Muttonhawk

Halo: Aegis Team

Yalu 'Suumko

The helmet Yalu wore picked up the ensuing sounds. Some parts of him were constricted tighter, some slackened, including his left hand holding onto the middle of his scattershot. The weapon was still stuck fast. He let go and tugged at the vines keeping his right arm pressed against his chest and wriggled it free. He ignited his wrist blade, grabbed at the vines holding his head and shoulders, and sliced them off in one draw. Finally, he fell free and found himself swinging upside-down from vines closer to the ceiling.

The situation he took in was self explanatory. Catching his breath, he reached over his shoulder and found a grip on his needle rifle. He drew it and aimed forward.

"Good hit, Grikgar! Our turn now..." Yalu said. The sight flipped up -- towards the ground from Yalu's perspective. The bulb lit up in the crosshair. He pulled the trigger as rapidly as he could. He did not need precision as much as enough blamite crystals in close enough proximity within the creature's new wound.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The pack waited for a course of action. Lorag was right -- he was even following Fendros' advice to be wary of treachery.

Fendros looked back at the conflict between the daedric princes. He looked around the tower summit. Then, clenching his jaw, he looked to Sabine. "We're out of time and options. Can you do it, Sabine!?"

Sabine was hesitating. "I..." She trailed off.

This time, Janius spoke through his snout, almost defeated by how little he could do to help. "Meesei would use those chains of hers."

Fendros' eyes lit up. "Right! The dispelling chain spell she took from the Thalmor officer!"

Sabine retorted desperately. "I understand how Meesei did it! I have never tried it myself."

"Now is the time!" Pushing up his helmet to speak clearly, Fendros barked to Sabine like an order. "Do it! You know she believed you her peer."

Even with Sabine at the head of her own pack now, her instincts fell into her response to steel her resolve with Fendros' voice. She turned to the cage and held her hands close together. The careful beginnings of a powerful dispelling effect coalesced between them in a bright pink light. The next stage painted a strain over Sabine's fingers and face. A deep and precious reserve of her magicka poured into the process, much more than she would normally be comfortable investing into a fight. A bright metallic clink rang out and her shoulders suddenly dropped.

Fendros at first thought Sabine had let go of the spell early and slumped her shoulders in failure. A second later, Sabine swung her arm around, throwing a length of ethereal chain links to wrap around the cage and whip to a stop with a bright, breaking flash.

The chain faded. Sabine had cast the spell. It was up to Barbas' actions to tell if it had worked.

Halo: Aegis Team

Yalu 'Suumko

Yalu looked over his shoulder to the sound behind him. He immediately whirled around and let loose with one more round of precious scattershot ammunition. He cycled the weapon halfway before the rushing wall of vines hit.

"Cave in-!" He couldn't finish one step back before being swept up helplessly in the wave. Yalu quickly lost track of which way was up. His wrist blade cut through one or two threads before it was forcibly deactivated upon almost slicing through his own arm. His limbs swaddled quickly in the vines and soon he was in a deadly cocoon. He held his breath as hard as he could closed his eyes to embrace whatever may come.

Halo: Aegis Team

Yalu 'Suumko

Yalu could only watch and listen from the rear of the group, at least initially. His hanging back gave him fewer vines to worry about when they slung into deadly action. One vine curled around his wrist from above and another few around his feet an ankles. His wrist blade burned into shape and sliced through each with three decisive gestures.

It was now or never to enable his team ahead of him. He levelled the scattershot up above the team's heads at the vines pouring down to restrain them and squeezed the trigger. It had more recoil than expected, sending out a bright cluster of forerunner shot which burned through the organic canopy and vaporized the bulk of the vines. Another shot atomised even more. The shot lost energy before it could bounce off the stone above and pose a threat, thankfully.

"We cannot cut them all! We must kill it!"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Witnessing Hircine struggle behind the barrier made Fendros' heart sink. They were lacking in raw power and their element of surprise was spent.

"Not yet..." Fendros raised the Rueful Axe to strike the barrier, a last ditch effort, but hesitated. Barbas' voice rang out clearly in a way that somewhat thawed the stakes of the situation.

Sabine, falling back to conversational habit, reflected Barbas' tone. "I'm sorry to hear that. I...um..." She threw a dispelling magic at the barrier and saw it evaporate in a blink of an eye. "Cages...I do not like them either."

Perhaps against her better judgement, Sabine tries to cast an entirely different spell. One to unlock Barbas' cage. No questions asked.

Janius roared in frustration. Nothing about this was right.

"I agree," Fendros said, still poised to fight. "The Staff of Magnus might have done something about this, but..." He was not even sure what to make of the dog in the cage. He tried to focus on what was in front of him. "Do'rhajul. Your shield, will that work?"

Halo: Aegis Team

Yalu 'Suumko

"I prefer fire," Yalu said. As he retrieved his weapons and dismounted his spectre, he kept his scattershot up to his shoulder. His other hand held up a plasma grenade. "Plasma may induce fire. Lacking firebombs of our own, perhaps our demolitions specialist can turn this into all the fire we need."

Yalu followed along with his weapon faced as safely as he could. It could save their life in an emergency, but there was a higher risk of deadly ricochet in his cave. Better to use a wristblade if possible.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

This second time seeing the Daedric Prince Hircine was no less diminished in the pack's eyes. Even as gargantuan as Hircine appeared in his own realm, his imposing height and beastly antlered head imposed on them a sense of supplication. But they were not here for worship. They were here for battle.

The stand off between Vile and Hircine was unlikely to last long. Fendros was acutely aware of his new responsibility to his pack, despite their agreement to sacrifice. He gestured to his right without taking his eyes of Vile. "Get each side," he ordered, and they instinctively split into two groups. Fendros, Janius, Kaleeth, and Ahnasha paced left around Hircine. Sabine, Do'Rhajul, Tarna, and Lorag took the path on the right. Fendros' ward flared up to provide cover for those in his group. They would need to create their own chances as a team to land the Rueful Axe on their enemy.

As Sabine edged around with her own ward at the ready. She found herself more distracted by the cage. "Are you Barbas?" She hissed out of the corner of her mouth while facing Vile. "Should we not be fighting you as well?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros stepped out of the lift first. He held the Rueful Axe in his right hand behind himself. His left hand had a ward ready to protect him, as if it would be much use. The rest of the pack quickly followed and fanned out.

In the moment they had to take in the situation, Fendros almost hesitated. Their target was right in front of them. It seemed too simple. But there was no time to hesitate.

"Not just us," Fendros retorted. "Sabine?"

Sabine already had the sigil stone in her hands. Her thoughts were not distracted enough by the dog in the cage to activate the stone and bring forth their master.

The thought did cross Sabine's mind. Was the dog who she thought it was? And why was it trapped?

Halo: Aegis Team

Yalu 'Suumko

Xenobotany was never one of Yalu's interests. He warily eyed the vines either side of his spectre. They did not hang low enough to grab him around the neck on his way up and out to the ground, or at least they decided not to try.

"Any suggestions which won't make this defend itself?" Yalu added.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sabine nodded in response to Ahnasha. She slowly got back to her feet. Grief brushed against her throat, threatening her composure, but reaching into her satchel and taking out the sigil stone did help. She held it tightly to her stomach.

Meanwhile, Fendros allowed himself to soften at Ahnasha's touch. He returned her gaze with a knowing but stoic face. "We'll do it for Rhazii."

He rested the axe on the floor with one hand and held Ahnasha in a close hug. He closed his eyes and let the moment last as long as he dared, but he had to be there for everyone.

"Pack," he said, letting Ahnasha step aside. "If there's one thing we know about Vile, it is his underhanded treachery. Do not expect a fair fight. Do not expect an easy way in...or out. Remember what we're here for. Who we're here for. And doubt what your senses want to percieve. Ready yourselves."