2019.02.19: The Road from Ancient Numantia

The Road from Ancient Numantia
Lleutrim, Aleksandr, Waziyata, Ryla, Dragomir, and Frost fight a pitched battle through the umbral ruins of an ancient Fianna stronghold, to reach a fading moonbridge to the Legendary Realm. (Continued from TBD: Calling Upon the Ancestor)
IC Date	February 19th, 2019 (Full Snow Moon)
Players	Lleutrim, Aleksandr, Frost, Dragomir, Ryla, and Waziyata (ST)
Location	Otherworld Reflection; Ruins of Numantia
Spheres	Gaian Garou

Moon Phase: Full Snow Moon

Finally atop the hill, the pack can see for miles in all directions, if they care to look. Below, the distraction pack continues their battle, fighting fiercely, some glancing up to shout or howl in surprise at Eye of the Storm's actions and the flight of that massive, black monster.

Before the pack, the hilltop is more or less level, barren earth with nary a blade of grass in sight. In the center of the hilltop, a mound of rocks stands, what remains of a piece of the old fortification. A passage is carved into the ground within, curving away into the blackness of the umbral hill. The renewed shrieks come from within, and the pack is just in time to see several more of the small, clawed, oil-skinned things charging up the sloping tunnel. In the darkness, their faces have two eyes set almost at random upon their otherwise sleek faces, and wide maws filled with countless razor teeth. They boil out of the ground and charge the Athro Silver Fang.

Eye of the Storm takes his position, intercepting the path between the pack and the Wyrm's threat as best as he can. The blast from Big Bertha doesn't shake him, only resulting in his snarl as he takes a firm stance and prepares for the waves approach. As banes charge towards him, he reaches out a clawed hand and summons his Crystaline Javelin and begins to a bladed flourish to start to defend himself. <<Behold -ikthya, you face the last son of Nicholas Mikhailovich.>> He is struck, but easily shrugs off the assault as he whirls to parry the next attacker.

The javelin is curled in a downward thrust, parrying the next attack brilliantly and snarls, <<Crescent Heir to Falcon's Beak, eldest of Nicholas Mikhailovich II..>> he growls, even as they close in. He turns his head, making sure the pack has their chance - holding the line till the last possible moment.

Twilight's Glimmer runs fast, runs deep, and runs right into that tunnel! She knows she is at the most risk, and may have caused some attention brought to them before, but she follows orders, yes sir! Fast she goes with the help of her ancestor stopped only by oh no! Another bane! She will keep in front of Frost, making sure the kin has cover.

Lights-the-Darkness can't run when others aren't, it's not in him. He glances at Dragomir, and then turns to clear the path to the tunnel with the others, only to find the banes. He moves to intercept Battle Signer's as the Ragabash and Frost escape, knowing that if anyone needs to make it to the realm, it's the Fianna. Bite, and then another bite, both barely causing damage, but it's enough. Stillr adiating the power fo Gaia.

Frost follows after Twilight as they duck into the tunnel, and as the bane appears in front of them she stops and lifts her rifle.

Seinneadair Blàr has rushed up the rest of the way to the hill top and the great dire wolf hesitates to look around, taking in the view quickly. A snarl escapes his maw and seeing no sign of anything that looks like a bridge to get to the Legendary Realm, only the mound with the hole in it spewing forth banes, the Galliard goes right for it! His thick pelt bristles around his neck and shoulders, teeth flashing as he rushes in and attacks one of the banes. Seinneadair Blàr's fangs make contact but don't seem to cause it any real damage! It tries to hurt him but the Fianna is too tough, getting another vicious bite in! This time Lleupine causes it serious harm but doesn't manage to kill it.

Round and about they lunge and fight, kicking up dust before the mound. Seinneadair Blàr tries attacking it again but the banes here are tough and difficult to injure. The dire wolf manages a quick glance as he sees Twilight's Glimmer go into the mound, >> Do you see the bridge?! << He's too busy to get a look in there, and also trying to keep tabs on the huge black floating menance with tentacles looming overhead, lashing out at Eye of the Storm'rhya!

Puddle Jumper hesitates, fingering her bow, one massive hand moving toward the quiver of arrows at her back. Then she growls at the sight of the banes lining up to intercept the pack. The bow is stowed and the Ahroun drops to all fours, charging ahead of the group and slamming herself into one of the Banes.

Soon after, she has her teeth on the thing and is shaking vigorously, tearing off small chunks of its essence before lunging in to bite again. And again. And again.

Finally, she snarls at the others, <<Go! Battle Singer: Go?>> It's both insistence and question, even as most of her focus goes to ravaging the oily, black, screaming thing she faces.

The massive, black ball of tentacles, eyes, and mouths continues its too-soft keening sound as it floats up into the Umbral sky, moving away from Lights the Darkness, but still flailing its tentacles. They lash out, dozens of them striking in odd patterns, stretching further than they should, slamming down upon Eye of the Storm to no avail.

On the ground, most of the oily black-skinned creatures charge Dragomir, hissing, spitting, screaming and wailing their unceasing warcries. They throw themselves upon the man and are held back!

Meanwhile, the two guarding the tunnel's entrance meet the Garou with wails and shrieks of their own. Up close, they are every bit as slimy as they look - fangs, claws, spears, all slip and slide against their tough skin, nearly impossible to gain good purchase. The leathery hides impossibly tough, fueled by the Wyrm's Rage.

It would likely be alright, if not for two events that happen next.

On the nearby hilltops, where lesser rubble hints at outlying structures to the greater fortification, three more of the massive, tentacled banes rise slowly into the air with soft, ululating keens of their own. On their hilltops, more of the small, oily banes claw and scrabble across the stone, throwing themselves down the hillside to rush toward the two battles at hand: one on the hilltop, one in the shallow valley below.

Worse, inside the tunnel a lone oil-skinned bane is snarling and drooling on itself as it lumbers up the tunnel. It nearly collides with Twilight's Glimmer. On seeing her, it begins to scream as well - the sound reverberating from the tunnel's mouth to the world above.

Eye of the Storm holds still, even as the tide swells around him. He slams the butt of the javelin down into the ground - summoning forth the light of Helios to the tip like a blinding beacon emanating in all directions now. Just as quickly the spear is lifted once more into flourish and defense. He continues to snarl his introduction, like a combat mantra, <<Great-great grandson of Lord Frozen Death, son of Michael Nocolavich. I hail from the great Iron Mountain, proud Hero of the Third War.>> He manages to get off, as the blast from Big Bertha slams into him hard and he manages to grit his teeth through the impact and shrug it off.

Once more the Silver Fang snarls and motions to parry - timing the attack from the Bane this time and impales it with the Javelin as it closes in on him. Just as quickly he coils and flourishes the spear once more - preparing for the next attacker. The Warrior is just getting warmed up it seems, and he growls out, <<Hear me Iron Mountain-rhya, I fight in your glory! Make way for me, I come to stand beside you.>> Another blast impacts his side, rippling the moon light aura around him and he shrugs it off.

Even before he becomes aware of yet more ghastly banes rising to join the battle, Seinneadair Blàr breaks off and heads for the mound with the tunnel opening and down into it. He knows Twilight's Glimmer, and presumably Frost by her scent, have already gone down in there. They don't even know if it leads to the passage they are seeking! If it does, great, but if not they might be in trouble and protector that he is, Lleu runs in to see if they are in trouble or if it is what they need to reach.

The huge dire wolf comes bounding down the tunnel and hopefully doesn't knock Frost silly as he comes up, seeing Twilight's Glimmer engaged with a bane. The Fianna snarls and tries to lay into it, snapping his teeth in the tight space and trying to get a piece of it to rip it apart. These fuckers are tough though and Battle Singer feels frustration welling up at being unable to hurt and slay the damn things!

>> We must clear this tunnel and see if our escape lies this way! << If it doesn't lead to the bridge, they are so fucked.

A dagger appears in the giant silver Crinos's hands, massive, bone like. Lights the darkness slashes at the oily goop, barely scratching it, but it comes around again with a huge uppercut slice, the dagger activating, causing it to dig deeper and cut the bane in twain. It's not even all the way falling to the ground into an oily mess before he's turning back to check on Dragomir, even as Wazi waves him forward. "Eye of the Storm-rhya. Today is not the day. We have the advantage now?come!" With that,he moves towards the Wyrm's anus. Howling in revel of the kill, his visage still wafting the fearsome power of Gaia outwards.

Twilight's Glimmer knows that now is the time to step up! She growls and BITES the Bane shaking her head, trying to get a good purchase on this thing! But the thing is tough and her teeth do nothing to it. Still, she will protect the kin and hopefully they all can get past the bane in through this tunnel to where they need to be!

Puddle Jumper snarls as she continues snapping and twisting about, fighting furiously with her designated Bane. She tears another strip of flesh from the thing and lets it fall, snarling, hackles rising, bracing for impact as it rushes her once again.

Then, Lights the Darkness is there with his Fang Dagger, and the Bane falls. <<Yes!>> She yips, before dropping her weight forward to bump her head roughly against the Theurge's side, >>Inside! Waziyata is last before Eye of the Storm.<< Then, she rises to her hindlegs, drawing forth that bow once again, moving quickly to resume her position beside the mouth of the cave, back to those inside.

All around the ruined hilltop, Banes are rising and rushing across the ground by the dozen. The pack on the ground, the original distraction group, is already beginning to retreat - howling their Rage, dismay, and encouragement for those on the Quest. Howling to alert them that the time to act is now or never.

Even as the first of the tentacled banes floats further away, up into the sky, two more of its kind converge onto the hill, their too-long tendrils stretching impossibly across the space between them and the Garou on the hill, mouths gnashing and keening.

On the ground below, the humanoid, oily-skinned creatures move with ridiculous speed. Already those from the nearest hill have crossed most of the distance and are scrambling up the central hill, shrieking and wailing as they come. Some seem to gather the oily essence of their Blast attacks as they come, whilst others merely charge headlong for the battle.

Closer to the pack, the smaller banes who flee take a moment to hurl sizzling, oily goo at the Garou before throwing themselves toward the edge of the hilltop. Even as they flee, they turn to recklessly hurl more of the plasm before jumping off the sides of the hilltop.

In the tunnel below, the darkness is thick and oppressive, the stuff of nightmares - cloying and impossible to see far, but not impossible to see within. The tunnel itself is old, carved as if by hand and claw into the earth, lined with some crumbling stones and the oily ichor of the Banes that have made this their abode. It twists away below, out of sight, even as the lone Bane shrieks and warbles and attacks Twilight Glimmer as if in a frenzy.

Hearing the words from Lights-the-Darkness, Dragomir begins his withdraw. He coils a claw, attempting to activate a gift to conceal his escape. Though as he is beginning, another one of those blasts hits his chest and sends him scrawling backwards and elicits a brutal snarl from him. The Silver Fang has been wounded, and that.. pisses.. him.. off. This time he does not have the benefit of his parrying these attacks - being struck from every angle and enduring it as his rage intensifies. <<Get through the fucking gate!~>> he demands out-loud as he prepares his offensive. Back foot plants hard, and another flourish of that javelin as the other hand grips the hilt of his Fang Dagger and draws it ready. <<My turn.>> It seems retreat is still not an option.

Frost fires off another round, eyeballing an open spot while the garou in the tunnel bite and claw at the bane blocking their way. Again she hits, but doesn't seem to hurt it, much to her frustration.

Getting through the damn gate is what Seinneadair Blàr is trying to do! As Twilight's Glimmer shape changes up to her hispo form, he and she are suddenly wedged in snug shoulder to shoulder in the tunnel with barely enough room to move! Lleu's ears get pinned back and he snarls, attacking the bane again! He manages to do it some damage, biting it viciously but the damn thing still shrugs off most of it! Some how or another he and Twilight's Glimmer haven't managed to bring it down, yet. Then there's the BLAST of a rifle in the confines of the somewhat narrow, dark tunnel! The CRACK reverberates very loudly like thunder in sensetive wolf ears within the small space! It makes the Marine jump and twitch, snarling!

Lights the Darkness's large form squeezes into the tunnel, his body instantly lighting in a silvery hue. It lights the tunnel as far as it can, or tries. He looks at the bane, unable to reach it, as he turns back to look at Wazi and watch for Dragomir. "Have to take it down. We must move on." He calls back to Draogmir. "It is a choke point this, we stand more chance in here, I hope, Eye of the Storm-rhya. Come. We are all here now."

Twilight's Glimmer goes in to bite again, just getting her teeth on it - after the bane attacked her! It seems this tit or tat is not doing anything between them both. Even with Battle Singer joining in, how are they going to take this thing down and get out of here? Team work - they need to figure this out!

Puddle Jumper assumes an archer's stance, sighting down the shaft of a glyph-painted arrow and exhaling as she looses. The arrow flashes out, striking true into the shoulder of the next Bane to rake its claws against Dragomir's flank. The beast falls back, howling and thrashing with the pain of the talen.

Then she glances into the tunnel and growls at the silvery light reflecting from around the bend. ears flattening back at Lights the Darkness's report. Then, instead of loosing another arrow, she slings the bow and howls: <<MAKE ROOM FOR WAZI, SISTER! I COME FOR THE BANE!>>

A moment later, she is in her breed form and charging for the tunnel on a line to slip around or under Lights the Darkness, assuming she isn't blocked by the Theurge.

The battle rages. Each bane that has thrown itself off the cliff is replaced moments later by another of the same kind coming over the hillside. They continue their endless, wailing and shrieking. With the long exposure to the noise it begins to sound somehow more familiar, taking on an uncanny familiarity to the fighting Garou.

The original massive, tentacled thing that lay in wait moves further out into the umbral sky, its massive form throwing a vast shadow across the night as it passes before Luna's face. In that moment, the harsh glare of Antihelios dominates the penumbra, casting everything in the eerie, crimson gaze of the Wyrm. Then, the bane has passed and the moment lapses, Luna's light flooding back onto the hilltop.

A howling gale of winds spins up into place where Puddle Jumper stood at the mouth's cave, Twister joining the action, swirling toward Eye of the Storm in a rush of winds and mad, babbling, incoherent nonsense in the speech of the spirits.

The umbral reflection of the river Duero stands, Water Elementals climbing onto the riverbank to attack the Banes. The air ripples above, spirits of the sky arriving to attack the massive, tentacled things. Last of all, several of the rocks on the hilltop's edges begin to form limbs, rumbling upright, turning to swing craggy fists. At last, Eye of the Storm's call to duty is answered.

Between the LOUD crack of the rifle right behind and over him in the close space of the tunnel, and the shoulder to shoulder jostling with Twilight Glimmer and the near wall of the tunnel pressing against him, Seinneadair Blàr suddenly backs off. The huge dire wolf is snarling and gets hit even as he's backing, though it's not a grevious wound it's still aggrevated as the bane strikes him and opens up a slash across Seinneadair Blàr's face!

In the next moment the Galliard has left Twilight's Glimmer's side and keeps backing up until there is no longer anything pressing against his sides, trapping him! He pants, sucking for breath as Waziyata comes hurling through the tunnel and leaps up and past him to take his place. It affords Lleu a moment to look back and see how many have made it into the tunnel, >> Eye of the Storm'rhya? Is he still out there? <<

The question must be for Aleksandr or Wazi.

At the sight of the spirits answering his call, Eye of the Storm turns on the offensive. He suddenly leaps forward, slamming that Fang Dagger into the head of one of those banes and moves to knock it down as he whirls around to press of the offensive. One eye remains on the cave, waiting for the pack to be clear - he fights on!

Lights the Darkness is useless, the one thing he didn't prepare for was this. Ranged attacks, he has none that would help here. He should have brought his bow. Notes for another time. He's antsy now, and can't do anything is this tunnel. Moving to let Wazi by then, as Battle Singer backs off, his eyes stay out the tunnel hole. He glances at Frost, and then bows his big maw to Battle Signer at the question, an irritated growl. <<Yes. And now, I go.>> He's apparently not listening to the orders of Dragomir any longer. <<Need to make it to past. Make sure you do.>> Dagger comes to his hand in a tight grip and he looks like he's about to go back out. >>I'm going to get him. I said not today. I mean it.<<

Again, that rifle BLASTS deafeningly in the narrow confines of the tunnel, just as Waziyata is arriving in her breed form, with such sharp, sensitive ears. The explosion of noise has the Ahroun HOWLING in Rage, her form swelling and rippling even as she attacks the oily Bane with ferocity, throwing herself at it. <<NO MORE GUN HERE! NO MORE!!>> If she heard Lleutrim's question, she gives no sign. Her ears are probably ringing enough that it'd be a wonder if she can hear anything right now. Luckily, she doesn't seem like she's about to completely lose her shit. Yet. Maybe?

Inside the tunnel, the wolf throwing herself into the fight doesn't do a whole lot. She bites and snaps at the bane and does tear some of its hide away, but still, it fights on. Its howling and gibbering doesn't change as it hurls the burning, sizzling black ichor at Lleutrim. Then it is turning to face the pair of wolves that still attack it.

Outside, the battle continues. More nature spirits trickle in, facing the swarm of terrifically tough banes. Already, some of the animated rock spirits are being torn down to rubble, water spirits dissipate back to the river from wence they came. But some of the Banes fall or are waylaid, leaving them unable to reinforce the battle on the hilltop just yet.

Above, the massive, tentacled things continue slamming their tentacles down toward the lone Garou on the hilltop, even as the spirits of wind and air batter them. Twister swirls up and attacks the oily-skinned Bane that Dragomir skewered with his fang dagger, only to have another bane Slash its claws through the cyclone. It babbles on, mad as ever, but the cyclone's winds noticeably stutter from the blow.

Twilight's Glimmer has kept trying to fight and bite this bane, but it is not working! Her teeth make contact, but he is just too tough for her it seems. She is going to have to come up with another tactic and soon! Pack can do more together.

Eye of the Storm has seen this battle before.. felt this soil beneath his feet.. felt the blood run down his fur so many times before. As blast after blast impacts against his moonlight aura - the burn starts to sink in. The pain grows stronger, and the anger boils within. The attack is made against him, and the Javelin is flourished towards the second attacker and slices the bane in defense.

As more and more blasts impact him, his defenses are failing against unsurmountable odds now - even as he fights his way towards the cave. He snaps his head back to look towards the others, who still are not through and he winces - turning his head and sees the death blow about to strike him. A glint of light sparks - and what should have been enough to take him down, simply does not affect him at all. He growls, >>If you cannot get through - you must retreat! I will fall soon.<< he warns the others as he sways to keep his footing.

Battle Singer got sizzling black goo on his face when he'd backed off and it made him mad! He paws at it and then ... The dire wolf is snarling and starts shifting up to Crinos! Is he going to frenzy /right/ here in the tunnel?! No, Lleu manages to harness his anger and force it to a constructive use but only with an effort! He rears up on his hind legs in Crinos, long arms full of claws as he brings his paws together in a loud CLAP even as he roars a howl in the confines of the tunnel, a terrible snarling hooowl that reverberates down through the earth. It is propelled by the power of the gift he unleashes to bath the bane in a terrible fear of the garou!

Frost lowers her gun and slings it over her shoulder again as Wazi barks the order out to her. She remains hugged up against the wall, instead reaching down to pop the snap on her knife, placing her hand on it in case she needs it.

Lights the Darkness charges back into the fray. Perhaps, to try and take one off of Dragomir and to get him back to the safety of the cave. >>I said not today.<< he can yell at the Theurge later, he meant it. His dagger slashes one, then twice, both landing, but it simply cannot pierce that oily hide. He growls with a little rage. <<Or we die together.>> He raises a howl into the sky, frustration mixed with that Rage. <<They will make it.>> His eyes glance sidelong towards the Philodox and his wounds, quickly assessing him as he moves in. His aura still burning with the rage and wrath of Gaia. Now there are two to hold off the onslaught. Maybe it's a good day to die.

No more gunshots. No more fucking gunshots. That's all that Puddle Jumper wanted. And it's what she gotted. She swells up, back into her war form and begins snarling at the Bane, gathering herself up.. Then Battle Singer howls out his Rage and the ahroun tosses her head and takes a single step forward, slamming her claws into the Bane's oily hide with a snarl. In that moment, the Ahroun becomes somehow realer than the surrounding Umbra. More solid, more physical, more Waziyata of the Physical Realm than Puddle Jumper of the Spirit.

Her claws tear a massive rend through the bane's form! A moment later it is fleeing, and Puddle Jumper HOWLS for all she is worth: <<THE BANE IS RUNNING! I GO FIRST!>>

The Tunnel Bane shrieks again, falling backward onto its ass and scrambling for ground on the tunnel. Twilight's Glimmer snaps at it, then, and the Bane's shrieks turn to wails as it turns and scuttles back down the tunnel from whence it came. In that moment, there is a distinct, silvery flash in the dark of the tunnel - even with the withdrawal of Lights the Darkness's Lambent Flames. A glimmer of moonlight as if seen through water. Could it be the promised moonbridge?

The battle upon the hilltop is boiling out of control, too many forms fighting and shrieking and throwing essence about. It is a little glimpse of the Apocalypse to come, with Gaia's spirits torn open, her defenders and champions bleeding and near to breaking, more desperate for escape than for victory.

It is in that moment that the eerie, haunting familiarity of the bane's shrieks turns to something worse: the sounds of Dragomir and Aleksandr's loved ones, their kin and family, shrieking as if in pain. Wailing for help. Crying out in desperate, wordless pleas. One more trick of the Wyrm upon this ancient field of death.

Eye of the Storm endures on, taking stance at the entrance to the cave and turns when Lights the Darkness steps up beside him. <<You're a fool.>> The Crinos grins, nodding his head. The javelin is gripped once more, the gleam brilliant on the tip of the spear as he bellows a loud and resounding growl back towards them, calling the Wrath of Gaia outwards. As his wound are healed, he reaches out his free claw and pushes back on Lights the Darkness' shoulder, <<Go. Lets go.>> They have overstayed already - the Wyrm will swarm this location. It was a good battle, but they must survive to win the War.

Lights the Darkness has to peel off, he has too. His main purpose in life is healing, it always has been, second only maybe to the spirits. And he'll be damned if he lets the stubborn Athro die. He leaps into the fray, taking hits as he does so to reach Eye of the Storm. Laying a hand on him, a white glow settles beneath it and washes over the man, wounds heal magically, like they never existed. He growls. <<Die tomorrow. Another chance. Time to go. One in tunnel, maybe. Have advantage there, small tunnel, close gap.>> His wisdom imparted for his elder, he turns to look back at the charging and fleeing minions, ready to back back into the tunnel so long as Dragomir comes. He ndos to the mana nd his words. <<Yes. Go.>>

There is a moment where Lleu has nothing he can do! The tunnel is still congested ahead with Waziyata, Twlight's Glimmer and the bane ahead, even if the bane has now turned to flee for it's life in fear! The Crinos Galliard looks to see if he can run back and offer aid to Eye of the Storm and Lights the Darkness but they are already at the tunnel's mouth and about to enter into it. Too far for Seinneadair Blàr to reach them swiftly and he sees one Silver Fang healing the other.

As soon as the others can move down the tunnel, Seinneadair Blàr is ready to go.

The lone bane in the tunnel shrieks its fright as it flees down, down, the tunnel twisting in on itself, spiralling. As soon as the sensation of endless running begins, it abates - Puddle Jumper and Twilight's Glimmer emerge into a large, sludge-covered chamber. The lone bane cowers in the nearest corner, trembling, claws held above its head, watching the approaching Garou with gnashing teeth. It begins to dissipate into the umbral essence, starting the slow process of reforming to whence it came.

The chamber may have been magnificent in the distant past, but now it is little better than a hole in the earth. What looks like the remnants of collapsed tunnels branch from the chamber, and at the far end of the tunnel sits a dim, wavering silvery path. It is no longer the glorious, powerful bridge of Luna that the pack expected. It is, like the rest of this place, a remnant of what it should be. But the way stands open, arcing impossibly up through the ether, into the Aether, into the network of paths guarded by Luna.

As she charges down into the tunnel, Puddle Jumper growls to herself under her breath, muttering in Garou: <<Never again, never again, never again, never again..>> The refrain is repeated time and again until she emerges into the chamber with the dim, wavering path. She halts, straightening up on her hindlegs. Then she turns to move on the cowering Bane, claws at the ready, while howling once more: <<PATH IS HERE! COME NOW! QUICKLY!>>

Frost is also in line to head downwards once the plug in the tunnel starts moving deeper, leaving her knife in its sheath so there's no poking during the jostling.

There it is up ahead. It doesn't look like much as Seinneadair Blàr bounds into the chamber. A muddy partly collapsed chamber long since fallen to rubble and decay from it's former glory. The Fianna takes a second to look around in this once very important place that is all but forgotten now. Then the Galliard dire wolf checks who all's reached this point and does a quick double check that everyone is accounted for! With Eye of the Storm and Lights the Darkness behind him, and Waziyata, Twilight's Glimmer and Frost before, the Fianna follows the women out onto the tarnished yet glowing path...

Frost continues following after those in front, careful to give Battle Singer'rhya room should he want to pass. She moves on down to where the sliver of light marks the bridge, following after once those in the lead have headed out onto it.

Lights the Darkness shrugs at Eye of the Storm and the comment of being a fool. Even as he moves back into the tunnel entrance. Time to debate who's a fool later. He harries everyone else in front of them if they need it. <Go. Go. Go.>> An eye held back to make sure Dragomir doesn't try to die heroically again. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't worried about the Athro Silver Fang coming on this trip having just returned. Also keeping an eye on his health, he has more healing in him, if not much. The silvery hue that lights him lights the dark tunnel ahead of them. It helps that he leads the last two towards the portal. No time to think of what lies ahead, or he might. His Rage carrying him forward at speeds to keep up with those already ahead. As he reaches the bridge, the silver nimbus that surrounds him melds with that of the light of the bridge. Both the light of Luna. His feet hit the bridge and he heads for the portal, but he's going to be the last one through. Well, the second last one, no doubt, Eye of the Storm plows him through it as the last one, or drags him, but either way, everyone else is through first besides that.

Down below, Puddle Jumper finishes her howl just as she becomes too-physical for just another instant, claws flashing out and tearing through the bane once more. She stands over its dissipating, shredded form and snarls triumphantly. Then she turns and stands ready beside the tunnel opening, dropping to all fours and staring resolutely toward the sounds of the arriving pack.

As they charge in, her tail wags and she perks up a little. She steps forward, ears and tail up and alert, attention focused toward the tunnel's mouth just a moment. Then she is backing rapidly toward the faded Moonbridge.

When Lights the Darkness insists on being next to last through, she doesn't fight him. Not in that penultimate moment just before the plunge. Instead, she chuffs in agreement and turns to leap onto the path, flashing from sight as she runs through.

On the hilltop, the wailing of beloved kin to the Silver Fang reaches a fever pitch, along with the battle cries of the Wyrm's minions. Tentacles slam down on Eye of the Storm's flanks and back, tiny maws biting at the proud Garou's form even as more of the oily-skinned banes claw their way to the top of the hill, over the rubble, past the Nature spirits, and hurl their burning ichor at him. Yet the Silver Fang endures, and disappears into the tunnel.

The pack is pursued, of course. The shrieking and howling is only muted inside of the tunnel, joined by the sounds of scrabbling claws on stone and earth, fur brushing against earth. It is a grim, dark little hole and it stinks of putrid dead things and oily, burning wyrm taint. Behind them, the first of the banes enters the tunnel and warbles another shriek, then is charging down the tunnel.

Dragomir, Eye of the Storm, is the last one out of the wyrm pit. Even as he turns to step onto the path, the first of the Wyrm's spirits is emerging into the cave. Instead of charging out onto the moon bridge after the Athro, it halts, falling to all fours in a posture reminiscent of a spider.

Its shriek ends in a low, strange hiss, glowing eyes burning hatefully after the Garou. And then they are all through.