BassDogg

Xo'Tletl dove off of the ship Eos into the warm, murky waters of the swamp before popping back up to look back at his comrades and friends to make sure they were following with the previously prepared molotovs. The mission was clear: sneak around the enemy camp and climb the nearby trees to gain the highground and wait for the signal. They were going to save the captured Troll Boss from the undead swampies and their giant crabs. The Kharajyr and their molotovs were to be the distraction. The party was small and moved quickly in the night. The Kharajyr were naturally stealthy and they had previously scouted this path. Xo'Tletl watched as Rankhar and S'Qineli took their positions before he directed Za'Xuih, his best friend, towards the tree closest to the crabs. "Be careful," he whispered as he began to climb his own tree, focusing on his connection to the void. So far so good. The signal came and the Kharajyr hit their marks, letting molotovs fly and scattering the undead troops. The crabs were appropriately distracted, but only momentarily as things took a turn for the worse. Xo'Tletl heard growls behind him as a patrol flanked the Kharajyr and approached his tree. He swore and quickly redirected, throwing a fireball to the base of the tree and promptly scattering his attackers, though that did not last nearly long enough as his tree was set ablaze. A determined monster jumped onto the tree after him as he heard Xuih cry out. The nearest crab had taken pursuit, and the young Cheetrah was losing ground. Xo'Tletl swore and made to dive out of the tree but his foot slipped and he fell to the ground, the wind knocked out of him. The flames burnt at his feet through the armor as he sat in a daze. Xuih went flying with a pained cry some distance behind him and he scrambled backwards, now running on adrenaline. "RETREAT!" He called. "Help this one with Xuih!" He limped towards his friend's broken body, the crab and the armies advancing as S'Qineli and Rankhar struggled with their own aggressors. Time seemed to slow as Xo'Tletl bent over to lift Za'Xuih over his shoulder. With the added weight and his injuries, he could only limp forward as the haze of burning bodies around him caused him to cough and his eyes to water. Forward. Forward he pushed. He could see allies at the bottom of the hill. He had to make it. He would not leave his friend behind. Pain racked his shoulder as arrows began to fly, causing Xo'Tletl to fall forward, tumbling down the mountain side with Xuih and landing in a tangle further down the hillside. Crying, he forced himself to move, now resorting to weakly dragging his friend's limp body behind him. "HELP! PLEASE HELP!" He cried in vain, tears streaming down his face as the relentless crab quickly closed the distance. Too late, Xo'Tletl looked up to see the growing shadow as the crab's claw came down on his body with a sickening CRUNCH, knocking him further down as his body came to rest and he moved no longer. The horde continued past his corpse, relentless in their advances and hell-bent on the rest of the descendants on the Expedition.

I love this. And I love the Grove. Well done!