Log:A Child's Fantasy, Scene 2

A Child's Fantasy 2020/07/03 	 Amelia Carpenter Grimm Harlequin Hotfoot Kelly Quiet Riptide Slinger Marty Flinn 2

Two second-grade kids, Jake Barker and Andy Rice, had vanished from Harrisburg Elementary. Investigation revealed that they had been 'disappeared' accidentally by first-grader Marty Flinn, while they were bullying him. Following the panicked interdimensional displacement of a classroom door and some denial, Marty confessed and agreed to help, sending Amelia and Riptide through to the other dimension (and allowing Grimm to get a lock on the dimension). Kelly, Slinger and Hotfoot have now joined them, to help fight a large wolf (or warg). Carpenter remains on Earth with Marty.

The world beyond the portal is an almost cartoonish fantasy world. There's a huge, dark forest with large predators, a grim castle on a mountain top to the north, a big ocean to the east. Horses have been heard but not seen. Carpenter has identified the dimension as matching the world of a book Marty likes, 'The Tower of the Dark Knight', which involves two heroes fighting their way through the forest to retrieve a magic sceptre the knight has stolen.

The heroes are still engaging the warg, though it's now restrained by Kelly. Of the missing boys there is, as yet, no sign. 

Harlequin steps to near where the other heroes are and eyes the warg.

"Nice grip, Lady-" Slinger says to Kelly. "Now lets hope you don't get interdimensional lice. I hear the collar is the worst part. I suppose better than interdenominational lice."

Slinger frees himself from his tangled webline and leaps towards the wolf again. He's loathe to hurt it, just in case its a simple (though large) wolf- so he's attempting to restrain it first.

With the Wolf in Kelly's unholy grasp Slinger is able to skitter and crawl all over it, laying down multiple wide bands across the great beast, dexterously anchoring the lines to each other by weaving them in two distinct lines. One attached to a nearby tree and another to a large boulder.

Quiet had already entered the portal, and moved clear of it, also avoiding the "dog pile" on the large wolf. She is considering some form of restraint when Slinger seems to have the same and makes that a reality. That just leaves the sounds of hooves as a concern, even if the source isn't yet seen. She cups a hand briefly at the side of her helm and then points in the direction of the sounds. Others must hear it, too, but one never knows. To help with the intell, she points her weapon skyward and launches a burst sensor to hover overhead.

The warg weakens the webbing but fails to get free.

Grimm flickers and teleports in the direction of the castle. With a cast glance over her shoulder, she focuses on the Warg's mind.

The warg howls in pain!

"Hey, that horse sound is louder this way," Grimm comments, her shadow sight extending to try and find the owner of said horse.

"I don't think that's going to hold it long..." Slinger says of his webs. "Clearly going to need to tweak that formula." He notes aloud- looking at Quiet as she pantomimes that she hears something.

"I hear them too." He confirms for her. "You dont think that's the calvary then? The eponymous Dark Knight?"

HWne the wolf howls his head snaps back to it before looking at Grimm. "Well- maybe that's covered."

Grimm tilts her head slightly as if hearing something. "We have 8 armored riders on horseback headed our way," she states.

Amelia unleashes a Spirit Strike on the Warg. Turning to the group, "Harlequin, Grimm, can you get folks home when needed? I can but.. well this is a fairy tale right? And I'm a witch. I might as well be wearing a red security section shirt."

The warg howls again, louder - it doesn't look like it can take much more of this.

"I was traversing dimensions back when you were in high school. Of course I can get folks home," Grimm answers. She raises a brow. Her family name comes from academic brothers known for their published collected fairytales. "Riiiight," she says slowly.

"Yes, I can get people out of this...dream realm, Amelia. That warg is simply playing a role." He gestures all around. "All of this is just a stage made large. It's not a high fantasy realm. It's the spiritual equivalent of a soundstage." He looks over at the Warg. "Can we speak to your stage manager? We're looking for two lost kids."%r%rThe mage's tone is one one would use with an important actor, not a ravening monster.

Just for a second there's a gleam in the warg's eye which suggests that it understood. But it doesn't break character, even though it appears to be in a fair amount of pain now.

Slinger looks back in the direction of the hooves. He looks very much like he's thinking of doing something stupid.

Of course the mask obscures everyone but Grimm from seeing that look on his face, though she might not recognize it since Daemon rarely did anything like that... sober.

"If I get left here I will uplift whatever peasant society is here... on this 'soundstage', invent fire, electricity and interdimensional teleporting just to web someone to a toilet seat." He says before leaping off into the trees in the direction of the incoming riders.

Once he gets into the tree line he starts moving more stealthily.

The Warg breaks free of the webbing, ut is still in Kelly's hold.

Grimm grumbles at Slinger's quips as he disappears, "I better not find webbing on my toilet." Feeling the riders almost here, she tries to put the Warg down as she steps behind a tree to keep it between her and the direction of the riders. This time she waves her hand towards the beast, sending an ethereal blast of darkness its way.

The warg howls again - and passes out.

Amelia steps forward in the direction she thinks the riders are coming from and holds.

Harlequin teleports up to the now unconscious Warg and looks at it. As he does, a large pupilless blue eyes opens on his forehead, well on his mask's forehead, and a cone of blue light shines on the Warg. "Let us see the the Truth vis the Akashic Eye, shall we?"

"The problem, you see, is that it takes longer to reach memories in the unconscious. And, sadly, the lamas who first crafted this spell never meant it for combat situations," Harlequin murmurs as he delves into the Warg;s unconscious mind.

Grimm shakes her head at Harlequin's comments. "You realize we're in an imaginary realm of that kid's making, right? His psionic signature is palpable here."

Quiet takes Grimm's confirmation and the more detailed info in mind as she begins to make her way quickly on foot towards the possibly approaching riders.

Quiet charges headlong into the forest - and the eight rough-looking riders come into sight, earing down on her!

"He didn't make this Warg or whoever is coming. They already existed. They're actors," replies Harlequin. "They are fulfilling their roles in the child's desires."

Grimm raises a brow. "So a dream realm connected to him or something? I can feel Marty's signature all over this place."

Slinger hears how close they're getting now. He won't have a lot of time- certainly not enough time to toy with them first.

He shoots his weblines ahead before leaping into a thick branch to fling him backwards which pulls the lines taut. He strains against them himself and then rockets forward through the branches.

He shoots another line out to slow his fall and catch himself, timing it to end up just ahead of the riders.

The branches sway as he sets eyes on the riders. Once he spots his target he shots a webline into a branch and yanks it hard, using the recoil to try to strike the rider. He's certain they won't ride without their lord.

The man grunts and makes a noise a lot like swearing into his beard, though you can't actually make out any of the words. He stays on his horse, though.

Quiet wasn't expecting to encounter them quite so near, but it's all good. It's a fairy tale with black knights and heroes and innocents to rescue, so ... she might as well play her part. Her firearm remains stowed, but a circular distortion field appears on her right forearm. Meanwhile, a narrow shape of similar gravimetric sheer projects over her hand from her left. Swords and shields it is. She stands her ground, since storybook heroes really aren't supposed to run away.

The riders split into two groups of 4. The first group surround Quiet, trying to net her! The second group veers slight to the left to attempt the same thing on Grimm, though the last one, instead of attacking, blows a horn (which is notably magical to anyone sensitive to such things).

Quiet deflects all the nets with ease. These guys don't seem to be very good, except possibly the leader. Rather like they're unnamed characters in a work of fiction, or something. :) Come to that, they all look pretty much the same except for the leader with the great big bushy beard.

Grimm gets caught in one of the nets. "Oh, no. Don't take me prisoner. Please," she says with all the enthusiasm and shock of Daria. This may be the quick way to find out where the boys are.

Grimm is about to say something barbed to the guards, but then she realizes. "Harley said they were actors." So...she takes a breath and closes her eyes. Her hands grip the netting she's trapped in and she opens her eyes as they well up with tears, and suddenly puts on a real performance of someone fearing for their lives. "Please! Let me go! You can't do this! Don't hurt me!" She really sells the terror and helpless damsel act.

One of the riders hauls Grimm up onto his horse, with a coarse laugh.

Amelia is stunned that Grimm is reacting so. But she knows Grimm's had a rough time of late. "I've got your back." she calls out, reaching for her collapsible bow. Nocking an arrow she shoots at the horseman who's netted Grimm.

The horseman is knocked clear of his horse, with an arrow through his chain armour, and hits a tree. Grimm goes tumbling to the ground...

... which free her from the net.

Grimm rolls off the back of the horse and lands with a thump, the net coming free. She lays there and sighs at her luck while staring at the tree canopy.

Slinger is glad these people look like they can take a good punch- after the rider seems good to go after being struck with a tree.

He turns it up a notch- or plans to when he hears Grimm's plea for help. He turns and rushes toward his friend until he sees the predicament she's in.

He stops- pausing on the trunk of a tree-trunk as he cocks his head curiously.

He senses she's up to something so he bounces towards the hornblower.

Shooting a webline just behind his target and yanking on the line to put some extra umph into his strike not realizing that Amelia had Grimm's back anyway.

The hornblower is stunned by the blow - and in consequence is knocked from his horse.

Quiet thought Grimm was suddenly a very cowed prisoner... which is at odds of everything she knows about the woman. While she's seen people go from seeming sweet to stone cold b!^$# in an instant... the reverse never really happens. So that means she was trying to play a role, too. Alas, Quiet has bigger concerns, in the form of the large men surrounding her. They're all knights, here, though, so she strikes at the largest with her blade.

The blade penetrates the chain armour, and the the man howls, "Curse ye, girl!" as if that's the greatest swear word he knows!

At this point, anyone magically sensitive gets a very strong sense that they're being watched...

Harlequin probes deeper into the wargs mind, back near the portal.

Slinger continues eating away at the numbers in the periphery of the clash- or that's his plan anyway. He senses the numbers are against them and he doesn't plan on leaving anyone in the lurch. He leaps towards the hornsman and attempts to cocoon him in his webbing so he can move on.

Mid-leap something comes over him and he instead shoots a webline and swings at his target, electing to drop kick the man instead.

Slinger's swing through is near perfect- landing both of his feet into the solarplex of the hornblower before he can regain his footing. Its probably a bit vicious for 'Slinger' but with no one looking and a pack of sword-weidling knights trying to kill, capture or maim them he decides these dark woods are no place for niceities.

The man's body jerks from the impact before his limbs fall back to the ground and he lays there limply.

"Try not to snore too loudly. I hear there's a wolf in these woods." He says with a smirk.

Grimm gets up to her feet quickly, the damsel in distress act over. "Well, I guess we'll just do this the normal way." She sweeps her hand towards one of the knights, spectral darkness flying towards them.

The blast goes through the knight, leaving no sign of damage. He wobbles a moment, then crumples in his seat atop his mount.

Quiet has heard worse exclamations. Alot worse. On the other hand, this is a tale meant for, read by, or implemented by a child. That might explain the lack of blood, too. She can't make a witty retort to the knight, but she supposes she doesn't have to cut him down completely. She levels her blade at him again, this time more menacing than wounding. Maybe he'll get the point. Heroes don't surrender or flee, but the villains do it all the time, don't they? At least in stories.

No? He doesn't want to surrender? Well, Quiet did make the offer, so her Fairytale Hero Obligation Quota is met? She makes a broad, sweeping slicing that knocks him back and away into a tree. He crumples after the impact, so it could be just a delayed response. Either way, he seems pretty done.

Amelia ports over to behind Grimm's back, litereally 'having her back covered.' Popping a small blue glowing pellet from a pouch she tosses it up into the air, where it splits into three and these three dart off toward the three dark knights near Quiet.

One pellet strikes a tree, the other two streak home and flare brightly in the eyes of two of the dark knights.

One of the blinded knights is taken completely by surprise and falls off his horse. The other three, still ignoring their swords, draw maces - actually, hardly more than metal-headed clubs with no sharp projections. The one near Grimm swings at the rather effective Amelia. The two near Quiet swing at her - despite, in one case, being blind!

Amelia just manages to fend off the mace strike with the hand holding her bow

The knights fail once more to subdue the heroes and take them captive....

Harlequin delves still deeper into the wolf's mind....

Grimm winces at the near hit on Amelia, still back to back with her. She tries to think of something to say, and says something that one might not expect her to. "Thanks. For having my back." Reluctant, but sincere.

Amelia thinks maybe she should let herself be taken. It might be to the same places the kids ended up. Realisation strikes like a thunderbolt. "Oh! Oops." She glances over her shoulder, "You were trying to get captured weren't you. You totally fooled me. I thought you were still feeling the effects of your recent problems. Sorry."

Slinger bounds through the canopy overhead, grateful Amelia appeared when she did.

He swings on by giving the magic-embued women a thumbs up while upside down on his line. Just before the apex of his swing he flips off of and leaps at one of Quiet's goons.

Slinger bounds through the canopy overhead, grateful Amelia appeared when she did.

He swings on by giving the magic-embued women a thumbs up while upside down on his line. Just before the apex of his swing he flips off of and leaps at one of Quiet's goons.

Grimm chuckles faintly. "Yeah. Figured that'd be a short cut to fighting these guys off. Harlequin said they were actors. So I was acting the part they were expecting, maybe." She watches Slinger in action. "I'm...still recovering from those problems. But I'm not about to fall apart to some storytime villains," she flashes a grin over her shoulder at Amelia.

Amelia grins back.

Slinger flies through the air at the man saddled on the horse and visibly glaring at Quiet.

"I'm pretty sure this part is 'Eyes Only', Mr. Errant." He says just as he side kicks the knight. "I'm afraid you don't qualify." He says a he lands, watching the man sag visibly and wobble while remaining in his saddle.

"Guy musta been born on a horse." He says to Quiet while flinging his thumb towards the one he just struck.

Quiet rolls her shoulders in a shrug to Slinger. He could also have glued his butt to his own saddle, but there isn't a convenient tactical hand signal to convey that concept. With several blinded and her prior target down, she attempts to aid Slinger with a thrust of the energy blade at the one reeling in his saddle.

Slinger of course looks horrified when he sees that. Thankfully his mask covers that up pretty well.

"Ar... are... we just 'offing' these guys now?" He asks Quiet in a whisper, not worrying about Quiet's lack of ability to communicate audibly besides loud bangs.

Quiet's blade is thrust into the stunned knight's torso and then is promptly removed. There isn't even much of a wound due to the narrow field and cauterization, just a little slit in the knight's plate or chain. He then proves that he is not glued as he wobbles and then topples off the horse. Born in the saddle, die in the saddle? Slinger gets another roll of her shoulders in a shrug.

Quiet isn't attacking the horses, at least? That would be the most effective tactical counter to their mobility and height advantage, but that would also be cruel and unnecessary. No animals were harmed in the making of this tale.

Grimm watches Quiet's ungory evisceration and leans back a little to whisper aside to Amelia, "Did she -know- they're just dream constructs?" She shakes her head. "Let's just put the rest down and head to the castle, huh?" she suggests, extending her hand towards one of the blinded knights as a spectral stream of dark energy flies their way.

The horses, indeed, seem to be serving as no more than convenient vehicles for the knights. They don't seem inclined either to trample or kick the heroes, nor are they sensibly running off frightened.

"I feel like punching is more my speed." Slinger says, returning the shrug and looking around a bit nervously. "But- you know. 'Do you, Q.'"

The blinded knight doesn't see it coming. The energy shoots right through him without a mark and he wobbles and sways in the saddle.

Amelia rushes over to the knight she pierced with an arrow, flipping up his visor. "Sa.. Harlequin said they were actors. Are you sure they're constructs, Grimm. I so hope so. Otherwise I've.. I've killed."

"They're...well...more like dream wraiths? They aren't really dead. Just the roles they are currently playing are," Grimm explains.

Amelia sags against the tree. "Thank god. I was afraid..." She shakes her head, "I've never killed and I don't want to."

As the last one is put well in hand, Slinger flings himself towards Grimm & Amelia- electing to make a pitstop off the wobbling knight's faceplate to make it the last few yards to Grimm.

Slinger figures it will be scenic & will make sure this dull panic inside him will go away.

Grimm gives Slinger a thumbs up at that move, then looks to Amelia as she sinks agains the tree. "Don't worry. You still haven't," she tries to make her feel better. "It's...like a VR video game. You're not really killing these things. Hopefully there's nothing else stuck here that's like us, so we should still be careful."

Amelia nods thanks to Grimm.

Slinger's agility is proven still everything it was before as he manages to get over the head of the knight, flip and then eject his heels out at the center of his target's faceplate all in one fluid motion. It almost looks easy.

What is not easy is wearing that strike.

The knight's head launches back hard, revealing the dent in the armor before he sags and falls out of the saddle.

His landing is pulled off with poise and high energy as well as he slides and bounds to his feet looking as if that were no harder than crossing the room for a remote.

"Knights. Dragons. I do it all." He says with a wry smirk.

Slinger may be quipping but he definitely feels a growing sense of unease despite another of these knights going down for the count.

He gives Grimm and Amelia their moment before saying anything. He can tell what it is now...

"Phrasing!" Grimm chimes in at Slinger's quip as she raises a hand towards one of the blinded knights still standing. It happens at the same time that Amelia takes aim at another target, and the two drop their targets. The other heroes each down one of the knights, leaving the horses riderless and a bunch of armored knights on the ground. "Okay. Let's go storm a castle?" she suggests after looking around to see no more targets.

Harlequin has reached the deepest recesses of the warg's mind. He can confirm that these are dreamwraiths. Apparently this dimension used to be very dull and the wraiths didn't much know what to do with themselves, until they started to feel the influence of The Entity and the world took shape and they got to be different creatures for a while.

Slinger has an idea and moves to remove the armor from one of the knights about his size. Storming is fun, but back doors are usually his thing. He wants to keep the option open.