A Call in the Night. ATTN: Shango, Rodrick

Shango looks around curiously. He hasn't been in many caves other than some small caves he finds when he goes foraging.

[Erchon]: "Come on."

Shango looks to the right, the direction we are heading.

He saw the root danglight from the ceiling. he didn't think much of it until it looked like it was moving, then the strange glob appeared.

Shango makes a face of shock.

[Shango]: "Whuhh!" Shango quickly steps forward to pick up a stone about the size of his paws. He throws it at the blob before pulling out his shortsword and slashing it.

The stone made a heavy squish as it impacted the bovine blob, and then a gurgle when Shango slashed it with his sword.

The wound where the sword cut deep folded open and eyes and teeth grew around the rim as a gaping maw took shape which lunged toward Shango, catching the gnoll’s sword in the jaw that had grown from the cut.

Rodrick looks as Shango throws the stone at that slimely thing, then he slashes it making it grow some eyes and what it looked like a mouth. Rodrick joldted when it suddenly came straight for Shango, but turns out it just wanted to snatch his sword.

He recomposed himself quickly and tried to think of an idea to help Shango.

[Rodrick]: He charges some magic fire in his hand to shoot it at the thing. "Stay still! I'm gonna try to hit him with some fire!" He yelled. Rodrick shot a fireball big enough to get it off from Shango's sword.

Erchon stepped back as the thing with the sunken bull’s head took its unshaped form. It was more and less than the deer they encountered in the woods.

Before there had been a clear ‘lump’ which they thought was a weak spot. Now he could detect no such weakness and Shango’s cut had transformed it way which made Erchon shiver.

The fire of Rodrick’s spell had definitely singed the blob, yet as they fought the first another tendril thread extended from the root. It twisted in the air as it swelled a flattened ram’s face stretched across its surface. The animal that gave Erchon the name gnoll seized his mind as he leapt claws extended for the new blob as his rictus maw clenched the root.

The acrid taste of bile filled his mouth. Choking he fell to the ground spitting out the bloody rancid meat he’d torn from the root. He lay on the ground as the ram faced blob writhed in his claws.

“Ah… Help” Erchon called, struggling to hold the squirming thing away from his body.

After Shango's attack, the creature took his sword.

[Shango]: "Woah! Damn, it took my sword! rock didn't do anything either."

he looks back at Rodrick. He fires the ball of flame at the creature and the sword drops with a loud clang. Shango quickly ducks down to grab it.

Not long after he obtains his sword, the creature creates a new ram-like blob.

[Erchon]: "Ah... Help"

The new blob was clearly on Erchon.

[Shango]: "Erchon!!" Shango yelled.

He jolts to Erchon and rips the ram-thing off of Erchon. The ram blob makes a mushy splat sound as it hits the cave floor.

[Shango]: "Erchon you alright?! Here, take my paw." Shango holds out his paw to Erchon.

“Baa’aqk’eaaaek’baaa!” The bleat rang out from the sunken muzzle of the ram blob as it rebounded from the ground and sprang toward Shango.

The burns across the bull faced blob blistered and burst covering the thing in eyes and toothed tentacles which lashed out at Rodrick like bladed whips.

It all happened so fast, Rodrick was a bit distracted with Erchon's situation that he almost didn't see the shapened tentacles coming at him. He dodged them with some difficulty, even sratching one of his horns and his left knee in the proccess, but he didn't feel anything due to the adrenaline rush going through him. Once he got up, he looked at the thing and thought of a different approach.

"Okay, going straight ahead is not an option, and it's practically impossible to parry those blades with my sword... Think Rodrick, think!! ...Wait, this thing was weak to my fire, maybe if I overheat the blades they will end up melting and making an open window for a strike with a sword!"

He charged up all the fire he had in his body and when the blob made a second attempt with his rentacles Rodrick released a great ammount of magic onto the tentacles. After that, Rodrick fell down on one knee and felt his chest hurting a bit due to the overuse of magic, but he was still able to breathe and speak almost with clarity. He looked at the flames he created hoping his plan worked.

Erchon heaved when Shango pulled the ram faced blob off him, and choked as the taste of the meat root still fouled his tongue.
“Thank you…” He coughed again as he took Shango’s hand. “I’m fine for now. The root must be destroyed or they’ll keep coming.

He held aloft his lamp and called on the Eluthanai god. “O Flame of Longest Night. Keeper of my will, and friend of the oppressed. Protect this land and guide us ever toward liberation.”

He knew he wasn’t able to live the Way of the Flame in Kallos, not like the Eluthanai did, and yet as he begged a bright piercing ray of fire appeared before him and scorched the root as another blob began to form.

It still thrummed but slower than before.

~~~

Before Rodrick the tentacled blob thrashed. The fire flooded from the goat prince, the tentacles crisped and fell. Oozing the wounds left began to form new masses, but it was too much as the cow faced blob collapsed on itself.

Behind Rodrick the ram-faced blob regained its ‘footing’ and advanced on him with a sickening bleat.

Shango nods to Erchon as he coughs and says thanks.

Shango watched as Rodrick's fire burnt the cow blob to a crisp.  He looks up to see the goat blob regain its 'footing' and was about to jump at Rodrick.

[Shango]: "Rodrick! Behind you!"

He grabs his wand of sparking from his backpack and swings the stick forward towards the blob, a small ball of very hot fire is flicked out the tip and at the blob. A hiss sound is heard as the ball makes contact.

Shango flicks many small fireballs at the blob, each one scortching the blob little by little. He couldn't throw anymore flames for his mana has ran out. The mana will slowly regenerate over time.

The bouts of fire Shango loosed on the blob from his wand were no greater than a candle’s flame. Each time the quasi-formed mass began to regenerate jaws, and spiked limbs from the wounds. Yet the wand’s tirade continued.

Flames rained down like drops on hot desert sand, no one seemed like much but when the assault abated only a puddle of muddied flesh remained of the once ram-faced blob.

~~~

The root above though charred still thrummed, and though weak a new blob slowly formed at its tip.

When Shango warned Rodrick, all his awareness came back to him. With the little magic Rodrick has, he dashed away from the blob in a big fire ball, which made Rodrick even more hurt and exhausted due to the lack of magic in him.

He coughed blood again in his hand, he looked at it in fear knowing that he couldn't handle much longer if he kept fighting like that.

[Rodrick]: "F-fuck..." He breathed with some difficulty. "I gotta... keep fighting..."

He wanted to help his friends, even though he wasn't in any condition to fight. So he picked up a branch from the ground with a very sharp end and burned the tip of it, and then he charged against the blob as fast as he could and stabbed it with the blazing hot tip of the branch.

Dead blobs littered the cavern floor. Still the root pulsed, the eerie glow emanating from its charred surface.

Already another tendril began to form along the fleshy growth. “They won’t stop coming until we destroy this thing.”

“Moaoaooa,” a roar rose from deep inside the flame haired gnoll. “O mother who brings forth root and grain, bringer of life and keeper of the dead, aid us. Ὦ Κράτη τῆς Χθονός, σε εγώ καλλέω.” As he spoke the last words came in in his native Infernal tongue, and the Little Shade placed their wisp like hands to Erchon’s back as he grasped the stone of the cavern roof the ground trembled as the land responded to Erchon’s prayer.

The throbbing root contorted and squirmed as the stone closed around it, severing the waiting form wherever it had grown.

The smell of putrid filled the well cave as it fell.

Erchon breathed deep from the strain. He had worked more magic than he had ever drawn from Flame or Earth.

The root down though, the raining danger lay elsewhere in the cavern. He had just enough strength to call on the Flame to call a guarding ward to protect them from anything that might come through the tunnel.

With that he sat and opened his pack. “We should eat, and rest.” he said, “we’ve had a long journey here and dove straight into battle without a rest. I don’t believe we can face what is deeper in the cavern without rest. The Flame’s ward will hold for hours yet.”

He took food from his pack and ate.

Shang looks around and back. The sudden roar startled Shango, he looks at Erchon.

Shango sees Erchon doing his magic, assuming the roar was part of his magic.

Shango grasps his sword tightly. He is ready to fight any more putrid creature that may jump out.

He sees the roots contort as it is encased in stone. The stench here is more intense and it has Shango covering his nose with a face of disgust.

Shango still holds on to his shortsword, now looking at Erchon as he begins speaking.

[Erchon]:  “we’ve had a long journey here and dove straight into battle without a rest. I don’t believe we can face what is deeper in the cavern without rest. The Flame’s ward will hold for hours yet.”

Shango slides his shortsword into his holster.

[Shango]: "Yeah. It feels like I'm about to collapse at any moment. my legs ache."

Shango looks around to find a cozy spot to sit. Once he does, he sits and brings his backpack to his front, opening it and pulling out some fruits. An apple, and a small bushel of grapes. Along with the fruit is some venison jerky.

He sits and eats, happy to have a break on this tough journey.

[Erchon]:  “We should eat, we’ve had a long journey here and dove straight into battle without a rest. I don’t believe we can face what is deeper in the cavern without rest. The Flame’s ward will hold for hours yet.”

[Shango]: "Yeah. It feels like I'm about to collapse at any moment. my legs ache."

Rodrick was at the edge of passing out, without any source of magic to regain his strength (like fire in his case) he could collapse right there at any moment. So with the little energy he had, he approached slowly to the group almost like a zombie.
Once he found a spot to sit, he took out his water bottle and a slice of bread he grabbed before going out in Kallos. With all the sudden need to go he forgot to pack some food for his trip, even after he double-checked he had everything. He remembered that butterscotch pie that Toriel used to do, which recomforted him a bit thinking about all those past moments, but hungry too when he realized he only has a piece of bread

[Rodrick]: Sigh. "Dammit..." After a small pause he took a bite of the hardened bread and a sip of water. He didn't feel recovered at all after that, after all it was just bread. He could ask Shango or Erchon for some food, but he felt like they would need it most. "So... Do you know how long this spell will last Erchon?" He asked after he finished his meal.


OOC: Coincidentally the place where he sits is next to Shango 7w7

The jerky and cheese Erchon had brought went well with the carrots. He hoped he didn’t need too many more meals from his pack though; he hadn’t anticipated the scope of the devastation on the farms nor the source of the blight.

He believed the heart was somewhere in the twist of caverns below the well, still he couldn’t be sure how to find it.

“So…” Rodrick started, “Do you know how long this spell will last?”

Erchon looked at the dimly shimmering ward that filled the gap in the tunnel where they’d come from.

“If I’m honest I’ve never worked magic like this before,” he said. “I think it will burn anything that tries to cross it. Even still I don’t know how long it will last, hours probably, though I couldn’t say how many. When we finish eating we should sleep while we take turns keeping watch. I’ll take the first watch.”

He patted the shade stone in his pocket as the Little Shade nestled itself onto Erchon’s lap. “I don’t know healing magic like my Ma, but the little I do know will help with sleep and if we’re lucky help your body overcome any hurt you’ve taken.”

He sighed, “I’ve been thinking, I don’t know how big these caves are, we should think of something to keep us from getting lost.”

Shango pops a few grapes into his mouth. the sweetness is joyful.

On his left sits Rodrick. Shango notices how little food he has and how worn out he is.

[Shango]: "Is that all you got, Rodrick?" he pauses. "You can have some of my food. I brought plenty. The grapes I brought helps sight and strength."

The grapes Shango has are a very dark purple with a blue gradient. There are faint miniscule dots on the skin. They call these type of grapes Milkydot berries. They taste like rambutans!

Shango holds out a small handful to Rodrick, offering it to him.

[Shango]: "By the way, you look even more worn out than me. Take a rest. I wouldn't mind being used as a pillow." Shango smiles slightly as he says this.

[Shango]: "By the way, you look even more worn out than me. Take a rest. I wouldn't mind being used as a pillow." Shango smiles slightly as he says this.

Rodrick looks at Shango and he felt a bit guilty, he didn't want to take his food but he needed it if he wanted to help them and not be a burden later. He took the grapes with a smile.

[Rodrick]: "Thank you so much Shango..." His words were weak due to his state, and he ingested the grapes one by one. He wasn't much of a fan of grapes, but these definately tasted really great to him.

[Erchon]: “I’ve been thinking, I don’t know how big these caves are, we should think of something to keep us from getting lost.”

Once Erchon said that he came to realize he was right, this place looked like a laberinth and they weren't measuring their track, Rodrick had to think of something quickly so they could continue after their sleep.

[Rodrick]: "Mmmm... If I regain enough magic tomorrow, maybe I could go back to place some marks. It should be quick, we haven't walked too much by now." Rodrick continued eating the grapes, and he felt his energy getting back to him with each one.

[Shango]: "By the way, you look even more worn out than me. Take a rest. I wouldn't mind being used as a pillow."

Rodrick choked on the grape he had in his mouth the moment Shango said that.

[Rodrick]: Cough. Cough. Cough. "I'M SORRY YOU WHAT??!" He said blushing, he definately wasn't expecting something like that. "I m-mean... ejem ejem ...if you don't really mind I guess could..." He said nerviously with his face red, this was getting intense for him.

Erchon coughed when Shango offered to let Rodrick use him as a pillow. It hadn’t been that long since Oliver had come to Kallos, but Erchon had been sure they were been close with Shanog though he supposed he’d assumed the nature of Shago and Oliver’s relationship.

Though by the choking noise Rodrick made it sounded like the goat had been even more surprised. Even still Rodrick seemed at least more than a little interested.

Erchon wasn’t going to say anything about it but he cleared his throat for what he did need to say.

“Magic markings should work…” Erchon trailed off. The others looked extremely tired. “But only if you’re sure you have the strength for it. We can’t afford to exhaust too much magic before finding the heart.”

“Still sleep now, we can work out if magic will work for making markers when you wake up. I’ll take the first watch”

Shango chuckles quietly. He finds their reactions funny.

[Shango]: "oh.. uhh.. that was a joke.."

To Shango, this moment became awkward. The joke he made didn't seem like a joke at all and he feels like a jerk for saying it.

He looks down and winces.

[Shango]: "Sorry." He pauses for a second. "You can use my backpack, I can just use a rock or those magic markings."

Shango is curious about these 'Magic Markings'

[Shango]: "We did use so much mana, so I should just use a nice rock. I'm used to hard pillows anyway. Sometimes I go hiking so long I sleep in a tree."