NPF Avatars IV, Chapter III: The Sphinx on the Doorstep

[Flarecobra]

I sighed, and got up. "Mes, you had better come back, cause I'm not carrying your ass all over." I said, picking up her body.

[Fenris]

Originally Posted by GARUD

"How's the arm buddy?"

"Better, now. Thanks to Mauve. I dunno what we'd do without her," Fenris replied. "How about yourself?"

[Darth SS]

Darth came over and was chuckling. Not pridefully though. More in that "Oooh a butterfly" way. Nevertheless he chuckled, and even said "Dur." The source of Darth's amusement?

"You could've died, Fenris. Fenrissss...sssss....like a ssssnake...heh I'm so funny."

What Darth hadn't counted on was that his ghost arm was part of his mind. His mind was slowing down. Darth was going to be a bit stupid for a while.

[Fenris]

"Thanks for that marvelous insight. I never could have figured it out myself," Fenris said curtly. He was already embarrassed enough at his lack of usefulness, he didn't need to be reminded.

[Flarecobra]

Just then, a chunk of rock hit Darth on the back of his head, and if one looked at the direction it came from, one would see me, looking a little ticked at the remark. "Darth, just remember, I am a lamia. That means part snake, so watch the snake cracks, ok?" I said as I walked by them.

[Premmy]

Stuck in battle with the Dryad, Premo had never been happier. He dodged, he slid, he parried, he fought like a madman convinced he was Samurai Jack. The two had barely landed a blow when he saw it. The dryad swung a clawed hand around to catch his face, a broadly telegraphed move, Premo twitched and brought his glowing sword around, barely having time to notice the claw coming up from below. The warrior howled... and all was silent.. They stood there, frozen, Premonitions with his sword at the dryads head.The dryad with her claw poised to strike his exposed belly. The leafy creature snarled "so.. what's it gonna be?" Prem spoke through strained teeth as his mind raced.. "I don't know, but it ain't gonna be me."

[Tarrin]

His breaths came ragged now, The stone was pressing against his lungs.

Tarrin gulped in air trying to keep his calm, Trying to figure how to get out of his predicament, Unfortunatly he failed at both of these areas, Panic set in and with that his already compressed heart tried to beat faster.

This ofcourse was a bad bad thing, Pressure built up more and more untill Tarrin sank into the darkness without sleep, His grip on reality fading like the last rays of sunlight giving way to the darkness of the night.

Moments later Tarrin awoke, the pressure lifting from his chest, His breath coming easer and more controlled, Looking down at his chest it started to take on more of its normal flesh like appearance, "Thank the spirits" He whispered it's fading.

[PyrosNine]

Pyros wiped his brow. With a close proximity and a constant stream of concentrated flame, he'd torched the Petrified tree and the Dryad who had the base of her body inside it, until both were somewhat melted.

When it was visible that some of the more vulnerable parts were starting to liquefy on the outer shell, Pyros took that opportunity to let the flame down and hack at the warped creature's neck with precise fury, and within 5 vertical slashes, with the creature screeching with every blow, it's vile head was seperated from it's equally vile body.

The thing still lived however, due to it's own healing processes. The head's face contorted and began to grow a neck, and the remaining body spasmed as violently as it could as it was stuck in the slightly gelatinous premagma'd tree.

With a heavy left arm, he gave one more violent stab and plunged the sword down the base of the neck at an angle, and then gave his sword a quick fling to send the head off to the ground. With his light left hand, he wiped off the blade as well as he could, and then groped in his clothing for his softs.

There was a reason why he his hand was so heavy, for the dryad had managed to strike the midsection of his arm plus the base of his shoulder and they had begun to harden into stone. The spot on the base had grown as well, and now was starting to spread to his neck. Pyros knew that if the process were to completely transform his neck, he would die from lack of oxygen and blood to the head in a very short amount of time. It was the price one had to pay for a few blows to the arm instead of a safe, nigh instantaneous petrification.

Despite his mortal Peril, Pyros calmly rummaged past some antidotes and spare change in gold coins within his person, and drew out the two softs.

Pyros was fond of the more old fashioned ways of doing things, and didn't trust the sprays and lotions. What if he had been petrified in a strong gale, or in the rain? Instead, his softs were from the olden days, a liquified acid that was in a sharp, but thick needle that was stuck into the hardened flesh with precision, lest the affected body shatter.

With one hand, Pyros removed the wrapping and pinched the tip, squeezing out a small amount to allow for a safer penetration. Then, he stabbed it into his shoulder, near the neck. He aimed for saving his life first, then he'd deal with the arm. He could only hope he'd aimed the soft well, or else he'd soon be on the floor unconcious and dying.

[mauve]

(OOC: Fenris-- "Lack of usefulness?" You killed a dryad! There are those of us who couldn't even accomplish that!)

(Also-- I feel loved!)

Originally Posted by FenrisWolf

"Thanks to Mauve. I dunno what we'd do without her," Fenris replied.

"Oh, you'd probably live longer, fuller lives," Mauve answered cheerfully.

Now that the coast was relatively clear, Mauve took a look at the gashes in her arm left over from her fight with the dryad. They weren't incredibly deep, but they did hurt now that the stone curse had been completely removed. Mauve used a bit of white magic and they were gone without a trace. Well, aside from her left sleeve being somewhat shredded, that is.

"So is everyone okay?"

[Bailey]

Syttulg managed to rise to consciousness just long enough to groan and then slipped back into sleep.