Stormfeather reveals the extent of his evil (Thorns of Steel TP...and read the warning first!!!)
WARNING: A dibbun dies in this log, so if you can't handle that very well, then I suggest not reading this! (Seriously.)
St.Ninians Ruins: Churchyard
The churchyard stands quiet as few beasts seem to roam within
it. Though vermin seeem to have long left the old church, the
area seems to have a coldness about it. In the distance looms
the burned out hulk of the old church, still standing despite
its old age. Darkness just seems to encompass the area in a fog.
Rubble is scattered around and the ground lies charred and
barren, even after many year. The area is void of much life and
has a foreboding feel to it. Equally obvious is the ancient
graveyard, fenced in by an old and rusty fence breached only by
an equally ancient and rusty gate.
Entrances/Exits: -----------------------
[I]nto the [C]hurch, [C]emetary [G]ate, [D]irt [R]oad,
[I]nto the [F]orest, [M]ossflower [W]oods
Sorrlagg sits down by the church and glaces around, he seems moody, more so than normal as his tail moves back and forth.
Lenore flies high over the church and graveyard twice, checking out the scene below. She lands on a tall headstone (probably that of some church leader) and is followed by a crow. The crow is a male and is about half the size of the female raven. He lands beside her and cackles something in some strange language consisting of caws, beak clacks, and feather ruffling. Lenore answers back in the same language, the begins to preen her feathers. She seems to not be interested in the monitor lizard in the least.
-Snap crunch- The sounds of somebeast walking through the woods becomes more and more noticeable by every minute than Ragg walks rather slowly into the churchyard, looking down at his feet as if thinking very deeply about something. He has of yet to even notice any beast in the yard.
Sorrlagg looks up at some noise and looks around as he stands.
Lenore laughs, clacks her beak and chatters something in the other language to the crow, who laughs along with her. Turning to Ragg, the raven says, "Well, well, if it isn't Ferret Face."
Ragg looks up, slightly startled by Lenore. The laugh is present in his eyes as he grins at her "Ferret face? I fear you have my spices mixed up. I am a weasel and it is through an unfortunate family resemblance that I look like a ferret, much like you look like a toad."
Sorrlagg looks between them and shakes his head, "Will you two not argue, I have a headache because of a fool ferret"
Lenore caws loudly and spreads her wings, almost sending the crow off his perch as he gives off an alarmed squawk. "Why must my master /insist/ on hiring ferrets and weasles and their kin?!" she says angrily, then calms down slightly by pecking at a crack in the headstone and cackling at the crow, who just sits there and listens, knowing better than to tick the much larger raven off.
Ragg glances over at Sorrlagg with a twinkle in his eyes "Argue? We are simply having a normal conversation!" He turns back to Lenore with a laugh "He hires us because we can go places you feather bags can't and we are awesome."
Sorrlagg chuckles "Yeah, and a ferret helper of his already almost messed up badly, was up to me to fix the problem."
Lenore poufs up in anger at the feather bag remark, and the crow caws something that sounds suspiciously like 'uh-oh'. The raven goes to say something, but she is cut off by Sorrlagg. She laughs, and the crow dutifully laughs along with her as she says, "Oh, is that so? Well, then, maybe Stormfeather shall think twice before hiring more of your kind, weasel!"
Ragg nods at Sorrlagg in a saddened way "Alas, not all of the ferrets and weasels are perfect, but then again, no one is." He grins at the raven "Maybe, maybe not. I think /your/ master sees the potential in us weasels and ferrets and he has had good taste to hire us."
Sorrlagg shakes his head and mutters, he glances around and seems a little uneasy but only slightly.
Lenore poufs up again, and the crow flies over to a newly-bashed gravestone. Better safe than sorry. The raven glares down at Ragg and thunders out, "'/YOUR/ master'? He is your master, too, worm, and you'd better not forget it! Or shall I tell him all you say when he's not here?" She looks like she means it, too.
Something flashes in Ragg's eyes that does not look particularly like joy "I refuse to call him master, but I /do/ work for him." It would seem that for Ragg there is a fine line between master and boss. He sighs and the laughter returns to his eyes "Did you really forget that quickly? I am a weasel and last I checked I had no resemblance to a worm. And you /must/ remember the shadows, Lenore. Remember them well."
Sorrlagg looks between them and hisses slightly, "You're making too much noise you two."
Lenore ignores Sorrlagg and instead hops off her perch. The crow winces and mumbles something in the strange language, but the raven ignores him. Instead, she says to Ragg, "Oh, so now you're threatening me?! You should beware the darkness of night, for shadows come in many forms." a dangerous gleam has come into Lenore's dark eyes.
Ragg's eyes are still dancing as he opens his paws wide; in a gesture of peace "I said nothing of a threat. I was simply stating that shadows can be dangerous." He smiles at her come back. "Touche. The shadows /do/ come in many forms." He glances at Sorrlagg and lowers his voice "perhaps you're right."
Sorrlagg snorts, he looks around and hisses low, "I think I shall go, I have another matter to deal with involving....well thats no one's concern what it involves."
Lenore seems torn, but her curiosity outwhieghs her anger and she hops closer to the lizard -- probably a really /bad/ idea. "Why? Don't you like our company? Where are you going? have you told master about it?" she tilts her head as only a bird can, and the crow follows suit.
Sorrlagg glares at the bird, "I dont need to tell the Master every little thing, I dealed with the fool ferrets mistake with the stupid mouse."
Ragg still have a laugh in his eye as he snorts at Lenore "If he wants to leave let him and if he does not like anyone's company it's yours" He looks over at the crow with a curious quirk of the eyebrow "Do you follow her every move?" He asks with small chuckle.
Lenore clacks her beak at Sorrlagg, choosing to ignore Ragg and see how fast he gets mad. "What mouse? Was it the mousemaid Desotoe was talking about?" she turns to the crow and caws out something that sounds like an order, and it flies off, cawing in response. Lenore gets a satisfactory look in her eyes and begins to preen herself.
Sorrlagg shakes his head, he is quiet and goes on, maybe a dangerous move as its a lie but he makes it sound so real, "A Friend of her's he is...dead now"
Ragg gets an annoyed look in his eyes at being ignored by the crow /and/ the raven. He get curious about the cawing between the two birds and calls to Lenore "What was all that about?" It is not very possible that Lenore will Answer, but he will at least try.
Lenore continues to preen -- it seems to be something she does when thinking. And she is ignoring Ragg -- still.
OOC: OK, here is were we meet the dibbun again, so be warned.
Oz is close behind the ferret Desotoe and catches up to him about the same time as it seems the ferret crashes into a fence and its knocked out, he shakes his head as he pants completely out of breath and looks to the dibbun vole whom was with Desotoe,..Connorover here.. He is still out of breath and his ankle is hurt slightly from tripping once during the rush over here.
Ragg sighs in aggravation at Lenore and makes no more attempts to talk to her. He looks over in complete suprise at Oz and Desotoe and the vole as they come crashing into the churchyard.
The volebabe wanders into the dark ruins of the church...A foolish mistake. A high-pitched wail, and a white-cloaked figure emerges from the darkness, holding the Dibbun by the throat and brandishing a jagged katana. "Do not move," he barks at Oz, "or this maggot dies." (Vladmir)
Oz narrows his eyes as he looks at Vladmir, "Who are you and you will release the vole dibbun now." He stays where he is but he still looks ready to fight if needed, he is also still out of breath as he keeps an eye on Vladmir, not looking any other direction all his attention is on the fox.
Lenore caws with alarm as the volebabe shoots past her and she flies back up onto her tall headstone and caws. The crow (wich had flown off a little bit a go) comes rushing back at her call -- just as Vladmir exits the ruins. Both birds freeze and watch the scene before them unfold.
Vladmir's tail flicks towards Oz...A veritable barrage of birds dive like bullets, and suddenly the badger is literally blanketed in ravens, cawing and scratching and pecking, as more and more black-feathered minions stream down from the skies to join the throng. "I said, DO NOT MOVE!" Vladmir bellows. "Surrender, or I use this one for sword practice!"
At the sight of Vladmir a small groan emits from Ragg's mouth than he makes a quick dive behind one of the few gravstones that are still in one piece, He peeks out and watches as Oz is hidden from sight by all the birds.
Oz still watches the fox, one never thinks to look Up and that ends up being what gets him, he hears the ravens but has no time to react as he is knocked down, one of the raverns claws gets his shoulder and the other shoulder is injured as well,he holds an arm over his face and grits his teeth as his arm is clawed badly and blood drips from his fresh wounds. He manages to kick one raven and send it flying as more come and he is pinned down and soon can't move at all. One of the ravens beeks pecks his already wounded arm and his tunic is ripped up some.
Lenore begins to preen her feathers as her fellow raven brethren attack the badger. She seems uninterested, but it's only an act. The crow at her side cowers against her, fear shining in his dark eyes.
Ragg winces as he watches the pandemonium and surprisingly enough his eyes are not laughing near as much as before. He glances at Vladmir to see his reaction to the mayhem.
Vladmir, meanwhile, laughs maniacally as the ravens caw and jibber, striving to subdue the badger. Over the cacophony, Vladmir presses the blade against the wailing Dibbun's throat, shouting, "I warn you, submit, or I'll release this vole...In little bloody chunks!"
Oz would try and move but he can't, he is also in a lot of pain and bleeding from claw marks on his arm, both shoulders, his leg has a couple peck marks and his arm does as well, a claw mark even ended up on his chest and his tunic is almost in sheds, he pants a little, "Don't harm...the dibbun, what ..do...do you want?" He is close to passing out and the weight of ravens don't help any either, some blood ends up on the ground as well.
Lenore slowly spreads her wings and flies over to land by Vladmir. The crow follows, looking extremly nervous. They land by the fox and watch the other, more fighting-fit birds go after Oz.
"Many things," Vladmir says airily. He raises an eyebrow as he looks at the ravens, as if noticing for the first time that they are there. "What are you fools doing?" he asks. "Clear off!" The ravens chatter in their croaking voices and leave, returning a moment later with chains. Lots of heavy chains that pull the flock down when they try to fly carrying them. Working at almost blinding speeds, they truss up Oz securely, many of them still nervous as to whether the bindings will hold the badger. Vladmir, meanwhile, continues speaking. "I want an exchange: You surrender yourself to me as a hostage...And I spare the life of this worthless maggot." The Dibbun is screaming loud and shrill, and Vladmir roars as the volebabe dangles from the fox's paw against the tip of the sword, "Make up your mind! My arm is getting tired, and I have a mind to lighten the deadweight!"
Ragg shivers at Vladmirs remark and returns his eyes to the carnage. A slight pang of sympathy goes out to Oz, but he frowns at himself and tries to think cruel things as he cowers behind the gravestone.
Oz lays on the ground, he coughs a little as the birds get off him and he can breath better now, he looks up at Vladmir and the dibbun, his shoulders are red from claw marks, and he is still bleeding some, he takes a couple deep breaths, "Let him go...I..I will go with you." He know he is not in any state to fight and he doesn't wish to see a dibbun die on front of him.
Lenore begins to preen again, a look of indiferrance on her face. The crow, on the other hand (or is it paw?), is casting frightened glances at the flock of much larger ravens. These 2 birds stay quiet and just watch.
Bora watches from his perch, he stays clear for the most part and caws loudly!
OOC: These next few poses are where the dibbun dies. If you are reading this but plan to skip this part, then here it is.
"Good." Vladmir lowers his sword, as if he's going to stand down. For a moment it looks as if things are going to be (relatively) OK. Then, without warning..."Bah!" A flick of the wrist, a flash of jagged steel, and the Dibbun's head thumps against the ground, rolling several feet and coming to a stop at the foot of a tombstone. Vladmir's eyes sparkle with cruel joy. "Oops. I lied!" Before Oz can react, the traitorous fox is directly in front of the badger, whirling the bolas over his head, the metal spheres clacking together ominously, and seemingly in slow motion, Vladmir flicks his paw downward...WHACK!..."Really..."...THWACK!..."...you thought..."...SPLAT!..."...that I would really let that whinging nuisance live?"...WHAM...THWACK!...
Ragg shivers again and this time in slight disgust as the head rolls about. He ducks back down to recover his stomach than peeks back out and watches as Vladmir 'does his thing.'
Lenore caws in alarm as Vladmir murders the dibbun in cold blood. She turns away so that she wouldn't have to see it, and also so that no other beast here can see her tears. The crow faints from fear and stands rigid (and unconsious) on the remainders of the church roof.
Oz does start to attempt to stand but falls back down, the bolas hits him in the nose and one barely misses one of his eyes, a couple times his right cheek is hit and then one hits him in the jaw and he he goes unconscious, and will most likely be out for a while.
The blood and what not is too much for Ragg and he slips from gravestone to gravestone until he reaches the woods and is gone.
OOC: OK, it's safe to read now. :)
Vladmir stands there, breathing just a hair faster than normal after his frenzied assault. "There." He straightens his posture and calls to the flock, "You know where to take him. Now go!" Without further delay, he strides to the north and vanishes among the trees.
Lenore caws something after Vladmir leaves and suddenly a whole flock of crows exits the tree canopy. Cawing at them, she takes off and follows her master while the crows clear all evidence of the battle.
