<div dir="ltr">Apologies for the long delay in the Round Robin postings. A major battle has happened and it took a while to get it all written and edited. Many, many thanks are owed to both Rimme the Weasel and Kamau Lyon who made this battle super awesome! I hope you all enjoy!<div> </div><div>June 3, 708 Trey was feeling pretty proud of himself. The morning training was going pretty well. He'd beaten his replica twice, and he was feeling more sure in the training he'd received under Jack. Kasaima decided that they needed to pair up since the replicas couldn't match true intelligence. During the first round, he'd been paired against Aldwin, which was a fair fight. He might have started a bit better, but Aldwin had been putting great effort into improvement, so they were basically equal. Nyein was working with Talo, trying to help him to get back into a form that wasn't likely to burn the forest or knock everyone over. Kasaima and Rita were facing one another, with Kasaima likely holding back. "Good! Excellent! A masterful stroke! You're overcoming your changes well!" "It's best to focus on what I can control and not on what I can't." "A wise course! Excellent job everyone." The rests were well-timed, enough to give some recovery, especially for Aldwin and Rita. "Let's change partners. Trey-san, I'd very much like to fight with you and see how you've grown!" "Of course Kasaima-san!" Trey felt thrilled. Aldwin and Rita paired off. Talo was looking a bit smaller as Nyein guided him. So far the Curse had not yet manifested on Kasaima. "This is going to be fun!" Kasaima smiled. "I certainly hope so! Learning should be fun! Now get ready and..." *** As combat practice continued the winged members of the group were doing a different kind of practice some distance from the camp. Nyein panted as he landed near Talo and gasped, “How did you learn to run that fast so soon?” “Kobolds run on all fours at times, especially if we want to make best time,” he answered in draconic. “As a dragon it is not much different aside from having to keep my wings tucked in.” The bat mage nodded to the reply, “Well you certainly proved that you can run fast. I couldn’t keep up with you after the first few yards.” “I hope I can learn to fly soon,” he said lying down. “I think I’m going to enjoy that.” Nyein tilted his head as he heard this, “Don’t you remember earlier this morning? You flew as masterfully as I’ve seen any dragon fly, though I’ve not seen very many fly close to the ground as you did.” “Hmm, Yes. That’s true but I was just letting the dragon do the hunting and not really in control myself. It was rather strange. Like sitting behind someone who’s riding a horse.” “Well then let’s try and see if you know how to glide,” he suggested, glancing over at the group who seemed to be taking a break. “Run again but this time when you reach top speed slowly extend your wings like this.” The bat showed with his own wings what he meant the dragon to do. “Just keep them even and level until you touch down, then run off the speed and stop. Can you do that?” “I can give it a try,” the former Kobold replied quickly standing and running off. The bat followed but could not catch up with the larger flier. As directed Talo opened his wings and immediately rose sharply into the air, quickly rising above the tree level. “Talo! Flatten your wings. You're pitching them up too much.” Doing as directed the dragon flexed his wings, but at too much of an angle and was now into a dive. “Pull up, pull up!” Nyein yelled but the dragon was already sliding along the ground. The bat raced to his side. “Are you hurt?” he asked, looking his scaled friend over for injuries. “Other than my pride I am fine,” the dragon said, already rising to his feet and looking at the deep trench his landing had made. “I’m not sure I can say the same for the field.” “Hmm, no, I think you have left your mark,” the bat glanced back at the encampment and saw the others now standing about, talking. “You rest here for a while,” the bat mage told him. “I am going to see if they want us to rejoin them for some practice.” And with that Nyein flew toward the encampment. *** Before Kasaima could continue, vines rose out of the earth! Trey found himself bound and saw even Kasaima was! The vines grabbed Aldwin and Rita by the arms, knocking their practice swords out of their startled hands and throwing the two guards down to the ground. A strange, cold fog rolled over everything, and Trey found himself shivering. Even the vines were getting icicles! Nyein gasped as he saw the vines spring up and he started to gain altitude, trying to stay clear, but one was already whipping out of the ground toward him. With a violent maneuver he tried to avoid it but it was too late. It grabbed a leg and spun him around, binding him in its green coils like a butcher would wrap up meat in paper. "So, I've found you at last. And training invaders no less." There was a voice in the fog. It was calm, but deadly. "I'd say you ought to be ashamed of yourself, but the dishonorable know no shame." A figure appeared, shadowy at first, but becoming distinct. A man in some kind of robe reminiscent of those Trey'd seen in the scrolls Kasaima had him help with. He had a strange sword in his one hand. It was glowing green. His free hand was glowing an icy blue. "How do you have that sword? Yuèjiàn does not tolerate liars!" "I am not lying. Your clan has one of the royal heirs, but what have you raised him as? A mere puppet for oni to rule over humans with! This I will not allow! I, Yuèliàng of Unoki, shall end the threat before it begins!" "We have done nothing of the sort!'' The air around Kasaima began to glow and warm, the vines withering. Trey took the time to change himself--the cold vines let him through. He managed to jump onto Kasaima as he pulled himself free and raised his iron club. From it came light and heat, dispelling the fog. After that, the two began to battle in earnest. Trey tried to jump from Kasaima to his attacker, in hopes of distracting him, but he overshot and landed somewhere in Yuèliàng's robes--unnoticed by either Yuèliàng or Kasaima. A sudden blow knocked Trey unconscious. *** Nyein was already shrinking to his smaller bat form as Trey freed himself. The vines were fast, but the mage was ready and sent a fireball into the one that pursued him, climbing high enough to be out of their reach. He turned just in time to see Trey launch himself at the attacker and disappear into the man’s robes. As he quickly ran through his spells for what would be best, he saw the iron club of Kasaima land just above where the rat had disappeared. He cringed at the thought of what it might have done if Trey was still there. Pushing that out of his mind he looked to the others still entangled in the vines to see which he might help to get free. </div><div>*** Aldwin struggled and panicked but could not weaken the grip of the vines. Rita focused specifically on bringing her foot up, closer to her hand, for a secret weapon that she had almost completely forgotten about. </div><div>Ever since her path became set on becoming a scout, she wanted to emulate the heroic scouts of legend. One of their legendary tricks she remembered was a knife tucked into the heel of the boot, so that even when disarmed and staring down the blade of an adversary, they had one last attack at hand. Unfortunately, Rita could see no way of keeping the knife in place without the handle sticking out except by sewing the whole knife into the handle. As a young man, the hidden knife was somewhat embarrassing to talk about, and Rita had never had a need to mention it or remember it... until now. </div><div>She wedged her toes into the crevices of the ice-covered vines as her fingers clasped the seam of her boot. The nails were just sharp enough to tear the thread. Quickly she peeled off the heel and grasped the small knife, and shoved it into the vine against her thigh. The sudden wound sent a jolt through the vine around her hips, just long enough for her to slip the knife between her armor and the vine. The vines tightened again, but recoiled as the sharp blade dug in. Rita pulled her free arm back in, drawing the vines in to for the knife to slice through. The vines kept growing towards them, and Rita twisted and rolled in the dirt to pierce the vines in her legs. On the field elsewhere, the warming rays melted the unnatural ice, though the vines persisted and were strengthened by it. Kasaima and Yuèliàng were well-matched in trading blows, but Yuèliàng was smaller and faster, able to dart in and cut with his sword. Finally, Rita cleared enough vines to stand up, slightly off-balance from her heelless boot. She saw Kasaima and the stranger fight, but focused immediately on her fallen sword, buried under the vines. A fresh set of unwounded vines stretched out to grab her. They were little more than vipers to Rita. Not something she'd ever personally faced, but something she had often dreamed of fighting. With her scouting instincts on full blast, she jumped back towards a free spot as the vines rushed past. They pivoted in mid-lunge, the coils on the ground twisting in turn. Just as she hoped. With a stab and a swing upwards, she pried one loose vine up with her knife; with her opposite hand, she grabbed the practice sword and yanked it free. It was too blunt to do any cutting, but it did give her two advantages: range and leverage. </div><div>*** Talo was trying to push dirt back into the trench he had made when movement in the camp caught his eye. A strange cloud seemed to be forming over the encampment. He blinked in disbelief as he also saw vines entangling his companions and a voice starting to speak. As the cloud dissipated, he saw a man wielding a sword and Kasaima readying his club. Instantly his combat instincts kicked in and he started to charge toward the fight. Suddenly he realized he had no idea how to fight as a dragon. A moment later he knew what he must do. It was risky but the only way to help. He mentally released his body to the dragon’s instinct and with a roar launched into the battle. *** Rita turned her attention towards Aldwin, who was still pinned to the ground. The curse was starting to accelerate on him, and his nose and lips had a stiff yellow hook to them. "Careful! Easy!" she tried to call out over Talo's roars. While her off hand bucked and battered the approaching vines, her knife quickly sawed through one vine, then the other. Rita barely had time to pull him up by the wrist before another vine burst through the ground. The dragon saw two he knew were friends freeing themselves from the vines. If they could clear themselves enough, he could use his most deadly weapon, but not until then. His size alone gave him a formidable weapon however and he opened his mouth prepared to bite. But before he was near enough his head hit something cold and hard thrusting his head, then his body skyward. To Talo’s great surprise the dragon felt pain. Not from the impact but from a deep cold that ran through his jaw. Spreading his wings the dragon used his redirected momentum to take to the sky. This puny being would pay dearly for his actions on the dragon’s next attack. By now, Kasaima was bleeding in several places. Worse, ice seemed to be slowly forming on Kasaima as he fought, despite the heat radiating from his club. "What trickery is this?!" "It is simple. Cold is the absence of heat. I'm simply draining your heat away from you. A fitting end for a monster like you. Your kind will never betray us again!" "I and my clan serve the ruler of Zhongguo. *We* have never betrayed the Emperor. I shall continue to serve until my death!" "Then die," said Yuèliàng. The frost covered Kasaima's arms and his club fell and went out. His body began to turn pale as his body heat was drained away, until he fell to the ground beside his club. Aldwin watched in horror as Kasaima fell. This stranger was far beyond their ability to intervene directly. She ducked as Nyein swooped in and blasted a fireball at the perimeter. Seeing a path clear, Rita pulled Aldwin up by his feathery arm and practically shoved him through. "Aldwin! Get to the Keep! Bring help! Go!" Aldwin stumbled on his webbed feet as the vines tried to trip him up. </div><div>*** Seeing Rita using her practice sword he thought of a better way to help. He knew a metamorphic casting that would greatly improve the weapon. This school of magic was far from his best, but the situation called for taking chances. After a moment of concentration he began the casting. Using both words and gestures he threw the spell on Rita’s sword. He had no more than finished when he found himself spun about by the huge form of a dragon passing close to him. Rita felt her practice sword sag with weight, and hefted it anew. The sword was darker and glossier like polished stone. A petrification spell! It wasn't iron, but it was strong and hard enough to cleave through the vines. </div><div>*** Rorlyn glided eastward once again as he zig-zagged down the valley. His briefing before he started the patrol had reported a small encampment that had lasted a few days. It was a point of interest mostly because it seemed the Oni that had been visiting the library was among them. Another of the local avians had told him that there was now a red and gold dragon at the same site. While this could be trouble, the peaceful nature of those camped there set the gryphon’s mind at ease. Turning back to the west he saw a group of scouts making their way south. Even with his eagle-like vision seeing them was not easy, but to know they were around if needed was always a good thing. His reflections came to an end as he heard something that needed immediate attention. Dragons do not usually roar for no reason. Not only the rareness of a roar but the nature of this one having the unmistakable tone of anger caused the gryphon to increase his speed and his course was now directed to its source. He hoped the patrol he had spotted would be doing the same. *** </div><div>-To Be Continued-</div></div>