The "Best" RPG Ever-86

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---

"Ahh, the cliffs again," Aria said. "Those birds seem to love this area, eh?"
"Please be quiet...I'm trying to read the map," Nora said, that in one hand and a compass in the other. "..I think it's...this way?" she said, pointing hesitantly.

"That's correct," Clera agreed. "It appears we are quite close, actually. I'll scout its location more exactly." She ran a short distance and took off, steadily circling up into the air for a bit before sighting something and quickly diving back down.

"Well, d'you find it?" the shifter asked.
"Small complication," the winged girl replied. "There are two."
"I bet we can still take 'em!"
"Of course you do," she replied. "We can certainly try. Our highest priority is to land them and clip their wings. I can outmaneuver one, but if they work together..." She shook her head slightly. "It would be best if the other has its attention on someone else."

"I should..be able to get it," Nora said. "My power over electricity isn't terribly...strong, really, but..it has a long range."

"Hey, just get one on the ground at all and I'll suck it dry before it can take off again," Aria said with an exaggerated thumbs-up.

"Sure," the elf said, flatly enough to communicate less than total confidence.

They continued the short distance until the giant birds were visible from the ground, and after exchanging a brief look the three of them split off, Aria waiting in the center while Clera walked right and Nora ran to the left. At this point one of the birds happened to look down and notice them below, letting out a loud squawk that got the attention of the other before both took off together, diving in Aria's direction. Clera went into a run and took off into the air, quickly circling upward a bit and shooting a fireball at the nearer of the two birds. It caught it in the side and turned sharply in her direction, chasing her through the air. Before the other one could follow, some thin streams of lightning fired into the space between them from Nora's position, goading it to split off into a talon-first dive at her. She turned and ran, listening for it to get close so she could dive out of its way.

---

"I'm fairly sure it's in this cave," Lynn stated, pointing.
"How d'you know?" the dragon-girl asked.
"For one thing, its path is consistently littered with broken twigs, sometimes fallen trees...and just look at the vegitation around here," she said, waving a hand at the collection of torn, broken, or otherwise destroyed plants nearby. "For another...there's lots of, leavings around here. Territory marking. And we haven't seen any normal animals since we got close; they'd know where it is and stay away."

"I see. Soo, um...do we go in, or yell at it to wake it up and make it come out orrr..?"

"If it's awake, it should be on its way out by now." Mira said. "Surely it could hear us talking at this distance. Otherwise I suggest a repeat of the worm strategy."
"Hmn—oh," Rose said, taking just a secod to remember what she was referring to.

"Then we should wait a moment and see if we can hear it coming out," Lynn said, crossing her arms.

The three of them stood quietly for a long moment, but there was no sound. Then, nodding to the dragon-girl to follow, Mira stepped up closer to the mouth of the cave, and made a small light to get a better look inside.

"...Huh."
"What?" Hearing some confusion in that, the archer came close too.
"Looks like there's been a cave-in." Just past the reach of the sunlight from outside, a pile of large rocks and boulders blocked the entrance save for the tiniest of cracks. "If the bear was in here when it happened, it either got caught in it and/or left another way...if it wasn't, then we should be looking out, not in," the witch stated.

"Humm.." Rose produced a seed and grew it out into a mass of thick, tentacle-like vines before sending them into the cave, wrapping them around several of the boulders near the bottom and pulling them out to either side.

"What're you doin'?" Mira asked.

"Thought I smelled some blood...aha!" She pointed, and Mira brought the light closer to the spot she'd temporarily moved boulders aside from. The head and a bit of the upper body of a dire bear was visible; the rocks directly on top of it had sharp edges that had pierced into its body, and a bit farther back it seemed as though a stalagmite had somehow grown up out of the ground straight through the monster's body.

"That doesn't look..natural," Lynn said while Rose relinquished the vines, allowing the boulders to settle back into place. "I suppose...an earth mage could've done this?"
"Sure, but then why was the quest still up?" Mira said. "The guard didn't act like anyone else had taken it, either."

"Must've been...someone from out of town, then?" the archer suggested.

---

Aria drew her weapon, forming it quickly into a chain-harpoon, and waited until the giant bird chasing Nora was close enough to the ground before throwing it just slightly ahead of the beast, landing a solid strike into its side and burying it halfway in. The monster twisted around in the air, trying to salvage a clean landing while tethered to the unmoving shifter, but ultimately crashed onto its side. The weaver whirled around, capitalizing on this with a quick jet of flame toward one of its wings; Aria ran up to it, yanking the harpoon out, swinging it up while turning that end into a bladed implement, then swinging it down again at the thing's wings.

Clera, meanwhile, let her opponent chase her for a little while before making her way toward the ground, planning to goad it into increasingly steep dives and then pull out of the way at the last possible second. Before she could, however, the other one cried out at its wing being cut and drew its partner's attention elsewhere. Clera followed, tossing more fireballs at it, but it seemed determined to come to the other's aid now, swooping toward Aria with its talons out.

Nora dove out of the way of a gigantic beak pecking toward her. "Aria! D-duck! Move! Something!" she yelled, waving emphatically behind the shifter to try and warn her of the oncoming bird. Aria looked back for just a fraction of a second, then swung her weapon up off of her present target, turning its end into a massive spiked ball and swinging it around to catch the other one square in the side. This threw the monster's momentum off just enough for it to crash-land next to her, sliding along the ground a couple of yards before coming to a rough halt. Clera was right behind it, making a slightly rough landing before spreading out her hands, chanting briefly and summoning a wall of fire behind Aria where the other bird had just finished turning around and raising its beak to attack them. Seeing this, it cawed and flapped its wings instead, knocking the lighter half-avian over onto her back.

Nora pulled at the ground beneath that monster's talons, raising it beneath one and collapsing it under the other in an attempt to throw it off-balance. It stumbled slightly, but took off into the air with another giant flap rather than trying to right itself. The other one had stood up by this point, and hopped toward Aria, who readied her weapon for another strike, swinging it in circles above her head. Clera managed to stand up at this point, and dismissed the wall, watching the airborne monster carefully.

---

This is the place, Rayna reported mentally. Right?

Looks like it to me, the psion agreed. Then—heard by everyone but clearly directed toward Jacob—she said, We're invisible, but stay behind Zack anyway. I'll bring up the rear.

Got it. In this formation, the four of them (plus the wolf) cautiously entered the caves that a number of monstrous cats had inhabited recently.

You hear that? the fox-girl asked.

Hear what? replied the elf—the only one who didn't hear it now. It was a pained, mewling noise accompanied by an irregular scraping sound.

This way, Zack instructed rather than explaining. Katherine passed on her sensory information to Jacob so he'd know what they were talking about. Soon enough it was audible to him, as they came into a partially-collapsed section of the cave.

Seems like there was a cave-in since the last time we were here, the catgirl said.

Very recently, Rayna agreed. Last few hours? She mentally pointed out the source of those noises—a cat monster with the back half of its body pinned under a rock. It was scrabbling its claws across the cave floor, trying repeatedly in vain to pull itself loose. Its voice and movements were weak; it had been at this for quite a while.

Pathetic, the wolf thought. Should put down now. It took a couple of steps toward the injured beast.

Not just yet, Zack put a hand on the wolf's back, stopping it. Then, looking back at Jacob. I guess this will work for your scan?

It should... He took a few cautious steps toward it, then around to one side of where it was still running its claws across the ground. Never thought I'd feel sorry for one of these things.

Pretty sure it'd still be trying to kill us if it could see us, Rayna said. Do you need to chant anything, or can you cast this silently?

I think I can manage a silent cast. It just takes a bit longer, a bit more concentration.

We'll stop distracting you, then, Katherine said, and subtly shared a little of her own concentration with him while they waited.

---

The bird on the ground raised its wings, preparing a sharp flap to try and knock everyone in front of it over. Seeing this, Nora tried to pull at the ground under it to knock it backwards—and found this more difficult than usual. The element there seemed to resist her, and on closer inspection this was due to a sharp pull from the other direction, behind the bird—a far stronger hand tugging on the same string. She had just enough time to perceive this before that hand really pulled, raising the ground beneath the monster as a giant pillar which rocketed into the sky with enough speed and force to hit it into its partner just as its path took it directly above that position. The pillar's lower half—all very solid-looking rock—was thrown to one side while the rest, both birds stunned on top of it from the impact, began to fall; then it was tossed up, moved above them, and slammed down, sandwiching the monsters between the pieces of torn-out ground with a distressingly loud crunching noise. Fially the whole mass was tossed to one side, landing a messy pile of earth and the now-dead monsters to one side of the near-cylindrical hole the pillar had come out of.

Both of the others watched this happen, before turning around toward the weaver with astonished faces. "Nora?" the winged girl said.

"That, um..that wasn't me." This was followed by a loud, boistrous laugh in a man's voice from behind the two of them, drawing their attention that way.

"Haha!" Its owner, standing a few yards on the opposite side of the hole, was a tall, slightly slim but well-built Felis man with dark blue hair and fur, with some stripes of slightly lighter blue running across his tail. He had on a long shirt, partially-torn jeans and boots, and there was a distinctive horizontal scar just below the left of his two bright golden eyes. "That's wha' I call a clean kill, ey? Two birds wiv one stone an' all?" He audibly hiccuped and halfway stumbled a few steps forward. Aria watched about this much before nodding in Clera's direction and quickly running toward the dead birds, her weapon retracting back to its native sword-form. "Heey, where ya goin'?" he waved.

"Please excuse our friend," the winged girl said while Nora came up next to her. "We are grateful for your assistance."

"Hah! Glad to hear that. I'd hate to see those bloated squawkers hurt anythin' as pretty as you lot are," he said with a grin. He stopped approaching them once in conversational distance, which was close enough to pick out a strong scent of alcohol on his breath. "Name's Randall, miss—?"

"Clera," she nodded. "This is Nora, and that's Aria," she said, indicating the cat-eared weaver (who was wincing slightly from the perceptively stronger smell) and then waving toward the shifter, who was now busy sticking her blade into the freshly-dead birds to drain out their blood.
"Is she a'right in the head there?" he said, turning to watch this.
"Her weapon bears a curse which requires blood to mitigate," Clera explained—it was close enough to the truth, anyway. "She should be back to normal soon enough."

"Well, ah—since I saved you ladies an' all," Randall said, leaning forward just slightly, "I don' suppose you know whever there's a town nearby here? I've been wanderin' aroun' the bush here for days tryin'a' find one."

"Hey, we were doing just fine thanks!" Aria yelled, overhearing the conversation.

Clera cleared her throat. "Regardless. We did come from a nearby town, and should be able to lead you back to it."

"I swear—" The shifter punctuated this by pulling her sword out of the now-drained bird and loudly stabbing it into the other one "—killstealers, man."

"Good news for me, anyway," Randall said, apparently ignoring that comment. "Your town got a tavern or two, innit? I'm runnin' mighty low after my journey, an' all my cold ones are more like left-out-in-the-sun-for-a-day ones at this point, if you know my meaning."

Clera raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps you should consider waiting for what's already in you to wear off before drinking any more. But, there are a few, I'm certain."

"Hahah! I can handle a lot more 'n this and still be more than competent, li'l miss!" he said boistrously. The sooner they got this one into town and off of their hands, the better, she thought.

---

...There. Jacob took a small step back, away from the wounded beast. I've completed the scan.

You've got everything you need from this thing? Zack clarified.

Yes. I'll have to run analysis later, but the spell made a detailed record for me to examine, which should... His thought trailed off when he saw the knight step forward and run his blade through the monster's neck.

Sheathing the weapon again, Zack said, Let's get out of here, then.

...Sure... The elf took a couple of nervous steps away from the wolf-girl at this curt response.

While they followed the knight and wolf out, Katherine informed the elf privately: He's worried there could be another cave-in while we're here.

Ah..somehow that failed to occur to me. But you know something— At this point Katherine switched him back to communicating with all four of the others. —I don't think this cave-in looks entirely natural. The concentration of the rocks to a single area, plus the walls here look far too sturdy to have just fallen apart like this...

If something or someone caused it, that's even more of a reason to get out of here quick, Rayna pointed out.

I suppose you're right. Could be some kind of earth-monster...like a fire giant, but with rocks, Jacob mused.

No need to worry, then, Rayna teased, we took out a fire giant just a couple days ago, after all!

---

"So, you three are adventurers of some sort, ey?" Randall asked, once they were on their way. "Monster slayers, leastwise?"

"Close enough," Aria said. "I hope you're not planning to claim the bounty for those birds."
"Haahah! You can take it, I got more money 'n I know what to do with anyhow! As for me, I'm an earth mage if you can't guess from that mighty display I jus' put on. Any major construction goin' on, I'm sure I can get it moved faster'n anyone else alive!"

"Sober, I hope?" Clera said.
"I get a lo' better work done drunk, li'l lass, trust me. Helps me to relax and all."
"I won't argue that," the shifter said. "I don't think I'd wanna be anywhere near your worksite, though."
"Haahahah! You got nothin' to worry about. I haven't had a workplace accident in—aawh, what year is it? At least a couple a'centuries, anyhow! To be fair, though, it's been a couple decades since the last time I had serious work, either."

"You're an immortal?" Nora asked. "Or are you..just exaggerating?"
"Immortal, for sure, miss. It was a right shock when I found that out. Sometimes I forget it ain't normal for us Felis, I s'pose."
"To clarify...I'm actually an elf," she said. "This is a...magically assumed form."
"Ahh, tryin' to fool me, ey?" Randall teased. "I already saw your friend there was a shifter," he said, waving vaguely in Aria's direction, "an' mighty talented one at that."
"I don't mean to be deceptive...this form, grants some useful advantages, is all," she said.

"You still a half-Avian, li'l miss?" he asked Clera.

"That has not changed, no." Why did she always end up meeting the obnoxious ones, she thought.

"Crikey!" Randall stopped in his tracks for just a second, seeing the other party of three walking toward them. "Is that a humanoid dragon up ahead? I can count how many a' those I've seen my whole life on one hand."

"That would be Rose," Clera said. Speaking of the obnoxious ones... "Please try to be polite toward her."
"I'm plenty polite, all the time!"

They came close enough to speak not long after. Mira said, "Well, our quest was kind of a bust, so we went to see if you needed any help. I see you found some, already, huh?" Randall was busy staring at Rose, who fixed him with a bemused expression.
"You're a real beaut," he said finally. "Every dragon I seen take a human form wants to be some big ugly, but not you, eh?"
"Um, I guess not?"
"Well. Name's Randall, miss," he said, striking out a hand, which she took as cautiously as ever to shake. He pulled it into a firmer grip and forcibly shook her hand in a sharp, somewhat rough manner which resulted in a couple of light scratches to his own wrist—not that he seemed to mind.

"Uh. Rose," she said, nervously watching this. "N-nice to meet you."
"Likewise. Prolly more so from my end, really. Say, are all your friends this pretty?" he asked, finally letting go of the scaly hand and looking toward Clera.

"I'd say so~," the witch interjected with a grin, drawing his attention to her.

"Ah, pardon me, didn't even realize I was lookin' at a witch before," he said, holding the same hand out to her. "You an' I should get on just great," he said with a wide grin.
"I certainly hope so. Mira," she said, taking the offered hand and returning an equally firm shake to his. Lynn gave the three who'd met him first a questioning look—as he seemed to have completely ignored her—but they could only shrug in response.

"We were on our way back to town," Clera said.

"Yeah! Can't wait to take a load off. Haven't slept well in all this wilderness," Randall said. "Felt like I was just goin' around in circles lately, too!"

"That might have something to do with the drink on your breath," Mira said, pretending to fan the scent away from her face with a hand. "Was it your only source of food out here, or something?"
"Naah. I jus' think life's boring otherwise," Randall said. "Can't have things get too easy on me, eh?" From the casual way he expressed this, Mira concluded their new friend was probably at least slightly insane. Well, at least he was in a good mood, she thought.