Private - Witch Ops Initiation | Page 4

There it is again... What is that?

The slithering that Iván had been hearing since they encountered the pompous owl was getting louder by the minute. He wondered if he was just hearing things. The others seemed like they weren't too bothered by it, if they were even hearing the damned noise. It wasn't just in front them, though, or beside them, or even behind them. The slithering seemed to be all over them, all around the group, as if a giant python was about to envelope and strangle them. "Like mice to slaughter."

Iván tried his best to maintain his focus on the direction the majority had decided to pursue, but as the slithering also got faster as it got louder, he couldn't help himself. Instinctively, he shone his lantern's light in the direction he most recently heard the rustling but whatever it was, it was quicker than him, than his light. Iván did not see enough of it to make out its identity but he saw enough to realize something was really out there.

"Did anyone else see that?" he blurted out almost immediately, keeping the light to where the creature had been, almost at the same time as @Janet Reilly's high-pitched scream slithered out of her mouth. Whatever it was, the creature seemed to be avoiding the light. Perhaps to keep itself hidden. The art of a surprise attack, maybe? He turned to their best fighters, the people who outwardly looked like they could defend the rest. If he hadn't had his goggles on, they'd see uncertainty in his eyes. "There's something else out here."

 

As they walked, it was clear that there was something out there. But it wasn't responding well to Ivan's light. So Emerath thought about it for a moment, and came up with a plan. He moved closer to Ivan, and whispered in the man's ear, "I have a plan. You shine the light one way. I'll go the opposite direction, and we'll circle around and try to force it between our beams. If we plan it right, we can catch the creature. I'll have a spell readied to throw lightning at it as soon as we catch it under the light."

He didn't want to say it out loud, as he wasn't sure if the creatures understood their language. Emerath wasn't sure what was up and what was down in this stupid forest. But that didn't mean that strategy went completely out the window. So Emerath wrote in the air, with his ring, and closed his fist to hold the spell in the air. The runes floating in the air glowed with a soft blue light, as Emerath whispered to Ivan, "On three. One.... two... three!"

And so Emerath would spin his light, searching for the creature, while presumably Ivan did the same but the other direction, hoping to capture the creature in the light.

 

"I saw it!" The blonde knight immediately activated her investigation mode to scan the surroundings. She tried to keep track the slithering creature to no avail, but it did leave some kind of a corrosive substance though. The investigatory sense cannot pick up anything more than that, though there could be more than one of those creature ready to jump at them. The problem is they don't really know if the creatures are really hostile or not. "Do not attack first unless attacked." She advised, because provoking the whole forest would send the trial to chaos.

As Emerath conducted a plan with Ivan, Corvella stood to cover the direction of their backs. "Make a circle." The creatures move in the dark so it would make sense if they would jump when it's hidden by the darkness, out of the lanterns' reach. Illusion spell is meaningless when she don't even know what she face. "They might try go for the lanterns... Keep it safe." Still on investigation mode, Corvella opened her eyes wide towards the darkest angle. Fastening her grip and her leg stance, the knight readied to bash if anything tries something funny and jumped on the team.

 

As they were moving closer towards the house of the owl as it seemed, they were met again by another wall of plants. He then waited for Emerath to come and say the incantation again while studying more about the phenomenon of these plants. They seemed spooky enough as they seemed they were trying to push them away, but more than that, it was nothing. It seemed that it did not respond to his white magic as he tried to point the glaring light originating fron his rosary towards its direction. So it was not an undead phenomenon that was causing the uneasy feeling. But he could not quite pinpoint what had originated that kind of feeling.

He then waited for Emerath to come to work his magic on the map again so that he could let it touch the plants to show them their way, but he was not coming. He then said, "Hey Emerath, I need that incantation again. Or is it permanent?" Testing the second theory, he then let the map touch the plants again. The plants responded as they showed the path again. "All right, seems it is a permanent affair. All right, let's go." He then was about to walk, but it seemed that all other people were not responding. He then turned around, and he saw the two lantern holders trying to search for something. At one time, they managed to illuminate a puddle of a black substance. So that slithering sound was that of some monster. He then moved backward, and then said, "What about I try to illuminate the whole place for a short time with a quite strong light? That way we could see what was slithering close to us. But on another note, we should do a formation right now so that we could fight that monster or monsters effectively. I would really hope it is an undead one, so that my white magic would have a greater effect." He then rolled his eyes at every direction, so that he would not miss everything happening around him. Whatever that monster or monsters was or were, they were very agile ones as they managed to evade detection by the two lantern holders really fast. Only that black substance was an evidence of those monsters, that they were somewhere around them. They should be really ready for a surprise attack, since they by all means would do that.

 

Witch Ops Initiation Trial Part 3.5.2: The King Slime

Hidden: 3.5 Thread Rules and Notes

• Two posts, 600 words Maximum.
• Post limits are now reset.
• You, the player, should probably come up with your Witch Opp Codename.
• Things will begin happening a little quicker now.

Emerath's plan had worked. As he and Ivan started at one end, the creatures black tendrils reeled from each beam of light eventually into a central point. Now that the creature had been pinned into a point, the adventurers saw what it was that had been hunting them.

Towering at around nine feet tall the creature looked like a disgustingly gelatinous mound of purple oozing slime. Visually, the thing looked as if it would be right at home in the vilest, most disgusting place imaginable. With the lanterns shining through it, it's semi-transparent insides were on full display. Inside the monster, a quick eye could discern a large collection of bones that looked to be from a variety of forest creatures, a human-looking skull, and a whole squirrel that was slowly being digested. Great bubbles of gas slowly took form inside the creature then slowly gurgled out to the surface. Strangely, though from the looks of it one would think the creature would smell like microwaved filth, it gave off no scent. This was probably so it wouldn't give itself up when forest animals. Though heinous, as it was a natural biological monstrosity, Bradwynne's holy light had no effect on it. Unfortunately, the creature seemed to lack a brain so any attempts at taming or reasoning would have been pointless.

Now that the creature had been revealed it made a painful sounding grown, melted itself down to ground level, and quickly ducked behind a tree shielding itself from the light. For a moment, it seemed as if the monster had been defeated and would leave the party alone. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Releasing a low guttural roar, it could be gathered that the slime seemed to be very, very angry.

Around the party could be heard large tendrils moving fast, like snakes barreling through the foliage and punching through the trees. Thankfully, the thick forest seemed to be slowing the slimes powerfully engorged tentacles. Also, the creature now seemed to be ignoring any discomfort it felt from being exposed with the lanterns. Though it obviously didn't like being revealed, it would seem that lanterns and light did not actually harm the creature.

The party had a few options, but as the slime was essentially charging them through the entangled woods they would need to decide on their next course of action quickly.

Hidden: Suggested Options

The first option would be, of course, to try and fight the creature. If one of the adventurers new anything about science, they could gather that the slime would probably be susceptible to either cold or heat due to its gelatinous makeup. Common sense would dictate that physical attacks would be useless as the slime would probably absorb the force of the blow along with the weapon and the wielder.

Beyond that, as the creature was already being slowed due to the foliage, naturmancy could world to further slow the monster. Arcane magic might work at blowing the slime into more manageable chunks, but theoretically, the monster could just reform. The same could be said about attempting to disperse the slime with wind, and truthfully, there would be no telling if smaller chunks would actually be easier to defeat then the whole. Electricity would probably not be very effective, but it might do something. Geomancy might be useful at trapping it for a time. It is unknown how the creature hunts, so illusions may or may not be a viable option. Harmonic magic could do something if the sound waves resonated with slime's bodily makeup. It is unknown how black magic would fare against the beast.

Alternatively, the group could choose to simply run while following the trail the map reveals. Physical blows could hack or crush the forest quickly in the direction the map leads instead of waiting for the woods to part. Using this tactic, the adventuring party could probably move through the woods faster than the monster and outrun it. This would be extremely tiring though for anyone physically hacking away at the forest.

The final option would be a mix. More physical adventurers and the map wielder could hack to move through the forest, while anyone with magic or ranged attack could attempt to defend the party from any tendrils that came within striking range as they unit kept on the move.

If the map-bearer checked their map, they would notice that they weren't too much further from their destination.

@Nom Nom @Janet Reilly @Emerath Katou @Iván Carl @Corvella @Freja Sitka @Haru @Bradwynne

 

As the others had led along the bits and pieces of the creature into a glowing corner, Haru had been spending his time well to write up the ropes to tie it up. The spell's formula, written in light, glows in the air as Haru prepares to simply chuck it across the grass. He does, of course, and vines almost immediately entomb the slime as soon as it forms. It almost felt cheap, were it not for how it immediately began reminding him of something frying in a hot fan from the sizzling and smoke. So that's what he'd been hearing the whole time, huh..?

This was something he let his comrades know as soon as he could. "You all hear that crackling? See that smoke? It's corrosive, and I can't hold it off forever. Hurry..!" Try as he might to add new layers to the prison of grass, it was useless the moment the thing decided to move in any direction. He could only keep it stuck in there for a little bit more time, and hope that someone smarter knew how to deal with something made of a composition like this creature. It's a good thing he already found that he could trust these people; he wouldn't know what to do with all the stress if he couldn't.

 

If she’d squealed before, this time Janet made sure to inhale fully before she screamed. It was a girlish, maidenly scream; the kind that heroic men go running through the woods to find damsels in distress after hearing. Janet was distressed. She pointed at the slime, finger trembling with indignation as much as fear. “It’s disgusting!” she shrieked. She wished she hadn’t told the two men to shine their lights on it, she’d been much more comfortable when she’d just thought it was a wolf or a robber stalking them. There was nothing in her repertoire of dangers, either in the countryside or in the city, that prepared the girl’s mind for the gelatinous, animated mass. It was beyond PG-13. Janet was slapping an R rating on this heinous freak to warn parents everywhere that this… this jiggling, bone-filled pudding was far too graphic for… well, for whatever this was! She could only hope Nom Nom was covering her eyes like a good girl!

Haru was the first to act—the man threw down a bulb of light that seemed to burst into greenery, entwining the purple gloop. I didn’t even know that was possible, Janet thought, amazed and impressed by the white-haired man’s wisdom yet again. She suddenly wished she’d prepared something similar. If only she had seeds, or could think of something to grow—but her mind was filled with graphic images of half-digested skeletons and parental guidance warnings with “strong advisory” written above them in capital letters.

At least I can keep channeling magic into those ones, Janet thought suddenly, and threw her hands out to do so. The grass-and-vine prison Haru had used to bind the monster held fast. The brunette might have lacked the power and energy to create them on her own, but she could maintain the spell the other mage had cast. Even more so—Janet closed her eyes and focused on the roots, twining and burrowing deep into the ground, tangling with one another in a forest of veins beneath the sod. She knew how hard it was to dig out weeds once they'd taken root—this slime wasn’t going anywhere soon. “Run!” she shrieked, but she didn’t know where. It wasn’t like she could make the trees and bushes just move.

 

If Iván hadn't been wearing a hood, or an exaggerated turtleneck, or dark-tinted goggles, then anyone close to him might've seen him grimace at the sight of the giant purple toilet water that was apparently the monster under their bed, so to speak. Fortunately for Iván, his face was not only obscured by the natural shadows but also by the many pieces of clothing he liked to wear to keep his so-called air of mystery. He wished he had more clothing, not for himself but to donate to the slime creature so that he wouldn't have to look at it. In theory, slime monsters weren't that disgusting. They were basically just goop of slime, after all. This one, however, Iván could see bones inside it through its semi-transparent body. The bubbling gas that came up from inside it didn't help.

Iván could almost throw up, but he didn't want anyone to see any sign of weakness from him, so he didn't. He maintained his composure. Like a robot. But deep inside, he was ready to puke all over the closest person to him. "Oh," he deadpanned, swallowing back what could have been his dinner. "It's melting...?"

Technically, it did, though it was more of a conscious effort than the effect of Bradwynne's holy light spell. It was perhaps how slime creatures moved. That would explain the slithering. Iván grimaced at the thought. "I think it's angry," he continued, before noting that things were starting to sound more hostile now. "It's still slime, isn't it? With a gelatinous make-up? Extreme cold or heat should be able to affect it. My illusions, on the other hand, won't. Not sure if the creature has that complicated of a brain. My hammer won't be any help as well. It could just reform itself against every physical blow. Like slime." He turned to @Emerath Katou, wondering if the smarter man had anything else to add.

If everyone chooses to run, though, he would run with them. If they chose to fight, however, hopefully someone else had enough firepower to handle the creature. Iván wasn't going to be much help against it. Not with his hammer or his illusions. The fact that he was one of the lantern-bearers added to his inefficiency in the possible battle.

 

As quick as the creature revealed itself Corvella shrieked and jumped backwards, quickly hiding before two shoulders of @Iván Carl and @Emerath Katou, the lanternbearers. She knew that she was the one with the shield and supposed to be in the front, but this gigantic slimey creature and everything inside of it are just downright disgusting, mainly the squirrel being slowly digested alive there. She had never seen a corrosive slime, let alone gigantic one. Her shield and armor probably could be melted in seconds, but she still need to protect the defenseless.

Ignoring her fear of the disgusting purple ooze, Corvella stepped to the foremost while the others kept the slime from moving using vines, albeit temporarily before it melts all of the plants. The blonde wielded her shield and held it high enough to cover people behind her, in case the slime decided to spray itself or explode. The masked tinkerer pointed out that it's still a slime, so it would not stand extreme temperature. That's it!

"Hey! I remember you guys brought vegetable oils? Fire bombs will make it complete." She looked back and directed her question to @Iván Carl who played with explosives in the talent show and also @Emerath Katou. "Might need to measure it just right so it won't burn the whole forest. I'll shield you guys in the meantime." She would just run with the other, but there's no guarantee that this thing is slower than they are. Might as well just end it and its predatory ways in this place.

 

Bradwynne had just expected that the thing that was chasing them had something to do with the black puddle that they had found, as he just saw the slime as the two lantern-bearers just revealed it before their eyes. But it was completely different from the slimes that he had battled with. This black one seemed more menacing as he could see bones of animals and creatures within it, and a squirrel was being melted alive as it was still struggling, suggesting its acidic nature. It seemed that the monster slime came straight from an animated horror movie. He knew that cutting them with his sword would never have an effect on it, and could even corrode his sword on contact. And, as he tried his white magic, it did not work even though it had a menacing nature. It should mean the slime was still a natural one, and Bradwynne could do nothing about it. He felt guilty about doing nothing for his comrades, and so he then thought of what to do. So far the forest was leading them along the directions specified in the map, and so he decided on a drastic move. He then shut off the light of his rosary, and then, placing the map on his left elbow, he then chanted a Hebrew incantation, while drawing the sword in his left hand. After the incantation, the sword in his hand glowed, and as he returned the map on his left hand, he then said, "Guys and gals, I think we are near to the residence of that insulting owl. The path we are taking now corresponded with the directions in the map, and if I am not wrong, we are here," He then adjusted his grip on the map to point at one spot on the path. Indeed they were near to that owl. "I will try to clear the way to the house of the owl, so if you shall find trouble in fighting the slime, you will have the escape option that will lead us in completing our quest. The plants and vines are not that thick in my estimation, so I can cut them in one fell swoop with my sword endowed with the power of Michael. Well then I shall go. And by the way," He then moved forward, and faced the party, striking a pose with the blunt part of the shining katana resting on his nape like a cheerful ronin, he then said, "You can call me the Sword Priest." He then started to run towards the path closer to the house of the owl.

He then encountered the wall of plants and vines again as he was trudging along the direction of the map, the light of his sword serving as his light to move forward. He then used his katana to slice the plants towards his right, and then jumped towards a bordering tree and vaulted himself diagonally upward, slashing the vines at the top like a ninja. He then landed himself on another tree and vaulted diagonally downward, slashing the plants until he had landed, completing the entrance towards the residence of the owl, like an eye. Landing safely from the slashes, he then ran towards the path, and if he would encounter the plant and vine blockage again, he would do the same thing.

 

Iván was caught surprised by @Corvella's suggestion. He was even more surprised by the fact that he forgot that he did have an explosive with him. Well, he had only a few left. He had more confidence in his illusion magic than in his skills with tinkering. He was still trying to learn from @Emerath Katou and Lightning Ironworks, after all.

He took out the remaining explosives he had with him and showed them all to Emerath, "Here are what I have left. I'm sure you could make a better, more efficient concoction than me, should we choose to follow the suggestion."

Before he could say anything else, his attention was caught by @Bradwynne. He listened intently to what he was saying. A grin formed on his face when he heard him call himself by something else. Sword Priest? That's interesting.

If they were doing other names, then Iván would choose Bound Prince for himself. He didn't exactly remember where he got it, but it does sound appropriate, considering how he was bound by mystery through the many wrappings he chose to hide himself with.

 

Witch Ops Initiation Trial Part 3.5.3: You Gotta Throw The Bomb For It To Work (An Owl's Taunting)

Hidden: 3.5 Thread Rules and Notes

• Two posts, 600 words Maximum.
• Post limits are now reset.
• You, the player, should probably come up with your Witch Opp Codename.
• Things will begin happening a little quicker now.

The King Slime groaned in anger as more and more vines and foliage rose and entangled to bar its way. Lashing through the ever-increasing density seemed fruitless. Finally, the monster abandoned its attempts at tearing down the forest and began to push itself through. Like Jelly being slowly pushed through a mesh, the monster began to force itself through the vegetation. As it slowly moved forward, the branches, vines, and leaves began to smoke as the acid-body of the slime began to digest and disintegrate the plants it came into contact with.

As the slime began to push harder and pick up speed, the adventurers seemed unsure of what to do. As one of the members had smartly mentioned, fire would probably work on the monster. Though none of the group used pyromancy, it seemed that at least one of them did have incendiary bombs. As he mentioned this, it seemed that @Emerath Katou was stricken with a loss after seeing the beast that had risen against them. Was it fear? Shock? Or perhaps the silence of a man using the full extent of his mental prowess to devise any number of schemes to down the beast? In any case, as @Iván Carl called out, his fellow tinkerer failed to act or reply. The same could be said of the powerhouse axe-wielder @Freja Sitka who was also failed to act or respond to the menace.

Hidden: Bradwynne

@Bradwynne , on the other hand, had decided on another option. Using his sword imbued with holy power and amazingly agile maneuvers, he attempted to rush the owl's tree. Vines laced with thorns grew to meet him as he moved through the branches like a wraith. Even as he did, the path began to grow more and more difficult. It would seem that the map's power over the forest was growing weaker. The bark, vines, and leaves would no longer part as they did previously when he held the map near. The further forward he moved, the map seemingly lost more and more control over the forest. Even so, Bradwynne moved onwards. Slashing, twisting, and dodging through obstacles as the forest now actively rose to impede him. Ever onwards, thorned vines grasping at his extremities, branches bending themselves to block him, tree limbs moving to shake his footing, but still onwards he charged.

Now he was so close, taking a quick glimpse at the map would have revealed he was within a stone's throw. Rushing hard in what would have surely been an incredible display of athletic prowess fit for a five-star action film, Bradwynne made it to the edge. Only a few more steps and he would be in the clear. The challenge would be over, the party would win. Step by step at a blazing speed he surged forward. Closer... closer... until finally...

A wall of vaguely luminescent, transparent viridian energy appeared in front of him. Through the wall, the owl's tree could be seen. It was so close...

Physically or magically hitting the wall would cause the wall to shimmer revealing itself as a domed barrier around the forest clearing that housed the owl's tree. Unfortunately, even if he slashed, or cast even his strongest spell, the wall would hold. Looking back, Bradwynne would have noticed that unlike what he thought would happen, the forest had been actively closing behind him. It also seemed that no one had attempted to follow him. As his exit path closed and the forest vines quickly crept towards him, a familiar sound echoed through the woods.

"CAWWWW, CA-CAWWWW! CAW. CAW CAW, CAW CAW CAWWWW! Caw, caw caw. CAW! CAWWWWWWWW CAW-CAW-CAW-CAW-CAWWW-CAW. CA CA CAWWW! CAWW! CACACAWWWWWWW! CAW. CAW. CAW. cAW. Caw. ca-caw."

Though The Cawing Owl of Brisshal's voice rang clear, it was impossible to tell where exactly the voice was coming from. Unfortunately, with the foliage, it was difficult to tell if he was actually nearby at all.

"Hoo-hoo! Ohhhh deary. It would seem that thou hast forgotten the point of this little exercise, hast thou not? Pardon, I was practicing my most eloquent style of speech for the play I'm writing... it will be quite the sublime masterpiece. You never did end up calling your mummy, did you? Ahh... such an insolent little child. Well, it is of no consequence, but as I am your extraordinarily adept proctor, I suppose I should explain the folly of your gross error, child."

The owl let out a sigh, which was strange because it was an owl and whether or not owls could sigh was questionable at best.

"Caww. Caw caw caw. CawwwWww. CaWW. cAWW ca-cawwwW. CaWW CAW CAAAW CAAAAWWWW CA-CA-CA-CAWWWWWW. CAWWWWW. caw caw caw cAAAWWWW. CAW CAW Caw. CAWWWW. Caw, caw caw caw CAWWWWW. Caw. Caww. Caw caw caw. CawwwWww. CaWW. cAWW ca-cawwwW. CaWW CAW CAAAW CAAAAWWWW CA-CA-CA-CAWWWW. CAWW. caW caW Caw cAAWWW. CAW CaW Caw. CAWWWW. Caw, caw caw caw CAWWWWW. Caw."

"Unfortunately, it would seem you have forgotten the Grand Witch's words prior to your departure. Very well, though an incredibly exasperating duty, I shall recite her declaration verbatim that you may attempt to remedy your situation."

"Cawwwww. Caw caw Caw-caw-CAW."

"And I quote..."

"CAWw. Caw cawwww cawWWW. CaWw. CawWwW. cCAAAAWW ca-caW. CaWW-Caw CAaaW CaAWWWW Ca-Ca-CAwwwwWW. CAwWwWW. Caw-cAW-caw cAW. CAw caw Caw. CAWwwWW. Caw, cawww caw-caw cawwww. CAWWWWW. CaW. Caw. Caw-caw caw. CaWww. CaWW. cAWW ca-cawW. CaWW CAW-CAAW CAW CA-CA-CA-CAWWW. CAWW. caW caW Caw cAAWWW. CAW CaW Caw. CAWWWW. Caw, CAW caw cAW CAWW. Cawwww.

'This quest will require all of you to work together as a team! Hehe, you will pass together or fail together! Don't forget, Witch Ops is a unit! A team! Hehehe and a team must be stronger than its individual members! Hehehe!'

Caw, CAW caw cAW CAWW. Cawwww. CAWWWW, CA-CAWWWW! CAW. CAW CAW, CAW CAW CAWWWW! Caw, caw caw. CAW! CAWWWWWW CAWwwww-CAwW-CAW-CAWw-CAWww-CAW. CAwWW. Caw-cAW-caw cAW. CAw caw Caw. CAWwwWW. Caw, cawww caw-caw cCAAAAWW ca-caW. CaWW-Caw CAaaW CaAWWWW Ca-Ca-CAwwwwWW. CAwWwWW. Caw-cAW-caw cAW."

"Now then, obviously it would seem that rushing ahead alone is not an extravagantly intelligent way of excelling in this exam. I suppose by now you've realized it takes the entiiiiiire group to pass through the field? Well? Feel like mud now? Did you leave the rest of your party to deal with the beasty, little one? Are they even still alive? Will they forgive you for abandoning them? Hoo-hoo-hoot? And what now? Will you turn back? It wassssss quite the display watching you maneuver through the forest with suuuuch gusto. But now will you have the energy to move back? Orrrr will you simply stay here alone? Hoo-hoo-hoot. I will admit... this has so far been quite the enthralling little challenge I have set up."

"CAW!"

And with that, the owl was gone leaving Bradwynne to ponder his next course of action.

The King Slime was now pouring itself through the gaps in the vines, trees, and limbs. Fire could still be used, but as it had dispersed from its larger towering form into thinner and more watery consistency, the flames would probably be must less effective unless used in a very broad area all at once. If any fire touched the slime in any one particular area of its body, it could now bud its thinner self off leaving the immolated portion behind. This thinner form, while much weaker than congealed structure, was now much faster than before. Thankfully, with this thinner form, the King Slime's tendrils were now too thin to grasp at anything. Even so, the thin ooze was still every bit as acidic. As such, the slime could surely still melt flesh if it made contact, though thanks to its now more watery consistency, metals, as could be found in armors and weapons, would now fair much better if they happened to make contact.

As the slime crept towards the party at a steady pace, the forest that was previously being held at bay by the map, now began to close around them with the map-bearer gone. The path cut by Bradwynne had filled in rapidly as he moved away from the group. To add insult to injury, a familiar voice now also reverberated through the woods.

"CAW-CAWw-CAWww-CAW. CAW CaW Caw. CAWWWW. Caw, CAW caw cAW CAWW. Cawwww. CAWWWWW. Caw. Caww. CAw cAw caW. CaWw. CawW. CAW ca-cawwwW. CaWW-CAW CAAAW-CAAW CA-CA-CA-CAWW."

"Oh, how dreadful. Quite the conundrum you've found yourselves in. Hoo-hooot!"

@Nom Nom @Janet Reilly @Emerath Katou @Iván Carl @Corvella @Freja Sitka @Haru @Bradwynne

 

"Not a conundrum, just a hiccup."

The bordering plants and vines that were hindering the progress of the party was cut down, and a resplendent figure appeared. It was Bradwynne, panting hard, katana still glowing in his hand. But what was noticeable was the huge figure accurately mimicking him in his movements. He then faced the party.

"Dang it, why didn't you run?"

-0-

As he had reached the destination that was denoted by the X-mark, he had seen the house of the owl. That buff and mad dash whittled away forty percent of his energy, and including the expense of his earlier spells, he was down to half of his energy. Knowing this, and knowing that the party should be behind him, he continued to walk, until a barrier impeded his actions. He tried to slash it with his katana, but it just bounced back. He then tried to look behind him, but the others did not follow him as the path that he cut with all of his spent energy closed in on him, which irritated him. And then that insulting owl just went to him and informed him about the Grand Witch's words about making it as a team in order to complete the mission. Like hell he did remember, only that the others did not heed him... wait that was it. As the bearer of the map he had the burden to lead the way for others, and he should be the one barking out instructions. And so that was his fault anyway if the others would die off fighting the slime. And so he would seek to rectify the wrong that he did. But how? If he continued on that wild dash, he would expend some more energy, and he would end up being a burden to everyone... wait. There was that one angel that granted him greater physical strength and agility, and he had once saw its manifestation cut off everything at the direction of his slash while he was dueling with that fighter before. And so he then chanted a Hebrew spell, to invoke the help of this angel. He then finished the chant with a shout.

"SANDALPHON!"

-0-

As he had reached the party, he wondered why he did not call Sandalphon in the first place. It was so efficient in dealing with the vines at the top, and so he should only worry about slashing the plants like knife through butter and running at a better speed than he had did before. And so he had expended lesser energy that he did before, and was quicker in coming back to the party. As he panted, he then said, "The Grand Witch was right, we should make it out as a team. As I am bearing the map that would lead the way to the house of that owl, I will need to deliver the instructions so we will make it as a team." He then stared at the new watery consistency of the slime that, as he saw the grass that the slime passed through melt at a much slower state although the slime itself became quite fast. Bradwynne saw that it was because of the bombs that Ivan brought with him. He then remembered Corvella say something, and said to Ivan, "I remember Corvella saying something like vegetable oils or something that comprised your bombs, could I ask you if you could make it just burn fiercely? Something like a Molotov cocktail or whatever you call it? All right, try to throw that at the slime as we run. Maybe it would not follow us because of the intense flames. Corvella, try to bring the rear to shield any of us from the grabbing of the slime. If your shield breaks... well I would need to replace it. I will be at the front to cut down any plant or vine that would hinder us. And all other people, if you think you could not hinder or damage the slime, just run!" He would then move and run forward towards the direction of the house of the owl to face the plants, but now with the rest of the party with him. No one will be left behind right now.

 

“Oh for goodness’ sake!” Janet shouted, her voice pitching shrilly over the hiss of liquefying foliage. “I’ll do it! Someone hand me a bomb!” What in God’s name was she saying? She couldn’t even throw a stuffed penguin, much less an explosive. She could see the chemical compounds in Iván’s hands as he offered them to the red-haired man. I could just grab one! Her courage failed her, however, and Janet shrunk back. Oh, she couldn’t stand this—how could she be so helpless in such a terrible situation?

Janet’s eyes shifted to the unspeakable horror, something that looked like it should come out of a tube in an infomercial targeting rambunctious young boys. Whatever it was, it was grossly distorted and its acid only seemed to be getting stronger. But what can I do? Playing with fire was dangerous and surely some of them would get hurt in the explosion, it wasn’t as if they could control something that unpredictable. If not that, the surrounding forest would surely catch fire. Just the thought of that—this forest, Brisshal, the first place she’d walked as Janet Reilly and felt truly at peace—filled her with despair.

“Absolutely not,” she said aloud, and lifted her hands to summon more magic, digging deep, fighting to concentrate even without a magical focus and with a source of nightmares right in front of her. As the King Slime absorbed the plants she and Haru had worked so hard to summon, Janet let her energy move elsewhere. Moss, she thought, praying for the soft, damp, luscious carpet of green. She’d tried to do it before in the circus tent when that terrible penguin had caught fire, and she would do it again now. Better. Stronger. Around their enemy, fire-retardant lichen coated the nearby trees in a bright green layer. The job was patchy—the moss grew unevenly, like a man’s facial hair growing in for the first time, but it was there.

The girl then gave another shriek and a leap as a thin tendril stabbed her way. Despite her earlier decision, she grabbed one of the impromptu firebombs and cradled it against her chest like a child. “It’s too fast! Everyone throw one at the same time!” she shrilled over the noise. “Someone count down!” Who? Not her! She was supposed to be running behind the tardy map-holder, but the slime was too quick and she was too afraid it might catch her. Disgusting as it was, Janet would rather face it head-on than get absorbed trying to run away.

 

With the slime slowly turning watery, more impervious to any kinds of attack there's no time to re-engineer the masked tinkerer's bombs. "The bombs," She shouted at the people behind her, "It's now or never!" It looked like Bradwynne came back for them, cutting through the forest with his gigantic holy projection. Without it, the group might not have anywhere to evade the fire and explosion should they detonate the bomb earlier. @Bradwynne proposed a good plan, except she couldn't afford the whole forest burning down because of them.

Corvella snatched some, if not all bombs from @Iván Carl. Taking a quick glance at the bombs, she noticed that these was a fairly simple craft, no switch or setting. "If we spread it too broad, the fire won't be fierce enough kill it, and we risk burning the whole surrounding." She told the other people holding bombs "We throw the bombs at it, then make a run towards the path Brad cut for us. Ready?" The blonde waited for the others. @Janet Reilly was already holding her bomb, ready to pitch it and waiting for someone to count down.

"On three! One, two, three!" She would then throw the bombs she had with her, along with the others to rain the slime with explosives. Corvella hoped that the others quickly run towards Bradwynne after tossing those, since nobody knows how much of an explosion will all the bombs make, well except the maker of course. As for her, she knelt and stood her ground behind her shield, waiting for the rest of them to run before turning her back, making sure they will be safe from the fire and the blast.