Reaching a hand to steady herself against the snowdrift at her back, Jester raised her forearm over her eyes as a freezing torrent of air blasted from Gelidon's mouth. A chill raced down her back, stiffening her muscles for a moment before she shrugged it off.
The blast weakened and she chanced a glance, watching a couple of the Tomb Takers get knocked into the snow. At the center of the field, in the middle of where the ancient white dragon had aimed her breath, was a tall figure of maroon and green who crumpled to his knees, bracing himself with his palms in the snow, trembling from the cold.
Running forward, she saw Caduceus and Cree, as a pair, slink behind the strange rock formation jutting out from the surrounding white. Otis popped up and out of the snow and fired a crossbow bolt toward the dragon. Jester lost sight of it, but heard Gelidon roar again, this time without an accompanying blizzard.
There was a flurry of blue on top of her head where Beau was swinging wildly. Caleb was still a safe distance away from the hubbub, but looked to be preparing another spell.
Slowly, Fjord got to his feet and stumbled toward the rocks to their left. Otis followed, darting through the snow in a hopeful attempt to dodge the dragon's next breath. Jester needed to get closer to Gelidon, but Fjord—he looked ragged and at an uncomfortable edge.
With a huff, Jester skidded to a stop, still behind the half-orc but in the middle of the field, facing the dragon. She looked between the two, saw his heavy, shuddering breaths, then to the dragon who was whipping its tail toward Beau as she kicked it aside. A dragon tail. She kicked the Nightmare in Ivory's tail away from slamming into herself.
Jester clutched the symbol of the Traveller at her neck and held out a hand toward Fjord.
"Only for you, Fjord!" she shouted through the noise, and released the Heal spell. Energy shot forth and wrapped around Fjord like a green cloak before seeping into his person. His shuddering started to stop, and he turned to face Jester. His eyes were wide when they met hers, then his mouth quirked into the smallest smile.
Thank you, she saw him mouth, and she shrugged, babbling nonchalantly. She watched Otis duck behind Fjord, taking cover, before there was another scream. A bellow of absolute rage. Jester whipped toward the noise to find Yasha, standing beneath the dragon and too far to get into melee with it, reach over her shoulder and drag the Skin Gorger from its sheath. She took a few steps forward, heaving it behind her, before going into a jog and spinning to gain momentum before releasing the blade through the air.
It spun like a boomerang, one that was never going to return to Yasha's hands if it didn't lodge itself into the belly of the dragon. Somehow, Yasha had been able to throw it up so high, the wicked blade was bound for the dragon's head, though its momentum was slowing.
Jester noticed Veth, out of the corner of her eye, hop behind Fjord and join her rival halfling for cover. She could hear them argue, their shrill voices urging and cursing each other away, but Jester drowned it out as she watched Yasha's sword arc toward the dragon's neck, where Beau was currently twisting and battering its flesh.
"Beau, watch—!" Jester cried, eyes darting between her flurrying friend and Yasha, who had frozen where she'd released the Skin Gorger. Jester doubted Beau could hear her with all the distance between them, and her proximity to the beast, but she must have sensed something headed over her shoulder because she suddenly swung back onto Gelidon's neck and laid herself flat against her nape. Yasha's sword flew past, skidding against the plated skin of the dragon, and falling lamely to the snow. Jester saw Yasha melt, holding her temples between two fingers, and curse. Beau popped up from behind Gelidon and shouted something toward her, and Yasha held out her hands, shrugging. Whatever either of them were saying, Jester couldn't make it out.
Curling out from behind the rock, Caduceus approached the dragon with his hands up, concentrating with a finger against his lips, his brow furrowed. Had she been closer, she would have seen his eyes go dark as the energy he sent toward the dragon flew like a black curtain. Gelidon's shape seemed to only wince, but she was starting to look frantic.
Cree stepped out from behind the pink-haired hippie, clutching the blood-red jewel around her throat and sending a similar pulsing spell toward the creature. Caduceus glanced sideways at her, then proceeded to shrink back toward the cover of the rock.
That's when Beau unleashed another bout of punches and wrapped her staff around the dragon's neck, swinging down to pass in front of it. She landed a few blows before jumping through the air and landing on Gelidon's back again.
The Nightmare in Ivory let out a screeching roar, her wings dragging them another ten feet into the air. Her massive claws suddenly reached over her shoulder, swatting at Beau. The first blow hit, knocking the blue monk onto her back, while the second wrapped around her legs and dragged her into the air.
Still holding her staff, arms dangling from its grip, Jester felt her stomach lurch as Gelidon opened her savagely large and sharp maw and bite down hard on Beau. Jester felt her jaw drop, and watched Yasha falter as she ran forward, staring through twisted features.
In the splittest of moments, Jester watched the dragon's mouth open slowly as its claw that had been holding Beau swung wildly for the rocks hiding Cree and Caduceus. From inside its mouth, Beau was standing, her arms outstretched above herself as she lifted its jaw open just wide enough to make a leap out.
Beau was doused completely in blood, with gaping wounds down her arms and her mid-section torn open. Weak, but somehow still fighting, the monk dodged between the dragons rows of teeth back into the frigid air. Just as Jester was sure she was going to fall the forty feet that they were hovering into the snow, Beau's hands scrambled to find purchase along the dragon's snout. Latching onto one of the dragon's nostrils, Beau fell limp against it.
Veth popped out from behind Fjord with a scream, launching a crossbow bolt toward the beast as it began pounding its wings and lifting away. The bolt flew through the air and sank into its neck. Almost automatically, the crossbow fired again and the second bolt followed the first. Gelidon screeched as she took off, blazing a trail far past the stones hiding half the TombTakers and Caduceus. Yasha took off at a sprint after her, reaching over her shoulder and hoisting the automaton's lance over her head.
Jester watched Lucien sheath his swords as Fjord stalked farther toward Jester in the center of the field.
"Eh, let 'em have her," the purple tiefling said, flashing a smirk that was all to reminiscent of their lost friend. Jester glowered.
"There's no 'let 'em have her' she's our friend," Fjord snarled. Lucien just stared at him, then gestured toward the retreating form of Gelidon.
"Then somebody go get her!" he tossed back, and stalked away toward Tyffial. Veth sped past them, turning over her shoulder toward Otis.
"Come on! Help me save my friend!" and she took off. Otis, having just buried into the snow, poked up again and tilted their head, seeming to consider. Jester didn't wait to find out if they'd follow and took off running.
Caleb, maybe forty feet in front of her, reached into his pocket and overhead, throwing his arms in a forward motion. A version of Frumpkin appeared, twirling end over end through the air after Beauregard, who was still clutching the side of Gelidon's face. As the spectral cat approached its target, it morphed mid air into a giant orange cat paw, wrapping itself around Beau's bleeding torso, and yanked her off. There was a sickening crack as bloody ice came away with her body, and she stumbled between the paw's claws.
"Get her away!" Jester cried to Caleb, who had started running again. Before he could drag the claw back from the beast, Beau's wrists flicked and lightning suddenly sprouted from her fists. She stood, wavering slightly, in the center of the paw and sent an uppercut of lightning straight for the white dragon. She twisted in the air with her second punch that ended in a roundhouse and landed again on the orange paw keeping her afloat. Grinning and facing her friends as they raced to catch up, she turned to face off with the dragon for another time when its giant, meaty tail slammed into her back and flung her through the air, the wind completely sent from her lungs.
Jester cringed as ran and saw Veth dig into her pocket and pull out a feather. Beau's fall suddenly slowed and she started drifting toward the snow before landing softly. Gelidon let out another roar, the sound of it shaking Jester's bones, before pushing off into the sky and flying away. As she did, Jester slowed herself. Beau was moving, waving her arms in the snow until Veth reached her and kicked a pile of it over her face. Beau scrambled up, reaching for Veth, and left a bloody print of an angel in the snow.
Speaking of, Yasha finally reached her, her thick, dark cloak thwaping as she ran.
"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice low, her eyes moving between the red snow and Beau's torn form. Beau shrugged.
"Uh, yeah. Yeah, totally."
Yasha nodded. "Okay…" Jester turned back toward the rest of the group when she heard Yasha coming up from behind, calling out.
"Could somebody help me find my sword?" she asked. Caduceus, who had been just behind her, nodded.
"I've got it," he said, snapping his fingers and wandering off. Jester kept an eye on him as she made her way back to Fjord. By the time she did, the rest of the group had gathered, too. Caduceus was making his way closer slowly, dragging Yasha's terrifying blade after him and carving a trail through the snow.
Fjord reached out and grabbed Jester by her shoulders. Before she could do anything but smile, he leaned down and kissed her.
"Hey," he said. "Thank you." His eyes were warm and brows cocked in a way that made her body want to flutter and fly away. "You healed me," he smiled. She shrugged, flashing him a cheeky grin.
He breathed out a laugh and gave her arms a squeeze. As they turned to face the group, they glanced away. Everyone except for Veth, whose mouth was wide open, grinning.
"Oh, well, you know, anything…" Jester spluttered. "For my Fjord."
Veth shuffled forward, eyes bright.
"What?" Fjord shrugged. "I'm mad for her."
Jester's eyes bugged a bit at the words, glancing to him quickly before it was Veth's turn to stutter.
"When did that—uh, we...was?"
Fjord's mouth tilted to the side as he squeezed Jester's arm before walking away.
"That's a thing now?" Veth asked Jester, whose eyebrows jumped into her hairline, a small smile decorating her cheeks. She shrugged giddily.
"Did you...wha—have you," the halfling woman continued. "Have you kissed him often?"
"Uhm, no," Jester decided. "That was the first time he ever kissed me."
Veth recoiled. "Just now?"
"Just then, you witnessed it," Jester whispered. Caduceus, who was handing Yasha her sword, huffed a small laugh and rolled his eyes.
Veth frowned. "That was such an anti-climactic…"
"Apparently he's mad for me?" Jester said as she glanced after Fjord, who hadn't walked off far.
"And just said it like that," Veth pondered. "Matter-of-factly…"
"I know."
There was a moment of silence while Jester chewed her lip.
"Are you still mad for him?" Veth asked. Jester grinned, looking to see if Fjord had turned around, or if his ears were perked, listening. Her eyebrows wiggled.
"That's amazing!" Veth smiled. "Wow...are you steadys?"
Jester's forehead wrinkled. "I don't know," she breathed.
"Well you have to define it."
"Why?" the blue tiefling whispered.
"You have to be upfront with your feelings and with your status, or else someone else might come in and try and sweep him off his feet," Veth said, playing with the buttons lining her coat.
"Like you?" Jester smiled. Veth blinked.
"I could—I could if I wanted to," she crossed her arms. Jester heard Beau snicker.
"I have no doubt you could, Veth," she said.
"But I am a married woman," Veth shrugged. "Everyone's finding love. Hm..." She thought. "I'd like to think that it was my advice that did it." she said smugly, then gave Jester a hug around the knees.
As the two parties made chairs out of the sticky snow and took a short rest, Fjord began making small talk with the TombTakers. Caleb apparated Frumpkin, who padded between the parties before finally nestling into Jester's lap, purring, while the wizard went into arcane recovery.
Yasha sheathed her swords and sank into the snow behind Beau, who was slouched over herself wrapping her wounds, trying to wash the blood from her skin with the snow while some of it remained frozen to her form. The loss of blood and her extended proximity to Gelidon had left Beau shivering.
She didn't notice the barbarian sit on the other side of her as Yasha watched. She didn't try to get her attention or help with dressing the wounds. She just stared at the large gash across her back, soaking her blue robes red, from being slammed by the white dragon's tail after dealing a ridiculous amount of damage after being beaten to a pulp and frozen to the side of Gelidon's face.
And Yasha threw a lance and a sword that almost cut the monk in half.
Heat bubbled to her temples and she looked away, shaking her head.
The field was an absolute mess. There were blood splatters and dragon prints in the snow. Near where Gelidon first landed was a ring of melted snow that revealed hard, dark earth where Otis had scrambled to tear at a piece of dried meat. Yasha smirked at Veth, who kept a very close eye on the other halfling.
Beau hissed as she sat up straighter, having finished her wraps, and leaned back. Before Yasha could move, Beau's head landed in her lap and blue eyes stared up at her, wide.
"Hi—" Yasha started.
"Whoa, sorry. Did not know you were right here, my bad," she stammered, wincing as she started sitting up. Yasha put her hands on Beau's shoulders.
"I'm okay," Yasha said softly, urging the monk to lay back down. "Are you?"
Beau paused, then sank back down again, her neck supported by Yasha's crossed calves.
"Yeah, totally. I'm great," she huffed. Yasha smiled. It was small, just the faintest tilt in her cheeks, but Beau noticed. She also saw the small knit in her forehead.
"You were almost swallowed by an ancient white dragon, Beau," Yasha laughed. "You are amazing."
"Ahh…" Beau shrugged. "It was pretty cool, though. Riding on the back of a dragon. It felt sick." Yasha's eyebrows shot up, the knot between them relaxing as her smile grew.
"You looked…" Yasha started, her fingertips playing with the short hair behind Beau's ears. "So cool. Super hot."
They both laughed, and Beau's trailed off. Yasha could feel her shaking. She looked over to Caleb, the firebug that he was, but noticed he was in a meditative position and knew he'd be of no help for the moment. Yasha glanced back down at Beau, whose eyes were now closed.
"Hey," she said. Her eyelids fluttered open. "Mind if I…?" She held up her hands, which started to glow.
"We've still got most of the day," Beau murmured.
"I know, but—" she argued. Beau's eyes fell closed again. "You lost a lot of blood. Parts of you are literally frozen." Beau's head tilted to one side, tucking herself into Yasha's lap.
"Caleb can warm me up in a bit," she said. Yasha sighed, then leaned back, watching wisps of Beau's hair twist in the wind. They stayed like that for most of the rest, while Lucien and the TombTakers had a midday snack and everyone recovered.
It took only a few moments before Beau fell asleep, her breathing shallow. Yasha glanced at Caleb, who was pouring over his spellbook, then sat up. She cupped Beau's face between her hands, letting her thumbs trace the corners of her mouth and the outline of her small nose. Her skin, usually a golden brown, was pale, though Yasha couldn't tell if it was the weeks they had been trekking through the northern tundra or Beau's current physical state.
Yasha reached into herself and watched her hands begin to glow. White, radiant light webbed between her fingers and wrapped around Beau's still face. Yasha leaned over her, eyes heavy, as the divine energy worked its way from her palms into and beneath Beau's skin. Color returned to her cheeks and the exposed scrapes from the ice on her face and neck began to close. Yasha brushed her lips across Beau's forehead, breathing a sigh as she felt Beau's muscles relax and the shuddering of her skin came to a slow stop.
She was still bloody, beaten and bruised, but just the slightest difference lifted the weight from Yasha's chest. Eventually, Yasha looked up to see if Caleb could come melt the ice from Beau's fingertips and forearms and instead she met the gaze of Lucien, whose head was cocked as he watched them. His usual smug smirk seemed to have long melted away. Yasha gave a small nod and half a smile, which he returned, then she leaned back against the drift and closed her eyes, her hands still cradling Beau's face.
