[Old School Mash-Up] The City of the Sleeping Demon

[Mark Chance]

Attila sweeps into the room with Thudarr and Wing not far behind. Huddled in the farthest corner of the room behind a mound of debris is a dog-faced humanoid creature about the size of a halfling. Attila can hear it sniffing the air, and its ears perk up as she enters, crossbow at the ready.

"No!" the creature whimpers. "Please! No! I didn't mean to!"

 

[doghead]

Attila gets the distinct impression that the puppy creature can smell her presence. Despite that, the giant spider remains invisible and keeps out of the way, leaving the interaction up to her humaniod companions.

While they do that, Attila keeps an eye on the rest of the room(?) and the door at their backs. And the crossbow.

"No!" the creature whimpers. "Please! No! I didn't mean to!"

Mean to do what? she mulls, while waiting to find out.

 

[Electric Wizard]

Wing sets his crossbow on the floor, trusting that his back-up will be more than enough if the situation explodes. He approaches the frightened creatures and feels a strange, warm emotion he cannot name. He smiles.

"Hello," he says. "My name is Wing, and they are all my friends. We don't want to hurt you, little fellow."

 

[Mark Chance]

The creature attempts to retreat from Wing, back into the corner as far as possible. Tears flow from her eyes, for Wing can now see she is indeed female. She wears a plain brown skirt and a sleeveless shirt, both of homespun. Wing notices a bloody notch on one of her ears, as if a small triangle had been clipped from the flesh.

"Don't lie!" she cries. "Must you lie before you devour me!"

 

[Deuce Traveler]

"No offense there, pup, but we're trying to escape from those out to do us harm. We're not really looking to harm others. Got enough enemies as it is." Thuddar shrugs and puts away his weapon.

 

[doghead]

Attila considers slipping out of the room and checking out the rest of the corridor while the others talk to the puppy creature.

However, after a moments reflection, she decides to wait a bit. Hopefully the puppy creature can tell them who and what occupies this floor, and perhaps other floors as well.

 

[Mark Chance]

The creature relaxes just a bit. Her body is still tense; her eyes still wide. But, there is a hint of doubt in those eyes now as she looks at Thudarr and Wing, and the others grouped behind those two and out into the corridor.

"You're not demons?" she says. "You're not here to punish me?"

 

[doghead]

"You're not demons?" she says. "You're not here to punish me?"

Now is definitely not the time to appear out of thin air.

Despite the thought, the image of herself materialising and screaming the puppy creature "I AM NOT A DEMON!" forces itself into her mind anyway. Attila struggles to suppress the snort of laughter that wells up.

The look on the puppy creature's face would be priceless.

 

[doghead]

-- double post --

 

[Electric Wizard]

"Demons?" Wing says with a chuckle. "No, little one. I may be hard on the eyes, but I am no demon, and neither is anyone else among us. We are simply weary travelers seeking rest and food."

He would have to ask more about the demons later. He did not wish to frighten the little creature further.