To the Southern Continent

[Sareth]

"I am nothing, if not safe," Jamie replied, stepping out the door. "Really. Safest person on the planet. Couldn't be safer. Never been scratched. Nope!" She glanced back in through the door. "Coming?"

[Jack Rothwell]

"Yeah-yeah." Tamina left the relative safety of the elder's hut with her companion, still feeling a little drained from her magical exertions minutes before. She was depressed, even though she hadn't pinned all her hopes on finding a cure for the plague, she'd hoped for something. Now the situation had fallen into a rapid downward spiral and their only means of escaping the senario short of teleportation (which neither she nor her teacher could do) was slipping through their fingers. It dawned on the native that soon the only way out of the situation would be to find where the Ralkin where hiding out and take the fight to them. If they could cut the spell off at the source then hopefully it would release its effects on the victims under its control, but in meantime it was picking up more 'recruits' in Grendell, and every sufferer they killed was one who might've been saved instead.

She tried to smile at Jamie as they descended the steps to the jungle floor. Impulsively she reached out and clasped the teenagers hand.

"Gonna be more dangerous." She said. "It's our home. If you wanna 'scape I understand."

[Sareth]

"Nope!" Jamie shook her head. "I'm totally committed to this. Really. Believe me, I am motivated!" She brandished her firearms. "Let's go, see if we can save this place, and find a cure!"

The crazed gunwoman began marching down the path, only to be halted by the cough of one of the Kobolds. She gave the kobold a curious look and the kobold, face strictly neutral, pointed the other way down the path.

"Right..." Spinning on her heel, Jamie turned and began marching the right direction.

[Jack Rothwell]

OOC I was going to fast forward this a bit on my next post to take Jamie and Tamina to Grendell unless someone has something they want to add./OOC

Tamina giggled at Jamie's antics and fell into step with her as the village vanished from view. The kobold settlement was safe, at least for now, and if they could do the same for Grendell they might've still have the chance to get away if things went really bad. She looked back at the group that had come with her; an eight strong hunting party armed variously with bows, blowpipes and spears. This wasn't a capture mission however, Tamina understood that her fellow tribals were still feeling reluctant to kill the ferals for the simple reason that there was still a person lurking underneath. She doubted though, that the weapons would be used much, if the numbers were large in Grendell they'd have to fight first and try mercy later.

<"I don't like this.">

Tamina looked over her shoulder at Alleece; the younger kobold looked sullen and fearful.

<"We'll be ok."> She replied in her native tounge. <"Just keep your space and aim steady.">

<"The Ralkin scare me, what if one of us gets infected?">

Tamina had no reply for that.

.....................................

Gabriel dropped the last half dozen feet to the jungle floor with a wince. He straightened up, breathing steadily, and surveyed the scene of violence all around him. The dead monsters seemed to leer at him, the dead woman's expression seemed to be accusatory, not that that stopped the ex-militiaman from going through her pockets to retrieve the fee he'd given her for taking him to this madhouse. He managed a grim smile as the bag of coins clinked in his hand.

It might've been the heat of the jungle, or the strain of his recent exertions, but a definite feeling of lightheadedness had settled over the Captain. The flies buzzed at him too loudly, his clothing was begginning to feel half a size too small. He almost welcomed the sting in his arm, which was at least sharp enough now to keep him alert. He risked a glance at the scratch on his forearm and frowned, the cut was lined with an unpleasant red edge, the first sign of an infection.

"Fuck."

He'd have to hurry. He'd find that blasted kobold and drag her by the scruff of the neck to Grendell. He'd go back to that medical place and have that Doctor fix him up, at gunpoint if necessary, and standing around was not going to accomplish that.

Gabriel pushed onwards towards the kobold village.

[Sareth]

[OOC]Fast forward away[/OOC]

[Jack Rothwell]

OOC I can retcon if you want to put something in before this Grey/OOC

Less than an hour later the group were approaching the edge of the jungle. Any thin hope they'd clung to that things might've been in hand in Grendell was dashed by the sounds erupting from the settlement long before they cleared the final trees. It was a medley of bangs, shouts, screams and roars. The faint smell of smoke left a tangy aftertaste in the air.

The scene rolled into view, looking every inch as bad as Tamina had feared. Even a hundred yards from the waterfront she could see dozens of figures stampeding back and forth across the wooden walkways, doing laps around huts that looked to be barricaded against the invaders. These figures were human, but no less horifying than the kobolds. They ran in curiously ape-like gaits, swiging their fists like clubs at the windows and doors before them. Tamina froze involuntarily as she picked out an oversized figured trying to break into the tavern at the edge of town; the same man who'd screamed at her in the clinic.

Tallah strode forward to join her, she felt his hand on her shoulder.

<"Come on. Let's go help them.">

Tamina smiled weakly and nodded. <"Let just be careful."> Her eyes widened and she switched back to human speak; she'd just remembered something.

"Jay-me!" She gasped. "What 'bout your mom?"

................................

"How goes the invasion?"

"As predicted, Fusilious. Most of the people are cowering in their homes, sometimes they try to run, no-one has succeeded."

"Are the kobolds on their way?"

The question was directed at the other two men standing around the crystal, they stood with their arms upwards and outwards, the air around them seemed to tingle faintly green as if tainted by magical fallout. The stone itself glowed brighter than ever. One of the men made a reply, although by the sound of it came as if from a great distance away, possibly on another continent.

"They've just arrived. Moving to engage."

"Monitor them."

"Yes master."

[Jack Rothwell]

The heavy-set monstrosity that had earlier that afternoon been Gara, a peaceful minded fisherman whose sister had been the first infected human to make it to Grendell, drew back a ham-like fist and struck the door in front of him so hard it shuddered in it frame. He'd been been doing this for the last half hour and showed no signs of relenting, even as his skin tore open and the occasional crunch signalled a bone breaking from the impact. Although he was freshly turned there wasn't much left in his face that declared him to be a human being. His eyes were gone, replaced by the same blackness emanating from the sockets which the new arrivals would've recognised in the feral kobolds they'd encounter earlier. The features of his face had become exaggerated, predatory, a simian with rabies.

His companions around him clawed at the boards the people inside had hammered across the window frames after they'd broken the glass. The squeaking noises of nails losing their grip spoke to something instinctive in the big man's frenzied mind, you'll be in soon, it seemed to say, you'll be fed.

........

Inside the Waterfront Tavern Captain Rigby, his men, and a handful of terrified patrons scrambled to and fro, looking for materials to further barricade themselves in with. The Captain himself stood in front of the main door, another thud sent a shiver down his spine, he clutched the blunderbuss tighter.

He'd never been a praying man, beyond occasional muttered pleas to Luminosita during particulary bad storms, but he was fighting the urge to get kneebound now. The screams around town had muted shortly after the rest of his crew had arrived. Being overpowered by the relentless sound of attempting breaking and entering. Worst of all, he had ten men unaccounted for.

"Either hiding out on the ship or..."

He shook his head, no time to consider that now, he barked orders at the men around him to hurry the hell up.

..........

As the kobold hunting party reached the edge of town they began to fan out, sweeping in both directions to surround the settlement. Tamina fell silent listening to the chaos. She notched an arrow in her bow.

OOC If there are any new players who want to jump straight into the action, this would be an excellent time to do it./OOC

[Sareth]

"So," Jamie muttered, fiddling with her pistol. "What's the plan?" She wiped a little sweat from her brow.

[Jack Rothwell]

"We gonna find your mom?" Tamina replied, drawing their group to a halt as they reached the nearest building. Tallah and Riiki had accompanied the pair and were peering round the wall at the feral humans hammering on the barred entrances. It didn't take long for the monsters to spot the kobolds. The brothers loosed arrows at their targets, bringing one down and injuring the other. Tallah cursed his inaccurate aim and ran the rabid human through with his spear when it stumbled into range.

Not far from their location they could hear the second group making their way to the other side of town. The roars from the invading force became louder.

[Sareth]

Several shots rang out as Jamie dropped a couple of charging rabid whatevers. She waved smoke away rapidly so she could scan for new targets.

"Trust me, mom can take care of herself. She's probably the most dangerous thing in town. Well, aside from me." Several more shots rang out, and then Jamie began rummaging pockets to reload.

****

Sure enough, just far enough away to not quite be seen or heard, a rifle barked from a tree, sending a thing spinning into a heap.

"I swear, that girl drags me into one more fight I am going to chain her to a wall." Another shot roared out. "She is so grounded for this one."