Chapter Thirty Nine
Barak and Dumbugg waited as Jea and Laguna crept towards the wall. When Barak saw the flicker of light from Jea's tiny mirror, he turned to Dumbugg. "There's the signal. Let's go."
The duo drew their weapons and charged, screaming, at the front gate, gaining their enemy's attention. They killed two or three, then dashed off into the woods, half of the city on their heels.
Jea, Laguna, and Wolf (who, because he is a different type of wolf, and linked to Jea like he is, is immune to the werewolf's ability to control wolves.) slipped into the city unnoticed. They moved along stealthily, searching for their missing companions.
* * * * * *
"Shit!"
Phalyssa ducked away from the door. Her to friends looked at her. "What?" Ambermist asked.
Phalyssa gestured towards the door. "Remember the ugly tent guard?"
"The one who's testes we were gonna force feed?"
The young girl nodded. "That's him. He's in there, by the stairs."
Ambermist's expression was smug. "Well, well, well.What do you say we make good on a promise?" She looked at Aruka. "Would you mind if we did?"
Aruka peered through the bars of the little grate on the door. His face contorted into sudden rage, and his form became larger, more bestial (Crinos for those of you familiar with Werewolf: The Apocalypse.) "That was he who murdered my mother and sister-after he brutally tortured them in the worst way." All trace of the three-year-old personality was gone, replaced by a very angry teen.
"Can you pin him if we break the door in?" Phalyssa wanted to know.
Aruka nodded. In a strange unity, he and Phalyssa kicked the center of the door at exactly the same moment. In an explosion of wood splinters and iron shards, the structure flew inwards, taking the werewolf in the stomach, and sending him to his knees, out of breath. Aruka practically flew in himself to tackle the guy.
Ambermist and Phalyssa waltzed in after. "Well.Hello.Boyo," Phalyssa said casually, imitating her mother's country lilt. Taking out her ornate knife, she looked at Ambermist. "Tell me, Ambermist, wha' exac'ly did we say we was gonna do ta this offensive gent'?"
Ambermist grinned maniacally. "We were gonna cut his nuts off and make him eat them."
"Indeed.Get his pants for me."
Phalyssa (using a piece of the guys pants for a glove) deftly carved the first one out of the guy's flesh while Aruka held him down. The guy screamed in pain and thrashed wildly.
Spearing it with knife, Phalyssa moved over to the were's head. He had clamped his jaws shut. "Aruka? Could you open his mouth please?" The leonine teen used one large paw/hand to pry open the wolf man's mouth. Phalyssa jammed the testicle in. "Make him chew, please."
Very slowly, Aruka forced the guy's jaws to work, and then held his mouth shut until he swallowed. The trio repeated the process, and by that time, the were was swearing at them. In order to shut him up, Ambermist pulled a Lorena Bobbitt and jammed the wiener down his throat. The freak choked it down, and began calling the females all kinds of obscene names.
Aruka's Rage boiled over. Standing, he slammed the werewolf into a wall. "Don't insult my friends-And by the way." Aruka's snarling speech paused as he tore the creature's throat out. ".THAT was for my family!"
The young man hurled the body and then sank wearily to the ground, his form reverting to the one Phalyssa had found him in (Glabro, for you Werewolf fans.I don't remember the Bastet equivalents.) He was breathing hard, panting, and his body was quaking. Phalyssa went over to him and knelt.
"Hey.Are you okay?" she asked quietly.
".I'm.okay.I.just need.to catch.my breath." he gasped.
The silver haired girl looked closer and realized he was crying. "Aruka? What's the matter?"
He spoke without lifting his head, and his voice was a whisper. "I was just.missing my family. He tortured and killed them when I was eleven. I was just remembering." His ears droop and he wiped at his eyes.
Phalyssa hesitantly reached out and tentatively scratched his ears-very gently. Almost reflexively, he leaned into her touch, and her sharp ears could detect the deep purr coming from him.
The teenage girl felt her heart soften and then melt. He was just too adorable. Phalyssa smiled gently as he looked up at her through his filthy mane. His child like response was to hug her in thanks.
Ambermist watched in amusement as the two teens went through this tender scene. She knew exactly what was going on, even if they didn't. She made a mental note to mention it to Jea later.
Phalyssa looked up sharply when Ambermist snickered. Standing hurriedly, she pulled Aruka to his feet. Ambermist smiled wickedly, raising one eyebrow. "So, are you ready to go?"
* * * * * *
The next floor of the dungeon held a great deal of surprises. On top of several traps and even more guards, they also located and rescued Barak's wife and children. With new companions in tow, the group exited that floor and headed up to the fourth floor.
After dispatching two guards in the stairwell, they found themselves faced with to doors. Phalyssa opened the first door, and looked down the long hallway. As they entered, Aruka pointed at another door. "Wonder what's in there?"
The silver haired teen jerked the door open and looked in. It was an empty room with another door. Marching across the room, Phalyssa touched the other door. Glancing at her friends, she pushed it forward. Ambermist grinned gleefully when it had swung all the way to the wall.
"Treasure! Woo Hoo!!!!" The thief darted in and began loading the pockets of Holding in her cloak with the goodies. Lucky for her the many pockets had unlimited capacity, and in ten minutes had cleaned out the room.
"Okay," she said cheerfully. "Let's go."
Phalyssa looked at Aruka and rolled her eyes. They trekked back into the hall.
Aruka opened the door across the hall and made a noise of exclamation. The group followed him in and Ambermist exclaimed, "Our stuff! Yes!!"
Phalyssa, Ambermist, Aruka, and the others went through the armory. The two women reacquired their weapons and armor, and Aruka searched for a suitable weapon.
He was drawn to a strange magical scimitar. When he picked it up, it hummed in his grip. Hefting it experimentally, he grinned.
Phalyssa paused a moment. Taking her makeshift mace, she dismantled it. After pocketing the talons, she organized the femur and skull on the shelf in a ceremonial manner. Bowing formally, she thanked the departed creature for the use of its remains. Then she turned to her companions to leave.
* * * * * *
Jea and Wolf sniffed along, searching for their friends. Their acute noses led them and Laguna to a large building in the center of the town. The main door was large and thick, made of stout wood.
Jea looked at Laguna. "They're in here, Lover."
The paladin eyed the door. "Tell me, Jea: do you remember what we did to that Temple under Greyhawk? Whaddya say we do it again?"
Jea's feral grin was answer enough. The duo drew their weapons and Laguna leveled his tower shield like a battering ram. Jea joined him behind the shield. With a roar, the two charged the door, shattering it into a million splinters, and trampled two werebeast guards-two of six. During the split second of surprise, Jea, Wolf, and Laguna dispatched the remaining guards. The ranger looked around in amusement. "Snore-These guys were easy!"
Laguna nodded and investigated the room. Picking the door in front of him, he broke it open. It led to a hallway. Upon entering it, they heard voices coming from another room. Jea and Wolf paced the hall in an attempt to determine its source. After a quiet conference, they picked the door. Laguna could taste evil in the air, a sour bile in his throat, but he paused to listen.
".fool to kidnap the other two, Orthag!"
"I was not. Their friends-especially the knight-will come looking for them, and we will kill them too!"
Another, even more nasally voice broke through. "I still think that-"
"Oh be QUIET, you sniveling worm!" a gruff voice interrupted. "I do not understand why you rats still rule the council!"
Laguna chose that moment to kick the door in. He stalked across the large room and heaved the table where five werewolves, and six wererats sat stunned onto its side. The creatures all went flying.
* * * * * *
Phalyssa led the way through the hallways, Aruka close in tow. Suddenly the sound of fighting reached their ears. Drawing weapons, the group followed the noise to a door.
Aruka bashed the door down and charged through with Phalyssa.just in time to see Laguna heave the table upside down onto the wererat leader, and then leap over several rodents to land with full force on the table-all 300 pounds of man and armor.
The leader was crushed with a sickening squish and Phalyssa yelled, "Yeah! Go, DAD! Kick ass!!"
Jea turned to see her daughter and a strange emaciated cat man slaughtering werebeasts. Behind them, Ambermist and Barak's family entered the room The ranger dispatched the last two werewolves with her mace and wiped the gore off. Clipping it back to her belt, she walked unhurriedly over to her daughter.
"Phalyssa!!!"
Phalyssa was talking to Aruka when her mother called her name. Aruka whimpered, shying back visibly.
The teenage girl smiled reassuringly at the terrified youth. Then she turned. "Mom!" Forgetting temporarily her normal composure, Phalyssa hugged her mom fiercely.
Jea held her child a long moment before releasing her. She searched her face. "Are you okay? They didn't hurt you, did they?" When Phalyssa shook her head, the half elf tilted her head. "Tell me, who's your friend?"
Phalyssa realized then that Aruka was on the brink of panic. "His name's Aruka, Mom," she murmured distractedly, as she attempted to calm Aruka down. "Hey," she whispered, putting a hand on his arm. "Are you okay? Don't worry about these people-this is my mom, and the big guy over there in all the armor is my dad. They're okay folks, trust me!"
The teenage lycanthrope calmed at her voice, but was still scared witless. She took his hand and squeezed it soothingly before turning back to her parents.
"Mom, Dad, this is Aruka. We rescued him from the dungeon."
"Speaking of rescues," Laguna said dryly, "it would seem you didn't need us after all. Oh well." The paladin sniffed. The building made him uneasy- it reeked of evil. "We should finish slaying the foul beasts in this building and rid ourselves of this evil!" he announced loftily.
His daughter looked at him, rolling her eyes-until she noticed two things: 1) Aruka was trying, once again, to crawl into her skin, and 2) she was STARVING!!
"Um.Dad?" Phalyssa said. "Can we just go?"
Laguna looked flustered. "But-"
"Please, Daddy? I'm hungry, and tired, and I wanna get outta here!" Phalyssa looked at him with her best pouting lip and puppy eyes.
Laguna crumpled like a piece of aluminum. He could never refuse his little girl in anything. "Okay," he said. "Perhaps it would be better for us all to eat and regain our strength." he added, in an effort to salvage SOME of his dignity.
"Thanks, Dad!" Phalyssa crowed. She took the still quivering Aruka by the hand and the group left the evil village.
Barak and Dumbugg waited as Jea and Laguna crept towards the wall. When Barak saw the flicker of light from Jea's tiny mirror, he turned to Dumbugg. "There's the signal. Let's go."
The duo drew their weapons and charged, screaming, at the front gate, gaining their enemy's attention. They killed two or three, then dashed off into the woods, half of the city on their heels.
Jea, Laguna, and Wolf (who, because he is a different type of wolf, and linked to Jea like he is, is immune to the werewolf's ability to control wolves.) slipped into the city unnoticed. They moved along stealthily, searching for their missing companions.
* * * * * *
"Shit!"
Phalyssa ducked away from the door. Her to friends looked at her. "What?" Ambermist asked.
Phalyssa gestured towards the door. "Remember the ugly tent guard?"
"The one who's testes we were gonna force feed?"
The young girl nodded. "That's him. He's in there, by the stairs."
Ambermist's expression was smug. "Well, well, well.What do you say we make good on a promise?" She looked at Aruka. "Would you mind if we did?"
Aruka peered through the bars of the little grate on the door. His face contorted into sudden rage, and his form became larger, more bestial (Crinos for those of you familiar with Werewolf: The Apocalypse.) "That was he who murdered my mother and sister-after he brutally tortured them in the worst way." All trace of the three-year-old personality was gone, replaced by a very angry teen.
"Can you pin him if we break the door in?" Phalyssa wanted to know.
Aruka nodded. In a strange unity, he and Phalyssa kicked the center of the door at exactly the same moment. In an explosion of wood splinters and iron shards, the structure flew inwards, taking the werewolf in the stomach, and sending him to his knees, out of breath. Aruka practically flew in himself to tackle the guy.
Ambermist and Phalyssa waltzed in after. "Well.Hello.Boyo," Phalyssa said casually, imitating her mother's country lilt. Taking out her ornate knife, she looked at Ambermist. "Tell me, Ambermist, wha' exac'ly did we say we was gonna do ta this offensive gent'?"
Ambermist grinned maniacally. "We were gonna cut his nuts off and make him eat them."
"Indeed.Get his pants for me."
Phalyssa (using a piece of the guys pants for a glove) deftly carved the first one out of the guy's flesh while Aruka held him down. The guy screamed in pain and thrashed wildly.
Spearing it with knife, Phalyssa moved over to the were's head. He had clamped his jaws shut. "Aruka? Could you open his mouth please?" The leonine teen used one large paw/hand to pry open the wolf man's mouth. Phalyssa jammed the testicle in. "Make him chew, please."
Very slowly, Aruka forced the guy's jaws to work, and then held his mouth shut until he swallowed. The trio repeated the process, and by that time, the were was swearing at them. In order to shut him up, Ambermist pulled a Lorena Bobbitt and jammed the wiener down his throat. The freak choked it down, and began calling the females all kinds of obscene names.
Aruka's Rage boiled over. Standing, he slammed the werewolf into a wall. "Don't insult my friends-And by the way." Aruka's snarling speech paused as he tore the creature's throat out. ".THAT was for my family!"
The young man hurled the body and then sank wearily to the ground, his form reverting to the one Phalyssa had found him in (Glabro, for you Werewolf fans.I don't remember the Bastet equivalents.) He was breathing hard, panting, and his body was quaking. Phalyssa went over to him and knelt.
"Hey.Are you okay?" she asked quietly.
".I'm.okay.I.just need.to catch.my breath." he gasped.
The silver haired girl looked closer and realized he was crying. "Aruka? What's the matter?"
He spoke without lifting his head, and his voice was a whisper. "I was just.missing my family. He tortured and killed them when I was eleven. I was just remembering." His ears droop and he wiped at his eyes.
Phalyssa hesitantly reached out and tentatively scratched his ears-very gently. Almost reflexively, he leaned into her touch, and her sharp ears could detect the deep purr coming from him.
The teenage girl felt her heart soften and then melt. He was just too adorable. Phalyssa smiled gently as he looked up at her through his filthy mane. His child like response was to hug her in thanks.
Ambermist watched in amusement as the two teens went through this tender scene. She knew exactly what was going on, even if they didn't. She made a mental note to mention it to Jea later.
Phalyssa looked up sharply when Ambermist snickered. Standing hurriedly, she pulled Aruka to his feet. Ambermist smiled wickedly, raising one eyebrow. "So, are you ready to go?"
* * * * * *
The next floor of the dungeon held a great deal of surprises. On top of several traps and even more guards, they also located and rescued Barak's wife and children. With new companions in tow, the group exited that floor and headed up to the fourth floor.
After dispatching two guards in the stairwell, they found themselves faced with to doors. Phalyssa opened the first door, and looked down the long hallway. As they entered, Aruka pointed at another door. "Wonder what's in there?"
The silver haired teen jerked the door open and looked in. It was an empty room with another door. Marching across the room, Phalyssa touched the other door. Glancing at her friends, she pushed it forward. Ambermist grinned gleefully when it had swung all the way to the wall.
"Treasure! Woo Hoo!!!!" The thief darted in and began loading the pockets of Holding in her cloak with the goodies. Lucky for her the many pockets had unlimited capacity, and in ten minutes had cleaned out the room.
"Okay," she said cheerfully. "Let's go."
Phalyssa looked at Aruka and rolled her eyes. They trekked back into the hall.
Aruka opened the door across the hall and made a noise of exclamation. The group followed him in and Ambermist exclaimed, "Our stuff! Yes!!"
Phalyssa, Ambermist, Aruka, and the others went through the armory. The two women reacquired their weapons and armor, and Aruka searched for a suitable weapon.
He was drawn to a strange magical scimitar. When he picked it up, it hummed in his grip. Hefting it experimentally, he grinned.
Phalyssa paused a moment. Taking her makeshift mace, she dismantled it. After pocketing the talons, she organized the femur and skull on the shelf in a ceremonial manner. Bowing formally, she thanked the departed creature for the use of its remains. Then she turned to her companions to leave.
* * * * * *
Jea and Wolf sniffed along, searching for their friends. Their acute noses led them and Laguna to a large building in the center of the town. The main door was large and thick, made of stout wood.
Jea looked at Laguna. "They're in here, Lover."
The paladin eyed the door. "Tell me, Jea: do you remember what we did to that Temple under Greyhawk? Whaddya say we do it again?"
Jea's feral grin was answer enough. The duo drew their weapons and Laguna leveled his tower shield like a battering ram. Jea joined him behind the shield. With a roar, the two charged the door, shattering it into a million splinters, and trampled two werebeast guards-two of six. During the split second of surprise, Jea, Wolf, and Laguna dispatched the remaining guards. The ranger looked around in amusement. "Snore-These guys were easy!"
Laguna nodded and investigated the room. Picking the door in front of him, he broke it open. It led to a hallway. Upon entering it, they heard voices coming from another room. Jea and Wolf paced the hall in an attempt to determine its source. After a quiet conference, they picked the door. Laguna could taste evil in the air, a sour bile in his throat, but he paused to listen.
".fool to kidnap the other two, Orthag!"
"I was not. Their friends-especially the knight-will come looking for them, and we will kill them too!"
Another, even more nasally voice broke through. "I still think that-"
"Oh be QUIET, you sniveling worm!" a gruff voice interrupted. "I do not understand why you rats still rule the council!"
Laguna chose that moment to kick the door in. He stalked across the large room and heaved the table where five werewolves, and six wererats sat stunned onto its side. The creatures all went flying.
* * * * * *
Phalyssa led the way through the hallways, Aruka close in tow. Suddenly the sound of fighting reached their ears. Drawing weapons, the group followed the noise to a door.
Aruka bashed the door down and charged through with Phalyssa.just in time to see Laguna heave the table upside down onto the wererat leader, and then leap over several rodents to land with full force on the table-all 300 pounds of man and armor.
The leader was crushed with a sickening squish and Phalyssa yelled, "Yeah! Go, DAD! Kick ass!!"
Jea turned to see her daughter and a strange emaciated cat man slaughtering werebeasts. Behind them, Ambermist and Barak's family entered the room The ranger dispatched the last two werewolves with her mace and wiped the gore off. Clipping it back to her belt, she walked unhurriedly over to her daughter.
"Phalyssa!!!"
Phalyssa was talking to Aruka when her mother called her name. Aruka whimpered, shying back visibly.
The teenage girl smiled reassuringly at the terrified youth. Then she turned. "Mom!" Forgetting temporarily her normal composure, Phalyssa hugged her mom fiercely.
Jea held her child a long moment before releasing her. She searched her face. "Are you okay? They didn't hurt you, did they?" When Phalyssa shook her head, the half elf tilted her head. "Tell me, who's your friend?"
Phalyssa realized then that Aruka was on the brink of panic. "His name's Aruka, Mom," she murmured distractedly, as she attempted to calm Aruka down. "Hey," she whispered, putting a hand on his arm. "Are you okay? Don't worry about these people-this is my mom, and the big guy over there in all the armor is my dad. They're okay folks, trust me!"
The teenage lycanthrope calmed at her voice, but was still scared witless. She took his hand and squeezed it soothingly before turning back to her parents.
"Mom, Dad, this is Aruka. We rescued him from the dungeon."
"Speaking of rescues," Laguna said dryly, "it would seem you didn't need us after all. Oh well." The paladin sniffed. The building made him uneasy- it reeked of evil. "We should finish slaying the foul beasts in this building and rid ourselves of this evil!" he announced loftily.
His daughter looked at him, rolling her eyes-until she noticed two things: 1) Aruka was trying, once again, to crawl into her skin, and 2) she was STARVING!!
"Um.Dad?" Phalyssa said. "Can we just go?"
Laguna looked flustered. "But-"
"Please, Daddy? I'm hungry, and tired, and I wanna get outta here!" Phalyssa looked at him with her best pouting lip and puppy eyes.
Laguna crumpled like a piece of aluminum. He could never refuse his little girl in anything. "Okay," he said. "Perhaps it would be better for us all to eat and regain our strength." he added, in an effort to salvage SOME of his dignity.
"Thanks, Dad!" Phalyssa crowed. She took the still quivering Aruka by the hand and the group left the evil village.