"We have something he wants and refuse to turn it over to him." Joseph says plainly, having found that expressing wonderment has become tiring. "And who might you be miss lightning?"
"My name is Kanzen." She replies. "And you are?"
"Joseph, it's a pleasur to meet you Miss Kanzen. Enemy of my Enemy and all that."
Lucas steps forward, thinking that he is probably one of the most level-headed in the group and he might be able to defuse a potentially violent situation before it gets to that point. "Madam, I will admit that I did not see the first portion of our meeting with Kamii, but the story pieced together from him and my... companions... is that he made a deal with one or more of them. Information in exchange for an item that we assisted in retrieving. He was unable to provide the requested information, and turned hostile when we refused to part with the item with nothing to show for it." Lucas is deliberately using communal words in his response to show solidarity among the group as it stands.
"Interesting." Kanzen says, looking over the party. "And what item was he after?"
"Joseph, it's a pleasur to meet you Miss Kanzen. Enemy of my Enemy and all that."
"And I, you." She answers.
"Enemy of my enemy, indeed. Perhaps we can be...allies." She says, as if the idea of allies is an awkward one she hasn't considered in a long, long time.
Joseph nods and gives a smile to Kanzen. "I'd hope so, already have an enemy and..." Joseph pauses and looks towards the direction the lady disappeared to. "A neutral party I suppose. It'd be nice to have an ally thrown in there." Joseph approaches her and extends a hand to shake.
"The item he was after was a key, an artifact that he had to bring us here to get. Though it seems he didn't know what he was doing, bastard was surprised when he saw us."
"Out of sheer curiosity, how do you know Kamii, and what do you know of his sister?"
Joseph nods and gives a smile to Kanzen. "I'd hope so, already have an enemy and..." Joseph pauses and looks towards the direction the lady disappeared to. "A neutral party I suppose. It'd be nice to have an ally thrown in there." Joseph approaches her and extends a hand too shake.
"The item he was after was a key, an artifact that he had to bring us here to get. Though it seems he didn't know what he was doing, bastard was surprised when he saw us."
Kanzen caresses her chin in thought, the nails on her fingers tear drop shaped and coming to a sharp point like a claw.
After a moment she offers her hand to Joseph, it is smooth as polished marble but as warm as any human's hand.
"Out of sheer curiosity, how do you know Kamii, and what do you know of his sister?"
"He...did something to me." Kanzen says, unconsciously touching her cheek where a thin red line marred her features.
"Something I will kill him for."
She looks up. "What sister?"
"He claimed to have a sister, who is trapped, and is also his jailer. I think she sent him to Hell at some point. She wants the power of the dead god Apollo."
While he doesn't fully trust her, Lir is no longer as skittish with stranger as he was prior to the revelations from meeting the Lady.
"He claimed to have a sister, who is trapped, and is also his jailer. I think she sent him to Hell at some point. She wants the power of the dead god Apollo."
While he doesn't fully trust her, Lir is no longer as skittish with stranger as he was prior to the revelations from meeting the Lady.
"I am aware of Kamii's ambition, but I didn't know there was some other being involved." Kanzen ponders.
"Do you know more about this being?"
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Alyssa stares in awe as the creature appears. She's in total shock; she literally can do nothing but stare, until something spoken awakens a gut feeling within her.
"Out of sheer curiosity, how do you know Kamii, and what do you know of his sister?"
She's trying to kill him. Yet, I'm not convinced Kamii's totally evil. Something to watch for; we'll have to play this very carefully.
"Do you know more about this being?"
"We were hoping you knew." she say inquiringly.
"I might be able to learn some more about both Kamii and his sister, but I am uncertain if it will be succesful. I know nothing of her, but perhaps what I learn of him will help me deduce more about her."
"We were hoping you knew." she say inquiringly.
Kanzen shrugs, indicating that she is as clueless as the party.
"The longer I chase, the more I'll learn. Such is the joy of the hunt."
"I might be able to learn some more about both Kamii and his sister, but I am uncertain if it will be succesful. I know nothing of her, but perhaps what I learn of him will help me deduce more about her."
"Very well." Kanzen acknowledges, before turning and walking a few steps back. A flash of lightning forms around her and leaps up into the storming sky, the hurricane then swirling away into the distance as the winds die down.
And with that she is gone.
Babey calls a squeaky voice, hopping up and down in outrage. She seems to have recovered from seeing the dark side of her Lady.
As Kanzen leaves, Zaidel's posture goes back to normal, yet the big warrior looks embarrassed.
"So", breathed Zaidel, "let's head back to the Material Plane, huh?"
Turning to Babey, Lir quips back, grinning
"I liked her." Joseph says as he walks back towards the portal they had entered from. "It's refreshing too see someone that blunt and to the point after all the lies from Kamii and oddness from the Lady."
"And I think she liked you, 'killer'", said Zaidel, nudging Joseph with his shoulder.
Kei seemed unsure about what to do about Kanzen. All of his senses were telling him that she was a badguy, but at the same time she was...well...a she. As he was trying to process what to do, the others managed to end things peacefully.
Which was good.
"So, where to now?" asked Kei of the group.
Joseph smiles at Zaidels insentuation. "Nah, next to you lot I'm pretty plain. No way a lady like that, would feel that way about a guy like me, when I'm in the middle of people like you." He attempts to nudge Zaidel back but finds it's like pushing a brick wall.
When Kei asks where to Joseph shrugs. "Material plane and then... Where ever the wind takes us I suppose. We'll eventually find Merlin if he wants us to find him, and I'm sure that we'll see Kanzen again soon. We still have those mercenaries that Kamii sicked on us." Joseph looks around at the EXTREMELY capable members of the party. "Honestly though, It'd probably take an army before you guys even started to sweat."
Kei grins and says "Japanese people do not sweat. I thought all white people knew that!"
"Well, I did promise you a trip to the nearby city, and even though we got some answers here, we still lack many and now have more questions. Heading there might not be an awful idea" The elven lord says in reply to Joseph.
"I was thinking." Zaidel chimed in. "What should we call ourselves? I mean it! The Avengers, Justice League, The Defenders, X-Men, Guardians of the Galaxy, and The Zoo Crew have all been taken."
"How does this sound: Zaidel Michigan & His Amazing Friends? Or maybe The Z-Men? Or how about Captain Zaidel and His Hangers On", smiled the big warrior with mischief, looking for a reaction.
"The Jailbreaks and Their Pet Zaidel," Bage shoots back with a smirk.
"Hmmm. Catchy." The big warrior smirked. "Whadayathink. Titans? Something that includes Titans in the name like..um..The Titan Company?"
"Well, if we are discussing names, then I would suggest the Pack. Simple pragmatism, you know. We roam together, hunt together, fight together."
"The 47 samurai has, likewise, already been taken. We have someone who can turn into an odd winged lizard, a talking vulture king, a Sayan, a brave young woman, an immortal, a Kami, a gun-toting American, a Zaidel, the man who has been following us quietly, a Grig, and myself. What we really are is a bunch of NEETS."
"I have a job...or, well, used to, I guess."
"Well, if we are discussing names, then I would suggest the Pack. Simple pragmatism, you know. We roam together, hunt together, fight together."
"Pack? Not flock?" Zaidel mused. "Weird to hear that from you, V.K."
"I'm not sure we'll be staying together all the time though. Heck, we might even split up somewhat now. Also, what the heck is a NEET?"
The Vulture King turns to Zaidel and says, "Well, seeing as there are more, non-birds, within the group, that a pack makes more sense than a flock." He then nods slightly at Liriiestil's note, "I do suppose that is a good point. We may as well have some way to name ourselves in case we do ever decide to come back together. One never knows what the world will throw our way."
"A pack of Titans? The Titans Pack?"
"How about, "The returned"." Joseph asks. "It sounds good and relays what exactly we are."
"The Returned definitely describes what we are", nods Zaidel. "Good thinking, Joseph, by the way. I was just thinking a team name, not a .. transdimensional ethnicity. Like the greats I mentioned. A team name of substance and badassery."
"I vote the Returned," Bage says with a grin. "Cause we are definitely going to start causing some ripples around here. And I can see our line now: 'We're back!"
As you exit the darkening glade you find the portal to return almost instantly, unlike the timeless trek it took you to get to the glade.
Back on the material plane the sun is just rising over the forest and the guardian Elf is nowhere in sight.
The smell of fresh vegetation and the glory of the rising sun make you feel like anything is possible in this new day.
"I knaw, right?" Babey replies to Liriiestil in common. Then, truly looking at John's new form she gives a squeal of delight and bounces over to his head.
"Ah, my Gad! This is the best!" She says, playing with his golden locks.
"The 47 samurai has, likewise, already been taken. We have someone who can turn into an odd winged lizard, a talking vulture king, a Sayan, a brave young woman, an immortal, a Kami, a gun-toting American, a Zaidel, the man who has been following us quietly, a Grig, and myself. What we really are is a bunch of NEETS."
Lucas stops just a few feet outside of the portal back on the Material side as something clicks in his mind, "Wait, wait, wait. Back up. Kei, who has been following us?"
"I vote the Returned," Bage says with a grin. "Cause we are definitely going to start causing some ripples around here. And I can see our line now: 'We're back!"
Zaidel shrugs in defeat. "Well that's two for 'The Returned'. If no one has anything better, I guess we call ourswelves The Returned".
The big warrior considers. "That could work. Kinda like The Inhumans or The Eternals. The Returned. Okay."
There is a great rumbling and crashing in the forest and after a few moments a massive Ogre in platemail rips through the underbrush to stand before you. He is an ugly brute but there is something commanding about his presence. He stands ramrod straight like a military man and his body is encrusted with various types of expensive jewelry. The greatsword slung across his back is an impressive looking weapon and the Ogre's great height lends him the ability to look down on most other with an imperious gaze.
"Well, I guess they really did show up in the time and place Kamii predicted." He says in common.
"Saves us a lot of trouble hunting you down." He informs the party(The Returned?).
Behind him a massive brigade of large Ogres wearing chain shirts and wielding cruel weapons form up behind him, sixty of them at least.
With a loud crack the branches of a nearby tree shatter as two huge Hill Giants enter as well, glaring aimlessly with dumb anger all about.
A smaller Ogre comes to stand next to the leader, holding up his banner, an iron gauntlet crushing two leg bones in an X shape.
"Surrender and it will go easier on you, this Oni'Tyran promises you." The Leader declares.
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"The 47 samurai has, likewise, already been taken. We have someone who can turn into an odd winged lizard, a talking vulture king, a Sayan, a brave young woman, an immortal, a Kami, a gun-toting American, a Zaidel, the man who has been following us quietly, a Grig, and myself. What we really are is a bunch of NEETS."
"Someone's following us? How long?" She looks back around. "Please, don't be frightened! We're friends. Let us help."
Suddenly, a large ogre appears, followed by an army of ogres demanding surrender. Alyssa quakes.
"Guys....I'll be in the back, if anyone needs me."
Great. I just find out everything I remember, my whole life, is a lie, and now I'm going to die. Again. Or is it for the first time? I can't figure this out. Well, at least now I won't have to.
"Ah! You must be the mercenaries Kamii sent." Joseph says as he rather nonchalantly stepping to the front of the group. "I've been thinking ever since I've learned you'd be coming after us. A clash between us is certain to leave you crippled even if you manage to best us, so why not make this a wager rather than a battle?"
"Ah! You must be the mercenaries Kamii sent." Joseph says as he rather nonchalantly stepping to the front of the group. "I've been thinking ever since I've learned you'd be coming after us. A clash between us is certain to leave you crippled even if you manage to best us, so why not make this a wager rather than a battle?"
"Us crippled?" Oni'Tyran laughs.
"You have a high opinion of yourselves, but all right, what is your wager?."
Joseph smiles at the leader, removing his dagger from his belt and tossing it back to the others in the group he speaks. "If I can survive unarmed and unarmored against your best fighter without striking back for one minute in a one on one fight. You leave us alone. If you kill me, you get what your looking for and leave the others." Joseph begins to stretch and limber himself up. "Less you got a high opinion of me yourself?"
Joseph smiles at the leader, removing his dagger from his belt and tossing it back to the others in the group he speaks. "If I can survive unarmed and unarmored against your best fighter without striking back for one minute in a one on one fight. You leave us alone. If you kill me, you get what your looking for and leave the others." Joseph begins to stretch and limber himself up. "Less you got a high opinion of me yourself?"
Oni'Tyran bursts out in laughter. "I accept."
He waves one of the Hill Giants forward. The Giant approaches slowly with thunderous steps and glares angrily down at Joseph.
"Begin." The tyrant commands.
Josephs heart begins to beat extremely fast as he views the giant approach. He's careful not to let his anxiety show however, instead he speaks calmly. "Ladies first." He places his hands behind his back and smiles a toothy grin. "Show your leader there why it's a good idea to ask questions if a deal seems to good to be true."
The Giant roars and swings his greatclub down at Joseph.
The Giant's first blow cracks down on Joseph's shoulder.