The Game is Afoot

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Tired as Jex was, when the basilisks came, he knew he needed to fight harder or perish. He was glad his father had trained him well. Being a dark elf was great in the dark, but his father had trained him to fight blindfolded as well. Jex closed his eyes and waited for the charging basilisk. When it was almost too close, he jumped out of the way, claymore arcing outward at the beast. He felt the tug of the blade as it connected with his target. Using all of his might, he twisted the blade and pushed harder before pulling it out. Luck was with him with that strike, as the mighty claymore had pierced the beast right at the base of its skull, turning the inside of its head to mush. Jex hoped that the other two would be as lucky as he had been.
No sooner had he thought about Jewel, he turned to her and saw a roc swooping toward her. He dropped the claymore, drew his dagger and pounced on it, just as it was about to strike Jewel. He jabbed the blade into its eye socket, dropped and rolled away. It crashed into the ground and writhed in pain as it tried to remove the dark elf's dagger. Jex wasted no time in retrieving his sword, and went back to goblin bashing. It seemed that he had dug deep enough and had gotten his second wind, though how long it would last was yet to be seen.
 
Der had nothing to be concerned of from the basilisks stone gaze. These were his woods, and so long as he was in them, he commanded everything in them. A quick flick of a bladed hair destroyed the basilisk. In the single moment of calm he had, Der saw his opening and leapt to the closest tree he could find and barked an echoing call that reverberated throughout the entire area.

Vine, branches, bushes and grass reached out and took captives of every one of the summoned beasts. Within moments, each of them had the life strangled out of them. Each of them evaporated as a vapor into the sky. Der watched as they mingled together.

He looked over at the other two, both still alive. "It is not over. A greater foe will come. We must wait for his arrival, and end his false life."
 
Still under the veil of invisibility, Jewel flickered in and out of view for a few moments and patted Jex on the shoulder, murmuring her thanks for the assist.

“You fight well Jex, a worth companion to aid in my book.”

She then turned her gaze on Der, motioning to her now filthy clothing, and in a voice that still held a trace of worn humor spoke out loud.

“You owe me one new outfit from a fine tailor and a good bath when this is done furball”

She then blew him a kiss and returned to thin air to await the next foe.
 
After the last wave, Jex caught his breath. Never had he fought so much at one time in his life. He was covered head to toe in gore, but his spirits were still high. He actually felt good after all that had just happened. "So what exactly is coming next, if you don't mind me asking," he asked Der. He hoped the response wouldn't terrify him too much.
 
Der smirked as much as a canine was able to in response to his old friend. Jex's question, however, changed his demeanor to a very serious one. "I could not say for certain, master dark elf. But, I can promise you that you will not enjoy the experience. The curse knows full well what sort of foe it has in me. If you have need to prepare anything, I suggest you do it now, and make short work of the process."
 
“If what ever comes is too great for you to handle or you need to regroup yourself Jex, let me know. My veil will extend to cover others for a short time…That is if my veil works on this coming foe.”

Jewel gave a sigh of disgust and wiped her weapons on the cleanest blades of grass she could find, and then opened her mind to Der.

*Don’t sugar this up for me Der…I know we are in big trouble this time! ...Tell me what I need to do to help *
 
Jex was worried, but he couldn't let it show to his new companions. He grabbed a red vial from his belt and swalled it's bitter contents. Hopefully the merchant that sold him the healing liquid was trustworthy. He started to think that the merchant had taken his coin when his body started to feel warm and tingly. He didn't know if he was physically ready, but mentally he was ready for anything.
 
Jex wasn't sure if he'd just spent too much time as a part of a universal guardian, or if it was something else, but the thought of what was to come frightened him only because of the possibility that it could hurt Jewel. His response was as serious as it had ever been -Just keep yourself alive. Don't try to attack it, and don't waste time defending me or Jex.-

Der answered Jex, next. "It would be difficult to say. The curse that spawns these creatures learns quickly. However you were fighting before, you will have to change it to survive now." His words ended just as a deafening roar shook the trees. "It comes. Prepare yourselves."
 
Don’t waste time defending Der, that was a laugh. He knew damned well she would help defend him to her last breath, they had come so far together and neither had ever let the other one fall…and it wasn’t going to happen now! She had also sworn to help Jex which included keeping the elf alive…so this was a fight not a flight option, until or unless Der ordered her away. She would only leave the battle if he ordered her away, even then she might try to do something, to draw them both with her into the veil.

Jewel drew in a calming breath and drew on her inner strength. As she heard the roar her fingers brushed the amulet upon her throat and she murmured a prayer, and then readied her weapons. Always one to try to lighten with words she spoke out.

“Well by the sound of it, it isn’t going to be something cute and cuddly”
 
Jex shuddered at the sound of the roar. It felt like it ripped through his mind as well as his body. What in the nine hells could make a sound like that? Jex readied his claymore, relishing the weight of the two-handed sword. He had learned a few tactics from his father so many years ago, was now the time to use them? Jex thought so, and was ready to do so when the bushes at the edge of the clearing started to shake.
 
It was difficult to determine if the vegetation shook from the beast's presence or from the sound it made. But when the vibrations suddenly became far more violent, it was clear. Der was not kidding when he'd said it would require a change in tactics to defeat this opponent, and he wasted no time in doing so. The mystic wolf bounded forward and leapt through the treeline, manespikes and claws pointed forward.

Almost as soon as his body disappeared through the trees, a cry of pain sounded. Der and the beast came crashing through the trees again. It was almost a sickening sight. Der's claws were dug sharply into the back of an exact copy of himself, save that it was nearly three times the size, and its eyes were like a void of darkness. The pair rolled and Der was thrown off, tumbling back toward Jex and Jewel as he bounded to right his footing.
 
Jewel cursed under her breath. “Great, a psycho super sized look alike!”

Der said to change fighting tactics and Jewels normal fight was to go for the head or heart of the foe. This time she darted forward and swung out her sickle shaped weapon aiming for the replicas left back knee joint, in hopes of severing it or at the very least crippling one leg to slow the beast, she then darted back and waited for an opportunity to do the same to the right front knee joint.
 
Jex watched Jewel attack the creature's rear leg. It seemed like a great idea, so Jex readied his self and waited for an opportunity. Seeing the beast was more focused on Der, he ran toward the beast, making no sound as he went. He swung his mighty sword at the beast's rear right leg, catching it in the meaty flank. The sword went through like there was nothing there, the beast emitting a horrid howl that again shook not just the physical surroundings, but also reverberated in Jex's mind. It was a horrible sound, a combination of rage and hurt.

"Jewel, go for it's front legs now, try and immobilize it!" Jex yelled over the sound of the beast's wails.

He hoped that this would end quickly, but was soon dismayed when he saw the beast's leg regrowing right before his eyes. Perhaps some fire was needed?
 
It was not just the creature's legs that repaired themselves. With each strike the monster grew larger. True it was not by much, but between Der, Jewel and Jex all damaging it, there was a noticable difference.

Der growled and thought quickly. The curse fed off of other magic, which was why it had been placed on these woods so close to the Darkraven kingdom with its magical winds. "Jewel, drop your veil!"
 
She didn’t like the idea but she did as Der asked. Touching the amulet and murmuring the reverse casting her veil dropped and she scrambled back from the beast before it could take a swipe at her.


Backing away she almost stumbled into the fire pit that had kept the warm through the night and was still burning. She caught a glimce of Jex's thoughts!Sheathing one blade she grabbed a small log protruding from the fire and darted forward to shove it into the beast’s nose, a spot she knew was sensitive on any being, hoping to be rewarded with a sound of the beast's pain.
 
Jex saw Jewel phase in, almost trip over the fire then stuff a burning log up the beast's nose. How painful that must be. Jex couldn't stifle the giggle from seeing such a thing. He decided to take the opportunity to attack, but couldn't just yet. He knew very few enchantments, but there was one he knew that would help. He ran to the fire, stuck his blade in and muttered a few choice words. He pulled the blade out and the blade was glowing with flame.
 
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The fire helped. The creature was spawned by a curse of darkness, and the fire being naturally burning rather than a magical one made it dangerous to the thing. It roared as the fire was thrust at it and took a step back. Der took the opportunity to lunge at the thing. He couldn't use his mane, but he could use claws and teeth. He landed only a glancing blow. But it was enough to send the abomination back another step. That is, until it saw the magic being used on Jex's weapon.

The false monster darted for Jex, hoping to get a chance that the flaming weapon would be used on it, and thus repair the damage that had been done. Der had only time enough to shout. "Jex, no magic!"
 
It worked! Jewel had just snagged another log from the fire as she heard Der call out to Jex. The beast was distracted and aiming for Jex, so Jewel took a running start then leaped at the beast with the log and aimed for one of its glowing eyes. Thrusting the log into the eye orb she then dropped and rolled away from the beast.

She hoped that not only did the log blind one of the beast’s eyes, but also gave Jex enough time to move and reverse the spell on his sword. Gaining her footing she ran back to the fire to snatch up another log and waited for the moment to use it.

'Der! If fire works what about running water?? There is a stream about 200feet to the left of us'
 
Jex realized that the magic was drawing the beast, helping to heal it. He took his enchanted sword and took off running, hoping to draw the Der copy away from Der and Jewel. He did not have a plan, at least not yet, but he hoped it would at least buy some time.
 
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The fire in the monster's eye was enough to stop it dead in it's tracks. It roared in pain. After a few moments, it was obvious that it didn't care about the magical fire in the blade any more. Such enchanments were basic, and would do little to repair the damage that had been done. Der, on the other hand, with magic of his own as well as trace elements of the elder dragon's power still pulsing through his body, was a prize worth chasing.

Der padded around the beast carefully. He knew it was only a matter of time before the monster went solely after him. It was his powers that held the curse at bay. Even if it couldn't feed off of him, killing him would be nearly just as good.

-Excellent idea, Jewel. Be ready, though. It is contemplating a plan of attack. Unfortunately we cannot warn Jex or the beast, too, will know.-
 
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