PBEM - Episode 181, Fires, Arrows, and Fleeing

ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY ONE

(I/C)

“Fuck, I can’t get them with a hold from here,” Lyra moaned, “I’d need to be closer to see them.”

“Fuck this,” Brendon muttered, slowing down to draw a shaft and load it to his long bow. Wyn did the same, both of them taking a stance in the hall and pulling back to fire one after the other. “Dodge this, Mother Fuckers!” Brendon cursed (<Scout shot in the dark BX Class Dex Check -2, Red 13 success! <+4 to hit, -10 shot in the dark, +2 BX baby: Red 3) and fired, the arrow making a ‘swish’ noise as it disappeared in the dark.

Not 3 seconds later, Wyn’s arrow (<+5 to hit, -10 shot in the dark, Orange 15) also flew, crossing the path that Brendon’s had made, the shaft disappearing some distance and this time we heard a ‘clank’ of the shaft hitting…armor? Shield? Something metallic.

While all that was going on, Abraxas slowed down half a step and handed Kovid his last Healing Potion. "Drink this Señor! ¡Ahora!” he commanded. (Heal Potion Heal 1d6, Blue 3 – Kovid heal 3) Turning back to the front he continued to blaze the way, “¡Vamonos amigos, rapido, rapido! Where do we run to? I'll keep running until I get an answer."

“Thanks, Abraxas,” Kovid sighed, feeling some strength run back to him, “Watch our backs!” he called to Lyra and Lannis, “Thor's spicy street meat, these archers are painfully accurate!"

The group ran past the wolf’s room and hit the corner turning south, shadows dancing from Wyn’s bobbling lantern when Brendon (<Find Trap -10 penalty fleeing, Red 12) saw something on the ground not two strides ahead of Abraxas. “Doc! Look out!” he hollered, twisting his body and hurling himself at the stumbling Fighter (Abraxas >Save vs Death Ray +4 bonus warning, Blue 9 – made it!), moving him JUST a bit off the line before his foot would have stepped squarely on the spring loaded wolf trap set up there. The two of them slammed into the far wall, just outside the trap’s line, Brendon shaking his head. “Get up Doc. You ok?”

“Si, si!” He looked down, noting how close it was to getting caught in it. A cable ran from the trap back around the corner and into the wolf’s room. “Sonomabitch that was close!”

Two more arrows fired out from the hall (<+3 to hit, -2 penalty, Black 12…<+3 to hit, -2 penalty, Red/Black 5) one of them striking Lyra in the back of her thigh but the armor turned the point away, the second skipping off the ground at her feet. “Aine Damn it! THAT was close!” she called as the group all made their way past the wolf trap and kept running.

"Where to now?” Abraxas called out, “El Carcinera's? Downstairs at the bath? The Barracks? Donde vamonos?"

Huffing from the back, Lyra answered, “If that means the Butcher than I’m going to vote for that. I’m hoping word hasn’t gotten around that she’s left yet so I doubt they’d coming barging in there looking for us. I’m worried if they pursue us and find out that’s where we go though, our safe haven will be compromised.”

"We're not going in there, are we?” Lannis asked, “That seems like a really bad idea. We should keep moving for now, fight them somewhere else, by the barracks maybe? At least then we can fall back. Or the statues, use those to fight for us, maybe we can turn them back on. Anyone got a door spike?"

"Oui. Statues,” Wyn answered, eyes peeled as he scanned the stairs ahead of them, “Let's fall back to dere. No active word till we all get some cinnamon dough. Wyn has one dat cen be shared... I’m sure all dis dwarf blood will lead dem right where we want dem.”

Hitting the steps, legs pumping, the Magic User groaned, "I've got the mana crystals, but it sure would suck if we couldn't turn them back on huh?"

Just getting beyond Travis’ room on the landing, Abraxas called back, “Señor Lintass, I have door spikes!"

“When we get there, set one!” called Lannis, “We'll need every second to load the ballista and then ready the statues."

As the group hit the second set of steps, Brendon was sure (<Hear Noise, Red 20) that even though the group was running and charging, making noise, that he could sense and hear sounds of pursuit behind. “Knees and elbows boys and girls,” he growled, “They’re sneaking up on our stern.”

Time now is Day 5, 12:42 PM

(OOC)

Nice save by Brendon for Abraxas, without he'd have stepped on the trap (3d4 damage and cabled in place). Group is at the bottom of the 2nd set of steps heading south beyond Travis’ room and just short of the damaged door. You ARE ahead of them, and shooting did slow them down and go to ground to make cover, but that lead won’t last forever. You’re up. Heading to the Statue room?