Hello, Everyone!
Last time, our heroes continued their fight with Nurvureem, Kalien and the remaining cultists of Tiamat. Aurum turned Mary into a giant ape to help her fight, but it was only for a moment because Nurvureem splashed them with her acid breath. Just then, Agatha (the mvp of the fight!) managed to pierce the dragon's acid gland, severing her most potent weapon and leaving her vulnerable and in excruciating pain.
Enraged, the dragon failed to kill her, and turned her attention to Bruno. She opened a fiery crack in the ground under his feet and pushed him inside.
Meanwhile, Mary and Aurum were fighting Kalien. The Draconite tried finishing off the bard with his Morganthian blade (which would have destroyed his soul!) but Mary managed to stop him. And then, Aurum hit Mary with his Polymorph again.
It was all familiar now. The change in perspective, the adrenaline, the animalistic roar that wasn't hers, but wasn't quite... not.
Inside the ape, Mary couldn't concentrate. She couldn't think.
But she didn't have to.
The beast didn't want to think. It didn't need to think. It was all about feeling and instinct.
And action.
*It clenched its massive fists. Anger rose inside of it. It looked around, to find its foes.
Somewhere in the back of its mind, it heard Agatha shout.
“Mary, help Bru–”
But her words were cut short. The beast turned towards her. She was lying on the ground, unmoving. What had fell her?
Kalien grinned in delight and sprinted towards her.
The ape growled. That man--that puny man–-he had the bad blade. He wanted to hurt Agatha with it!
He had to die.
The ape thundered after him as he was running towards Agatha. He took the graphite dagger. Plunged it into the tabaxi's chest.
He swung again.
But before he was able to finish off what he'd started, the ape reached him. It snatched him. It squeezed him, crushed him, made him into a ball of limbs. Hurled him at the wall.
The man flew and smashed into the wall with a wet ‘splat’. Only a bloody stain remained where he'd hit the surface. His clothes and belongings slowly slid down the stone.
Kalien was no more.
Now, there were only the dragon and Agatha's body. The monster leaned down to pick it up with her teeth, but the ape stood in her way. It moved Agatha aside with its foot. Drummed its fists on its chest. Bared its teeth and growled at the dragon.
Nurvureem hissed in response.
A few healing spells made their way to Agatha and got her on her feet. Bruno had made his way out of the lava. Once again, the tabaxi skittered up the dragon’s body, like a kid on a winter slide. The cat's agility and her sharp claws helped her keep firmly on the dragon's scales.
But she was weaker now. She couldn’t escape the dragon’s tail. It slammed into her and knocked her off on the ground.
“TIME FOR A NEW CANDY!” Nurvureem said and spat out Paulina.
She took out her sword and swung it at Agatha’s body. With a victorious yell, she hit it once, twice, three times, and with the last one, she slashed it in half.
Then, she leaned down and took the two halves into her mouth.
Bruno and Aurum yelled out. Bolts of lightning clashed with the Dark Lady’s body. Animated columns hit her chest. The chain tried to wrap around her wings. But nothing helped.
Agatha was dead.
The ape’s mind sank into hatred and rage, and it brought its fists down on the two sides of the dragon’s snout, forcing her to pay attention. Nurvureem hissed. She was gnawing on the tabaxi’s body and wouldn’t let go. The ape grabbed her, and held her, wrapped its arms and legs around her torso to pull her into a choke hold.
More lightnings and animated columns hit the now grappled dragon. She whipped the ape with her tail and tried to wriggle her way out of its hold, but it was in vain.
The beast was of a one-track mind. Hold Nurvureem. Punch Nurvureem. Smash Nurvureem. Kill Nurvureem.
It snatched the two jaws of the dragon and pulled them away from each other. Nurvureem screamed, her eyes wildly spinning in their orbits. She was fighting for her life now, and she was losing.
With one final ‘snap!’, the ape dislodged the lower jaw. It pulled it off, poured Agatha out on the ground. The dragon’s body slumped, and the ape gave out a victorious roar. It slammed its fists into the two halves of the dragon’s skull. It punched, and thwacked, and pummeled, and it roared with satisfaction when the dragon went rigid.
Long after Nurvureem’s head was nothing more than a pulp of blood and flesh, the ape relaxed its fists and looked around. Sudden sadness washed over it. The two halves of Agatha’s body were lying off to the side.
The ape trudged over to the tabaxi’s body and gently took it into its giant hands. It presented it to Bruno. It knew that only he could make it better.
The Cleric looked worried. He took the two halves and placed them together. His hands made some complicated gestures over the body and glowed with healing magic. Small bits of flesh pulled in towards each other and started stitching themselves together.
He wiped his sweat and took off his Belfast patch. Shakily, he broke off the diamond and held it above Agatha.
“I…” he said, turning to Aurum. “Can you give me a boost?”
“It's weird that I am supposed to give out inspirations, when you are the one who inspires me all the time," Aurum said softly, his words full of bardic magic. "You've got this.”
The diamond burst into pieces and momentarily created a kaleidoscope effect, showing the body of the tabaxi the way it was before Nurvureem had cut it. Then, the pieces turned into glittering dust and it flew through Agatha’s mouth.
She gasped into life.
Looking around, she took another ragged breath and coughed. She put her hand over her chest and murmured.
“Now do you trust me?”
That was a really intense fight. But it's finally over. The dragon is dead! Nurvureem is dead! She killed our friend Paulina, did unspeakable horrors in Pamagos, but she's finally defeated. And every one of our heroes was amazing! Bruno, taking care of the cultists before they were able to finish the ritual which was going to make Nuri even more dangerous. Agatha, keeping the dragon busy and piercing her acid gland, depriving her from her biggest weapon! Aurum with the initial Wall of Force and the amazing Polymorph which turned Mary from a scared witness to her friends’ defeat to an enraged breast. And, finally, the Mary-ape who tore the dragon in two with her bare hands!
🙀🙀🙀
What did you think of this fight? Were you on the edge of your seat? Did you worry? Did you cheer?
And what do you think happens next?
Take care and be well!
(Also, here's a link to the Chapter Guide, the Glossaries (Part 1 and Part 2)
and the Map for the series. You're welcome!)
An important disclaimer: Mary Windfiddle's story is my notes from a D&D game turned into a narrative. All the worldbuilding and NPC encounters belong to our DM, and all the actions of the other main characters (Aurum, Bruno and Agatha) belong to my co-players. My contribution to the story is only everything Mary-related (actions, reactions, inner thoughts), as well as the writing itself.