A New Party

Lyrae

Given the situation, Lyrae was only a little disappointed with herself. While they were known for their more salacious talents, the followers of Sulundra were first and foremost healers. She should have known better than to judge a book by it's cover. As she watched the 'demon' move and interact with her cellmates, she could now see the nervous twitches and old scars the creature had. Konra was likely correct about her being a tiefling and with such a fiendish appearance, her life could not have been an easy one. She'd give herself a pass this time, as she'd been kidnapped and tied up. A condition that was now being rectified; not by a demon, but by a frightened girl.

She felt the ropes the tiefling was working on loosen, and the whip-like tail moved to her other side. Having now some idea of what she was working with, she kept her movements slow and deliberate so as not to startle the girl. She worked her wrist free of the slackened cords and reached carefully up to her face; pulling the rags from her mouth. She met the red girls eye and said, "Thank you."

The girl averted her gaze and only squeaked in reply. Yes, she was not used to people being civil.

"All right!" The half-elf, Tirni cheered quietly. "Please tell me you're a wizard who can melt chains and blow the doors off this place."

"No such luck, I'm afraid."Lyrae replied. "My name is Lyrae, cleric of Sulundra. I have a few spells that might help, but without a symbol to focus them through. They are not forthcoming." She looked to the tiefling, who'd finished Lyrae's other hand and slipped quickly back toward the window. "Will you share your name?" Slow and polite.

The girl looked taken aback. "I...I... It... Guh-Gehenna..."

Lyrae turned her eyes away from the nearly cowering tiefling. "I'd say it was a pleasure to meet you all, but under the circumstances..."

"Yeah, it's really not." Konra put in. "Your story the same as ours? Went to sleep in Underhill, woke up here?"

"Yeah, that tracks." answered Tirni.

"Sounds correct." replied Lyrae.

They all looked to Gehenna who gave only a terrified nod in reply.

"Well, I have no idea how were going to get out of here." Konra went on. This box seems solid, and these chains aren't budging."

"We'll have to go through the door." Tirni said. "And I might have a few ideas about that if i can get out of these things. Or at the very least off of this wall."

"Let me have a look." Said Lyrae. "See what we have." She made her way to the two larger women, who parted as much as they seemed able to let her examine their bonds. "There is a padlock for each of you, attached to rings set in a beam. Konra's seems to be also securing the chain connecting her wrist and collar. Tirni's is just pinning her to the wall. The cuffs and collars don't have locks. They're not going to come off easy."

"I can take care of the locks if I can get a tool and get my hands near them." Tirni said, twisting as best she could, and not succeeding in either. "I can't reach anything at the moment though."

"I can..." Gehenna began, only to cringe when the others turned to look at her. "Uh, Ah-I can make d-drops of acid. It's wuh-weak. It probably wouldn't hurt the metal. But it might damage the wood a little."

"Good idea, Gehenna." Lyrae said encouragingly. "The wood might be the weak link here."

"Doesn't feel like it." said Konra, flexing her arms.

"There's is actually a spell the Lady grants me that would dry rot the wood if I had a focus." sighed Lyrae. "There's too much iron around the door, but it would definitely get you two off that wall."

"What do you need?" asked Konra.

"A symbol of my faith." replied Lyrae. "A likeness of the goddess or her emblem. It wouldn't need to be fancy. The one I had was polished wood but I've seen... seen..." Lyrae trailed off.

"You've seen?" Tirni pressed.

"Seen them much simpler." Lyrae looked around their prison for a moment, her eyes finally dropping to herself, or more accurately he shift. Bunching it up on her hip, she tore a swatch off the already ragged garment. "I've got an idea." She brought a finger to her mouth and bit down hard, causing blood to well up. Then she brought her wounded finger to the cloth and started drawing.

Tirni

"You sure that won't eat through these cuffs?" Tirni had been listening to the acid sizzle on the wood behind her as Gehenna worked.

The tiefling paused. Keeping her eyes downcast, she intoned the brief spell again, this time flicking the acid drops on the cuff binding Tirni's left wrist. There was a small hiss and acrid fumes burned the half-elf's nose. "It m-might, but it would t-take days."

"Bleh... And it stinks and you might burn me. Got it." Tirni wrinkled her nose. "Do you know any other spells that might help us get out of here?"

"I know a s-spell that lets me run fast." replied Gehenna. "One that keeps me warm when it's cold and one that protects me like armor. B-but muh-my spell book is gone. Once I cast them they will be gone too."

"So you're a wizard then." Konra put in. "What about the one you're doing now? You're not losing that one?"

"it's a simple spell." Gehenna replied. "N-not m-much magic. I can also mend things, make a bright flash, move small things, and do... little magic effects."

Tirni's ears perked. "That flash might come in handy. I think there's only one way we're getting out that door, and that's..." She was interrupted by a gentle rush of air.

The captives' eyes turned to Lyrae whose own eyes briefly luminesced as she opened them. "Success." She said. "Sulundra has answered my prayers. Pardon me, Gehenna." The halfling brushed past the tiefling, who had scrambled out of the way.

Tirni listened as the cleric, who'd pushed her way between the larger captives whispered softly. Then, she heard a low creaking from the beam behind her.

Lyrae stepped back, disentangling herself from the other two. "I hope that works. Try to get loose."

Tirni jerked forward, trying to separate herself from the wall, and she came up short, exactly as before. She was about to sarcastically voice her opinion, when with a crunch and a metallic ping, Konra stepped forward and free of the wall, a long bolt now dangling from her wrists, still pined behind her back.

"Pfft, showoff." Tirni tried again, then again, the third tug seeming to elicit some small progress. "Ugh, little help?"

Konra smirked,, but stepped over to the still trapped half-elf. "Uh, how do we want to do this." she mused, flexing her arms. Finally she turned, crouching and fumbling with the chain on Tirni's hips.

"Easy there, soldier!" Tirni teased. "Plenty of time for that later."

"How'd you... Never mind." Konra finally got a firm grip on Tirni's bonds. "Okay, on three. One... two... three!"

With the larger woman's help, the weakened wood hardly gave them a pause. Tirni shot forward colliding with Konra's back. She stepped back, examining her new situation, and finding her arms still tightly locked to her body. "Well, better." She said. Still not great, but much, much better."

Gehenna

The bars on the window would not budge. The door wouldn't move and all the walls felt solid. She was trapped on here, and, it seemed, entirely dependent on here fellow captives to get out. Either that, or screwed. Gehenna was cognizant to be quiet as she moved around the box. The others kept their voices hushed as well. It would do no good drawing any attention. Finally, she lowered herself to the floor. The half-elf, Tirni she said her name was, said she had a plan to get out, and Gehenna was keen to hear it.

"So what's this grand plan to open the door?" Konra was flexing her shoulders, failing to break her arms free.

"Won't even be an issue." Tirni assured. She was looking out one of the windows. "But we have to have a plan on what to do once it's open. Where to go. We have to run, obviously, but it's pitch-ass dark out there. And whoever has us, won't just let us go."

"I c-can sun-see-" Gehenna stammered and swallowed. "I can see in the dark."

"So you're set." Tirni rolled her eyes. "What about the rest of us?"

"Can you lead us, Gehenna?". Konra asked, somewhat less sarcastically.

"Maybe." Gehenna mumbled, "but it will slow us down. And they'll be chuh-chasing us."

"I can cast a spell that should let one of you see in the dark as well." Put in Lyrae. "That still leaves two of us."

"All right then." Replied Konra. "Gehenna, do you think you can carry Lyrae? Then she can cast her spell on me, and I'll carry Tirni."

"Gonna be tricky with both our hands tied." Tirni pointed out.

"I'll make it work." Said Konra. "Gehenna?"

Gehenna turned, looking terrified, but finally nodded.

"Good." Said Konra. "So we have our plan. If we can get out the door." She turned to Tirni. "So how are you going to open it?"

"Oh, I'm not." Tirni sighed. "I could get it if I had my tools." She flexed her fingers up by her chin. "At the very least, I'd need to be out of these chains, but that's not happening. So the only way that door is opening is from the outside."

"Right." Konra looked unconvinced. "And who's gonna do that?"

"Who do you think?" Tirni said. "The guys out there. The slavers or whatever. We're going to create an emergency so they rush over here and open the door. Then she," Tirni gestured to Gehenna, "is going to do that flare trick she mentioned,and you," she indicated Konra, "are going bull rush them, bowling over as many as you can. And we run into the trees. With any luck, we lose them in the dark."

"An without any luck?" Said Konra with a frown.

"Then we're tied up and stuck in a box." Said Tirni flatly.

"Point taken." said Lyrae. "How are we going to get their attention?"

"Simplest part." said Tirni. "If these are slavers, they'll want to protect their merchandise. If not, well we're alive for some other reason. Either way, if we start screaming that the monster girl is eating the halfling, I bet they'll come running."

"Muh-muh-monster girl?" stammered Gehenna, finally looking up.

Konra

"I hate this plan." Muttered Konra.

"Got a better one?" said Tirni in her ear.

"No." sighed Konra. She stood opposite the door in their prison, with Tirni on her back. Her bound hands gripped the chain around the half-elf's waist, while her passenger's fingers curled over Konra's muscular shoulders, with her her legs gripping her mount's hips. Not perfect, but it would do for now.

'Just remember, when the door opens, rush through it as hard and fast as you can." Tirni said. "My extra weight will help clear the way. Then turn right and make for the trees. Short stack says you'll be able to see so..."

"Lyrae." Lyrae pressed. She was off to the side on Gehenna's back. "My name is Lyrae."

Tirni sighed. "Yeah, okay... Lyrae. You guys follow us out. We try to stay together. We see any light, we turn the other way. Get away first; then we'll worry about finding our way to a town."

Konra took a deep breath. "Okay, we'd better go soon. Your plan counts on it being dark and most of them being asleep, and we have no idea what time it is." She flexed her shoulders. "Being tied up is gonna to make this exciting." Konra deadpanned.

"Tell me." agreed Tirni. "Okay then, we start screaming and... Lyrae cast her dark vision spell. Lyrae, try to sound like you're dying. And Ruh... Gehenna, try to sound scary. When the door opens, use that flash spell, and we're off."

"On my mark then." Konra said. She paused to center herself. "And, Go!"

Gehenna had apparently been ready, because at Konra's word, she let loose a truly terrifying howl, legitimately startling her companions.

Lyrae followed just a beat behind. "What are you?! Augh! Stop! Stop!" Then she reached forward, her had clutching her bloody focus, and touched Konra with a slightly golden finger.

Konra's vision seemed to flash for and instant, but nothing seemed immediately different. The she noticed the box seemed sharper; even the dark corners. And a glance out the window revealed details she hadn't seen before. "Think it worked." She hissed. Then she heard commotion outside. "Think that worked too." Then louder, "Hey. Hey! You're going to kill her!"

"Here they come. Get ready." Tirni whispered before screaming bloody murder; politely turning away from Konra's ear.

"Close your eyes whimpered Gehenna, before letting loose a growl and hiss to keep the charade going. She seemed surprisingly good at being scary.

They continued on; screaming, yelling and occasionally kicking a wall. It was only a moment before a harsh male voice yelled back. "What the Hells is going on in there?" He sounded close. A fact confirmed by the bolt, make the bolts; they heard several, being thrown and the door swinging open.

At Gehenna's suggestion, Konra had her eyes tightly shut. even so, she saw the flash through them. When she heard cursing, she opened them and rushed forward, aiming for the door. She had pondered for a moment about asking Lyrae to straighten her inadequate clothing, but upon hearing the plan, decided against it. Her boob, she thought, might make a decent distraction. But it made no difference to the dazzled trio at the door. Lowering a shoulder, Konra piled into the man in the doorway. The impact lifted him off his feet and, as he was standing on a small step, launched him through the air. He collided with the two dazed men behind him. taking all three to the ground.

Gehenna had followed them out and had taken off like a shot, for the tree line, Lyrae clinging to her back.

"Go! Go! Go!" Tirni shouted in her ear. not at all being polite this time.

Konra turned, locating the rapidly retreating tiefling. and did exactly as she was told.