The First Blight: Curse of Dumat [RP/Closed]

[Cinnonym]

Ghil shouted her rage at the two raiders still dancing around her, putting gashes through her skin. Her greatsword slashed upward in a heavy swing and opened one man's face, leaving him screaming.

Thaedrin raised his hand to cast again, but the tiger's roar sent what Tevinter soldiers were left scattering in a panic; one's shoulder collided with his own, and his spell fired off into the storm, dissipating uselessly.

"Damn! What is this, how did they...!" Thaedrin's eyes widened at the sight of the striped beast, furious and horrifying. It paid no mind to its own immediate safety, nearly tearing into Diocles. It could make its way over to the two mages in a leap. "Idiot girl, get back!" He shoved Sulahn'nehn bodily behind him, trying to rush them both backwards and away from the monster. His next two spells did not miss, one for a raider and one for the cat.

 

[duckflesh]

Diocles hacked and slashed at the weak points in one of the marauder's armor, bloodying him well; however, when Ulrin attempted the same tactic, the man was able to twist and weave and avoid one blow entirely, though not the other. Alrik attempted to finish him off with a savage axe blow, but the marauder once again avoided the blade entirely.

The Tiger was driven into a frenzy by Sulahn'nehn. It turned from Diocles and pounced at her instead, bowling aside Thaedrin and biting savagely into her shoulder, knocking her to the ground.

Both raiders, breathing heavily now, continued to slice away at Ghil, flanking her, slowly darting in to strike and then darting away again when she tried to retaliate.

 

[Cinnonym]

Thaedrin shouted, hitting the deck hard; the rain was heavy, but he could still make out the shadow of the beast over Sulahn'nehn, and the elf girl's screaming.

'Son of a whore!'

The blood mage grasped for his staff and channeled a blast of hellfire at the beast, knocking it forcefully off of the girl. Hiding would be best, while it was still disoriented. He scrambled up to his feet and hurried to her side, grasping her wrist and hauling her upright with no patience or gentleness. "Below deck! Let's go--now!"

 

[ShadowFolk]

Sulahn'nehn was doing wonderfully in her mind. Making quick decisions to help her friends, though she wasn't entirely certain if her help made a difference or not. But bless her little heart, she was trying to keep them on their feet. So she was reasonably upset when her fellow mage both insulted and shoved her. In fact, she was positive what came next was his fault entirely. Had he not thrown her off, she might have noticed the leaping cat in time to blast it back before it could sink it's teeth into her. She'd dropped her staff while fighting to keep the beast from doing further damage, howling in pain. Fortunately for her, Thaedrin decided that the alignment of the heavens was perfect for one decent deed and knocked the tiger from her. The elf would have liked to say that the pain has ended as quickly as it came, but she was soon jerked to her feet, aggravating the wound.

Why below deck? Her friends were still fighting for their lives with a wild beast on the loose. Did he mean to abandon them? She could not allow it, how could he turn his back on them? It occurred to her she was in a promising situation. Be rid of the threat here and now and no one would know any better. There were men everywhere. Any one of them could have done it. Without a word she'd pulled out the dagger she'd taken from the warehouse and sunk it into the blood mage's flesh. It was the single most satisfying moment she could recall and so she ripped out the blade and stabbed him again and again, hovering over his toppled over body and striking repeatedly under the justification that the mage was bad and raiding pirates would show no mercy. She'd only stopped when her arm felt fatigued.

The red was so very pretty. A single slit to his throat and she could have all of his power and more if she could just-

Creators, no!

Her eyes widened at the thought. Blood magic? She would never and she realized far too late that something was very wrong with her. There was no helping the situation. Sulahn'nehn looked at the battle still happening just a few yards away from them and stood, shaking.

 

[Cinnonym]

Thaedrin's first expression was of surprise. He hadn't had time for a second one before he collapsed to the deck, his blood mingling with the rainwater, sloping downward.

Meanwhile, Ghil had had enough of being bloodied; her skull connected with the head of the raider in front of her, cracking his mask and sending him backwards. Her greatsword caught him next, cutting through his side until it got caught in his spine. The barbarian howled when she wrenched it free, blood splattering across the deck in an arc.

 

[Rosen2012]

In the distance Ulrin could hear the screaming and the sound of the tiger roaring as it attacked someone. Where these Rivaini mad? A tiger! Releasing a wild beast into the battle? What were they thinking? There were just two of them left still attempting to bring down Ghil. The elf ducked in next to one as he circled the barbarian and made a quick slash into his upper shoulder. Before he could bring up his second knife to stab into his leg the raider moved back and deflected him away with his shield.

 

[Slycne]

Enough was enough. After failing in another exchange of blows with the raider and worse still not getting his attention off Ghil, Jarrik knew he just had to connect his next attack.

He charged the raider again, lasing out with a feinting blow to put the pirate's back to the railing. Trapped, it was only a matter of time and Jarrik finally blocked a slash with enough force to throw the man off balance. The spear bit low but deep, thrusting straight through and impacting with the railing behind.

He dislodged his spear by kicking the man to the ground. Towering over him, "Told ya' I'd be gettin' you back." He didn't sweat the details on it not being the same raider from before.

 

[duckflesh]

The tiger, deprived of its targets, sought a new one. Perhaps it chose Ghil because she stunk so highly of human blood?

It lunged at her, delivering a terrible swipe of its claws to her throat and face that sent her to the ground.

Alrik, roaring, ran up to the tiger and buried his axe in his flank, wounding but not felling it.

The final marauder stumbled back to his feet and away from Jarrik, buying enough time to take a look around; one Warden was down and two had mysteriously disappeared, but he still did not like his odds against the pair of burly men. Ducking down swiftly, he hauled up Ghil's limp body as best he could, holding his sword to her throat.

"Hold it, there! I'll call of the tiger and spare this giant *****, but if you keep fighting she dies!"

He began backing toward his own ship; a difficult proposition, as Ghil was not a light woman.

Alrik groaned and looked to see what Thaedrin would say about this-- but Thaedrin, he was disgruntled to discover, was gone.

"Maybe we kill tiger, eh?" He tried. "Is worth more to you than purchased slave woman is to me."

 

[Rosen2012]

"We will not let you take her!" Ulrin tried to attack the raider from the side, however, due to his own apprehension over hitting his friend he swung his dagger too soon, missing the man completely.

 

[ShadowFolk]

Sulahn'nehn was having a difficult time shaking off the thought of blood magic as she went to retrieve her weapon. It would have all been for nothing if the Wardens died during the attack. She ached, holding her shoulder while catching some terrible news. Ghil was in danger and what was worse was that Alrik legitimately considered the cat worth more than her life. But they did not have very many options. Allow him to escape with Ghil as his hostage or fight and still lose her. A third option formed in her head. Kill the bastard. That may not have been the best plan either, but she was hardly thinking straight. The elf fired off what could scarcely be called a warning shot.

"If she dies there will be nothing left of you to bury!" She shouted. "You get your hands off her and take you and your pet from our ship or I swear to your gods you will not live to regret it!"

 

[Slycne]

Unable to get a good angle to attack past the limp body of Ghil, Jarrik was left with making a few weak jabs at the raiders head, none connecting.

"That's not goin' to work lad." He gave the pirate a iron-studded sneer. "You drop that body first, and then we'll let you leave here with your life and maybe I don't spread word all up and down the Rivaini coast to not be tradin' with that ships of yours. I'll make it so that you need to sail to Anderfels just to sell a bucket of fish!"

Gambles and intimidation seemed all they had left, though a pirate ship that couldn't find trade would certainly severely limit their ability to fence pilfered cargo for any profit.

 

[duckflesh]

The pirate hissed in surprise and alarm as a spell hit him. Were these people insane? He was holding their friend hostage and none of them seemed to care--or maybe they just weren't smart enough to handle the situation.

"You're all psychotic," he told them grimly. "If you hate her so much you won't even bargain, the fish can have her." He used all his strength to push Ghil over the side of the boat. A moment later there was a loud splash.

The pirate booked it for his own ship, clambering onto its deck as his remaining crew of mostly boys working at getting underway. He put two fingers in his mouth and gave a high whistle, and the tiger, amazingly, leaped back to the pirate boat as well.

 

[Rosen2012]

"Ghil!" Ulrin screamed the barbarian's name. The elf ran to the side of the boat screaming it again and again as he leaned over the side of the railing. "No! No no no! Where is she! She can't be gone!" The escaping pirate and the tiger were far from his mind as he scanned the waters looking for the woman. As if by some hope she'd be at the surface, or clinging to the side of the boat, but he knew that wasn't true. he knew she was unconscious and heavily wounded when the raider tossed her overboard.

"Ghil!" He continued to shout at the water, helplessly like it would return her. Frantic and dismayed he clung to side of the boat and shook with anger. All the water raining down on the deck did very little to hide the tears coming to his eyes. The only decent human he'd met was gone. They'd failed to save her. He'd failed again.

 

[ShadowFolk]

Her scream stopped in her throat as woman was tossed aside and Sulahn'nehn's heart sank along with Ghil. She fell to her knees, she had failed. She had committed a terrible act to keep them all from that fate and it was for nothing. Did no one else feel the same desperation to save her? Was it wrong for her to have attacked the raider? Was the barbarian's blood on her hands too?

"No, no, no, no." The elf whispered harshly to herself. It wasn't her fault. It couldn't be.

 

[Slycne]

Seeing the pirates intentions, a plan went into motion for Jarrik, always wanting to be the hero.

Blood-soaked spear and shield dropped clattering to the wooden deck as he rushed to the side of the ship, and the breastplate soon followed the straps simply sawed through with a dagger. The body was tumbling over the railing as he slashed a line of rigging, wrapping it round his arm before promptly diving into the choppy water after her, knife in teeth. He'd grown up in these waters, most Rivaini who lived on the coasts learned to swim before they could walk, or so they say.

He hit the surf with a crash, the impact alone nearly knocked all the precious air from his lungs. It was dark and disorienting beneath the water in that spray of bubbles and he nearly cut out his own tongue when he hit. The salty water stung his eyes, but frantically he searched beneath the waves and floating debris. He dove deep, barely able to see the hands in from of him. He contemplated letting go to search further, but the ship was still being tossed along the waves, without the rope there would be no getting back for either of them. Finally the life-line grew taut, and his lungs screamed for air.

A head bobs to the surface, slowly pulling its way back to the boat. It was Jarrik, but no Ghil. Another few minutes and he was back on the deck, panting for air and laying flat on his back.

There would be no toasting of heroics tonight.

 

[FortyThree]

Diocles should have been negotiating. He was kicking himself for it, of course he should have. Any idiot should have seen it!

But that wasn't his instinct. He went for Thaedrin, thinking not like a soldier, but like a commander. The blood mage could've resolved the issue easily via possession. Now it was too late, but he kept going regardless.

Where were you, you son of a-NO!

Upon seeing the body his eyes went wide. How could Thaedrin die now? He didn't care for cause of death, not now. He ignored Sul, going to his knees by Thaedrin, cradling his head like a concerned mother while cursing like an irate father, occasionally punching the body with his other hand, begging him to wake up.

"Bastard! You ass, how could you die -now-, like this! Bastard!"

In a flash, before he could be stopped, Diocles opened up his wrist with the slice of a knife. He pressed his wound to Thaedrin's, his blood mixing with the mage's, his heart pumping it through the mage's veins. Tears streamed down his face as he shouted to the body.

"Use my blood! Take it! Take it all, you piece of shit! You can't die now."

 

[ShadowFolk]

Sulahn'nehn turned her head, Diocles was over Thaedrin's body. How could anyone react that way to the man's death after all that he had done? Still, it pained her to see him suffering this way, it was also her fault he felt it. She just could not wrap her head around why he felt it. There was something woefully pathetic about it all, though that may have been due to her state of mind. She got to her feet and tugged at the archer to drag him from the body. "Stop! He's gone! Stop! Am I to lose you too?"

 

[duckflesh]

Alrik was doing ten things at once. He was barking at sailors to go in and try to fetch Ghil, but the waves were bad and none seemed willing, and besides; Jarrik had already tried and failed.

He was also watching warily as the pirates pulled away. But more than anything, he was staring grimly at Thaedrin's body, eyes taking in the wounds.

It was obvious to a calm mind that these were not slashing scimitar wounds. The man had been stabbed, up close and repeatedly. Alrik had seen nothing like that occur in the battle, but it had been so panicked...

"Diocles! You see Thaedrin fall?"

 

[FortyThree]

Diocles turned to face Sulahn'nehn, a gleam of madness born of grief in his eyes. He ignored Alrik, pulling back from the body and stemming the flow of blood with his other hand. The barbarian's question was unimportant. Life was important. Blood was important.

"Sul! Fix him. Quickly, before his spirit leaves him! Use my blood!"

He shouted the words. The passion and rage he displayed now were unseen by her previously-Save perhaps when he fought darkspawn.

 

[ShadowFolk]

Sulahn'nehn was taken aback. Not just by the way the archer was acting over the Constable, but because he dared to command her to use something so vile. "What am I to do, Diocles? I am no blood mage and I refuse to be such! The man is dead and I will not tear the veil to summon demons and betray my people by using the magic that was used to kill them!"