Nuruth Tialle
Shi Tialle
It took Sereth a moment to fight past the shock factor and realise that the wolf-riding goblin was talking like a diplomat. A diplomat. On a fangwolf. Which meant that, presumably, the fangwolves were their culture's version of horses, and that thought nearly sent him tumbling back into shock before he caught himself, sealed that portion of his mind away and refocused on the issue at hand. They had diplomats to deal with. He didn't need to glance back to know that one of the members of his troop had disappeared off: they were going to need to form an escort, fast. Fortunately, the reserves were always around for a reason.
"Sereth." He answered the goblin simply, "Third of the name, in dedication to the Third Throne."
The reserves arrived, Keneb glowering at Sereth and his squad before his eyes landed on the wolf-riding goblins and he grudgingly took up position on either side of the gates. Sereth almost grinned at the sight, before he composed himself and gestured into the city. A realisation struck him, that he was the spear-tip of diplomacy, before he pushed it aside and spoke:
"And we shall take you to the High Councillor now. Would you like stabling for your...mounts? We can have them fed and watered, if they are tame enough to go without your supervision..."
Mount Kel'urithier
Shi Tialle
"Y'know, I ain't a fan of these rat-people."
"Really." Illinis replied over the sound of Nearid's pig-sticker scraping along the side of the tunnel.
Nearid glowered up at the elf.
"We've fought - what? - twelve of the bastards now?" She continued, "But we ain't run into any real knots of the bastards, y'get me?"
"I understand."
"And I was thinkin', why ain't we run into them yet?"
"I'm certain you will illuminate me as to our fortune."
"I reckon the bastards are preparing something nasty." Nearid decided, "I bet we're gonna have our ears around someone's neck before dawn."
"Dawn and dusk are irrelevant down here." Illinis pointed out. Nearid ignored her.
"So I was thinkin' we could-"
Her crossbow snapped up without warning and a bolt shot across the darkness to thud into a body. A shrill scream rang out, before a body dropped to the floor and chittering voices began to echo down the tunnel. The scritch-scratch of claws of stone joined it a moment later, an indeterminate distance away but closing rapidly. Both sappers scrambled away from the noises, Illinis loosing a second bolt down the corridor before stowing it away and drawing her shield. Nearid already had hers out, spitting to one side as she broke out into a half-jog back down the tunnels, then a full-on sprint as the noises behind her continued to gain.
"A wyvvern?" She called over her shoulder to Illinis, barely a step behind her.
"Not in this environment." The elf replied, "We can't get the range."
"Of course." Nearid growled, "We ain't got the distance to drop it, do we?"
As if in reply, a boiling wavefront of shadows emerged out of the darkness behind them, chittering and scrabbling madly as it surged towards the two Tialle.
"I'm not going to bet on it." Illinis decided.
Nearid sighed to herself.
"Thundercloud it is, then."
"I'll throw."
Before Nearid could say anything, Illinis had twisted, grabbed one of the clay spheres at her waist and thrown it into the seething darkness gaining on them. Following through with her own momentum, she clasped her hands over her ears and crouched down all the while screaming warnings. If the tide of rat-men behind them noticed anything odd in that, they made no indication of it before the clay sphere stuck the floor in front of them and detonated with a blinding flash of light and a deafening thunderclap. Even prepared as they were, the two sappers still blacked out for a moment, awakening with their ears ringing endlessly. Standing on shaking legs, they turned to regard the now-stilled tide of ratfolk.
Closer to the thundercloud when it had gone off and unprepared for the munition, they had been far worse hit. Some of them were even bleeding from their ears, rivulets of filthy crimson as they tried to claw their way along the floor. The squeaking and chittering had risen to nearly-hysterical levels, even through the tinnitus, and all of the ratfolk were dazed and confused. Even so, the two sappers could see the clarity returning to the eyes of one or two as they slowly brought themselves to their feet. Glancing at each other, they stepped forwards and began to their grim work.
The first to go were the ones regaining their senses: blades driven into their bodies quickly, efficiently, before moving on to the next-clearest one. It was simple, mechanical work: butchery more than a battle. One or two ratmen realised the danger they were in and managed to survive a moment or two, but none had the time to recover fully from the thundercloud. A very Tialle weapon, Illinis noted when the work was done: it brought everybody down to the same playing field, which was just how she liked it. Finding the most impressive-looking ratman she brought her sword down on its neck, severing its head. Bending down, she picked it up and close the eyes before hurling it down the tunnel, into darkness.
"For our Lady, who sits on the Third Throne." She intoned.
"May you ever guide us, you cunnin' bitch." Nearid added, "Speaking of, we better pull back to Jerkull."
"For what reason?" Illinis asked, "We have dealt with this threat-"
"Yeah, but don'tcha think this might be a nice little-"
The explosion reverberated down the tunnel, shaking dust loose from the ceiling and sending the two sappers curling on instinct.
"-pincer..." Nearid finished slowly.
Illinis had already brought her bow around and was nocking an arrow. Nearid followed suit, checked her munitions were still secure around her waist, then the two of them turned and sprinted dwon the tunnels, towards the ever-growing sounds of fighting.