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[indent][indent][indent][color=gray][sub][right][color=#dc143c][b]Location:[/b][/color] The Dungeon -- The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria[/right][/sub][/color]
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Steel clanged against rusted iron as the last of the gnolls met Graves in combat, unafraid of the death that awaited it. They were each exhausted, unable to howl at the other-- all they could do was stare hateful daggers and push. It was a tug-of-war match and whoever won got to plant their weapon into the other's throat. Graves was moments from overcoming the dogman just as an arrow soared right by his ear, burying itself into the creature's eye. It died with a whimper in its throat.

[color=dc143c]"I had that one-"[/color] He started to snarl, turning to face Alex just as the incident on the bridge reached its crescendo. Seele was screaming, Rael was following into the abyss's dark embrace and a heap of broken Dire Bat was moments from turning Graves and Alex into a pair of DPS-shaped skid marks. It was a lot to take in. A swirl of emotion, of fear and panic and rage, replaced the ecstasy of combat.

A quick look around and Graves took a dive toward the nearest bit of cover: those spikes Benkei had stuck him with earlier. What had been his bane would soon save his life. The bat tumbled, wing over heel, bouncing off the ground like a stone across water. It reached its apex when it impaled itself upon that spiky field. The beast's massive body lurched with pain. Blood spurted from its innumerable wounds. And yet, despite that, it raged on. All screams and howls of violent defiance.

Its unwillingness to die would've been something to admire under other circumstances. For now, Graves was busy pulling himself out from under its heaping mass, crawling along his belly until he was safely able to rise. It snapped its teeth toward him. If he'd been even an inch closer it may've gotten hold of him. 

The killing stroke was quick, precise, but far from clean. Gore sprayed like a fountain all over Graves and anyone else in the splash zone, catching him in its innards. The thing went into its death throes, tossing and turning until it snapped the spikes [i]inside of it[/i] and began to wiggle loose. He stumbled backward onto his ass to avoid catching one of those claws in his chest.

The Bat went still a few moments later.

And Graves was back on his feet, sword left in the dirt as he ran toward where Seele was laying near the chasm's edge. He saw Rael laying over her chest. He didn't see her moving. [color=dc143c]"Nonono you tiny moron, don't tell me you played hero and..."[/color] His voice trailed off, something else playing in the back of his mind.

[color=dc143c][i]'Don't fuck it up.'[/i][/color]

The panic died in his throat once he was close enough to see Rael was still breathing. Just as he came to stand above her and Seele, Rael stirred awake from the daze.

[color=#A84B5E]“Did we—Did we get it?”[/color]

His shoulders sank a foot as he sighed out his response: [color=dc143c]"No thanks to you."[/color]

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