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Cerin and Birds are down one of the strange tunnels on the Island of the Aalorai, surrounded by strange essence spheres, embedded into the rock..
- Cerin frowns "I think we might have to observe one of the Aalorai at work.."
<BirdsOfTrinity> "I'm not good at disappearing. You may need to do that on your own."
- Cerin nods "We should leave then, I dont think we can do anything down here until an Aalorai comes."
- Birds-of-Trinity nods and creeps out.
- Cerin creeps out after her, to wait for an aalorai to venture down the tunnels.
An hour passes uneventfully, with no sign of the strange beasts. Just as hope seems to be dwindling, however, a single metallic form gracefully swoops down from the skies and alights upon the lip of a nearby tunnel.
- Cerin waits for it to go down the tunnel, then starts to move after it, anima wrapped around him in a concealing cloud as he trails the Aalorai down the tunnels
- Cerin tiptoes down through the tunnel, hearing the scrape of the creature's razor-sharp iron claws against the rocks as it descends.
- Cerin continues down the tunnel after the Aalorai, not wnating to be oo close, though he wants to be able to observe what the creature does to the spheres
- Birds-of-Trinity waits, concealed, outside, ready to cry alarm.
It continues down for perhaps one hundred yards before stopping, suddenly. From around the corner of a bend in the tunnel, Cerin can just make out its actions -- it seems to examine the wall in the tunnel for some time, tapping and looking closely at various spots, before selecting one.
- Cerin stops and makes ready to retreat, as he watches
It reaches three of its claws forward, suffusing each with Essence -- and they pass directly through the rockface. After a second it draws them back out, each clutching firmly a single, perfect sphere of steel. It looks down to examine them, and takes a moment to stroke them -- almost affectionately -- before turning to depart once again.
- Cerin starts to move back up the tunnel, trying to keep at least one corner between himself and the aalorai
The aalorai moves back up the tunnel at a fairly leisurely pace, allowing Cerin to easily keep ahead of it.
- Cerin seeks cover again, to avoid being spotted. He also trys to locate birds.
There are several convenient rocks and piles of debris to duck behind.
- Birds-of-Trinity is idly weaving Essence through her limbs when Cerin emerges.
- Cerin raises an eyebrow at her martial charms, then thinks it through. he gestures into the tunnel.
- Birds-of-Trinity nods and whispers, "What now?"
The scratching, clinking noise of the aalorai grows nearer.
<Cerin> "If we're going to fight, we go into the tunnels"
<BirdsOfTrinity> "I was afraid that you would say that.
<Cerin> "It has 3 of the sphere things. I'm not sure if we could detach them on our own" he continues in the whisper
<BirdsOfTrinity> "We should try and subdue it..."
- Birds-of-Trinity summarily dives into the tunnel.
- Cerin nods and follows after her
As they round a curve near the mouth of the tunnel, the two Solars find themselves face to face with the aalorai. Its eyes flash deep red as it sees them, and it pauses for a moment, entirely unmoving; then, it tosses the three spears into the air, and each of its six hands reach up to its wings; each draws out a single, viciously sharp feather.
- Birds-of-Trinity breaks out into an immense grin, and draws the Reborn Ecstatic Plume. "We will see who's feather is mightier!"
- Birds-of-Trinity measures the wind for a moment, then lunges four times, to draw the character "Beast" on the aalorai's chest.
With a blur, the aalorai's arms swing into motion, swinging the feathers to block Birds' strikes -- but in vain; the Solar is simply swifter.
- Birds-of-Trinity takes several backward steps to allow Cerin some room to move.
The gashes left in the beast's metal chest by Birds' weapon seem to glow a faint red, as if the Essence within is escaping out by the moment.
- Cerin lets his hands blur as he lets fly with 6 bolts of perfect accuracy, each one plunging into the beast, stunning it.
- Birds-of-Trinity makes a note to get some of those cool red robes.
The beast's swift, spinning motions seek to deflect the bolts, but to no avail. One strikes it directly upon the forehead, and the others batter into its chest with incredible force -- it slams up against one wall of the tunnel, and collapses.
- Birds-of-Trinity helps Cerin tie up the creature, taking a moment to wrap up its feather-weapons and pack them away.
- Cerin examines it closely, as he bends to pick up the spheres, stowing them in his cache egg amongst rolls of cloth
<Cerin> "where too now? back home? or should we try to explore more?" he whispers
- Birds-of-Trinity slings the aalorai over her shoulder. No sense keeping all the eggs in one basket.
<BirdsOfTrinity> "It'll probably be a little inconvenient to sneak around with a prisoner in tow. Is there somewhere closer than home we can stash it?"
<Cerin> "Through the gates, any gate is close. I'm not sure where we could leave it here..."
- Birds-of-Trinity thinks a bit.
<BirdsOfTrinity> You suppose that it's particularly strong?
<BirdsOfTrinity> "We could just pile some rocks on it."
<Cerin> "We cant leave it here though, others might come down."
- Birds-of-Trinity examines the sky.
<BirdsOfTrinity> "I suppose you're right. Um, why don't you keep looking around...you're sneakier and all...and I'll go take this guy and find Zahara."
<BirdsOfTrinity> "And maybe a snack."
- Cerin raises his eyebrows. "I am not sure how much more scouting I can do, that last attack required me to supress my anima"
- Birds-of-Trinity nods.
<BirdsOfTrinity> "Then, we will truimphantly RETREAT!"
<BirdsOfTrinity> "...oop."
<BirdsOfTrinity> "I mean, (retreat)."
- Birds-of-Trinity hurries toward the gateway tower.
- Cerin nods "Back to the gate"
- Cerin hurries after her
The tower stands, far in the air, just as it was when the two left it.
<Cerin> "Can you get back up there with that thing on your back?"
<BirdsOfTrinity> "Good question."
- Birds-of-Trinity tries it.
- Birds-of-Trinity tosses the unconscious monster a few inches.
<BirdsOfTrinity> "I'll be okay."
- Cerin nods "Lets go then"
- Birds-of-Trinity leaps from building wall to building wall, reaching the top like a falling leaf seen in reverse.
- Cerin climbs in much the same way he did before, running up the ledges created by swirling design on the building
- Cerin retreats within the gate room and activates the gate
Later, back at the gate
- Zahara steps out into the Sunlands, followed by Marku
<Markuran> "What was so urgent, Cerin?"
- Cerin kisses Zahara with passion, then steps back, to indicate the bound Aalorai unconcious a short distance from the ring
- Zahara swoons, and blinks a couple of times before she focuses on the Aalorai "Well hello to you too" she smiles
<Markuran> "What is that?" Mark steps forward, hefting his new mace threateningly at the freakish looking creature
<Cerin> "That is one of the Aalorai"
<Zahara> "Ah yes, I recognize it from the vision. It looks.. bigger than I thought."
<Cerin> "This wasnt the biggest one we saw."
- Zahara crouches down near the beast, inspecting it curiously
- Zahara looks up at him, "How did you capture him without alerting the bigger ones?"
- Markuran prods it with the mace
<Cerin> "It was alone. Birds and myself overwhelmed it in seconds, then we withdrew with it"
- Zahara nods, "A wise course of action. So none know you were there, other than this one?" she nudges it a bit. "We'll need to put it somewhere for further study. I built some cages in the North earlier."
<Markuran> "That seems a bit hard to get to. And what if it freezes?"
<Zahara> "Well it's just through the gates."
<Cerin> "I'm not sure if we should leave it ..unattended. What if someone else decides to take it, or simply to set it free"
- Zahara frowns, "We have no holding cells outside of the Manse that are unwatched, and I thought you did not want it inside."
<Cerin> "I am not so sure now. How long did it take you to make the cages to the north? could you duplicate them here?"
- Zahara frowns, "I fear it would wake up before I finished."
- rayaklelm is now known as mercurial
<Cerin> "..Perhaps the north is best then. I can watch him while you craft more suitable cages closer to home."
<Zahara> "Then we shall do so. The cage should be unlocked, but here is the key." she takes a small iron key from a pouch in her belt, and presses it into his hand. "Say hello to Herons, if he is there."
<Cerin> "Of course." he smiles "Speaking of Herons" Cerin calls the egg to his hands, and opens it, handing Zahara two of the three spheres "These are the spheres he spoke of. They seem to be of great import to the Aalorai, such that they had great earthworks to find them, and they were borne by them to a great tower"
- Zahara cradles the spheres in her hand, almost reverently, "You are a wonderful man, Cerin." she smiles widely. "Thank you. I was looking forward to studying these, and worried we would not be able to acquire them."
- Cerin kisses her lightly "Of course I would bring them for you. I'll go to the north now. Call me when the cages are ready." another kiss "Dont take too long." then he picks up the Aalorai and goes to the north, locking it in one of the cages, and settling down to sketch some of the sighs he saw, and the essence around the thing.
- Zahara calls her Puppeteers to her, sending them off to get raw materials for the cage, and spending the interim describing to Markuran how she would like the cages built, and asking him for his help
- Zahara finishes the cage finally, it has extra-strong shackles for each limb and wing, forming a sort of webwork of steel to suspend the creature in
- Markuran at some point during the work, found another shirt to replace his new bone-bag. Sweating heavily, the big Solar looks pretty darn uncomfortable in his new, sticky shirt.
<Markuran> "Call Cerin back, then I'm going to bathe."
- Zahara sends a desire to see Cerin through the Unity, similar to that which called her there earlier.
<Zahara> "I think I may need a bath as well, actually."
- Zahara sends a feeling of soapy hands on skin to hurry the boy up
- Cerin sends back an urgent desire to see and a general indication that he is moving
- Cerin eventually appears at the cages, holding the Aalorai over his shoulder, still bound. He smiles widely when he sees Zahara
- Zahara smiles back and opens the door wide with a sweeping bow, "I thought you'd never get here."
- Zahara assists him in fastening the various limbs and wings into the shackles, leaving the beast..hopefully..helpless.
- Cerin sets the thing down inside, and attaches the various shackles with her help
- Cerin kisses her once its done and the cage is shut. "Sorry I took so long to get here"
<Zahara> "You can make it up to me.." she leads him off to her private bath
- Zahara leaves various demons to guard the beastie.
Tags: (:tags Aalorai, Herons, Reaver:)
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