Percy falls in behind Keme. "Gotcha."
::I don't understand any of this, but I'll go along. I've seen enough Big Things happen here to know this is probably all real.::
He makes a glum face.
::I cannot fly, unfortunately, or at least not without magical aid. And I have no particular immunity to electricity. I'm great with fire, though, obviously.::
::Okay. You are going to stay behind and help guard the princess in case Khoda sends stuff at the team working from that side. Professor Sunwake is going to be busy helping Jim so she won't have a lot of time for bringing you up to speed. You'll be working with Ephebe, so she's the best person to explain things.::
Keme kicked the door of the lab since his hands were full. "Rivets! Open up! You better have contacted the others too!" he bellowed.
"Afternoon, Professor" the man says to her (she knows that he calls any adult staffer at Avalon who doesn't work in his building 'Professor'). "We don't normally see you down on the grounds. What can we do for you today?"The sifu bows deeply, respectfully to the worker.
"I am here for the student housed in this building. He is most likely expecting me. May I enter?"
"Student...? Oh, Fei. He's not here at the moment. I think he was heading for the gym to....nevermind. Look behind you," the man says as he points back up the path. The young monk is coming back towards the building.
Fei looks up from his thoughts at the sounds of conversation as he approaches the door. He stops and bows respectfully to both of them.
"Good afternoon Mr. Swann, Sifu Daiyu. Is everything...alright?"
Chen turns and regards Fei, favoring him with a small smile. "Fei. Good afternoon to you, as well. I trust you have meditated today, yes?"
To Keme: ::Well, I guess it's just going to have to work.::
He contacts the rest of the Champions involved as best he can, telling them to convene, starting the operation early.
Jim finishes what work he can, and once the others start arriving, He'll pack his homunculi up safe in his chest. He buffs prior to the operation and waits for everyone to arrive.
::Okay. You are going to stay behind and help guard the princess in case Khoda sends stuff at the team working from that side. Professor Sunwake is going to be busy helping Jim so she won't have a lot of time for bringing you up to speed. You'll be working with Ephebe, so she's the best person to explain things.::
Keme kicked the door of the lab since his hands were full. "Rivets! Open up! You better have contacted the others too!" he bellowed.
Jim sends one of his homunculi to get the door. "I'm going to work until the rest of us get here. No sense in wasting time."
Keme was about to carry Nasima into the lab when he thought better of it. "Percy, we need to put a blindfold on her before we take her in there. Being near Jim will help, should buy us a little time, but there's stuff in there that I'd rather not show off to the evil lightning guy who has invaded her brain. Ask her sometime when she's feeling better about some of the fun mind games he likes to play. There's a handkerchief in my left pocket that you can use. Hurry up. She's not as light as she looks," he quipped, although it was fairly obvious that he wasn't struggling at all to hold her up.
Chen turns and regards Fei, favoring him with a small smile. "Fei. Good afternoon to you, as well. I trust you have meditated today, yes?"
"I...did so this morning, Sifu," he replies, looking a bit puzzled at the question.
"It is good. You will need a clear mind and deep heart for what is to come. Please, walk with me to my classroom, there is a thing we must do, to aid Shearskye-chan. The time has come, and there are no others who can complete this task."
"Please, Keme." Percy sniffs, "She's a princess, I don't care what the circumstances are, she deserves better than your pocket-rag. Although she'd kill me if she heard me say so."
Percy reaches into his backpack and pulls out a bolt of expensive silk that he'd been toting along to show everyone in Fabrics class. He effortlessly, carefully tears a piece off and gently ties it around his friend's head.
"Percy? 'Zat you? What are you--"
"Shhhhh...it's me. Just shush. You start talking in this condition and you'll just embarrass yourself, worse than even I could save you from." With surprising tenderness, the gigantic elemental makes sure the knot will hold, the blindfold snug but not too.
"It is good. You will need a clear mind and deep heart for what is to come. Please, walk with me to my classroom, there is a thing we must do, to aid Shearskye-chan. The time has come, and there are no others who can complete this task."
"Yes, Sifu" he says with another bow, falling into step behind his instructor. He clearly looks concerned and has questions, but will wait until they are in privacy of the classroom to say anything.
"P-percy I'm starting to get scared, here. This...my head...oww..."
"Hang in there, princess. Stay with us. Percy is putting a blindfold on you so the bad guy can't use your eyes. It's going to get really tough for the next little while. You need to hang in there. It's going to be okay. We're going to beat this. Just don't give up. Not even for a second, got it?" His tone was surprisingly gentle and reassuring, not something she was used to hearing from Keme.
With the blindfold in place he carries her into the lab and sets her down on a workbench.
"Don't roll over princess. The floor is hard."
Jim comes closer, trying to counteract the seed to extend the amount of time they've got, pushing his homunculi to work as fast as possible, to help this have as high a chance of working as possible. He'll also try to channel the power of creation into the Gem specifically, placing his hand over her forehead, not any particular power, but the feeling of Creation.
Ryleh looked around, assessing the situation and doing a quick headcount.
"Obviously the plan is moving forward a little soon er than expected, but we are still mostly prepared for this. As soon as Vai, Krays, Genosuke, and Fei arrive we will be ready to proceed. I don't recognize you," she said, noticing Percy. "Someone bring him up to speed."
Percy bows before Ryleh; he's heard the stories...
"I'm her friend." He says. "I'll stay and watch over her. Maybe...maybe I don't need to be brought fully up to speed. It might be better that way."
Nasima frowns. "Keme...that...izzat you? Still? Your voice is all different."
Vai stops suddenly as Ryleh intrudes psychicly. "Oh." Vai looks shocked, as if receiving news she wasn't ready for. "Sorry, I have to go right now. Something's come up. Thank you, for the tea and cookies." There is a hint of fear about her mannerisms, a sense of near-panic. "Sadie... I hope I will see you again." And Vai gives her a very quick hug before she teleports.
Reaching his chambers, Phaezeriel sends a short message to Ryleh.
::Greetings, Lady. My metamorphosis was successful. Do you still need assistance?::
His mental voice sounds clear, and though tired, he no longer sounds exhausted.
Once back in the glorious eyrie that is Sifu Daiyu's meditation classroom, Chen guides Fei out to the very edge of the rock overhang. The wind makes gentle whistling noises as it tugs at their robes, but both have perfect balance, and as such neither move nor sway as the breezes swirl around them.
"Fei, they are going to save Shearskye-chan from the god-thing trying to devour her being. Unfortunately, this god of destruction has unclean...helpers...that aided him in his rise to power. You see, all beings are susceptible to making fell bargains. There is a lesson there, for everyone."
She looks out at the mountains.
"Beyond those mountains are the Elemental Planes. We shall journey there, but we will stop short of the Plane of Storm, where the others go, and we will instead turn our minds outward, past Elysia, past Abaddon, past all the hells, out to the intersection of Shadow and Abyss. There we will meet our foes. If we crush the roots of the lightning god's power, he will be greatly weakened, sufficiently so that our colleagues may do their good work on the storm plane."
Chen gestures towards the rock. "Please. Sit." She then gently lowers herself into lotus position.
Enre walks into the lab after getting the notice to meet up there.
Nasima frowns. "Keme...that...izzat you? Still? Your voice is all different."
"I'm being nice. Don't get used to it. You know things are bad if I'm being nice to you," he joked, trying to keep her calm. "Just hang in there, princess. Khoda is going to make things really rough for you right now. You're stronger than you think you are. You can do this. Don't give in."
Reaching his chambers, Phaezeriel sends a short message to Ryleh.
::Greetings, Lady. My metamorphosis was successful. Do you still need assistance?::
His mental voice sounds clear, and though tired, he no longer sounds exhausted.
::Yes. This will be a difficult task. Do not undertake it if you do not have the resources to follow through, but if you are able your help will be appreciated. We are meeting in the lab.::
Enre walks into the lab after getting the notice to meet up there.
::Greetings, Enre. Thank you for coming. We will be getting under way shortly.::
Percy bows before Ryleh; he's heard the stories...
"I'm her friend." He says. "I'll stay and watch over her. Maybe...maybe I don't need to be brought fully up to speed. It might be better that way."
::Unless you can fly you'll be staying with me,:: she said telepathically. ::I can spare you the details if you want. Basically our job is to stay here and guard her. There will likely be some dangerous stuff.::
Vai arrives in a flutter. The room seems slightly brighter, a sign of Vai's tension. Seeing Nasima, she quickly runs over. "Nas! It's Vai."
Krays ports in, as does Gennosuke.
Once back in the glorious eyrie that is Sifu Daiyu's meditation classroom, Chen guides Fei out to the very edge of the rock overhang. The wind makes gentle whistling noises as it tugs at their robes, but both have perfect balance, and as such neither move nor sway as the breezes swirl around them.
"Fei, they are going to save Shearskye-chan from the god-thing trying to devour her being. Unfortunately, this god of destruction has unclean...helpers...that aided him in his rise to power. You see, all beings are susceptible to making fell bargains. There is a lesson there, for everyone."
She looks out at the mountains.
"Beyond those mountains are the Elemental Planes. We shall journey there, but we will stop short of the Plane of Storm, where the others go, and we will instead turn our minds outward, past Elysia, past Abaddon, past all the hells, out to the intersection of Shadow and Abyss. There we will meet our foes. If we crush the roots of the lightning god's power, he will be greatly weakened, sufficiently so that our colleagues may do their good work on the storm plane."
Chen gestures towards the rock. "Please. Sit." She then gently lowers herself into lotus position.
"Yes, Sifu," the young monk sits in the indicated spot.
"I presume Ryleh has spoken with you about the situation with Nasima, then? I ask because I was told to be present for the assault upon Khoda's Plane of Storm earlier this afternoon..."
"Vai! Oh hey...hey I'm sorry I've been a lousy friend...lately. Just. So. Tired. You know?"
"Ryleh and I have spoken. All the champions must assault the plane of storm in the way best suited to them. This way, I believe, is how we may be of best use."
Ryleh looks around again. "It seems that we are all present. Fei is going to deal with the problem from a different angle. In the meantime the rest of us will divide into teams as decided earlier. Mr. Rivets, are we ready to begin?"
Vai stands next to her diminished friend, slowly reaching out a hand to brush the usually vibrant hair from Nasima's face. "Don't worry. You haven't been a bad friend. It's me who's been too caught up in other things."
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"Am I not being punished enough that now I have to listen to sappy girl time? I've had to telepathically monitor her dreams for the last two weeks. That's more sparkly unicorns than any man should have to endure," he joked.
"Ryleh and I have spoken. All the champions must assault the plane of storm in the way best suited to them. This way, I believe, is how we may be of best use."
"Thank you, Sifu" Fei nods, taking a centering breath to focus himself.
"What must we do to we reach this...intersection...quickly enough to help the others, then?"
"But I like unicorns..."
::I am on my way. I am tired, but my resources, such as they are, have been restored. I do not yet fully understand how, but the situation stands.::
Several minutes later the door to the lab opens and a creature that looks like Phaezeriel flies through, though not the Phaezeriel most remember. Standing as tall as an adult gnome, his blue-scaled form has a definite silvery sheen to it, and rather than being silvery orbs, his eyes now shine with a faint silvery light. His claws, teeth, and horns look to have been dipped in liquid mithril.
"Phaeze? Is that you?"
His head turns towards Ephebe, and the voice that issues forth is somehow more pure than she remembers it being. Yes, my friend, it is I
He speaks again, but telepathically, with everyone in the room and his mental voice is unmistakeably Phaezeriel, ::It is I in truth. Though not, exactly, the same "I" as I was a week ago.::
::Wow. That's even more dramatic than what we go through with molting. No wonder you haven't been around lately.::