Thread: Unlikely Saviors [-:Haru|Luana:-]

Everything was growing worse and worse. Tika hadn't anticipated any of this. She struggled to hold onto her line, trying to pull herself out of the Mask's grip. Her hands her sliding on her little sling loaded gun. Her options were few. Then, around the corner, charged another. Damn! Not the lion too! She had to give him some credit. He got there quicker than she expected. The man holding her ankle paused at the sight but his compatriot barely hesitated. A fan of knives flew at the lion. He dodged well enough but Tika was certain she saw at least one connect. A sharp, sudden Wrench at her ankle brought her back. Tika howled again as fire lanced up her leg. That bastard was going to pay. He finally let go of her to draw blades. Excellent. With him distracted by the other fight Tika kicked out her legs. The landing would hurt but she had to do something. She swung on the line over the Mask's head. Just far enough and she could jump back. All at once the world came rushing up. Just as Tika pump her little legs for a final swing back she was falling. With a mighty crash and shouting she found herself in a tangle of arms and legs with the half masked man. Steel glinted near her face. She gasped and rolled out of her back, arms slipping backwards to release the straps. The blade buried into her pack right where he heart would have been. She rolled and drew her own tiny dagger. Perhaps more like a paring knife to humans. The man flung off her pack and rolled to his feet. Tika took her chance. Propelled on one leg she dove forward and slashed at his ankles. The man howled and toppled over, his tendons sliced. Tika hobbled back as the man howled and writhed on the ground. She favored her injured ankle but it wasn't nearly as bad as his ankles were. Take that ya stupid biggin! She was far enough back she didn't have to worry about retaliation from him. The white masked man held his own well enough against the lion. He was quick and slippery. Tika was going to let them fight it out until movement caught her eye. Up on the roof was another. She was watching the fight as well with a bow aimed. Waiting for the chance to shoot. Tika snatched up her small crossbow and loaded a special bolt. She took aim and fired. The tile beneath the other mask exploded, sending her flying into the ally. That's for cuttin' my line ya biggin bitch! Tika was far from done. She let fly a volley of plain bolts at the female mask. They couldn't really kill but would at least sting like a slew of scorpions. Kion had to give it to the white-masked man. He was fast, but at the end of the day he was entirely and utterly human. Though he might be able to stand on par with the larger and bulkier lion as far as speed was concerned, he was woefully inadequate in size and strength and sheer endurance. Kion knew that as the battle would go on, the man would become slower, tired. Kion would long outlast him. The problem was that Kion did not have the time to dally with this man so long as the tiny woman was in trouble. As he'd drawn closer he could see she was full grown, though tiny in stature. The smell of her told him this was the one that he'd encountered in the Leaping Fish. So... these men were after her. The double-headed axe whirled, the man in the white mask moving to the side, though Kion let go with one hand, as it moved past the man, missing him. His free hand however, slammed into the man's chest. The audible 'whoof' as the air was driven from his lungs brought a satisfactory growl from Kion and the man slammed backward into the wall behind him. A dribble of blood could be seen seeping from beneath the mask as he coughed up blood, and he clutched his chest in obvious pain. Kion turned back to the small female and saw that the man who had been holding her ankle seemed to be writhing on the ground, the tendons in his ankles severed. That look away saw the white-masked man disappear with a wheezed out word and a puff of smoke. With a snarl of irritation, one heavy axe-head came down, separating the darkly clad man's head from his shoulders. His writhing ceased as a strong spray of arterial blood sprayed the wall just next to him, and splattered across Kion's shins before the body fell still and a scarlet pool began to grow under the body. In the time that it took Tika to load her crossbow and shoot, the female Masked upon the roof had let fly with her bow. The black shafted arrow flew straight and true, that razor tip gleaming as it streaked toward Tika, though in a moment her vision was blocked due to the size of the lion, the bolt drawing sparks off the great golden pauldron of the pneumafera, whose golden eyes glowed in his ire. The answering bolt of the gnome brought the female tumbling, and then a volley of plain bolts had her pulling the same retreat as the white-masked male. In a moment it was only Kion and the unnamed gnome now standing in the alley one with a dagger in his side and the other with a severely twisted ankle and the decapitated body of one of the Masked at their feet. Kion turned to the woman. I think you have something which belongs to me. he told her, memorizing her scent as he gazed down at the tiny thing. Just like that it was over. Tika stood still as the lion severed the half Mask head. She cringed as blood sprayed the wall in short bursts. With all done she flopped onto her bottom with a heaving sigh. It just wasn't her lucky day. Well in a way it was. She probably would have been killed if the lion hadn't come along. Glowering some she began to unlace her boot as the Lion spoke to her. I think you're mistaken, she said quickly. Though a quick glance upward at the lion and her resolve failed. She ease off her boot with a little hiss of pain and inspected the ankle. Slightly red and swollen. Not broken at least. Yeah...guess I do... she said with a defeated sigh. Maybe if her hook wasn't broken and her ankle wasn't hurt she could try and run for it. Big, dumb, lumbering creature he was she could have gotten away. As it stood the odds were against her. Not to mention he had kind of saved her life. She finally raised up her head to look at the massive lion. Standing she likely only came up over his hips. As she stared she notes the dagger in his side and she cringed. Despite him being a dumb biggin she felt a little bad that he got hurt. She didn't much care for physically hurting others unless they started it. Like those stupid masks. Slowly she eased her boot back on and got to her feet. Yep she had been right. She came to just above his hips, her eyes level with his lower abdomen. Boy...you're a hellova biggin aren'tcha? She reached into her pocket and pulled out the orb. For a moment she stared at it, almost sadly, before sighing and held it up for the lion. Guess I owe ya anyways. Got ya stabbed an' all. Before he could lumber himself down to grab it she closed her little fist. But, way I see it, I saved your fuzzy butt too. Those masks woulda cut your throats while ya slept and taken it. Flushed them out you could say. Already read the map so I know where your going. We could make it a race or I could come with you. Know a thing or two, remove that sticker in your side too. What say you fluffums? Kion watched as the little woman dropped to her bottom and checked her ankle, and he knelt and began to rifle through the dead man's pockets to see if there was anything of import or of use. Save for his weapons and armor, and the handset that had the tiny orbal microphone that he was using to talk with his compatriots, the man had nothing. Kion removed the handset and the tiny earpiece and handed them to the female. They were of gnomish make, and she was a gnome. Perhaps she could use them. Perhaps you can use these. he said, and would hold the device out to her. Far too small for me. he explained and as she then sized him up. She was tiny, much smaller than a human even, and Kion looked at her with his bright golden eyes. Her voice was pleasant enough and she proposed a truce, even a partnership of sorts. It did not take long for him to weigh the options. I agree. However, you're in this as much as I am, since they know you have the drive as well. You hold onto it, as it would be much easier for you to slip away and hide than it would be for me to do the same. he admitted. They're just as likely to come after you, and you don't seem like much of a fighter. So... a partnership? he said. His voice was deep and smooth, and the nickname of fluffums made him snicker. What say you, Peanut? he shot back.