Lila - Healer

Sweat drips into my eyes and stings. I blink it away, but it doesn't help. I need to maintain concentration or the magics won't knit the flesh together properly. This is not what I'm used to, this isn't my father's clinic, it's a dirty dungeon floor. My patient isn't a townsperson, or a farmer who got too cheeky with a cow but the disgraced thief, Ren. He refuses to look me in the eyes as I hold my hands steady above but near his arms, and that suits me fine. I whisper the incantation and in the back of my mouth I bite down on the red berry to seal the spell.

(Lila uses her Healer Ability: Mend Wounds to restore 2d4 of Ren's health. He recovers 4 health, bringing him to 10/12 Health)

I can feel his skin and muscles and blood in my hands despite their distance. I push them into their proper places with my will. Green runes flashes across his skin. Pink scarring blooms across red, mangled flesh, and I see Ren lose some of the tension he's carrying as his shoulders relax. He flexes his hands and winces. The power runs out faster than I hoped. The green light from my hands flickers and stills, but some damage remains. I want to apologize, despite who I'm treating. I even start to, before Wedge hushes me. His eyes dart to the area above the strange metal cubes we're hiding behind then back to us.

We were in danger. We'd been in danger as soon as we crossed the threshold of this place, this dungeon, but it hadn't crystalized until now.

"I smell you all...so frightened. I'm sorry. Step out and let me end this quickly...for us both" The horned figure slowly moves through the room calling out to us. It's hooves clacking against the stone floor, each a crystal clear clack, clack, clack echoes on the walls around us. Ren doesn't flinch, and neither does Wedge, the bard. I cast my gaze about, trying to keep from moving too much but I don't see Sylv.

Wedge, Sylv and I had been separated from our ten other companions shortly after we crossed into the dungeon. Ren and Malik disappeared first, a wall appeared where there was none before and only Sylv, our Ranger had noticed. Just as quickly, as she began to shout a warning, we heard a click from below us and a hidden trap door swallowed us. We found ourselves on a frictionless surface, a slide. We sped along in darkness until the three of us were vomited back out into room with a deep red light. After some stumbling about and ensuring we were surprisingly unhurt, we found a hallway. As our trio moved, I called out for the others.

And then we heard Ren, and that thing found us.

It's upper shape was that of a man's. Strong and muscled, the flesh looked ready to pop from the sheer strength it held at bay. It's legs narrowed at the knees and were covered in velvet looking, midnight fur and finally sharp hooves. It's head was hideous, a mixture of a bull's and a man's. The face protruded forward like a bull's snout would from a shaggy head of hair. Large, wet eyes spread too wide, yellow and milky searched the room. A crest of horns burst from the scalp of the minotaur, two of the horns were larger and both ended in wickedly sharp points. It's mouth was small and puckered. And pleading.

"Please! Please little man things!" It shouted again, a petulant and shrill tone rising behind it's deep voice.

"Come out, come out and let me kill you!" The sharp squeal, the pitifulness of it, begins to make me tear up. It just wants to kill me. It seems in so much pain. I really should just let it kill me...

(The Minotaur is using one of it's Monstrous Abilities: Lead To Slaughter, a mental effect that resonates within the minds of its victims. It calls those unfortunate to fall under its influence to the monster, who can then dispatch their prey in short order. Lila, Ren, Wedge and the unseen Sylv must make Spirit checks to resist. Lila has a Wisdom bonus of +2, which is added to a d20 roll. The group must get 13 or higher on their Spirit checks)

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The thought throbs in my head. Simple death, he could eat me and he'd be happy because he'd be full and I'd be happy because I'd be out of this wretched place. I'd be...dead.

DEAD

The word locks my muscles as I feel myself begin to stand. I feel my body strum like a lute string held tight as my mind pushes back against the suicidal thoughts. The need to let this thing sate it's anger and fear by killing me battered back by my own sheer will to live.

(Lila has made their save successfully, having rolled a 12, and adding +2 to bring the check to 14)

Ren struggles too, I see him shaking, and beads of sweat forming and then running down his face. I wonder, morbidly, if he's having the same compulsion as me, or if he experiences this infernal power differently. Out of the corner of my eye I see a rising shape. Wedge, teeth gnashing as though he's trying to choke out a word, eyes wild. The two of us are separated by space between the blocks we're hiding against, but that doesn't stop me from trying to reach out to grab him. Stop him!

I almost scream when I feel a hand catch my collar and yank me backwards.

"What are you stupid? You'll get caught too" Ren hisses, eyes narrow and venomous.

"I won't let him die!" My voice matches his in strength and comes out in a low growl.

"Let him go, we can get away while-" I pull away despite his tight grip, and turn back toward Wedge. I feel my stomach turn to stone.

Wedge had fully emerged from his hiding place and with gritted teeth began marching toward the beast.

"Yes, oh yes. Your flesh will fill me, man thing and when you're gone neither you nor I will be sad anymore" The minotaur howls in excitement. Wedge stops and falls to his knees in front of the beast who begins to salivate. The monster produces a short, silver headed morning star while its eyes measure distance. Fear freezes me in place. I will get caught. I will die. Just like Wedge will now.

"When he strikes, we run" I hear Ren whisper and I feel sick with myself. Am I like him, willing to let this man die. A moment ago I was going to sacrifice myself and now, now I'm frozen.

"Run!" Sylv's voice is a howled command. The ranger had revealed herself, and in the same moment struck.

(Lying in wait and resisting the minotaur's influence, she had chosen this time to step out and activate her Ranger Ability: Multi-Shot. Slyv makes 3 attack rolls against a single target, rolling a d20 and adding her +2 Dex bonus to each roll. She must overcome the number 14, the minotaur's defense value to harm it)

Three arrows whistle through the air. Two strike the monster's right pectoral and the third goes too high, clattering to the ground. Something in the air shifts and Wedge is standing again.

"You don't need to tell me twice, honey!" He calls as he begins to put distance between him and the monster. I look around the room, taking advantage of the monster's stunned state. We entered through the only ground level door. The room was square with metal cubes evenly spaced all over the floor, our saving grace when that monster chased us here. At the opposite side of the room a ladder led up into a high vaulted door way. We'd have to climb out, and Wedge was already slowly moving toward the ladder.

"Hey!" I whisper involuntarily as Ren's sudden shift in posture and speed, sends me off balance. The bastard is staying low and making a beeline to the arrow. I want to yell at him, but the minotaur yells instead.

"No! That hurt, man thing, that made me bleed" The monster's cry becomes frantic again and as it rises in tone, it begins to move. Despite it's upper mass, the thin legs move with great speed and the thing is charging across the room, head down. Sylv doesn't have time to leap from the cube she's sitting on and the horn catches her in the right arm sending her spinning in the air like a top. She lands with her right wrist in the wrong direction and screams.

"No, Sylv!" I stand now, fear feeding my speed. Behind me Ren is halfway up the ladder and Wedge has reached the base.

"Lila, Sylv, let's go!" Wedge hollers back, he hasn't seen the state of things.

I rush to Sylv's side as the monster re-orients itself, dropping his head and getting ready for another charge. The magic words begin to burn on my lips, but Sylv pushes me back.

"I said run, foolish girl!" The half-elf ranger screams. She holds the broken wrist to her body. Her left unstraps a small leather satchel and tosses at my feet. "I'll make sure he chokes on me. Get going!"

My eyes sting, but I swipe up the bag and turn toward the ladder. Ren is gone, and Wedge is almost at the top.

Behind me I hear Sylv's sternum collapse as the bull's horn puncture her chest for the final time.

(Lila has added Sylv's Satchel to their inventory)