly off the plates that protected it like a suit of heavy armor. Kosk came at it from behind, trying to find a vulnerable spot. He jammed his staff hard into the joint where one of its hind legs met its body. That drew a high-pitched screech from the thing, but it refused to release its captive. It swung its open claw at the dwarf, but that proved to be just a feint from its real intent as it pivoted and headed back for the shelter of its pool, Xeeta still struggling in its grasp.</p><p></p><p>“Xeeta!” Rodan cried, rushing after them. In a fury he leapt up onto the creature’s back, striding up to a spot right below its head. With both hands gripped tightly on the hilt of his sword he stabbed downward, piercing its armor and driving the blade a good six inches into its body. The creature shrieked and reared up, dislodging its unwelcome passenger, then sprang forward and toppled back into the pool. For a moment Xeeta was visible, then she vanished with it under the surface.</p><p></p><p>Rodan rolled to his feet and ran to the water’s edge. For a moment it looked like he would dive in after them, but then a flash of light drew their attention back down the path. There was a brief eruption of fire and smoke, and then a drenched Xeeta materialized via a <em>dimension door</em>.</p><p></p><p>Quellan let out a low roar as he rushed forward to help Glori. He tossed his shield aside and grabbed onto the pincer holding her, trying to pry it open with raw strength. But the creature smashed him across the back with its other claw, delivering a punishing blow that staggered him. Glori tried to use the cleric’s effort to break free, but the monster’s strength was incredible and she could not escape its hold. She cried out as its grip tightened, and it lifted her to its mouth. The tentacles there lashed out at her exposed face and neck, leaving ugly red welts on her flesh. Glori twitched and then stiffened as the toxins injected by the tentacles paralyzed her.</p><p></p><p>Now that it had its prey secured, the creature had clearly lost interest in further fighting. Like its companion it turned back to the pool, carrying the limp figure of the helpless bard with it. Quellan sprang up and flung himself at the thing in a violent frenzy, smashing it with a violent blow of his mace that cracked a piece of its carapace and left a trail of oozing ichor in its wake. Kosk joined him on the other side of the creature, slashing at its legs with his staff in an attempt to cause it to stumble. He scored a number of telling hits, but the thing kept on moving toward the safety of its watery lair.</p><p></p><p>There was a bright flash and a rush of heat as Xeeta blasted it with fire, careful to avoid the front of its body where Glori was held. The creature looked to be in rough shape, but none of the wounds it had absorbed were enough to stop it from toppling over the edge of the pool and vanishing with a violent splash.</p><p></p><p>Quellan didn’t hesitate; he rushed forward and dove in after it. Kosk was only a few steps behind him, but before he could follow a loud screech announced the return of the other creature. Furious at losing its victim, it rushed at Rodan with a frenzy of snapping claws. The tiefling avoided being snagged, but one of the claws batted him hard on the side of the head, knocking him to his knees and dazing him.</p><p></p><p>Before it could exploit its advantage Kosk slammed into it, thrusting his staff up into its gaping maw. With the tentacles he couldn’t see what he hit, but from the way it lurched back he’d clearly impacted something tender. He waited until it lunged at him with a claw then darted forward, driving the tip of his staff into one of the joints where its forearms met its body and setting the other end hard against the ground. Its own weight worked against its body came down after the ineffective attack, and it let out a fresh shriek as it impaled itself on the monk’s weapon.</p><p></p><p>Leaving his staff, Kosk rolled free and came up into a ready stance. It started to turn to face him, but before it could strike another bolt of fire from Xeeta struck it solidly in the head. The flames wreathed it for a moment before it stumbled forward and with a final heave of effort collapsed onto the ground.</p><p></p><p>It was still twitching when Kosk, Rodan, and Xeeta rushed together to the rim of the other pool. The water was still swirling, but there was no sign of Quellan, Glori, or the creature.</p><p></p><p>“I’m going in after them,” Kosk said.</p><p></p><p>“That thing’s in its element down there,” Xeeta said. “There’s no telling how far down it goes.”</p><p></p><p>“I don’t care,” the dwarf said. But even as he stepped up to the water’s edge, a hand broke the surface and seized hold of the stone rim a few paces away.</p><p></p><p>“Quellan!” Xeeta cried as they rushed over to help him.</p><p></p><p>The cleric looked to be in rough shape, and blood continued to ooze from a deep gash along the side of his head as they pulled him up. But he refused to let go of Glori, who he held cradled against his body with his other arm. The bard was not moving, and the starlight glinted pale on her skin as they laid her out carefully on the ground.</p><p></p><p>“The creature?” Xeeta asked.</p><p></p><p>“I don’t know,” Quellan said. The two tieflings shared a look and took up positions where they could watch the pool, though their eyes kept being drawn to the pair working on the limp figure of their friend.</p><p></p><p>“She’s not breathing,” Kosk said. Quellan didn’t answer; he was already clutching his holy symbol, summoning a spell. As before the magic seemed to fight him, but the cleric fought through it and evoked a <em>cure wounds</em> spell that limned his hands with a soft blue light. But when he touched it to Glori’s body the healing glow did not pass into her. Instead, it just shone around Quellan’s hands for a moment before it flickered out.</p><p></p><p>“No…” Quellan breathed.</p><p></p><p>Kosk efficiently checked the young woman over, pausing as his hands probed at her torso. “She’s got multiple broken bones,” he said. “Probably internal damage from where that thing crushed her…”</p><p></p><p>Quellan was digging through his pockets, but the others were all remembering his words earlier, when he’d told them that he had no more diamonds to fuel his <em>revivify</em> spell. Xeeta and Rodan each took a step closer, while keeping an eye on the surface of the pool.</p><p></p><p>Quellan finally found what he was looking for. He held his hand above Glori’s chest, and when he opened it the others could see that it was a ring, a pale band of silver or platinum etched with very faint markings. There was a single gemstone fixed into its setting, the starlight sparkling on a tiny diamond.</p><p></p><p>Quellan placed the ring upon Glori’s soaked, battered form. “Be enough,” he said. “Please be enough.” Then he began to chant. Again the light began to gather around him, but this time it was a pure, white radiance that surrounded him. The others recognized it as the same magic that he’d used to revive Kosk, but they said nothing, reluctant even to breathe as he finished the spell.</p><p></p><p>For a long moment, nothing happened. Then with a flicker of light the diamond in the ring flashed and dissolved into nothing. As it disappeared the white glow seeped into Glori’s body. There was another delay, and then she jerked and coughed up a spume of dirty water. She gasped in a breath and then coughed again.</p><p></p><p>“Hurts…” she managed to say.</p><p></p><p>Quellan cast another healing spell. This time it worked, and after a moment Glori’s pained coughing subsided. She tried to move, but Kosk held her down with hand on her shoulder. “Don’t try to get up just yet,” he said. “It takes a little while. I know. Believe me, I know.”</p><p></p><p>She stopped trying and just lay there, breathing. Quellan, meanwhile, slumped back onto his haunches, the soft starlight glistening on the fresh tears that trailed down his cheeks.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 7612380, member: 143"] Chapter 300 “Behind us!” Rodan yelled, in case any of them had somehow missed the fact that they were now flanked. Kosk changed course in mid-stride, turning to engage the second creature as it rose up out of the pool. He tried to damage one of its lower legs with his staff, but the thing shifted at the last instant and the weapon bounced harmlessly off its body. He tried to follow up with a kick to one of its leg joints, but that blow as well missed as it swept forward to attack Xeeta and Rodan. The dwarf cursed as it lunged with its claws at the two tieflings. Rodan ducked under the first, narrowly avoiding contact, but Xeeta was snared and lifted off her feet as the claw snapped hard around her waist. Quellan quickly glanced behind him before turning back to deliver his attack on the first creature. But the momentary distraction had cost him. Even as he swung his mace, the creature smashed one of its claws into his body. The impact knocked him backwards, and he fell to one knee. The monster toppled back forward fully onto the ground, the end of its body rising up out of the water to reveal a flanged tail, like that of a lobster. “Quellan, get back!” Glori warned as she rushed forward. The cleric instantly obeyed, leaping back a scant instant before the bard unleashed a [i]thunderwave[/i]. She’d clearly intended to finish the job of knocking it back into the water, but the creature had gotten a firm purchase, and its weight was too great for her to dislodge. The pulse of sound clearly had an effect on it, but it reacted by seizing her in a punishing grip in one of its claws, the weight of it driving her down to the ground. Rodan drew his sword and tried to rush to Xeeta’s aid, hacking at the claw that held her. But the creature’s rapid movements caused the blow to miss, glancing harmlessly off the plates that protected it like a suit of heavy armor. Kosk came at it from behind, trying to find a vulnerable spot. He jammed his staff hard into the joint where one of its hind legs met its body. That drew a high-pitched screech from the thing, but it refused to release its captive. It swung its open claw at the dwarf, but that proved to be just a feint from its real intent as it pivoted and headed back for the shelter of its pool, Xeeta still struggling in its grasp. “Xeeta!” Rodan cried, rushing after them. In a fury he leapt up onto the creature’s back, striding up to a spot right below its head. With both hands gripped tightly on the hilt of his sword he stabbed downward, piercing its armor and driving the blade a good six inches into its body. The creature shrieked and reared up, dislodging its unwelcome passenger, then sprang forward and toppled back into the pool. For a moment Xeeta was visible, then she vanished with it under the surface. Rodan rolled to his feet and ran to the water’s edge. For a moment it looked like he would dive in after them, but then a flash of light drew their attention back down the path. There was a brief eruption of fire and smoke, and then a drenched Xeeta materialized via a [i]dimension door[/i]. Quellan let out a low roar as he rushed forward to help Glori. He tossed his shield aside and grabbed onto the pincer holding her, trying to pry it open with raw strength. But the creature smashed him across the back with its other claw, delivering a punishing blow that staggered him. Glori tried to use the cleric’s effort to break free, but the monster’s strength was incredible and she could not escape its hold. She cried out as its grip tightened, and it lifted her to its mouth. The tentacles there lashed out at her exposed face and neck, leaving ugly red welts on her flesh. Glori twitched and then stiffened as the toxins injected by the tentacles paralyzed her. Now that it had its prey secured, the creature had clearly lost interest in further fighting. Like its companion it turned back to the pool, carrying the limp figure of the helpless bard with it. Quellan sprang up and flung himself at the thing in a violent frenzy, smashing it with a violent blow of his mace that cracked a piece of its carapace and left a trail of oozing ichor in its wake. Kosk joined him on the other side of the creature, slashing at its legs with his staff in an attempt to cause it to stumble. He scored a number of telling hits, but the thing kept on moving toward the safety of its watery lair. There was a bright flash and a rush of heat as Xeeta blasted it with fire, careful to avoid the front of its body where Glori was held. The creature looked to be in rough shape, but none of the wounds it had absorbed were enough to stop it from toppling over the edge of the pool and vanishing with a violent splash. Quellan didn’t hesitate; he rushed forward and dove in after it. Kosk was only a few steps behind him, but before he could follow a loud screech announced the return of the other creature. Furious at losing its victim, it rushed at Rodan with a frenzy of snapping claws. The tiefling avoided being snagged, but one of the claws batted him hard on the side of the head, knocking him to his knees and dazing him. Before it could exploit its advantage Kosk slammed into it, thrusting his staff up into its gaping maw. With the tentacles he couldn’t see what he hit, but from the way it lurched back he’d clearly impacted something tender. He waited until it lunged at him with a claw then darted forward, driving the tip of his staff into one of the joints where its forearms met its body and setting the other end hard against the ground. Its own weight worked against its body came down after the ineffective attack, and it let out a fresh shriek as it impaled itself on the monk’s weapon. Leaving his staff, Kosk rolled free and came up into a ready stance. It started to turn to face him, but before it could strike another bolt of fire from Xeeta struck it solidly in the head. The flames wreathed it for a moment before it stumbled forward and with a final heave of effort collapsed onto the ground. It was still twitching when Kosk, Rodan, and Xeeta rushed together to the rim of the other pool. The water was still swirling, but there was no sign of Quellan, Glori, or the creature. “I’m going in after them,” Kosk said. “That thing’s in its element down there,” Xeeta said. “There’s no telling how far down it goes.” “I don’t care,” the dwarf said. But even as he stepped up to the water’s edge, a hand broke the surface and seized hold of the stone rim a few paces away. “Quellan!” Xeeta cried as they rushed over to help him. The cleric looked to be in rough shape, and blood continued to ooze from a deep gash along the side of his head as they pulled him up. But he refused to let go of Glori, who he held cradled against his body with his other arm. The bard was not moving, and the starlight glinted pale on her skin as they laid her out carefully on the ground. “The creature?” Xeeta asked. “I don’t know,” Quellan said. The two tieflings shared a look and took up positions where they could watch the pool, though their eyes kept being drawn to the pair working on the limp figure of their friend. “She’s not breathing,” Kosk said. Quellan didn’t answer; he was already clutching his holy symbol, summoning a spell. As before the magic seemed to fight him, but the cleric fought through it and evoked a [i]cure wounds[/i] spell that limned his hands with a soft blue light. But when he touched it to Glori’s body the healing glow did not pass into her. Instead, it just shone around Quellan’s hands for a moment before it flickered out. “No…” Quellan breathed. Kosk efficiently checked the young woman over, pausing as his hands probed at her torso. “She’s got multiple broken bones,” he said. “Probably internal damage from where that thing crushed her…” Quellan was digging through his pockets, but the others were all remembering his words earlier, when he’d told them that he had no more diamonds to fuel his [i]revivify[/i] spell. Xeeta and Rodan each took a step closer, while keeping an eye on the surface of the pool. Quellan finally found what he was looking for. He held his hand above Glori’s chest, and when he opened it the others could see that it was a ring, a pale band of silver or platinum etched with very faint markings. There was a single gemstone fixed into its setting, the starlight sparkling on a tiny diamond. Quellan placed the ring upon Glori’s soaked, battered form. “Be enough,” he said. “Please be enough.” Then he began to chant. Again the light began to gather around him, but this time it was a pure, white radiance that surrounded him. The others recognized it as the same magic that he’d used to revive Kosk, but they said nothing, reluctant even to breathe as he finished the spell. For a long moment, nothing happened. Then with a flicker of light the diamond in the ring flashed and dissolved into nothing. As it disappeared the white glow seeped into Glori’s body. There was another delay, and then she jerked and coughed up a spume of dirty water. She gasped in a breath and then coughed again. “Hurts…” she managed to say. Quellan cast another healing spell. This time it worked, and after a moment Glori’s pained coughing subsided. She tried to move, but Kosk held her down with hand on her shoulder. “Don’t try to get up just yet,” he said. “It takes a little while. I know. Believe me, I know.” She stopped trying and just lay there, breathing. Quellan, meanwhile, slumped back onto his haunches, the soft starlight glistening on the fresh tears that trailed down his cheeks. [/QUOTE]
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