Moral Dilemma

[Hickory]

Warder could see the grass plains through the stone and fire, the otter wasn't kidding. The mouse wasn't th fittest of creatures, but with a speed born of desperation he ran as fast as he could after Besch.

[LT Sandpaw]

Running with everybeast else Pyrin began to wish he had been in the front with the otter Besch. The rat tasted fear in the back of his throat as great swathes of flame flashed all around, not caring what was going on the rat pushed the creature in front of him urging her to run faster. A wicked hissing sound filled the air, a sound Pyrin recognized from many battles before.
"Get down!" He yelled tackling the first animal he saw, the squirrel Silent, bringing her to the ground unwittingly protecting her with his body. A few others heard him, reacting in time falling to the courtyard turf, most didn't.

The back mob of escapees was hit by a salvo of crossbow bolts. The green tinged, steel projectiles ripped through flesh and bone, punching as no bolt had ever punched before, going through nearly three bodies each before losing momentum. Dead beasts collapsed without a sound, dying before they had the chance to scream. Others were less lucky falling with shouts of agony and screams of terror.

Glancing over his shoulder Pyrin noted the guards on the wall, bending over to reload their bows. He also noticed the swarm of guards rushing amongst those who had the speed to duck down, cracking the helpless over the heads with cloth clubs, probably in hopes of recollecting the living for their experiments. Pyrin had no desire or inclination of going back, nor dying, nor getting another lump on his head. Rolling off of Silent he grabbed at her paw while regaining his footpaws.
"Hurry lets go, be ready to duck when I yell!"

[Milady Scribe]

Once the doors opened, Nora fell into a world of chaos. Fire, noise, and rushing beasts... Everybody RUN! Walls of flame formed a corridor ahead, it felt like she was baking as she started to run... Get down!

Nora recognized the note of urgency in Pyrin's voice. It was the same tone her mother had used when Nora was a kit, the time she'd decided to run backwards through the hall. Her mother had called for her to stop, but Nora had turned to see why--and slammed face-first into a pillar. The wildcat had learned from that painful lesson. This time, she didn't take time to look. She merely dove for the ground. She learned why a moment later, when a crossbow bolt took the beast in front of her. The suddenness, the crudity of the act shook her. One moment she'd been jogging along behind the young rat and the next, he was simply gone.

But she didn't have time to grieve for the fallen. She had to get up. Now! She could see guards reloading. She helped somebeast to their paws and bent to help another, but a guard armed with a club took a swing at her. She had to get out of his reach. With a guilty look at the beast she'd been blocked off from, Nora turned and ran. I can't leave--there's no time! No bloody time, either get yourself killed or stay alive to be of some use to others. Bitterly, she reflected that her oath to help anybeast still breathing hadn't lasted long.

Then, back into chaos. Running, shouting, searing heat... There's no bloody time. Just run.

[Fatch of Southsward]

Ellisar ducked under incoming arrows and climbed up the walls. He now ran down a battlement, shoving several crossbow beasts off the wall as he went. He sent one careening into the free air, screaming as he went, just as a fireball soared through the air and blasted into the wall just ahead of him.

Not hesitating, Ellisar leaped deftly over the smoldering crater, and continued towards the wall's end. He glanced sideways - one of the adepts was preparing to attack him again.
Ahead of him a lone crossbow beast was guarding Ellisar's escape and lowering his weapon towards Ellisar. El glanced back in forth. His move would depend on who fired first, and he would have only a split second to act.

The crossbow beast released the bolt and Ellisar threw himself down, sliding along the wall on his shoulder - tearing his clothes. He sumersaulted into the air after the bolt had screamed by him, and planted a kick in the creature's chest - sending him cartwheeling over the edge. Another fireball streamed in his direction, and there was only one way out. Continuing his mad sprint forward, El threw himself off the end of the wall into the air. Part of the wall exploded just behind him and he waved his arms as he floated down....down....down...

He reached for his life. The one way he could survive the fall without being crippled - a tree branch. It was getting closer, but he was falling. Everything was as if he was in slow motion. With a desperate reach he felt the branch snake into his fingers, and he clenched it in his hands as hard as he could.

The branch bent with his weight and nearly reached the ground. Just as his direction began to change, El released the branch and dropped lightly onto the ground, not even breaking stride. Nothing was going to stop him - he was free! He could only hope the others would make it, although he was not too worried. He hid himself to wait to see if anyone else would make it out alive.

[Faiyloe]

Krain's optimism sunk down into his boots and a well of fear sprung up in his heart. Two adepts, and one with power over air, the other fire, a deadly pair, if they started to work together... but they were on opposite ends, so perhaps there was a chance. A wall of flame sprung up on either side of them the heat digging uncomfortably into his skin. And then he ran, his arms flung over his head, staying close to Besch. He didn't know what was happening he didn't look back, he was vaguely aware of a shower of crossbow bolts behind him, and screaming and shouting of their victims, but it all sounded miles away. He kept running, his legs burning and tight, his side screaming and his lungs ragged, he ran harder than he had ever run in his life. And all he saw was the door, the exit, the way out. Safty. Freedom. Life.

[LT Sandpaw]

The crossbows had given Pyrin the chance he needed. With so many beasts felled by cruel fate the way was open. A few others joined the rat as he charged headlong across the outpost's common tearing up grass with his claws as he went. Blood splattered against his footpaws as he cleared the carnage area throwing himself and Silent through the destroyed gate and out into the world beyond.

"Stay close treemouse," Pyrin ordered preparing himself to continue his run. All around them other creatures were ducking, and dodging, and dying as guards and escapees alike crisscrossed the cleared land. About two hundred yards away the land dipped down into a sparse forest, probably the only chance they had of getting away unharmed.

Just then a mouse guard charged from around the wall running straight into Pyrin. The two rodents fell upon the grass rolling over and over as they struggled. Pyrin had lost his rock, and the mouse his club, but the mouse still had a sheathed dagger which he seemed to have forgotten about, or maybe it was because Pyrin had managed to get his paws around the smaller creature's throat.

"Get'er off'in ples." The mouse choked ramming his armored paw into Pyrin's muzzle several times. The rat spat out blood maintaining the deadly pressure knowing his life depended on it. The guard pressed his paw into Pyrin's face digging his claws into the sensitive fur and flesh.

"Aaaaagh," Pyrin's grip loosened for a moment and the mouse went for his knife, which Pyrin caught. They rolled and the mouse was on top, Pyrin on top, the mouse on top again. Pyrin was beginning to grow desperate, and his muscles screamed in agony as they came to a stop, the mouse leaned down applying all his weight on the knife as Pyrin only just held him off. It was only a matter of time until his arms gave out and the blade sank into his chest, or another guard came to his companion's aid. Only a matter of time.

[Hickory]

Warder dove under the guard's arm and attempted to knee him in the leg. His old labor job served him well as he pushed up on the guard's arm with Pyrin.

[Dannflower Reguba]

OOC: @Fatch of Southsward: I'm going to assume you hid behind something hard.       

       The rat atop the wall was not at all pleased with Ellisar or his actions. Having tracked the squirrel with the corner of his eye, he waited for the feeling of safety to set in. When his target had hidden itself, the soft-metal binding on his dagger unwound and broke into roughly 50 tiny pieces that reformed into spheres as they bristled and sparked to life. The fire adept flipped the dagger into an underhanded position and directed his projectiles with two fingers and a thumb. The bits screeched angrily as they flared up and flew straight into and through Ellisar's hiding place like fiery marbles, the shower of attacks ripping the stone hedge up and chipping flakes off of the other side. The spray swept over quickly, and was followed up by a final, concussive blast as the shards returned to their master whom had already refocused himself on the courtyard fiasco. Luckily for Ell, he'd only been struck in the waist and shoulder.

* * * * * * *

       Beschuss knew what was happening without needing to look... It tore him up inside, but he ran nonetheless knowing all to well what would happen to everybeast if he didn't... You know you can do more... He grimaced as his conscience ate away at him... Stop protecting yourself, duty calls... For so long, he had avoided speaking of the tests or even thinking about what had happened. Every time the subject was brought up, his stomach fell out, and his heart ceased to beat, but the secrets he held so close were the secrets to their freedom. Still running, the otter finished his contemplation, resigning himself to the fact that the truth had finally caught up with him. As the bolts were fired a second time, Besch spun himself and swung his hammer around in a circle. As the hammer made it's way around, the flames towards the rear absorbed the rest of the wall as they consumed the bolts before they could strike the prisoners. As he spun, and the hammer once again came even with his body, every flame in the courtyard continued it's own motion and streamed into the hammer itself which almost instantly made it glow completely. He released the hammer with a grunt, sending the hammer and all the incendiary energy careening into the door where it promptly exploded. The resulting shock wave almost knocked it's closed-eyed assailant off kilter despite his distance from the gate which now sported.... well, a complete lack of a gate as the entire entrance was a gaping hole.

       Now weaponless, he was rushed by a sharp gust as the wind hare charged. The slashing winds were about to make contact when Besh raised his right arm as if it had a shield on it, and though he had no shield, the winds pancaked themselves against a newly risen stone block..... The fur on his body seemed, suddenly, a light and brighter shade than before, emanating what looked like particles of dirt and dust. His chin was resting on his chest, and now raised as his eyes opened, and his fiery veins returned with even more presence than before, the whites of his eyes now turned murky brown, while the outer iris burned with orange yellows and reds. With no enchanted item on his person, he raised both of his hands towards the corner the fire mage had placed himself. The otter quickly turned his hands palm up and crossed them in front of himself, and again as he pulled his hands back in. the tower upon which his foe stood suddenly had the fringe facing the open air boil down into magma, quickly cutting into the structure itself as it became visible on the front side and spewed out violently from the wall, forcing the adept from his perch, and demolishing the entirety of the corner. The hare nearly made it to Besch, but he raised his back leg in front of himself which raised two more stones similar to the one before, kicking outward to send all three flying towards the now fleeing foe. Turning on his inner heel, he dropped to a kneeling position, striking the ground with his fist. This strike sent a ripple the skirted the left side of those evacuating to hammer an unseen presence at the back, he knew not what it was, only that it meant them harm. Some had already made their way out, and Besch followed quickly after, turning back after passing the entrance, waiting for everybeast to make it out whilst urging them to hurry so that he could close the hole.

* * * * * * *

       Silent felt herself forced to the ground as the first barrage hit, quickly followed by guards crossing the flames and a rush to get back up. She hardly heard Pyrin speak as she took in the devastation before her, not so much stunned as grieved. Pyrin was attacked suddenly, though he appeared to be able to fight back, that was not the case of the beast to her left. One of the subjects had fallen, and was about to be skewered by a moderately armored, spear wielding otter. She rushed in close as his arm raised, using her left paw to guide the spear away as she swiftly raised her right forcing the soldiers' chin upwards, knocking him off balance. As his hold on the spear loosened, Silent's right hand swept around, assisting the left one with wrestling the weapon away. Continuing the sweep, she forced the spear into a chink in the otters left thigh. The resulting bark let her know she'd made it through as she maintained her momentum to elbow his chin, once again destabilizing the receiver. With one last, quick movement, she shoved him into the flames while at the same time turning to help the one she'd come to save. The wall of fire flared about this time, but the fire was now the least of Silents concerns. Behind everybeast, without any even knowing, there was another adept! It was a female ferret, fully decked in a ludicrously thin layer of silvery grey looking armor, her weapon of choice being the rather sinister looking claws protruding from what would conventionally be called a gauntlet, though this one was more like an archer's bracer. This one seemed a bit crazier, she had that evil smile and slight [ferret] of the head to match. This new adversary dropped the short distance to the ground, and rushed straight for Silent. In a panic, she turned to run, but the ferret was surprisingly fast, catching up in a mere moment. Shifting her wait around, she kicked out in desperation, luckily connecting with the ferret's rib cage. Creepily enough, the vermin seemed to find this amusing, her eyes bereft of sanity, having lashed out with the claws just before the kick. The blow had indeed landed spot on, but the mages claws extended unexpectedly, raking into Silents left side, ripping it up as the cut spread lightly to the middle of her stomach. She let a cry of agony leave her throat, collapsing to the ground in pain while clutching her side and stomach tightly, shaking with the pain. There was little time left to escape, she once again felt a sudden loss of weight as another beast came to her aid. The ferret dashed forward once again, only to be met by a facefull of stone cylinder as Besch's blind attack struck true, catapulting the would-be killer significantly farther away than a simple kick. Even so, while losing consciousnesses, she let loose six small diamond shaped plates of metal that buzzed past the beasts at a frightening speed. The first one whizzed straight into the back of Silent's helper, the second also making direct contact with the chest of the armored mouse combating Pyrin and Warder, rather suddenly ending both lives of those struck, as well as the fight between the two escapees and the mouse captor who had time for one last quizzical glance before sighing in death. The other four shards made contact elsewhere, having less impact on the goings on, despite having grown to slightly more than half the size of the average beast! Silent forced herself up despite the misery and profuse bleeding, semi-running toward the exit and the freedom it screamed of.

OOC: PLEASE SEE OOC TOPIC BEFORE POSTING AGAIN!

[LT Sandpaw]

With Warder's aid Pyrin gained control of the dagger, bodily lifting the mouse up, only for him to be jerked away as a deadly star-like shard of metal tore his armor and flesh like a knife through warm butter. Pyrin shakily stood up holding out a paw to help Warder to his footpaws. He knew he had just dodged death by a hair's breadth, and had somehow come out alive again.
"Thanks mouse, but don' think I owe ye." The rat grimaced glancing towards the deathly still bodies. "Looks like th' squirrel lass'll live. Though I wouldn' count on th' others, c'mon les' get out o' here while we still can."

[Faiyloe]

Krain Watched as Besch stopped to fight blasting the door down with an immense power. He hesitated only for a moment and continued to run for the exit. There were creatures fighting all around him but he was too terrified to stop and help. Besides what could he do, he was only an enchanters son, not a fighter. He stumbled and tripped falling to the ground with a jarring pain in the joints and then he scrambled to his feet and kept going. When he reached the door he stopped and looked back. Basch was standing in the middle of the courtyard. His weapon was gone yet he still glowed with magic, fire and earth emanating from himself. Krain gaped and stared before managing to tear himself away and keep running. He had to find cover. He couldn't stop. He had to get home. Maryrose would be worried about him. He had to get home to her.

[Hickory]

The mouse grasped Pyrin's paw firmly and picked himself up. "Thanks, mate. Yore right, we should go before those beasts in the towers shoot anymore of those things."

He started towards the exit.

[LT Sandpaw]

"Right behind ye," Pyrin agreed as he collected the dead mouse guard's mace. As he ran with Warder Pyrin tore off the softening cloth and wads of wool revealing the club's flanged stone end. Holding his new weapon at the ready the rat merc joined Besch at the exit clashing briefly with a wounded guard who had been injured by the blast. The doomed creature squealed in terror as Pyrin mercilessly clobbered his head with the mace. Stepping over the guard's body the rat snarled to their otter savior, shouting over the screams and moans.

"Bring 'er down mate, we ain't got fore'er, they'll be comin' out n' force soon!" The rat readied himself as sure enough six more guards approached, these ones armed with spears. Setting his jaw Pyrin decided there and then that his life mattered far more then the lives of the other escapees. Menacing the six creatures with his mace, Pyrin retreated backwards out of the opening abandoning Besch; motioning for Warder and Silent to follow. "C'mon, leave th' heroes ter die, foller me."

[Fatch of Southsward]

El lay still for several seconds - reassuring himself that he was not dead. Sure enough, things were coming back into focus. He touched a tender spot in his waist, and the paw came back bloody, he sat up and glanced down at the blackened spots on his waist and shoulder. He wasn't sure exactly what had happened, but he was badly burned - as though he had been struck by a fiery stone. He stood, faltered and fell to one knee - looking towards the ground. He raised his head, brushing his eyes and clenching his teeth in pain.

He had never felt hindered when he moved. He was fast and agile. Now he felt burdened, as he limped away, hunched over in pain. He wasn't sure where everyone else was - his eyes were blurred and the sounds were echos. The gate exploding sounded like a volcanic eruption far in the distance, and the shouts were like distant cries, carried away in the wind. El didn't know what was happening - all he knew was what the ten feet ahead of him held. He stared at a point until he reached it, then picked another spot, and continued limping until he reached that one. He continued in this manner, as the battle raged on behind him.

[Faiyloe]

Krain didn't look back. He couldn't. He saw El ahead of him, stumbling on like a dead thing. Krain came running up to him and tried to catch him and help support him. Krain cringed when he finally got a good look at him. He looked badly hurt.

"Hey, I got you mate,"

[Fatch of Southsward]

El wasn't sure who had come to his aid but he appreciated it. He tried to keep his eyes open, and kept moving forward. He did his best to  slow and deepen his breathing - which was currently coming is quick gasps.

"Thanks mate... They got me... Not sure how... Get me out of here..."

The shock had started to wear off, and he was now aware of other creatures running by them. Were they going to make it?