How about this. The fleeing ogre gets hit in the leg with an arrow, slowing him down considerably (Medium Wound). You go over there and pound the heck out of him.
And to justify all this violence...
Remember what I said about ogres eating children when winter blight drives them to it? Well, they get a taste for human flesh. That phrase "grind his bones to make my bread", giant kind really do that. These ogres were sitting around the campfire having a cookout, and cleaning bones & collecting them in a bag. Perhaps they knew a hag or an ogrewife that would grind it into flour and make bread for them. Winter's coming, gotta stock up
Kallista is more confident after the drakes words. The fact that praise and flattery isn't working is a good sign. Drop the fascade... this is not a faerie... be honest... she tells herself.
[color=red]"Yes, I do want something. Something most treasured. I'm looking for a companion, a partner, with which to share and explore the magical world and mysteries. Not to rule, to dominate, or take from... but, again to share.
Your gesture to save us from the ogres shows you are capable of kindness and your impatience with my flattery shows wisdom. I would wish to get to know you better, to see if it's possible embark on a journey which could span our lifetimes.
I would wish you get to know me better and think about it, truly think about the life you wish to live. If this interests you, we should talk further. If this seems too much or you don't believe my sincerity, than if only i could learn of what a dragon dreams. I would be content."
The drake's silence seems less one long pause and more composed of rests of different lengths.
Finally. "It's tempting."
Another pause, and only one.
"But we'd both be miserable. You don't want what you say you want." The drake forestalls a demurral. "That might almost be what you want, but it isn't. I'm taking a risk saying this to you, because if you don't get what you really want, you and your friends might do the usual wizard thing."
Oddly enough, drakes can smile. "Here I am all alone and outnumbered."
He glances toward the ogres being dispatched. "Ogre bones make good gnawing, by the way. The best part."
His attention returns to you and he's more serious.
"You're smarter than I--no, don't deny it! Wizards are almost as smart as dragons, and I'm no dragon. But you're young and I don't think you get out much.
Lifting a claw. "One. You said I'm lacking. Something about missing water. But I'm not lacking. I'm a fire drake! In a few hundred years, if I don't get killed, I might become a dragon. Might as well call a sparrow lacking because it doesn't have big moose antlers! A real partner doesn't see the other as lacking.
"Two. You are selfish. I don't mean you're nasty! I'm sure you're nice and gentle and good and all that. But you see the world through what you want and what you believe. You don't take time to understand other points of view because you think you already know. If you don't understand someone you cannot love them, like them or even trick them. You don't understand me, and want me to do the work to make that happen. Even a dragon looks into someone's heart before... doing whatever he wants. If you want power that doesn't come from claws and fire, learn to see through other eyes.
"Three. You are either weak or don't believe in your strength. You're here with enough wizards to slay anything interesting for leagues around, short of a dragon or Sleeping Giant. You aren't even the leader here. If you want something that sets you apart--and the stories I've heard of wizards and their companions are more likely to have squirrels and magpies and cats than drakes or griffons, so I think you're looking for something special--you have to set yourself apart."
[color=red]"Forgive me I did not to imply you were deficient and some how I could make you better. I mean only all things have weaknesses and strengths and yours would support my faults. The more you speak the more I see that it is true. Yes, I can be selfish. And petty at times. Spitefull at others. Not something for which I am proud.
"You remind me of my lover and he is a good man, without him I'd be nothing, he is not a magus, but a poet. Something not valued enough in humans, but cherished by my kind.
"But I don't mean to rush you. Nor to imply that your answer was desired at this moment. You asked what I was really after and that is what I would desire in the end. But I'm already very glad to have met you. I want to understand more, I care for all creatures that dream. If out of this I gain a friend, it will have been more than I expected.
"There is something I must tell you though." Kallista steps a little closer. [color=red]"You are right I am not the leader here. Yet my friends are humoring my desire to meet one of your kind, yes. But my other aquaintences are here hunting... Large 'game'."
Kallista will look to see if the others are in earshot. [color=red]"Please do not take this as a threat. I would hate for you to be mistaken as quarry. It is unsafe for you and yours here at this time. No matter your decision I will protect you how I can. But you may want to hide for a time being while you think things over."
[color=red]"Though something tells me that hiding may be an insult? Maybe I can talk to the other wizards and see if they would leave your kind alone? Yes... that I think I should do. Will do."
If anyone could have been in earshot for the drake's part of the conversation, excluding Kallista's, they were. The drake was not speaking quietly; his voice carried.
I think we need to get an idea of where everyone is at this point. To sync up, as it were.
Okay, using the Clock Coordinate system: assume Kallista and Maurice are at 12oclock. The rest of the entourage is back towards the center of the clock, between 11 and 1.
The drake suddenly does look hungry. "Ogre bones are good. Meat's meat, but an ogre's strength is in his bones. Most humans only care about meat, but you and your friends are wizards and might see things differently."
And then, "If you do, and your friends want a more interesting fight, I know where we can get lots more than what's in these ogres. It's too big for me, even with friends. But together..... maybe there is something to negotiate."
Valentino calls to Txatxu while moving to Armando, [color=red]"Txatxu, could you examine the corpses? Where is the vis? I'm guessing it's in the bones. I'm also guessing the drake won't like the taste so much without the vis."
Valentino would like to examine Armando for a moment if he'll allow it. Assuming he does, Valentino will say, [color=red]"Let me patch you up temporarily. I will heal this later, but I shouldn't use up my energy right now. There is too great a chance we will need much more healing later." He will silent and still cast Bind Wounds (succeeds by 20+1d10 non-stress after the penalty). While there he'll add quietly to Armando, [color=red]"That seems a reasonable way to distribute the spoils. We'll have to do so afterward, of course, instead of on the spot, but I'm sure you are used to that." After hearing the drake's comment, he'll ask Armando, [color=red]"What do you think about this 'more interesting fight'?"
Then he'll head toward Kallista and the drake to see about this negotiation. [color=red]"Would you care to tell us more about this 'more interesting fight' of which you speak?"
[color=red]
"Hmm right," he nods and wipes the dust from his pants, looking at the corpse and wondering how exactly is he going to get to their bones...
With his bigger size though, he decides it shouldn't be too much of a problem and producing his dagger he digs in so he is able to touch the bones inside, before he mutters the words and the following riddle: [color=indigo]"As the fox chasing the hare, I shall find this Vis, but where?"
