RP:What Day Do Lions Eat People? Chewsday!

Part of the Do You Believe In Magic? Arc

Summary: Mathollak's been looking for clues, interviewing citizens, but most of them are as clueless as he is, until an old guy mentions a cave system that people seem to vanish into. So Blut and Math investigate, and find a different reason for the disappearances...a giant dire lion! They battle it but get an early edge and manage to survive with Mathollak nearly dying. They search the cave for magelike stuff, but find most of the evidence of humans is exceedingly old, no chance of being what they search for. Oh well.

The Dancing Destrier

Mathollak had been searching for the kidnappers for some time, and had all but given up. Another job he couldn't complete, eating and drinking was getting harder. He'd run up a tab at the Dancing Destrier, it was mainly out of sympathy for his cause, but the townspeople were losing hope as well. He sensed it. He'd been sating his thirst with the best they had to offer, but not anymore. "Beer," he said to the bartender. It was given to him with a scowl and the warning that they expected his tab to be paid in full soon. Mathollak scowled back and drank it before they could change their minds. Thi might be his last free drink if he didn't accomplish anything soon.

Blut entered the bar a illusionary face attached to look like a regular adventurer as walked over to the tavern bar "just a whisky glass got my own drink" he told as the bartender left to given him the glass. Blut opened his journal revealing various conversations with the people of Xalious he opened a map with a dotted line showing where his latest lead sent him. The barkeeper returned as he gave Blut the cup. Blut looked to his right as he saw Mathollak as he poured himself a cup of rather expensive whisky "hey you know anything about this area there supposed to be kidnappers round here you tell me what you know and I might even give you the rest of the bottle Sage forest royal whisky." Blut motioned at the bottle "we got a deal?" He asked in a bewitching voice.

Mathollak looked at Blut's bottle enviously as he downed his beer. The bartender shot Blut a dirty look for letting this guy get off easy, but could do nothing. "Of course, but I haven't found much. Everybody here is clueless. But what I've been told is that at the same time as these guild members disappearing, so too have a strange woman named 'Khitti', and a dragon that she appeared to have connections with. They must be connected." Mathollak held his hand out for the bottle, truly his information was worthless, but that was what he knew. After a moment, an older man spoke up. "I've lived here a long time," he began. "If the victims are still living, and the kidnappers are still hiding, they'll be in one of the caves in the mountain. They've been used for all sorts of unsavory purposes over the years..." Finally someone worth talking to, Mathollak rises out of his chair and prepares to leave. As a follower of Delisha, money was something that came much slower than it went, and he always found himself needing more. He was desperate to follow even the tiniest lead.

Blut smiled at the old man as he got up and showed him the "do you belive that you could tell me which of these mountain caves they may be hideing in." The old man took Bluts quill as he pointed out a specific cave "This one" the old man claims Blut smiled as he downed his whisky in one shot rubbing his lips and handing the man the bottle of whisky "you seem like someone who would appreciate the taste of this." Blut looked at Mathollak as he prepares to leave "don't you have to pay for that" Blut motions at the beer that was guzzled "you know people aren't going to take well to someone who doesn't pay their due so how about a new deal you help me find these kidnappers and I'll pay your tab." Blut offered as he extended his hand "how do you like the sound of that."

Mathollak hardly cared when people who couldn't help him thought little of him. Bartenders though, he liked having on his side. He glanced over at the bartender who's attitude seemed ready to change his heart. This was an especially good deal since he already expected to find the kidnappers. "How can I say no to that?" He says with a wide toothy smile, and he shook Blut's hand. "Do you know how to get to the cave he alluded to?" They could talk while they walked.

Blut showed Mathollak the map and the various caves he highlighted for inspection the cave the old man circled was around the area. Blut took off his illusionary face as the darkness of his hood covered his steel mask. He pointed at some tracks as he crouched to inspect them they were fresh couldn't have been made less than a hour ago. "Tracks say 6 people passed this way some fell and one spat up blood they should be this way" Blut pointed in a direction which lead to the caves "old man said should be the third on on the east axies of the mountain." Blut looked at Mathollak "So big guy what can you do you just a meat head or you got some brains to back me up any skills you can use to flush these guys out."

Mathollak looked at the map, but found none of these landmarks familiar, so he let Blut lead the way. "I can do something...but who knows what will come for us." Around his neck was a totem to his god Delisha, and it had several tiny inscriptions on it. He could hardly understand the language, but he knew the words from practicing. "I'll need a sacrifice..." He scanned the landscape for a target. He seemed to spot one and sauntered off. "Have a fire ready for me when I return." It was maybe an hour that passed when he drew his dark spear from his back and embarked on his hunt. He came back with a dead dog, stray most likely. Maybe feral. His forearm was red with blood and led a path all the way back to the camp. He skewered the dog using his spear like a spit and held it over the fire as he read from his totem. A peculiar wind blew towards the cave, and he warned. "Make sure not to smell any of this smoke. You aren't ready." He had woven a curse from his sacrifice, anyone who smelled the smoke from the fire and his sacrifice would find themselves overcome with a ravenous hunger, an insatiable appetite. They wouldn't be able to resist leaving their hiding place to indulge themselves.

Blut slapped his mask "so your one of them" Blut moaned as he covered his face with his cloaks as he sat a fair distance away from the fire priming his crossbow takeing aim at the cave. "Welp whats going to happen you gonna summon a demon you gonna transform." Blut asked in a almost mocking tone before turning agressive at the realisation at what could happen " you know when need the kidnaped mages to be alive right!" He asked in a stern manner "seriously it would help if you let me know what you were doing."

Mathollak grinned and his eyes seemed darkened. "I'm summoning whatever lives in that cave." He continued his rhythmic chanting and his voice seemed to become ethereal, echoing into parallel worlds inhabited by only monsters or mad-men. Or so he thought. There was a deep rumbling from within the cave. The shifting of rock gave way to a deep growl and eventually an enormous white lion emerged from the cave. Its ancient eyes were blinded with white cataracts, probably a testament to the creatures age, or maybe due to it's many years spent in utter darkness. Now it relied on its other senses to find prey. Smell was the strongest. That's what brought it here. Mathollak's breath quickened in fear of this enemy. He was 6ft tall, and this lion was possibly twice that height from ground to shoulder. If it stood on its hind legs...? Gargantuan. "If this is the creature that kidnapped the others, I have a feeling there's not much left of them. Or us." Hastily, Mathollak tore his darkspear from the charred pooch and backed away slowly, ready to defend himself if he had to. The lion will go for the cooked dog first, eating every last bit of it.

Blut sighed as he quickly held his breath and dashed to the dog as the creature charged towards them quickly takeing out a vile of a horride green liquid of lethel venom as he emptied the contents onto the dog before backing away. Blut breathed heavely as he got out of range of the smoke as he looked at Mathollak "your a idiot you know that" Blut spat as he swiped his fingers to change the scent of the pair as he whispered "the things blind so its probably searching for us through scent don't move a muscle you smell just like a lemon tree right now if you don't move it may not hear you." Blut dashed up the mountainside completly silently due to him casting a muffle spell on himself searching for the best position to snipe the beast with his chaos crossbow.

Mathollak did smell like a lemon tree. How interesting. thought this was a spectacular turn of events, Mathollak made the meat impossible to resist, and Blut poisoned it. The ancient dire lion scarfed the pooch in one bite, and the poison as well. The lion could taste the wrongness of the dog, but couldn't do anything to stop eating it. Mathollak grinned again and readied his spear. The poison wouldn't kill it right away, but the creature was definitely doomed. It stalked closer to him, remembering the last time it smelled something edible. A lemon tree is what it smelled now, but it had to be sure. It inhaled deep through it's nostrils a mere inches away from Mathollak. Mathollak dumbly listened to Blut, because he thought otherwise he would be certainly doomed. At this point he was probably a distraction for Blut while he made his escape. Clever bastard. Should've been the other way around. Mathollak closed his eyes and prayed, and the giant white lion stuck out its hot wet tongue and pushed it tentatively toward Mathollak. The deathknight meanwhile, silently gripped his spear with both hands and readied himself. With all his might, Mathollak leaned down and pulled the spear head upward under the giant's great mandibles and through the roof of its mouth. Realizing its error, the creature slapped Mathollak down the street tumbling head over heels spinning like an unwanted ragdoll. With the insanity granted through pain and poisoned meat and insatiable hunger, the creature thrashed about the mountain, crushing stone and boulder alike. It had a new nemesis now, a lemon tree, and it crushed its way through boulders until it found the one Blut perched on. But still it couldn't open its mouth, even to roar. Blut should probably attempt to escape the tornado of destruction this lion became, it's possible they might be able to wait for the poison to kill it before it kills them. Mathollak lied motionless 100 yards away.

Blut smiled as he sniffed the air before swiping his fingers removeing the boon he placed on the pair now just completly removeing his scent as he leaped from his perch his muffle spell still in effect as he sent a scent clone a copy of blut that whilst his cannot be touched seen or heard could definently be smelled. He took aim of the lion stupidly chaseing after a man who wasn't even there. The bolts crackled with magic as he fired the bolt at the beast it streamed and crackled with red lighting with the intent to pierce straight through the beast and destroy its vital organs. He quickly primed another and fired it at the beasts calfs if the first shot somehow missed the second shot would definently land to imobalise the beasts back right leg. He destroyed his clone as he sent a illusionary raven to fly further and when it reached 5 meters it would expload createing a loud yelling of a man along with a faint scent of blood. Blut casually walked away with no scent and no sound for it to follow there was no way for the beast to track Blut. Now where's that idot doesn't he know lions can't eat fruit or trees so why in hells name did he attack it. Blut thought spitfully as he tried to find the unconcious Mathollak.

Mathollak was dreaming of better times, but tiny bits of rubble fell on his face, and the earth trembled beneath him. The beast wasn't dead yet. He leaned up and found several ribs to be broken or cracked, and he coughed blood. Punctured lung, he knew. One prayer he memorized, he clutched his divine totem and prayed for relief. It was granted to him, and though his wounds weren't healed, he would find the pain much more manageable. The lion slowed down, but neither of the arrows had killed it yet. It groaned and stomped, dragging its deadened leg. Bitterly, Mathollak limped past Blut, focusing on the palm of his hand where pure malice congealed. It took the form of a black ash-filled smoke that swirled in his hands while bloody sparks coursed throughout. His chanting got louder until he forced the curse through his hands and into the giant lion. It wouldn't injure the creature further, but ensured that every step would feel as if it was onto a thousand serrated daggers, that the wind flayed flesh to bone. Once the creature finally died, it would be grateful. Mathollak limped toward the wasted titan and found its breath shallow. Mercilessly, he tugged on his spear while the lion screeched in pain. He yanks it out with no small effort, and pulls from a satchel an ebony goblet with writing on it similar to that of his neck-bound charm. He drips the blood off the spear and into the goblet, which doesn't get filled strangely. The blood seems to vanish into it as if the cup itself was thirsty.

Blut shook his head as he offered Mathollak a small red vile "unless your a vampire I advise you drink this dragon bloods supposed to have miraculous healing qualitys aslong as you take it in short quantaties your costing me a fortune giveing this to you. I expect this to be paid back unless you want me to leave you to die of blood loss and a punctured rib" Blut waited for his response as he looked at the corpse of the fallen titan "tsk I gave that old man my best whisky for this looks like he sent us to the wrong cave." Blut turned back to Mathollak "so you willing to be in my debt for healing or you just want to die here your choice" Blut just sat on a rock to let the adrenneline wear off and to catch his breath.

Mathollak knew he probably wouldn't make it back to town alive, so he agreed. "Fine, I'm in your debt." He took the dragon's blood from him and took a small sip. Amazingly, his body started reversing itself to the time before it was completely mangled. The snaps of his bones implied there should have been great pain involved, but he couldn't feel it. Delisha's boon prevented the agony completely. At intervals he took more sips until he felt as good as new. He gave the empty vial back. He stared at the giant lion greedily, which parts of it would fetch the most money? Its meat? Surely a delicacy. Its hide was big enough for a giant to wear, or to be the carpet in a great manor. The skull should be a great trophy...if he didn't puncture it with his spear. He knew little about dire creatures such as this, but what he did know, was that they were rare. He would finally be paid.

Blut sighed as he saw Mathollaks face light up "the only thing valuable about that thing is the bones and they will get you 35 gold at most. Now come on lets see if that cave actually has anyone in there" Blut waved towards the cave the beast exited cloaking himself before entering.

Mathollak said nothing to the contrary of Blut. Letting him believe that only meant he wouldn't have to divide the spoils. "That thing nearly caved in the entire tunnel, you still want to investigate for signs of kidnapped mages?" Mathollak followed if only to humor Blut. The cave system wasn't exactly stable anymore, and ever so often rubble would shift and threaten to cave in the tunnel on top of them. But they pressed on. Mathollak lit up a torch, the sun went down while they were in the cave searching, but it wouldn't reach this far down anyway. Eventually they stumbled upon a pile of bones, rusted helmets, cuirasses, various weapons. Decades old, he guessed by the permeation of rust. He guessed that this creature was even older than he imagined, that the spots on his hide where fur wouldn't grow wasn't due to age, it was where scar tissue grew over the hair follicles. This great beast in its prime must've been the target of a great many brave adventurers. "If your mages are here, they're certainly dead." He kicked through the bones looking for anything of value.

Blut shook his head "the damn hermit lead us to a dead end" Blut picked up a few of the rusty daggers and weapons "They were never here in the first place" he sighed as he took out a flask "well if the lack of water indicates anything is that they are not on the east side and these chains show there were kidnappings done in this cave but years before the mages." Blut steped out of the cave and into the darkness where he almost seemed to disapear due to his cloak camoflaging them he threw 5 gold coins at Mathollak "this should cover your tab now speak your name".

Mathollak caught the coins and jangled them. "Aye it should, thanks. Not much needed now however." On the ground in addition to the other things, was the money carried on all the people who died there. He scraped them off the ground, putting off Blut's demand as long as he felt like. He tried on various helmets and pieces of armor, opting to keep a few that were in decent condition. In a moment he emerged from the cave as well, possessing a greatsword that still had a decent edge on one side. He knew there was no way to keep the giant cat from rotting, the meat was poisoned, and it would take hours to skin the hide off of it. So he lifted the great sword over his head and slammed it into the creature's neck. Its hide was thick and durable, a shame it was going to waste. But the head was his and he stuffed the dripping thing into a bag. "Mathollak," he said at last. "Who're you?"

Blut smiled behind his mask "my name is Blut now remember the debt you owe me for I will come to collect it at anytime at any day so you best be prepared" with that final warning he exploaded into a murder of crows as they flew away into the distance Blut disappearing along with them.

Mathollak darkened his eyes with his brow and said, "Yeah, yeah. See ya later." The phantom assassin's words sounded vaguely threatening, and they did urge Mathollak to be prepared for something. He wasn't about to let that get to him however, he'd won a worthy purse of gold today and had new arrangements to make. He thought about making crow-hunting into a new hobby. He could afford to buy a crossbow now, at least.