Summary:Finally a small success in the bid to remove the barrier. The Lady Amara is apprehended. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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The barrier around Staten Island is still place, much to the annoyance of city officials. The pressure is being placed on the NYPD, SIPD (what remains of it) and SHIELD to come up with a solution and quick.
Most of this group of people had adventurers has been inside the barrier several times and found the directions to one Lady Amara, a Drow supposedly who held sway over this part of Staten Island. There's a couple of newcomers to the group, so this might be strange - the Staten Island inside the barrier is much changed and much … larger. To wit, they've been travelling for several hours through a field then foothills, climbing steadily for the last hour or so.
Of course, they've all got some form of transport.
Batgirl, who transformed to a ranger in clothes of shades one might call Sherwood Green, is riding a horse. That's what her motorcycle turned into when she went through the barrier. With her bow slung over her shoulder, the woman looks tired and drawn as they move. Her green eyes, visible as her hud transformed to a cloth mask that covers her lower face, are still bright but there's stress lines at the corners. It's been rumoured she's been here nearly every day.
"Amara's cave is supposed to be around here somewhere." The redhead says to the group. "Be aware. The dispossessed Drow have given us safe passage but I don't trust them. If things go wrong, they'll look to save themselves."
For those with sharp eyes and senses, there's an area ahead that looks like it might be something useful.
Some might consider asking an Olympian demigod to investigate to be overkill. Those people probably lack ambition. The interesting thing is that when Hercules passed through the barrier, his garb… didn't change at all. He was toting a large rucksack which has transformed into a roughly-made backpack, but he looks the same as he normally does. He's also disdained the use of a horse, happy to jog alongside; his stamina certainly isn't affected by the area.
Hercules tugs at his beard idly, and offers Batgirl a nod. "We may need… what was the phrase that agent used? An 'exit plan' if things go awry."
Dylan, the armored knight on a motorcycle, transformed into an armored knight on a war horse, the color of night though with glowing red eyes and a tendency to snort fire. "Safe passage from them." he corrects. "Not safe passage from everything we might encounter. And definitely not the forces of the sorceress who they oppose." Turning to look at the Greek god, he says "I should be able to open a passage to the edge of the dome if we need one." Pause. "Maybe. This is the sorceress' demesne and her power is strongest here. Perhaps stronger than mine." Or rather, his ancestor's.
As for Laynia, she's been here before, yes. Once again the Darkforce manipulator has transformed. She stands nearly a full foot taller, so she's about six feet six. Her costume has changed from form fitting bodysuit to a flowing gown of inky black - the black shifts and roils, the material shifting in color between shades of black and white and grey. It also shifts in opacity, twisting about like ink in water, though never quite violating her modesty. Well, if she had much, or any. Snug fitted to generous bosom, the gown is loose and flowing otherwise, slit to the knee on both side, and possessed of a short train.
A sigh as she's embiggened again, and then Laynia floats up a few inches, sufficient to keep the train from catching. What is truly offputting is how her eyes are solid black now, and her skin roils in similar fashion to the gown she wears. "How many of these 'Drow' can we expect to meet, Batgirl?"
Hunter has transformed, yet again, into the seeming 'ranger' in a mixture of well-worn, ratty, slightly threadbare gear, but with highly serviceable weapons … which she oddly almost never uses. She happens also to be the one person with no 'mode of transportation'. She walked in, and has been loping along at improbable paces ever since. She covers ground easily as fast as the horses, and seems almost like she never tires. It's damned eerie. She has made a point to be on point, way out ahead, using hand signals to communicate back to the group. She is rather irksome to many in the group, because she almost never talks. When she does, she seems to use as few words as possible, taking laconic to a whole new level.
When the group stops to discuss, Hunter gives a handsign back, indicating her intended direction, and then slinks off and starts scouting around, reappearing periodically from different locations to gesture in certain directions towards things she has spotted with her powerful senses. Those who have come in with her before know Hunter's senses seem to be pretty well off the charts. And there is at least one group aware that when she goes into combat here, she tends to … roar. And fight unarmed, refusing to do permanent injury to those who have been transformed here.
May's own motorcycle has become a horse similar to Batgirl's, though its tack is not Western or European. It's decidedly Asian to match the SHIELD senior agent's change of attire. In place of leather-like tactical garments and utilitarian boots, she's wearing multiple layers of purple-edged silk robes held closed with a wide belt, her swords now visibly carried against her back and an arms-length handle with a long tassel of horsehair in her hand. Tooled black leather cover her arms from elbow to wrist, and her leather boots now sport upturned toes. Her hair, previously allowed to be loose, is now swept severely up and back from her face and secured with an ornate gold-colored hair piece, the rest hanging down her back well past her waist. The edges of a purple ribbon peek through all that hair from time to time as well.
"We have an exit plan," she says to Hercules curtly, then focuses on the area up ahead, and once again wishes like hell that binoculars would survive going through the barrier. Hunter's loping along had originally resulted in an offer to ride her motorcycle-now-horse, but she relents to let the woman scout ahead as that's always a useful tactic to have available.
Does she seem ready to volunteer what said exit plan is? No.
This time into the barrier, Hisako's clothes are a mix of green and brown - not really like camouflage, but a suggestion of what 'camouflage' might have looked like if the concept had existed in medieval Europe. Her tunic is light green, her trousers a near-yellow brown, and a few patches of "stray" color, seemingly stitched on as though to mend excessive wear, help to break up the solidity of each. It also has the benefit of looking like something a peasant would wear, somebody who has to work in the fields and can't afford to simply buy new clothes.
Those who've seen her on previous forays into the barrier might realize that she's *not* wearing the leather 'armor' she'd sported previously. That said, she moves with a conscious caution that most farmgirls wouldn't know the first thing about, particularly as they approach the foothills. She pauses, listening to Barbara, and nods pointedly before continuing to search.
Exit plan. Her best plan for a speedy exit is, quite simply, armor up, balance speed against not drawing excess attention, and run. If she can't run, smack or punch or kick or throw her assailants, *then* run once she's got the opening. The fact that May sounds like she has a more concrete exit plan, however, is a distinct relief to Hisako - and she seems like she's trying to keep a measure of her attention on May, just in case.
"We might, yes." Batgirl offers a smile to Hercules, not that it's obvious except for the way her eyes crinkle. "Do you have any ideas?" She might but she's interested in hearing what others think. Even if that's 'punch their way out'.
"Exactly Agent Grey." She agrees with Dylan "And honestly, they're out to protect their own hides. If Amara even thinks they're aiding us in anyway, expect things to go bad in a big way." She nods at the thought of a portal from Dylan "That's a good start. Do you know where you could get us too?"
"I've no idea, Agent Petrova. Amara's name gets a lot pale faces but no one has been able to estimate the numbers of her force." beat "I would expect between 'a lot' and 'an awful lot'." Batgirl might be tired but she's still got some sense of humour.
"Perhaps you might share the exit plan, Agent May." Batgirl invites. She's getting used to the taciturn agent.
With Hunter ranging ahead, she'll find the opening to the caves. Offset in the side of the hills and well shielded by trees and shrubs, it's still got the obvious markings of being used. The tracks she can read indicate a dozen … people. About 5 feet 7 inches to 6 feet tall.
The problem? They look like they left a few hours. Which might well put a hunting group behind them.
As the group catches up with Hunter, Batgirl reaches into her pack and pulls out a … torch with flint. That's what her torch has transformed into. This will be fun … won't it? The horses, probably can't go any further, either. Maybe.
Hunter reappears behind the group almost completely silently. "Hobble." she murmurs, and then moves up amongst the group. "Down. Quiet." The rest comes in handsigns, rapidly. One upright finger on one hand, two on the other, side by side. Then a hand held at just below her own height, then raised to well over her own. Then she points outwards, into the woods. Then a drawn circle in the air, and one arm pointing due left. The three-o'lock position. She thumps herself in the chest, then points in the same direction she pointed earlier, out into the woods. She points to Batgirl, sweeps her hand around the others, and points into the cave mouth.
Hunter only waits several seconds before she disappears back into the woods.
Was she sniffing the air? Seriously?!
"Honestly, not much beyond 'I hold them off while you run for it'. Athena's the strategist in the family." As the group approaches the cave, he opens up his pack as well, peering inside. "Huh. Interesting." When Hunter reappears, he quiets, furrowing his brow as he tries to puzzle out her handsignals. About all he gets is 'go into the cave', so… "Shall I go first?" he inquires — quietly — of Batgirl.
"Unless blocked, anywhere under the dome I've already been." Dylan answers. "So right to the edge where we entered is possible. The question is whether or not she's set up wards to keep others from magically entering or leaving her demesne." And to that he has no answer. Dismounting, he says to his horse "Use your best judgment on how long to wait. If you decide I'm not returning, go home. I'll meet you there if I was delayed over long. Keep the horses safe and get them out of here if it becomes too dangerous."
Sniffing the air would genuinely *not* surprise Hisako as a viable method of gathering intel on potential hostiles. Her stealth probably shouldn't surprise Hisako either, but when Hunter speaks up quietly from *behind* the group, it still makes the Japanese girl jump, before she takes note and hunkers down amongst whatever underbrush there is. The hand signs don't make a whole lot of sense to her, but presumably somebody else here (besides Hunter) *will* understand.
Hisako will just follow the lead of someone who understands those signals - and in the meantime, she strains her ears to pick out any noise of approaching unknowns, keenly aware of how exposed they are. If Hunter did mean to have them head into the cave, that seems like an idea with some merit …
"We leave the horses here." May does exactly that, pausing to look at Hunter when she gives her non-verbal report. She nods to woman, looking in the direction indicated, then speaks to the others a bit more quietly (she wasn't exactly yelling to begin with).
"Our exit plan. Agent Petrovna and I provide cover, Grey transports as many of you as far away as possible." Yes, that means leaving at least two of the group behind, but it's not like May hasn't done something like that before. She's kind of known in SHIELD for getting herself out after everyone else is well clear.
"Let's go see what's inside."
"In truth I too can portal within dome, though…is not as comfortable, nor as fast as what Agent Grey offers." Laynia the Darkforce Witch shrugs. "I can act as backup though, glad to - my range is about three miles. Is not vast by any means, but is good enough in pinch, da?" She studies Hunter's handsigns and then nods. "Into cave, she will scout. I can also provide protective barricades if retreat is needed." And then bares her teeth a bit. "Or blow things up very well with Darkforce bolts." So there's that. She does keep an eye on the other directions that Hunter pointed to, keeping an eye out for hostiles from those approaches. And yes, she landed and kept low when so instructed. She does find herself looking a little bemusedly at Hercules. HE didn't change a bit.
A nod then, in support of May. "Da. I am good coverer."
She's also the boss of her, so there's there. May outranks Laynia a lot.
Dylans' comments gets a hard look from Batgirl. He's worked with her enough to know she's not the type to leave her team behind. "And if you don't show back up? Where do we start looking for you?" That's not a choice - she would and he knows it.
Hunter gets many scents when she sniffs. Of the hunting party, if that's what it was, there's no scent though. They're likely some distance away which will give the group time - but they'll still need to be careful. Drow can be tricksy in their preferred domain.
Hobbling her horse, bike, Batgirl nods to Hercules. "I think that would be best, don't you Agent May? I'll go last - I'm better at distance coverage. Armour after Hercules, Agent May and Agent Petrovna next." Unless there's any objections, Batgirl gestures for them to start. "Hunter will follow with me."
Inside the mouth of the cave it's dark and dank, with that musty smell of places that have seen no sun. The cave is deep and empties into a tunnel that leads back and down into the depths of the earth. Batgirl lights her torch as the shadows close around them, it provides a pale flickering circle of light to push back the gloom.
After about fifteen minutes of nothing but tunnel, it empties into a cavern. It's still dark and Batgirls torch doesn't show the far side of it - Hercules and Hisako feel the 'hiss' of something as it passes so very close to their faces.
That thing comes to rest in the stone to the SHIELD/WAND agents left and they can all see a dart with green glowing ooze on the tip.
That's the only warning they have as the area explodes around them. A dozen Drow, maybe more, pour from the edges and set upon the group with scimitars and poisonsed tipped spears.
Of -course- it's an ambush. Frankly, Hercules would've been insulted if they -hadn't- taken the opportunity to ambush them. As the drow charge, he whips both arms back, before slamming his palms together — a classic 'superstrength shockwave' to break the initial momentum of the drow charge before it reaches the group.
As they enter the cave, Dylan draws his weapons: a longsword and a dagger. Not long before the Drow charge, his sword bursts into flame as they get into range. "Evil." he warns the others. That could be because of the Drow but it doesn't differentiate. "The weapons are poisoned." he informs the ones who haven't encountered the Drow before. "Do not let them pierce your flesh." PIcking out the nearest Drow, he attacks with the flaming sword.
The hiss of the dart's passage causes Hisako to flinch away from it, memories of another ambush - one very different from this, in the open woods rather than a dark cave - rearing up in the back of her mind. Then the spears and scimitars pour into view in the hands of the drow, and nearly that quickly, Hisako no longer looks like a random (if Japanese) peasant.
Or rather, she still *looks* like a peasant, but one enshrouded in 'armor' of orange-tinted psychokinetic energy. With her armor hopefully keeping the physical weapons at bay, she lashes out in the wake of Hercules's shockwave, trying to smack the nearest ambushers up against the cave walls, aiming to stun and disorient them - and ideally, to shake them up enough that they lose hold of their weapons.
Nope, May is not surprised at all. Not thrilled, mind you, especially with Dylan's mention of poison. But like Hisako, the moment Hercules has sent out that shockwave, May has a sword in one hand and the horsetail-thing in the other, using the blade to fend off attacks and the whip-like weapon to knock the drow aside. She's TRYING to not be lethal here, okay?
Her fighting style is likely confusing to anyone who's not seen it before. It's a mix of her usual punching and kicking stuff with the weapons added in. The lengths of silk robe sweeping around her person as she moves likely doesn't help matters either, considering she's dressed mostly in black.
Hunter is almost as talented and powerful with her nose as her four-footed form would be, and she has the experience to use that knowledge, even here. She knows what left, how, when, or at least she knows things about them. And she hunts by scent trail as easily as tracks. She disappears swiftly from the group, silent and dangerous, as she sweeps around, following sign and scent towards the hunting party. She trusts the others to handle themselves.
But when she finds the sign goes easily miles out from their location, Hunter decides to turn back around and head back to her group … and fast. Faster than the jog she was using to keep up with the horses. It means stealth is largely a bygone at this point, but best to make sure she gets to the rest of the group quickly at this point.
It does mean, though, Hunter is not there when said fight begins. Not yet, at least.
As for Laynia, well, the Darkstar DID offer to protect people. Her first though dies stillborn when the Drow attack, and the heroes assembled leap into the fray. She /was/ going to create a Darkforce barrier - but that would be too easy, instead she concentrates hard, and with hands upraised a dozen tendrils of darkforce emanate from her hands, at the end of which is tethered a lozenge shaped shield, each person in the party is granted a helping hand, she keeps a few for herself, just in case.
Hercules shockwave knocks the Drow back, giving the heroes a fraction of a seconds relief. In that time, Dylan's blade slices through one of the Drows arms, leaving a wound. That Drow however, doesn't seem to care and comes at the Knight with his own blade flashing.
Hisako finds herself wrestling with two tall Drow. These have dropped their spears and taken up daggers. The blades screech against her armour as they try to stab at her. These two are strong and fast and while Hisako manages to throw back against the wall, the other decides he's going to dance with her.
Mays attack seems to confuse the Drow that come for her. One Drow is knocked aside as he attacks. Not that it matters, another just uses his body as a platform and launches itself for the asian fighter, knife blade aimed directly at her face.
"Clever humans…" comes a light voice from the depths of the shadows. A tall, white haired, female Drow appears behind her forces. "… finding my desmense. It's a pity you weren't so clever that you walked into this though … " Hercules gets a look and she smiles. It's not a … nice … smile.
And then it's Laynia's turn. The Drow Queens whip lashes at the woman, testing her defenses as she closes on her. What Laynia will notice is the whip has multiple snake heads - all of which try to bite through the shield she's created.
With a snap of the whip that she has curled by her side, a gigantic Dryder strides into the cavern. It's taller than Hercules and muscled as well. Not to mention the barbs on its legs are covered in poison. It doesn't give Hercules a chance to think, just charges him, intent on collecting him and ramming him against a wall.
"Lady Amara, I take it?" Batgirl has dropped her torch and melted into the shadows, arrows peppering the back ranks of the drow and landing at Amara's feet. "That's the woman we want." She tells the others. With this group, they should be able to trap her - and if they know anything of Drow, the men will not risk their lady.
For now, Batgirl is staying where she is - providing cover. It's up to them.
Hercules and the Drider collide in a crashing sound, and the creature actually manages to push Herc back four feet, his boots digging into the floor. Then it just grinds to a stop, the creature looking slightly surprised that the large human isn't being pushed any more. "By Zeus's beard," Herc growls, "you are one -ugly- thing, and I've seen my shares of beasts!" His muscles -flex-, and he starts to -lift- the drider up off its flailing limbs, ignoring the barbs scoring his flesh.
"You really think we weren't expecting this?" Dylan counters as one of the Darkforce shields blocks the Drow's blade. "If so, you're not very clever. Tell us where the keystone crystal is and who is behind all this and we'll leave you and your people in peace."
And as the battle rages on, Batgirl is likely to be the first to become aware of something … else. Something not from in front of the party, or above, to either side, or below.
No. This is from behind. Directly behind. And approaching fast. Somehow heavy yet incredibly soft footfalls coming as fast as a charging horse. A literal breeze from compression of air head. And a thrumming repeated 'chuff' sound of heavy wuffles of breathing.
Humans falling into a trap? Silly drow. They're not all human at all.
A ginormous tigress bounds up behind batgirl and leaps over her position, sailing through the air and then bounding into the middle of the combat, leading with a roar that shakes the earth, thundering against the sound-reflective stone walls. Starting at the rear of the party's formation, the tigress bounds right past Laynia and bits hold of that razor whip, seizing it between her jaws and planting herself, twisting her whole body to yank the whip and the sorceress attached to it forward and off balance.
The truly enlightened might manage to spot that this enormous tigress has a very subtle 'collar': a thin leather thong with a tiny metal medallion on it. One that matches those worn by the rest of the party. See, now they're in a land of magic. A land that apparently makes changing easy. And the Hunter is done playing. Amur Khatun is hunting these fools now.
May knows better than to think that fighting these drow off would be easy. When the one aims for her face, she throws herself into a backflip, kicking her attacker's arm in the process to make him drop his knife. At least she makes it LOOK easy?
She DID manage to catch Batgirl's words about their target — Amara — being here. And she'll make a break to capture the woman as soon as this guy… backs… the heck… OFF. Wading back into the fray with the horsetail whisk whipping out at her attacker, she's about ready to give up on being gentle with these people and teach them why she has that reputation amongst SHIELD agents that she detests so much.
One down is still better than getting double-teamed - and while Hisako doesn't have weapons that her armor can use, she's spent enough time training in hand-to-hand.
Fortunately, her armor *does* let her grab a dagger by the blade, as long as the blade isn't adamantium - and she's keeping her armor big enough that her physical, flesh-and-blood hand is safely away from the psionic armor 'gauntlet' with which she's grappling. If grabbing the dagger lets her immobilize it, she only needs one hand for that …. freeing up the other one to punch the drow in the face.
Hard. Probably harder than she has to, although it shouldn't be fatal.
"Amur Khatun!" Laynia clearly knows the Tigress who leaped to her defense. "She is a friend." She yells - have to make sure that the others on her team know. "The Tigress is an ally." Ebon eyes study what Armour is doing…she considers, but then sighs. "I would need to practice." She says to herself…though…she will talk to this Armour after the fray.
In any event, she continues her efforts to defend everyone else. Thankful for Amur Khatun's help, she turns towards the Drow once she's identified. "So…the enemy…at last."
Laynia takes a chance, when the tigress pulls, she drops her own shields, and forms a giant ebon claw like that on a tractor, her intent to slam it shut, and encase the Amara in a 'box' of Darkforce. This stuff is /strong/…comparable to the armor of a front line tank!
The crash as Hercules and the drider collide is deafening. The human face that sits atop the spiders body does indeed look surprised for a moment but not for long. As Hercules strains and lifts, the drider doesn't struggle at all - its chintin covered body giving it protection from the Olympian God. It's then they're covered in complete darkness - so dark that not even Hercules can penetrate it - and he can feel the sting of a blade at his back. The drider has friends … and they've come to help.
Amara sends her whip cracking again, this time in Dylans direction "Why on earth would I tell *you* tha—-" She doesn't finish the sentence as the Tigress pounces, grabs the whip and sends the Drow Priestess falling forward. She hadn't expected that!
Her Drow fighters turn as the Tigress attacks and decide to play pile ons. Leaping at Amur Khatun, stabbing with spears and daggers and slashing with swords.
Laynia's Darkforce claw does indeed trap the Priestess, just as Batgirl tumbles across the cavern floor and points her loaded bow at Amara's temple. On the ground, the snake headed whip writhes and snaps at people - maybe May will have some fun with .
"Cease. Or we kill your mistress." Nonoe would believe that Batgirls voice could be so … strong.
The Drow stop fighting and glare at the group. It's going to take a moment for the Driders globe of darkness to dispel and when it does, Hercules will find four more Drow surrounding him.
"Ask your questions." The redhead says to the others but adds to Amara "Agent Grey is still waiting for your answer."
Amara curses "Towards the centre … in the depths of the Gorgons lair."
There's that name again.
Hercules looks utterly unfazed by being surrounded when the globe dissipates, and he disdainfully breaks away from the drider, looking down at the drow around him with amusement. "Interesting," he rumbles. "I wonder if Stheno and Euryale are actually down there?" He looks at the others, checking to see if anyone is injured. His skin is scratched and nicked, but he seems no worse for the wear.
"Because if you don't, you die." Dylan answers matter of factly, exhoed by Batgirl's words and actions. Hey, it's the way things work in this land, this time period. "In the center in the Gorgon's lair. Not terribly informative. Do you have something tied to the Gorgon? Something with enough resonance to be used for divination?"
The tigress is stabbed. Slashed. Cut. Poisoned.
The tigress eyes the drow and chuffs dismissively, spitting out what remains of the whip as she stalks away, her wounds visibly knitting themselves together even as she does so. Ain't magic grand?
The tigress wuffles her nose at Laynia, checking on the darkforce-wielder, and then checking on each of the others in turn. Maybe she's wondering what a Gorgon smells like?
The drow all turning to converge on the tigress that has leaped into the fray gives May a split second of a breather, and the writhing snake-whip does indeed catch her eye. Stepping on it just behind the snake's head, she picks up the whip and cracks it QUITE decisively over everyone's heads to make sure the drow attacking Amur Khatun cease and desist. Yes, she knows how to do that.
"Answer his questions," she says to Amara in a flatter than usual tone that could be leaning toward displeased. "Unless you would rather lead us to the Gorgon's lair yourself." She'd be okay with that. And she'd use this here bitey whip to make sure the white-haired woman complies and doesn't try to lead them into the Pit of Despair or some place equally undesirable.
One good punch is all it takes to relieve Hisako of her opponent - and her opponent, at the same time, of his weapon. The Japanese girl gives the dagger a brief look-over, as if sizing up how much use it might be, then turns her attention to Amara.
"Gorgon's lair, you say … What sort of Gorgon? Do you serve her, or guard her? Or are you keeping her from escaping this place, for some reason?"
To underscore the gravity of the priestess Amara's situation, Laynia banishes all the other tethered shields, and instead reforms the Darkforce close into a vice and ratchets it up a couple notches…it is /painfully/ tight. In truth she's quite willing to just kill the woman if need be, she's hoping it won't be needful, but one does what one must to get the job done. She got tired of the killing…almost died trying to defect to get out of The Life, and yet…she's still a Spy, for SHIELD now, but still.
As others are handling the interrogation Laynia opts for looming.
As she does so a sort of 'overlay' forms, a second her with flowing tresses that hang to mid back, all made of Darkforce and she emanates chill, and terror, and madness a moment.
Amara twitches as Hercules says those names and Batgirls green eyes meet his. "Eurayle. She's involved. Or someone calling herself that. She has … spoken to the Samurai and I."
There's an expectant look at Amara as Dylan requests an item. The Priestesses eyes cast to the handle of her whip - May, at least will see that and feel the glyph that's been embedded in the handle. Amur Kahtur will get the scent of something … different from the handle of the whip when she snuffles at May.
"I'm ok." Batgirl answers. With her bow, she was able to keep away from the action. "Nice whip action." she smirks to the small asian Agent.
"Neither." Amara spits at Hisako. Clearly offended by the thought she would serve anyone but Lloth. "We helped create this place as somewhere for our kind to have away from the excesses of man." Her eyes cut to Laynia "Perhaps, you'd like to join us…"
Amur Khatun strops herself against Agent Mulan — er, May — and lifts her nose towards the whip handle she holds, whuffling again noticeably.
Hercules looks strangely… embarrassed? "Going to be a bit uncomfortable, if it IS her." He smiles a bit ruefully. "Old grudges and all that." He doesn't comment further on the subject though. "We can discuss it later. Over drinks, perhaps?"
Dylan follows Amara's gaze to the whip and smiles. "Thank you. We'll be taking the whip with us. And should any ask, you didn't tell us anything useful." To the others, he says "Time to head back to the surface. Bring her with us till we get there and then we'll let her go. Provided…" he adds, looking at Amara and the assembled Drow. "No one follows us. You have our word no harm shall befall her if you do as we say." And once they're back with the horses, he'll open a portal back to the shield's perimeter.
May has to brace against the tigress shedding orange and white fur all over her robes, but Amara's eyes going to the whip along with Amur Khatun snuffling at it like a particularly massive hound… yeah. The whip is coming with them. She takes a moment and a length of silk from her robes to tightly wrap and bind the snake's head so it can't snap at and possibly bite anyone. She hopes. But the whip is still very much usable, and she looks at all of the drow flatly as if to punctuate Dylan's words. Don't. Follow.
She'll exit with the others, but keeps very much alert for anyone trying to follow them. If there are any, they will be VERY firmly discouraged. With her feet and fists if need be.
"'Your kind,' huh …" That seems to be all Hisako needs to know for the time being; at least, she doesn't ask anything further right away.
For a moment…the doubled-Laynia looks actually tempted, in her present guise she's definitely far from human norm, the skin alone is hugely different. The overlay actually takes a half step forward, even as the physical Darkstar steps back and then shivers as the overlay goes away. At that moment Laynia shudders and nods. "Right. We leave…if you follow, Amara dies." Amur Khatun knows Laynia fairly well, and there's a hint of very real fear underlying her scent before the mutant just…sort of /boxes/ it away. Because suppressing your emotions is such a healthy thing to do, right May?
Must be a spy thing!
Either way, Laynia is fully prepared to 1) squash Amara, and 2) defend the group if needed.
"I know about grudges." Batgirl murmurs following Amara's gaze to the whip. "Take that with you, Agent May." Who knows if it will survive as it is through the barrier? That's something they're going to find out.
With the instructions given by Dylan, May and Laynia, Batgirl is more than happy to follow along. From the pouch at her belt she draws forth cord - that's what her zipties have become - and binds the priestesses wrists. How effective that will be? Who knows.
It's time to go though. Those charms they're using, have a shelf life.