Too Good of a Plan

In the morning, they left their tents and supplies in their protected crag, and took only some food and sticks over to the open area they had used as an ambush point the first time. He could see three different pterodactyl's in the distance this time, two circling an area and one seemingly flying parallel to their location.

They started a fire and they put in some meat to start boiling in the water.

Bluey watched, “We can't eat this?”

Damien shrugged, “I guess once we're ready to stop, but we need for them to smell it.”

The group got in formation, with Bluey, Kara, Damien, and Aurora forming a box around Poppy, Betty, and Feya.

They didn't have to wait long, as after a few minutes Aurora's tail started beating back and forth. “Master, that one's coming,” she said, pointing into the distance.

Damien looked, and he could see the one that had been going parallel to them had turned and was slowly heading towards them at an angle.

Everyone waited, the tension palpable, as the pterodactyl got bigger and bigger until landing on the high ground near them.

“What now Master?” Bluey asked, looking as if she was itching to run after it.

Damien shook his head. “Just wait. Betty and Feya should cast buffs though.”

Betty and Feya nodded, and used their bolster on them. The pterodactyl acted is if it was eyeing them, then started stomping over, it's wings outstretched.

“Okay, now!” Damien shouted.

He, Aurora, and Bluey started using their magic to attack it. The pterodactyl roared (although it half sounded like a pained 'caw' from a bird) and kept coming, but now chasing at Damien.

Damien activated Speed Boost and lured it away, while Bluey and Kara came up behind it. Bluey started punching it's legs, while Kara slashed at it's wings, trying to hurt its ability to fly away.

After realizing it couldn't catch Damien, it turned towards Bluey and Kara, but both dodged out of the way. Aurora took that moment to cast a Fireball on its body, which made it let out another pained roar.

At that point, it started flapping it's wings to fly again. Kara started throwing conjured daggers into its wings, and Bluey grabbed its tail in an effort to pull it back down. However, it was still able to fly up with Bluey holding onto it, slowly making its way off the ground.

Shoot... “Poppy, blind it!” Damien shouted back towards her.

Poppy zoomed up towards the pterodactyl's face, before using Pixie Sparkle to blind it. It cawed at Poppy but seemed disoriented and started getting lower again, until Bluey had her legs on the ground. She then gave a big tug and slammed it onto the ground again.

The five non-clerics ganged up on it, using their magic or physically attacking until it was twitching, before finally going motionless.

Bluey, Kara, and Poppy started celebrating. Damien checked on Betty and Feya, and could see Betty was adding more to the pot (Feya was seemingly relaxing on the ground). “Everyone, come on, let's go back to formation.”

They nodded and followed back over towards the pot.

“I don't think attacking their wings works that well. Let's try focusing on it's face this time, since that seemed to work.”

“Do you want me to blind it right away, Master?” Poppy asked.

Damien shook his head. “Not right away, but do it if you get a safe opening.”

Poppy smiled and nodded.

“Master...” Aurora said, grabbing him roughly and turning him around.

Damien was confused for a moment, but then saw why Aurora had acted so brusquely. Two more pterodactyl had shown up. One was near where the first one had landed, and was eyeing them. Another was a bit to the left, and was already coming towards the stew.

Ugh, I knew this might happen, but I was hoping they'd be more territorial. “I'll distract the far one while you all wear that one down,” he said, pointing to the one approaching.

“Be careful Master,”Aurora said.

Damien activated Speed Boost again and ran over. The pterodactyl he was trying to distract wasn't moving much, eyeing him with it's head turned sideways. As he got close, he could tell this one was a bit larger than the ones they'd fought before, and he slowed to a halt near the dead one.

Over at the other one, he saw Bluey had decided to try restraining it by grabbing it's neck, and Poppy had taken that opening to blind it.

His vision quickly snapped back to the one he was distracting, as it had taken the moment Damien had looked away to start charging at him. Damien ran back, luring it away from the others fighting.

This one seemed to run much faster, and was using its wings to help propel it towards him. He was keeping away from it with Speed Boost, but he'd have to cast it again as soon as it wore off or else he'd be in trouble.

“Oh Goddess, Bind my enemy!” he heard shouted behind him.

“Betty!” Damien yelled, looking behind him.

Betty was huffing, having run over towards him. He could see behind her that Feya was near the others.

Damien ran over to her. “Why did you come over?”

Betty poked his cheek, “I'm not leaving you on your own. Besides, you wouldn't let me get hurt.”

Damien nodded, and turned back towards the pterodactyl. It hadn't fallen over, and was seemingly fighting against the Binding. Looking over at the others, they were still fighting the pterodactyl, although it was now on the ground.

“I'm going to go lure it some more,” Damien said. “You go back, I'll be fine.”

Betty nodded, then clasped his shoulder. “Oh Goddess, Bolster my ally.”

Damien felt the buff refresh on him.

Betty smiled, then started scurrying away back towards the cooking pot.

Damien re-activated Speed Boost, then ran behind the struggling pterodactyl and started casting Flame Wall on it.

It shrieked in pain as it fought to be free of the binding, eventually shaking it off and turning around towards him.

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He was very low on MP at this point, so he decided to stop attacking and skirted the edge of the clearing they were in. Luckily, he didn't have to wait long until the others showed up. The pterodactyl got confused as it started getting attacked from all sides.

Damien fell over on his butt, exhausted.

Aurora ran over to him. “Master, are you okay?”

Damien slowly stood up. “Yeah, just tired. Is the other one dead?” he asked as he watched Bluey grapple it.

“Yes, it was even easier than the first one.”

“I don't think this one will be,” Damien replied.

Kara was darting around, slashing at the legs, but seemingly having little effect. The pterodactyl struggled around, managing to launch Bluey off it's neck towards the ground.

While Aurora started casting Fire Breath, Damien ran over to Bluey. Luckily, she had not taken much damage, but Damien used Heal as he helped her up.

“Thanks Master,” Bluey replied, before speeding off towards it again.

Damien sighed and went after her. The pterodactyl was stomping now, trying to hit Kara as she dashed about. Bluey jumped up on it's neck again, this time squeezing it hard as if trying to choke it. This seemed to work, as it was now flapping harder as it struggled to get her off.

The others all attacked it's legs, Aurora even activating Fire Enhancement and palm striking the pterodactyl to save MP. The pterodactyl eventually fell over onto it's stomach, it's wings splayed out. They piled onto the pterodactyl as Bluey jumped up and dive kicked it's beak, cracking it.

After that, it was simply a matter of finishing it off. Once it finally was, the group were all exhausted. “Let's take-”

He couldn't get two words out when he heard shouting from behind him. Again!? He turned around and a pterodactyl was attacking Betty. She had put up a barrier, but a pterodactyl was bearing down on her and Feya.

Damien took off at top speed, and the others were right behind him. As they got close, he realized that the pterodactyl was not actually attacking Betty and Feya, instead it was attacking the bait stew.

“Bluey, try and get a big attack in while it's distracted.”

Bluey ran past him and jumped up. She expertly landed a dropkick to the back of the neck, knocking the pterodactyl down, making a mess of the stew as it fell over onto the pot.

“Damien, let me try something,” Kara said.

Damien nodded, and Kara ran past him as well. While Bluey was wrestling the pterodactyl, Kara ran up and took out two knives, jamming them into it's neck and trying to slice through, as if cutting through a particularly tough steak. Blood started spurting out everywhere, and the pterodactyl was gargling.

We should have tried an ambush like this from the get-go! He and the others ran over Betty and Feya. They took down the barrier. “Are you okay?”

Feya was hugging Betty. “That was so scary! Bets saved our skin!”

Betty blushed, “Feya, we need to help!”

Damien looked over, but the last pterodactyl was not long for this world, as the combo of Bluey's kick (which probably broke it's neck) and Kara slicing it's blood vein was enough that it didn't have much fight left, and the others took care of the rest of it's HP.

He looked around, but there was no other pterodactyls in the clearing now. However, there was two flying in the distance. “Come on, let's get back to the camp for now,” Damien said.

The others nodded.

“The stew...” Bluey pouted while looking at the mess that had been made.

Damien shook his head. “You don't want to eat what's left anyway, it's got pterodactyl germs.”

“Germs?” Bluey asked inquisitively.

“We should at least grab the pan,” Betty said. “We only have two.”

Bluey went to grab it.

“Master, that one is coming,” Aurora said, pointing to one in the distance.

Damien ushered the others and they quickly tread the path back to their camp. Once they were there, everyone (even Bluey, who had been energetic) collapsed on the ground.

“That went...” Betty started.

Damien shook his head. “I'm glad no one got seriously hurt, but that was way too hectic. We need a better plan.”

“It's neck is definitely it's weak spot. I was able to slash through it much easier,” Kara suggested.

Bluey nodded. “I think I did the most damage when I aimed for it, too.”

Damien nodded, “So we need to try and get it on the ground...”

Betty, who was cleaning out the pan they had used as bait, said “What if Feya or I Binded it in midair?”

“It seems like they're suspicious, and landing farther away,” Aurora replied.

Damien grabbed his chin to think. “True. I guess if we can distract it enough to let Bluey get on it, or have Kara get to its neck...”

They were interrupted by Feya, who held up a hand. “Um...can we eat? I'm starving after that.”

Everyone looked at her, then Bluey nodded, “Yeah, I'm hungry too!”

“We just ate breakfast a bit ago...” Damien said.

Betty shook her head, “We just had a big fight though. Let's eat and rest for a while.”

The group gathered round to make a fire and start cooking some stew, this time for themselves instead of as bait. While he was chopping some vegetables, Bluey said, “Master, I'll be right back.”

Damien raised an eyebrow. “Where are you going?”

She had a big grin on her face. “You'll see.”

Damien shook his head, “No, it's dangerous.”

Bluey pouted, “I'll be right back though. You can Message me if I'm gone too long.”

Betty giggled, “Just let her. I think I know what she's doing anyway...”

Damien shrugged and let Bluey go.

While Bluey was gone, Aurora tugged on his sleeve. “Master, I leveled up.”

Poppy, who was humming next to her, blushed, “I also leveled up, I just thought you were busy.”

Damien nodded. “Sorry, I was just focused on everything.”

Aurora smiled and shook her head. “I know, Master.”

Damien pulled up his status screen and quickly selected each to allow them to pick their abilities.

Aurora selected an upgrade to Fire Breath 2. According to the description, it shot out farther and did more damage.

Poppy selected a MAG +12 (instead of a +6 All Abilities).

Both of them hugged him when they were done.

“Thanks, Master,” Aurora said, with Poppy nodding in agreement.

Damien chuckled, “You both worked hard, it's not my doing.”

“Wait, I wanna hug Master too!” he heard from behind them. Bluey ran up, holding what looked like a giant wheel of meat.

“Wait, what is that?” Damien pointed.

Bluey looked down. “Oh! I wanted to know what the pterodactyl would taste like. The tail seemed like it might taste good, so I sliced some off,” she explained holding it up.

Poppy seemed a bit grossed out, while Aurora seemed to be salivating a bit.

Damien just sighed. “Fine, fine, grab the pan...”

While the rest ate the stew, Bluey sliced up the steak and put it into a pan, before setting it over the fire.

Once it was cooked, Bluey and Aurora started eating some of the meat.

“It's so good!” Bluey said, grabbing another chunk.

Aurora nodded, “You should try this, Master.”

Damien decided he may as well, and grabbed a chunk for himself. It's...actually not bad. Tastes like chicken with the consistency of steak.

Feya, who seemed to have been curious, also came up and tried some. “Wow, I didn't know pterodactyl was so good!”

“There probably isn't many people who have actually eaten it before...”

After they finished eating, they relaxed for a while. Aurora, who was one of the girls cuddling around Damien, twitched her ears a bit. “Master, there's two nearby.”

Damien tried to listen, but didn't hear anything. “Are they coming for us? I was hoping our lunch wouldn't draw them here.”

She shook her head. “No, I think they're actually at the clearing.”

Bluey stood up excitedly. “Come on, let's go get them!”

Damien seemed to be waffling, but Betty grabbed his arm. “We need more for the requests anyway. Let's just be careful and get them!” she said confidently.

The others all nodded in agreement, so Damien nodded back and stood up. “Alright, let's go.”

The groups slowly made their way back to the clearing. Kara used Stealth to go ahead and scout, to see what they were doing.

“It seems like they're fighting over the remnants of the bait stew from earlier,” she explained when she returned.

Damien nodded. “Okay, let's try and sneak around behind them, then attack their necks like we mentioned.”

The group skirted around until they were behind the two pterodactyls. As they got close, Damien could see what she meant. Each of them kept trying to peck at the spilled stew, only to be pecked by the other.

Damien looked at the others, “Wait, I have another idea...”

The pterodactyls weren't paying attention, and Poppy slowly and quietly flew up and used Pixie Dust on both of them. Once they fell over, the others sprang into action. Kara was able to quickly slice open the neck of one, causing it to begin struggling around, knocking her away.

The other was getting crushed by Bluey and Aurora, unable to contend with the surprise of waking up to a pummeling.

Damien ran over to Kara to help her up.

“I'm fine,” she said, before running back in.

Damien ran after her, and together they helped finish them off.

The whole battle hadn't even lasted a minute, and the two pterodactyls lay dead. Damien was hugged by Betty, while Feya ran over to heal Kara.

“I'm not that hurt!” she said as Feya hugged her.

“I can't let anything happen to my roomie,” Feya replied, squeezing her tighter.

Bluey was busy seemingly extracting more tail meat, with Poppy cautiously watching her this time.

“Master, I don't sense any others nearby,” Aurora said to Damien as he scanned the skies.

Betty crossed her arms. “I'm glad they're not sneaking up on us again, but that's not good. We still need five more for our requests.”

Damien nodded. “Maybe if we wait a while more will come.”

They both nodded, and corralled the group back to the camp once more.

After explaining the plan, they settled in at camp. Aurora, Bluey, and Kara would rotate watch, with Poppy on standby if they needed a better view.

As Damien sat down to while away the time, he opened his status screen, and was presented a familiar notification.

Finally, I leveled up!