View source for 558/Sarracenia attacks the CP!

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/07/12
|Location=Caverns of Prophecy
|Synopsis=Sarracenia tries to take the caverns in an effort to find her hero! Blurr and Marrik stand in her way!
|Cast of Characters=446, 541, 492
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A nice, quiet, cold, dreary day on the mountain of Prophecy. About typical. But, Union soldiers no doubt know by now that a typical day usually involves a Confederate attack of some kind. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This is one of those days. In the distance, moving through the cloudy haze and freezing cold, is...what looks like an old-style wooden sailing ship, except where sails would be it has large propellers on long masts. In the snow and clouds it looks much like some kind of ghost ship moving toward the mountain's cavern entrance. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Standing on the long bow of the ship is...well, at a distance it looks like some kind of giant raccoon girl. Brown fur, fluffy, stripy tail, and a human face with pointed animal ears and long red hair. Holding a hammer that looks like it would be at home on a barbarian's shoulder. She is standing tall and confident, smirking as her ship closes in. She holds up a megaphone as they get close. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Union personnel! If you do not leave this instant, you will face the wrath of Princess Sarracenia Sundew of the Sundew Kingdom! Evacuate, or get ready for a trip to the hospital!" she demands. Of course, it might be hard to take her seriously with her wearing that tanuki suit. Running around on the ship's deck are large plant people. They look sort of like pitcher plants, except the pitchers are their heads, they have large leaves for arms and roots for legs, and all are wearing thick winter gear. Oh, and their mouths are full of very sharp looking triangular teeth. "I have given my warning! You have 30 seconds to surrender or we will open fire!" the woman continues, then the ship turns so that its broadside is toward the cavern, and old-fashioned iron cannons emerge from ports along the side. Except the openings look large enough for a person to fit inside.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:'''<br>Funny thing most people forgot about Necromancy, or never knew in the first place was it had it's roots in questioning the spirits for hints about what was or what may yet be. Spirits followed him, not because he coerced them, but because they were good traveling company. Plus he was getting constraint advice from a pair of climbers on how to move and even before he left what he needed to take.<br><br>See? This Oracle stuff wasn't all phooy!<br><br>No matter why he was here, or that he was expending hard gathered magic just to be up this high since he didn't have proper gear. Oh well. None of that mattered when a runner hustled through the caves to fetch him. This nonsense about a flying ship and giant raccoon and demands got his attention. Fine. Whatever. Marrik walked outside, apparently ignoring the harsh conditions in spite of wearing a thin coat more suited to grasslands.<br><br>He looked over to one of the soldiers questioningly, as if unsure if he should give ground or not. The woman merely set her jaw and started speaking into her radio. So that was that. Marrik's jaw set as he made the simple weave to amplify his voice. "Unidentified Vessel. Stand down. I say again stand down. Aggression will be met in kind!" He didn't want to fight. Not least of all because he could feel those on all sides and allegiances that fought four this place and never left.<br><br>Anyone or anything on the skyship magically sensitive might feel him gather power before sending fine threads out, not to the ship but into the ice and snow of the mountain.<br><br>Somewhere, possibly everywhere, a drumbeat sounded. THROOM! THROOM! Again it sounded. THROOM! THROOM! The rhythm was slow, heartbeat like as the union soldiers took their positions.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Blurr has been running some recon assignments in the area recently, checking on deployed surveillance probes every so often. This time around, one of them had picked up on an incoming Confederate vessel, and since the speedster had happened to be nearby he'd decided to respond to it. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At the moment he's lurking just inside an entrance to the caves, though the harsh conditions are hardly a concern for him--it's more for cover and stealth reasons. The enemy not knowing he's there until the last possible astrosecond almost always works to his advantage. Whatever they were after, he didn't intend to let the Feds get it.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So who else is here? Marrik, oh right, he'd met the guy briefly before, at Stark's estate. He opens a comm to the guy. &lt;&lt;Actually I'm pretty sure that rodent lady thing with plant minions just wasted an entire half a breem introducing herself. Are you having problems with your hearing?&gt;&gt; he teases.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The vessel comes to a stop, hovering about 20 meters beyond the entrance to the caverns, and the apparent raccoon girl runs down to the side facing the cave. "What vessel do you think this is?! I just -said- I'm Princess Sarracenia Sundew!! This is obviously the Sundew 1! What other vessel would a royal from the Sundew Kingdom use?!" <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The princess is huffing like this should be obvious, but really, how are other people supposed to know what designation a foreign power uses for their royal vessels? Marrik did say the -vessel- was unidentified, after all. "Thirty seconds are up! So, as promised, we're opening fire!" <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sarracenia raises her hammer, then makes a downward swinging motion toward Marrik, and the half-dozen person-sized cannons fire. But, they don't fire cannonballs. They fire actual bullets. Bullets with eyes and malicious grins full of as many sharp teeth as the plant people. And...they aren't exactly fast, either. Probably about average running speed for an elite. AVERAGE running speed, Blurr! <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; But, this is slightly mitigated by the fact that they are also -seeking- projectiles. Once those eyes lock onto someone, the bullet follows that person until it either hits the person or something else, and when it does, it explodes in a rather spectacular fashion. Rocks and boulders go flying every whichway. "Hahahaha! Take that! That's what you get for standing in the way of a princess!" <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; She doesn't even know if she hit anyone.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:'''<br>"You deaf man? Raccoon Lady said she was Sundew Kingdom." A voice hissed in Marrik's ear, "Also don't you think you should get your head down? Elite or no /I/ could fit in one of those guns."<br><br>Marrik looked to the lady apparently in charge of the regular forces. "I've got nothing on who this lady is or anything other than a few scattered things about that looking like a Koopa ship. Mean anything to you?"<br><br>"Ya," the lady said while strapping on her helmet. "Don't underestimate it."<br><br>The web of magic Marrik spun moved from the dead of the mountain to rearrange itself into a wall of magic between the Sundew vessel and the ground based defenders. &lt;&lt;Other than something about Mushroom Kingdom and Koopa from the spook population? Nothing because of this bloody wind.&gt;&gt; Marrik managed to sound annoyed over the magic patching him into the local radio network, &lt;&lt;Stay out of sight, I want to see what I can do to her first folly before you go say hi, but if you see something I don't feel free to ignore and go for it.&gt;&gt;<br><br>He was no soldier, and definitely not a commander of armies, so why was he trying to take charge? Oh right. The troops were looking to him for guidance in the face of weird things like giant grinning bulletsâ¦ That mostly disintegrated as they passed through Marrik's disintegration field. Trouble was the /debris/ from these bullets had momentum and sharpness and he was trying to cover a wide area.<br><br>Troops fired at the ship with practiced motions and remained largely professional in spite of having debris rain down on them, or the occasional unfortunate having to run from a grinning, and potentially laughing, bullet.<br><br>With a flourish a rune covered staff was in Marrik's right hand and the net of magic collapsed, grabbing debris that had yet to rain down before hurling it back towards the ship's deck.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Blurr watches the weird bullets coming from the ship, and scoffs at them. What kind of projectile weapon had projectiles that moved -that- slowly? Oh right, not everyone can move like he can. Too bad. &lt;&lt;Understood.&gt;&gt; He says, complying with Marrik's request. Instead, he stays where he is, scanning the battlefield outside to take stock of what they're up against and uploading it to the Union datastreams for Marrik and whoever else might want to reinforce the defense to make use of.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The ship may be wooden, but it's state of the art in Sarra's world. Which means the flying debris and bullets mostly just bounce off the hull. They make a few holes, but nothing serious. Sarra laughs fiendishly at the meager damage to her flying flagship. "Is that all?" she asks before she gives a motion to her crew. The cannons pull back inside, then a few moments later extend again. "You will have to do much better than that to defeat me!" she declares, then gives the 'fire!' motion with her hammer again. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This time, bullets don't emerge. Instead, it looks like cannonballs this time. Except...they hare feet and eyes and wind-up keys. And even more strangely, they explode on impact. Violently. These explosions -could- likely kill someone if they were close. Or send them flying off into the distance to disappear in a sparkle in the sky. Or anywhere inbetween. With Blurr still hiding, all the Bob-ombs are aimed at Marrik and the Union troops.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:'''<br>Marrik didn't need to do a common check to tell nobody had gotten killed, even the few that had gotten hit direct by these strange bullets. Hurt? Yes. Yet the first folly had been nonlethal.<br><br>The next volley, especially without the aid of his defensive net, was not so kind. Marrik not only heard people screaming, but could feel Life bleeding away. The drumbeat sounded again. Life was gathered and cast out into the mountain as before. Now, unlike before, magic traced out to try causing the delicate machinery that kept the rotors working to fail. He wouldn't have been able to know where to strike because of the wind and storm without Blurr. With luck it would bring this ship in close enough for what he had in mind next.<br><br>Deep breaths. Focus. He could do this.<br><br>Except he was bleeding from one of those bombs and didn't even seem to notice the cuts along his face. Anyone looking would see his eyes unfocused as his hands spread wide. Drumbeats sounded loudly, ominously.<br><br>THROOM THROOM!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Blurr soaks in the data from the scans, formulating a plan in his mind. &lt;&lt;Marrik, tell them to fall back toward the cavners. We need to trick that vessel into decreasing altitude. I've got an idea.&gt;&gt; He finally moves out from cover, darting out of the cave and firing upward at one of the rotors in an attempt to take it out and force the craft to drop a few hundred feet. A bright blue high-energy photon blast lances through the thin, cold air, headed for its intended target.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sarracenia laughs haughtily as people are blown about by bombs and showered with derbris. That is, until her ship shudders and she nearly falls off the railing she's standing on. "H-hey! Keep it steady!" she yells at the pilot. Just before a blue beam hits her ship's stern mast, blowing it right off of the ship. Sarracenia yelps as the ship rocks, and this time she does fall, letting out a very princess-like scream during her plummet toward the earth. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Then, she remembers she's in one of her favorite suits! Her raccoon tail starts to wag, and a moment later her downward acceleration is arrested. She floats down as daintily as a feather, her course taking her toward Blurr. His shot was the most visible after all. "You..." she says, her tone and expression so sweet and kind. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It quite suddenly turns fierce and angry. "...damaged my ship!!" she cries out, and with a swing of her hammer is plummeting again, this time standing on the head of her hammer, easily as big as one of the Bonzai Bills from earlier. She becomes a comet falling right toward Blurr, and when she lands atop her hammer it creates an explosion of debris and energy that flows outward from her impact point. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; When the dust clears, she giggles happily and twirls around the large handle of the hammer before motioning toward Marrik and looking up at her ship. It fires again even as it descends into a more manageable range. More Bob-ombs fly at Marrik. <br> <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:'''<br>"What do you want?" One of the spirits that still were on the mountain asked.<br><br>Marrik didn't have time for this, "Please. I need your help," the young Necromancer had gotten the attention of dozens of spirits. "I can't do it alone. Lady up there's bonkers and they're looking to me to keep them safe." Even with the nonverbal communication between man and spirits his uncertainty was clear.<br><br>"Then in a few days it'll be some other idiot," a long dead confederate grumbled, "Or it'll be you trying to take this hill if she wins. It don't stop mate."<br><br>"Then why linger?" Marrik pleaded. "Do you just enjoy the spectacle that much?" His body shuddered as he tried pleading his case. "Do you just want people to die?"<br><br>The confederate shrugged, "Unless you're gonna make me I'm fine right here."<br><br>"Well we're not," Several other spirits stepped forward, and not all of them from union troops. "What do you want us to do?"<br><br>On the decks of the Sundew-1 ghosts started materializing. These were not the chubby white blobs of boos. Instead they were wraithlike things translucent and flying here and there shrieking. Never mind they were insubstantial, having an angry person charging at you is going to put you off your game. It wasn't just above decks. Down below more spirits faded into view to try harassing the gunners and artillerymenâ¦ Plantsâ¦ Whatever it was the princess used as crew. Whether the non-union spirits helped out of some sense of preserving the living, or because they thought it would be fun, or even Marrik promising to help them cross over didn't matter since the end result was the same.<br><br>The ominous drum beat continued and bodies, some newly gone from the bombs but most long gone and frozen to the point they shouldn't be able to move got to their feat and all turned at the same time towards the Sundew-1 and leaped towards it. These, unlike the spectres were very real, enchanted by magic, and animated by the spirits of those that had died defending this place.<br><br>Marrik, battered as he was, clenched a fist pointed his right hand at Sarracenia. More of the dead rose and kept to bring her down. Each would try to punch, headbutt, bite, or simply shriek while attempting to immobilize the insane would be monarch.<br><br>Through it all Marrik's body stayed upright no matter what happened. Unlike the last time he had called on the dead he couldn't afford to move and maintain focus. He was exposed, bleeding, hurt. Yet his magic still flowed.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Blurr sees crazy raccoon lady coming from a long ways off. Thus, he darts out of the way, but misjudges the strength of the hammer's impact and is caught in the shockwave. It sends him flying backward, and he slams into the side of the mountain, causing it to shake a bit.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Cracks form on the armor covering his back, and purple-colored fluid leaks out, staining the snow. Despite this, he smirks and makes a snarky reply to the princess' little tantrum. "Excellent observation, you oversized rodent fleshbag." He taunts, and gets quickly gets to his feet. The Autobot is aware that Marrik is exposed and vulernable, so he's determined to keep the enemy occupied. But instead of attacking her directly, the speedster suddenly starts to run around the side of the mountain. It's a good thing rough terrain doesn't really bother the versatile 'Bot, nor slow him down.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Around and around he goes, faster and faster. So fast that the snow starts to whip and form a cyclone-shaped blizzard of sorts. It rises out of the mountain, becoming stronger as Blurr picks up speed, engulfing the Sundew-1. There, that should keep her from targeting his current human ally! <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Er, hopefully it doesn't disrupt Marrik's concentration too much, or knock him off of the rock he's standing on...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sarracenia hears the unworldly wails and turns to look. Then, she pails visibly. And her confident expression is quite suddenly gone. "Wh-what the-?! Are those...zombies?!" she shrieks in that higher octive women hit when particularly scared. She picks her hammer up, then makes a run for it! "Getawaygetawaygetaway-aaaaaaaaaaah!!" <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; But, it's no use. There's just too many, and they are too fast! The princess disappears beneath a pile of groaning, angry dead guys. And they are not nice to her. Grunts and cries of pain can be heard beneath the zombie pile, and the poof of her tanuki suit disappearing is probably lost in all of that. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The undead attacking her are bad enough, but her method of escape is probably ill-advised. From within the pile, there is suddenly a loud 'KABOOM!' and an orange flash that sends the bodies flying back and leaves a smoldering crater and a singed princess in the aftermath. She looks angry now. And not just because her pretty dress is all torn up from being bitten and clawed and such. "HOW DARE YOU SEND THE UNDEAD AFTER A BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS?!" she bellows before running toward Marrik, hammer raised over her head. That thing must weigh a ton. How is she able to carry it? <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The answer will have to wait, because the hammer comes swinging down at Marrik, and the impact even if it misses is only slightly less powerful than the initial comet attack. The hammer even generates its own explosion upon impact. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Blurr's tactic works pretty well! Pieces start to flake off the airship. Boards and plating and railing. But, it keeps firing despite not even remotely being able to aim. Hopefully Blurr doesn't run right into a Bob-omb as it is flying through the air, or get clotheslined by some railing or something. <br> <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:'''<br>With the help of the spirits Marrik was able to work around Blurr's Cyclone. Sarraceina's blow was powerful and sent the already wounded necromancer to the ground. Yet even as the shockwave sent the dead and living flying Marrik slowly rose to his feet again. He was pelted by snow, white as a sheet, and was steadily, if slowly, moving towards Sarraceina. As he advanced heedless of storm or shot his eyes seemed to glow like two lanterns. The runes on his staff flowed a pale green and the winds only touched him enough to blow his hair and cost about as he advanced.<br><br>"PRINCESS SARRACEINA OF THE SUNDEW KINGDOM." Marrik's voice pierced the howling winds both natural and cybertronian. As he walked closer to the would-be Queen people might spot ghostly shapes carried in the wind, adding their shrieks and laughter to the natural howls of air ripping through the mountains. "Ye stand at the crossroads of Life little girl. Her ambition and selfishness has cut the fate of men short this day. I ask this one question and demand an answer true." The glow in his eyes intensified as the howling of both wind an the dead seemed to stop. It was as if Martin's question was the most important thing in the multiverse. "DO. YOU. FEAR. DEATH?!"<br><br>The cries and wind resumed, only now there was more than just the banshees shrieks in the air. Martin's laughter, cruel and terrible, ripped through the air as he leveled the end of his staff at the princess. Its runes glowed brighter for a moment before a freight train of pure kinetic energy ripped through the storm towards the hammer wielding woman.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Blurr keeps going, and going. Faster and faster... he's reaching the speed of sound itself. He gets smacked by a few bombs and pieces of railing, but for a mech his size, they don't exactly do a whole lot of damage, merely causing a few more scrapes on his armor. There's still that open wound on his back, but this time he's lucky enough that the debris doesn't manage to snag it.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The cyclonic blizzard continues to build in magnitude. How long can the ship hold up against the icy assault? Further, and this is something that Blurr himself hasn't thought about (though probably should have)--how long can the side of the mountain hold up, as soon as the sonic booms start?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The princess does fear death, and actually seems a bit distraut to hear that she's actually killed people. That wasn't her intention! She looks every bit the little girl she's accused of being. Dress ragged and cold wind swirling around her, her eyes wide, she sinks to her knees. "Th-they shouldn't have been here! You guys are supposed to send them away, not have them fight!" she pleads before that freight train slams toward her. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It is only an instinctive reaction that saves her from being flattened. She raises her hammer, using the head of it as a barrier. The thick, heavy alloys that comprise the hammer deflect much of the energy, but not all of it. Both the hammer and the princess go tumbling back, and she actually loses her grip on her hammer. It goes skittering off through the snow, luckily getting caught by a large boulder so it doesn't go tumbling down the mountain. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sarracenia stands up after a few moments, then looks toward Marrik. "But..." she says, continuing where she left off. "...nothing will get in the way of my search for true love! And those caverns may hold the key to finding out who my hero is!" she exclaims, looking determined and fiery with her red hair flowing and billowing about thanks to the wind. She reaches into her purse, rummages around, then pulls out...an entire TNT charge. About 20 sticks or something in that range. "Not even you." she says, then pulls the starter cord, and in a flash the fuses start to burn. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The slender princess then lifts the charge over her head and chucks it as hard as she can at Marrik. And given she carries that hammer around, that is pretty hard. Whether it hits him, or lands near him, the charge explodes only a split second after hitting. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Blurr's snowstorm is starting to tear the airship apart. More and more pieces are falling from it, and it is losing altitude. Cannons even start falling out the sides as wooden planks are torn from it. They are sure to make wonderful explosions on impact. <br> <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:'''<br>Magic was a wonderful thing. It could help you get that thing off the top shelf, heal your hurts, and keep you going when you really shouldn't be. Marrik was getting a painful reminder that last application had costs all its own. His breathing was shallow and erratic while his body was cold to the touch. Even for a necromancer deep within a nexus of Life caused by little things like bomb showers and cybertronian induced tornadic winds did a fierce and terrible number on anyone still aboveground wouldn't hold up in a straight fight in his shape. What choice did he have though, let this spoiled brat crow about how she walked all over him? If she won then she would give no dignity due to the people that defended this place. They would be forgotten, humiliated, and Dishonored.<br><br>That made Marrik angry. The bomb blew him face down into the snow. By rights he should be crawling in a home somewhere to hide, to ride this out and let others face this madwoman. His anger is what drove him on, to act reckless with his magic and use it to patch himself up. Several zombies fell, the den of shrieks less bombastic, but he continued to advance. The red glow of his eyes intensified as he neared his quarry again. She was the cause of this, and removing her from the board would end it.<br><br>"This is not one of your daydreams or bedtime tales your Nana would read to you at night." There was a roughness to Marrik's voice as he hefted his staff as one would a club and swung at the princess. "People on both sides are dying because you wanted this place and because I will not give it up." Again he swung. There was no kinetic force or any other magic at play. Just a well muscled farmhand swinging a hickory stick at what he saw as a spoiled selfish child.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Blurr looks up in satisfaction as he watches the ship crumble at the mercy of the whirling snow. It's coming down fast, and he'd better get out of the way before it comes crashing down onto the mountainside. He slows down, thankfully before he'd started causing sonic booms, because that would have knocked this section of the mountain down.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;...just in time to see those bombs go off right on top of Marrik. "Marrik! Slag it..." He hurries over to where the man is standing off against the crazy rodent princess. Catching sight of the hammer sitting against a boulder, he reaches down and flicks it at Sarracenia, given its size in comparison to him. It goes flying toward her.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sarra is getting pretty tired herself. So as Marrik strides forward, she just stands her ground and starts rummaging in her purse again. "My ship's crew will be fine. Pirahna plants ar-" And then SMACK! She's hit right across the face by that stick. The blow brings a startled, pained cry from her lips and snaps her head to the side before it sends her stumbling in that same direction and down into the snow. There's actually tears in her eyes when she looks up this time, and a big red mark across her cheek. "Wh-what is wrong with you?!" she screams, obviously not used to this kind of treatment. Which is strange, because she -has- fought in battles like this before. She sniffles, then her expression hardens in anger. "You should have just left! This is your fault, not mine! What do you guys need this place for anyway?! Everyone knows it can't see far into the future enough to give a large tactical edge! I just wanted to ask it where my hero was!!" <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The princess is actually crying a bit now. "And if I never find him, I'm coming back for you, you big meanie!" she says even as she pulls a Bob-omb out of her purse. "I'll find you, and then -you- will play the part of my hero until I finally find him!" she threatens even as she throws the Bob-omb. She quickly hops behind the boulder which is keeping her hammer safe so she can avoid the explosion herself. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Only for that boulder to explode when her hammer is thumped at her. It was against the boulder, so Blurr pretty much just smashed the boulder right into Sarracenia. Being at the epicenter of the destruction, the princess is battered heavily by boulder shards before getting smacked with her own hammer. That's the second time that's happened to her! <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As she flies through the air a short distance, Sarra's ship is falling from the sky. It smashes into the mountainside and breaks apart, and pirahna plant people go sliding down the snowy mountain on unintended makeshift snowboards. Many of them crash into rocks or trees or snowbanks, but a few are apparently pretty good snowboarders, making the run down the mountain and seeming pretty smug about it when they reach the bottom. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sarra is barely standing by this point. And now, she has to try and handle both a zombie-maker and a giant robot? On her own?! Well, that's fine by her! She never gives up! She picks up her hammer again, even though she is bruised and scratched and cut from all the attacks she's endured. Her beautiful skin and face are not so beautiful at the moment, but her eyes still hold the fire of determination. "Get. Out. Of. My. WAAAAY!!" she screams, then flings herself at them, spinning like a top and using her hammer to keep momentum going. She tries to just rush past them and into the cavern, but her spinning antics are sure to land a few blows before she is inside. If she even makes it inside.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:'''<br>win or lose, success or fail this was Marrik's last throw against this woman that would be queen. Instinct both beaten into him by his teachers and by his body's desperate need to comply with his will screaming to keep moving sought out Life to draw on. The soldiers? Several weren't going to- NO! WILL NOT ALLOW! CANNOT! NO!<br><br>If not them then what? Blurr had a soul and moved, but did not have the energy he needed. The closest was the source of his hurts and the misery brought to this place. All Marrik could manage was a slow walk that might yet seem ominous given what he had been subjected to should have by rights killed him several times over already.<br><br>He reached out with his right hand to the princess, and as he did so his magic tried to latch onto her no matter if his physical hand could or not. He would not kill her. He. WILL NOT kill her. That is a decree etched into the very fabric of his being. Yet he would take from her because she owed a blood debt, and he was the collection agent.<br><br>"Princess." His voice was soft, a whisper in her ear no matter the wind or noise. "You have a chance yet. Turn away from this selfish path. Live up to your title and put your kingdom before your selfishness."<br><br>he was battered, barely able to stand, yet if he could just latch onto herâ¦<br><br>Kinetic magic was aimed to try pushing her into his grasp even as Marrik tried to rip life from her to keep from falling apart himself. The zombies lay still. The banshee had ceased howling. It was just him trying to grab a girl child by the scruff and pitch her down the mountain with her crew.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What is this girl screeching about? A hero? Wanting to ask 'it' about something? What 'it'? "What the slag are you babbling about, fleshy?" Blurr demands. "There's nothing in that cave but a bunch of hallucinogens. You want to get high or something?" He's not going to let the Union lose more territory to the Confederates.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The relentless whirlwind attack hits him in the legs, causing him to stumble, as new cracks appear in his armor. But he's not about to give up just yet. Whatever she wants, it can't be up to any good. So as the princess flings herself at the cave entrance, and tries to get past a 30-foot-tall mechanoid, Blurr punches a boulder on located just above it, causing it to become dislodged and fall down toward the spinning girl and her hammer. Even if it doesn't hit her, it will at least keep her from getting inside.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The boulder doesn't hit her, but it does land perfectly so that as she moves toward the entrance in one of her swings she smacks right into it, flattening herself against it for a few moments before she stumbles back. "No! There aren't hallucinogens! There are magic pools that can see into the future! I want to ask who my hero is!" she whines plaintively. "And you meanies won't let me!" <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sarra huffs at Marrik. "You sound just like mom and dad!" she whines before...eep! Grabbed! "Hey! Get your filthy hands off me-EEEEEEE!!" And she is pitched down the mountain. Or at least a short distance back out of the cave. She lands on her rear with an 'oomph', then huffs again. "Stop that! Why won't you let me see who my hero is?!" she whines. All the destruction and life-ending explosions seem to mean nothing to her. Well, she -did- seem a bit upset to hear that she actually might have killed people, But, she sees that as Marrik's fault, not hers. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; If this were another situation, she might just leave at this point. But, to her, this is a chance to get life-long happiness. Who cares if there is a necromancer and a giant robot and a huge boulder in your way? As she sits there in the snow, Sarra reaches to rummage in her purse again. And this time she pulls out...a flower? Yep. A cute little flower that is flashing with red and yellow color. She hees, then just holds it up, and it poofs into a set of magic sparkles that flow over her, changing her dress from solid red to red with flame-themed accents. Then, still sitting, she just starts hurling burning flames at both Marrik and Blurr. "You can't stop the fires of love!" she exclaims, her expression just a biiiit crazy/obsessed at this point. <br> <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:'''<br>"Child," He leaned heavily on his staff as if it was the only thing holding him upright. "I am not keeping you from your delusions. I keep you safe." He tried to step forward, to reach out again but everything was all grainy around the edges. His magic wouldn't come, and with his next step he actually pitched forward. For him the fight was over. He wasn't getting back up til someone carries him off.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:'''<br>"Child," Marrik leaned heavily on his staff as if it was the only thing holding him upright. "I am not keeping you from your delusions. I keep you safe." He tried to step forward, to reach out again but everything was all grainy around the edges. His magic wouldn't come, and with his next step he actually pitched forward. For him the fight was over. He wasn't getting back up til someone carries him off.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"So, you want to ask a pool of liquid about the future." Blurr shakes his head. "Sorry fleshy, but that's not going to work out very well, trust me. I don't know if you've noticed, but inanimate objects don't talk." Wow, this girl has completely lost her bolts. Blurr twists and jumps, dodging some of the fireballs but he still gets singed by quite a few of them. It doesn't help that the crack in his back has been leaking for quite a while now, so he's lost quite a bit of energon.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then Marrik is out, flopping down onto the snow. Okay, that does it. This little princess needed to get gone now. Taking advantage of his superior size, he crouches down and attempts to do the same thing Marrik just did--that is, pick her up and throw her down the mountainside. Only he's several times larger than Marrik. If this doesn't convince her to give up this delusional dream of hers, then he may have to take this to another level, which he's really hoping he -won't- have to do...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:446|Sarracenia (446)}} has posed:'''<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Being gigantic has its advantages. Big ones. Like being able to just pick a relatively normal person up and chuck them down a mountain. "It's -magic-, you thick-headed bucket of scraps!" Sarra says as Blurr keeps calling her crazy. Not that she isn't, mind you, just not in this case. She is all ready to fire more fireballs when...grabbed again! What is it with these handsy guys?! "Take your hands off me, you ruffi-AAAAAAAAAAAAH!!" <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The princess's sentence is cut off by her being thrown through the air. Without her tanuki suit, she looks more than little worried. And the screaming is another indicator of her fear of death and falling from a great height. And with her hammer down at the bottom of the mountain by now, her mind is reeling searching for options. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Luck intervenes in this case. In the form of Sarra crashing right into her already wrecked ship, smashing through one side, and then appearing through a hole already present in the other. And...she seems to have passed out on a large plank of wood. She flat on her face as the board starts down the mountain, yet somehow her arms and legs are inside the vehicle. Her dress is dragging, though, causing a small cloud of snow behind her as she unconsciously starts her run. Much like Professor Farnsworth, she zigs and zags between obstacles, avoiding collisions without even being conscious. Her board even ramps off a large snowbank, backflips through the air with her still on it, then lands with her still on it. When her plank finally reaches the bottom and comes to a stop...she is miraculously still alive and without any further scratches on her. And if one could see her face, she would look rather serene. Just a cute, innocent princess taking a nap on her snowboard. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; With the day lost, the pirahna plant crew gather up what they can, including their princess, who they carry above their heads still on her plank, and head toward the nearest warp gate at a brisk march. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; One can practically see the ZZZZZZzzzzz from Princess Sarracenia.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:'''<br>Sparks, having managed to wriggle out of Marrik's coat just in time to watch the princess go skydiving right into a snowboarding black diamond run while unconscious dutifully holds up a '10' scorecard before dropping it and Landing on Marrik. "Hey farmboy!" She rapped a tiny fist on his skull. "Sleeping in the snow is bad for your health, go take a coma inside where it's warm!" She joked, but really she's only seen him magic himself to exhaustion once and that wasn't pretty either. While waiting for help she sat on his chest and gave am exasperated sigh.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Blurr watches Sarra go careening down the mountainside with satisfaction. She seems to have landed a great stroke of luck with that piece of wood, but in his mind there was enough snow out there to keep her from dying from the fall anyway. Besides, he hadn't chucked her that hard. Hopefully she'll have learned a lesson.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now as for Marrik, his body starts to fold down on itself, and after a few seconds he's no longer standing but has transformed into a high-tech hover speeder. The doors open. "Get him inside if you can." he tells Sparks. If she can't, then he'll use his holomatter avatar to help out.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:541|Marrik (541)}} has posed:'''<br>This is a six inch tall pixie giving an incredulous look at Blurr. "Carry him?" She gestured at Marrik and mimed foot tapping as she hovered just over his prone body. "He's a hundred times my size! That's like me asking him to pick /YOU/ up."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:492|Blurr (492)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Okay, okay." Blurr chuckles. This is the Multiverse, after all. Sometimes there are people who are much stronger than they look! Anyway, a teen-aged looking human kid seems to materialize next to Marrik, and he hauls the prone necromancer into the seat, and waits for Sparks to get in as well if she'd care to. And then off they go.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Zoom zoom zoom! Faster than the speed of sound back toward Njorun.<br> <br>
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