Kyle was familiar with the sounds of battle by now, although honestly he has yet to actually hear the phrase 'take that, fiend' put to use.  Still, overly agressive wildlife was everyone's problem as tempting as it could be to simply walk by.  So Kyle grasped his oversized axe from it's place upon his back.

  He stepped through the bushes and brought his axe down in a perfect arc to decapitate a large animal... So of course it buries itself in the ground a short ways from the merely dog sized ant.

  "Well, that is embarrassing."

The bug monster chomps at Mittens, but its mandibles dripping with acid deflect against an unseen magical barrier!

A girl wrapped in tan robes lined in red walks to the scene. "Eagle!" she calls, her voice echoing across the trees. An ethereal eagle appears and slams into the ant, crushing it in its talons. As the eagle does this, the others near the eagle feel a little thicker-hided somehow.

The girl is coming closer.

---

Protecting Strike v ant. Hit(21)!
 dmg: 9
 allies adjacent to spirit or within 3 of Mialee gain Con mod (3) thp.

"Ohai, helpful passers-by!" Mittens says all cheerful.

Another bug monster crawls up from the hole!

"Oop!  Not done yet, it seems.  AEGIS OF SHIELDING!"

She points her sword and a rune appears over the bug.  She then steps forward and Bwhoof!  Another sword burst!  Results less impressive than the special effects.

  Kyle comments back to girl who ran head first into a twigs display "Thank you for taking care of that for us."

  That said, Kyle know how big a target he's actually working with this time.  So he simply lifts his Axe up, and let's gravity do the work for him skillfully cuts the bug in half lengthwise.  Which of course is swiftly replaced... A lot.

  "I get the feeling this could take a while, if we either can't outrun the bugs, or don't close that hole well enough."

---

Free: Shroud.
Standard: Leaping Shade vs bug.  = CRUNCH.

Half a dozen more monster bugs crawl up from the hole and attack, but both Mittens and Kyle are able to avoid injury!

The girl responds, "Lle ier creoso, mellon."
English Sub for Kyle: "You are welcome, friend."

The eagle comes around and crushes another with its talons. The girl (she looks like she is either a petit lady, or a 12-14 year old trying to pass themselves off as a woman) begins walking around the trees, keeping the others between herself and the ants.

---

Protecting Strike. Hit(15)!
This message was last edited by the player at 05:14, Sat 31 Aug 2013.

Whoosh!  Mittens swings her sword and one of the bugs ten feet away drops dead.

"That...  Was supposed to be more impressive."

Whoosh!  Another swing and three more drop dead.  Satisfied, Mittens steps forward.

"Tell me you speak Common...  'Cause I sure as heck don't speak Le ear crisco.  Oh.  And Aegis of Shielding."
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:21, Sat 31 Aug 2013.

  Kyle says "The language of violence seems to be holding up so far as a stand in, but she says you're welcome."  Manners on the battlefield is also something he hasn't seen before, how nice.

  He jumps backwards into the back of the screen and then comes out the other side to <s>Punch Sub-Zero in the head<s> crush one of the bugs like a Well Duh with the flat of his axe.

---

Free: Shroud.
Move: Shadow step.
Standard: Leaping vs bug = splat.

Four more appear and attack!  One manages to break through Mittens' magical shield and tears a nasty gash in her leg, but the wound doesn't seem quite as bad as it should be thanks to the shaman's shielding power!

---

Mittens HP: 29=6=23

The girl walks towards Mittens while the spirit eagle flies to intercept the ant hole. In broken Common and with a thick accent, the girl says, "I speak; Common. Little." then a spirit bear materializes and roars with such power, one of the ants trembles to death. Mittens and Kyle feel even thicker-hided than before.

---

Thunder Bear's Warding. Hit(14)!

Mittens and Kyle now have resist 3 as well as 3 thp.

"Nice!  Putting the spirit eagle on top of the hole!"

Mittens to the side, blasts all but one of the bugs into the buggy afterlife, and marks the last remaining one.

"Love that nifty teleport move.  Uh...   person who's name I don't know yet."

  At least this Kyle probably has some excuse for not giving out his name first thing.  "Sorry, I've not managed to pick up the habit of remembering to share names while things are trying to kill me.  Though you appear to be doing most of the work."

  Kyle hefts his axe, then swings.  The axe engulfed in shadows and stretching out to exterminate the last visible bug.  He takes a moment to see what else is coming, and see's for the moment at least there is nothing trying to kill them.  "So then, I am Kyle.  Care to return the social favor?"

The girl goes to peer over the edge of the hole to make sure no more ants are coming. When she is satisfied the ants that WERE going to come are all done coming, she turns to the others and starts walking to them, stretching her left arm out for the spirit eagle to land on before bringing her arm closer to herself. "Turanathel Mialee Shinueli"

From what Kyle can tell, either what she just said isn't elven, or it's some form of elven he hasn't heard before. But it was said while directed to both Kyle and Mittens.

"Of course!" Mittens answers, striking a heroic pose, "I am Mittens!  Sword Wizard of little renown!  Aaaand don't know what the elf just said.  Broken Common, please.

"Now.  Considering how close this lair of monsters was to the road, I'm thinking that perhaps whomever is responsible for keeping this road safe would be willing to pay a reward for the slaying of these monsters and for information on where the hole they came out of is.  Might I suggest an even three-way split should there be a reward?"

She gets to looting trophies off the dead bugs.  Maybe they're valuable to somebody?

  This Kyle may only have a 10 Int instead of an 18, but he's still making the guess that Mialee was saying her much more fancy than himself or... Mittens?...   Fancy Elf Name, yes.

  "While the circumstances were unpleasant, you three have been nice to meet at least."  Why yes, Kyle is counting the spirit animal.  Anyone who can claw your face off is worth mention right?

  He considers Mittens's outlook, and says "While I would not say no to that split, I would be honestly surprised if we were not simply sent off with a 'thank you for performing a civic duty' and shown to the door."

Mialee's eyes dart from Mittens to Kyle as they talk. Her expression is that of one who is trying to keep up with people who are talking too fast. Mialee holds up her right hand. "Please. I speak common. My name is: Turanathel Mialee Shinueli."

She then presents the eagle. "Her name: Astald."

She bows slightly. "I come. I... split? reward."

"I know, right?" Mittens says in response of Kyle's expectations.

She smiles at the elf and thumbs-ups!

"Nice to meet ya!  Maybe money!  Follow me!"

She marches toward the most likely direction to take her to a place that will reward her good deed.

  Kyle's occasional love of large words now makes him feel awkward, but only slightly.  "You deserve it just as much as I would, sorry if I am taking things too fast."  There is no possible good way to suggest maybe you'll talk slower for the sake of language barrier.  <elven>"Feel free to ask me questions in Elven.  Would you prefer I use your whole name, or part of it?</elven>

OOC EDIT: Rough Draft of Assassin Kyle put up.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:39, Sat 31 Aug 2013.

Mialee starts following the two. When Kyle directs his attention to her, Mialee ohs and smiles. <Elven>"I'm sorry about my lack of Common. I didn't have reason to learn it until recently, so I'm still learning. I'm still studying it, so I should be able to speak it well enough eventually."</Elven> She has a soft and slow way of talking, sounding like someone who enjoys maintaining serenity. <Elven>"People have many nicknames for me. But Shinu sounds too much like the Common word for Sinew. Turan sounds too masculine. Some have used the first and third part of my name to call me Tushi. The middle part of my name, Mialee, sounds almost like a name a human would have. So... Tushi or Mialee, as you wish."</Elven>

She glances at Mittens and gives an apologetic bow. "Sorry. Still learning Common. Kyle speaks Elven."

"Use common as much as possible, please," Mittens requests, <mystery language>"Isv si geou filki ukrisir persvek ekess wux."</mystery language>
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:24, Sun 01 Sept 2013.

  Kyle nods,  "I think I'll go with calling you Mialee then, if that is allright."

  Kyle comments to Mittens "I can understand wanting to stick with the language everyone knows.  Though a language only one of us knows is probably worse, even if you may just be speaking made up gibbirish to prove a valid point.  Mialee won't get practice if she keeps talking with me in her own language either.  He looks back to the Elf  "But if there is something important you can't find the common words for, let me know the easy way."

  Hearing the Elven for 'Holy crap Lich!' was likely better than hearing Common 'Bad skelly man!'.

Mialee only seems further confused by Mittens speaking draconic.

Fast-forwarding a bit, the group arrives in town. Seeing a human? No biggy. Elf? Say, that's interesting and she's kinda cute CATGIRL! The town guards eye Mittens with suspicion. "Halt! Identify yourselves!"

Mits grins that Kyle and Mialee are willing to accommodate her lack of Elven tongue.  "Thanks!"

Once at the town Mits grins and strikes a heroic pose.  "We are the Highway Heroes: Mittens, Kyle, and Mialee!  We come with proof of our valiant deed in defeating the deadly monsters plaguing the road leading to your town!  Behold!"

She digs out a bug bit and holds it high.

"This is but one of the dozens of brutal mandibles that tore into armor and flesh during our harrowing battle!"

  "I've been on the road too long, sometimes I forget how vigilant town guards are."   It was incredibly hard for the easily dismissed man to not add italics to the word vigilant.  "Surely any woman who helps an elf from being eaten alive is worth entrance?"   Nevermind that Mittens was fighting first.