[803] [2913] [13757] Antlered Menace [Order p2]

Pyrrah barely had time to react before the elder’s face twisted in fury. Between needing to stay alert, and Theneras' kind-of blame, he hardly felt secure.

Elder- "Heretic!" 

The Haedian spat, his voice rising in anger. 

Elder- "Blind follower of light! Your ignorance casts shadows on the sacred path, and your refusal to embrace the truth brands you a fool, condemned to wander in the darkness of your own disbelief!"

Pyrrah stood firm, but inside, he could feel the tension rising. Dominion, next to him, was fidgeting- he shifted nervously, his usual enthusiasm dampened by the hostile energy. Without another glance, the elder turned, the group of Haedians moving with him; but something was off… 

There was a whisper that grew louder, almost like the cavern itself was speaking.

"Shira... Shira... Shira..."

The name echoed through the darkness, swirling around them, making the air feel even heavier. Pyrrah glanced at Dominion, who looked uneasy. His gaze then fell to Theneras, in some sincere apology - as best as he could give anyway.

Dominion - "Who's Shira...?" 

Dominion asked in a low voice, his eyes darting around the cave like he expected something to jump out at them. His ears pinned back, the decorative cuffs in his silky tufts echoing in a jangle through the space between them.

Theneras- “No one good. No one good gets chanted into existence like that…”

And then something did leap out—sort of. A massive figure appeared from the shadows, her presence like a wave crashing over them. Shira. The leader of the Order. She was huge, more terrifying than any of the Haedians they'd seen so far, her eyes burning with rage. Pyrrah took an instinctive step back, his mind racing.

Pyrrah- "I don't think this is gonna' be a friendly chat..." 

Pyrrah muttered, shooting a glance at the others.

Theneras- “I think we should–”

Dominion - "Doesn’t matter--" 

His voice was firmer than his body felt right now. 

Dominion-"If she wants a fight, I’m not backing down!"

Pyrrah knew Dominion’s instinct was to run, to get out of danger fast; but here he was, digging in his heels and ready to defend. 

Shira’s gaze burned into them, and it was clear she wasn’t interested in talking. Pyrrah had to decide fast—try to diffuse things or back Dominion up in what might be an inevitable fight. The dark chaser then looked to Theneras, as if gauging his stance. His ability to fight or to fly. After all, Dominion was a stranger to them, really.

Theneras grimaced in Pyrrah’s direction in return. He wasn’t a fighter, but he couldn’t leave someone alone in this pit either. He looked to the cavernous ceiling then and hoped to the dear Gods that maybe Oris might actually favor them over this so-called Shira. 

They didn’t have much more time to deliberate as Shira lunged forward, her antlered head charged with the intention to gauge them. It reminded Theneras of when he was a mere pup, picking a fight with some deer– and how quickly that could have turned south if he hadn’t prayed to the Gods and been rescued by his elven handler. Theneras let out a not so manly scream as he evaded, sticking his paws out in a cross. Perhaps it would work again this time.

Theneras- “O-ORIS– I DON’T KNOW YOU BUT I’D LIKE SOME HELP!!”

He practically cried and Shira paused for just a moment before she diverted her attention to the other two, leaving Theneras to his own mumbling crying mass as he basically accepted his fate by her claws. Her long tail whipped around and struck at the Reoseans before her.

Pyrrah barely had time to duck Shira’s massive tail. The force of it cracked against the stone where he'd been standing moments before, sending shards of rock skittering across the floor. Yikes. Dominion, however, had no such hesitation. He darted forward, dodging the blow with surprising agility for someone clearly shaken moments ago– the determined spark in his eyes unwavering.

Theneras’ panicked cry cut through Pyrrah's thoughts, and his decision was made for him. Pyrrah’s gaze darted to his traveling buddy, who was now a trembling mess, frantically pleading with the Gods. Theneras wasn’t a fighter, that much was clear, and right now he looked completely out of his depth.

Pyrrah - "Damn it..."

Pyrrah cursed under his breath, abandoning any thoughts of reasoning with Shira. There was no talking this Haedian down; the situation had already spiraled. He couldn’t just let Theneras be crushed in the chaos either.

Dominion was already charging toward Shira, summoning a brilliant staff at his side - ready for a clash. While Dominion focused on drawing Shira’s attention, Pyrrah darted toward Theneras.

Pyrrah - "I'm coming, bud!"

Pyrrah called out, shoving the other chaser with his own body and pushing him back from the immediate danger zone, trying to shield him with his own body if needed. If Dominion could keep Shira distracted long enough, maybe they’d have a chance at making it out.

He didn’t know how this was going to end, but one thing was for sure: they couldn’t afford to fall apart now.