Mind Over Master [Faith]

[Linika]

Mind Over Master

Ymiden 2, arc 719

Time was suddenly of the essence...

Linika had left the library, initially confident that the capture of the spy had neutralized any need for immediate action. She had even returned later in a calm mood, having contacted her informant, an ex-pirate called 'Knots', to see about any odd goings-on at the docks. But the combination of the information he came back with later, and the sudden insistence by Viden's 'Intelligence Authority', that a move needed to be made now, before the enemy became aware of the capture and slipped away free, changed all that.

A casual observation of hers back in the library had given birth to a radically opposed theoretical application of that observation, in a way that might be turned into a very effective "attack" with her Xypha abilities. The library was a place where her use of the Telesthetic Boon was not so oppressive to her. The multiple streams of thought that would assault anyone using that fundamental Xypha ability were of a calm, studious manner.

So, her notion was that if she were to gather some willing participants and subject them to a loud, manic bombardment of noise, they could keep the din in focus mentally and bring it forth in their thoughts to allow her to then send the multiplied mass of screeching clamor into an enemy, through a Telepathic Link. And the little street 'urchins' at the docks, that often served as messengers and delivery kids, could provide just the sort of screaming assault that she felt would work.

With that in mind, she had asked Knots to gather his little crew of "dock urchins" together, stating a close but out-of-the-way location, and then hurried to the nearest IA station. It was , of course, disguised as nothing of the sort, and she went in playing the role of disgruntled customer, bent on a refund; something that fit in perfectly with her cover as the ever-belligerent naer in town. In the process of citing her complaint, she allowed the pendant, showing her rank in the IA, to be seen by the clerk.

It was a silver pendant in the shape of an owl perched on a branch. She'd received it as part of her compensation for previous service to the city. They were a common enough item, being Yvithia's symbol, and came in many colors and styles. But only the periwinkle owl on a white branch was indicative of her rank in the agency. The clerk gave a sigh and told her to go back and see "the manager". Being an operative the same as Linika, the manager took her request for a squad of guards to assemble in quiet haste near the docks.

She explained hurriedly about the newly disclosed presence of a Stoneheart villain at the docks, one who allegedly commanded Ellasin's fleet. The manager said that he was sure there were no other ships at berth belonging to the lich, and that it was fortunate because the best he could do in such a hurry was perhaps upwards of a dozen men, give or take. She gave him the location of the meeting point, stating that it was already agreed on, but leaving out the bit about screaming kids and her unorthodox attack plan. She felt that would only complicate things.

Lastly, before heading there herself, she quickly scribbled a note to Faith on the echo scroll that corresponded to its mate, which was in Faith's possession. She could only hope that Faith was not currently caught up in any situation that would make the scroll's reception of a message go unnoticed.


"Faith,

Hurry to the docks as soon as you can.
Knots has information. He will be looking for you.
He will be gathering a group of children. There is a reason for it.
I am on my way there now and will explain.
A small squad of guards will be arriving as well.
Come prepared to fight the Stoneheart.

- Linika"

[Faith Augustin]

This was beyond frustrating.

Faith was doing her best, finding out what she could, but this was one of those times when the fact that people knew her was a hindrance, not a help. Because there was no innocent questions, no casual discussion and, in this moment, things were getting urgent. She glanced ~ for maybe the fifth time ~ at her echo scroll, and her eyes lit in pleasure at what Linika had written. A lead? An actual lead? She turned her attention to the echo scroll she and Padraig shared, and saw that he, too, was following a lead. The stoneheart, though, she knew that Padraig could take care of himself, he was more than equipped and experienced. If she went to join him, then she would not be able to get to Linika. But if she went to where the Naer was, then she'd be able to get to Pad, or him to her, in a thought. So, she made a decision which was as tactical as it was not emotional. "Go to Padraig. Don't you argue with me, Alissa," she said, and her voice was firm. "I need to be focused. Go to him."

Alissa shook her head, stubbornly, and then immediately raised her hand. "But I'll get Katie with him?" Faith considered it and nodded. That was fine. It wasn't that it had to be Alissa particularly, it was that she didn't want Padraig alone in this. Still, she was keen to get moving and so they did, the two of them. As Alissa wrote a note to Katie, Faith did the same to Linika. "On my way" was all the Naer got, but Faith figured it would be enough. And so, once arrangements were made and things were done, they got on.

Making their way down to the docks, Faith saw that, yes, somehow, there were in fact members of the guard and some children around, but she hadn't yet got to the point that they were visibly "there", more that they were able to see the docks, when there was a distinct noise of a ... what in the name of all the Immortals was that noise? Faith didn't know, nor did she care to question too much. Yet, it did the job and got her attention. Glancing over, she saw Knots, and she and Alissa moved over before they got to the docks proper. He led them through some areas with crates where Alissa had to duck and Faith was short enough that it didn't matter - and then, there in front of them was Linika.

Faith squeezed Knots' arm, briefly, and gave a slight wave to Linika. What in the name of the Immortals was going on here?

[Linika]

The din of screaming children had been all she had expected it to be. She was still rubbing her ears to help nullify the ringing. 'Definitely a successful test run.' Linika smirked to herself with a bit of an anticipatory wince. The guards too, were still cringing to some degree. For all their military discipline and weapon training, the piercing squeals of exuberant youngsters was not an assault that they had ever been expected to deal with.

It was precisely that angle that Linika was counting on. Naturally, soldiers could defeat children on the field of battle; the Stoneheart undoubtedly could as well. But both soldiers and necromancers were only ever likely to hear a single wave of such noise. It was unpleasant, but hardly disabling. Linika had been in the calm and quiet library, and even there, when she opened her mind up to the full weight of all the thought streams present, it could be mentally crippling.

There was no real reason to believe that the Stoneheart, for all his probable skills in commanding necromantic magic, had ever had to deal with the compounded infliction of more than one thought stream at once. How much worse would it be for him when it was a dozen guards, all focusing on the memory of this pack of screaming children, who were being paid out of her pocket to be as screechingly loud as they could be.

Just the memory stream of a single such guard would probably stagger the villain, if only for its shocking suddenness. This would be a dozen at once. Of course, Linika knew what this was going to do to her as well. This deafening deluge would be routed directly into and through her brain as well.

The saving grace would be to first open a Telepathic Link - one of her more newly developed Xypha skills - before she opened up the Telesthetic Boon power, which would allow the thought streams of the guards to pass into her mind.

She could only hope that the "spreading" effect of the Telepathic Link would make the cacophony bearable when the multiplied memories of ear-piercing shrieks tore through her brain. At least she would know what was coming. The Stoneheart had no idea.


"Okay, good job, kids. We'll do it once more just before we go. But we're still waiting for someone." Even as she spoke, a few of the young faces turned to lock on someone approaching. Faith had arrived,with someone Linika did not recognize. She certainly trusted Faith enough to assume there was a good reason. But it was possible the reason was for something other than the impending confrontation.

She did not want to pose a question aloud that might make either of them uncomfortable, so the used the Telepathic Link, 'Is she here to help us with the Stoneheart?' she asked silently. Once that detail was sorted out, she explained what she intended to do disable the Stoneheart long enough for it to be far more possible to achieve a live capture.

She naturally invited Faith and her friend - if she was accompanying them - to join in the mental barrage by listening to one last shrieking wail from the gathered kids. The guards groaned, but Knots chuckled. He wasn't going, and had the option of plugging his ears. "But not until we are ready to leave immediately after. I want the memory as fresh on your minds as possible. I will open a Telepathic Link to the bastard first, so he will be listening."

One of the guards posed the concern that the enemy could just break the link. Linika nodded, "Good question, but no. That is why I need to lure him in with something to get him to accept the connection. I can't force it on him, but once he accepts and it's established, I'm the only one that can choose to break it. I will stay behind the rest of you. I'll tell him I want to betray you guys for power within the cult. Once he answers back, I will clap my hands and you guys just recall the noise."

She looked from face to face, including the kids, "So...are we ready?" If so, the kids would deliver a last, gold-worthy torrent of screaming, and the party would be off.

[Faith Augustin]

Faith was used to the whole "voice in my head" thing - being married to one of Yvithia's marked, after all, meant that they often had these sorts of conversations. She nodded to Linika and smiled slightly to let her know that yes, this woman was not just here with her but trusted, in fact, "this is Alissa. She's my bodyguard." Faith whispered softly to Linika. Alissa, for her part, gave a slight grin and nodded her head. She said nothing, but she looked around at all the assembled children with an expression of growing horror. Alissa, as a rule, didn't really do children. Faith, however, was more than comfortable around them, so she lifted her hand and gave a quick - somehow quite mischievous - wave at the children assembled.

And then, Linika told Faith her plan and the young priestess of Famula beamed. "That's positively genius," she couldn't hide - nor did she try to, in fairness - the admiration in her voice. The guards would be here, they would add to the whole thing and Faith shot a brief but genuinely fond smile to Knots. "It's good to see you again," she said. She considered Linika's words and worked through her plan. Faith nodded her head and looked at Linika with an expression which gave truth to her words. "This is better than I could manage. I can hold him. Physically, create a sort of cocoon around him. He's strong, though. I don't know how long that will hold him. But I can do it." Faith smiled at Linika and gave a slight shrug.

"If this drops or disables him, or if it, plus my ability, hold him, I need to get to his well. The heart. It's not necessarily where the heart would be, I believe. But yes. Ok." They were going to have to play this by ear, Faith knew, to an extent. As the children let out a wild whooping screech, Faith did the only thing which she thought would help. She joined in with them. Because, honestly, it didn't bother her, so her memory here wasn't going to help - but she could add a high pitched, irritating screech.

Faith had been quiet for such a long time. So many arcs and now, she had a voice which rang out. She could give a high pitched whooping which echoed the screeching of her children - and frankly, that noise was enough to have anyone come running. Once it was done, and Linika was ready, Faith's hand dropped to her sword. She never went out without it. "I'm more than capable of fighting. Alissa and I will protect you." Faith glanced at her bodyguard, just checking that the biqaj woman understood and when Alissa nodded, Faith turned and smiled at Linika. She'd done the work here, she deserved the recognition. "Ready when you are."

[Linika]

The guards fell instinctively into ordered ranks as the party moved to the docks. Knots had described which vessel the kids said they had been boarding to pick up tasks from the "creepy guy". It was not as if every job was based out of that single vessel, of course. Many jobs were tasked and paid by other people, and not always from the same location.

But as has so often been the case, kids are overlooked as little more than pets or strays, running about playing, oblivious to the workings of adults. Orphans and urchins though, grow up quickly, and are swift to pick up on the necessity of money to survive. This naturally leads them to levels of observation equal to some of the world's most able spies. It did not take them long to decipher which ship was the hub of activity as far as the ruffians that sent them on tasks about town were concerned.

There were levels of rendezvous that involved this or that dockhand, this or that shipmate. Those then going to meet with others here and there. A pecking order of authority was soon perceived among those ne'er-do-wells that frequented the docks. But there was the one ship...The one that the highest of the roughnecks would visit with humble demeanor, hat in hand, and none saw with whom they met.

But kids will be kids. And listening in from one of the hundred hiding places, they'd overheard the name Coldheart, and even something along the line of Gravel, or Gavrant, and they knew which vessel he was on. The party was ascending the gangplank of that very ship now.

The chief of the guard squad wasted no time in moving over to the alarm bell aboard the ship. It was an item of multiple uses, rung for alerts of many types. It was not the force of pull that indicated the level of concern of which the ship's company was being informed. It was the pattern of peals that gave clue to the nature of the alert. In this case however, the Chief simply rang the bell for volume.

A door opened and a hesitant man looked out with the iconic squint of a seasoned sailor. But this was no fleet commander. The Chief stood ramrod straight, arms locked behind his back, chest thrust forward. "You. Go and instruct Captain Coldheart to present himself on deck for questioning at once! There have been irregularities that have been laid to his charge, and I would hear his explanation."

Suspicion lived heartily within the man's expression as he cocked his head and spat, "Wha'ar-regularities you meanin' boss? Cap'n 'll wan'ta be knowin' afore he drags himself free 'o his cups jus'sa be put ta th' question col' turkey like."

The glare with which the Chief slowly approached the man spoke of a long familiarity with stocks and lashings. "I am not obliged to answer to his convenience, sir, nor am I of a mind to give him warning as to the nature of what category of lies he should have prepared. Now go and get him or I shall inform him that you have corroborated one of the charges already: Commanding a vessel in berth while inebriated."

Try as he might, the sailor could not match the scowl fixed upon the Chief's face, and disappeared into the darkness beyond the door jamb. The Chief tipped his head into the doorway to listen for a bit, and soon stepped back, reacquiring his uncompromising stance. Everyone could now hear a drumming of bootsteps to suggest at least a dozen or more men ascending from below. But only a trio actually came forth. It stood to reason that the rest were in wait in the darkness for whatever orders were to be given.

Linika remained behind the guards, but locked her gaze on the man that stepped before the rest. She offered her Telepathic Link to him, hoping to lure him into accepting, so she could begin the mental bombardment. Her thoughts reached out to him, awaiting even the simplest mental acknowledgement, which would establish the link, giving her control of it.

'Lord Coldheart, I am an agent of the city's Intelligence Authority. But I have my sights on greater things, and believe we can aid each other in achieving them. I have a great many things I need to tell you that she would like to know. This was my first opportunity to meet you. When can I meet you again? There are no need for spoken words. You need only think the answer back to me.'

She knew that the figure before the guards would not be wishing to concoct some intricate meeting. So she offered a choice of locations that would serve. But more than that she hoped that if she continued to subtly distract him from focusing on the issue with the guards, he would agree, just to get her to stop bugging him at this delicate moment.

The moment she felt the opening of mental ambience that accompanied an accepted link - like walking down a hallway blindfolded, and passing an open door - she would clap her hands and open her mind to the guards' collective memories of screaming children and pass it straight into his brain.

She continued to offer her suggestions, 'The Library?...The Academy?....Fitness Center?...The Salt Store?....Temple?...The Stables?...Devil's Advocate?....Black Market below?' her time in Viden and brought great familiarity with a number of locations. She kept them coming, waiting for any response, 'Please, any place but here is fine. This is supposed to be a trap, but I'm sure you can handle it. Hot Springs?....Ranger's Lodge?....White Fox Inn?....Playhouse?....Aranaz Fruits?....Reaver's Warehouse?...'

Any response would seal the link...

[Pig Boy]

Yet Coldheart did not accept Linka's invitation to a telepathic conversation. Her attempts to initiate a conversation met with radio silence, and little but the most meager of prodding. The three men in front were wearing robes, their faces and bodies completely covered.

A voice issued from the captain's cabin, directed at the guards. "Oh do piss off, you Videnese Icebrains. Take your fine from my men and get ye out. I'm as sober as the saun days are long."

The guards stood at attention at that, and then looked at each other uncertainly. One of them whispered out the side of their mouth, "W...what should we do?" He said it without looking at Linika.

The commanding guard straightened his back, and lifted his voice to shouting, "Captain Coldheart, you're under suspicion of smuggling pleasure-grade liquor into our harbor. Come out now, or stay where you are, and we'll drag you out by your ears!"

The commanding guard nodded firm at that. Smirking in self-satisfaction, he waited for the captain to come out.

After a few moments passed, the captain did not show. But Linika was feeling a slight tense at the back of her mind, which indicated the Stoneheart was ready to accept her communique.

"The Glass Conservatories... W-what is that noise?!" A piercing screech issued from the captain's cabin, as he was stunned by the collective screams of children.

"What is this?!"

All the while, Faith had the oddest sense that she couldn't quite place. She felt as if someone had been shadowing them to the docks. But when she turned to look, there was nobody else on the pier that she hadn't counted on before.

Even so, she couldn't shake the sensation of being watched.

[Linika]

It would perhaps be seen as somewhat of a failure, the distraction that prevented all the guards from recalling what Linika's signal was, and what they were to do. But the flipside of that failure was her own realization that she could not have borne the full onslaught of all the guards' combined focus on the memory of the screaming children, not all at once, anyway.

Listening in on their Captain's verbal exchange with the Stoneheart made several not notice Linika's clapping of her hands. But even those five or six that did sent a torrent of multiplied shrieking through her brain and into that of Ellasin's servant.

The received message of the "Glass Conservatories" was all Linika needed to "hear". Though it was not an actual spoken word, it confirmed the Telepathic Link with the Stoneheart, and she opened her brain immediately to the Telesthetic Boon, allowing the thoughts of everyone around her to be syphoned through this mental conduit.

Fortunately, or not, only about half the guards remembered that they were supposed to focus completely on the fresh memory of the gang of kids shrieking at the tops of their lungs, with the promise of actual gold nel to motivate them to excruciating extremes.

But even that half measure was enough to drive Linika to her own knees, screaming as well. She slammed her hands instinctively against her ears, but was instantly driven to release that hold as, not being actual sound, clapping anything over her ears just seemed to make it worse; to seal it in. It was only because she knew what was going to happen, and had prepared her mental discipline, that she did not break off either the incoming, or outgoing, connections.

But as the other guards remembered what they were all supposed to do, the torrent of compounded screaming became a brain-piercing flood. Outside of her private mental misery, there was obvious concern for the spectacle she unknowingly created, screaming and writhing in internal torture, only desperate inhaling gasps, interrupting the steady sound of her own shrieking, as she rolled about in agony. She had no idea how long it went on. A part of her prayed for it to stop. She did not note at that time that she prayed to Yvithia, and not to Audrae.

This sliver of rational thought, free of either embracing the noise, or resisting the pain of it, could only find hope that this was worth it. She could not focus on what it was about any more. Lost was the presence of the guards, the captain, the location, the target or the purpose. She knew only that she had known it was necessary to hang on as long as possible. To have faith in her own knowledge that it was necessary. To have faith...Faith...yes...it was somehow to benefit Faith. To protect her...

That gave just a last sliver of resolve. And it was her last conscious thought before finally submitting to collapse, and the loss of all connections. She did not feel her head thunk against the planks of the deck as she slumped face-down in echoing blank darkness, her mind subconsciously ringing.

[Faith Augustin]

There was someone watching them.

Faith was more than sure of it, they were being watched. She turned around, watching carefully. It wasn't the ship, it wasn't around in the docks - she lifted her heels up, standing on tip-toe in order to make sure that she got the maximum height she could.... not that it was a lot of height, in fairness. Still, something was better than nothing. Faith, at her short full height needed all the help she could get. Looking around, it was then that Faith spotted something, but she simply kept looking around and then she spoke, in quiet tones, to Alissa. "We're being watched. The harbourmaster's office, Alissa. I want some of the guard, not us - we need to protect our friend, yes?" Alissa nodded and the pair of them kept doing what they had been, except Alissa spoke to one of the guards. So, as Faith and Alissa made sure that they were with Linika, because they were there to protect her.

And Linika did what she had said she would do - moreover, she did it with a level of skill which Faith had to admire. And as soon as the attack was unleashed on the Stoneheart, Faith nodded to Alissa and they moved. Alissa gave the signal to the guard captain who took a group of guards to capture whoever was watching from the harbour-master's office and then they moved. Faith caught hold of Linika and made sure that the servant of Yvithia was safe, and then they charged down to the captain's quarters. As soon as she had sight of the stoneheart, Faith's intention was to completely encase him, using Prison from Moseke's mark to wrap him in earth. If she was able to do that, she would, and then make sure that he had no weapons.

Of course, that very much depended on the situation they faced, meanwhile the small group of guards did their best to apprehend the watcher from the Harbour-master's office. Faith had sent PB - her diri of death - along with them. That meant, of course, that she had eyes there, was able to see what was going on and if anything needed their attention - but also it meant that PB added his own unique firepower to the mix.

[Pig Boy]

PB shot up out of the ether as soon as Faith summoned him. He quirked one of his bunny brows at her when she tasked him with watching the watchmen on their way to the Harbormaster's office.

"Oh, yes... I almost forgot to mention you're definitely being watched up there... But I'm also sensing much death elsewhere." PB cleared his throat, and pointed down, "Beneath the pier, in the water. May want to get a move on, just in case you're facing any really nastily powerful necromancers."

So having said that, he departed from Faith, accompanying the guardsmen up to the office.

This left Faith to focus her attentions on the ship, and the Stoneheart that had yet to show himself. The three men that had assembled in front of the ship merely started at the sound of their captain's voice braying madness from the cabin, but made no move one way or another. With another shriek, the captain burst from the cabin, clutching his head.

Now there was little in the way of Earth for Faith to form her prison. But there was some dirt and dust and bits of earth scattered on the deck of the ship that she could use. Therefore, as she gathered the power to invoke Moseke's Prison, the bits of stone dirt and earth made their way slowly toward him. The fact that there was little enough earth on the ship to use for the prison, made it that much harder for Gravant Coldheart to notice as they tripped him up. Finally, his focus nearly blown, the Coldheart lost control of his welled thralls.

Which, consequently, included the three figures standing at the port side of the ship, guarding the gangplank. There was something different about these undead, however. They had parts attached that no humanoid ought to. Tentacles writhed from the formless sleeves of their robes, as they rampaged, running amok without the guidance of their master.

They didn't have any specific target, as unguided, welled undead tended to, but sought any living flesh to consume in jealousy of the life deprived their chimeric forms. The most unfortunate among these being nearby crewmen aboard the ship. Their tentacles caught these living crewmen, and then came forward the sickening crack of flesh as arms, legs, heads, whatever flesh they could stuff into the empty gaps of their robes were crunched and consumed by those horrific creations.

PB's voice sounded in Faith's head, "Do you need me to come over? These guardsmen look hardy enough but, eh... If there is another necromancer in the Harbormaster's Office..." The guardsmen investigating stood at attention at the door, waiting for further instruction from Faith before storming the place. Others in their formation were distracted by the sounds of men being eaten alive on the ship.

All the while, The Stoneheart writhed on the deck of his ship, unable to muster the strength to escape Moseke's Prison. The dust, dirt, and assorted grime formed a rope around his lower half, causing him to be momentarily immobile, but it may not last...

As all of this was happening, Faith could see all around the ship, in the waters, countless fish bubbling up to the surface, striking against the ice, snapping at other fish. It made it to look as if the water was boiling, but judging by the way the ice sat upon the violently churning waters, the water was dead cold.

[Linika]

Slowly, the pain resided.....

For a moment Linika relished the respite, blissfully unaware of what it meant. The compounded howl of screaming kids, multiplied by the number of guards that had heard it, lowered to a more common tenor tonality; that of men shouting and fighting.

Realization of the situation returned with a vengeance like a fist to the gut. But when she tried to quickly get to her feet, the ramifications of her Xypha manipulation struck her like a dozen daggers to the brain. She felt more than heard her own moan of dizzy migraine agony as she did the best anyone could expect by getting her hands beneath her to keep her head from hitting the deck again.

Among the swishing legwork of men and monsters battling, she saw one other slow-moving body several yards from her. It was the fact of his disoriented movements, and the hands only beginning to release the grip on his own head that showed him to be the only other person on this vessel that had undergone the same mental torture she had just generated.

She almost felt sorry for the Stoneheart. Until the surrounding madness began to register.....

Horror and guilt stabbed her at the realization that the mutated humanoid monstrosities tearing into the crew were surely in their currently unrestrained mode due to her own actions. She'd given no thought to what would happen when a necromancer was suddenly stripped of his mental focus. While it was true that she had not known there were such thralls nearby, she was aghast with the realization that she should have assumed as much.

Emotional trauma tore through her soul at the thought of what she'd unleashed. And she was near powerless to stop it, stricken as she was by the effects of the Xypha assault. She had to do something, anything to absolve herself of the crushing guilt of her recklessness.

She staggered to her feet, nausea bringing the contents of her stomach to the brink of her throat. She swallowed it back down, every change in ambient brightness seeming to find some way of generating pain, despite the logic, or lack thereof. She took several deep breaths, both in hopes of rebalancing her stomach, and to clear her head and vision.

There was brief thought that maybe one or more of the thralls would go after their master, but no such luck had befallen the combatants as yet. She managed to make a controlled sway that she directed into a step, towards the Stoneheart, who was too busy struggling with some sort of odd coating of earth and stone to take note of her.

She nearly fell on her face, but managed to defer to instinct to swing her other leg forward to prevent it. Two steps now! She was making progress. She did not know for certain just what she thought she would do when she reached him, but it would not be any useless strikes with her knives. The man was an undead; flesh wounds would be laughed off as he sucked the life from her.

Then a more immediately worse thing happened...one of the thralls decided she looked tasty. She tried to backpedal away from it, not taking note of how the peril brought back some focus and balance to her actions, but caught her foot on something - probably her other foot - and tumbled back into a defenseless heap. She could almost feel the eagerly relentless hunger of the thing as its steps took on a more hurried pace, the thing's panting and grunting only adding to the fear.

Every instinct she possessed told her to turn her eyes away from the inevitable; but she could at least find the courage to keep enough focus to hack off a tentacle or two to give the next guy a better chance. Some small semblance of pride found purchase within her soul at this bravado. But the thought of being actually devoured...consumed like some prey animal, quailed her resolve to near futility.

An odd line of metal found its way around the side of the thrall's ribs as it drew just short of being able to throttle her neck with its tendrils. A jerk from behind pulled what turned out to be the business end of a gaffe hook into the thralls torso like a fish on a hook. Salvation and wonder stared toward a group of three crewman holding the long handle of the tool at the far end.

The thrall's attempt to resist only drove the point in further until the actual curvature of the hook was brought tight against the undead flesh of the monster. One of the men, an eidisi no less, made brief eye contact with her, adding a slight smile and a nod of acknowledgement. Such a small thing turned Linika's world more on its head than the lingering disorientation of her Xypha attack had.

A montage of hatreds both suffered from, and returned to, the blue-skinned race flashed across her synapses, making this salvation at the hands of those she'd come to look upon as enemies all the more remarkable.

And motivating.....

A surge of adrenaline brought her to her feet with no serious backlash of pain or disorientation. These men had saved her; one of the hated Naerikk race; and one who had been the cause of the very fiends with which they now fought. She knew the mitigating circumstances bore her out to have not been actually malicious in her recklessness. But still.... A new resolve brought strength to her heart and limbs.

She had to actually stifle a shout of fury as the creature now had its back to her. Rather than fighting the pulls of the men on the hook that transfixed its torso, the thrall had turned into the curvature of the metal and was now allowing the handle to slide right through its body as it neared the alarmed defenders.

LInika, bolstered by the same sort of manic resolve that gives mothers the strength to push a heavy carriage off their injured child, found it simple to lift her end of the gaffe handle over her head. The thrall suddenly found no leverage in feet that only barely reached the deck.

Copying this same gesture, with a shout of praise for her good battle sense, the men easily did the same with their end. The one who had smiled at her left his two companions to handle their end as he came to give Linika support. Quick glances to be sure the rest of the crew and soldiers were at least not in immediate peril allowed them to look for a solution to their "problem".

"Hammer it down!" one of the men at the other end shouted. Linika could only assume that the confusion on her face alerted her partner to the fact that she didn't quite understand the intent of that command.

"First we trip him." her partner said as they coordinated with their counterparts to run the handle to the side, descending quickly enough to keep the thrall from getting his footing. As his feet were completely toppled beneath him, the crew slammed the handle, thrall and all, to the deck.The undead creature was now on its side, pressed to the deck, with the handle bent by the weight of men at each end.

Linika and her partner had the actual metal hook at their end. "Twist it." her partner shouted, which they did. He pulled a hammer out of his belt and set to pounding the sharp end into the wooden deck. Even the unnatural strength of the creature was stymied by this, with the weight of one or two other men at the other end.

It thrashed and bellowed, but was ultimately answered only by oil and flame.