Facing the beast

Jp between Lorem, Winteroak and Bandorchu

What on earth was going on? Was that the one whose wailing they had heard? If so, why was he just kneeling there? And where was that ape?
This felt almost like a trap, but by whom?

Alexis fought the urge to check on the man right away, opting to take a very good around and at the man in question first.

Another huge roar echoes from somewhere in the cave. This time much closer to you three.
The man on the ground judging by his features is an Odonine. His long dark hair is greasy and caked in dirt and blood, as his is body. He is completely naked saved for a loincloth. He is rocking slightly holding to the severed hand.

Gonyaul almost lost the contents of his stomach when he realized what the man was holding onto. He fought hard to keep it down. He looked to Alexis and more importantly Tar, maybe one of them had answers to this scenario.

At the sound of the nearing roar he spun around in its direction. In all honesty, the way sound bounced around in the room made it difficult to really know it’s origins.

"Leave him." Tar said. "There is nothing we can do for him. We are close to the nest..." He said and he moved into a side path leading away from the man.

It was Tar, Gonyaul and Alexis bringing up the rear. Gonyaul was torn to move on but he did so as not to be left behind.

“Why is there no thing we can do for him?” It looked like the man was in need of assistance. What was wrong with this Tar’s empathy meter?

He watched as the man with the experience led on. His head was on a swivel, putting a lot of focus on being situationally aware of the unseen threat to appreciate the extraordinary finding of this mausoleum. Boyce would have wanted to see this Gonyaul thought.

Alexis gestured Gonyaul to follow Tar, as she stopped for a short moment.

No, there was not much they could do. The man probably couldn’t even understand them on the best of days, let alone in the state he was in.

But…
She sneaked towards the Odonine as fast as she dared, covering his mouth to keep him from making a noise.

Just another moment to see if she could get him to focus on her. She pointed towards where they had come from. It was a minuscule chance, but if he could get to the narrow tunnels, he might make it.

“Go.”
she whispered.

The man looked up at Alexis for a few heartbeats and again in the direction she was pointing. For a few seconds he seemed to understand what was being suggested. But slowly his gaze returned to the severed hand he held. A huge shadow seemed to cover the light around the two as a bloodcurdling roar came from above you. The man screamed in fear, a scream so primal that made Alexis turn pale.
She turned and saw the huge figure of the Naylmo standing above them. His fur black with patches of white, its horns pointed like those of a stag. He roar again and jumped down on his would be victims.

Alexis had always known her code would be the death of her. It seemed the time had come.
Even now, she did not resent her father for teaching it to her.

She pushed the Odonine in one direction while she tried to roll away into the other.

Gonyaul couldn’t help but shout in his native language his horrific surprise, though it wasn’t very loud and cracked mid shout. He stumbled backwards and thankfully was kept on his feet by Tar as he whirled around.

Regaining his footing, his hands were fast at work slackening out the rope. Hoping with all his might that Alexis makes it out of there in time before it landed.

The huge beast crashed to the floor below cracking the stone and sending a shower of dust and ash into the air. It's muscular arms swung in both directions wildly, hitting the helpless man in the back and Alexis shield sending her flying.

“Etim O Okok!”

Gonyaul shouted in an imperative tone at the beast; although his voice wasn’t strong enough to sound very imposing. His surge of confidence fueled by seeing Alexis getting sent flying. He was trying to draw its attention to himself.

He had started swinging in a circle the end of the rope and let loose the lasso portion equipped with a grappling hook at the creatures head and horns.

The confines of the pathways of tombs and crypts are not ideally for swinging ropes or large melee weapons that needed space for wielding. The hook hits the creature on the shoulder who grabs at the rope. You cannot be sure if it perforated its thick hide. The beast looks at Gonyaul and pulls him in his direction. A hatchet flies by the young man's ear, thudding against the creatures forearm making it roar in pain.
"Run you fool..." Tar shouts dashing away to hide between the crypts and tomes.