715/Enter The Draken

Enter The Draken
Date of Scene:	02 October 2014
Location:	The Frigid Reaches
Synopsis:	Mantigora strikes a survey camp to get a taste of the sort of opposition she's going to be dealing with now.
Cast of Characters:	307, 337, 513, 583

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Mantigora (583) has posed:
The Deepfrost Survey camp sat at the foot of one of the many multiversal glaciers that composes the Frigid Reachs, searching for signs of ruins or other potential discoveries buried beneath them. Typically the extreme cold conditions and obscurity kept trouble away, so the researchers had gone about their business as they did every other day.

Until one of the workers abruptly slumped over his workstation, gashes torn down his back from seemingly nowhere. What little security the operation managed turned at the screaming and raises their guns, but as they fired the assailant bolted backwards and was.. gone. Disappeared into thin air.

One of the guards hit alarms to warn the other crews of trouble, while the other lifted his radio to his mouth. "Mayday, mayday! This is Deepfrost Survey Camp Eta-Beta in the Frigid Reachs. We are under attack by an unknown force. Please, someone respond! I repeat, we are under attaaAAARGH!" His call is cut off into a shriek then gurgling as claw-like blades slice across his throat. The other guard turns just fast enough to see the alien, almost demonic looking woman just before she plants a heavy booted kick into his midsection to knock him away.

Allyn (307) has posed:
It's cold here! Well, at least for those not prepared for such conditions. That's what long and thick fur is for though, so since he decided to go hunting in the colder parts of the world Allyn stalks the glaciers in his snow leopard form. It was hunting he was after though, seeing as he sometimes finds game here.

His ears perk though on the top of his head when he hears alarms a little ways off, but they are still rather clear, something is going on, someone or something is in trouble it seems and well, he isn't too far off. He abandons his plans for a nice, quiet hunt and runs off, heading towards where the sounds of the alarm are coming from.

Luna (337) has posed:
     Within moments of the call going out, a majestic form bursts through a nearby warp gate. A winged unicorn colored like a moonlit night with flowing shining blue mane and tail. She pauses just inside the region, then her horn glows and a thick scarf and legwarmers appear on her body to help combat the cold. Then, with a single powerful flap of her wings, she is off toward the camp.

     When she lands and bursts into the work area, her eyes widen at the carnage. "By the stars...why have you done this?!" she exclaims, turning toward the demonic woman, her horn crackling with energy. But, rather than attack right away, her magic permeates the area, trying to save those injured who can be saved. "I am Luna, mistress of the night. And if you do not leave, I will have to show you the power of one who controls the stars of an entire sky." She does not look happy, this four-legged alicorn.

Finna (513) has posed:
    Finna, on the other hand, heard the call for help and decided to go rushing off and investigate. She tears across the frozen ground in her Snow Fox form, dashing so quickly that she all but flies across snow and ice as a ghost, leaving only very faint and odd-looking tracks. Silvery light flickers every time her paws touch down though, showing how she is using a bit of magic to speed her travel to several times what SHOULD be possible in these conditions - or at all, really.

    She arrives at the camp's fringes, already smelling blood on the wind... and it makes her slow down and approahc more stealthily, slinking around to try and figure out the place's layout and just where, exactly, the hullaballoo is coming from.

Mantigora (583) has posed:
While not often bothered out here there are protocols in place for this sort of occurance. As everyone else scatters one of the researchers grabs a case from under a workstation and turns to run with it, trying to get to one of the ice crawler vehicles.

Head snaps in his direction though, and the tails of her longcoat briefly flare behind her as powerful leaps launch the alien woman in pursuit. She hits him like a meteor, sending the man crashing to the snow and ice and the case flying from his hands. It hits the ground and pops open, spilling a couple of data drives out and more storage devices visible within. He rolls over onto his back, only to get a foot down on his chest as she crouchs over him. "Hmph. This isn't even a challenge..." She draws back her right arm, and a *shngKLIK* rings out as a trio of claw-like blades extends from the back of her arm.

But before she can strike someone shouts at her and she looks up in the direction of the voice. Only to raise one spiked brow at the sight. "What, this?" She stands up, kicking the guy off the side with a push of her foot as she does so. "I'm a bounty hunter. It's what people pay me to do." Slitted eyes shift in the direction of the dropped case. "Whatever -you- may be, creature, I suggest you mind your own business."

Almost faster than the eyes can follow she spins on her heels, tail lashing to keep her balance as she lunges to grab up the case and slap it shut, not bothering with the other devices that fell out.

The healing pulse of magic at least relieves the pains of the wounded. Fortunately this 'bounty hunter' was more focuses on her find and only left most of them wounded to bleed out.

Luna (337) has posed:
     Luna lets out a rather equine snort of anger at Mantigora's words. "Bounty hunter. No wonder I have heard such disdain used with the name. People who will sell the lives and livelihoods of others for their own profit are contemptable. But, whatever your reason, this outpost is doing research to be shared with all of the Multiverse. Whoever it is that wants to keep it for themselves will be disappointed."

     As Mantigora makes a run for it, Luna spreads her wings and takes off again. And as she does, the weather kicks up. Winds swirl about and snow and fog start to obscure the area, making dashing through a difficult task without risking faceplanting after missing a snowbank or rock. With her air superiority, Luna flies above the cloud of fog and snow and swirling wind, which is no more than 10 feet tall, allowing her to see down into it. When she spots Mantigora again, she fires a trapping spell, designed to hold and levitate a target so that it cannot move.

Finna (513) has posed:
    The fox rounds a bend, coming around the Ice Crawlers and spots the familiar form of not-her-Luna doing battle with... at best, she can guess Mantigora is some kind of demon, honestly. Blargh, not fun!

    So Finna silently cheers Luna on while glancing about. There's wounded folk here and there, some worse off than others... but her attention falls most on the strange case that mantigora seemingly came here to retrieve. If a so-called 'bounty hunter' is after it, then it must be quite valuable. Valuable enough that someone doesn't mind if blood is spilled to retrieve it.

    And it's in the hands of someone who's apparently quite skilled.

    CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

    Finna dashes across the snow. The little fox picks up great speed and comes in sideswiping for mantigora's catch. With a leap, she attempts to wrench the catch free at hyperspeed and replace it with a large clump of ice that's been crudely fashioned into the shape of the case. The old 'swap it out!' trick.

    Except for Mantigora's vision, if this trick works? The lump of ice looks very much like she'd expect the case to look. Which might not quite be what it actually looks like. And if that works? Finna's seen dashing off towards an Ice Crawler's underside with a large lump of ice clutched in her jaws.

    But if she DOESN'T get away, well, it's gonna be something of a struggle with jaws latched onto Mantigora's catch and tugging!

Allyn (307) has posed:
After arriving in the camp, the snow leopard sniffs around for a short bit, his ears swiveling to try to pinpoint the location of the trouble. Once he has heard things and certain of where to go, he stalks over towards that direction to find a vantage point to observe.

It doesn't take too much observation to know that something bad is going on. That is quite clear, though he does watch the flying horse for a few moments when he notices her. "Guess I should go help as well, though might need something larger." the leopard growls and then shifts forms, becoming a much larger sabertooth cat.

Unable to stay unnoticed due to his larger size, he lets out a roar of challenge and leaps from his spot to land nearby. "You will not get past."

Mantigora (583) has posed:
Abrupt winds whip up snow and ice across the encampment as the alicorn takes to the air, surely enough to throw someone off their balance. An average someone, at least. Someone that didn't have the benefit of nanotech augmented reflexes, or experience in such harsh conditions. Half her homeworld is a frozen wasteland due to constantly facing away from it's sun. Interestingly enough the alien woman actually drops down onto all fours to keep her traction stable as she reachs to snatch the case.

And gets a chunk of ice instead. The switch off worked, but her sharp senses realize the thing is not the thing she intended it to be almost immeadiately, and with a snarl she crushes the ice between her fingers. "You think a little trickery is going to stop Mantigora Vertibraeker, reknown bounty hunter of the Dominion Empire?!" Because we needed to get that name-drop and exposition out there while we're at it.

But before she can give pursuit to the fox? a cat-like creature (looks like a Pumera with extra fuzz to her) jumps into the fray with a challenge, and the winged equin-thing uses magic to lift her off the ground. It's like those damn Aurin espers, always fighting with magic and their minds instead of ... bah! No time to get distracted with internal dialogues.

"Like a bunch of squabbling cubs. You have no idea what you have dared to cross." Her eyes flash briefly, followed by a flicker of some sort across her form. And then from her spot suspending in Luna's magic there's a faintly audible crackle as a pulse of energy radiates out from her at her foes from a disruptive burst given off by the nanotechnology incorperated in her body and armor.

Luna (337) has posed:
     Luna notices Finna dart through, but only notices. The quick fox is easily obscured in the snow and ice and fog. She isn't sure if Finna is here to help, since she doesn't know it is Finna, but she is glad that Mantigora Vertibreaker is having trouble now.

     When that shockwave goes out, Luna is pushed off balance for a few moments, which causes her to drop her spell and Mantigora falls back to the ground. But, it takes only a moment to regain her balance in the air, and when she does, a bolt of lightning lances down from the clouds above. It isn't too powerful. Just a warning shot, really. "And you have no idea who you face. You will not escape with that case."

Luna (337) has posed:
     Of course, then there is that big snowcat. Luna is unsure until he speaks up, then she smirks. "You seem to be surrounded."

Finna (513) has posed:
    The quick white fox hops atop the ice crawler! Or... well, more like scrambles up atop it. And by the time Finna's reached the top of it, she's now in human form. Looking down on the battlefield with a wild grin for all to see, dressed as a tribal huntress of some sort... and, despite all appearances, not bothered WHATSOEVER by the extreme cold. She's not exactly bundled up, though the thick outfit does suggest cold climates in mind...

    Crouching with her legs bent drastically, she dangles the case over the edge, like a fisherman might dangle a lure.

    "Oh, who ever said I'd leave it at a LITTLE?" The foxgirl giggles playfully, but there's something feral in her entire manner. She's on edge and on guard.

    "For you to go soooo out of your way, this thing must be pretty valuable. Why, I bet it's just as valuable to the people running this place..."

    So if she defends it, she'll get a reward. And fame.

    "These people were morons, coming out here without any weapons or guards, so I guess they got what was coming to them, but I'm not obligated to let every bloodthirsty savage run around like they own the frozen wastes! If you're gonna jump around screaming might makes right... you know two can play by those rules..."

Allyn (307) has posed:
Allyn growls in pain when the force of the pulse hits him, he digs his claws into the ground though to keep himself steady. Sharp clqaws are good for that after all. He bares his teeth at Mantigora and then he looks almost looks amused, "Cubs? I don't see any cubs here, but even if we were, cubs learn fast." he tilts his head some and thinks he saw the fox, so Mantigora thinks they don't know what they have crossed? He's pretty sure she doesn't know either. "I think it is you who doesn't know what you are up against." Well he doesn't know the Alicorn, but he knows he and Finna are a fearsome duo at least.

When Luna's spell drops Mantigora to the ground, he tries to leap on top of her to pin her down before she can get back to her feet. "You really should listen to my friends here." he comments.

Mantigora (583) has posed:
Mantigora drops to the ground as the magic faulters, landing in a crouch. Hands on the icy ground find the few data drives that fell out of the case when it hit the ground before, palming them and then tucking away into the sleeves of her coat as she stands up. Eyes shift from one side to the other, taking in the three of her opponents. Not the first time she's been up against a larger number of odds, but she's not stupid. They -are- right in that she's not familiar with them, or even what they are.

But that just made things more interesting.

"Oh, it's valuable. But never said that was the -only- thing I was he--" Mantigora cuts off as her nanotech HUD flashes a warning and her augmented reflexes dive herself to the side and into a roll to avoid the bolt of lightning that comes crackling down at the alicorn's command. She rolls back up into a crouch, but that's when the snowleopard decides to pounce on her, catching her in the split-seconds before she can reorient and dodge again. Mantigora hits the icy ground on her back, the feline coming down on top of her.

And her extending her claw-blades from both arms and thrusting them up to meet his midsection. "And -you- should be more careful about trying to hunt a hunter!"

Luna (337) has posed:
     Luna is impressed that someone can -dodge- a lightning bolt. But, with the snowcat on top of the demon woman she can't use another spell on Mantigora. Since the snow and fog doesn't seem to be doing any good, Luna lets the storm drop, then flies down to land on the snow-covered ground. She gasps as Mantigora slices at Allyn, then huffs. "How can you so carelessly attempt to take someone's life!" the alicorn demands before she tries her immobilization spell again.

     Finna is pretty much out of harm's way right now, but not unnoticed. Still, when Luna saw Finna last, the shapeshifter was an approximation of a pony.

Finna (513) has posed:
    "...Hrmphfg..." Well, Luna seems to be quite into this. As is Allyn. If she doesn't support Allyn, and just lets him get hurt... that doesn't sit well with her, and it will piss him off! On the other hand, the prize for defending these people is unknown, they were kind of morons and don't deserve her help, and Mantigora seems all about business...

    Siiiiiiiigh.

    Finna vaults off the Ice Crawler, executes a few somersaults in the air and lands in a beastly position near Allyn and Luna. NEARLY on all fours, she seems ready to pouch.

    "Simple, Luna! Plenty of people out there don't consider anyone not of their own race, tribe, clan, whatever, to really be people. Kill your tribemate, it's murder. Kill a rival tribe's members and it's heroism! That kinda thing."

    It seems she's moving into combat readiness, for she reaches behind her back... and pulls out a sword. There are no pockets back there, nor is there a scabbard. So the sword seems to have just popped in out of thin air. It's of a make that resembles Viking craftsmanship, and is an excellent weapon of fine steel. Only the best of quality for Luna's Chosen!

    But there's nothing really so special about that sword otherwise. At least, not by appearance, and it has no magical aura to speak of.

    The fact it's made of FEATHERSTEEL will probably soon become apparent though.

    "So, Mantigora! Nothing personal, but I'm not gonna just let Allyn get his butt kicked alone out here!"

Allyn (307) has posed:
Hunting a hunter hmm? He can handle that he thinks anyway, but soft underbellies are rather suseptable to to sharp things being inserted into them. That's easy to fix though and he seems like he is grinning, before he shifts again, using a form both he and Finna have used in the past. He shifts becoming a large humanoid crocodilian creature, hardened plates covering his stomach.

"That's right, I am one who hunts the hunters and I suppose you can consider yourself hunted, since you don't know its not wise to wrestle a shapeshifter." he hisses out at Mantigora. True, she might still be able to stab him with those blades, but maybe it wont be quite as painful as it would be with a soft belly. He's not afraid to sacrifice his own body to take someone down after all.

The one thing that isn't reptilian about him is his tail, which is that of a scorpion and it lashes towards Mantigora to try and sting her in the side if he can find a chink in her armor. Who, him get mad? Nah, Finna must be mistaking him for someone else.

Mantigora (583) has posed:
... A creature that can turn into other creatures? Now that is something not even Mantigora has seen much, and its in the momentary pause to consider what kind of interesting prey such a beast would be to hunt is when Allyn digs the stinger into her side. Though the animalistic strike has it's own difficulty in puncturing the reinforced leather and alloys of her gear. By the time she's seperated herself from stinger armed croc her internal nanotech is already isolating the wound and prepared to purge whatever nature of poisonous it may of been.

Luna tries to trap her with magic again, making for a nice setup for the previously fox-like woman to charge her with the sword. The blow knocks her out of the entrapment and sends her skidding across the snowy occasionally blood splattered ground, until she finally tumbles back onto her feet, crouched and blades still deployed. "You should listen to your friend there. She at least has some understanding of this business." Shapeshifter. Magical horse thing. Fox woman pulling swords out of nowhere. "Oh, I can see things are going to be just as interesting here as they are on Nexus. But as tempting as it is to add a few new trophies to my wall of such.. varied opposition..."

The claws retract abruptly as she jumps away from the others, backflipping onto one of the ice vehicles without even looking behind herself to see where it was sitting. "I've gotten what I need for now." So maybe the case of data devices wasn't the only thing she was here for after all?

Before anyone can really ask farther though with a brief distortive ripple the strange horned woman quite aptly disappears from view, cloaking field slipping her out of sight as Mantigora jumps down the other side of the vehicle and sprints off into the icy wilderness.

Luna (337) has posed:
     Luna watches the demon disappear, but as one who can use such illusions herself, she just smirks to herself as a set of footprints run their way away from the area. "Yes! Your rear kicked!" she calls after Mantigora before she looks toward Finna and Allyn. "I am not sure we have met before, although you..." She points a forehoof at Finna. "..knew my name. But, whether we have met or not, thank you both for your help." she says, offering a smile to the pair of shapeshifters.

     Luna looks back toward the camp before returning her gaze to Allyn and Finna. "I should attend to the wounded. Please, let me have your names so I may give you your due credit in the report to the Union."

Finna (513) has posed:
    "...Hmh! Well... she's pretty mercenary about everything!" Apparently Finna doesn't bear Mantigora any animosity whatsoever, but she's quite puzzled by how easily she gave up on this valuable(???) haul. Did Finna miss something? Blink blink.

    "... Pft." Though she snorts and starts giggling at Luna's sense of humor. "Finna. What, you don't recognize me?" The foxgirl sticks her tongue out at Luna. "Not surprised... thoug I AM surprised to see you out here. I thought Equestri was unbelievably peaceful compared to most worlds..."

Allyn (307) has posed:
Allyn didn't walk out of the encounter unscathed though, he's bleeding a little from where the blades did manage to stick him, even if they aren't too deep, but once the bounty hunter has fled he doesn't pursue, besides her scent tells him she's retreating. He shifts back into his dire wolf form, which is usual for him and he tilts his head at Luna.

He pads over towards Finna and wags his tail a little at her, and then turns back towards the Alicorn. "I'm Allyn, pleased to meet you." he ponders for a few moment, "You seem to be nicer than the last talking equine I came across."

Luna (337) has posed:
     Luna blinks in surprise as Finna reveals her identity. "Oh! Forgive me. I did not recognize you as a human." she says, smiling. She nods at Finna's comment about Equestria. "Equestria is a peaceful place, but it was not always so. It was only thanks to hard work and a difficult battle that we were able to tame the chaos of our world. Granted...it probably wasn't as bad even then as some worlds are. There were no wars or murderous ponies, to my knowledge. Of course, death to wildlife and monstrous creatures was always a danger."

     Luna blinks again as Allyn speaks up. "I find it hard to imagine you met a mean pony." she says, then notices the blood. "Ah! You are injured!" Without even asking, she spreads her wings and her horn glows. An image of the moon appears between her wings before healing light bathes Allyn, attempting to heal his wound.

Mantigora (583) has posed:
Once it was clear the trio wasn't pursuing her Mantigora slowed to her usual gait, flickering back into the visible spectrum as she disengaged the cloaking field. No need to run her nano-suit out of charge when she wasn't being followed. As she approached another flat portion of the area the icy ground cracked apart and churned up into a small ring of frozen rubble as a tubular vehicle with a large drill for the front pushed up through the surface. One of the hatches swung open and out tumbles a rotund little creature resembling a portly three foot tall hamster with a big bushy moustache. "Well, well? Get anything good? Maybe kill something? Don't have any new multiverse bodies to disect yet!"

"This wasn't a killing job. Sadly." Mantigora just snorted as she slipped the couple of drives she did get and tossed them to Skuzzler haphazardly. "Here, see if there's actually anything interesting on those." That would keep the science obsessed Chua busy for the trip at least. Then she grabbed the hatch of the drilldozer and swung herself into the podlike craft.

"Bah! Just means more to eviscerate later..." Skuzzler shook one of the devices at the side of his head, squinting at it. "There not even access pad on this! No quartet of blinking colored lights to hit to find code. Stupid lack of obviously stupid locking mechanism noted!" Shoving the devices into his tool belt he scrambled back into the craft as well, and in moments it spun back down into the ground, leaving the gap to collapse in after it.

Finna (513) has posed:
    Finna reaches down to scritch Allyn behind the ears merrily! "Hah... well, that makes some sense... you wouldn't like Creation at all, I'm afraid, but..." Finna just shrugs a bit... and blinks, given reason to slightly pull away andlet Luna tend to him!

Allyn (307) has posed:
Allyn blinks as he gets healed and he bows his head to Luna, "I appreciate it, thank you." he says as he feels better from the healing. Hey, he doesn't have Finna's healing abilities, so.."Well, she looked like a pony, but I suppose she could have been another shapeshifter." the wolf gives a shrug, "That was a strange creature we encountered, well guess we'll have to keep our ears perked, see if anything else happens." once he's done being healed though he glances around,