12283/How to rescue a fairy from certain death

How to rescue a fairy from certain death
Date of Scene:	02 October 2020
Location:	66 East 11th Street, Greenwich Village
Synopsis:	Nevada intercedes to help save Megan's mom from certain death.
Cast of Characters:	Pixie, Barghest

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Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn had been growing more anxious by the second, although Nevada had convinced her to wait for Andrea to join them, as they could really use the extra firepower. It didn't help ease her anxiety much though as time was of the essence. As they wait for Andrea to join them, Megan starts to anxiously pace back and forth..

Barghest has posed:
Nevada has let Andrea know they were at the house and the quick rundown of what was going on - Megan's mom was in trouble and either about to die or already dying and not from something natural. He's pacing as they wait for his sister to arrive, but that doesn't mean he isn't getting ready in his own way. He's got several Twizzlers in hand, chewing on the end of what has to be his tenth one. "She should be along any minute. She wasn't far. So you know where to send us? At least a rough idea?"

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn frowns, "Umm, I should be able to sense her, fairy to fairy..I know this place on earth she might be..You said you could only sense her on earth right?" she sighs, "Well, Morgana once hinted at knowing her so there's a good chance I might find her at the Isle of Avalon."

She glances to the door as Andrea arrives, relieved and ready for action. "Andrea! So good to see you.l" she nods, "That's the short of it..You ready to go?" her hands are already glowing, they only have a moment or two to get ready before she's gott the magic words already on her lips.

"No time to lose then...Sihal Novarum Chinoth!" a flash of light envelopes them..When it clears they are standing in a medieval era land, a land that time seemingly forgot, in the middle of a small own in the shadow of a beautiful castle.

Barghest has posed:
"Another hound told me he got her name, so whatever's going on is happening soon. I called you in case if we need to up and stop a murder." Nevada says to Andrea. "No clue about a healer, but we may not have time. Look, you go get Josh. I'll go ahead with Megan, then she can teleport you in or us out once we find her mom. Be ready!"

And with the plan set, Megan and Nevada dissapear from the apartment. Blinking, Nevada shakes his head at the sudden upswell of disorientation and slowly looks up to boggle at the castle. "Um. Y-yeah. Earth is where we work, we usually deal with humans. If she's a faerie then I don't know why one of us is involved, unless someone big put in a claim and needed to make sure someone kept an eye on her soul so she didn't wander off. I have no idea. This, uh... I'm assuming it isn't a corner of Disneyland?"

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn smirks and shakes her head, looking no less fazed. She's used to porting by now. "Disneyland? Hardly. Welcome to the Isle of Avalon..Home to Queen Morgana le Fay." yeah she keeps unusual company. But looks like they're on their own.

"Well I dunno, maybe because she's connected to me or maybe Morgana pulled some strings for me?" she sighs as she walks, peering around, "Just hope she's okay..Not sure what we can do without a healer.."

Barghest has posed:
Sliding his phone back in his pocket, Nevada's eyes take in their surroundings and he lets out a slow breath. "Alright, let me get my walking legs on. Looks like we have ground to cover, and in a place like this I doubt anyone is going to look sideways."

Giving himself a few twists to pop his back and neck, Nevada squares himself and makes the quick shift from man to hound. But not the dog Megan has seen before. This is a massive, lean, leggy beast as tall at the shoulder as a Shire horse. Shaggy and black, he looks like a cross between dog and jackal, with elongated features and too many teeth and two bright yellow eyes. With a satisfied huff, he gives himself a shaking out and there behind him flags not one but two tails - the true reason for his warped back.

"Been way too long." He still talks clear English, his voice recognizable but deeper and tinged with a growl. "Alright, lead the way."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn blinks slowly as Nevada so casually shifts into hound form..And it's a good thing she was given ample warning cuz honestly he's a little scary. Fortunately the villagers here are probably used to magic and mystical creatures - to a point. Either way they give e him a wide berth as he transforms, eyeing him warily and a bit curiously.

"Right, so much for subtlety." she sighs and shakes her head, but they do t have the time. She closes her eyes for a moment, tuning into the magical energies. And it's not like a lot of faeries live here, although there is maybe one or two. But she has a special link with her mom, flesh and blood and all.

"This way, I think.." she leads him down a winding path, leading away from the village down a side ding trail on the outskirts over a couple of hills into open area..

Barghest has posed:
Hey, at least he doesn't have horns and spikes and is belching fire. He just looks like an oversized, overstretched canine monster thing. No big deal. He drops his head and bumps the fae-mutant's shoulder with his nose ever so gently, giving a whuff of amusement. "Subtly is overrated sometimes." He spots one uncertain looking child and gives a stiff but friendly wag of his tails. The child's mother is not convinced and quickly whisks her offspring away.

Nevada does walk easier on four legs as opposed to two with his tails finally able to stretch out behind him. He follows along dutifully, offering along the way, "Hop on if you want a ride and to save your wings and legs. I can cover the distance without too much trouble, at least a few miles."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn chuckles nervously, "I mean, I knew you were a sorta supernatural hound but didn't expect this.." she pauses, biting her lip, "Are you sure you want me sitting on you?" It would be so weird if he wasn't a human too but it is a long walk, and it might be kinda...Fun.

She grins, "Well...If you insist..Let's go!" she hops onto his back, holding on tightly, "Soo how fast can you go, anyway?" the hills are getting pretty steep. Just how far out is she? These rolling hills go on for a while.

Barghest has posed:
"Life's no fun when you give out all of your secrets. Obviously you can see why I don't stroll around town like this." Nevada says as he hunkers down closer so she can climb up and he holds until she settles in. "Highway speeds, but I'll take is easy. Just hold on tight, don't worry about pulling fur. If you start to lose grip, just tell me to slow down."

With legs that long, it's little surprise that he can hit a pace like that. He starts off easy, an easy job like a horse's canter until she gets more used to it. After a few minutes he grades up to a light run, and it's that feeling of being in the back of an open pickup cruising through the neighborhood. Fast enough, but not car chase levels. It's not the smoothest trip, his back is still knobbly, but it's far faster than walking. "This is a long trek. What's even out this way?"

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn wraps her arms around his neck, wings flat against her back as he picks up the pace. This is actually kind of fun and she smiles at the sensation of wind rushing around her face. She's never ridden a horse but this is the next best thing maybe. "I guess it makes sense now, the loping gait, but you're more graceful, faster in this form. And the two tails, what's up with that?"

Shes making small talk to pass the time but is genuinely curious too as the landscape speeds by, changing from closely packed small houses, to country land and smaller cottages and farm land. "Mostly farmland..." she murmurs, still focusing on trying to track down her mother. "Turn right, here!" she points to a small forked road that leads down into a small valley. "Not far now, I think there's a little cottage in the valley there.."

Barghest has posed:
Nevada is far superior to a horse. He isn't compelled to try and kill himself by freaking out at an unexpected leaf in his path.

"Not sure." Pants the hound in time to his feet hitting the ground. "Theories. Two souls that didn't fully mix, or one that couldn't decide to be hound or human and tried to split. It's not just a fluke, no one can fix it. Human bodies weren't meant for one tail, let alone two."

He takes a low jump to clear a sharp dip in the landscape where a creek ran as they reach the flat farmlands. He turns towards the indicated fork in the road and runs alongside it and down into the valley. She can feel him sucking in the smells here and there as he goes and tracks their surroundings.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn nods slowly, "I guess so..You're halfway between two worlds, kinda like me..Heh.." she laughs faintly. Except things are harder for him of course. "But there are obvious perks too, right?"

She peers around as they ear the creek, and there's a little cottage next to it. "It's over there, slow down..I hope we do t scare them like this.." she sighs as she peers insure. But it's hard to tell if anyone is home. At least there's a light on inside that can be seen as the sun starts to set outside.

Barghest has posed:
"Yah, I guess we both are. Who knows, I may have been a mutant too in another life." Nevada says in that wistful kind of curiosity, as if he'd mulled the possibility before.

As they approach the cottage, he slows his pace and he looks glad for the chance to catch his breath. There's a faint hitch to his step but nothing too serious. He comes to a stop and hunkers down so she can get off easier. "You go ahead, I'll be behind you. I can go human again to fit through the door once we know it's safe."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn nods, hopping off his back. "Heh, you think?" she smirks as she approaches the cottage but seems more solemn the nearer she gets. "I just hope I'm right about this place.." Megan draws a deep breath, stepping up to the front door and raps on it a few times, rather anxiously.

Several long minutes pass by before the door opens, revealing an elderly lady in a lavender dress and cream crocheted shawl draped over her thin shoulders, grey hair pulled up into a bun. She looks fragile, tired. "Yes?"

Barghest has posed:
It takes a minute for Nevada to shift back to his human form. Thankfully he's a cheater and he's clothes, and he's adjusting his overshirt as Megan is meeting the woman at the door. He leaves Megan to do the talking and questions, being more familiar with the niceties of the place, but he does dip his head in a polite nod and utters a soft, "Good day, ma'am."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn swallows as she peers at the woman. She looks tired, impatient, but there is kindness in her eyes. "Umm sorry to interrupt you, uh, we're looking for someone..Pink hair, looks like me but older, about so high.." the woman blinks at Megan, "You're...Her daughter? Please, come inside.."

She ushers them both in,and leads them upstairs to a small but cozy bedroom where a pink haired woman lays, apparently sleeping although her breathing is weak, ragged. Her stomach is wrapped in a bandage, blood already seeping through. Nevada may already sense that her life is slowly slipping away..

Barghest has posed:
That he does. Death is more than the smell of the ill and weak, it's a spiritual sense. The cooling and fading of the soul as it begins to separate from the body. Nevada turns a concerned look upon Megan, but he stays back to give her space. "Time's short." He murmurs, two words that hold an incredible weight.

He looks towards the woman who's laid up in bed and the injury that he can see from here. "What happened?" He asks of the older woman.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn blinks slowly, eyes widened in fear as she rushes to her mother's side. Of course she is the spitting image of her mom in many ways, and while she didn't know her mom that well before she was spirited away, she had formed a hind with her at some point. "Mom...?" her voice quivers a bit as she stares at her, reaching out to clutch her hand. "Nev, isn't there something you can do..?"

The woman sighs, watching mother and daughter for a while, shaking her head as she looks to Nevada. "I'm not entirely sure. I found her in the fields not far from here. She said she was trying to protect the queen of Avalon, but that person stabbed her with a poisoned iron arrowhead." she frowns, "It.caught her in the lungs..I did what I could for her but she doesn't have much time. If only I could get my hands on Chimera blood..I could make a potion that would clear the poison, but such creatures exist only in the nevernever..Plus they are incredibly deadly.."

Barghest has posed:
"I'm not a healer." Nevada says sorrowfully to Megan as he looks over her and her mother. "Hounds were made to guard over the dead, not to stop the process from happening. We can... buy a soul back, once, but it's at the cost of our own. It's what happened to my father. He chose to save my mother, but in doing so he lost everything. He's just a mortal man now. No powers, no gifts; nothing. He was a pure hound. I don't know what would happen to me. Being as I'm only half hound..." Would it take both sides of his soul to pay the price?

As the older woman speaks, he looks back to her and gives a single nod. "Well, it sounds like it's worth a shot. I've never tangled with a magical creature, but I doubt it'll be pretty. Religious and magical artifacts can do a number on me, but I'll stand with you if you want to give it a try, Megan."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn swallows a bit. She's read stories about Chimera before but like..Like, they sound super scary. Can she do it? Can she and Nev do it? "Um...Geeez, where is Andrea, we could use her help.." but looking at her mom's helpless form, she swallows her fear and frowns. "We'll do it, we gotta do it! I can't believe so wine tried to murder her..Where do we find this Chimera..?"

old lady smiles softly and nods. "You are both very brave. It is in the never ever, past the man eating forest, on the edge where the green refuses to grow, Be careful, the Chimera is a vicious winged beast with three heads, a fire breathing dragon, a goat and a lion, and a tail with a poisonous serpent. You must bring blood from the goat head and bring it back here as soon as you can.."

Barghest has posed:
"Well, no time to wonder. We'll figure this out, we just need to fight smart." Nevada says, though he gives a squinty look aside to the woman as she gives directions. What is it with fairy tales and dramatic place names? "You'll be smaller and more agile. So I'll try and keep it distracted while you go in."

Back to the woman he looks, asking as the wheels in his head start turning, "How much do we need? The whole head's worth or will a quick bleed-and-catch-and-run work?"

Pixie has posed:
The woman nods, pulling out a vial, handing it to Megan, "Take this, fill it as full as you can. But be careful, no one has faced the Chimera and lived to tell about it.." Megan nods, too stubborn to chicken out now as she takes the vial. She then leans over to kiss her mom on the forehead before stepping back. "Please take care of her. Nev, let's go.."

Barghest has posed:
"Awesome. Then we get to claim we were the first." Nevada says as if the threat didn't concern him, or he's just being brave for the sake of necessity. "Alright, let's go. We don't have time to waste." And once Megan has given her goodbyes, he'll head out the door to retake his true hound form. He gives himself a vigorous shake before looking towards Megan, "I'll carry you again unless we can save time by teleporting."

Pixie has posed:
The woman frowns, "Be careful, this map will show you where to find the forest."

Megan smiles and nods, taking the map and stepping back to join Nevada. "Don't worry, we can do this!" she offers brightly, "Afterall, we're heroes!"she could be a bit over confident, or maybe she's just a fool. At least she's not alone in this. Once she's outside, she peers around thoughtfully, glancing back at the map. "Okay, so we should..,That way, towards the windmills." she points further out towards the liking fields, probably another 15 minute walk. "Dont worry, I can fly just as easily. I wouldnt wanna be lazy afterall...Do you really think we can beat an unbeatable monster..?"

Back in the house,the old lady sighs and settles down next to Ms. Gwynn, wiping her forehead. "Poor fools, they will certainly meet their doom out there.." she murmurs sadly with a shake of her head.

Barghest has posed:
"You're not being lazy, you're just conserving your strength." Nevada tells her but he doesn't force her. He just starts walking in the indicated direction. At least on four legs he moves faster and easier than he does on two. His nose and ears are always in motion, monitoring their surroundings as they go

"Something is only unbeatable until someone beats it. Even gods can die with the right tools and tactics. We just have to fight smart. We're only there to collect blood and leave. Do you know any spells or tricks that will put it to sleep or slow it down? Illusions to keep it focused on something other than us?"

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn laughs and shakes her head as she takes to the skies, hovering low enough to continue their conversation. "Welll, if I don't have strength to fly there, then I'm definitely not strong enough to beat this thing. Besides I'm an X-man now, gotta live up to my name, right?"

As they near the destination, she swallows a bit. "Umm, I guess so. I mean, I usually fight using speed, misdirection, trickery. Not really a tank or a cannon. But, I do have a sleep spell I've been practicing lately, and a kinda plan in mind, soooo let's hope it's enough.."

She arrives at the little cluster of windmills and draws a breath, "Soooo you ready? At least I've been to the never ever before but it's pretty unpredictable. Be ready for anything.."

Barghest has posed:
"It's worth a try. We don't need to worry about fighting clean, so pull out every dirty trick you have." The hound remarks with a gape-mawed grin. "If we can't make it look away, then I'm the bigger target. I'll do what I can to keep it busy and you dart in like a glitter mosquito, get the blood, and get out. Without me if you need it. It's useless if we both go down." Leave it to a death dog not to seem afraid of actually dying.

As they arrive, Nevada gives a huff of an affirmative. "Let's do it."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn bites her lip as she lands, nodding slowly, brow focused in concentration. "Right...Heh, except mosquitos tend to get squished a lot.." she sighs, shaking her head, putting on a tough face, wings fluttering a bit as she sparkles with pink energy. "I can do this, no sweat..I'm an X-man! Heh, piece of cake!" she grins and nods to him, stepping in close, lifting a hand to the sky.

"Get ready for anything! Sihal Novarum Chinoth! the familiar pink column of energy surrounds them once more before they vanish from Avalon...And reappear in the nevernever.

Its pretty chilly here, and a bit foggy too. It's kind of eerie actually. They seem to be in some sort of thickly wooded forest...What was it the woman had said about this forest again..?

Barghest has posed:
Across the portal, Nevada's appearance changes slightly. There's a shadowy quality to him and a distinct glow behind yellow eyes, casting a look over him like the old stories of black dogs haunting the distant moors.

"Stick close, easy to get lost here." Grunts the hound as he takes a more tentative sniff of the air and then swings his head groundward to begin checking for likely trails. "I have no idea what a chimera smells like, but I figure something even part goat is probably rank."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn blinks slowly as she peers around and shivers. "Geez, what is this place? It isn't even vaguely familiar..Which way do we go? I guess she said this is a man-eating forest, which isn't very reassuring.."

Nevada might just smell something..Odd, like a cross between a lion, goat and snake all rolled into one. If he's careful he might even notice the occasional huuuuuuuge paw print here or there. Clearly the creature comes here from time to time to feed on the wildlife.

Speaking of wildlife, everything here is bigger, it's like a prehistoric forest of magical weirdness. Here and there, giant dragonflies with glowing wings rush past, while large pink rodents rush past their feet. Oh and there are lots of big trees that look like snapdragons only waaaaasy bigger that seem to sway without any wind..

Barghest has posed:
"Places like this are never called Forest of Pleasant Naps, or The Perfectly Peaceful Meadow." Nevada looks away from the wildlife and down towards one of the oversized pawprints. "Something big comes through here, this is probably a game trail. The trail leads that way. Let's follow this until we get closer. Just be ready to move. If we don't come across it soon, we can see about drawing it out."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn nods, peering at the odd wildlife. "Only one way to find out...Let's just get this over with, and quickly.." with another shiver that's not entirely due to the cold, she sets off after Nev down the trail. "Soooo you ever been to the nevernever before? I mean you're pretty much half-fae too, right? Do you ever wonder what it would be to just..Fully embrace the non human side of you?"

Barghest has posed:
"Half-demon, technically." Nevada replies quietly while he follows the trail. The fur along his spine and neck is up as adrenaline runs, betraying his apprehension in the face of the coming fight. "I've never been here. Hounds like me are Earthbound, our job is there. We don't need to cross over to places like this. Others, like the hunters people often think of when people say hellhound, have different roles. There's different kinds of us for different jobs, same as dogs... really."

"I've always leaned more human." He continues as they walk. "I was born human, raised human-ish. To other hounds I'm a crippled freak. It was never an endearing thought to try and be more like them."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn blinks, "Demon, huh? I thought all demons were evil creatures from hell. You..Do t seem like that at all, of course I've never actually met a demon before.." she shivers at the thought, not sure if she wants to meet one. "Sooo I'm guessing they're bigger and scarier than you?" she laughs nervously.

Still, Pixie focuses on the path ahead, continuing down the trail, ears peeled for anything. "that's terrible, I can't believe they'd think that of you..lI guess my mom left me in the hands of human parents to save me from a similar fate. As a half faerie, I wouldn't be accepted into the world of fae and seen as a freak too.."

Barghest has posed:
"We're mostly grouped by association. If you believe the stories, the earliest hounds were 'domesticated' by demons. I never much bothered with the stories myself." Nevada looks over towards her with those gleaming yellow eyes and huffs out in amusement, "The mean ones are. I'm a lover, not a fighter."

"So you're kind of a changeling, then. Well, I figure we all end up where we are for reasons. If you weren't raised by humans, you wouldn't know your friends or be an X-Man. You'd be a place like this, dodging monsters in The Untidy Plains of Peril or something." He trails off as he lifts his head, nose working overtime as his ears jerk left then right then ahead.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn smiles, "Heh, so you're the runt of the litter? The black sheep?" she blinks, "Ooh, but I mean it in the nicest way possible! Yeah, I'm like that, a halfie, a changeling..Guess I don't really fit in anywhere myself.."

She sighs, a bit off-guard at the moment as she ponders that, totally not paying attention to the long tendrils slaughtering quickly but silently towards her back and feet, or the large hungry jaws of a giant snap dragon plant creeping slowly towards her!

Barghest has posed:
Nevada doesn't remark on the runt bit, but then he's a bit distracted. Something was itching at his senses and he was focused on their surroundings. It's a good thing too, as he hears the subtle sound of motion and swings his head around with teeth bared. It'd likely be a terrifying initial sight for Megan, all shadowy features and glowing eyes and way too many long sharp teeth. But then he's blasting past her in a rush of motion with a sharp snarl and snapping those teeth towards the tendrils.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn's eyes widen in fear, for a brief moment believing that Nevada is about to attack her. Thankfully he rushes right by her instead, and she breathes a sigh of relief. But now is not the time to relax. She streaks up into the air and even as Nevada slashes those tell to bits, it sends out more thorny tendrils at them both, attempting to entangle them and slash at them with razor sharp thorns.

And it's not alone, some more giant emus fly traps start to rush at the two of them..This isn't looking good..

Barghest has posed:
There's a quick yelp as one of those tendrils tears a line of red down Nevada's left side, but he doesn't let up. He bobs and weaves on four feet like a boxer snap and drive back the vines, though after only a few goes the close eyes would see that his turn radius is lacking. He favors motion on his front paws as opposed to his back and those stiff, warped hips. He doesn't drive forward in his attack as Megan goes skyward but moves backward, his snapping teeth now defensive versus offensive.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn gasps as she sees the glitter of blood on his side. "Nevada!" she narrows her eyes as she arches skywards. It might look like she's about to flee and abandon him..But suddenly she charges back in, dive bombing the plant monsters, soul dagger glittering in her hand. With a fierce yell she tears and rips and slices into the plants, and between the two of hem they manage to clear a path before them.

"Come on! Let's get out of here!" she leads the way, slashing at anything that gets in her way, and her dagger seems far more effective in this magical realm than the mundane. But is it enough..?

Barghest has posed:
That's all he needs to hear! Barking an affirmative, Nevada turns and darts for the open path and away from the murderous plants. It's totally not a coward's move. He's not going to tell if she doesn't.

He doesn't slow down until he's got a good distance and slowly lumbers to a gingerly walk, panting heavily and turning to look at the blood sluggishly leaking free. "Well that stings. Doesn't seem too bad, though. You alright? Let's try and keep moving. Smell of blood will draw other things."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn doesn't stop fleeing herself until they reach the edge of the woods, literally outrunning the slower plants. "Phew...Gimme a min..." she pants lightly, her clothes ripped a bit from the thorns, a few scratches and bruises here and there. "I'm okay, no sweat right?" she's smiling faintly, trying to make light of the situation.

"Are you okay? You're bleeding..?" she blinks, stepping to his side. "Darnit, I wish I k ew healing spells, are you gonna be be okay?" she asks with some concern, insisting the wound but careful not to touch it.

Barghest has posed:
"It's fine, shallow." Nevada says after another quick look towards his injury and seems keen on getting going again. "I'll just watch it. Magical things and those of religious significance can hurt me. A steel sword in the hands of some dude off the street can lop my head off, but it wouln't stay that way. A priest stabbing me through the heart with a dagger he blessed? Done. Which is why I don't want to hang around for more things to try and take a chunk out of us. I need to find that trail again..." He begins searching their surroundings again, sniffing and hunting for the tracks of the chimera.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn nods and smiles, "I'm relieved, it got pretty hairy there for a second.." She frowns a bit at his weaknesses though, and is quick to put away her soul dagger.

It seems they ran a long ways though, nearly to the edge of the forest. The growth has markedly thinned here and it's easier to catch scent of the Chimera. The man eating plants don't seem to venture this far, and streaks of light shine through now, clearing the fog and making the air seem a bit more pleasant.

The scent leads further out of the forest, though Nev may start to smell burning grass and wood up ahead..

Barghest has posed:
"Good, I didn't lose the trail. This way." Nevada turns himself towards the open air and keeps on walking. His pace isn't as fast as it was before, though that seems less related to their need to hurry as it is his injury and twisted back. He's got to be getting mighty sore. "At least we have better visibility here, but it doesn't mean things aren't still in the grass. Keep an eye out."

As his nose picks up the new scent on the wind, he turns to look towards the flyer. "I smell fire up ahead. Do you see anything?" He may be tall in this form, but the air still has superior visibility. "Do chimeras breathe fire?"

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn is glad for the open air as she follows, although she frowns at his loping pace. "I'm sorry. It must be hard, being who you are...Doing al, this selfless work for o'there's, and for me, even after everything..." she hangs her head. "Geez I feel like a big jerk..."

She pauses only briefly in her talk, knowing that time is of the essence. "Fire? You think that's...?" she nods and flutters into the air again, "R-right!" and she hovers higher, peering around and blinks, "Hey, all the grass is burnt further up, traces of fire! We must be close, one of the heads us a fire breather right?"

Barghest has posed:
"You don't have anything to apologize for." Nevada says, sounding bewildered if somewhat distracted by monitoring their surroundings. "I don't have many friends, but you're one of them. I'm not going to see a friend suffer if I have a say in it. My kind may have rules, but I still have a heart. I couldn't just keep knowledge like this to myself, not when there is a chance to save her. That's no different than murder the way I see it."

At confirmation of fire nearby, Nevada zeroes in with his nose in the direction of the acrid odor. The fur along his neck and spine lift and there's a curling of his lips to show off a multitude of teeth. "Could be. Alright, let's approach slow. Keep an eye out, look for signs of it moving around. I imagine it's pretty big but that doesn't mean it's not going to move quiet."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn smiles faintly and nods, "Even so..Thank you, it means a lot to me.." she nods and focuses on the mission at hand, still fluttering higher to get a better view, but staying fairly close to Nev. The forest eventually thins out completely, leaving them on a large open field of rolling hills and burnt grass, a few charred trees here and there.

They continue on, through the rolling burnt hills, and it's not hard to find the source of the flames. A steadily growing trail of recent flames are still burning down one pathway that leads up a certain tall hill and eventually into a deep valley below.

At the bottom is a shallow cave, and a massive monster, the size of a large bull elephant at least. It has the body roughly of a lion, tail of a snake, cloven hind legs and head of a lion, goat and dragon. it's currently feeding on a deer.

Barghest has posed:
Nevada crouches down where there's still grass cover and near one of the burning fires to let the smell of the smoke cover his own scent. He looks out through the frame of dry, singed grass to study the beast as it eats and whispers lowly, "Alright. What I'll do is draw its focus, let it see me a competition for the deer. While I have it's attention, you get behind it. Can your dagger cut through it, like grabbing the end of its tail? Gruesome, but I'm thinking there should be enough blood in that for a small vial that we can harvest once we're far enough away."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn holds her breath as she crouches low in the grass atop the hill to watch it. There's fear in her eyes although she does her best to keep calm. "Um...Yeah..I mean, I can make my dagger solid for a minute or two with focus, but even if you draw its attention, it'll turn on me in an instant."

She smiles, "But then, I should be able to put it to sleep with its attention on you. Might be better to watch my back as I creep forward and try to put it to sleep. Draw its attention when it wakes up, and it most likely will, once I cut it. Although didn't the old lady say we need blood from the goat?" that will be even trickier. Yay.

Barghest has posed:
"That works. And hm, I suppose she did. Sleep it'll have to be, which means just go for the jugular if it's going to wake right up. We don't have time to go the slow route then." Nevada wrinkles up his nose further as he shifts his paws under him, claws digging into the turf. "Alright. Don't forget, if things go south, you get out of here. No point in both of us dying. Ready to go?"

Only once she indicates that she's ready will Nevada begin moving away low through the grass. He angles to approach from the side and give Megan a chance to get moving and get away. Then he creeps forward, like a jackal approaching a lion on the plains. Even with his size, the chimera towers. He moves slow at first but ready to move, his yellow eyes fixed intently on the bigger predator with a low and rumbling growl in his throat.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn nods, "Right, we got this. Watch my back, I'm going in!" she's not sure of Nevada's limits, but she does feel safer with him watching her back. He sure stands a better chance against this fiend than she does alone.
And as Nevada gets ready, crouching in the grass, Megan flutters low to the ground, hovering behind the chimera as its busy feeding on the deer. Once she is close enough, she lifts her hands, which glow intensely pink as she concentrates.

"Mists of Morpheus..Go!" she yells. The chimera yawns and stretches lazily, and slowly rests its three heads on its massive paws. Megan creeps ever closer, summoning her dagger and pulling out the vial that the old lady gave her. Once she is close enough, she lightly cuts the goat's neck, jus enough to trickle enough to fill half a vial of blood.

Even as she works however, the snake seems only slightly drowsy and it hisses at her, blinking and opening its eyes, coiling its long neck to peer at her, baring its teeth as it gets ready to deal her a deadly venomous bite while she works..

Barghest has posed:
Well that went better than expected. Nevada doesn't even have to have a dramatic staredown with the beast before it's nodding off to dreamland. ...well, it almost does. "Megan!"

He was already on a slow approach while managing the toothy ends for activity, but the hiss from the back end is what catches his focus. Bristling, he bursts into motion and runs over to try and pounce on the snake and snap his jaws shut just behind the head of the serpent-tail. If he does manage to secure the grapple, he'll start shaking his head like an enraged mongoose to try and snap the delicate bones of the snake.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn meeps, jerking her head up in time to avoid getting bitten by an angry snake! She lunges back, snapping shut the vial of precious liquid and slipping it safely away in a pocket. The snake shrieks and wriggles as Nev snaps down powerful jaws around its neck, but he is plenty strong enough to immobilize it, maybe even cut it off...

Except that now, the rest of the beast awakens, including that flexible dragon head, its neck arching back to breathe a large plume of flame at Nevada!

Barghest has posed:
"GRR-OO!" Snarls out Nevada with his mouth full of angry snake scales. Hopefully his last shake and clamp is enough to drop the snake, because he *has* to drop it. As the dragon comes up swinging, Nevada risks dropping the snake and pushing off to bolt for the grass. His tail is bound to get scorched in the process, but thankfully he's mostly legs and tail in this form and cuts a lean target.

As he retreats, he tries to keep an eye on Megan and making sure that she gets away safely, even while he sets up a raucous barking to keep the chimera's attention away from her. He looks to be aiming back for the woods and the cover they'll provide.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn flies skywards, dodging angry snake venom once it shakes free of Nev's grasp. It dies focus on him though, and while well fed now, it's pretty mad with the cut dealt one of its necks. It lets out a furious roar, and flaps its wings, churning a whirlwind of dust and sharp rocks which temporarily blinds Megan.

Letting out a shriek, she veers off to the right, hitting a large Boulder and falling to the ground. The massive beast is still distracted by the bigger target though, and lunges towards Nevada, attempting to swipe at him with its powerful lion claws.

Barghest has posed:
The hellhound keeps up his noise, putting up an absolute riot as he tries to aggravate the beast and keep it fixed on him, even if the day's activity and his own physical limitations come to collect their due. Nevada can feel the claws whistle through the air at his flank as he lurches out of reach. He stumbles for the fast movement as his hips lock up and send his back end careening. He yelps sharply and scrabbles with his front end, trying to keep up on his feet and keep moving.

Pixie has posed:
Fortunately for Nev, he is considerably faster and more agile than the beast. It snarls and roars, chasing after him with deadly claws, its tail coiling around to attempt to spew venom at him, although Nev's brief skid is well timed and it misses him completely. Still, it opens it maw, readying another plume of smoke..But then a sudden sparkle of pink showers the air, covering its thickly furred body. It hesitates, shrieking and pawing at thin air, clearly distracted by...Something.

Megan rises into the air darting towards Nevada, "Hurry, while its distracted! Let's get out of here!"

Barghest has posed:
Nevada needs no further encouragement. Whining despite himself as his back is a line of white hot fire - figuratively, not literally - he summons up his will to muscle through the pain and move. If not, he'll be in for a lot worse. Even if it'll likely end rather abruptly, if finally.

"Are you alright?" He barks out as he makes a break for the line of the forest in the far distance, a place that hopefully an oversized and winged beast wouln't easily navigate. At this stage, he'll take his chances with the murder-plants.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn grits her teeth, ignoring the bloody gash over her forehead and the headache from hitting the boulder. it could have been worse, she was lucky it was just a glancing blow.

"Yeah..I'll be fine.." she forces a tired smile and nods hurrying after him. oh the hallucination will distract the monster for a bit at least but who knows how long?

"Just need a minute to catch my breath, so I can focus on porting out of here...You ok?" she peers around once safely away from the monster.

Barghest has posed:
No sooner does Megan slow down to rest then Nevada stumbles from a run to all of two walking paces before his hind legs give out. He's panting heavily, foam flecking the corners of his jaws as a few agonized whines escape him. "I'll... I'll make it. Damn spine. I pushed... too much. Too far. Too fast." He half shuts glazed eyes as the adrenaline is slowly ebbing off. There's also a noisy growl from his stomach as it chooses right then to protest how empty it is and how many calories he's used over this adventure. "Soon as you're ready. Let's... let's go get this back. She doesn't have time."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn blinks, rushing to his side, offering what support she can to a giant dog who probably eats faeries for snacks. "Hey! Hang in there! Are you in pain? Cmon, we're almost there.." she's a bit bruised and exhausted herself but it seems Nev took the brunt of the damage, successfully drawing most attacks away from the glass faerie cannon so to speak.

Ugh, but her head is hurting from that hit she took. "Alright Megs.." she mutters, "Keep it together.." she squeezes her eyes shut as she tries to ignore her throbbing head and focuses on the spell instead. "Sihal Novarum Chinoth!"

Theres the familiar cracklings of energy as the two of them are surrounded in a pink column of light. Moments later they find themselves in the front yard of the beautiful and peaceful country cottage that the elderly lady had first met them.

Barghest has posed:
"Nothing I'm not used to." Heaves the hound with a heavy lurch of his breath. Nevada's shaking, no doubt due to exertion and pain, but that doesn't stop him from trying to pull himself back up on his feet. At least his front half he gets upright. "I've been here before. I'll be fine. Really." He tries to reassure her the best he can, but it's probably not convincing given that she's never seen him like this.

Fates be blessed, though, that they don't need to walk back. As they arrive back in the garden, it's clear he's profoundly relieved and he gives an all too human sigh. "Go on in. I'll follow along in a second, soon as I get back on my feet." Which he works on, with his back giving several alarmingly loud pops and cracks as he moves.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn shakes her head as she does her best to help him to his feet, "You sure about that? You're in pretty bad shape..You might wanna shift back though, dunno if you can fit through the door like that." she smiles faintly, trying to make light of the situation.

"You were pretty brave back there..Thank you." shed stubbornly refuse to leave him til he can pull himself together, but when the elderly lady rushes out, a look of anguish on her face, Megan quickly looks towards her. "Your mother doesn't have much time left..,Hurry, with me!" she keeps the door open, though it may be a squeeze for Nevada in that form.

Megan's eyes widen in worry and she rushes after the lady, glancing briefly at Nevada..Hopefully he isn't sensing her imminent death yet? Hopefully they made it in time..

Barghest has posed:
Once Nevada summons what little adrenaline he has left to yank himself upright, he returns to his human form and limp-hobble-lunges himself through the door. He looks pale and he begins sweating heavily once he's switched over to human physiology, but he keeps on going until he's inside. He's not too proud though to immediately lean on the nearest wall for support.

His quick grin to Megan for the compliment fades as he looks to the bedridden woman. "She's right, we're close to the window closing. Give her the blood." He indicates the older woman with a flap of his hand. "So she can do what she needs to do with it."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn bites her lip, hovering briefly between Nevada and her mom..Nev clearly needs medical attention, but it's her mom at death's door. The old lady seems to sense her anguish and she offers Nevada her arm, proving to be quite strong and fit for her age as she leads him to a nearby sofa. "You go take care of your mom, Ms. Gwynn. I'll help your friend. Afterall, I am a trained healer. Please, take a seat, Nevada, allow me to tend to your wounds.."

Megan nods wordlessly and hurries off to the other room to see her mom, taking the blood with her. The blood only had to be mixed into the poultice and the old lady had given her directions earlier. Still, this make take a bit of time.

Barghest has posed:
Nevada doesn't look terribly keen on leaving Megan to do this alone and there's a frown on his face at the suggestion. "Pah, I'm fine, I'm fine!" He protests sourly to the old woman. "My back isn't getting fixed and this is just a scratch." He gestures vaguely to his side where the injury from the plant still sluggishly bleeds because he hasn't stopped moving.

"I appreciate your offer, but go make sure everything in there goes right. Otherwise this trip was for nothing." And for all he's agitated and tired and sore, he still remembers where he is and the importance of manners. "Please. I'll sit and not go anywhere till you check me, but her mother is the important one right now and Megan's tired too."

Pixie has posed:
The lady frowns and shakes her head as he offers him a poultice for his wounds, "Some of those vines were poisonous. This should help. Besides Megan and her mother need a moment alone. Don't worry, I gave her instructions. They'll be fine."

She does pause though, glancing towards the door, "She will have time enough to rest. That was very selfless of you, what you did for her.."

Barghest has posed:
Nevada still doesn't look happy with the response, but he has no further place to argue. He sinks himself down into the sofa and tries not to look too relieved for the cushion. Gingerly he pulls off his shirt so the wound is visible and gives her a nod of his head to approve her to do what she needs. There are spots hard enough to reach without his limited ability to bend and twist.

"Mm." He utters a low grunt as he looks away, as if he wasn't convinced of or even ashamed of the praise. "Maybe, but, this seems like it'll work. I hope. This is the least I could do for a friend."

Pixie has posed:
The old lady nods as she treats his wounds, "Such kindness is rare, I hope she realizes what a rare friend she has in you." she smiles softly, cleaning up his wounds, wrapping in bandages what is most dire and nods to him as she climbs to her feet. "But right now you should focus on resting.."

She takes off for Mrs Gwynn's room, and is gone for several minutes, the sound of murmured whispering coming from the closed door. Some 30 minutes later, an exhausted looking Megan finally steps out, flopping on the sofa next to Nev. "Hey."

Barghest has posed:
Nevada didn't fall asleep in that timeframe. Nope. He was sitting there, ready at a moment's notice while diligently keeping watch... with his eyes closed. The sudden weight of Megan dropping onto the couch snaps them open and there's a rapid sideways look until his brain catches up. Right, Megan's mom.

"Oh! Hey." He says quickly while wiping the back of his hand across his eyes. Exhaustion remains a weight pressing down on them, but rest is banished in the moment. "How'd it go? Is she okay? Are you okay?"

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn nods and smiles faintly, "She's fine, the poison will take some time to clear but her fever broke and she's breathing normally now. The lady Jasmine says it will be a couple of days before I can have a proper conversation but for now the immediate danger is over.." she sighs, "Just wish I could be a bigger part of her life but now I know where to find her.."

Megan glances curiously at him, "How are you doing?"

Barghest has posed:
"Good, good." Nevada sighs, but this time it's with a deep sense of relief. "Hey, at least now she's /alive/ for you to try and have more of a relationship with her. It's a start." He says with a gently but heavy kind of smile. He gets what it is to have an estranged family.

"I'm okay. I'll just need to take it easy for a little, but I'll be fine. I heal pretty quick. I just pushed myself more than my back can take, but I expected that to happen. I've been there plenty of times before. Different circumstances, but..." He shrugs before reaching out to drop an arm around her shoulders for a one-armed hug. "We all made it out. That's worth a sore back any day. You saved my ass too, ya know. If it was just me out there, I probably wouldn't have escaped that chimera. You got some cool tricks up your sleeve."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn nods and sighs, "Yeah...I'm not gonna lose my mom like I lost my dad. I really can't thank you enough for helping me, if you hadn't pulled strings, I dunno what I would have done.." she sighs tiredly, knowing how close she was to losing her mom. But right now she's tired and the most immediate danger is over.

Megan leans in against him and smiles as she rests her head against his shoulder, "Is it ok if we stay here a while longer..?" but a moment later, she's already fallen asleep..She must have been more tired than she let on..