Yliakum Journeys (vol.1)

[Myrthe]

"Trail bread would...be...wonderfulllll......." Myrthe says as he nods off...

[zhai]

No reply and no one seems to be on the ulbers' immediate path. Zhai moves ahead, staying on top of the hills. It's getting late but the pack hasn't stopped, a strange behaviour indeed. "Where are they going?" she thinks, but then a light not far catches her attention. "Fire... a camp! Hopefully it'll be just a bunch of rogues", she thinks as her eyes draw an imaginary line between the camp and the pack moving straight into it. She starts running now, the ulber pack will reach it in a few minutes but the night hides them well. "That would be an awful surprise... I hope the campers have scouts or at least a couple of keen elven eyes or an enki nose to pick up the scent, despite the lack of wind". With no time to warn the campers, Zhai hastes towards the pack to create a diversion in case her fears were confirmed.

[Farren Kutter]

Farren, still out scouting, though he has seen the others stop for rest, catches a scent that is foul to his senses. Unable to remember what it is he smelled, he follows the scent as best as he can. As he goes, he starts feeling a slight pounding, like something heavy moving his way... No, many heavy things. Thinking of the giant creatures that Yliakum has seen, and adding in the scent, he has his answer. Ulbernauts. At least three or four of them. Farren runs back to the encampment to warn the others, hoping he can make it back before the ulbernauts catch him. He yells a warning when he gets close enough, to, but he hears the pounding of the ulbernauts getting louder.

[zhai]

"Farren!". His voice is clear in her head. The ulbers are speeding up now. Time's up. She jumps on top of a tree and aims at one of them, one in the center of the pack. An arrow is cast upon the creature and then others for the surrounding ulbers. She jumps from tree to tree trying to catch the ulbers' attention and spread them in different directions. However, they're too many and some of them have already started chasing Farren. She whistles once more, this time to let Farren know she's attacking. One of the ulbers has spotted her and as she dodges his first attack she manages to unsheathe her blades in a quick step. "My turn" she says coldly, charging against the creature.

[Xylaal]

Xylaal crouches low in the grass, firewood forgotten at her feet, her sword now clutched tightly in her webbed hands...she is  still. Having heard commotion in the distance she waits. She sees motion in the treeline ahead.

[lanser]

Hoki glances looks up at Xylaal "thanks that'd be good, we'll need a fair bit to last all night"

Hearing a yell he turns to see a pack of Ulbers chasing down towards the camp adding his voice to the alarm call he shouts "ULBERS GROUP BY THE CART" his dagger appears in his left hand as he draws a sword with his right and makes ready to take action

[Farren Kutter]

Farren reaches the camp and turns when he hears another whistle. One of the rangers saw the fire and is attacking the Ulbernauts. Unless it is a group, whoever it is will not be able to take all of them down themselves most likely. "Everyone, prepare to defend, I'm going back to help hold them off. Any who wish to come, feel free. And good luck." he says, his smile flashing at the thought of battle, and he rushes off to join the other ranger.

[ou8i8uo]

Satayne had heard the whistles and though he was no Ranger, he knew what they meant and had taken a perch in a high tree.
He knew (or hoped) Zorbels was safe as she was off scouting. Fearing the ulbers would get too close to the cart and spook the teffies into running he jumped to a tree that was over one of the ulbernauts and from there  let himself fall on top of one jabbing a dagger into each side of it's thick neck upon impact. Satayne , sitting on the confused Ulbernaut's shoulders, repeatedly plunged his daggers in and out of the crazed Ulber's neck several times before withdrawing his daggers for the last time and dismounted the poor beast as it fell to the ground. Seeing the ulbernaut was wounded and most likely on it's way to death he steps over the pool of blood forming next to it's neck and looks up to find his next target.

[Xylaal]

Xylaal, crouched in high alert, backs herself up toward the cart. She hears a whistle in front of her and sees Farren fly by her. She turns to warn Hoki but he already has his dagger drawn. She sniffs the air. She listens. She waits.

[Farren Kutter]

Farren finds that the ulbernauts have gotten closer. He sees one taken care of by Satayne, and he rushes past, dual short swords ready, and leaps at the closest beast. He parries and incoming claw and uses the momentum to spin to the side of the large creature, and lunge forward, planting both shortswords deep into the things side. The ulbernaut, enraged, hits Farren with the backswing of its arm, knocking the ranger flying, breath taken out of him by the force of the blow. He lands in a side roll to release the momentum softly and keep from having the breath knocked from him again. He rises to his feet and studies his adversary carefully as it approaches him. He leaps high into a roll over the ulbernaut right as it reaches him, its claws hitting air as they swing to shred the ranger, and the dermorian stabs downwards mid-roll and pierces the beast's skull, straight into it's brain, killing it. he lands softly on the other side of the ulbernaut, breathing heavily, knowing that many bones in his body are broken. The adrenaline of the battle gone, he collapses to the ground, still conscious, but injured badly.

[lanser]

with a bound the old enkidukai jumps onto the cart and throws his long bladed dagger directly at the closest Ulber leaping off the other side while the knife flies to its target embedding itself between the vertebrae and instantly paralysing the enormous creature, continuing his leap into a roll he comes to rest by the Ulbers head and cuts it's  throat "sorry" he whispers as it slowly bleeds to death.

Rising to his feet he draws another dagger and returns to the cart keeping himself between the Ulbers the young fenki tovera..

[zorbels]

Zorbels hacks her way through the bushes with her swords, then stops as she see's a huge pile of waste from an unknown creature. "Hmmm ... that is to large for any trepor or tefusang." She goes back to hacking at the bushes to clear room to move when she hears a distress call.

"It sounds like it is coming from the camp," Zorbels whispers to herself and turns to head back. She glides over the rocks and bushes at a fast speed praying that no one is hurt. As she nears the camp she see's a grouping of ulber's. "Oh no." She swears under her breath and pulls out her long bow. Zorbels takes aim at one of the ulbers that had snuck up and was about to attack Farren. She releases hoping all of her practice this last months will come in handy. She see's it strike the ulber on the side of the head, enough to hurt him but not kill. It turns toward her with an angry, wild look upon it's face and begins to rush her. "Ok. plan number two." Zorbels pulls out her long swords and readies herself for the battle. As the ulber barrels down on her, Zorbels runs at the ulber at full speed. When almost in front of the ulber she drops to the ground and slides through its legs while holding her long swords out like wings. The ulber screams out in pain as her swords cut deep and as she slides to a stop she feels the thud of the ulber falling to the ground. Keeping in mind the ulbers deadly claws she approaches just close enough to take a head shot with her long bow. "Well, one down and three more to go...." she turns to take in the action happening around her and thinking upon her next move.

[zhai]

"The dancing blades both silk and thunder, frailty and rage, flame and water". Zhai keeps repeating this in her mind as a mantra as she crouches and jumps, dodging the ulbers attacks and counterattacking swiftly. Two are down by her blades but the third is much stronger... and faster. She's hit. Her dance interrupted abrutly as she hits a tree, knockedbacked by a blunt strike. She stands up as fast as she can just in time to evade another blow. She turns her head quickly to spot the other ulbers but they are already heading to the camp. The ulber charges again. Zhai can't dodge so she covers. Her blades stop the attack but again, the knockback is too strong so she's launched several feet away. She cracks her neck and back and resumes her concentration, gaining momentum for her attack. She goes for the ankles, making the creature kneel down. As she slides under the ulber she's surprised by another deadly claw coming her way. She pulls her legs back, beding her knees to stop the inertia but it's not enough so she uses her blades again, sticking them on the ground and pushing herself to the side, she barely makes it out of the way of the moving claw but her blades are hit away from her hands. She rolls and jumps to safety, a few good feet away. Two ulbers in front of her, one badly hurt but too close to her weapons and the one standing running towards her.

[zorbels]

"Heads up people! Three more ulbers have entered the camp!" Zorbels cries out with warning.

[ou8i8uo]

Satayne looks up to see Farren writhing in pain on the ground and looks back in the distance behind him to see Hokinon standing before one. He looks back to Farren then to Hokinon deciding which way to go when he notices the one in front of Hokinon is not moving at all and decides to go help Farren. He sheathes his daggers as he closes the gap between them and kneels to Farren trying to assess his injuries.
Hearing something he looks up to his right and sees yet another barreling down on them when out of nowhere an arrow pierces the side of it's head. The ulber turns it's attention behind him now and from seemingly nowhere Zorbels comes flying out of the brush on wings of steel sliding between it's legs and slashing it down.
Satayne stands there looking at Zorbels in awe.