Chapter 4

Tahrena could only groan before standing up.  Taking the time to make an exaggerated effort of it all to stand and stretch.  She wasn’t feeling overly sore but trying to stay in character while keeping that awful speaking convention she thought up started to hurt her head.  A few times she forgot to even use it and Robert wouldn’t continue until she spoke correctly, for ‘continuity’s sake’ he had said. She was at least mindful to not bounce on her feet so close to the table, something she could see Meirita struggling with from the corner of her eye.  The Lupari paid it no mind, brushing her outfit and some of her fur that seemed out of place from all the sitting. Sliding away from her seat and giving a wide berth to Boetian, mostly to avoid his apparent sulk, and because the Jahkatian’s wings were far larger than normal and were always a problem in any small seated space.  It was frustrating that their ability to fly meant such overly large wings, even folded up the path behind his chair felt that much more cramped. Her eyes were still on his back, the defeated air palpable as she could smell the depressed attitude coming from the guy, something she was not sticking her nose in if she could help it.  Instead she looked to their host's eyes and nodded toward the man to indicate some talking may be in order.

Free of the table she sighed again, giving the room a once over.  It wasn’t too terribly unlike her own apartment, a slightly larger living room with notable furniture and a desk tucked back by the far wall opposite where the table was located.  The most interesting thing wasn’t the layout of the room,but the chest level walkway that rested along the wall just above the desk. Leading to a rectangular viewing area that peered into a much smaller room nearly identical to her office space than a home room.  She recalled Meirita mentioning Robert working from home, despite working in the same department as them,. This must have been his office. She was a little jealous he could stay at home rather than making the commute like every other person she knew. Then again, considering his phobias, she wasn’t completely jealous of him.

Following the walkway around the wall lead down the actual hallway itself, the small human walkway accessing a side corridor into a room she could only guess was near Meirita’s own room. The hallway stretching further back toward the guest room and bathroom, as sell as a far larger opening off to her immediate right lead into the kitchen.  Looking in revealed Neinja already resting by a counter with a drink in hand, idly flipping through her Yutri and her nose almost touching the holographic screen. Unlike Bo, it was clear to see the little Tordenchi was busying herself reading the documentation attached for the game they played. In some ways it had proved rather useful as she didn’t have to wait for their tiny DM to answer every question.  Despite her rather blunt nature, even Tahrena could see and smell that the Tordenchi was very mindful and supportive to make sure Robert wasn’t overwhelmed by her numerous questions. In fact, most altercations with Boetian had the rodent intervening in some way to shift attention off of him. That made her tail wag.

Creator above now she was behaving like Mina.  She rolled her eyes and offered a nod before grabbing a drink to recline and look around.  The left wall ending in more of a counter with an open area viewing back into the living room.  In her lost thoughts, she was vaguely aware Meirita and the big winged jock had relocated across the room, she could eye his white and blue mottled wings from here as well as the darker brown fur of his lower half.  Honestly while it was a norm seeing him seated for so long always made the revelation of fur and feathers clash. He shook her head, getting too distracted in how he looked not who he talked to. It seemed he and Meirita were talking softly about something Probably  spoke so quietly considering the three not participating in this talk all had relatively sharp ears and one was so small any normal noise could be too loud for him. Her tail flicked in annoyance as she looked at the back of that man. She did not like Bo. At all. He was tolerable at best, but ever since first introduction his cocky, overconfident attitude was annoying at best and frustrating at worst.  Combined with his choice of sport limited for only flighted Katians, there was a level of showiness to how he interacted with everyone, and she preferred if that wouldn’t be shown during every interaction.

Despite her dislike, it wasn’t a complaint she had ever actually voiced aloud.  Mina seemed taken with him and she knew the Falashai had a far better read on people than she.  But in terms of bare personalities, it was most likely Tahrena’s just clashed with Boetian’s and that would never fix itself.  She decided that perhaps thinking about him wasn’t the best way to spend a short break.

“Good read?  You haven’t put that thing down since Robert shared the original program with us.  We only see you looking up when Khafra needs to interact.” She leaned over her shorter friend to spy the pages scrolling past.  Catching the odd word though it wasn’t helping her understand it any better.

“Almost finished.”  Neinja spoke back, not even bothering to look up.  Though the quick smack of her fur-less tail was enough to make the wolf mind her space and stop looking so close.

“Wait, wait the whole thing already?  The program mentioned there were well over 300 pages for that handbook, guide, thing attached to the character creation program stuff.”

The Tordenchi nodded back.  “Yes. The layout is thorough. The Human fascination is a bit more understandable to me now.  I also appreciate this game also has means of detecting falsehoods.” Tahrena rolled her eyes, of course the girl was interested in such things.  “Though, dealing with a failed roll will be hard in such matters.”

That earned a shrug from the Lupari.  “The lack of haze and consciously acting as your character is also kinda fun.  I feel different when I act as Jade compared to when I am usually being my normal VRPG character.  It's hard to put to words. Though the speaking gives me a headache at times.”

“I think the words you are missing is it’s exciting.”  Mina arrived with a rather noticeable bounce to her step and wag to her tail.  Even her ears stuck straight up to try and catch the conversation from further away as she approached.  Grabbing a drink without even looking and setting right beside Tahrena. Granted she only stood for a moment before hopping to sit on the counter, now a little bit taller than the Lupari to even glance over her to the still reading Tordenchi.  “When we haze it all feels real or is rationalized as real and completely in the moment, but after it is over there is this disconnect and full rationalization to understanding none of it was actually was real. But we’ve been on a break now and even while the game is on pause I still sorta feel like Tsukiko.  The concept of her character persists outside of the game, and since I’ve put focus on her character sheet I feel attached to her more than I do with my VRPG character.”

Even Neinja offered a nod to the thoughts of the Falashai before continuing to read her yutri screen.

Tahrena cleared her throat a bit and focused; Recalling what she had to do for her voice to speak it right, “This one is amused.  The speech was well said.” She blinked and looked over to her black, gold and silver furred friend meeting each other’s gaze before breaking out into a short burst of laughter.  Pausing as they just made out a light giggle from Neinja who was fast to stop when they tried to catch her in the act.

“Tonight has been fun…” Mina spoke in a rather soft voice, catching Tahrena’s attention.  Looking over she could see the Falashai wasn’t looking down or toward the people in the kitchen but back into the living room.  There stood Meirita and Boetian. If not for the overly long ears of their rabbit friend they wouldn’t even be sure of her position as it was blocked out by the Jahkatian and his stupidly large wing span.  A small movement caught the Lupari’s gaze as her friend’s ears folded down. “He’s agitated.”

She glanced back to her friend.  From here she couldn’t read the emotions the man expressed nor understand what every movement of his body meant.  Sure she had a nose for emotional changes but Mina had eyes she envied that could seemingly read a person’s mood across a room without direct eye contact.  She suspected the girl was somehow part Lupari though she had no idea how. “He seems his usual self.”

“That’s a lie.”  Neinja looked up and blinked in her direction.

Tahrena growled.  “Alright fine, he seems a bit off but considering what happened in the last few hours, it doesn’t color me surprised.”

“He’ll adjust,”  Mina was fast to try and reassure the pair.  “He was expecting another Sim Game today, and we all know he is slow to pick up new things.  He’ll probably jump right into it during combat.”

“IF there’s combat.”  Tahrena sipped her drink.  “That dungeon was empty.”

“There is combat.”  Their studious friend scrolled past a few pages that had some sort of table or chart there.  “There are plenty of rules too.”

“Makes you wonder why there wasn’t any combat up to this point.”  She looked at her drink, ears half back as she was lost in some thoughts.

“Time.” Again the Tordenchi kept it short.  “Combat takes a lot of time and the narrative occurs in spans seconds.  But the amount of delegation Robert will manage will mean it will take us hours to resolve a fight that covers a span less than a few minutes.”

“Then I hope it’s interesting, otherwise I might be out of this game.”

“Have you had fun with everything else at least?”   Mina asked before she sipped at a drink. “Listening to the crowds for rumors, identifying the runes, solving traps and puzzles… Talking in character despite not being hazed?”

“There is a novelty to it.”  Tahrena mused. “The dice are certainly unique and random, where the Sim Game is much more about personal ability than some random stat stuff.  Robert also at least explains everything in great enough detail to picture it in my head though I do wish there was some form of map or otherwise.”  She looked into her drink and swirled it around for a bit. “Though I will say I think he’s imagining a few things he hasn’t let on about just yet. Something about his look at me when I roll arcana says he is plotting something in that head of his.”

Neinja scratched her short muzzle as she finally seemed to put the Yutri down, seemingly having finished the whole thing.  “True, and he gives everyone a chance to shine if they wish. Bo got to scout out the lake on the way to the dungeon, and he got to help deal with the rooms on the flooded levels.  You got to decode magic runes and looking for other secrets. Meirita got to unlock doors and disarm traps. Mina was the first to discover a means to light the way after being locked in the dungeon, and using that spell in a number of ways, without any prompts, to deal with certain situations.  And I got to navigate and solve the labyrinth.”

“That’s fair.  I did have fun decoding the runes but I’m  worried with how he words it. ‘You suddenly find the information in your mind despite previously being uncertain to the exact knowledge.’  Feels ominous.”

“He’s probably using your character creation details.  Remember how the Inn had the minstrel playing inside and my character was utterly fascinated?  Well my character has a background as an entertainer and I can’t get enough of seeing others at the craft.  Made me feel involved.”

“Well it’s making me curious to know what he has planned for Jade, so points to him I guess.”  She paused as she spotted movement from the corner of her eye. Catching Boetian heading further down the hall and out of site as Meirita was making a B-line right towards them.  She raised her drink in greeting. “Everything alright?”

The Vitali looked up and gave a slow, tired nod.  “It was a lot of apologies and promises to behave from Bo.”  She let out a long sigh before finding her own drink. “He is still  too stubborn to apologize directly to the person he inconveniences or terrifies.  It’s a start though. At least everything should be settled. So what has everyone discussed while I dealt with a grumpy guy?”

Mina scratched an ear as even tiny movements made the light play off her golden and silver dyes.  “We’ve been talking about the game. So far we find it interesting or novel but it depends on what Robert has decided for us in the second half.”  She lowered her voice. “And I’m wary if Bo will behave.”

“I hope everyone enjoys it, and Bo will behave because I suspect Robert is having us fight next.”  Meirita sipped her drink.

Tahrena noticed the mouse and fox share a glance then look her way.  Eventually all eyes turned to the long eared girl. “How can you tell?  You’ve never played before right?”

“Nope!”  She smiled and seemed to bounce a bit, “Robert has a tell, and I won’t share.”  She winked. ‘Which reminds me.” She walked over to a side counter before drawing out a boxy small palm container.  “I need to get Robert his refreshments, anyone want to volunteer so I can rest a bit more?”

-|-

Robert sighed as he looked over his books.  This was it. The storytelling got hectic from here.  This could make or break the game as a whole and he hoped his dice rolled fair, prayed for it.  He also silently hoped his players rolled better than he did. On the book page before him was their encountered creatures, and he was worried.  Overall it hopefully wouldn't be too difficult but they were all new players. He had no interest to see catastrophe, but it would be scary either way.  He tried to relax and noticed he had unconsciously clenched his fists. He wished to avoid a Total Party Kill for the first night of a fresh group of players, considering the reactions some may have to such a result.

His fixations over the event narrowed his attention.  He had no idea which macro returned until the shadow cast over him.  “Meirita said you would need this.” Mina spoke up as she sat down. Setting down a container close by that seemed like an over-sized cooler in some ways.  Sliding out of the chair he watched the Falashai unclasp the top as he began to extract awkwardly sized canisters of water. It was then he realized how parched he felt.  He took the water in several long drinks finishing one of the containers before moving the second back to his table.

“Thanks.”

“Everything alright?”  The black furred fox tilted her head, golden orbs fixated on him.

“Just reviewing the second half of the session, and making sure everything is ready.”

“Ready?  For what exactly?”  She leaned in a bit, muzzle resting on the table off to his right.

Despite everything being too small for her to see in any way it didn’t stop him from covering his stuff and cutting off her gaze at the materials.  “It’s a surprise, no peeking!”

She huffed.  A large puff of warm air from her nose blowing against him before she leaned up again.  “Fine.” He ears perking up as it seemed everyone else was returning to the table to sit down.  The last to arrive being Boetian who sat without a word and looked across at the little human.

Robert managed a last sip of water and breathed in.  “Right. Well to continue where we left off… ‘The brilliant light engulfed the room and a sudden charge clung to the air…’”

-|-

Everything was blinding light and then thunder rumbled, shaking everything and everyone one in the small room.  Everyone caught in the epicenter felt far more impact than just a loud noise. Khafra, Zeed, and Jade had been standing in the center of an activating magic circle for one instant and in the next…  The cloaked stranger became aware of reality as their back smashed hard into the carved stone wall, the impact leaving a small dent as cracks radiated out from the point of impact the masonry. The metal plates of his own armor warped and bent irregularly, some dug into his back.  As the light faded, color and shapes began to return; he was vaguely aware his hood was tattered and frayed along many locations. Something dripped from the corner of his mouth and a quick wipe revealed crimson blood on his gauntlet. The ringing that pervaded everything left him alone.  All sight beyond himself gone. The headache came first. Then the splitting pain. Everything arched, not just from the impact but from the electric fire sparked from the initial light as thousands of small jolts had arched between metal armor and skin. Blinking as best he could, he soon saw more of the room, and the state of everyone else.

The first to come into focus was the center of the room.  Brilliant blue glowing runs pulsing on the ground, inscribed in a language he couldn’t comprehend.  Rooted in place, seemingly weathering the initial explosion, was Zeed. Wings fully spread out the bird-man gripped his overly large axe as he faced down the source.  It looked as big as the bird warrior if not bigger, though size was hard to nail down as it lacked any real definable shape and refused to stay tethered to the ground.  The dense gathering of storm clouds collapsed into to one spot. It had the makings of a face made of twisted dark vapor, its visage a piercing whitish blue which emanated through its supposed eyes and mouth.  The same harsh color of the light that engulfed the room, the same lightning that split and cracked across its entire form while thunder clapped after. That horrible mouth parted, issuing forth some primal yell that clashed like tumultuous winds.  It was harsh, even to the ringing in Khafra’s ears, but it seemed like Zeed flinched in recognition of whatever the thing had said. Though neither backed down or advanced just yet.

The sides of the room became more clear.  Ten or fifteen feet separated the magic rune center from any wall and off to his left he could make out the blurred shapes of Tsukiko the golden kitsune and River the black feathered Kenku, the second bird individual also shrinking away from the airy screams of the thunderstorm creature.  Turning his head to scan the room hurt as everything felt stiff but only one person was unaccounted for. He tried to stand, only to cry in pain as his tense muscles refused to relax and straighten so he slumped to the ground. His lower position giving him sight beyond the central combatants to the opposite wall.  The man felt his blood turn to ice despite the fire in her nerves.

Opposite Khafra was Jade, slumped at the base of the wall.  His attention momentarily shifted from her form to the trails of crimson that streaked across quarried stone.  Leading up to an impact smaller than his own but splashed with blood from the feline magic user. His eyes snapped back down again.  Jade hadn’t moved. A pool of blood was forming around her body, seeping into her sandy tan fur and obscuring the normally vivid black spots she possessed.  As best he could tell she barely breathed. Twisted into an awkward shape her form on the ground did not give the impression she didn’t even have time to react.  That sight prevailed everything else as the ringing in his ears pitched louder, threatening to over take him once more. Jade was…

-|-

All eyes were fixated on Robert.  Boetian felt his fingers gripping the metal table so hard his talons scraped against the smooth surface and he released it once his fingers started to ache.

Tahrena held the widest stare of all.  “W-what was the damage?”

On the table between the large players and smaller human sat three die rolls.  One for Neinja, one of Boetian, and one for Tahrena. For the wolf, her die showed an upturned ‘2’ and her total hadn’t been much better at a ‘4.’  For Neinja her grand total was an ‘11,’ and his, before even adding his own score, had the luck of rolling a ‘20’ on the die. Which meant when the DC was called at a ‘12’ only the gryphon’s character had been spared from the entrance of the creature.

Robert was still looking down at his dice. He had rolled a grand total of 4D4 dice for the damage.  Short of one die he had rolled maximum for the rest. When he prayed for fair rolls this was everything he didn’t want to have happen to them.  “The creature does ‘8’ Lightning damage and ‘7’ Thunder damage on appearance to anyone who failed the Dexterity Saving Throw. In addition, those hit are also thrown 10 feet in any random direction from where the creature arrived, which has caused Khafra and Jade to be thrown to opposite ends of the room and be knocked Prone.  If you succeed on the save you take no damage and remain where you stand.”

“I… but my character has 14 HP!  Is… Is Jade dead?!” The Lupari was halfway out of her chair leaning toward the the human DM, gaze locked on him.

“No!  No, you are in an unconscious state that borders between life and death.  During the initiative count you are unable to do anything except a death saving throw.  On this roll anything lower than a ‘10’ is considered a failure, and anything that is ‘10’ or higher is a success.  You need either three successful rolls to stabilize and live, or three failed rolls and your character dies. If any Death Save rolls a ‘1’ on the die that is considered a critical failure and counts as two failed saves.  On a ‘20’ It is considered a critical success and your character revives with 1 Hit Point. If you are healed or stabilized by anyone or anything else you are immediately safe.”

Boetian clacked his beak in thought, watching the exchange far more intently than anything before hand.  This seemed crazy. The attack had been out of nowhere and completely outside what he expected. In one fell swoop Tahrena’s character was down and dying and Neinja’s character was out and also seriously weakened, but due to his good roll he remained standing and fine before this threat.  He clenched a fit both in anticipation and with some worry. Even when he lay into foes in the Sim Games everyone was up and standing, and very rarely if at all were they caught so unprepared. In some ways he felt his pride sting at the injury to his allies. He would make this weird storm thing pay.

“Now.”  Robert spoke up again.  “Roll a D20 and add your Initiative number to the roll.  This will determine the order of play for combat and…” He looked down at his screen and stats for the creature again.  “Good luck.”

Everyone was fast to comply.  There was a level of unease despite feeling ready for this combat experience.  The dice had fast proven they didn’t always roll in their favor and they just saw the consequences on a greater scale than some silly trapped door.

The initiative was counted after everyone rolled.  Robert was fast to enter it into a sheet on his Yutri and use their application feature to share with everyone at the table.  “Alright, we have Tsukiko the Monk moving first with a ‘20’ total, Second is an ‘18’ for Jade, the creature, called a Storm Elemental is third with ‘16,’ Zeed follows close after with ‘13,’ Next River at ‘9,’ and finally Khafra brings up the rear with a ‘1.’”

Bo looked at the table again as everyone listened, and kept the display shared between character sheet and initiative.  His eyes fell back to the dice. And he wanted these strange shaped die to roll well for everything. He flipped his character sheet open again and began to read what his character abilities were for a Barbarian.

“Now then, a round of combat is 6 seconds long in-game.  A minute is 10 rounds of combat. Technically when you fight in a round all the actions happen simultaneously to each other but that’s too chaotic to keep track so its in a staggered turn order.  Now then, Tsukiko this sight unfolds before your eyes. What do you do?”

-|-

Khafra coughed and managed to sit upright once more.  It took both hands to hold himself up and the action let a groan escape his lips as air slipped from his lungs.  Without warning a coughing fit wracked his body, pushing against the wall as one hand covered up the coughing. Wincing from the pain and the flecks of crimson splattered across the gauntlet when he finally leaned back.  In some ways he wanted nothing more than to lean his head back and close his eyes. But the churning chaos that unfolded was clear that his time to help wasn’t up. And while he didn’t hear the voice in his head he felt some force of some… someone else help ease him to a kneeling position though much was his own unsteady power. Pain throbbed with every heartbeat, pounding into his temples and crawling across inflamed skin.  His awareness shifted once more from himself to the fight as a blur of motion caught his attention.

Standing near the entryway door with River, Tsukiko the golden kitsune had been shielded away from the carnage of the apparent creature’s summoning.  Rocking back into a more ready stance her hands fell to her sides drawing out a long metal dart with a cloth wrapped handle. Fingers grasping onto it with a level of familiarity, hand already changing to prepare before it was thrown outward.  The projectile arcing over Zeed’s right shoulder as it plunged through the smokey form of the creature, charged blue lightning racing across the missile as it seemed to slow as it passed though the creature but didn’t make a solid impact,like with something more tangible.  The dart passing through the creature before clattering to the ground, metal glowing red hot from the discharges of lightning that touched it. Just as Khafra looked back he caught sight of the kitsune lunging forward, having followed not three steps behind the thrown weapon.  Dropping into a readied stance she plunged forward with a half palm strike, sinking up to her elbow before she recoiled in pain, drawing the hand strait back as lightning seemed to arc from the hole in the clouds she had created and her arm as thunder reverberated from the thing.  Golden fur singed and standing on end. Her stance changed. After taking the blow she leaped away instead of remaining close. The creature swirling past as an amorphous chunk tried to engulf her former position. Its collapse causing booming thunder that launched her further away and off balance.  Using her dexterous body to twist and land on her feet and despite her own attacks on the creature it now seemed she took far worse damage in the exchange as she dropped to one knee. Clutching at the arm that punched the smokey form as fingers spasmed from the charged effect. “It’s like fighting the storms themselves!”

Across the room Jade gave the barest of twitches.  The Tabaxi slowly uncurled and rolled onto her back.  Her fur still stained with her own blood and breaths shallow it seemed she had at least moved one step away from the brink in her unconscious state.

The Elemental itself began to swell up, blocking any line of sight to the downed cat. Clouds seemingly blacker as some of the lightning that raged across its outer form sucked inwards.  Two long sections of cloud that could be surmised as arms swirling together in a giant formation before plunging down. Zeed may have been fixated on the creature ready to attack but he wasn’t blind.  Watching the forming attack he flared his long wings and fluttered them hard, using the left wing desynchronized from the right to spin right of the slamming attack. Even as cloud struck ground, a rather unimpressive impact by all appearance, there was a tumultuous explosion that dented the floor and sent dust and cracked stone showering through the room from the thunderclap, the creature began to reform itself once more, having shaken its own appearance apart from the strike.

Zeed stepped up into this opening.  Clutching the great axe in both hands he let out a furious roar.  Letting untold rage come to bear as adrenaline spiked in his system and muscles rippled.  Seeing his opportunity he hefted the axe up over his head. Shifting his grip to the base for a wild ungainly swing with all intentions of cleaving the storm creature in two.  His wings flared for balance and legs slid for purchase as he flexed forward crunching his stomach forward as he committed his whole body into the swing. The axe cleaved through far faster than he anticipated, his brace expecting some resistance, as he nearly stumbled into the creature’s form as the axe passed right through.  Just as his axe began to strike against the ground the cleaved smoke chained together great arcs of lightning that leaped from it to the axe and into the barbarian as the close rage thunder blasted him in the face. But still he held strong in his place. Refusing to be thrown away or back down. Snarling back in response as if words were lost to him he pulled his axe back and prepared for the next attack.

River cried out to the sound of a caravan warning bell.  Drawing the attention of Tsukiko and Khafra as their other standing party member was too entrenched in his own attacks.  The Kenku hopped over close near Khafra giving the man a shoulder pat before drawing out a large willow longbow. Nocking an arrow The Kneku rotated their bow horizontally to prop up their much shorter shot.  Instead of aiming directly at the creature she instead aimed low, pointing the arrow to the one feature of the room. The still glowing blue magic circle carved into the center of the room. And it was glowing much like it had before this creature originally emerged.

Tsukiko shouted as loud as she could but the constant cracks of thunder in such a short space had partially deafened most in the room.  Though Khafra could just make out the words. “The runes are active! It may be summoning more!”

It was then the Kenku offered a hand after resetting the arrow.  Instead of firing she helped Khafra to his feet with a nod before fully relocating to the back wall so none of her shots would strike anyone else accidentally.

Now on his feet Khafra looked from the magic circle to Jade and then back.  Hissing a groan he hugged his side as best he could as he could feel the damage he sustained creeping on him.  “Hold on longer cat I am coming to get you!” He could hardly hear himself let alone know if the woman could hear him but he chose his next move with great care.  Finding purchase on his hilt he drew sword, and then his shield before approaching, ready for the possibility of some retaliation. As soon as he reached circle’s edge he immediately deviated his attention away from the creature and down as he slashed for the circle, blade scratching through and ruining the circle’s perfect carved lines and runes in a single swing.  In the next instant the room was filled with blinding light for a second time and an explosion.

This time when sight returned it seemed Khafra and Zeed weathered the storm unharmed, but forming right beside the first, a second stormy creature began to take shape, making things crowded fast.

Tsukiko stood on her feet.  Hands finding a second dart before hastily throwing it, mind terrified of drawing too close as her focus was not wholly on the battle.  Her target had been the first elemental creature currently fighting with Zeed. She missed. Residual convulsions from her damage in her previous physical attack made her had waiver on the throw, sending the dart off course to clatter harmlessly against the far wall, resting near it’s still heated sibling.  Lightning arced to the dart as it passed but only from the fringes of the creature’s body. The fox monk slumped against the door frame for support. “The storm can’t harm what it can’t touch directly!” The realization becoming clear as to why the darts worked fine but her palm strike reacted so poorly.

Jade was fully on her back.  Her breathing once almost too shallow to see was now steady and deep.  She wasn’t out of the woods yet, but from afar it looked like things were improving for the better.

The elementals moved.  The freshly summoned storm creature swelled up over Khafra’s head.  A portion breaking out much like an arm as lightning began to coalesce in its perceived hand.  The wild energy fighting to come unbound from its position as the arm tilted back before throwing the gathered lightning bolt across the room.  Its trajectory hurtling toward the monk. Khafra couldn’t even try to intercept the deadly bolt before it was nearly upon her. Despite previous injuries the kitsune reacted on pure instinct.  Shoulder rolling off the door frame she fell backwards, hands twisting out to plant solidly as she kicked, cartwheeling backwards as her tails waved out for balance. The gap between her third tail and where the lightning bolt struck against the door avoiding all contact for the slimmest of margins.  Just because the damage was avoided didn’t mean the effect of its passing wasn’t there. All Tsukiko’s fur stood on end, and she was otherwise unharmed. Zeeds loud yells drew Khafra’s attention back to the center fight. The bird man was engulfed on all sides by dark clouds as thunder rumbled shaking the Aarakocra’s body so hard blood dripped from the corners of his beak.  His only response was to snarl in reply.

Zeed gripped his axe tightly in both hands and twisted his body around, wings flared to help spin as he swiveled in a full spin as that same axe slammed right through the creature.  Splitting it in half as thunder and lightning crashed back into his body dealing even more damage. It soon became impossible to tell if he was screaming out of rage or pain. What was certain was Zeed staggered as his swing came to an end.  Wings flagging he almost dropped his great axe before trying to use it mid fight to prop his body upright. Managing a weak snarl. The creature before him reforming, but far slower as the smoke wasn’t as tightly held together and lightning only giving infrequent sparks. It lost much of its original shape.

River announced her attack with her own mimicked crash of lightning her beak.  Longbow propped horizontally, half crouched to keep herself as a smaller target, the ranger loosed an arrow for the weakened elemental.  The projectile passing through and slowing much like the original dart moments before. Lightning arcing off the arrow head, before the lightning broke.  The clouds splitting apart in its entirety as it seemed the arrow struck true.

Khafra could see Jade clearly once more.  No longer pressed on both sides he sheathed his sword and ran low. Eyes trained on the storm elemental close by he ran just out of its reach wary of any approaching attacks to stay just out if its grasp, and thankfully moving to where Zeed also looked ready to retaliate if any attack was struck.  Stopping beside Jade he looked down to her form. While he could heal her now it seemed her condition had improved considerably. Instead he looked back to where Zeed looked just about ready to collapse himself. Leveling a finger he pointed to the enraged fighter as a glow seemed to emanate out from under his person, the glow resting squarely on Zeed as his wounds from the previous attack slowly began to heal and close up.  A single word echoing louder than thunder, Khafra’s healing word. “RESTORE!”

Tsukiko set her sights on the second elemental after the final traces of the first faded from sight, and she was firmly sure it wasn’t some trick or ploy by the magical foe.  Returning to the door she skirted the edge of the room to stand near the impact crater in the wall where Khafra had previously stood. Drawing a fresh dart she took aim and threw.  While her aim was true the lightning that arced from the elemental heated its form causing it to swerve at the last moment. Harmlessly passing by as it impacted the wall just over Khafra’s head and clattered down close by to where Jade lay.

Khafra glanced back to the monk and while his face couldn’t be seen, he made his disappointment clear in his voice.  “Watch your aim fox!”

The kitsune didn’t reply as she rolled across the room, moving past River to scoop up one of her dropped darts which had now cooled significantly and was safe to touch.  Readying it to throw as soon as she was sure she had a clear throw.

Khafra’s attention was immediately grabbed as Jade began to cough and convulse.  Body curling up revealed that some of the blood on her fur wasn’t from impact but an unnoticed gash across her back as it appeared she had lost a lot of blood so far.  Seeming far more frail and weak as she neared death’s door.

-|-

Everyone was transfixed by Tahrena’s die.  The Lupari currently had her head in her hands and forehead against the cold metal table.  The die’s face resting on a cold uncaring ‘1.’ As Robert elaborated before combat started officially, that meant she now had two failed saving marks on her sheet.  With two failures and two successes the next saving throw was all she had left to live.

-|-

The newest elemental loomed closer.  Swelling in size before the only creature still standing within range of the magic circle.  Folding over, it crashed down toward the barbarian like a wave intending to fully engulf him.  The barbarian was ready, throwing himself to the side he smacked the ground hard and rolled. The creature enveloping where he previously stood, the thunder booming out as the previously damaged stone now had been reduced to gravel.  He could only force himself upright once more roaring back at the creature.

While he looked more than ready to clash his great axe into the exposed side much like he had with the first two strikes.  Instead Zeed backed off,turning around to put some distance between them; it was out of instinct he rolled instead of commiting to a full run.  The cloudy appendage of the elementals retaliation missing over head as he rose to his feet by the room’s only doorway and spun around. Letting his great axe drop his his feet he instead snatched up one of his javelins and let the larger projectile fly with all his strength.  Lightning arcing off the barbed head as it flew through the creature center mass. Distorting its form slightly but otherwise it seemed fine. Unlike darts and arrows when the javelin sailed out the other side the strength behind the throw imbedded the heavy weapon an inch and a half into the quarried stone wall, the light resistance not enough to steal away all its force.

River retaliated not long after the javelin passed through, attacking at its back.  This time as the arrow passed through the creature, lightning sparked across the arrow as it disrupted the storm-like form.  The superheated energy causing the shaft to explode apart as the arrow head spun wildy to the side and clattered to the ground the arrow no longer recoverable.  Though the impact had landed.

Khafra watched it all as best he could before returning his attention to Jade.  Moving a hand to place a hand across her back the glow began to radiate from his palm once more as the same light began to heal her worst injuries.  “By light of Almighty Pelor, rise once more to attack his enemies!” As the radiant glow began to fade, Jade began to stir and groan. Her eyes fluttering open.

Tsukiko glanced over watching the miraculous recovery of Jade at Khafra’s hands.  Feeling a new level of confidence she mustered her strength and flung the dart as best she could.  Skirting the edge of the elemental for a third time but not actually hitting it. She hit someone else instead.  The dart sank into Zeed’s shoulder as he rocked back with a grunt. Glancing at the dart he seemingly shrugged off his new accessory as, despite the strength and power of her throw it seemed to only go half as far as its impact should've carried it on contact.  The Bird was fast to grasp the dart and pry it free letting it drop to his feet.

Jade sat up.  Her head swam with pain and there was a ringing in her ears.  Though the first thing she saw was a storm-like form taking over the center of the room, with lightning crashing and the vibrations of thunder making her fur quiver.  Not fully aware of how bad off she had been or how blood soaked she looked. The tabaxi rose to her feet, eyes locked onto the storming creature. She pointed a single finger in it’s direction.  Purplish arcane energy sprouting in her hand and arcing out in a singular jagged form that flew fast and struck the elemental clean through its perceived face. Unlike all previously used physical projectiles, the arcane bolt didn’t pass through but struck and splashed across the creature’s body making perfect it a impact.  The upper portion of its body and head blasting away into a smokey mess as a good portion of its form was lost.

As the creature’s strength faded a singular arm formed as the last gathering of its lightning amassed at once and was hurled.  Sailing like a lethal projectile and striking River square in the stomach. Blue lightning arcing off the impact site as her whole body convulsed and crumpled to the ground. Lightning dancing off her studded leather armor and arrow heads.  Several charred arrows spilling out of her tilted quiver as smoke rose from her form. The smell of burnt feathers in the air.

Zeed roared in furry.  A new javelin in his hands as he raced forward, looking ready to plunge it through its smokey body he paused just shy of arm’s reach before he put all his effort into the one throw.  Sending it hurtling forward and through the smokey mess. Drawing it’s attention. As his solid pole of a weapon pushed and spread everything apart.

River convulsed and rose to her knees.  Moving silently and with fixed determination she drew her bow once more and took aim.  Firing into the exposed back of the creature. Despite not having direct sight the initial shot, Zeed would be able to watch as the arrow bloomed through the forehead of the storm creature before it burst apart into smoke and vanished.  Leaving the battered party where they rested to soak in the encounter.

As one all the fighters released a single pent up sigh.

-|-

The sigh had very much been in character as it was out of character.  All the players, and even Robert reclined back in their chairs as the encounter ended.  Despite how short the fight had seemed, taking little more than 18 seconds in game time.  The amount of rolls and ruling calling took a lot of time. Robert used his descriptions as best he could to occupy the time as he currently only had theater of mind, really lacking anything like a map, miniatures or ambient music to help feel the stretch of time less.

“Do you want to have your character’s take a short rest?”

“I don’t know what that is but I want it!”  Tahrena groaned.

Neinja nodded in agreement.  “A short rest seems wise, we need to replenish health and I doubt we have the time for a full rest.”

Meirita was slumped back in her chair but even he could feel a quiver on the table meaning at least one leg was thumping in celebration of their win.  “That fight took so long…”

“Two hours if the time on my yutri is correct.”  Mina said. “But we won.”

“Barely.”  Muttered the wolf.  “I almost died.”

“You aren’t safe just yet.”  Robert spoke up, earning warry glances from the table.  “You still need to escape this place, then the session can end.”

The lupari bemoaned and slumped her forehead onto the table once more.  “Nooooooo…”

Meirita patted a shoulder.  “You can do it.”

Opposite Robert.  Boetian was staring at his character sheet.  Even Robert glanced at it. Despite having some impressive stats and a considerable level of health he had also brushed close with death twice.  The human had no way to know what was going through the gryphon’s head at that moment.

Robert looked back to the rest of the table.  “Best take that short rest while you can. Who knows what that circle woke up in the silent floors above…”