"Well, maybe not for you...I'm still working on that," Ephebe muttered.
"All the more reason we have to know why all of this is happening on the first place," Tam says. "Otherwise, we're just chasing our tails and risking even more problems."
Adsila walks into the room, carrying a platter piled high with fruit and vegetables, some steamed, others grilled, others uncooked.
"If the feeling my plants are getting from everyone is any judge of the atmosphere in this room, food is needed. If you'd like meat, you'll have to talk to Ormarr, he's the one that cooks that kind of stuff."
Adsila walks into the room, carrying a platter piled high with fruit and vegetables, some steamed, others grilled, others uncooked.
"If the feeling my plants are getting from everyone is any judge of the atmosphere in this room, food is needed. If you'd like meat, you'll have to talk to Ormarr, he's the one that cooks that kind of stuff."
"That does smell good," Tam comments as the platter gets put down.
"You wouldn't have any cheese on hand, by chance?"
"Okay. Well, I have a lot of answers, but since I'm apparently not allowed to tell you some of them....I'll do my best."
"Oh, thanks," she said, taking a grilled pepper from the tray Adsila had just put down. "Mmmmm. This is good."
"Anyhow....shouldn't Uncle Ryo be awake for this part? It might be important later."
"Okay. Well, I have a lot of answers, but since I'm apparently not allowed to tell you some of them....I'll do my best."
"I guessed as much. I'm having some serious flashbacks to my Paradox Theory lectures at the Academy," Tam says with a weak smile.
"Oh, thanks," she said, taking a grilled pepper from the tray Adsila had just put down. "Mmmmm. This is good."
"Anyhow....shouldn't Uncle Ryo be awake for this part? It might be important later."
"Yeah, he probably should be. Adsila, if you would do the honors please?"
"That does smell good," Tam comments
"Hm, I think there was some cheese in pantry. I'll get some for you,"
She leaves the room, stopping suddenly at the corner, then sighs and keeps going. She comes back after a moment, a wedge of cheese and a small knife on a plate.
"Here you are."
When she hears, Tamrin's request, she grabs a squirt battle by her plants and sprays him in the face until he wakes up. Blinking, he looks around the room.
"Has it been a month yet?"
"Hm, I think there was some cheese in pantry. I'll get some for you,"
She leaves the room, stopping suddenly at the corner, then sighs and keeps going. She comes back after a moment, a wedge of cheese and a small knife on a plate.
"Here you are."
About this time, Ryo stirs.
"Has it been a month yet?"
"Thank you ma'am," he says as he takes the proferred plate from Adsila.
"Uh, yeah Ryo. Something like that. Looks like your arm's back in prime shape."
"That's good. I won't need to wave the stump at people to get their attention now." He moves his chair over to the table and picks a grilled veggie to pop in his mouth.
"So, any progress?"
"That's good. I won't need to wave the stump at people to get their attention now." He moves his chair over to the table and picks a grilled veggie to pop in his mouth.
"So, any progress?"
"We think Kannic's been nabbed by those demon things. We found the remains of his riding lizard figurine, and the place we found it looked like it had seen some kind of ruckus."
Ryo looks around for a moment, checking to see if Adsila or Ormarr are around. He doesn't see them, and leans forward.
"So you have something of his? Given time, I might be able to get a general location. All I need is time and someone to distract Adsila and Ormarr while I do. They always seem to have good reasons to intterupt big workings..."
Ephebe grinned. "Time is not really an issue. I'm not a priestess of Kronos for nothing. But before we go haring off after the big bad, perhaps you would like to have some clue what you're up against?"
Aananda nodded. "As much as you can tell us please," she said, helping Ryo get his mechanical arm back on. "I made some modifications to that. It shouldn't short out from psychic backlash again. And I reinforced it so it won't dent so easily either."
Ryo makes a fist, working the arm as the 'feeling' returns to it.
"As always, your work amazes me."
He glances at Ephebe, not noticing the little arcs of energy jumping between his fingers as he lowers his arm.
"So what are we going up against? I know it's powerful, I know it messed with one of my cards, I know it caused that big scene back in the city, and I know it is female. Or it at least seems to be female, I couldn't divine much in all that chaos."
"Well, the host is female anyway. The creature is a demon. A nasty one. It got interested in the bloodline after another of its kind, albeit a less temporally minded one, decided to use Uncle Chan as its host. It wants one of us for its own, but Jimmy and I aren't good enough. I'm not sure if it's after Mom or Grandma, and no, Mom, I can't tell you who your mom is. That is definitely on the list of things that aren't allowed. There's a bit of competition there since Chan wants to sacrifice you both in order to become even more powerful. So anyway, the time demon traveled through time and found a point in reality where Mom and Dad were together and Jimmy and I were....ummmm....started growing? But Mom and Dad didn't know about us yet. And she stole Jimmy away without anyone even knowing about it. In some timelines she stole me too. Watch out if you see a young version of me carrying a headless doll. Jimmy tends to stay more towards the middle, but I go to extremes. The evil version of me is reeeeeaaalllly evil. This is attempt number errr...." she blushed. "Attempt number 179 to get this whole thing sorted out and set the timelines back to rights. I'll get it right eventually," she added defensiviely. "I haven't died this time. Yet."
"Okay," she added hastily, "there may be a few flaws in my plan. But we can do this. Probably. Maybe. Well, if we can't I'll at least have more info for the next try."
"Well, the host is female anyway. The creature is a demon. A nasty one. It got interested in the bloodline after another of its kind, albeit a less temporally minded one, decided to use Uncle Chan as its host. It wants one of us for its own, but Jimmy and I aren't good enough. I'm not sure if it's after Mom or Grandma, and no, Mom, I can't tell you who your mom is. That is definitely on the list of things that aren't allowed. There's a bit of competition there since Chan wants to sacrifice you both in order to become even more powerful. So anyway, the time demon traveled through time and found a point in reality where Mom and Dad were together and Jimmy and I were....ummmm....started growing? But Mom and Dad didn't know about us yet. And she stole Jimmy away without anyone even knowing about it. In some timelines she stole me too. Watch out if you see a young version of me carrying a headless doll. Jimmy tends to stay more towards the middle, but I go to extremes. The evil version of me is reeeeeaaalllly evil. This is attempt number errr...." she blushed. "Attempt number 179 to get this whole thing sorted out and set the timelines back to rights. I'll get it right eventually," she added defensiviely. "I haven't died this time. Yet."
"Okay," she added hastily, "there may be a few flaws in my plan. But we can do this. Probably. Maybe. Well, if we can't I'll at least have more info for the next try."
"179...? How are you able to remember all of this then, especially if you've died before?"
Ryo looks around for a moment, checking to see if Adsila or Ormarr are around. He doesn't see them, and leans forward.
"So you have something of his? Given time, I might be able to get a general location. All I need is time and someone to distract Adsila and Ormarr while I do. They always seem to have good reasons to intterupt big workings..."
As he's talking to Ephebe, Tam tosses Kannic's figurine over to Ryo.
Tamrin feels a burning sensation on one of his healed wounds. As he does, some of the wards of Ryo's house activate. Outside of the wards, the ground begins to shake. After a few moments the ground stills and the alarms silence.
"179...? How are you able to remember all of this then, especially if you've died before?""This is attempt number errr...." she blushed. "Attempt number 179 to get this whole thing sorted out and set the timelines back to rights. I'll get it right eventually," she added defensiviely. "I haven't died this time. Yet."
"Okay," she added hastily, "there may be a few flaws in my plan. But we can do this. Probably. Maybe. Well, if we can't I'll at least have more info."
"I'm effectively stuck in a time loop until I get this right. And I have several recording spells activated that keep track of the events of each attempt so even when I die I can retrieve and review the data from that failed attempt."
Tamrin feels a burning sensation on one of his healed wounds. As he does, some of the wards of Ryo's house activate. Outside of the wards, the ground begins to shake. After a few moments the ground stills and the alarms silence.
Ryo stands quickly, almost knocking his chair over.
"Something just tried to get in..."He leaves the room, eyes clouding as he calls out to his charges.
"Adsila, Ormarr, Ruji! Check the wards to see if any failed, and check the grounds for any sign of intruders. But be careful!"
Tamrin feels a burning sensation on one of his healed wounds. As he does, some of the wards of Ryo's house activate. Outside of the wards, the ground begins to shake. After a few moments the ground stills and the alarms silence.
"Ooowwwwww," Tam suddenly growls as he grabs his side.
"Okay - the spot where one of those things bit me just started burning, then the wards here go nuts. That's not a coincidence, I'm thinking..."
"We've got another warning system then, Tamrin." Ryo says as he sits back down. "We're gonna need all the warnings we can get."
While the areas within the wards are fine, looking out beyond them is an unusual effort. The lands immediately surrounding the house are 'watered'. Looking at them is like looking at the ground at the bottom of a shallow pond. The effect is slowly retreating from the wards. After a few moments it fades. In its wake there are small signs of its effect. Carcasses of small birds lay on the ground, as if they've been there for many years. The grasses have grown high, and young plants have grown to maturity. Others have dies from old age and neglect.
Tamrin feels a burning sensation on one of his healed wounds. As he does, some of the wards of Ryo's house activate. Outside of the wards, the ground begins to shake. After a few moments the ground stills and the alarms silence."Ooowwwwww," Tam suddenly growls as he grabs his side.
"Okay - the spot where one of those things bit me just started burning, then the wards here go nuts. That's not a coincidence, I'm thinking..."
The coppery tinge of dried blood is tasted on Tam's tongue. It tastes 'old'.
The coppery tinge of dried blood is tasted on Tam's tongue. It tastes 'old'.Tamrin feels a burning sensation on one of his healed wounds. As he does, some of the wards of Ryo's house activate. Outside of the wards, the ground begins to shake. After a few moments the ground stills and the alarms silence."Ooowwwwww," Tam suddenly growls as he grabs his side.
"Okay - the spot where one of those things bit me just started burning, then the wards here go nuts. That's not a coincidence, I'm thinking..."
"Oh yuck," Tam says, making a sour face. "The only thing worse than tasting blood is tasting expired blood. Blech!"
Adsila looks out at the plants outside the wards, those that have grown and died. She starts to head for them, to set things right, but Ormarr stops her.
"I know it must hurt you to see them like that, but you can't leave the wards. Let's go back inside and tell them what's happened."
He leads her back inside, guiding her to her room before entering the 'meeting room.'
"It looks like time has moved forward outside the wards. Adsila did not like seeing the plants dead from.. neglect."
Adsila looks out at the plants outside the wards, those that have grown and died. She starts to head for them, to set things right, but Ormarr stops her.
"I know it must hurt you to see them like that, but you can't leave the wards. Let's go back inside and tell them what's happened."
He leads her back inside, guiding her to her room before entering the 'meeting room.'
"It looks like time has moved forward outside the wards. Adsila did not like seeing the plants dead from.. neglect."
"Wait - what?" as Tam gets up and looks out the window at the dead plants.
"Oh brother..."
There is the sound of a door banging open and slamming closed, which seems to echo its self a moment later, though this time there is a surprised yell between the opening and closing.
"Oh no, she's angry now, and in the Lab. Poor Razule had better stay out of her way..."
Ephebe frowned. "So did she take the whole house forward twenty years, or did she just unnaturally age the area around us? Also, Dad, I think she may have gotten a hold of some of your blood, which is bad. Very, very bad. This is not shaping up to be a successful attempt. The last time she did this....er, it's better for everyone if I don't talk about that."
Aananda felt dizzy. She sat down on the floor abruptly.
"Fire. So much fire. Chan, what have you done?"
Too much was happening too fast. Now twenty years had past in the blink of an eye, if not faster! Beginnings weren't even starting, Endings moving on past the point of stopping. And now Adsila was angry and up to something.. Ryo sighs and covers his eyes with one hand.
"Things are happening too fast. How are we supposed to keep up?"
He moves his fingers so he can glance at Ephebe.
"If you can answer me, please don't. It's hard enough knowing we are to fight and defeat someone who can warp time, let alone with an ally from the future who can do the same."
Aananda felt dizzy. She sat down on the floor abruptly.
"Fire. So much fire. Chan, what have you done?"
Tam crouches down beside Aananda while Ryo and Ephebe are talking.
"What happened? What about fire?"
Aananda felt dizzy. She sat down on the floor abruptly.
"Fire. So much fire. Chan, what have you done?"
Tam crouches down beside Aananda while Ryo and Ephebe are talking.
"What happened? What about fire?"
"His dreams are full of fire. I keep them out as much as I can, but sometimes I can't help seeing. James's dreams are cold and lonely, but Chan's are full of ambition and cruelty and fire."
"His dreams are full of fire. I keep them out as much as I can, but sometimes I can't help seeing. James's dreams are cold and lonely, but Chan's are full of ambition and cruelty and fire."Aananda felt dizzy. She sat down on the floor abruptly.
"Fire. So much fire. Chan, what have you done?"
Tam crouches down beside Aananda while Ryo and Ephebe are talking.
"What happened? What about fire?"
"I'm sorry I can't do anything to keep those thoughts out of your head," he says apologetically. "Here, let me get you in a chair instead of on the floor," as he helps her up.
Looking back over at Ephebe, he asks:
"So how bad exactly is her having my blood?"
"Well, it means she can work a lot of really nasty spells on you. Which does not bode well for our success. So, it's really, really bad."
"Well, it means she can work a lot of really nasty spells on you. Which does not bode well for our success. So, it's really, really bad."
"Fun. Any way to deal with that other than just taking it back from her?"