WHO: derrica, matthias, nell WHAT: dragging a demon out of a pond WHEN: cloudreach WHERE: some backwoods marcher village NOTES: no warnings, this is a wholesome adventure.
"Do you see anything?" Nell asks at roughly the same volume.
She remains still except for a subtle shift of her grip on her staff, lifting the tip of the bottom blade up out of the dirt where she had been leaning on it. She confirms Matthias and Derrica's positions with a glance, then returns to searching the forest around them for the source of that rumbling they can feel if not hear.
"It's either beneath us or it's far off and huge." Neither is great.
Matthias had crouched down lakeside to scoop up a handful of water to drink. He lets the handful go now, as a second vibration sets off another series of ripples across the surface of the lake. Hand still wet, he grabs for his staff, but remains crouched, looking around them. There's nothing yet to be seen except Derrica and Nell, and the stillness of the forest around them.
Shit. But not a miserable shit, more like an under-the-breath shit that you mutter as you get ready for a fight.
"If it's huge, we get higher, we'll be able to see it."
If it's beneath them--and he thinks of the caves beneath the lake, back in the Frostbacks, demons in the coves and crannies--that one will be harder.
"You should go up the tree," Derrica tells him. She's less familiar with Nell's magic, but she knows Matthias is likely to be throwing fire from a distance anyway.
With a second quick look to Nell, Derrica continues her cautious move forward. The ground is soft beneath her feet. At a glance, she can't see any sign of life, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. She makes it all the way to the edge of the lake, crouching to watching the ripples send water lapping at the toes of her boots, when there's a sharp crack of energy that blows a shower of chilly droplets over her and sends her scrambling gracelessly backwards.
She doesn't get a good look at it. Whatever comes through the surface registers as a large, dark, distinctly inhuman shape.
It's not as big as it could be. That's the bright side here, apparently.
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She remains still except for a subtle shift of her grip on her staff, lifting the tip of the bottom blade up out of the dirt where she had been leaning on it. She confirms Matthias and Derrica's positions with a glance, then returns to searching the forest around them for the source of that rumbling they can feel if not hear.
"It's either beneath us or it's far off and huge." Neither is great.
no subject
Shit. But not a miserable shit, more like an under-the-breath shit that you mutter as you get ready for a fight.
"If it's huge, we get higher, we'll be able to see it."
If it's beneath them--and he thinks of the caves beneath the lake, back in the Frostbacks, demons in the coves and crannies--that one will be harder.
no subject
With a second quick look to Nell, Derrica continues her cautious move forward. The ground is soft beneath her feet. At a glance, she can't see any sign of life, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. She makes it all the way to the edge of the lake, crouching to watching the ripples send water lapping at the toes of her boots, when there's a sharp crack of energy that blows a shower of chilly droplets over her and sends her scrambling gracelessly backwards.
She doesn't get a good look at it. Whatever comes through the surface registers as a large, dark, distinctly inhuman shape.
It's not as big as it could be. That's the bright side here, apparently.
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She spins her staff gamely, habit rather than flourish, re-setting her grip and rolling her neck until it cracks before she squares up.
"I know Matthias is fire, any chance you're good with ice, Derrica? Could slow it down, give me something to smack it with while it's out there."