Dragonball M, Chapter 5: Clarion’s Call! The Signal! The Fate of the Universes!

[grampagen]

There was nothing left to salvage in the kitchen, and though Sasheem had cleaned the majority of the surfaces, whatever was broken would need time to mend, and the stores would need to be replenished.

Though Etrina was indeed well versed in mastering time as fluidly as most of them mastered the use of ki, whatever it was she'd been up to seemed to leave her bereft of words for a moment.

And so while they waited for their ride to get here, Zaofan turned his back from his gastronomy for now, crossing the Lookout plaza where he encountered something that really shouldn't have been here in the first place. Then again, today, that would hardly be the start of that trend.

Totoma landed on the lookout, dropping the corpse unceremoniously onto its surface. While his face was calm, anyone with any familiarity with body language--let alone saiyan body language--would be able to tell that he was agitated and worried. Muscles tense, tail flicking about at random... he couldn't suppress the subconscious indicators of stress. Or just didn't care to.

After a moment, he spoke: "...went to my house. It was destroyed, and my family... they've been kidnapped. Found this in the bubble--probably Karine's doing--and brought it here for someone who actually knows what they're doing with sensing crap to see if they can do something."

He sighed and sat down. There were still hotspots, but most were winding down, and he could sense the others at the major ones... they were all capable warriors, and wouldn't need his help to clean things up. That, and he felt like there was a good chance that if he left, this vampire frostie would spring back to life and kidnap Eva, too. That's how these things always went, it seemed like.

And so, he was staying here, for the time being.

Totoma sighed and slumped forward a bit. "...should've gone home immediately instead of coming here to show off."

Eva nods.

“You can vent in there while we investigate. I believe Kai and I can get something out of the corpse, if not a location than a memory of what happened at least.”

"Tch."

That could be fixed... but right now, he might be useful. Tasure leaned against the wall, crossing her arms.

The Arcosian seemed obsessed with that human Ochazuke to a disturbing degree. Wanting a powerful and skilled warrior on your side was only natural, but this... it was as if he were simply disregarding everyone except her fellow saiyans and Ochazuke. Though, she supposed most Arcosians disregarded the abilities of everyone but their own kind, so perhaps that counted as a half-assed sort of progress?

Tch. Well, there wasn't much she could say or do except try to ignore her hunger pangs and recover her stamina as much as she could.

First, the chef cleared his throat. Then tapped his toes, and stretching his hands before him, cracked his knuckles.

"...did you all somehow fail to mention to me we had a lead on our enemy? For shame."

[grampagen]

Strangely, or perhaps not so, there was no reply from the Gotengo. She had assumed Earth had fended for itself well enough, and that assumption was proven when her ship neared its atmosphere. The lingering aftermath of the epic space battle that took place a short while ago littered the area. Twisted scrap in the shape of a hollowed out chunk of burnt metal slowly floated harmlessly toward the scattered clouds of the planet in the short distance. "Let it never be said that humans are helpless," she said.

Avoca nodded silently.

Whoever they had fought, they stood victorious. Much as it was with the Saiyans and the GP. Much as it was everywhere. Sakin unleashed an army whose ranks were innumerable. Yet, everywhere she had turned, the defenders were the last ones standing. It gave credence to the belief that this was merely a means of buying time for him to complete whatever it was that he intended on completing. The only question was what that was.

"My sister is fighting a God of Destruction on Reshlan," Parsley said. "We need to meet with our allies on Earth so we can give her backup." How Sarada, Totoma, and Nevanlinna had been holding up in the time between the latter's message being sent and right then depended on how powerful Sarada's new form was and how serious the GoD was taking fighting a trio that was beneath them. It was her hope that they were feeling particularly "playful", like Cancer was on Sarada; that was the only way they were going to live long enough for help to arrive.

There was no guarantee all of them together would make a difference, assuming it was She Who Stalks. She was the last GoD that had been unaccounted for up to that time. They had a knack for defeating enemies well out of their wheelhouse, but that was far beyond anyone they had faced up to that point. We'll prevail, she reassured herself. We don't have any choice.

"...sounds like you should rendezvous on Reshlan."

Commander Kenshiko peered across the video comm. Brushing an auburn strand of hair out of her face and tucking it back beneath her red beret, for a moment the sound of her gloved fingers drumming on the console filled the air as the ashes on her face broke under a heavy drop of sweat.

"Well, this is awkward, the EDF communication band on the Nevadian uplink over the Guardian network is working, isn't it? Though, if only Officer Miras Thane got here with the Coldlight, sound like even the GP is spread thin to rail Sakin across the Known Universe. First contact with the enemy always goes FUBAR."

"We can either let you in directly to the Lookout, or facilitate your passage to Reshlan. What do you want to do?"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"...sounds like you should rendezvous on Reshlan."

Commander Kenshiko peered across the video comm. Brushing an auburn strand of hair out of her face and tucking it back beneath her red beret, for a moment the sound of her gloved fingers drumming on the console filled the air as the ashes on her face broke under a heavy drop of sweat.

"Well, this is awkward, the EDF communication band on the Nevadian uplink over the Guardian network is working, isn't it? Though, if only Officer Miras Thane got here with the Coldlight, sound like even the GP is spread thin to rail Sakin across the Known Universe. First contact with the enemy always goes FUBAR."

"We can either let you in directly to the Lookout, or facilitate your passage to Reshlan. What do you want to do?"

"She's right," Avoca whispered quietly.

Parsley nodded without replying. While formulating a plan of action was vital against an enemy as powerful as she assumed a God of Destruction was, it was useless without knowing what she was capable of outside of flinging around Hakai. A while that was dangerous and potent in and of itself, there was no time to spend milling around talking.

"Transport is no issue," she said while pulling out the Apparatus. She also pulled up the theorem for Reshlan and began configuring it to open a doorway. "Let someone on Earth know Parsley, Avoca and Blizzar are going ahead to Reshlan. Thank you."

She turned and looked to Avoca and Blizzar. "Get ready. We're taking a shortcut." With that, she opened a doorway directly to Reshlan with the Apparatus.

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

There was nothing left to salvage in the kitchen, and though Sasheem had cleaned the majority of the surfaces, whatever was broken would need time to mend, and the stores would need to be replenished.

Though Etrina was indeed well versed in mastering time as fluidly as most of them mastered the use of ki, whatever it was she'd been up to seemed to leave her bereft of words for a moment.

And so while they waited for their ride to get here, Zaofan turned his back from his gastronomy for now, crossing the Lookout plaza where he encountered something that really shouldn't have been here in the first place. Then again, today, that would hardly be the start of that trend.






First, the chef cleared his throat. Then tapped his toes, and stretching his hands before him, cracked his knuckles.

"...did you all somehow fail to mention to me we had a lead on our enemy? For shame."

Tasure blinked. Right, the dead Vampire Arcosian.

Being so preoccupied with her missing family, Reshlan, hunger pangs, and exchanging barbs with the non-vampire Arcosian present, she'd neglected to mention the one Karine had taken down.

"...yeah, sorry. Not really at the top of my game right now," she said, walking over to the dead Arcosian. "My boy brought this back from his house... really should've capsuled it before dragging him off to Reshlan. That was stupid of me." Seems like she was making a lot of stupid mistakes today.

"Apparently Karine's the one that took it down, before she was subdued by its allies." Tasure paused for a moment. "These things are pretty strong, and considering how Arcosians usually fight, she was likely caught flat-footed... and defending Evangeline and Chaz. Taking one down in those circumstances... I'd expect nothing less from Aiden's daughter."

Crossing her arms, she stood above the corpse and examined it. Maybe... just maybe...

...

No, no, they needed the corpse. It was their only lead, and Arcosians tasted horrible, from what she'd been told. Never mind that their flesh--their tails, if she recalled correctly--could also cause mutations. Not worth the risk.

She sighed. "...wonder how Totoma, Sarada, and Nevanlinna are doing on Reshlan."

[grampagen]

Tasure blinked. Right, the dead Vampire Arcosian.

Being so preoccupied with her missing family, Reshlan, hunger pangs, and exchanging barbs with the non-vampire Arcosian present, she'd neglected to mention the one Karine had taken down.

"...yeah, sorry. Not really at the top of my game right now," she said, walking over to the dead Arcosian. "My boy brought this back from his house... really should've capsuled it before dragging him off to Reshlan. That was stupid of me." Seems like she was making a lot of stupid mistakes today.

"Apparently Karine's the one that took it down, before she was subdued by its allies." Tasure paused for a moment. "These things are pretty strong, and considering how Arcosians usually fight, she was likely caught flat-footed... and defending Evangeline and Chaz. Taking one down in those circumstances... I'd expect nothing less from Aiden's daughter."

Zaofan stood there for a moment, thoughtfully rubbing his chin as he overlooked the deposed creature before them.

"No kidding, apparently she really did a number on him," he said, "you've seen what she can do when it's all on the line."

He opted to skim over the appraisal of Karine being subdued. That might have been the nicest way of putting it, but Totoma would not have left her behind...intentionally, if she were still here-

"...in other words, this was one of the guys that took your family."

Eureka.

"and if that vision we had of all this is true, there's a connection. Eva, Kai, did you find anything?"

Crossing her arms, she stood above the corpse and examined it. Maybe... just maybe...

...

No, no, they needed the corpse. It was their only lead, and Arcosians tasted horrible, from what she'd been told. Never mind that their flesh--their tails, if she recalled correctly--could also cause mutations. Not worth the risk.

She sighed. "...wonder how Totoma, Sarada, and Nevanlinna are doing on Reshlan."

Ah, she really has a one-track mind. Goodness knows this is how we'd all feel, knowing everyone we care about's at stake without any way of knowing they're alright. Clearing his throat, Zaofan first appraised the wounds of the vampire, and though he'd gotten used to having Karine around years ago, he also certainly was wary of the time of day.

"...yeah, let's make him talk."

He produced a capsule, popped it open, revealing an earthenware jar. Its surface was riddled with the runes of a sealing spell that marked a certain covenant writ in magic, and something else quite distinct. They were in a hurry, however, so Zaofan twist open the top.

"Alright Grav, wake up," he said, "We're going to do some Vitalmancy!"

[MrSandman]

With the ringing of a hammer cutting high above the wailing winds and soft thunder of the Gotengo engines, Morgan had slowly found her head ringing with the same vibration with each subsequent crack and snap of creations might. She had been sitting in thought along the snowline just beyond the point of landing, but her thoughts were driven from her head repeatedly by the loud noise of the ongoing work....among other things. For the fourth...perhaps fifth time, a shadow bounded over the snowbank with a large fragment of metal in its teeth. Like the bloodhound, Erosa was quick to sniff out and haul any disregarded fragment of orichalum back to the site.

It was better served this way then left to sit in the wastes.....and yet.

For untold centuries it had acted as a conduit for the powers of the old queen, the veins of some colossal god huddled beneath the snow. Taken now and fused with another vessel....could they ever be truly sure that nothing that dwelt within still remained?

Her eyes fell to the dirty snow at her feet, a glint of crystalized ice that lay beneath....and how much more that lay beneath that. One day the North would be cleaned, scoured of the last fragments of the old kingdom and then....maybe then she could build something better in its place. In time....perhaps Avalon could return, free of the shadow of its former ties.

The crystal sparked, a dim light behind its fractured glass surface. The Mage reached down and traced her finger across its surface...realizing it for what it was. A fragment of Magicite, spent of its power...hollow if not for the feint touch of the void. Others lay in the area, cold and dim...

...

Morgan swung her head around, feeling eyes boring into the back of her head....but found nothing behind her. The air grew quiet, the snow settled...and for a moment she could hear only her nervous breathing before the silence shattering sound of Ochazuke hammer brought her back to attention with a fright.....one that was enhanced by several magnitudes by the unblinking pair of eyes she found staring at her when her gaze returned to the Gotengo.

Morgan froze. The woman who had been speaking with Ochazuke earlier on the ship was now observing her with a rather uncomfortable lack of personal space. The mage felt her skin crawling away faster then she could jerk backwards, and despite no action of the others part she immediately flopped head over heels backwards into a mount of the bitter cold snow. "Gah!"

"I'm sorry." The woman answered, adjusting herself back to her full height but making no attempt to actually help her from the snow. "You were making observations and I was intrigued."

"Bloody cold...." Morgan pushed herself up, the snow having somehow made its way into her garments in the most aggravating way possible. "....Yes I was observing...rather peacefully until you showed...." The mage bit her tongue, suddenly realizing how annoyed she sounded and taking a moment to steady her breathing. "I'm just waiting on the repairs...same as you I'd imagine...." Morgan eyes the woman standing before her, suddenly realizing she knew next to nothing about her beyond her initial appearance. Had she been another member of the crew? Her tone was monotone, and somewhat blunt in its delivery...not to mention strangely artificial...and the way she was dressed made Morgans teeth chatter by proxy. How was she not even flinching in the north wearing nothing but a see through....Wedding grown? Funeral Dress?

Erosa flew overhead again with a sheet of metal, casting a glance as she passed. For a moment Morgan watched her sail off towards the others and then returned her gaze back to the woman...

In that fragment of a moment, she now found the woman holding the fragment she had been staring at on the ground. "Is this what you we.."

In a sudden fit, Morgans hand shot out and snatched the shard from the her hand, who made no attempt to pull back or even act surprised.

"WATCH WHAT YOUR DOING!" Morgan found herself shouting, a twitch of suppressed annoyance in her voice. "The fragments of magicite here are still very unstable....you could be subjected to harmful void energies....this isn't a place to be careless. If you have time to be standing around eyeballing people you can help with the repairs!" Morgan stamped her foot into the snow and prepared to berate her some more, but realized almost immediately that not only was it horrendously hypocritical of her, but she also had no idea why she was so pissed off all of a sudden.

Maybe the girls tone was sitting right with her, or the way she carried herself, her looks....something was grinding her nerves and she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Ochazuke does not need my assistance with repairs..." The woman replied. "...and the hammer does not agree with me....so I am observing from a distance..."

"...Then why don't you observe someone else, preferably inside the ship where you don't turn into a void beast by accidentally getting a fragment in your foot." Morgan fumed a response....and after a moment to process it, Cthylla nodded. "Yes, that would be unfortunate. I shall retreat into the safety of the ship."

"Well...good." Morgan answered. "Glad you understand."

"Yes, thank you for your assistance in this matter."

"Right...."

"......"

"......"

".......Are you....going to leave?"

"After further consideration I've decided I'd rather observe yo.."

Morgan immediate begins volleying the woman with projectile ice balls. "GET BACK IN THE SHIP!"

Rather then immediately flee, the woman just takes the barrage for several seconds...until most of her front is coated with a trick layer of snow, then casually turns around and floats back towards the ship while saying something that ended up muffled by the snow.

After a moment confirming that she had indeed left, the mage finally collapsed back down into the snow....rolling the magicite fragment between her finger and letting out an audible sigh, then lifting it up to the air. The hammer clashed just beyond her gaze, the light of creation sparking up and shining through the fragment...casting a brilliant hue onto her face.

Morgans head tilted.....

This fragment didn't have any void taint....it was just pure magicite. But she was sure it was tainted when she saw it on the ground.

"Gao!" Erosa flew overhead with another fragment and landed down next to her, this time carrying it via her hands rather then her teeth. "Mage Lady playing with Magic Rocks? Where Cthylla go?"

"Cthylla?" Morgan muttered. A strange name....thought it had a familiar ring to it. "She's gone back in the ship..."

"Oh, void lady likes flying around and not doing any work....she a slacker, nothing like Erosa." Erosa lied. "Erosa think slacker voidlings better then the kind who keep trying to turn everyone into kalamari......repairs almost finished by the way." Erosa nodded and then leap off towards the ship leaving Morgan alone once again.

".....Oh, I better get going...."Morgan lifted herself from the snow, pocketed the shard and started back towards the ship.

She didn't even make it a foot before pausing, a look of muted realization slowly creeping over her face....followed by one of sudden panic.

".....Cthylla......Voidling......"

it was not every day someone realized they just told one of their gods to get lost.

[MrSandman]

The past he'd left behind, the legacy he'd renewed in the present, each of these now opened the path to a tomorrow they all would fight fore. It hadn't been for nothing, and through the distance he heard it quite clearly and it stilled his thoughts.

Victory. The Earth had stood its ground and won. With their home safe, he could now turn his attentions forward without regrets.

"The Orichalum has been fastened. The rest, Morgan La Faye, depends on you."

Morgan had arrived not a few moments before the work had finished, and though had time to come to terms...she seemed still a bit on the bewildered side on something that Ochazuke could not fathom at a glance.

"Oh....ahh....yes, of course."

The mage took a step up to the side and inspected the last plate that had been placed.

".....Orichalum has a high energy conductivity...it will need some time to fully condense with the more stable materials. But you've done well....you, actually remind me a little of the old smiths...swinging that hammer of yours." Morgan mused. "Though I suppose this would have been like fixing a horse shoe with diamond, hammering Orichalum to patch a hull....some smiths would have been wailing at the thought."

A pulse of magic travels from Morgans hand and through the plating.

"Still...I imagine this was what the tomb was meant to be.....a focus made into a vessel. its not quite as conductive, but we can cast magic several magnitudes more powerful with the hull as a focus." Morgan turned back to Ochauzke. "Hopefully this is enough to help..."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"She's right," Avoca whispered quietly.

Parsley nodded without replying. While formulating a plan of action was vital against an enemy as powerful as she assumed a God of Destruction was, it was useless without knowing what she was capable of outside of flinging around Hakai. A while that was dangerous and potent in and of itself, there was no time to spend milling around talking.

"Transport is no issue," she said while pulling out the Apparatus. She also pulled up the theorem for Reshlan and began configuring it to open a doorway. "Let someone on Earth know Parsley, Avoca and Blizzar are going ahead to Reshlan. Thank you."

She turned and looked to Avoca and Blizzar. "Get ready. We're taking a shortcut." With that, she opened a doorway directly to Reshlan with the Apparatus.

They arrive amidst a planetary storm.

And a sense of dread.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Zaofan stood there for a moment, thoughtfully rubbing his chin as he overlooked the deposed creature before them.

"No kidding, apparently she really did a number on him," he said, "you've seen what she can do when it's all on the line."

He opted to skim over the appraisal of Karine being subdued. That might have been the nicest way of putting it, but Totoma would not have left her behind...intentionally, if she were still here-

"...in other words, this was one of the guys that took your family."

Eureka.

"and if that vision we had of all this is true, there's a connection. Eva, Kai, did you find anything?"



Ah, she really has a one-track mind. Goodness knows this is how we'd all feel, knowing everyone we care about's at stake without any way of knowing they're alright. Clearing his throat, Zaofan first appraised the wounds of the vampire, and though he'd gotten used to having Karine around years ago, he also certainly was wary of the time of day.

"...yeah, let's make him talk."

He produced a capsule, popped it open, revealing an earthenware jar. Its surface was riddled with the runes of a sealing spell that marked a certain covenant writ in magic, and something else quite distinct. They were in a hurry, however, so Zaofan twist open the top.

"Alright Grav, wake up," he said, "We're going to do some Vitalmancy!"

“All I can tell is that Karine’s energy is still alive. It’s still sympathetic to the remnants in this dead body. But the connection itself is faint, and we are unable to follow the trail back to her location. But she is alive.”

To Zaofan, it looked like Karine had impales the creature through the heart and damn near torn its head off.

Grav, that old mage they had conquered so long ago, grimaces as he appears.

“And would are well doing here?”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

As the Nevadian and The Avenger conversed, the Galloping continued on it's flight path towards the lookout, oblivious to the fact that others were now on a direct intercept course between Star ship and landing zone.

Held was too engrossed in conversation to notice, and the Auto-Pilot was too disinterested to care.

It would hardly be surprising if they had thought the Nevadian was at the helm of the great ship, but this was not the case.

As such, The Galloping continued barreling towards the warriors at rapid speed, threatening to trample right into them.

Charco stand sun front of it, floating, eyes narrowed.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Sarada stumbled back, eyes wide with shock. Not from her shields being broken, but the fact that she just barely missed dying. Any confidence she had that she stood even a remote chance of delaying SWS until the others arrived was gone. That moment was only a scant few seconds, but it showed her beyond the shadow of a doubt just how far above her and her newfound power a God of Destruction really was. Cancer was either an anomaly, was caught off-guard, or was far weaker. Whatever the case, Sarada knew their chances of winning were non-existent. Maybe even with the others with her.

Queen Nevin's safety is the most important thing. Once she's safe, we should retreat. The very thought disgusted her to no end. Even if she recognized the strategic value of retreat, it was still a distasteful end to any battle. But, if it meant surviving to see the next day, so be it.

She appeared beside Totoma. A quick glance at his chest showed that there was nothing she could do for him. "Find Neva. Maybe she can use her hozon and magic to help you. I'll buy you both some time." As for herself, she needed to keep buying time until the others arrived. Then they could try and make something happen against a god. "Here I go."

She stepped forward until she was midway between Totoma and SWS. Her crimson scythe still in her hand, she brought it to bear, poised to attack or defend when she needed to. I have to fight smart. There's gotta be some way I can take advantage of her weakness. She had been playing around with them the entire time. If she wanted them dead, they would have been erased from the get-go. Maybe if I get her talking, she'll let something slip.

"So tell me. What lie did Sakin sell you on?" SWS was one of the three destroyers allied with that amalgamation. It must have been a good one; then again, she didn't look like she was the most moral person ever. "Must have been a doozy for a God to play a stooge."

A black scythe appears in SWS’s hand, a replica of Sarada’s.

“No lie. Sakin and I are old friends, godling. When he wins, I get the entire Demon Realm as my own. He rules this realm, I rule that realm. I help him here, he helps me there. Simple.”

[Miburo]

The Galloping continued on it's merry way, dancing upon the sky itself. It would not back down from this game of accidental chicken with Charco.

Charco stand sun front of it, floating, eyes narrowed.

Held himself was unaware of Charco, his attention focused entirely upon Frogspierre.

Or so it was.

Until he felt a presence. One he had not felt since....

Praxat senses the Galloping with her electroreception. Sensing that the star ship isn't stopping or changing course, Praxat swiftly moves out of the way of its path.

Her.

The words that flowed from Frogspierres lips fell upon death ears. There was no sound. No ship. No lookout.

Only a black abyss where two beings existed in unison.

The Nevadian.

And her.

As The Galloping continued on it's course, narrowly missing the Toadian, Held's gaze met where her gaze would have been, were she not blindfolded.

In the very recesses of his mind, the Nevadian had questions about that.

But not now.

Even as the shipped sailed by Praxat, Helds gaze never wavered, never looked away from the symbol of his suffering.

You...

Luigi-Death-Stare-600x338.jpg

[grampagen]

Morgan had arrived not a few moments before the work had finished, and though had time to come to terms...she seemed still a bit on the bewildered side on something that Ochazuke could not fathom at a glance.

"Oh....ahh....yes, of course."

The mage took a step up to the side and inspected the last plate that had been placed.

".....Orichalum has a high energy conductivity...it will need some time to fully condense with the more stable materials. But you've done well....you, actually remind me a little of the old smiths...swinging that hammer of yours." Morgan mused. "Though I suppose this would have been like fixing a horse shoe with diamond, hammering Orichalum to patch a hull....some smiths would have been wailing at the thought."

A pulse of magic travels from Morgans hand and through the plating.

"Still...I imagine this was what the tomb was meant to be.....a focus made into a vessel. its not quite as conductive, but we can cast magic several magnitudes more powerful with the hull as a focus." Morgan turned back to Ochauzke. "Hopefully this is enough to help..."

As the perpetual dark and gloom continued to linger over the Tomb of Persephone, Ochazuke leaned his head away from the raw metal patchwork on the blemished surface of the Gotengo and looked toward Morgan, his dark eyes narrowed in silence at her remark for a moment.

"Diamonds into pig iron. It's fitting, I suppose," he said, "The one who previously owned this hammer, in another time he could have been considered a master worker. The thing in itself is a testament to his craft, and in this respect I may never be the Forgemaster's equal."

Pushing off to flight, he opened the airlock door, turning around to glance once moor at the broken remains of the Mage Kingdom of Amdapour; a haven risen from the snow, shattered, arisen again, and fallen where the ice spread over the dark dwelling of its sleeping ancients.

"But more often than not, Morgan, we do not choose our circumstances, only do what we can to flourish in spite of them. This, among us, you may have knowledge that is rooted the most deeply. Suppose your gods had not chanced upon your Queen's desperate prayer, how fewer the ages of Old Avalon might have been for the people beset on all sides by hardship? Or how perfect, indeed it would be, to dwell within the endless dream...yet even if it is not so, as it so often is, it is through pressing forward, through enduring the cruelties of this life and letting them pass over and through us that we find strength; not in ourselves, but in each other."

When the systems of the starship powered on, the instruments on the bridge began reading and analyzing the grafted alloy, and the moment the Big Ghetti Nanites integrated their unique circuitry mingling within the pieces of the ancient mechanism, the whole of the Gotengo's eighty-eight thousand tonne bulk shook as it rose effortlessly from the snow, for flowing into the Super Katchin capacitors of the Wave Motion Engine was greater than ever.

Fastening the helm of the Zero System, Ochazuke felt it brimming against the field of his meditation, more than the light that seemed to lift them skyward, drawing in energy had suddenly become less arduous than even the previous calibration had granted them. Yet though he felt the material power and the potential of the magical alloy, having glimpsed past the veil into the darkness beyond to where such devices had seeped their tendrils, there was less strength there in this vessel than a disembodied, icy chill.

For what they all had to do, he would carry this in silence.

"We make for the Lookout. We have appointments to keep, but you Familiars might yet have words with a mage."

__

Swift as a thought, so it was that the Gotengo squared its 300 meter length over the Lookout plaza. Yet despite the broadness of the craft, its bow-drill perpetually gleaming as if in warning against any that would threaten this world, the inertial dampeners silenced it where it hovered. Ochazuke landed silently, guiding a procession of floater drones carrying the dozens of crewmen who remained in a psionic coma from the backlash in the aftermath of their battle with the Dreadnought.

"Bring them to the healing tanks if the Ronin cannot spare a moment," he said, "our lot will be sufficient for the crew, and we must be swift to Reshlan."

[grampagen]

“All I can tell is that Karine’s energy is still alive. It’s still sympathetic to the remnants in this dead body. But the connection itself is faint, and we are unable to follow the trail back to her location. But she is alive.”

To Zaofan, it looked like Karine had impales the creature through the heart and damn near torn its head off.

Grav, that old mage they had conquered so long ago, grimaces as he appears.

“And would are well doing here?”

Zaofan's train of thought was thrown asunder by the sudden arrival of the spaceship at the Lookout's edge.

"...hey! They're back! They're okay! ...well, the fighters are..."

Looking at the wounds at the head and the heart of the vampire, he remembered himself. Casting a wave to Ochazuke as he approached - and stopped the instant he came within striking distance to Koorimaru - Zaofan addressed the huddle session with Evangeline and Grav.

"Now, I'm no psychic, but I've been on the receiving end of more than a few projected thoughts before, forceful or otherwise. The connection's faint from this noggin because there's, well, nothing living in there, right? But if we were somehow to...bring this guy back..."

Zaofan cleared his throat, "...well, no, that would be dumb, bring him back but not really, do you think you can follow the psychic trail back and figure out how many others there are and where Cancer is?"

He looked over to Tasure, who seemed to be within the bounds of her temper - a sign of worry for her loved ones, and a warning for anyone else.

"It's risky, for all we know they can see through his eyes," he said, swiftly embedding his fingers into the creature's temples with Shiatsu Seiten, coercing a heaviness of its eyelids, and striking other pressure points to steal the strength from its limbs, "but if you can find out where he took Karine, Bekon, and the kids, it's worth a shot."

Exhaling he stood back up and looked to Grav.

"But for that...we'll need to give a pulse to a creature that has no heart. This is your wheelhouse, can it be done?"

[bruceleegreyhulk]

The Galloping continued on it's merry way, dancing upon the sky itself. It would not back down from this game of accidental chicken with Charco.




Held himself was unaware of Charco, his attention focused entirely upon Frogspierre.

Or so it was.

Until he felt a presence. One he had not felt since....




Her.

The words that flowed from Frogspierres lips fell upon death ears. There was no sound. No ship. No lookout.

Only a black abyss where two beings existed in unison.

The Nevadian.

And her.

As The Galloping continued on it's course, narrowly missing the Toadian, Held's gaze met where her gaze would have been, were she not blindfolded.

In the very recesses of his mind, the Nevadian had questions about that.

But not now.

Even as the shipped sailed by Praxat, Helds gaze never wavered, never looked away from the symbol of his suffering.

You...

Luigi-Death-Stare-600x338.jpg

Praxat heads back to the lookout. Praxat gives an indication that she knows she's being watched then shouts at Dash." Dash, move out of the way, ship incoming!" Praxat said.