Let the dead rest (Merc. guild job)|Raynham, Reave

[Northen Light36]

The crack of thunder startled Acqua and she couldn't help but turn towards the stairs - a possibly costly moment of distraction.

Amaro, half deafened by the thunder, shook his head to try and clear his ringing ears then sent another, more powerful bolt of lightning at the storm. He knew his injuried ankle wasn't likely to hold his weight, which left him reduced to elemental attacks unless the other storm got within arm's reach.

[Kender Bard]

Though sluggish and growing increasingly so with each passing moment, the man fighting Acqua bodily threw himself at her with all his strength.

The other Storm wasn't able to counter this one fast enough and was hit hard. He collapsed.

[Northen Light36]

Acqua yelped with surprise and a little fear as she was tackled to the ground. "Get off!" she snarled, struggling under the man's weight and kicking at him in an attempt to free herself.

Hearing Acqua's yelp, Amaro looked back down the stairs towards the crypt. "Acqua? You all right?" he called, starting to limp slowly down the stairs while leaning on the wall for support.

[Kender Bard]

The man had his weight against her legs enough that her kicking wasn't too effective. Luckily for Acqua, he didn't have much in the way of weapons on himself and instead tried to knock her out by slamming her head against the floor.

[Northen Light36]

Acqua maganged, as much through luck as anything else, to activate her storm sign and fire off a weak shock before being knocked out. The attack wasn't powerful enough to do more then sting (unless the man happened to be a water or wind), but it did give off enough light to let Amaro see his sister was in trouble.

"Get off her," he snarled, but he hesitated to throw an attack with Acqua being so close to her attacker.

[Kender Bard]

"Let me go," the man panted. "And I won't kill her. Deal?"

He either didn't know or didn't care about the fate of his companions.

[Northen Light36]

Amaro hesitated. Professional pride had him lothing the thought of letting even one target get away, but on the other hand, this was his little sister's life at stake and he wasn't in much shape for a fight. He thought quickly. "Move away from her," he said slowly. "And you can go."

If he could just get the man to stop using Acqua as a shield, he could get the man with a stunning bolt of lightning.

[Kender Bard]

The man hesitated but decided to take Amaro for his word and moved off of Acqua, getting to his feet and warily shuffling towards the exit.

[Northen Light36]

It was a mistake. As soon as he was off of Acqua, Amaro flung a blast of lightning at the man. "No one," he growled softly, "gets to hurt my little sister." For good measure he flung a second bolt of lightning at the man.

[Kender Bard]

The man jerked convulsively for a short while and then lay still.

[Northen Light36]

Amaro sighed, relieved it was over, and limped over to his sister, making sparks to light the way. He checked to make sure she was still breathing and winced in sympathy when he touched the back of her head and his hand came away bloody. "Looks like even your thick skull has limits, kid," he muttered, considering his options.

With a bad ankle, he certainly couldn't carry her up the stairs, but he wanted to get her to a healer as soon as possible. He didn't like to take risks with head injuries. "Pixie!" he called and felt the cat brush against him a moment later. "Good, can you get the rope I have in my pack? And tell me if any of that group on the stairs is moving."

~What do I look like, a dog?~ Pixie grumbled, but she did as she was told.

After tying up the Taedians, Amaro stipped off his long coat and tunic, folding the tunic into a pillow for Acqua and covering her with his coat to keep her warm. "Stay with her, Pixie, and keep her quiet if she wakes up. I'm going to go find a healer."

Though his ankle felt like it was on fire by now, Amaro gritted his teeth and made his way out of the crypt and back to Reave to seek out the city guard. They could deal with the Taedians and know where to find a healer to look after Acqua.

[Kender Bard]

One of the guards spots Amaro limping and hurries to offer him a shoulder to lean on.

The guard, a woman, asks him, "What happened man?"

[Northen Light36]

Amaro explained quickly that he's a mercenary and the job they'd been hired for. "My sister was hurt in the struggle," he told the guard. "And I couldn't carry her, not with this damn ankle. So I had to leave her there and come looking for a healer."

[Kender Bard]

"I'll send for a healer and the rest of us will fetch the fallen," the guard told Amaro. "You find somewhere to get your weight off your ankle."

[Northen Light36]

"Thank you," Amaro replied. "Is there an inn near here, perhaps?" As much as he disliked the thought of staying in Reave for the night, he thought it would probably be more comfortable for Acqua then camping. The nights were turning cold fast.