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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Samnell" data-source="post: 1224" data-attributes="member: 130">XII-A leavetakingWherein one of Meepo's wildest dreams comes true.Sal climbed carefully down the rope behind Meepo, clearly wary of Lorn's example. Meepo fought to keep from completely losing himself to yapping kobold laughter as the huge rats boiled up around him. He was on the front lines, the last place he could possibly want to be.The humans were supposed to be up here, dying like the fools they were. No self-respecting kobold would stand and fight against an oncoming foe. It was dishonorable to eschew such proven tactics as striking from behind, or while one's foe is sleeping or voiding his bowels. What had some over Meepo?Bryant followed Sal down, and Meepo hoped soon he could scurry back and strike from behind a shield of moving metal and flesh. Great kobold swordsman he may be, but he still preferred his crossbow. Killing things from afar, where they couldn't reach him in return, appealed to him on a deep and spiritual level. Kurtulmak taught that fools who stood and begged death with blades deserved to die. If only he were more strict about that, there'd be a lot fewer humans in the world.Meepo took a hasty step back as Bryant came into the fray, letting the human expose himself to more of the rats. Humans were good for that sort of thing. They certainly had a lot of practice. Meepo decided that being a two- legged rat delicacy was a skill he would somehow manage without. The kobold still had a rat behind himself and wished for two heads so he could watch those in front of him and the vermin at his back. Burble tried and failed to skewer it with a dagger. Meepo felt one of those stupid warm rushes of idiocy that he'd picked up from the humans and was perversely happy that Burble was there.But Kurtulmak still smiled on Meepo. Despite Burble's having missed killing it, the rat behind Meepo tore into neither kobold nor halfling with its filthy teeth. Instead it ripped into Lorn's throat. The foolish human warrior was still laying atop Embrill. Meepo knew he must have been a good kobold to earn such luck. His greatest enemy and the stupidest of the humans could die laying atop one another. Lorn's blood spilled on Embrill's already bloody body and Meepo turned to the rats in front of him. His back was secure under Burble's and Kurtulmak's protection.Meepo couldn't help himself, though. Seeing his enemy dying was too much. He kept stealing glances and thus saw Lorn scrambling to bind Embrill's worst wounds. As he did so, he turned his head wrong and his throat wound ripped fully open. Blood flowed freely and Meepo smiled to himself. He hoped the Worthless Druid drowned on Lorn's blood.Battle raged on and Meepo finally dragged himself fully back to the battle in front of him after seeing Burble waste his god's power on Lorn. It must be a divine command. Meepo knew Burble served a human god, and human gods loved the stupid. None fit that description better than fallen paladins who fell off ropes and crushed their companions.Meepo turned away from his rear at the wrong time, though, Stinging daggers of unspeakable pain tore into his tail at its very base. He nearly fainted as agony washed over him and made his knees weak. Maybe Kurtulmak didn't really like him that much after all. Lorn's and Embrill's luck of late could just be the Great Kobold's way of showing how little he liked those two instead of how much he liked Meepo.Happily, moments later Sal ended Meepo's battle on two fronts by cleaving the rat to his back cleanly in two. Burly dwarves had their uses; especially when they were using the sword Meepo and Burble stole from Thurston.In a few more moments the battle was over. With all the big, dumb humans good at killing things devoting their full attention to the rats, instead of innocent kobolds for once, only one rat escaped into the darkness below. Burble quickly used some of his god's power to heal Meepo's torn tail. Try as he might, Meepo couldn't help but like the warm, soothing feeling of the human god magic flowing through him.Burble, of course, was quick to take charge. Meepo'd chosen wisely in attaching himself to the group's leader. "Ok boys and Girl, lets get the Hell out of here. The rats will be back and I want to get out of this hell Hole. Go get some rest, heal up, and then look for another entrance. This one is just too dangerous, and not worth it. Especially when you got a kid screaming all the time.""Meepo, you did great. Thanks for holding them off like that. You were a true warrior and a good friend.”"So, what to do about Embrill folks?” Meepo thought they should kill him there and then, but humans never listened to him.Sauntering up to Embrill, who was still bleeding into the dirt, Meepo took what chance he had to say a few things he'd had on his mind. "Worthless Druid not not make nice Meepo now. Worthless Druid mate with stupid wolf like Meepo say. Meepo say leave Worthless Druid for rats."Jaryth, of course, wanted to share his insanity again. He smiled at Burble, "Well, I dunno, maybe we should try to heal him? He is, after all, one of our companions. I dunno, it could just be me, but what the hell, I'm sentimental that way."So maybe this time it was mundane human stupidity instead of raving madness. Meepo knew better than to hope the lucidity would last.Jaryth turned to everyone else. "I'm sorry. I lost my head, and you all suffered for it. I shouldn't have yelled at Burble at this precise moment. I should have saved it for some place less fraught with danger. I apologize, deeply. I'll understand if you want me to leave, being such a burden to you all as I am..."YES! LEAVE NOW! Meepo wanted to scream. Go, feed yourself to the rats. Better yet, fall on Worthless Druid. Jaryth hung his head low, awaiting judgement."If we stop to rest every time one of us is scratched, then those noble children will die of old age by the time we rescue them." Lorn said testily. Falling on a druid hadn't knocked any sense into him. Maybe if it happened a few more times… But Meepo could only dream of seeing Lorn crush Embrill again."We're not going to be getting the award. The townsfolk think we killed Thurston. They'll skin us alive the instant we step foot in there." Jaryth sighed."Yeah maybe, but we got too many wounded and I am out of spells just about. If you can get your healing back Lorn, please do so or if you got some better idea of what to do. Me, I bet ya the kiddies are dead and we get the reward with the rings even if they are dead, so I am going to watch out for myself and the wounded, You want to go after them now, go for it. Me, I am going to get the hell out of here." Burble countered.Jaryth decided to bother Meepo some more as the kobold weighed the benefits and costs of cleansing the Embrill's wounds with certain of his bodily fluids."You shouldn't touch him. If you do, he might wake up and turn you into a goblin. Druids can do that y'know. Same as with wizards and sorcerers.""Meepo like goblin. Goblin make nice Meepo's stomach." Meepo smiled viciously at Jaryth.Rhea had some thoughts for Meepo too. "You disgust me." Meepo wondered if she had read his intentions. He chose prudence all the same. Best not to upset the humans too much. The kobold wasn't clear on whether Rhea intended to include Burble in her pronouncement or not. She was looking about midway between the two."Yeah, so we love you to. Remember, it was Embrill who first spat at and scorned my offers and he made it clear he did not want a single thing from me. He was the one that was a standoffish lout and insulted me at every turn. Meepo saved my butt, did Embrill even try to heal me when I was dying and in a coma? Hells no. That was all Lorn and for that I am beholden to him. So I says, what goes around comes around."“Now I ain't no innocent, but at least I was honest. Was he? We can try to lift him out and I will climb next to him. Go slow, careful and we might get him out, I have one last healing that can maybe save him, but I want to save that just in case he starts to slip. That good enough for ya Rhea, or you going to pine for the druid and mope?" Meepo appreciated that Burble was standing up against the humans. It reassured him that his friend hadn't lost his mind."Listen here, shorty,” Rhea shot back. “The only thing I've seen in this misbegotten adventure is you flapping your mouth and springing traps at every turn. Half these battleswould've never even happened if you hadn't used your as-yet-to-be-proven skills as a theif to get us through here safely. That druid not only saved my life, but others here as well... He's healed us and kept rats at bay... And not to mention my keeping those rats at bay while small-and-less here stuffed back in your cold, black innards. I hope your kobold buddy makes a warm bed-partner, because with your mouth, it's probably all you could get. I've had it to the gills with this nonsense. If no one'll do anything... Then to the hells with all of you. I'll do it myself."Lorn suddenly recalled that Embrill had been hurt. "Burble, heal him," the falling warrior ordered. "It is my fault he was hurt. I would gladly heal himself if I still had the blessing of Heironeous. If you do this, I will consider myself in your debt."Debt. That could be valuable. But it was Lorn's debt. Would the human be bright enough to honor it when called upon? He was certainly too slow to think to twist the wording of his obligations or find other ways to elude them, but the wit to honor them? Meepo thought not. This was Lorn, after all."Lorn, I owe ya, and I do not naysay that, but you know how much you're asking? I got one minor healing left till tomorrow. I also have my own wounds and Meepo's. I wasted one healing on Jaryth and look what that brought about. We need to rest, I do not deny that, but is Embrill really that much to you? He has held himself above us all and called me scum. What has he done to deserve to get any extra help from me?" Burble asked reluctantly."Way to be the better person, Burble. When I was in the guild, anyone talking like that ended up on the wrong side of the Nyr Dyv. We're companions whether we like it or not. We're involved in something greater than a dead paladin, or our own meager pride, or even some noble's kids. We here to do something good. Even if we don't realize that. And, if we can't even be amiable towards each other, how do we expect to see through to the end of this?"Jaryth sighed and looked at the group. His eyes lingered for a time on Burble's. "I say let's bury the dagger. We've had our falling outs, let's be done with them. What do you all say? Can we be comrades and move on with our lives and adventures? Or, are we going to stand here have it out, all of us, until He Who Sleeps comes for us all?"Burble sighed. "Ok Kid. I don't like the druid and I think you did enough as well to have this all happen, but I want to continue to work with Sal and I know he has a more open heart then I might. I will do what you ask and if it works, then we can get out of here and rest. Just remember, if he starts to throw insults or pisses me off, all bets are off and he can go eat dung and be rat food."“I agree the druid is worthless, but we may have to help him to keep the others about. Not sure, just not sure." Burble tried to reassure Meepo, but he wasn't especially convincing. Why was it that the humans and their stupidity had to be so damned insistent?Jaryth wandered over to Lorn now. "Lorn, it wasn't your fault. It was mine. Or maybe Burble's. Hell, blame one of the nature gods for making the damned rats. Or, maybe, whoever it was who invented gravitiy." Jaryth looked intently into Lorn's eyes. "But it wasn't your fault. Alright?"Of course it was Lorn's fault! Stupid insane human whelps… He climbed down the rope too fast and fell like a stone. How could it possibly not be his fault?Finally, Burble worked his healing prayer on Embrill. Meepo resigned himself to yet more days lusting after the sight of Embrill's corpse at his feet and knowing it was never to be so."Ok Embrill, stop faking it. You're alive through every fault of your own. Heal yourself the rest of the way so we can get the hells out of here." Burble nudged Embrill with his foot on completing his spell.Embrill's eyes flutted and he spasmed, choking on a throatfull of his own blood. Meepo rather liked that sound. He spit it up with a violent coughing fit, staining his chin and throat more with the sticky red mess. His eyes moved quickly over the group, taking stock of his surroundings. Meepo tried to look menacing.The Worthless Druid drew himself up and near to the rock wall of the ravine. He wiped the blood from his mouth and slung it in the dirt as he called out, "RIKI!" A whimpering sound comes from above as his wolf lover looked down over the edge of the ravine.Embrill looked up at him for a moment before looking about the ledge amongst the rat bodies. "Where are my things? Who took them?" He spotted Rhea gathering some of his things that had flown about when Lorn hit him.He staggered her way with a groan that Meepo savored. "I'm fine now. I can carry my own things.” Embrill took them back from Rhea and began to climb the rope without another word.Could it be? Was he actually leaving of his own free will? This was almost as good as seeing him dead!“So that is what I get for being nice eh? Well that fricken druid can eat crap then. Blast his worthless hide. So Rhea,, you happy now? You Jaryth? Was it really worth it to keep him alive when he acts like such an ass? Gods." Burble was unsurprisingly less than ecstatic to see his healing go entirely to waste, and Meepo didn't blame him. He was too happy to see the druid leaving to worry too long about specifics, though."Come on Meepo, let's go find a good place to camp. These ungrateful louts have pissed me off. Sal, you coming? You want to stay off with me and Meepo, or are you heading to work with the bastrich Embrill?" Taking charge again. Burble was their leader with Embrill gone. He wasn't even challenged. It was all very cunningly done. Maybe Burble had kobold blood."Burble make nice you.” Meepo called up at Embrill, trying not to raise his voice too high. "Burble wasted magic." Then he offered his advice in campsites, away from the human's burning sun up above. "Meepo think camp inside. Find room with door. More rats come if stay too long here."Burble nodded. "You're right buddy I should have left him and said the hells with him. You're also right that we should move on and work on our missions and goals. I got somethoughts with what to say with Yusdrayl, so maybe that is something to do tomorrow after we rest. We can hole up in that empty room across the way where we found that barrel. Sal, you willing to stick it out down here? I have no desire to be anywhere around that scum up above and for all I know, he has deserted us like he did when we all met back in the inn. Me, I am with Meepo here and I say lets head out. We killed or drove off a good number of the rats and so should be able to make good time."Meepo had no idea what Burble was referring to about the inn, but it was about Embrill. Meepo basked in the glow of the realization that Embrill really was gone. The druid had already reached the top of the rope and vanished out of sight. He felt more confident, relaxed, and overall happy than he had since Calcryx had been taken. Meepo almost felt his old self again. Plans of revenge on his clan flowed smoothly through his mind. His chief obstacle gone, things were so much easier.Jaryth and Burble were sniping at each other about honor amongst thieves or something, but Meepo couldn't care less. Nothing could shatter his contentment now. He had reached a higher level of joy, unlike anything he had experienced in so very long that even Lorn's, Rowland's, and Jaryth's stupidity together couldn't shake him out of it. Embrill was off in his woods with his wolf mate and all was well in the world.The group cooperated after some arguing and inane mumblings from Rowland. A quick trip up the rope was made to fetch the supplies left on Burble's mule and then it was back into the cool darkness away from the burning sun. Embrill was gone. The sun was off his scales…things just couldn't get much better for Meepo.The group settled in for a day or two in a large room just outside kobold territory. Meepo knew of it, but had never entered it before. It was empty save for some dust and a few small piles of stones. The door was tightly secured and the night passed quietly. In the morning healing was used and most of the group was reasonably ready to move on.First, though, they decided they wanted to have Sal and his huge muscles examine an iron keg they'd been unable to open before. It was just across the hallway. Meepo knew no good would come of it. It was a human idea, after all. But of course, they wouldn't listen to reason. Apparently they thought there must be some kind of treasure or something inside the keg.So across the hallway they went, Sal in the lead. Burble opened a door carved with fish and in he and Lorn filed to give this iron keg a closer look. Meepo paid close attention and made sure he knew the best way to run. He'd never heard of the door with fish on it being opened, though Yusdrayl had tried for a good while. Even Calcryx hadn't been able to break it down.Sal stood squarely in front of the keg and the party readied themselves for anything. Meepo just knew that he'd pay for this. The humans wanted to see what was in the keg too badly. That couldn't possibly be good. With one heave, the dwarf yanked the stopper out.Water geysered out of the keg in a sudden rush, forming into the shape of a bizarre fish-man, covered with scales and staring at the group through huge, bulbous black eyes no taller than Meepo. It took only a moment for the fish-man to open its huge mouth and draw in a great, watery breath of air as it raises spiny, webbed claws.Meepo got ready to die. He'd never heard of fish-things like this. Human stupidity was going to kill him after all. Suddenly, all the joy he'd known when Embrill left seemed very far away.With this strange, menacing fish-thing that had burst out of the keg and brandished claws at the group, Sal tried to talk to it."Nobody attack until it does." He warned off the group. Yes, that was an excellent plan. Let's everyone wait until it kills us before we attack it. Sal spoke directly to the fish thing, "We mean you no harm. We were hoping that this barrel held a cure for a sickened friend. If you do choose to attack we are all ready for your attack and prepared to defend ourselves."</blockquote>

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