<strong>Roll Initiative:</strong>1d20a1 Result: 20 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=96394)<br/><br/>Lythia bites down against the stomach-wrenching icy tremble that wracks her frame as her eyes slowly focus on the dead swamp monster. She can hear the crossbow rattling in her hands. The cool night air comes flooding back and it's only then she realises she hasn't felt it since first leaving the tavern. Shaking now head to foot, her teeth chattering almost comically, Lythia lets the crossbow flop down by her side and winces her eyes shit, barely suppressing a half-sobbed, half-coughed whimper as the terrible shaking scratches against her lungs. She's reminded of being sick with the flu as a child, when it felt like the black heart of winter itself had crawled cackling into her heaving chest, and no layering of skins or closeness to the soot-belching hearth could free her.<br/><br/>Lythia's knees knock together painfully. They scream at her to let them buckle and carry her down to the side of the road, where she can lie and rest and catch her breath. Better still, go back to the tavern, sit by the hearth, get a warm cup of mead and freshly baked bread.<br/><br/>Then in a rush of colour - black, and red. So much red - her hearing re-attunes to the night air and the sound of nature comes flooding back, replacing the war drum rhythm of her own heartbeat.<br/><br/>...and she hears the screaming. And the cacophony of battle renewed.<br/><br/>Lythia cries out as her body reacts without her permission, a tall lick of freezing cold flame rising from her lower belly to wrap around her lungs like an icy fist. The muscles in her arms seem to vibrate painfully. She realises what this is - she'd read about it once back at the university.<em>Is this a combat stress reaction...?</em>But...she hadn't been in combat. Had she? Two bolts from long range does not a warrior make.<em>So why am I feeling this way?</em><br/><br/>She sees the Orc who had engaged the swamp beast in melee, charging towards the sounds of battle. Lythia grinds her teeth to stop them chattering and wipes cold sweat from her forehead. The wind claws at her cloak and causes the bolts in her quiver to clink suggestively together. Lythia chews her bottom lip as she fixes her hood, making sure it's firmly secure against the wind, and nods to herself quietly.<br/><br/><em>Just a look. It wouldn't be right to walk away and leave these people defenceless. It wouldn't be right. Just a quick look, so I'll know what's going on when I call for help. Oh, for Charga's Riders in Grey to be here right now...</em><br/><br/>Lythia moves close enough to see the fight, gasping when she sees the knight again from earlier, and the woman in the bog. She cocked her head inquisitively when she recognised the creatures brawling with her. Fineel; she'd studied them as part of her elective into Chaos in her university days. Monkeys, monkeys capable of crafting hand tools. In this case, weapons.<br/><br/>Barely.<br/><br/>No ritual adornings on these two specimens, however. Lythia heard herself breath a sigh of relief. That meant no demonic patronage, at least none recent enough to make a difference. Hand tools and demon worship notwithstanding, your average Fineel was too stupid to heed that most basic of animal instincts, the need for self-preservation. Caught somewhere between a monkey's primal instincts and mankind's dull ignorance of nature, the Fineel would fight on the death in its lust for blood and battle. Lythia grimaces. The girl was already wounded, and the knight was barely standing after his battering at the hands of the swamp monster.<br/><br/><em>Oh, Gods, what am I doing...</em><br/><br/>It will take too long to run for help. These people are in trouble,<em>now.</em>Cursing herself under her breath, Lythia raises her crossbow, taking vague aim before firing.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Mechanics</div><div class="spoiler_body">Fire a bolt at the creature on grid square F4<br/><br/>To Hit: 1d20a3 Result: 14 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=96392)<br/><br/>Damage: 1d8a1 Result: 9 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=96393)</div></div>