Stelluna pressed closer against the snowy mound she was using as cover. Atop a hill overlooking the coast, she could see that the raiders had set up a small camp outside of where they had inadvertently docked. Currently there were three lookouts, one retired to their tent while the other two were huddled around the fire. They clearly had some sort of rotation going to avoid being completely caught off guard by any sort of attack. The rest of the raiders were probably beneath the ship, hiding from the chill winds. Night was swiftly approaching and shifts would change, a perfect time to strike In the growing darkness, she waited for her two companions to arrive with growing impatience. Currently, she resisting the urge to charge in and butcher the lookout camp. If she alerted everyone now, she would either be surrounded and killed by the raiders on the ship or make it borderline impossible to enter the ship and retrieve the necklace if they set up proper defenses. Currently all she could do was fight off the cold and wait for backup to arrive. She turned around and leaned against her cover, looking away from the camp while searching the shifting shadows for any signs of movement. Speaking of keeping warm, Stelluna conjured a small, flickering flame in the palm of her hand. A stiff breeze would end its brief existence so she kept in low and safe. The little fire wasn't doing that much to stave off the cold and her discontentment grew. Nothing keeps you cozier on those frosty nights like the blood of your enemies. Sighing, she checked snuffed the flame out before making sure that her spear was ready for battle. @Ruh Murad | @Eldhi
With caution he encroached upon that alabaster mound that shielded @Stelluna from sight, the one woman fidgeted with bated breath as the cleric only imagined what thoughts flooded her mind. He had bolstered his resilience to such frigid conditions with meditation, prior to having arrived of course. Despite his misplaced style given the severity of the nipping cold, he appeared stalwart in his approach. The tall man, encompassed in a psuedo-camouflage of his own, would be a difficult sight to see off in the distance against a back splash of white, especially if the winds were to pick up a howl. The rays of the sun would wane, the last of their efforts oppressed by the spanning, mountainous range around them. An air of uncertainty perfumed his approach, unsure of whether or not his ally had spotted him in the distance as he finished his long, arduous trek through the crunching field of snow. He would crouch during those final moments, kneeling down besides his ally while she invested her efforts on shielding that capering and timid flame in her palm - it going out was bound to try her patience. While it may have not been the best approach, the cleric would settle a hand upon her stiff, frigid shoulder. "These ranges are unlike any I've encountered before. although I've prepared I'm afraid to say my fortitude will eventually wane, given how I am dressed." There was a sense of urgency in his sentence, a present desire to make this a quick venture so they may return to a more hospitable environment. He drew a sharp, almost painful breath through his white veil, opulent pools of blue assessing the field before them, carefully peaking themselves over the mound they used for both vantage and refuge. With his quick gander he could only, truly, assess they were still down an ally - though, he was confident they would arrive in due time. "Would you share with me what you've gathered?" He'd ask, the feint outline of his moving lips had been visible beneath his veil. "From the little, there do not seem to be many out there." He was clearly less insightful, having now seen the rotation as the fiery-headed woman had.
Ever since she was but a young child, Ellie loved the snow. Her mother once said how her hair was similar in shade, a straight curtain of snowy locks. The weaker sunlight during winter was preferable than the scorching rays in Summer, they didn't burn her albino skin too much. This fondness for the particular season stayed true even when she was playing her virtual persona in Terrasphere. Though her online avatar didn't share her genetic shortcomings, Eldhi still appreciated the beautiful cold snow. Well, here she was again, back in the coastal county of Dunnstads only during the height of Winter as snow blanketed the land, coating the ground in layers of white. She took a moment to appreciate the view of the horizon where land met the sea, taking a deep breath, then nodded to herself. It was time to work. She had accepted a summon to form a party, the goal was to vanquish a group of raiders who had been plaguing the coast. This atrocity must not stand, she shall be Tyl's blade, enacting righteous retribution upon the unlawful knaves. The white-haired Paladin was the last person to arrive at the rendezvous point, clad in armor with her trusty longsword strapped to her back. Her red eyes scanned over her two would-be comrades, a fiery redheaded Yladian possessing sharp gaze that could kill and a blue-eyed Cleric with his soothing presence. They were situated in an elevated position, overlooking a bunch of unsavory sorts, it was quite obvious they were the raiders. From what she could assess so far, they had a pretty balanced party. The fierce Yladian warrior could be the damage dealer, the calm robed Cleric could be their healer, while Eldhi would be the tank, enduring what the raiders would throw at the party so the former could focus on killing and the latter on supporting. "Greetings, comrades." Eldhi kept her voice down, aware of the threats down below, "I am Eldhi Arc, Paladin of Tyl, here to honor the summons of Stelluna." From the name's feminine style, she assumed it was referring to the Yladian, but she had to make sure, "May I know your names, honorable allies?" @Stelluna @Ruh Murad
The first of her companions had arrived. An ill dressed young man (@Ruh Murad), while his garb didn't look like it did much against the cold it did disguise himself quite well n the snow. He didn't look very battle hardened but appearances were often deceiving and everyone had at least one trick up their sleeve. That only left one more person to arrive, hopefully soon. Hearing his question, Stelluna replied, "Not too much to tell at the moment. Raiders set up a little lookout and the rest are underneath. Moment things start getting loud we need to get onto the ship fast before we're blocked off." After sitting in silence for a while, the second person finally arrived. A white haired, armored girl who would blend into the snow fairly well (@Eldhi). Honestly, she felt a bit left out. Her red armor and hair made her an easy target to pick out from the snow. From the look in the newcomer's eyes and how she carried herself, Stelluna had a feeling she was one of those righteous types. For honor, love and everything that's good. She didn't really have a problem with them per se as they tended to fight pretty well but they were also usually loud. Thankfully, this one had a bit more sense than the others that she had met and kept her voice down. "I'm Stelluna. Whenever you're ready to strike, give me a signal and I'll charge in. I'll let you two get acquainted but try and make it quick. It's going to be pitch black out here real soon." She had just realized that she never caught the name of her first ally. Well, she would learn it soon enough. It wasn't really that important with how distinctive they were compared to the raiders.
Ruh would blink as she presented her explanation, relieved she had been so perceptive of everything at hand. The cleric nodded, that interesting turban of his doing well to stay in place despite any movement he'd offer. His queer veil presented an element of surprise he hadn't planned for: the lack of condensation of his breath, no fog present as he spoke - there was a pang of guilt at hand, the man unsure just how long @Stelluna had been rooted in preparation for their arrival. The crunching of finely settled snow adverted his attention from crimson-tressed Yladian to a another slender form, whose shape remained womanly despite her more armored approach than the two combined. Expressive blue eyes found themselves settling on the paladin, his ears perked at the poise of @Eldhi 's speech. He was adroit an observer, suspecting her formality to a finer ability in combat. It was here that he had realized his lack of total introduction - what a disgraceful man, the cleric was. He cleared his throat, his lack of pleasantries were of another kind. "Yes, hello." The man spoke warmly,feint movements shown beneath that sandy veil of his. "I am Ruh Murad, a cleric of this realm- I'm blessed to have made your acquaintances." A tug shaped his lips into a smile that was discernible beneath the cloth. He would look to Stelluna as she spoke, noting an eagerness to encroach upon the raiders in her voice - they were working against a clock. The man found himself peaking back over the mound, sparing an assessing glance, before ducking beneath and nodding his head. "Yes, you may proceed." Ruh would speak. His sullen, blue eyes found themselves settling upon the paladin as he awaited her response. Without further observation, it was clear that the two possessed a knowledge-and ability-in combat that he sorely lacked. However, he would ensure that neither would fall on the field today - not to these marauders. There was a love he possessed for them, one that went beyond the supposed fealty of this task. On their eventual approach, he would stay close behind them.
Indeed, her assumption was correct, the redhead Yladian was Stelluna, the one who issued the summons. "Then it's an honor to meet you, Stelluna. I answered your call as it is my duty to vanquish those who disrupt peace." Eldhi put one hand diagonally across her chest as she made a knightly bow, conviction burning in her eyes. The two females might be here for different reasons but as long as Stelluna pointed her spear's tip to bandits and raiders, she was good in her book. As for the robed man in white, he introduced himself as Rah Muhrad. The man followed the noble path of a Cleric, arguably on the same degree as a Paladin, they both served the light, the difference being that clerics focused more on healing the wounded as opposed to directly engaging in the front lines. "Greetings, Rah." Eldhi returned his soothing gaze with a small smile of her own, "The blessing is mine." WIth the introduction underway, Eldhi turned at their fiery party leader, "We have the element of surprise," Eldhi added, "Let's strike swift and fast, we will catch them unaware, these scums do not deserve a formal declaration of war." The Raiders certainly didn't warn any coastal villages they raided and plundered, the group shouldn't return the same courtesy. WIth a nod, Eldhi stood up, one hand on the grip of her longsword, "I shall enter the fray by your side, Stelluna." Then at the Cleric, "I trust in your abilities to keep us safe for any unexpected hostiles. I possess the arcane art of Illumancy as well but nothing compared to yours. Still, I can assist you should you need healing of your own." They were ready, the time was right, Stelluna just needed to begin the charge. In the back of her mind, Eldhi could barely keep down her beaming grin. Just look at how cool and chivalric she was! All those time spent studying big words were worth it! Aaah, this was the life, Terrasphere was the best game ever! Period.
Hearing her party member's confirmations, Stelluna charged forwards. One of the two awake lookouts barely heard her coming in the howling wind, just starting to turn towards her before she landed her strike. The blade sunk deep into her chest, stifling whatever shouts of alarm that were building up. As she was drawing back the spear for a second strike, the other managed to back off set off the alarm. The horn he carried was incredibly loud, no doubt reaching through the wind and wood. In mere moments, the deck would be flooded with raiders and potentially blocked off. Making a split second decision, she slashed her spear against the second guard's throat before sprinting up the ramp. Not bothering to check if either was truly dead or not she hoped that her companions would be able to clean up and reinforce her. Hearing the flood of footstep was both exciting and intimidating but she had to pick her battles carefully. Instead of fighting out on the deck where she could get surrounded, she would take the fight to them in the cramped corridors of the ship, compromising her weapon's strength but nullify the raider's numbers advantage. Hopefully, she could buy enough time for @Ruh Murad and @Eldhi to deal with the remaining guard and come to reinforce her. Despite the alarm being sounded, the element of surprise was still with her as she kicked the door down and stormed into the fray.
The slender man offered the paladin a smile, only feint movements beneath his veil. It seemed that, besides disciplines, there was a manner of speaking they both approached, or so Ruh Murad had believed- however, there was a burning chivalry in her disposition that had his heart soaring. With all that aside, he would nod to the mention of her abilities. The cleric found his brow furrowing at her intensity as he lunged forward from their protective mound, hurdling up the slight slope as the warrior made little of the distance that had originally separated they two, distinct groups. At first he could do nothing but find those beryl eyes of his widening in surprise as she merciless dug her weapon into the chest of the guard, more than lively caving it in with the sheer intensity that drove it. They trembled briefly, taking in the sight until the trumpeting horn brought him back into reality. Once more, with his brow taut, he followed behind her as she made easy work out of the two posted guards - her charge seemed unstoppable. He would keep close to her, making sure to never light the warrior out of his sights while she continued tearing through their front line, her momentum seemed endless as she inadvertently gained speed as the Yladian cut and slashed through them - she was undoubtedly a virtuous in combat as she continued to make sound decisions in the heat of the moment. Each knockout-or kill-was clean, the woman never having to worry about a weapon being drawn on her. He kept his sights set on her health bar and beyond, making sure the moment they managed to overwhelm her that he could conjure aid while Eldhi came to assist. As they ran down the corridor, they would begin to move in from behind, directly in the lancer's blind spot as she was forced to handle those who approached her from ahead. He swallowed hard, turning around to prepare for the worst. Ruh Murad, albeit a devoted man more absolved in literature than combat, was capable of holding his own to a degree - a cleric had been a healer on the front line, of course. As they continued to press their advantage - or so one would assume considering Stelluna's body count, two men began to move in. The beryl-eyed cleric gulped, aware that he was at a disadvantage - he would have to let one of them strike first. Prepared, the lithe man would dodge a strike driven by a heavy sword, stepping to the side in time to avoid the strike. With his advantage in speed, Murad would turn his body counter-clockwise with his elbow up and reinforced by the rigidity of his own hand against it. He would swing in that direction, his prepared elbow catching the man off guard. In an instant, the well timed counterattack would land and cause him to stumble back. His angle left him at the advantage as he would drop down with his leg sweeping around clockwise to drop the man onto the ground. With his back to his foe a loud 'thud' would confirm the success of his attack, the man disarmed and left groaning on the ground in disbelief. The cleric hovered over him and drop to the ground once more, delivering a strike at his foes throat. This final blow, for the mean time, would be enough to incapacitate the man. Assuming he was out, Murad would quickly look back to @Stelluna and then to @Eldhi to gauge their level of danger and whether or not they needed his support - he glanced back at his downed foe, unable to deliver a killing blow.
He swore, the very gods were out of to get him. Want to prove otherwise? Then tell him why he was assigned to guard duty while the rest of the crew enjoyed their merryway, drinking or sleeping, in the ship. To make matters even worse, Gunther was with him. The scallywag useless fuck who couldn't even shoot a knave even if he was standing right in front of his eyes! Such was the predicament currently faced by Hans, one of the crew of Captain Graybeard's pirate band. He was so bored, he was willing to get an ugly landlubber wench just to keep him company. As hideous as she could be, she could turn fair enough with enough mead. The same couldn't be said for Gunther, his gut-wrenching visage stayed horrid even to the blind. "Oi, Hans, can you bring me some ale?" Gunther's raspy voice rang against Hans' eardrums, bulging a vein on the latter's forehead. The nerve of this sonuvabitch! "I'm not yer wench, ye scallywag! Get your own feckin ale!" Hans swore, he was ready to cut this bastard's throat open then blame his death on an 'assailant', oh how he wished someone would just strike him dead. ...Then the raider got what he wished for and more in the form of a charging battle-addict redheaded Yladian wielding a spear as easily as if it was a small stick. "Wha-?!" His eyes opened wide as the intruder impaled Gunther's chest. Acting on pure instinct, Hans grabbed his horn and blew as hard as he could, waking up the entire ship of the intruders. That was his very last contribution to the crew before he was slain. Rest in peace. --- "Tch..." Too fast, Stelluna was charging far too quick and reckless for Eldhi's liking. It was quite clear the redhead wasn't the type to work in a team often. Even though her player was young, it was quite obvious enough had they coordinated their assault better, the other raider wouldn't get the chance to sound the horn. Stelluna took one while Eldhi took the other at the same time, it wasn't rocket science... ha, now they had to deal with the whole ship at once. Giving a concerned look towards Ruh Murad, Eldhi shrugged in defeat then clutched her longsword tighter before she followed after Stelluna, the edge of her blade already brimming with a golden glow of Illumancy. Thus, the fight commenced in the belly of the ship, pirates after pirates came after them. Though the difference in numbers was somewhat mitigated by the cramped corridor, the sheer number of pirates was enough for some to slip through Eldhi's grasp, managing to reach the Cleric directly. Fortunately, Ruh was more than capable of handling himself as he incapacitated one pirate. While another crept up behind him, raising his cutlass, ready to gut him! "Not so fast!" Then Eldhi arrived just in time to parry his strike with her blade, disorienting the knave. Before he could recover, the Paladin already pierced her light-enchanted blade through his chest, slaying him. "Hmph... are you alright?" Eldhi gave a quick glance at the Cleric, then at the unconscious pirate at his feet, and back at Ruh. Damn, they still to get caught up with Stelluna. --- As for the redhead, her roaring rampage would soon come to a halt as she heard heavy footsteps thudding close by. "Arr! What manner of knaves dare to come here? Hmmm... Me be smelling a filthy Elf!" Turning on the corridor, escorted by a few veteran-looking pirates, the captain himself made his appearance. Hidden: Graybeard A large burly pirate with a mohawk and magnificent beard that served as his namesake. Graybeard's scarred face scowled as he scrutinized Stelluna's form, "Ye shouldn't hav' come 'ere, Elf wench!" He growled as he readied his cutlass and portable mini-cannon, "Me, Graybeard, shall be yer end!" Hidden: Music
Most of the raiders she fought were fairly well trained but lacked a particular drive in battle. They probably used their looks and intimidation more often rather than violence, to minimize risks. She cut most of them with down with ease but came to a grinding halt with Graybeard's proclamation. She wasn't sure what exactly was in his offhand but it couldn't have been good as she quickly grabbed a fallen body and threw it at the group. The captain took aim with his device and blasted it apart, staining the bloody ground even more. Well, she definitely couldn't take on the captain and his merry band of marauders all at once, luckily she had backup in the form of @Ruh Murad and @Eldhi. Seeing that she had left a few stragglers behind, it was time for to break their morale. At least one of her allies were hurt, she'd taken a few glancing blows but nothing serious. The less things to worry about in the fight ahead, the better. Although she had been trying to practice, she had to sacrifice either power or control with her fire magic. Seeing that one of the raiders had been knocked out she dashed over. Giving the unconscious man a quick slap or two to wake him up before impaling him on her spear. Before he could truly register what was going on, she laid a hand on his throat and tried to conjure as much fire as she could. The flames ate away at both of their flesh and she could only hold it for a few brief seconds before the pain became overwhelming. There wasn't a scream so much as choked gurgling. Stelluna kicked the man off her spear and glared at the rest of the raiders, practically daring them to continue fighting back. Most of the raiders broke rank and ran deeper into the ship, no doubt to try and hide. Stelluna looked at her hand, blackened and charred from the flames. She was going to regret this in the coming weeks, she was sure. She was also sure that the captain was approaching quickly, maybe rallying a few of the raiders into fighting again and she would have to battle it out practically one handed. Well, she'd been through worse odds.
The cleric jerked towards the paladin as she asked him a question, his chest visibly heaving as his heart pounded - he hadn't expected to handle that so well. His eyes shifted between the paladin and her holy weapon to the motionless corpse on the ground, a strewn cutlass at his side. "Yes." He spoke shortly - he felt a sense of debt well in his belly. The man nodded as he found the rest of his frame turning in the wake of the pirate captain, the burly-and well named-man-coming upon the trio with an anger in his voice, his words vile as they were directed towards their red-headed companion. His appearance was a brutish as the voice behind it, coarse and unrefined. The Captain stood as tall as a mountain, a curious device clenched in his hands. Nothing prepared him for the next display. The cleric watched, almost in horror, as Stelluna aimed to shatter morale, her acts more vile than he could comprehend as those expressive eyes widened in shock and dismay, unprepared for what he would see next. Through a curious use of her magic she lit the deadman aflame, having skewered him on her lance only moments before. Along with the pluming smoke came a horrific smell, the vile and odorous cloud of gray set a haze that muddied their sights in the battlefield. The consternation of it threatened to seize his beating heart - he hadn't hated her for it, but he held a love even for his foes. There was nothing to do about it now, sparing the paladin a troubled look before settling his sights on Graybeard who roared something unintelligible in return. He was quick to swing open his interface, deftly slipping through menus as he sought out his healing spell. In moments a cool, mint cloud found itself settling upon Stelluna to bolster her health. The fog that enveloped her, filling her lungs and healing her skin, glimmered with a queer light - there was no telling if it had been enough to repair her blackened and seared flesh. Graybeard rose his cutlass high as he bellowed another mighty shout, but his voice wasn't enough to rally but a few men back to his ranks as he began his approach. Each heavy, weighted step threatened to take out the floor beneath them, the wood creaking beneath the blend of his mighty weight and rage. He was by no means fast, but offered a mighty swing when he reared back his cutlass and let it loose. Another two men raiders would advanced forward, pushing past Stelluna as they aimed for Eldhi and Ruh. This opulent pools of his found themselves settling on Eldhi's own as he nodded to her, stepping back to allow her the floor. Unless it was necessary, he would stay back and provide the support now. There was no telling the damage each one of those swings would do and they were doomed if she found herself overwhelmed.
Graybeard had to admit, the redheaded spearwoman Elf had some brain in her, using her damned fire magic to scare off his crew. "Arrr! Come back her' ye scurvy knaves!" Graybeard bellowed to rally his crew, partly succeeding, well that just meant the captain knew whose cowardly ass he'd throw overboard later! For now, he had three weevils to squash! "Get 'em, boys!" With a thrust of his massive cutlass, he and along with the pirates attacked! --- "By the Gods..." Holy God of Justice, of course, a pirate band wouldn't be complete without a brutish mountain of a captain that shook the ground with each step. Granted, it made sense considering they were a group of anarchist criminals, they needed a strong iron-handed figure to even bring some form of order to the chaotic lot. Even though Stelluna scared a good number of them, her methods didn't sit right with the Paladin but there was no time to debate right now, the Captain and his veteran guards were still very much a threat. "Oh, Hallowed Tyl, Bless us in our ordeal!" Eldhi cast a protective barrier on @Stelluna , she'd need it if she was going to face the behemoth. After that, she stood close to @Ruh Murad , slightly in front of him, bracing herself as Graybeard's guards engaged them. "Arrr!" "Yarrr!" "Hyah!" Blades clashed and sparks as Eldhi's longsword made contact with one of the pirates, she kicked him away then narrowly evaded a neck-height swing of the other guard. These particular two pirates were different from the guards outside and what Stelluna plowed through, they were experienced and two of them were more than enough to keep Eldhi busy, unable to assist Stelluna. "Blinding Light!" Eldhi thrusted her left palm, briefly flashing the aptly-named light, stunning the two pirates. She took the moment to launch an overhead cleave at one but he managed to recover just in time, moving his blade horizontally above, blocking the Paladin's strike. Locked in a battle for dominance, the white-haired Knight could only grit her teeth as the other raider made a beeline to the Cleric, apparently smart enough to notice how pesky he would be if left alone. --- As for Stelluna, "Face me, wench!" she'd find the Captain aiming his mini-cannon at her, launching yet another fireball. "Harrr!" Relentless, Graybeard followed up with a mighty charge, barreling straight towards her in a rush that'd snap bones like flimsy twigs.
Stelluna felt some sort of magic start to rejuvenate her. She made a note to thank whoever did that later, it definitely took the edge off. While her hand was still damaged, it would be functional enough for her to fight. Seeing Graybread fire another shot at her, she dodged to the side. As she was struggling onto her feet, the captain slammed into her. She was sent flying against the wall, hissing in pain due to the impact. She just barely managed to bring her spear up to parry the captain's follow up attack, sending him off balance. She replied with smashing the butt of her spear into the side of his head. The captain was sent reeling but before she could follow up, one of the rallied raiders charged her. She ducked the strike and before the raider could pull out his blade, she elbowed him in the gut before driving her spear into his chin, point sticking out the back of his neck. Before she could react, a heavy cutlass swing cleaved the man's skull. Graybeard had finished off his own crew member in an attempt to kill Stelluna. Stelluna pushed the corpse and the captain off before fully standing up, prepared to respond to the captain's next move. She spotted Graybeard tinkering with his device, no doubt preparing to fire again. Deciding that waiting around to be shot wasn't very smart, she charged forwards. The captain sidestepped the attack before knocking Stelluna down with a sweep of his feet. Stelluna rolled out of the way of his stomp before tackling him to the ground. She got a few swings in before the captain pushed her off. In the scramble to regain their footing, the captain had gotten a hold of his beloved hand cannon. The situation was not looking good for her. She had barely done damage to him while the battle and clearly taken its toll on her. She needed to find a way to end the battle quick. Seeing the captain take his eyes off her for a moment, she decided to take advantage of the opportunity. The captain, anticipating this, took aim with his weapon and fired. Luckily, it was a fickle device and the had damaged it. Instead of firing a solid blast, the attack's power was scattered. Stelluna felt a sharp, searing pain in her body as the shot connected but managed to continue her strike. The spear's blade buried itself between Graybeard's eyes and he sank to the ground like a stone. She felt relief and a tinge of sadness, he was one of the toughest opponents she faced. Still, she came here for a job. Drawing back her spear, Stelluna gently unhooked a distinctive ivory necklace that matched the noble's description. Looking down to inspect the damage done, she found her armor torn and blood and parts of her flesh was burnt from the blast. She would definitely need a healer after this. Rising up, she looked around to see if @Ruh Murad and @Eldhi had managed to finish off the rest of the crew. If not... well, perhaps another demonstration was in order.
The Cleric would find this is greatest challenge yet, constantly finding his focus shifting between the two of the as their separate battles raged on. The turban-clad support was quick with casting his heals, preemptively sending them off to keep his party topped off - healing the lancer had been especially difficult as her health capered wildly, her bar dipping between green and rid more often than not as she shouldered blow after blow in each of their exchanges, although Graybeard seemed to have the upper hand in both raw strength and health. As @Stelluna took it upon herself to dominate the threat levels of the captain, Ruh found himself stepping back as @Eldhi stood as his sword and shield. The woman braved herself against their foes, her holy blade poised for action as a counter-swing caught the blade coming at her. Despite their cunning, the mighty paladin wouldn't allow herself to be bested in combat - not here. In a silencing blow, she reared the tip of her mighty blade onto the heavens, raining it down on her foe with mighty. Alas, the man roused his spirits and caught it before it was over. At this point, the lancer had finished off the pirate captain. He sunk onto his knees as all consciousness fled him, his eyes rolling into the back of his head as his jaw went slack. He fell to the side with a loud thud, the room shook and trembled in response to his body weight. By this time, the Cleric found himself facing against an opponent of his own, the man rushing to the unguarded healer. His steady walk broke into a run and then a lunge as he stepped forward and swung his blade across Ruh Murad's chest. Until now, he had been successful in evading these attacks, countering with his own - but that single moment where he had been off guard threatened to end him. "Tch!" The stifled noise flew from between gritted teeth as he jumped back, narrowly avoiding his disembowelment. However, he did not leave it unscathed as his eyes widened briefly to the sight of his own blood let loose, a cut across his chest - his slashing weapon had been enough to tear through the boar-hide of his chest piece. He staggered back, his hand touching his chest as he felt out that searing pain, his wound feeling drowned in fire as it was exposed to the air. The raider who had cut him wasn't done yet as a snicker fled him, walking towards the Cleric with a malicious intent in his coal eyes. He glowered, his teeth gritting beneath his sandy veil as he continued to step back. A vertical cut roared as it missed him, managing to move out of the way once more - but how much luck would he have left? He fumed, ill-positioned and incapable of checking on his allies. He hoped Eldhi had emerged victorious in her war of will. There was no doubt that she had - she had the lancer on her side, who had already won!
"Hmph!" In the end, the power struggle couldn't go on forever, someone had to give way eventually. Fortune favored the Paladin that day as Eldhi won the tug of war, staggering the pirate back. The white-haired swordswoman took the chance to make a powerful swing right at his neck, her light-edged blade decapitated the raider's head clean off his shoulders. Blood spurt, staining the wooden wall red. However, this wasn't over yet! Quickly turning around, it came to Eldhi's attention that the other pirate had managed to wound the Cleric, a red gash on his chest. Regretting that she couldn't assist him sooner, Eldhi was determined to not let the situation worsen as she launched herself at the last remaining pirate. "Haaaah!" She struck at him from behind while he was busy focusing on Ruh. Her strike came swift... Meanwhile, Graybeard fought with all his might, he fought, he battled, he gave everything he had to defeat the intruders. However, it wasn't enough, the mighty captain voyage ended as Stelluna's spear impaled him. His massive body sunk hard, crashing against the wooden floor as his form was drenched in crimson. ...and that was done, with stab going through his back, the last pirate was no more. With their Captain and his guards slain, the rest of the crew had no more reason to stay at they all abandoned ship, leaving the vessel for the nearby shoreline, giving the three adventurers a breathing room. "We... we did it!" The white-haired Paladin sighed in relief as she knelt beside Ruh, laying her hand on his wound as she chanted a simple healing spell, gradually closing his wound, leaving only a slightly reddened skin on where the gash used to be. That done, she stood up, observing her surroundings for a moment. For all it was worth, the Quest was over. Now they just had to turn it in. While gold was nice, Eldhi was satisfied with the fact that Justice was done. The ever-vigilant watch of Tyl shan't be hindered even by cold winds and snow. "Well then, shall we return?" @Stelluna @Ruh Murad
