"We need to go then. I'd help in an instant, but I'm to tired to be of any help right now plus I'm down to one arm, and Leaf and Fang will be worried about me, since Ruji came back with my cards and started upping the power put into the wards."
He pulls his blindfold up long enough to look Tamrin in the eyes.
"Good luck saving my nephew. I'll help as soon as I can."
"We need to go then. I'd help in an instant, but I'm to tired to be of any help right now plus I'm down to one arm, and Leaf and Fang will be worried about me, since Ruji came back with my cards and started upping the power put into the wards."
He pulls his blindfold up long enough to look Tamrin in the eyes.
"Good luck saving my nephew. I'll help as soon as I can."
"Hold onto that luck for later. Something tells me it's going to take all of us to get Jiminy back. I just hope that Kannic didn't get nabbed too."
Tam uses Teleport Other to send Aananda and Ryo to the cottage. He then looks over appraisingly at Ephebe and smiles.
"So, did either of us teach you how to ride a hoverbike?" he asks, nodding at Aananda's machine.
When Ryo and Aananda arrive, Adsila, Ormarr, and Ruji are waiting outside the house for them. Ruji immediately flies over and begins to berate Ryo in a series of growls and hisses. Ormarr walks over to Ryo's side to help keep him steady, while Adsila offers Aananda a drink to help calm her down and sooth any injuries. They are then lead into the house.
When Ryo and Aananda arrive, Adsila, Ormarr, and Ruji are waiting outside the house for them. Ruji immediately flies over and begins to berate Ryo in a series of growls and hisses. Ormarr walks over to Ryo's side to help keep him steady, while Adsila offers Aananda a drink to help calm her down and sooth any injuries. They are then lead into the house.
Ryo waves his almost useless right arm at Ruji.
"You know I don't listen to you when you hiss, so why.. don't.. you.. uuhhh."
Ryo slumps and, with a push from Ormarr, falls right into a chair.
"Idiot, he shouldn't have pushed himself so hard."
Adsila just sighs and gets a comfy chair for Aananda.
"We need to go then. I'd help in an instant, but I'm to tired to be of any help right now plus I'm down to one arm, and Leaf and Fang will be worried about me, since Ruji came back with my cards and started upping the power put into the wards."
He pulls his blindfold up long enough to look Tamrin in the eyes.
"Good luck saving my nephew. I'll help as soon as I can."
"Hold onto that luck for later. Something tells me it's going to take all of us to get Jiminy back. I just hope that Kannic didn't get nabbed too."
Tam uses Teleport Other to send Aananda and Ryo to the cottage. He then looks over appraisingly at Ephebe and smiles.
"So, did either of us teach you how to ride a hoverbike?" he asks, nodding at Aananda's machine.
She snorted. "Yeah, of course. Mom's fascination with these things hasn't faded a bit. You should see the souped up thing she has now. Well, you will see it eventually I guess. Come on then," she said, getting on the hoverbike. "Let's go find Uncle Kannic."
When Ryo and Aananda arrive, Adsila, Ormarr, and Ruji are waiting outside the house for them. Ruji immediately flies over and begins to berate Ryo in a series of growls and hisses. Ormarr walks over to Ryo's side to help keep him steady, while Adsila offers Aananda a drink to help calm her down and sooth any injuries. They are then lead into the house.
Ryo waves his almost useless right arm at Ruji.
"You know I don't listen to you when you hiss, so why.. don't.. you.. uuhhh."
Ryo slumps and, with a push from Ormarr, falls right into a chair.
"Idiot, he shouldn't have pushed himself so hard."Adsila just sighs and gets a comfy chair for Aananda.
Aananda looks distracted. The calming drink doesn't seem to have done anything for her.
"Huh? Oh, no thanks," she said when she saw the chair. "I don't really need to rest. I need to get to work repairing Ryo's arm so that we'll be ready to go. Once we figure out where we need to go. Here, you're not using this table are you? Ryo, hand me your arm. I'll have it fixed up and better than new in no time."
She snorted. "Yeah, of course. Mom's fascination with these things hasn't faded a bit. You should see the souped up thing she has now. Well, you will see it eventually I guess. Come on then," she said, getting on the hoverbike. "Let's go find Uncle Kannic."
Tam gets on his bike and they head back the way they came, looking for any sign of Kannic. He's got questions galore racing through his mind, but he's trying to focus on the search.
Aananda looks distracted. The calming drink doesn't seem to have done anything for her.
"Huh? Oh, no thanks," she said when she saw the chair. "I don't really need to rest. I need to get to work repairing Ryo's arm so that we'll be ready to go. Once we figure out where we need to go. Here, you're not using this table are you? Ryo, hand me your arm. I'll have it fixed up and better than new in no time."
"Hand you my arm.. hehe."
He takes off the arm and hands it to Ormarr, who takes it over to the table Aananda has claimed as her work place.Ryo, though exhausted both mentally and physically, calls Adsila over.
"How is the newest addition to the household?"
"He looked a bit dejected at the idea at first, but then he found the Lab and happily went to work. He hasn't been outside that room for the past hour or so."
"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to sleep for a month." Ryo promptly passes out.
Aananda goes to work on Ryo's arm, making repairs and improvements. The work helps take her mind off of her worry for James. And her worry for Tam and Ephebe. That demon lady was still out there and she didn't seem like the type to give up easily.
As they are racing along, Tam spots an area of disturbed ground, and comes to a stop nearby. He gets off the hoverbike, walks over and picks up an oddly shaped lump of stone. He recognized it as Kannic's Lizard Figurine. He curses and looks around for any sign of him...
Ephebe gets down off her hoverbike and examines the site as well, sweeping the area with detect evil first and then moving on to detect temporal anomaly.
Aananda goes to work on Ryo's arm, making repairs and improvements. The work helps take her mind off of her worry for James. And her worry for Tam and Ephebe. That demon lady was still out there and she didn't seem like the type to give up easily.
Once Adsila is certain Aananda isn't going to faint, she leaves the room and reurns with a syringe. She carefully injects a clear green liquid into Ryo's good arm. She stays next to him for a minute, gauging his reaction before leaving the room.
Ephebe gets down off her hoverbike and examines the site as well, sweeping the area with detect evil first and then moving on to detect temporal anomaly.
Tam scans with Detect Magic to look for any residual magic that could be a clue.
"Damn - do you know if these things take someone with them when they teleport, Ephebe?"
Ephebe gets down off her hoverbike and examines the site as well, sweeping the area with detect evil first and then moving on to detect temporal anomaly.
"I don't see any trace of time travel residue here, but there's definitely traces of evil. Lots of them."
"And yeah, they can take someone with them when they teleport. Unfortunately."
"I don't see any trace of time travel residue here, but there's definitely traces of evil. Lots of them."
"And yeah, they can take someone with them when they teleport. Unfortunately."
"I don't see any trace of time travel residue here, but there's definitely traces of evil. Lots of them."
"And yeah, they can take someone with them when they teleport. Unfortunately."
"Oh no," Tam says as he looks around in vain.
"Why the bloody heck are these things after us? And why are the specifically after not only us, but....well, you and Jiminy? What....aaagh! Alright. We need to get out of here, then we can actually talk. We can't do anything else right now."
With a half-dejected and half-angry face, he takes the rock and heads back to his hoverbike.
"I don't see any trace of time travel residue here, but there's definitely traces of evil. Lots of them."
"And yeah, they can take someone with them when they teleport. Unfortunately."
"Oh no," Tam says as he looks around in vain.
"Why the bloody heck are these things after us? And why are the specifically after not only us, but....well, you and Jiminy? What....aaagh! Alright. We need to get out of here, then we can actually talk. We can't do anything else right now."
With a half-dejected and half-angry face, he takes the rock and heads back to his hoverbike.
Ephebe gets on the other hoverbike and follows him back to Ryo's house. This was so complicated. And weird. No, way beyond weird.
"I hate time travel." she muttered under her breath.
"I don't see any trace of time travel residue here, but there's definitely traces of evil. Lots of them."
"And yeah, they can take someone with them when they teleport. Unfortunately."
"Oh no," Tam says as he looks around in vain.
"Why the bloody heck are these things after us? And why are the specifically after not only us, but....well, you and Jiminy? What....aaagh! Alright. We need to get out of here, then we can actually talk. We can't do anything else right now."
With a half-dejected and half-angry face, he takes the rock and heads back to his hoverbike.
Ephebe gets on the other hoverbike and follows him back to Ryo's house. This was so complicated. And weird. No, way beyond weird.
"I hate time travel." she muttered under her breath.
As they pull into the yard, Tam looks over at Ephebe.
"I'm sorry I snapped back there. You didn't need to hear that. Aan....er, your mother...and I are still trying to wrap our heads around the ramifications of all of this. The fact that we just lost Jiminy and Kannic too...anyway, I'm sorry."
As they pull into the yard, Tam looks over at Ephebe.
"I'm sorry I snapped back there. You didn't need to hear that. Aan....er, your mother...and I are still trying to wrap our heads around the ramifications of all of this. The fact that we just lost Jiminy and Kannic too...anyway, I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Dad. Trust me, time travel is weird from both sides. I know it has to be really confusing. I mean, you and Mom aren't even really together yet. I know. And by the way, hanging around your own parents while they're still in the awkward courtship stage....beyond uncomfortable. Just saying. But if we're gonna rescue Jimmy and Uncle Kannic from the time demon you're gonna need my help. Why don't we go inside and I can explain a little more, okay?"
"It's okay, Dad. Trust me, time travel is weird from both sides. I know it has to be really confusing. I mean, you and Mom aren't even really together yet. I know. And by the way, hanging around your own parents while they're still in the awkward courtship stage....beyond uncomfortable. Just saying. But if we're gonna rescue Jimmy and Uncle Kannic from the time demon you're gonna need my help. Why don't we go inside and I can explain a little more, okay?"
As they pull into the yard, Tam looks over at Ephebe.
"I'm sorry I snapped back there. You didn't need to hear that. Aan....er, your mother...and I are still trying to wrap our heads around the ramifications of all of this. The fact that we just lost Jiminy and Kannic too...anyway, I'm sorry."
"We've only known each other for a little over a week, so I don't think we're even at an 'akward courtship' stage yet," Tam replies as they park the bikes and head toward the door.
He stops Ephebe a few feet from the door, lowering his voice.
"And I'm assuming that you know about your mother's....real lineage? Because she still doesn't yet, and neither does Ryo - and it needs to stay that way for the time being. Though at the rate things are unravelling, I beginning to think I need to find a way to reach your grandmother."
He sighs.
"One thing at a time, right. Let's go inside and try to sort this out a bit," as he opens the door for her and they enter Ryo's cottage.
Ephebe sighed. Great. Just great. This was way too complicated. She knew it all sorted itself out eventually. After all, she wouldn't be here if it didn't. But as things currently stood she was having to fight the urge to shake them.
Inside Uncle Ryo's house she looked around. Mom was easy enough to spot. She was hard at work repairing Uncle Ryo's mechanical arm. And it looked like Uncle Ryo was passed out in one of the chairs.
Ephebe sighed. Great. Just great. This was way too complicated. She knew it all sorted itself out eventually. After all, she wouldn't be here if it didn't. But as things currently stood she was having to fight the urge to shake them.
Inside Uncle Ryo's house she looked around. Mom was easy enough to spot. She was hard at work repairing Uncle Ryo's mechanical arm. And it looked like Uncle Ryo was passed out in one of the chairs.
Tam, not wanting to interrupt Aananda while she's working on Ryo's arm, finds an 'out of the way' spot and sits down.
Far off, in a chamber without windows, hidden in a world of itself, a child cries. The woman working at the bench ignores him. Her shadow seems much larger than her form should create. It seems to move of its own accord, sometimes pulsing, sometimes changing. As the woman works with an impressive assortment of alchemical tools, her shaow seems to be working with something altogether different. It seems to be manipulating strands of light, forming complex weaves in some and straightening others. Here and there it snips off some strandsa altogether with scissors of shadow. Each time it does so it pauses, perhaps listening to the cries of anguish before they are cut off. Its smile is hidden within its shadow.
Without turning to face him, the woman addresses the weeping child. "Now, Jiminy. I told you that they didn't love you. That they wouldn't love you. That they'll never love you. *sigh* But you had to see for yourself, didn't you? I rescued you from them, raised you as my own, shared powers unimaginable with you. By seeking them out you've endangered them, and forced our hands. In all of your years of searching did you ever find anyone that loved you as we? We only punish you now because we love you so. You will be better because of it."
She picks up a clear vial of red liquid. "Your father's blood. Sad, isn't it? So plain. It does not contain what we seek. What you need to complete yourself. Still, it has its value. It has allowed us to strip out some of the weaker parts of yourself, though there is much weakness, many impurities, left behind to be purged. When we are done you will be pure, and you will see the depth of our love. All the time, all of the work, all of the energy we have devoted to you. You. You shall be the masterpiece. You shall be a god. And you shall have the power to raise Agartha to the surface world, where we shall hold dominion over the lesser. And we shall be by your side. And all shall love you as we."
EDIT: In a dusty corner of the mostly spotless lab a mummified man sits at a small dinner table. His rich robes and the quality of the dinner service indicates a man of great import. He still grabs a golden goblet in his right hand and his eyes seem to be frozen in startled realization of his impending death. He bears silent witness to the activities of the lab's inhabitants, but a small noise betrays his presence. "Now Father, you know how important my work is. Please be silent. If you had been willing to take certain steps you could have shared in our future. Now we just have to rely on your clone. I don't love him they way I loved you. You know that don't you? All of this is for you. Because I love you."
She picks up a clear vial of red liquid. "Your father's blood. Sad, isn't it? So plain.
She picks up a clear vial of red liquid. "Your father's blood. Sad, isn't it? So plain.
Aananda worked feverishly trying to ignore the horrible feeling of loneliness that had crept up on her. That was what she saw in James's dreams. Centuries of aching loneliness. At last the arm was finished to her satisfaction. She looked up and saw Tam and Ephebe waiting patiently.
"Oh. I didn't realize that you had gotten back." She looked around. "Where's Kannic?"
Centuries of aching loneliness.
The silence that follows Aananda's question is broken only the rustle of snakes and a muffled bubbling sound.
Someone peeks around the corner into the room, and quickly ducks out of sight again.
Aananda worked feverishly trying to ignore the horrible feeling of loneliness that had crept up on her. That was what she saw in James's dreams. Centuries of aching loneliness. At last the arm was finished to her satisfaction. She looked up and saw Tam and Ephebe waiting patiently.
"Oh. I didn't realize that you had gotten back." She looked around. "Where's Kannic?"
Tam pulls out Kannic's riding lizard figurine from his pocket.
"We couldn't find him. Whoever these people are, I think they've got him now too..."
Tam pulls out the remains of Kannic's riding lizard figurine from his pocket.
"We couldn't find him. Whoever these people are, I think they've got him now too..."
The silence that follows Aananda's question is broken only by a muffled bubbling sound.
The silence that follows Aananda's question is broken only by a muffled bubbling sound.
Aananda worked feverishly trying to ignore the horrible feeling of loneliness that had crept up on her. That was what she saw in James's dreams. Centuries of aching loneliness. At last the arm was finished to her satisfaction. She looked up and saw Tam and Ephebe waiting patiently.
"Oh. I didn't realize that you had gotten back." She looked around. "Where's Kannic?"
Tam pulls out Kannic's riding lizard figurine from his pocket.
"We couldn't find him. Whoever these people are, I think they've got him now too..."
"Oh no," she said, frowning as she looked at the pieces of Kannic's riding lizard. "This is even more not good."
She stowed her tools back in her belt and paced back and forth across the room, frowning.
"We have to rescue them. And we have to find a way to stop this creature. But how do you fight someone who can travel through time? I mean, short of going back in time and making sure they never exist, which sounds complicated. And isn't really on the list of possibilities anyway."