Chapter 4: Trip the Light Fantastic

Lauretta's arm immediately reached for whoever was closest to her, ushering them down into a crouch alongside her. "Golden Bird. Great Mean Man. Maybe that damned Korrigan wasn't sending us off for nothing after all." A hushed whisper. It still didn't mean she liked the idea of relying on Myxlix to uphold his end of the bargain, but she wasn't about to start trying to bargain with this mean-looking bastard instead. Her hand went up to signal R3N-L3 to hold before looking to Wolfram and Tzal. "Weapons or tricks?"

"In most civilized circumstances, assailing a sleeping individual is murder and punishable by death."R3N-L3 supplied helpfully, before tilting his head slightly to the side. "But I am remarkably bloodthirsty and inclined to aggression, so I would advocate murder in this circumstance." It was impossible to tell if he was joking, or if the cogs grinding inside of the warform even allowed for humor.

Wolfram gaped at the clockwork. Was he making jokes?

The inquisitor, urged on by Lauretta, hunched down beside her and took stock of the current situation.

"Why can't we do both?" he replied. "One of us could sneak in and separate the ogre from his cleaver, at least."

Tzal went and crouched beside the Lauretta, "I am really surprised to see this creature. Is it really the great mean man? I mean judging by all that is surrounded in front of it, I am confident that very few individual survives after any encounter with this one. I will suggest taking the advantage of this sleeping creature to subdue it but I don't know if it would be the right thing."

Eyebrows raised and furrowed with concern, Lauretta stared at R3N-L3 for a few moments before looking back to the other two. "Good plan, Wolfram. I don't want to see what his fists can do either, but I'll settle with those over that monstrous saw." Breath slowly retreated into her lungs as she glanced back at the sleeping ogre. "You're surprised after those powries? Strange things like that big, ugly monster could be around any corner. This one's got that bird though. How many of those do you think there are? Don't see how it could be the wrong thing, and we've faced worse odds before."

"The last census was some dozen thousand, approximate, as according to archival data. However, that data is several centuries outdated, and I possess neither the function nor the obligation to renew the census for my master." R3N-L3 supplied helpfully again. In the seconds that ticked by, he tilted his head slightly to the side. "They are not considered an endangered species, however, so you do not need to feel that bad about mercilessly ambushing and killing a sapient entity before they have had a chance to defend themselves."

Was R3N-L3 trying to draw them away from the idea of combat, or merely stating the facts with brutal clarity like he was known to do? It was very unclear, mostly because of that helmet he always hid his face under.

After a bit more time immersed in thought, the automaton unfolded himself back to his full height, unsheathing his blade in a whisper of steel before marching steadily up towards the troll with the bird. Then he placed the tip of the sword gently against the troll's neck...And thrust!

So much for talking first, Wolfram thought as he watched R3N-L3 impale his blade into the troll's neck. Drawing his enchanted blade, he quickly looked around for others seeking to do them harm.

"Renly! Wait, damn it!" she whispered after the clockwork aggressively. Lauretta reached out to stop him, but her metal companion was quick when he was settled on a course of action. There was no telling if he even heard her. "To Hell with it then. To arms!" Another snarling whisper.

The Preceptor had learned her lesson fighting alongside R3N-L3. Rather than charge in with her great axe, her hands dipped behind her for the longbow. An arrow made its way into her hand soon after, and then through the air soon after that as the bow creaked under her grip. No point getting up close if there's someone a lot better at taking a beating than you. She closed the gap slightly, still standing a good 5 yards away from the creature in case of an emergency.

It wasn't the most efficient move for him, but at range it was the wisest as Lauretta knew. He contemplated unhitching his bow, but his blade had already been drawn. It gleamed in the rays of light dappling through the forest canopy and then burst into flames as he lunged and sought to finish the ogre off.

As R3N-L3 attacked the ogre and it howled in pain, it was evident that whatever must be done should be done quickly. The enormous size of the creature and wicked look that the cleaver had didn't give Tzal any confidence about whether he would survive one attack from it. Pointing his staff, he conjured a jellyfish and sent it towards the ogre.

Even knocked off of his feet by the stream of corrosive vomit, the war machine still managed to bring up his blade in a textbook-perfect parry, deflecting the axe blow aimed at him. Rising to his feet with a hiss of pnuematic gears, R3N-L3 looked down at the bubbling multi-colored fluid eating away at his armor and getting into his gears. Then he looked at the Ogre.

"I am displeased." The Clockwork blared ominously."17,762 permutations cogitating. Optimal vivisection algorithm compiled. Executing." Suddenly, he whirred into action, sword dancing from one hand to the next as he executed a bewildering welter of feints, culminating in a brutal thrust upwards, aiming to impale the ogre cleanly through the wound Wolfram had opened.

Tzal eyed the corrosive vomit that was eating the clockwork's outer hull and wondered what would have happened if it had targeted him. He pointed his staff and conjured another jellyfish, sending it towards the ogre.

The clockwork warrior being blasted to the ground forced a moment of hesitation as Lauretta reached for her next arrow. As he rose, her hand continued toward its goal. Face twisted with disgusted scorn, the Preceptor glared at the creature as she lined up her next shot.

The warform turned to look at the golden bird, before clomping ominously towards the cage, only to reach into his pack and offer it a blueberry tart, which had miraculously escaped being crushed. Breaking it into pieces, he offered the morsels through the cage's bars.

Then, of course, because R3N-L3 was R3N-L3... "Salutations. If you require human flesh as sustenance, I am afraid I am in short supply. However, I can likely synthesize an appropriate substitute from the remains of your captor."