[PRP] Going A-heroing (Lunear and Keionx)

[DraconicFeline]

iStoleYurVamps

Keionx and Beastdad were off looking for adventure, as always, leaving her twin to wander their hive alone without regard to how difficult it would be for him to do that with the weighted doors and all.

You know, as usual.

This time, she thought she might have found a VERY nice adventure. One that could be remembered for the ages. She thought she may have found a lair of a mythical Rainbow Drinker.

Or at least, the many colors of blood splattered arund the entrance would indicate it. In her insane little mind.

She'd just been on a rainbow drinker kick, rereading her stories about the adventures of the great rainbow-drinker slayer of old. Normally, she was into defeating dragonbeasts and rescuing lusii and princesses.

Today, though, she was a rainbow-drinker slayer knight. And no matter what was actually in the cave, she would be that, and that would be the story she brought home to Zari.

She wasn't afraid to enter the bloody, dark, musty cave... not at all. She was just... waiting... for the right dramatic moment to enter.

Yes.

Right.

She petted Beastdad's back as she perched on his shoulders.

Just... waiting. That was all...  

[iStoleYurVamps]

He heard a rumor- A dreaded rainbow drinker hive taken root, an not a hunter come to claim it's head. A terrible, terrible oversight. Or perhaps- perhaps the secret order of drinker hunters had left it to him, to his capable item grabbers, to him of all trolls.

To take on this particular menace all on his own.

Arriving on the back of batbro, Lunear noticed the other troll near the entrance. Not likely the drinker, but rather a possible ally. Or enemy. Hunting drinkers was no game after all, (except when it was).

"Hey."

Lunear crossed his arm and scowled at them.
"What's a troll like you got business up in here? This you're hive or something?"

DraconicFeline

 

[DraconicFeline]

iStoleYurVamps

Keionx was juuuust working up the courage... she meant: working up the right moment to go into the cave and confront the possible Drinker with sword and shield when the newcomer appeared.

Oh hell it was a blueblood, now she HAD to act even more heroic. "Greetings, friend" She hoped, " How goeth thy night?" she sat up straighter on beastdad's shoulders, "Nay, sir, this is not my hive. My hive is yonder, upon Busthind Mountain.." Just because he was going to speak crassly, didn't mean she was going to. "I hunt... a beast. And it has laired in there." she gestured to the cave. She frowned.

"Unless it is your... no." she had been about to ask if it was his Lusus or his hive, but even she, the oblivious Keionx, knew that bluebloods did not normally live in caves. And also, he was riding his Lusus.  

[iStoleYurVamps]

Oh man. OH MAN. This was a player. They were speaking his language. He couldn't help it, changing his posture ever so slightly along with his tone. "The night goes well, though it has only begun. It is... good to hear you do not dwell near this place, it bodes ill for all if my deductions prove correct."

Hopping down from batbro, Lunear brought out his pore excuse of a weapon- a rope whip, obviously handmade and crafted mostly for show and practice. It was the best he had that he knew hoe to use at any rate.

"And if we speak of the same foul creature- then you to must know that will no doubt be ruthless. Safety would come with perhaps, an alliance forged?" He held out his free hand. "Lunear Reglos."

DraconicFeline

 

[DraconicFeline]

iStoleYurVamps

Had the crassness of before been a passing occurance? Keionx was momentarily thrown, but not for long, because now he was speaking properly. She relaxed into the not-quite-make-believe.

She shook his hand, leaning down from her mount. "I am Keionx Rutace. And an alliance forged is a dire foe slain, to stain the night no more." She gave his weapon a somewhat skeptical look. It wasn't unusable, but it wasn't a weapons he wanted at her side.

Her trusty sword and shield, however... those would work.

"Has thou strategies in mind for fighting the beast?" she asked. Strategies weren't her forte - she just ran in and hit things and tanked like a badass - but after her last group debacle - not the WACKY quest, but another one she had serendipitiously - read randomly - come across, strategy would have helped. A lot.

So she might as well ask. Keionx might be insane, but she did learn. Sometimes.  

[iStoleYurVamps]

Lunear retracted his hand after a while. Not all introductions needed to be so formal. But he'd keep it in mind. Temporary solutions were just temporary. Alliances came and went, this would be no other. "One foe, one alliance. As for strategies?" He stood, confident, as if he had an answer.

When he didn't.

"We could try to lure it out with fresh blood, but unless you'd like to make a donation or our lusii would-" batbro scree'd and flew a few feet away in protest.

"Doubt that will happen. But-" He bend down, fingers touching the colorful sticky residue of the former victims. "Hide our scents, go in, flush it out- leave our Lusii here to fight it if it passes us or attempts to flee. While it may know it's hive, we'd have it's escape route covered- no where to run but to it's own death!" He jabbed a finger towards the lair.

"We can accomplish much provided you have the courage and skill to take on such a task of this magnitude. Such a foul creature cannot be allowed to escape after all."

DraconicFeline

 

[DraconicFeline]

iStoleYurVamps

Kei liked more permanent alliances, but she understood and appreciated temporary ones well enough. "Very well." she released his hand as he drew it away.

"I would not wish to fight such a dangerous foe weakened, nor would I wish to strengthen it against us..." which was her way of saying that no, she wasn't going to provide any blood from herself or her daddy.

Not that beastdad wouldn't have happily been bait for her, but she was above using such... unknightly... tactics.

However, hiding scents and chasing it out into an ambush was perfectly all right. She nodded appreciatively at his plan, though she was mildly offended by his implication that she might not have the courage.

Did she have the courage... "Of course!" she said, mildly affronted, "I am a knight!" as if that explained everything. She brought her shield and sword to the ready, standing proudly near the entrance, "The foul beast will not live to hunt another day."

Right. Rainbow Drinkers hunted in the day.  

[iStoleYurVamps]

He liked this low blood. They were willing to go first. That was what and how Lunear inferred as the whole thing about being a knight. Because clearly, CLEARLY- the one who went down first was going down dead first if anything wrong happened.

Lunear tended to have his own think pan filter that was just a little bit off at times. "Then go forth oh brave Knight. I shall take the rear guard- my weapon can deflect many and if anything, my companion shall prove skilled if we end up trapped under the darkness of a realm forbidden."

Held held high, Lunear put on a brave face, thrusting out his chest with the intent to look dashing and intimidating and altogether impressive as he could- ready to go after a rainbow drinker.

Somewhere down in the cave- something gurgled.

DraconicFeline

 

[DraconicFeline]

iStoleYurVamps

Oh my gog what do we find OAO

Keionx nodded approvingly. That was a very good strategy. "Then onward." she said, starting forward carefully, her shield at the ready, her sword drawn. Beastdad waved proudly, rumbling a quiet 'good luck, I'll be waiting out here' to her, since he was a bit big to fit inside with two trolls and a lusus and a monster.

Keionx heard the gurgling but was not afraid. So the monster was in its lair. Good. They would vanquish it thoroughly. It would be trapped here.

She was not adverse to sneaking - knightly heroic charges were so much more effective when done at the right moment - and she drew her companion's attention to something that shimmered in the pale moonslight coming from the mouth of the cave.

It wasn't treasure (though she was not adverse to heroic gains aka loot. It was fresh blood. The foul beast had killed recently. She turned towards the gurgling, resolute. It would not kill again. She would make sure of that.  

[iStoleYurVamps]

The gurgling was louder as they went deeper into the caves, the warmth and humidity evening out as they descended.

As they went down the crunch of shells was underfoot, nearly making Lunear jump when it first happened. Lifting one shell up- "Why would a bunch of shells be he-" He frowned as he looked down.

Shells littered the floor. Colors of any blood type stained rock and earth.
"Uh- you ever uh, vanquish a monster before?"

Lunear hadn't. And now, that fact was sort of hitting home

DraconicFeline

egg eating lizard

 

[DraconicFeline]

iStoleYurVamps

WHAT WILL OUR INTREPID ADVENTURERS DO NEXT

The humid air brushed past Keionx's face like tentacled hands, bringing back half-memories of the trials of grubhood. It was only hard training that kept her from shuddering. Or bravery. Or foolhardiness.

"Of course!" she whispered indignantly. Of course she had! Their trophies lined her wall.

Except said that one, tiny, sane, rational part of her, Those weren't really monsters. They'd been powerful, but they had been wildlife all the same, normal for busthind and the surrounding areas. They were only monsters in your head, Kei. In the stories you tell. It continued to whisper, This... shells crackled under her feet, Is a real monster.

She ignored the voice, and it slunk away to whatever dark corner of her pan that it inhabited.

She was grinning as they went deeper. A mighty foe would be felled this night, and she would have a new trophy for her wall. One of those spines, maybe...

She looked up, up, up at the huge tail and hindquarters before her. Said spines edged its back, continuing to the head that was still mercifully hidden, from which the gurgling - and now cracking and slurping - sounds came. She could see claws and scales.

It was a fearsome foe. We're gonna die if we don't run. Now. said the little voice hopelessly. Her sanity knew that wasn't going to happen.

Still, Kei was a little taken aback. She hadn't been expecting it to be this big...  

[iStoleYurVamps]

Yes, well a vote of confidence was better than non. Still Lunear wasn't too sure if he was really ready for all of this... self fighter stuff. He just wanted to mess around, maybe get a bit of fake ego brushing 'I confronted the beast' type boost.

He'd always had assistance, always been helped and guided but now? This was the real deal. This was a real beast that would suck his blood and kill him and he'd never even get home in time to feed his poor gerbils...

Nearly bumping into Keionx, Lunear opened his mouth before it was shut quickly once again. That was.. this one was..

Nope.

Too big, not a blood drinker (which was good), but too big for two kids to really handle alone.
"Uh-"
Reaching forward he kept his eyes on the beast while trying to pull Keionx back so they could make a break for it. "Slowly... lets just... maybe it won't notice us-" He whispered.

Yet a tongue flicked the air. That wasn't exactly a thing big lizards did when sleeping.

DraconicFeline

Run screaming?

 

[DraconicFeline]

iStoleYurVamps

She could still do it! She totally could still do it! She could take this monster! She could vanquish it!

No you can't

She had to...

Run!

She had to kill it, though... She'd promised.

She began to back away, shield between her, Lunear, and the Monster.

What was she doing?

"Yes. Outside I think would be better..." she whispered back, glancing behind them, then back again as the creature moved. And she was scared.

She wasn't supposed to be scared of anything. Brave knights weren't supposed to be afraid.

She kept backing up... and then it looked at her. Right at her. She gave up on strategy.

"Run!" Grabbing whatever of Lunear she could grab with her free hand, she bolted, dragging them both towards the mouth of the cavern with all of her strength.

Aaaand now she was running from a fight... she was in so much trouble.
 

[iStoleYurVamps]

The lizard roared, slow thuds as it turned in the cavern to face them fully and start lumbering after them. Running as fast as his legs would carry him, Lunear was just happy the entrance was too far up, and, that he had bait company in the event that they did have to fight.

Better two to one to dead after all.

Emerging, after a series of curses and wide eyes panicing, Batbro had already started screeching, fangs and claws ready to defend her ward as Lunear went to hide behind her.

"Let the lusus fight?" His voice shook a bit as he asked, not quite over the sudden reality that he'd just woken the beast.

Who was coming out of the cave, tongue flicking and seeking the two tiny invaders.

DraconicFeline

 

[DraconicFeline]

iStoleYurVamps

Beastdad frowned as his charge and her new companion ran from the cave. His frown deepened as it became clear that they were fleeing.

Fleeing.

Fleeing

Beastdad rumbled as Keionx approached him.

Keionx, for her part, thought that letting their Lusii fight them off was an excellent idea, and was about to say so when Beastdad rumbled his disapproving rumble. She felt colder, suddenly, paling to grey.

"Keionx, what are you doing?!" asked Beastdad, hands on the part where his upper torso met his quadruped bits. "Did I raise you to run away?! Did I?!"

She was in so much trouble.

"No... " she said quietly, feeling ashamed, and also afraid of the threat that loomed, its scales and teeth and claws glittering with sheen and with the ooze of its dinners. She looked back towards it, then to her companion and his Lusus. "I-I mean... No. We fight along side them." she said, louder now, for Lunear's ears as she took up a heroic stance, her sword and shied ready. She glanced back, nervous and hopeful, at beastdad, who punched his fist into his palm and grinned.

"Thats my brave Keionx!"

She was relieved, but only in a very small part. The rest of her was very very frightened of the lizard.

She didn't want to dissappoint her Lusus. "Charge!" she shouted, rushing forward, sword at hand, her lusus bounding powerfully nearby.

He was so proud of his girl.

She had stopped caring, for the moment, about those claws and fangs.

We're so dead... moaned the little sane part of her pan as she hurtled forward, preparing to smite the monster...