“What is this?” you ask. Unfortunately the combatants seem too caught up in their own fighting to notice you. Annoyed, you try yelling, but your voice is lost behind one of the bird-woman’s scream of fury as she is knocked away by the man’s sword.
Annoyed, you draw your bow and expertly loose an arrow into the fight. It zips between the man and the creatures. Startled, they stop fighting and turn to look at you. The man takes a moment to lift his helmet, to wipe a scratch where a talon cut under its visor, nearly gouging out an eye. He is handsome, with dark hair and a rakish and flirtatious smile which quickly returns to his previously tense face as he sees you.
The bird-women seem less impressed, hissing with barely constrained rage.
“Noble lady,” the man says urgently, “I see you are as strong and courageous as you are fair. I beg you, help me against these monsters. They carry men back to their cliff-side lairs to act as breeding stock, and abduct women to ravish and then sell to even fouler creatures.”
“Liar!” screams one of the women. “This one came to our eyries with sweet words, and seduced our young queen. Then he raped her, stole our treasures and murdered two guards as he fled!”
Both the man and the bird-women seem sincere, leaving you unsure as to what to do. Your intervention could tip the battle either way. |