[PQ+] Lucky charm

Maea

And I only needed one more touch
Another taste of devouring rush

The blood coating her talons felt vile against the skin. As the serpent snapped at her tail feathether she was jogged off balance; but that worked well enough as the void creature had shifted its attention away from the Torcher.

Mimicking a stupid yet effective move she had seen Edmund do, Maea dropped down on the Shadow Serpent and shifted in mid air. Feathers became fur, talons turned to claws and what had started a reasonably light bird ended up as the massive bulk of a molten tiger. Hopefully on top of the snake. Hopefully with claws out and stripes punishing any attempt at coiling around her with some serious burns.

---

Maea shifts into a Molten Tiger in mid air and hopes to squash the snake from above.

But the room was so quiet
Whose side am I on?

Base by Skylark, Art by Midjourney

With the serpent momentarily off balance from the mist - though that was already fading - Hadama took the opportunity to pull his Startide Trident from his back. He strode forward with grim determination and leveled the weapon at the Shadow Serpent, letting loose a blast of starlight-infused seawater from the glimmering tines. Unfortunately the creature was twisting to react to Thalassa in that moment and the attack skimmed harmlessly past it.

No one would deny Thalassa's courage after she went toe-to-toe with the giant, void-infused snake. It was just her bad luck that the coiling monster didn't have toes, and while she was bold she wasn't strong enough to wrestle a snake that was longer than she was. Its lashing tail evaded her grasp, but her dagger successfully parried the thrashing appendage so she wasn't injured by it.

It might not have been the most elegant of attacks, but Maea could report to Edmund that it was effective. She landed on the serpent's back with crushing force and it shrieked in pain. Its thrashing redoubled and it lashed out indiscriminately with fangs and muscular coils as it struggled to wriggle free from her mighty paws.

And in so doing it struck its original victim before the man could reach safety. It was a blow that carried with it the unsettling crunch of broken bones, drawing a gurgling cry of agony from the man as he collapsed beneath the serpent's weight.

---

Hadama uses his Trident and misses!
Thalassa also misses, but successfully parries!
Maea hits!
The serpent gets a critical hit against its original victim!

Hadama 200/200
Maea 144/144
Thalassa 15/15
Juvenile Rock Slider 10/100

Oh, you say you have to fall apart to really be someone

Predatory satisfaction rose up like a tidal wave, and for a second the thrashing agony of the snake made her feel good. A dark, cruel kind of good, that savored any instant where something else was taking the blame for her shitty mood - until a screaming, crunching sound reminded her of the first victim of the attack.

It was sheer luck that she hadn't landed on the worker instead, and his agony turned the glee into ashes in her mouth. The tiger tumbled away from the serpent, shifted and became a small, blood-stained woman who staggered and stumbled towards the fallen man. Biting down hard on her own arm, Maea drew on the power in her blood and poured it into him, even as she began to haul him away from the battle.

Someone else could finish off the dying animal. Her hands were full with the effort of trying to save another life.

---

Maea shifts back to herself. She uses Bloodboon, injuring herself for basic damage/upgraded healing, and tries to heal the injured man.

Magic: Bloodboon | Can injure themselves for mastered damage heal themselves or others at 1.5x their mastered level with a range of 30ft.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered

Type: Grey | Style: Defensive | Level: Basic
Valair Armour | A beautiful black dress lined with crimson, stronger by far than it appears. This item blocks physical damage. Can be used 1x per thread.

Base by Odd

Thalassa

You could do anything,
if you only dared.

As the Shadow Serpent literally slipped through her fingers, she growled in frustration. The force of the returned attack had her stumbling, but she found her balance in time to watch Maea crush the thing beneath her massive paws. It didn't spare the poor man from being pummeled with obvious discrimination.

While Maea went to aid him, Thal leapt forward to finish off the creature. She used the dagger in her hand to stab towards its head, aiming for a weak point. Hopefully, if she missed, Hadama would be able to pick up her slack. It would make the work harder if more people got injured.

---

Thalassa attacks the Shadow Serpent with her dagger.

And deep down, you know it too.
That’s what scares you most.

As his citizen crumpled beneath the serpent's coils, Hadama's jaw tightened. Between Maea and the fallen Torcher he still didn't dare to use his most powerful attacks for fear of hitting them as well. Instead he stepped forward, closing the last of the distance between himself and the voidsnake to slam his trident down on the serpent's body, pinning it to the rocky ground and preventing it from slithering after anyone else.

Maea didn't need to go far to reach the fallen man, at least. His condition was not good, and if Hadama hadn't Healed him once already he wouldn't have survived the second hit. As it was he was badly injured, and might not have survived his wounds if the Ancient hadn't used magic to heal the worst of his new injuries. Her magic rushed into him, roughly knitting together the internal damage and external lacerations to stabilize him even as she pulled him out of the battlefield to safety.

In the end it was Thalassa who dealt the killing blow, her dagger sinking between two scales that had been damaged by Maea's talons and into the corrupted brain beneath. The snake twisted and writhed in a final paroxysm, but Hadama's trident held it firmly in place until it finally lay still. The Captain would feel a sense of unease rising in her from the serpent's blood, but it would fade quickly once she was able to clean it off her skin.

Exhaling a slow, deep breath the King put a foot on the beast and pulled his trident free with a quiet grunt of effort. "Is anyone else injured?" he called out, already moving to join Maea and offer the fallen man a vial of Fountain water from the Court of Stars to augment the healing already begun by the Ancient. "If not, collect your sacks and return to the ship." They surely had enough material by now for the repairs. It was time to leave Apopo before anything else attacked!

---

The shadow serpent is dead! If you need help, gather around Hadama. If not, finish grabbing any rocks that you dropped on the way to the fight and get ready to head back to Kaiholo!

Thalassa

You could do anything,
if you only dared.

The blade sunk cleanly into the Shadow Serpent's brain, giving her a clear satisfaction that surprisingly vanished in unsettling discomfort. Its purple tainted blood felt like oil on her skin and she quickly moved to unsuccessfully wipe it away. As it lingered, she shook her head, attempting to clear the unease while she gathered her discarded dagger.

Thal took in the status of the surrounding people, supporting others back to the ship with an outward display of annoyance for the inconvenience. Once they were safely aboard, she dipped her dagger and arms in the ocean to cleanse them of the Void filth before walking up the gangplank to wait on deck for the last stragglers to board.

---

Thalassa helps others back to the ship and cleans off the Shadow Serpent blood.

And deep down, you know it too.
That’s what scares you most.

Oh, you say you have to fall apart to really be someone

It was something she had always dreamed of. Being able to heal, having the skill and power to save lives and take away their pain. Lacking that and knowing that she didn't have the disposition to become a nurse, Maea had chosen a different route for herself. With knowledge and weapon proficiency, surely there had to be other ways to help the Ones the cared about. At least she could prevent them from getting hurt in the first place, right?

But as it turned out, both approaches were flawed. Here, now, hunched over a badly injured person she didn't even know the name of, it seemed like a fever dream had turned into stark reality. The blood on her hands came with a dreadful unease and there was no satisfaction in knowing that nothing could have prevented these injuries. The self-inflicted wound cast the whole scene in a red-tinted haze of throbbing pain, that only eased when she made it wose; it was so much harder the second time, and in the end she resorted to pressing her arm against the razor sharp blade of her own weapon to heal herself.

Only then, as Hadama came to help his subject, did she take the time to look up. The snake was dead, and she spotted Thalassa with black blood staining her hands. Pride over the young woman flared up within; sudden and unexpected. Nodding at the captain with a sharp grin, she murmured a "Well done," as she passed her to collect the rocks she had dropped.

It was a relief to get back on the ship. Maea remained quiet for the duration of the trip, but unlike before it was a contemplative silence, as she explored the possibilities this new gift offered. Purpose... ever something she sought and craved. She just never expected it to be this.

---

Maea uses Bloodboon again to heal herself. Gathering up the rocks she dropped, she gets back to the ship.

Base by Odd

Hadama helped the man who had been the focus of so much danger and near-death to his feet as the remaining Torchers clustered around, looking around uneasily. At the King's orders they wasted no time in grabbing the volcanic rocks they'd collected and hurrying back to the ship that waited. The sea was choppy so near to the volcano, but the small group boarded in record time and soon were on their way back.

"Thank you," he murmured to Thalassa, who he had seen helping others to board after slaying the serpent. He rested a broad hand briefly on her shoulder in gratitude before moving on to check on others.

"Are you well?" was his question to Maea when he came upon the pale Ancient, concern evident in his eyes. He would leave her to her quiet contemplations once he was reassured that she was unhurt.

The trip back was aided by helpful currents and steady winds and they made good time back to the Port. As they unloaded their sacks of fresh Apopo stone near the Fountain, Hadama considered their next step.

"Those good at puzzles," he rumbled, "sort the rubble of the original fountain. Determine how much can be reassembled." He gestured for the larger stones they had brought to be put to the left, where those rebuilding the fountain could hopefully find new stones of the right shape and size to fill any holes from missing pieces. A large diagram of the original was provided as a reference. "Those who are not, please break the smaller stones down to make cement with." Hammers were provided for the second group where most of the townsfolk gathered and Hadama strode towards it to lend his own strength to the rockbreakers, who would turn the smaller rocks to grit and gravel that could be mixed into a sticky slurry that would be used to rebuild the rubble into a fountain once more.

---

Upon returning to Kaiholo Port its time to put the broken pieces of the fountain back together! There are large pieces and small ones. The general shape of the fountain is still visible but the broken pieces are all mixed together! How good are your jigsaw puzzle skills?

Oh, you say you have to fall apart to really be someone

"Hm? Oh, yes. Just got a lot on my mind, is all," was the only answer Hadama would get from Maea. Whether that truly reassured him or not, she remained quiet throughout the journey and simply did as she was told.

Then came a choice between mending the broken pieces of the fountain, or breaking what stones they had collected, and the symbolism in that was so over the top and in her face that the salt-haired ancient nearly broke out in hysterical laughter. It was just a choice between two equally important tasks, but it felt far more poignant than that. How many times did that make it, now?
Fine then. If it was a sign, let's see how well she really was suited to mending things.

Choosing to join the group that attempted to reassemble what could be salvaged of the original fountain, she soon found herself engulfed in the simple yet complex task of fitting pieces of stone together. Patience she had plenty of, but did she have the sight for it? Time would tell.

---

Maea joins the group attempting to reassemble pieces of the fountain.

Base by Odd

Thalassa

You could do anything,
if you only dared.

Although she was tempted to brush his hand off her shoulder, Thal restrained herself with a curt nod of acknowledgement. He was just trying to be kind, even if it was grating to hear that he'd seen her actions as something compassionate. She only helped to keep the project moving. It wasn't like she actually cared about these people.

The trip back to Kaiholo Port was swift enough that she didn't have time to do more than shut her eyes for a minute, letting the lull of the waves ease the adrenaline from her body. By the time they docked again, she was completely relaxed once more, ready to perform their next task.

When Hadama presented the options, she wanted to laugh aloud. It wasn't even a choice. She couldn't sit still for longer than a few minutes. The idea of staring at the same rocks over and over made her want to scream. No, she definitely preferred the brutal act of obliterating stones.

Grabbing a hammer, Thal strutted over to the demolition crew with a cocky grin.

---

Thalassa chooses to ignore the ancient puzzle in favor of destroying their smaller rocks.

And deep down, you know it too.
That’s what scares you most.

For Maea, the task of mending first began with sorting. Several Torchers joined her, helping to lay out the old pieces of the fountain in what they thought was the general outline, but there were several large pieces that were proving difficult to place. No matter what direction they were turned or where they were placed on the foundations of the original fountain they just didn't seem to click together. If they could just get the base sorted out they'd be able to more easily fill in the smaller pieces, but for the moment the configuration eluded them.

Thalassa wasn't having much better luck. She was good at cracking rocks, it turned out, but she was having trouble getting enough force behind her blows to properly crush them. Her progress was slow compared to several of the other helpers, who were breaking their own piles of rocks down to dust with gusto. They worked on cloths of heavy canvas so that the finished grit and dust could be gathered up and dumped into nearby buckets, but Thalassa's bucket was nearly empty after the first round of destruction.

Hadama fared better on Team Crush. Heavy muscles bunched and flexed as he swung his hammer with calm confidence. His blows weren't fast but they were steady and they were precise. Rocks and stones of various volcanic origins were quickly reduced to a fine powder beneath his rhythm.

---

Maea ran into some roadblocks with the puzzle pieces. She can try Strength to try and force some of the pieces into position, Dexterity to finesse them, or Luck to try and grab random pieces and see if they fit together!

Thalassa isn't strong enough to crush rocks with a single blow! She can try Dexterity to hit the rocks in just the right place, Endurance to repeatedly hit them until they crumble, or Luck to try and grab more fragile rocks.

Hadama is making good progress and can either keep on smashing or switch tasks!

Thalassa

You could do anything,
if you only dared.

Frustration oozed from every pore on her body as she watched the workers around her advance at a much faster rate. She may not be strong, but she was determined. And stubborn.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, she adjusted her stance. With a set crease in her brow, she began to swing her hammer at a blinding pace, using speed and momentum in an attempt to compensate for her weakness and close the gap in progress. She would be damned if she couldn't do at least as much as the weakest worker here (even if that might be her).

---

Thalassa uses her dexterity to make up for her lacking strength.

And deep down, you know it too.
That’s what scares you most.

Oh, you say you have to fall apart to really be someone

At some point the Loreseeker looked up from the increasingly more frustrating puzzle only to notice how time was dragging on. Taking a step back to get a fresh perspective, she raked her hair back around her horns before addressing those who worked with her.  

"Listen, it's never going to look exactly the same as before anyway. What if we just do it like this, and then fill in the gaps here and here with new material - " Drawing a diagram on the ground, she pointed to the base and explained with gesticulating arms how they might proceed.

---

Maea chooses to use Dexterity to finagle the pieces into working for the repairs.

Base by Odd

It seemed like the rock breaking crew had things well in hand, so Hadama set his hammer aside and went to check on the group puzzling together the remains of the original fountain. He knelt in the rubble that was being sorted out into various sections and attempted to set pieces together, but he just couldn't seem to get the hang of assembling ones that belonged together. Although he was patient and his serene expression never wavered, he also wasn't making much progress.

Maea, however, had hit upon a winning strategy. Perhaps the original pieces were just too damaged or chipped to fit back together perfectly, but her suggestion allowed the team to begin making progress. Slowly but surely the base of the fountain began to take shape; not perfect and certainly not seamlessly, but very close to the original design. Soon the basin was nearly sorted out and all they needed was the cement...

Which Thalassa was doing an excellent job on making the raw material for. Momentum helped to compensate for her lack of raw strength, and even if it took several strikes with her hammer she was soon turning the smaller rocks that they'd collected into a fine dust. Soon her bucket was nearly full, and when she looked around she would see that she wasn't the first one done, but she definitely wasn't the last!

Giving up for the moment and leaving the puzzle to those with more agile minds and fingers, Hadama rose to survey their progress and nodded in satisfaction. "Well done," he rumbled to both teams. "We have enough to make the cement with now. And we can begin assembling the fountain with it." He moved back to the the crew with the rocks, nodding respectfully to Thalassa as he helped to build a fire beneath a large cauldron. He oversaw the addition of water to it and then motioned for the rock dust to be mixed in.

---

The fountain is starting to take shape! Now we need to bring the teams back together:

1. mix up the cement (Str or End)
2. use it to mortar the broken pieces back together (Dex)
3. Keep the fire burning steadily with magic or fresh wood (End)