Shadow Rising/Chapter 5

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Prologue: The wolf wakes up, feeling suddenly like she's lost something. Looking around shaking the sleep out of her eyes she smells her pack surrounding her, but there is nothing there but piles of ash that spread into the wind. She sniffs and searches trying to find them, but a voice tells her they are gone. Her ears flicker at the voice but no smells return, and since when did she know man's language. she wander away to try to clear her smell, finding a river bed, and when she bends to look down at first she sees a stranger's face, like if man mated wolf and had cubs. she's pretty, and then the image fades and what's left surprises she further. Her beautiful markings are gone, leaving nothing but pure white fur.

The confusion over her markings keeps her distracted and she hardly notices something else in the reflection. She sees the flutter of feathers and thinks a bird must have landed on her back. She hops around frantically till she -feels- her wings moving. Foreign yet familiar she's overwhelmed by confusion, and deep sorrow.

She's flipping out, realizing she has bird wings still. This goes against every instinct, every memory, and makes her panic, but at the same time it feels just right, and she feels at home in the sky. The conflicting thoughts make her head hurt. Thoughts in general make her head hurt, she's not used to them.

In frustrated confusion she howls high into the night sky, and a chorus of family from miles around echos in response. she returns to where her pack was, searching again for them, and finally gives up in frustration. she suddenly feels tremendously tired, and her brain shuts down, falling to sleep. she isn't sure how much time passes, but eventually she wakes to a voice calling. She aren't sure who's it is, but she can feel them calling to her, from somewhere, and she feels she has direction again, and starts off with purpose.

She hears a song now, ancient tongues she doesn't recognize. She travels miles in the open sky, only pausing to hunt for food, drink water, or catch up with brethren in the sky song.

What once was one is now more, and yet not. Two presences in one mind, one heart. Inextricable. She is the wind, but now she is another too. She is powerful yet scared and terrified at what she's become. Her only thought now is maybe when she finds the song she'll get an answer to who took her pack, and her markings. The closer she gets to her destination, the louder the song is, and then the beating of drums sound, louder. She can smell on the wind fear, anger, sorrow, hope, joy. As if the emotions are floating on the wind itself.

She nears her target, a strange looking mountain, the song is loud now, drums beating in her ears as her blood pumps. She lands on the top, and stares blankly around, trying to find what has been calling her. At first she doesn't see anything, except rock, but then she sees at the heart of the peak, a black rock jutting out of the ground like an obsidian razor. It shines in the air, the sun flickering off of it. Whomever called her is somewhere here, but she doesn't see them. She whimpers uncontrollably as the song doesn't stop and she can't find the target, confused, and in pain.

Main Event:

The group, what remains of it anyway, navigates back to the bus they left behind. Heavy hearts for the two fallen companions, however the general consensus is to get -out- of the city before trying to make any decisions. Ferox's closing line about "Devil's Tower" clearly belays yet another trap for them.

A pained groan escapes the basement as Cilan reawakens after having been knocked unconscious from the earlier grenade blast, moments after the groan ends, she leaves the opened door, gripping at her head, and looking around to the end of this standoff with Ferox, the soldier obviously searching for something, or someone.

Sparhawk escorts people along. Despite tragedy, there is nothing that grabs a cat quite so much as satisfaction, and finding things out has done this for Spar.

Narg trudges along with the group and thinking about past events.

Sorien walks between REDACTED and Spar, seemingly unhurt but moving as if she was. She by turns leans against each, as if afraid to lose contact for more than a moment.

REDACTED takes the driver’s seat and veto's any conversation. They're going back to Fairhaven. She wants something of Tag's, she doesn't explain why.

Sparhawk raises hir eyebrows at REDACTED' insistence, murmuring something about ghosts. The bridle's still wrapped around hir arm, the shiny magpie keeping it as close as all hir other gear. "Hey...Sori. I have a thing to tell you."

Cilan moves back to the bus, still looking around for something finally speaking she asks, "Where.. where is Apostasy?.. we're not leaving without her.. are we?"

Narg sits in the middle of the bus staring at the vial of Apostasy's ashes in her hands.

Sori takes her seat on the bus, and shudders. When Spar speaks, she jumps, as if not quite focused on the here and now. "W-what, Spar?"

Sparhawk grabs Sorien's hand and holds it. "Ferox's guns aren't just shooting giant bullets. In the same way REDACTED was made strong and heavy to match the theme Shadow wrote for her, Ferox shoots forgetting."

Loki appears generally quiet, mostly at his robot, having finished maintenance. He seems to work at the mini-research station, reviewing contents, going through samples, and generally trying to sort through everything that has happened so far, some of it broken down as far as he can break it. He does not seem wholly there at times, the dragon largely silent, devoid of his usual questions. When not at his robot, he is on a seat near it, kind of huddled in a ball. He does break this pattern when Cilan asks that fateful question, and is perhaps a bit blunt. "Cilan... Apo is dead.. gave her life... so that REDACTED could live..."

Grantok keeps to herself mostly, staring out the window blankly for long periods of time and occasionally glancing over the tooth and coins from the mansion. Her ears are low and against her head, the spark in her eyes replaced by a more dull and lifeless shade.

Narg shakes her head and moves back towards Cilan the vial of Apo's ashes in her hand and proffers it to Cilan "I believe you should hold on to her Cilan..."

Sori blinks. "She didn't shoot me to make me forget... I just did. I hate this... I want them back!" The demand is almost childlike in the force of it.

Sparhawk keeps a hold of Sorien's hand. "And you remembered...when? Because there'll probably be more of that, and I'm the only one here with an externalized memory. Neither Apo or Tag are gone in the way people used to die, so striving hard will be required. If not guaranteed success."

Cilan's face drops as Loki bluntly tells her of Apostasy's fate, only to move her gaze to Narg as she is offered the vial of ashes, which she slowly reaches out to take, and bring close to her chest, clutching it tightly to herself, and there is little response aside from the soldier balling up on the seat, her crimson wings, draping over her form, cocooning herself in the feathers.

A brief flicker on the bus, and each of them is accompanied by the spectre of some man, woman, or child. Each ghost seems calmly friendly, passive, as if trying to console them all with the emotion they are trying to convey only through the features of their face. A woman may attempt to lay a gentle hand to a shoulder, though it passes through, a child may gently try to tug at clothing, but again, nothing is felt. Then, as quickly as they appear, they fade.

"When she said he was gone... I remembered." Sori looks back at the shrouded form at the back of the bus.

Narg has nothing to say to Cilan to comfort or reassure her and moves back to her seat with down look on her face, seeing so many people in the dumps can have that effect, she sighs after she sits down and closes her eyes to take a nap.

Loki winces at Cilan's reaction, a sigh escaping him. He shuffles on his seat for a moment before he slowly rises to his feet, and drags himself towards the soldier, taking a seat beside her. He lays a hand on those wings, and does lean a little in to Cilan. "Sorry... that was... callous... of me... but.. I did not.. know how to put it any gentler."

The bus ride back to Fairhaven is short by comparison to past trips, but feels a lot longer with the morbid atmosphere and depressed conversations. REDACTED keeps herself steady and focused, growing more and more determined.

Sparhawk nods firmly. "That is because we are /heroes/. We contain what the Shadow hates most, love and light and hope and joy. When I look at everyone, there is a big...laser chamber where we reinforce each other." Shi turns halfway back to look at the rear of the bus. "Raise your hand if you haven't died in weird ways and come back before!"

Sori hugs Spar tight, and clings.

Narg raises her hand eyes still shut "I have yet to die Sparhawk and I don't plan on buying it yet."

Sparhawk points at Narg and grins. "I don't recommend it, it stings like the proverbial bitch! But, you know...when I died, I came out of it with a child named Elaine, who is working with Dream to tame some horrible monsters and tricking them into using credit cards instead of fangs."

Grantok clutches the objects in her claws tighter at the appearance of apparitions; a half-disgusted, half-upset look crossing her face as she turns from it to blatantly face out the window. Clearly, the spectres are not helping her in any manner, nor does she want them to.

There is no response to Loki's hand, or his words, the crimson wings, holding the balled up Cilan, who remains silent.

Narg giggles "I bet it stings, and tricking a bunch of monsters being taught to use credit cards would have been a sight to see."

REDACTED pulls into Fairhaven, the bus having dropped silent in the last hour of travel, although Sparhawk's efforts to cheer people up do help, most are still too distraught from the losses. REDACTED pulls the bus into New Ireland's lot and leaps from the bus, clearly on a mission, heading down into the den.

The spectre that Grantok so visibly reacts to... slowly shimmers back into life. The same man who rebuked her just a short time ago. He seems calm and content. That is the best way of describing his manner, simple. And he simply sits next to Grantok, not looking at her, nor really focusing his attention upon anything in particular.

Sparhawk hugs Sorien under a wing protectively and keeps the joviality aimed at Narg. "Black Friday's gonna be a sight to see! So. What's the motivating factor here? Are we going to make the shadow pout like a preteen cartoon villian, or are we going to sulk in entirely justifiable but unproductive misery?"

"I'll... I won't leave you. Any of you. And I won't LOSE any of you," Sori says into Spar's side. "But it hurts so much." This last is quiet enough that likely only Spar hears.

Narg yawns and wakes from her nap with a stretch, but she doesn't know what to do and just looks around.

Snowblind is in the pub having just completed her day's rounds again. Finding most of the common group missing she sits at the table watching the stairs and hoping to see a friendly face.

Loki had long moved back to his robot at the lack of Cilan's reaction, and then goes back to his robot, to resume working away, but instead switching his breaks to sitting beside the Soldier. He gets a brief idea, and wanders over to Sparhawk at some point in the trip, inquiring about the Spectrometer, and if he could perhaps take a look at how it works, and what it does exactly, all the while researching things.

A human, dressed in REDACTED' familiar clothes, raven haired and darker skinned, runs into the den, and then directly back into the kitchen towards Tag's room, not acknowledging or even noticing Snowblind.

"Loki," Sori says, "I need you to get me something from Z."

Loki looks up from the robot, peering at Sorien. "What... is it?.. I may need to retrieve some things from my tower as well... so... I may be gone a little.. but I will return... Unless you are passing near point zero..." he shrugs, forcing a smile.

Snow gives a double take at seeing a human running into the back without even stopping. She stands and pads a bit towards the kitchen and peeks her head in. "Um, not sure your supposed to be back here..." Snow says before it clicks what clothes she was wearing. "REDACTED! What in the spirits names happened?"

Sparhawk helpfully turns the digital camera chunk's display to Loki, showing black with pixellated lines running from the top to the bottom. "I got this idea when I saw Mister C making flashes of golden light that reminded me of a dragon's colours, so I decided to see if colour was important. Here, see--this was the ghost of Taggart's minions, and the darkness is a different line from the crystals."

Grantok remains on the bus whilst others step off. Her ire of the presence behind her is obvious from the occasional violent lash of her tail, whether the spectre is there or not. After what seems like an eternity, she finally speaks to the window, a single word. "Why?"

"Just bring me back a full SWAT suit. Human. Leggings, (she gives a size), vest, inserts, helmet. All of it." Sori looks rather intense when she says this.

An almost unfeeling voice comes from inside the folded wings, "My weaponry. Whoever had taken it from me, give it back."

Narg stays on the bus with Grantok and glances back to Cilan "Sori's got it Cilan."

The spectre turns to Grantok, focusing upon her for just a moment. Simple. And simply, smiles. It is knowing, but not smug. As if he knew a secret that she should know too, if she thought hard enough. That sort of thing. The sort of thing that is incredibly infuriating.

REDACTED emerges just as Snowblind finally pieces together who she is. She's got the picture from Taggart and Ferox's wall in her hand, and she looks quite dour and serious. Her answer is simply, "Taggart has passed from the world. Ferox taken his life, and I am going to make her /pay/ for it." sharply spoke between her teeth.

Loki sighs, nodding in response. "I will see what I can do." he says, rising to his feet, fidgeting a bit. His robot quickly rises to its feet, but seems to stay in research mode, at least partially. The scientist exits the bus, his robot following in tow. He seems oddly determined, keying in a few more things to his machine. He looks back briefly towards Sorien. "I may.. be able to do a little better than the swat suit... How long of a trip do we have on the way to the next local?"

"Devil's tower. Days." Says Sori.

Sparhawk tilts around to avoid being trodden on. After the stompy robot's gone Spar nudges Sori lightly. "Someone feels naked, O well-dressed skunk, and you have it."

Loki nods, spreading his wings and takes off towards Zephyr, at least initially, his robot heading to his lab to collect some choice items in case the scientist cannot make it there in time, doing his best to fulfil Sorien's request.

Snowblind starts to quickly walk with REDACTED and she heads out of the pub again. "Wait... Ferox did WHAT!" Snow exclaims. "When? Where? Hold on, I am coming with this time..." Snowblind says to REDACTED as she gets towards the bus and can almost smell the depression from to looks of those still on it. Mumbling to herself something that sounds like a short prayer she continues heading to the bus.

The unseen, but not unfelt, smile and the silence only drive Grantok's blood to boil further, her tongue loosening a little more. "I 'had' her. Off her guard. Ill prepared. It could have been over. She could be at rest with... And now Apo too..." The fire in her crimson eyes returning and glowing with the beading tears building as she finally turns about. "Who else will she have to hurt... to kill... Tell me! TELL ME!!!!"

Sori says, "I don't... I don't understand what you mean, Spar..."

REDACTED turns back to Snowblind as she's following. "Taggart wasn't the only one she killed. Apo's gone too, and if you really want to walk into this hell, you might too." and at that she heads back towards the bus, having gotten what she came for.

Narg looks at Snowblind as she enters the bus and waves at her idly.

Loki's voice crackles through the radio. "When are we leaving? How much longer do we have?"

Sparhawk pokes Sorien in the grenade belt, carefully. "Cilan wants her gear back. Kindly return it, please? I'll vouch for her not being tainted in the centre of our power."

"... Oh. I'd... Forgotten." Sori gets the things together, then sets them next to Cil. "Sorry..." She drifts back to her seat, once again essentially clinging to Spar.

Snowblind stepping up into the bus after REDACTED she gives a return wave towards Narg. Habit is hard to break even if she is not paying attention to it. "Hell. Dear REDACTED, I was on shift when Point Zeroes started popping up all over the place. I have seen hell, this is just California." Snow says before backing into a seat near the front of the bus. Seeing no one else going for the radio she grabs it. "Loki? Sounds like you, I would get back soon as I am not sure how much longer people are going to mope."

Cilan's wings unfurl once more to reveal the woman underneath, her eyes notably swollen red, and puffy from silent tears she had shed earlier, though she says nothing in response to Sorien's apology, quickly taking the weapons back, and donning them quickly, readying them for whatever will happen.

Sparhawk rubs around Sorien's ears a little, pinned to the bus floor by depressed skunk. "Someone I know stole Coyote's heart from Shadow's belly. Betcha she'd giggle at something in here."

Sori doesn't respond quickly, but eventually says, "I can't lose anyone more. I can't... I can die. I... Could deal with that. Just... I can't lose you and REDACTED. I can't."

REDACTED doesn't really look at who's on the bus when she returns, she just moves over, stops for a moment to take Sori's hand, kisses it while giving her a stare that says I will fix this. After a few moments she moves back to the driver's seat and gets the bus ready to leave.

At Grantok's violently emotional reaction, the spectre saddens, gently shaking his head back and forth with pity for her. (Pity, as it turns out, isn't really such a bad thing if you truly understand what it is.) The man raises his chest and then lowers it, as if sighing, as if a spectre could sigh and breathe. A moment later, the man shimmers in the air, replaced by the form of a young girl. She might look like what Ferox would look like, were she not infected. This apparition is faded, though, half there and half not... and slowly fades back into the image of the man who once shot both Sorien and a small, innocent boy.

Sparhawk looks reproachfully down at Sorien. "And you are convinced of this...why? Don't look now, there's a ghost on the bus. They are notoriously shy. And he's sitting there looking wise and annoying everyone in range. That sounds kinda familiar."

When REDACTED kisses her hand, Sori seems to wake up some. "We can't do to her what we've had done to us. Remember that." She takes REDACTED' hand and holds to it tightly.

"Love, I'm not going to kill her, but I am going to make her realize what she's taken from the world." REDACTED says in response, the bus ready to leave.

Narg lifts her blood encrusted paw up to her eyes and eyes "I better go get this washed off it's getting kinda itchy I'll be right back" she gets up and squeezes by the people in the front of the bus and makes her way over to the bath house.

Sori then looks at the ghost. "Can you say anything, please?"

Snowblind looks over the bus and all that are in it. She mumbles "Damn body, love it except for tight spaces." Right now it looks that more than one person needs a good hug. Though Grantok seems to be more then angry at something. She stands for a moment then shaking her head sits back down and moves to start taking things out of her saddlebags before they go and get damaged when this bus leaves the bubble.

Sparhawk nods a quieter greeting to Snowblind. "We'll tell more story as we drive, o lady of more spots than we can handle. May I ask, what spirit guides you today?"

The ghost sitting with Grantok doesn't turn when questioned by Sorien. Instead, the spirit of a young boy, once shot by another spectre on the bus, appears next to her, giving the same knowing, but sad smile, shaking his head at her as if she were asking an awfully silly question. He leans down and kisses her paw, and she can almost just feel it, as if it were a memory, the whisper of a kiss that she once felt in a world that she's never been to.

Sori looks at the boy. "I want him back... I want Apo back too. Please..." And she starts to cry again, quietly.

REDACTED puts the bus in gear, closing the doors, the bus is warming up and about ready to get moving.

Narg travels back out from the bathhouse her paw now it's normal white and boards the bus again taking her seat in the middle looking at the strange spirit of the boy that seems to be following them.

Sparhawk watches the ghost-boy steadily, clicking on hir radio to say, "We're starting to move out, Loki. Got maybe five minutes to be here, or intercept us on the road out of town."

Loki eventually seems to make it back, laden with gear and other assorted electronic parts, including the request from Sorien, his robot also appearing quite encumbered. He offers a wave, hurrying as best he can, knocking gently upon the doors of the bus.

Grantok clenches the objects in her claws tighter, snarling in frustration. "Enough of your forms, your faces. Answer me! Why?" Her hackles raised as she spits the last of these words from her mouth, clearly not getting what the poltergeist is trying to do. Finally, her anger getting the best of her, she lashes out at the chair, taking a good chunk out of the cushion before falling down into her seat sobbing, distraught with the overload of emotions.

Snowblind gives a slight smile towards Sparhawk, "Not sure if it is luck or fate but I needed help of the Phoenix today." She answers then starts to pull a suit of white armour out of the bags. Strapping it to her lower torso piece by piece as the Loki gets back to the bus. "Apo, Taggart... I am going to need a good filling in on this trip."

Loki's arrival gets Sori's attention. She takes the gear from him, saying, "Thank you," and giving him a hug. She then goes to REDACTED. "You'll wear this before we get into anything. Please."

Sparhawk offers a hand with Snow's armour as the bus aisle gets rather crowded with taurs and traffic, flipping up to stand on the roof lightly.

The spectre-boy at Sorien grows sad, the ghost-man at Grantok doing the same. In fact, their lips downturn in almost unison, eyes falling in similar manner at the companions lack of understanding their silent ministrations. Each winks out of existence, as if blinked away.

REDACTED looks at her mate in surprise at the indignity of the request, and she narrows her eyes, for a moment, and then pieces together -why- her mate is asking her to do so. She nods, solemnly and says. "Go lay down my love. I don't want you to face the shadow again with your heart heavy. "

---

Notes on Sori's Backstory

What the wiki really doesn't say is that she didn't leave- she fled. She ran from losing everyone she cared for, and the loss of her world. She got what she wanted- to be female and young- and lost everything that made it worthwhile. She didn't really start to recover til she met Apostasy and Sparhawk, and then Taggart, Ferox and REDACTED. She's so wrecked right now cos she's seeing it happen all over again, but worse.

---

Snowblind blinks and gives a slight jump at the actions of the spirits and those that were catching them closer. Though she gives thanks to Spar when the spider taur helps put on the armour. Her lower half protected with fitted armour she leaves the top half with just her normal work jacket. "Grantok... I think... Please calm down, the seat did nothing to harm you. Neither did those spirits."

Loki clambers on to the bus with his robot, each gently setting the retrieved equipment down on some empty seats, his robot quickly going back to research mode, the dragon taking a seat at the terminal and hitting a few keys.

Sparhawk pauses in armouring Snow to look at the place a boy was, mouthing but not vocalizing, 'Other people are the undiscovered country'.

Over the travel time, Sori gets more responsive, and does seem to be trying to interact. She'll make coffee and tea, and do other things to help out, smiling. But the smile fades whenever she thinks nobody is looking.

During most of the trip, Cilan stares either blankly out the window to the passing scenery, or down to the vial of ashes in her careful grip, most of the times, the only time she ever moves is to use the facilities, or to move into the galley to make a quick sandwich.

Narg eyes the scenery outside as it flies by until she drifts off to sleep, occasionally waking to eat or go to the restroom.

Throughout the trip, the spectres will flit into and out of existence, each calmly and quietly sitting next to the various companions. Even one joining Snowblind. Various men, women, and children. Occasionally the glimmer of Ferox pre-infection, but she is faded and torn, as if half there. She also seems to wander, almost lost, up and down the aisle of the bus.

During the trip Snow gets filled in with bits and pieces of what has happened though she does not press for details seeing as how fresh all the wounds are. She does make sure that everyone eats, drinks, and sleeps on this ride. Offering to take a turn driving (albeit very slowly) for a shift or two to relieve Sorien and REDACTED from having to do it all. Over time on the trip almost everyone will have been given a warm blanket before the holding ability of her saddlebags goes back to normal.

Grantok takes a while to sort out her tears and thoughts, letting out her grief, and ignoring the commentary at the start of the trip. The remainder of the time she spends much like the ride back from Sacramento, staring out the window or at the artefacts, though with more awareness in her eyes.

Cilan occasionally glances to her own ghost whenever it sits next to her, a weak smile pulls at her lips for a second or two before she returns her gaze back to the window, staring outside again.

The spectre smiles back at Cilan, a young woman. She seems very friendly... for a ghost.

Narg occasionally wakes at the ghost that continues popping up next to her trying to discern where she knew it if she knew it at all.

Sori will eventually say to her ghostly companion, "If you're trying to let us know that it'll be alright... I'm trying to believe that." Her eyes squeeze shut after saying that, tears forming thickly.

Sparhawk spends a bit of time back with Loki at the start of the trip, showing off the inner workings of the Quickdraw Spectrometer. After lunch on the first day, shi takes a book out from a bulging saddlebag and balances it carefully on the arm of Sorien's seat.

Loki immediately sets to work on some things, jumping from his robot's terminal to the bits, seemingly not taking time to rest too much at all. He seems quite determined, and seems to be building up a mass of his silvery nanite goo, setting out some other chunks of metal to the side as he sifts through components. Among the stuff he has is batteries, reflectors, lights, and other assorted things. Most of the things he is building seem to relate to light.

Sori picks the book up, glances at Spar, then opens it to read.

When Sorien speaks, the small boy brightens up and leans down to kiss her paw again, then winks out as she doesn't feel the lips touch.

Narg shakes her head and smiles at the ghostly apparition of the man appearing in his 20's "I wish I could realize who are friend, I assume you’re a friend otherwise you wouldn't be by me" she continues to study the familiar looking man with slight aggravation.

Sparhawk sits next to Sorien, in the company of people eaten by Tag...who he said would disappear into darkness when he died. Which Spar doesn't state out loud. Shi just nudges Sorien as shi reads over her shoulder. "You said there were variations on the story in these books."

The youngish man, who is possibly older than he looks, simply smiles in that infuriating manner at Narg's questions. He does, however, shrug, before smiling that knowing smile again.

Loki grits his teeth through his workings, occasionally integrating a piece in to his robot. His shoulder does bother him occasionally, but he tries not to let that stall him too much, the dragon at times electing to work with only one arm. A few hours another realization dawns on him, the dragon focusing for a moment, and two new arms emerge below his others, increasing productivity.

The first day of the drive is roundabout, going south to go north, around large stretches of natural forests, no real direct path as they hit Nevada. Northern Nevada is perhaps one of the most endless and empty places anyone has come through, few sights of interest beyond mountains and dry rocks. The terrain barely improves as they hit the border with Utah.

Later in the journey Snow goes to take a seat near Grantok. She sees that the spirits are not bringing them any comfort and slowly rests her hand on the other lady's arm. She just sits and offers the comfort of the living as best she can after having to finally give up on fixing Loki's shoulder. For that matter most of the peoples wounds were not responding to her treatments either pre infection or post.

Sori blinks, focusing on the here-and-now again. "What? Oh... Yeah. In this version, it says to imprison the Shadow Coyote needed to give something of himself. He used a tooth, but the story says that his smile was still perfect. He may have cheated. Also, blood and the coins were mentioned. That's odd- Coins were never invented in the Americas. Also, the Heart of... Something." She digs her notes out.

On occasion, after Cilan's trips to the restroom, it can be noted that fresh bandages cover where she was shot, the two wounds in her shoulder, and another in the wrist on the opposite arm, each rubbed at on occasion.

Loki shudders as the new arms grow, doubling over, scowling a little. He grimaces, drawing the arms back into his body. That will not do. He elects to take a break from his tinkering, and do some more on his machine. "Sparhawk... Any luck on a device that can record the ghosts?... or did I remember to ask that?"

The young-man spectre smiles and gently pats at Narg's shoulder, though, like Sorien, it is only a whisper of feeling, something that feels and doesn't feel. Numb and touch. That sort of thing.

Utah they hit the great salt flats. It's beautiful yet strange, white as snow, yet almost looking like the moon, endless nothing. The salt lake itself is massive, and REDACTED avoids Salt Lake City, not wanting to find out what kind of strange things have happened there. The rest of the drive is through the wide state of Wyoming. Even before the outbreak the place was not populated. Little more than bare rocks and craggy mountains to see.

"Great Heart of Mother Earth. Yellowstone. I think that might be where the Throne is." Sori says, after thinking a while.

Grantok seems to prefer her solitude for the time being, paying as little attention to the spirits as possible, lest she get her ire up again. She takes particular note in looking over the coins, comparing the runes on each to one another.

Sparhawk swivels an ear back at Loki. "Erm, no? What purpose would ghost photographs serve, anyway? They're obviously present and important and also invisible to soulless technology."

Narg smiles at the touch of the ghost man and nods then turns looks out the window with a wistful look, she'd passed through Utah as she made her way from Missouri to California.

During most of the trip in Wyoming Snowblind is taking cat naps near the front of the bus. Even the flames of the phoenix are not helping the wounds and she is running low on energy being so far away from the source of that extra energy. She does ask one question though. "Has anyone said a plan out loud or like the good old heroes of old we are just going to charge up this rock?"

Sparhawk looks down at Snowblind during a break of the exploration of the books contents. "Nope," is all shi says.

Loki turns to Sparhawk and tilts his head. "Define what a Soul is Sparhawk.. if you would be so kind... and on another note, I would like to perhaps enable my machine here to detect said supernatural phenomena, as it may prove to our benefit, and increase my understanding of this 'magic'." he stats, again returning to the devices form his robot, his arm's pain not overpowering at the moment.

The final segment of the drive is through Wyoming's vast nothingness. Nothing barely does it justice. Thankfully no abandoned vehicles on the road has REDACTED driving well over 100, at least once they're past the mountains. The northeast corner turns into grasslands, and then wide forests before rising up in the sky ahead, the giant finger that is Devil's Tower becomes plainly visible.

"I've... Never been atop the Tower. I've been there, but..." Says Sori.

Sparhawk annoyedly replies to Loki, "I'm working on it. I haven't been able to come up with a good control group. Isn't it a separate benefit to have someone who can determine what's material and objectively real in the group?"

Narg eyes up the Devil's Tower "I've never been there before, I'd seen it in photos and books but I've never been there."

"Rays of light? No. Warmth from the Sun? Grr..." Grantok mutters a little audibly to herself whilst turning over one of the coins in her paw, staring at it intently. After a moment, she gives up on that one and looks at another.

Snowblind softly mewls, "Free climbing it will be a pain. One I know my body will not be able to do. It is huge and F... Shadow has the upper hand in being at the top. So not only do we need to find out how to get up but what are we going to do once there." She gives a small sigh and then grabs her tail before letting it wrap around REDACTED while she is driving. "You all seem to have a story you are working off of. Maybe what worked before?"

In the final stretch of the long drive, Cilan gives another look at the vial of Apostasy, and sets it somewhere safe while she tends to her weapons, preparing them as she is prone to do before a mission before taking the vial back, and clenching it tightly to her chest once more.

REDACTED seems to relax a little bit at being surrounded by leopard fur again. It seems as if the woman isn't even comfortable in her own skin, something she spent her life in for four decades.

Sori comes up by REDACTED.

Narg stops her staring at the Devil's Tower and glances at the apparition next to her once again before closing her eye's and beginning to pray silently.

As the bus nears the tower, a spectre winks into existence, sitting next to Narg. The young man. He stands, smiling, and gives them a little wave before he steps into the aisle and starts to walk back to the shadowy lump that is Taggart's body at the back of the bus. As he walks, he fades from view. Then, the boy sitting next to Sorien comes into view, leans down and kisses her hand again, and follows after the man. So on. And so forth. Until each of the companions ghostly friends has made its way back to the back of the bus.

It is as if each ghost gives their companion a gesture of comfort and good luck before leaving. Yes, even Grantok.

Also, Loki. And Snowblind.

REDACTED pulls the bus to a stop on the roadway, not even daring to try to dig her way into the designated parking, preferring they come at the tower from their own angle. She puts the bus into park and turns it off before turning back to everyone. She speaks quietly, but sincerely. "Ferox was like me. Someone who was lost, and taken by the dark creature that is Midnight Shadow. Our enemy is him, not her. No matter how much pain she's caused of us, how much she's taken. You cannot blame her for this. Do not hate her, for that is what he wants, and why he uses us like this."

Sparhawk too. Who could forget Cilan?

Loki looks back to Sparhawk and smiles. "Well.. I think I know what a soul is... it is what we call an individual... their experiences, thoughts, feelings and such... in other words... it is just data... information... all held by a mass of carbon and other things arranged just so... I think... that what people call a soul is merely just thought of any sort.. and perhaps life..." he trails off, nodding again, wincing as he clutches his shoulder and goes back to his robot, hitting some more keys with his good arm.

REDACTED gets a kiss on her cheek from a handsome, older woman.

Cilan inclines her head in silent thanks towards her spirit, but says nothing.

Sori stands up straighter. "I don't hate her. I won't. I just want... Maybe something that's too much. But I want it anyway. Put the armour on, sweetie. I can get you and me up there."

REDACTED sighs, and begrudgingly dons the armour requested. "Love, you do realize the calibre of weaponry that she uses, and her good aim means she'll still just hit me in the neck, or have it pierce right through." but she puts it on, because it will make her mate worry less.

Snowblind watches the progression of the spirits and as the bus comes to a stop she once again lets her tail go free as it gives REDACTED a small hug. "So, time for a bit of a hike then. Everyone ready?" She gives a small smile then once out of the bus takes her jacket off to put on her upper torso armour and then the jacket again. She checks all her gear and then sits deliberately not looking at the tower.

Loki then looks to REDACTED and nods. "I figured as such... and have no intent of harming her... though.. it’s a long shot.. but.. well.." he frowns a little, noticing a complete lack of actual darkness or shadows. "Well... its nod dark out.. but making something bright brighter may be another thing..." he murmurs, scratching his head.

Sparhawk gives hir ghost a measuring glance as it passes. "I am the thrice-bound hero," shi says to it obscurely. At the final stop Spar leaves most of the looted books on bus seats, bringing only the ones with the most fascinating stories. Only like six.

Loki grins and tosses something to REDACTED. He takes some other helmets of sorts. "She cannot shoot what she cannot see... or hear... right?"

"It'll keep you alive from ranged shots. Close up, her rounds will penetrate. On the way up these," She taps one of the ceramic plates in its pocket, "Will stop damn near anything."

Grantok keeps her mouth shut as the bus is pulled in to park. She places the objects of her study securely away and close at hand. She simply stands and awaits the chance to get off the bus and head out.

REDACTED finishes suiting up, and steps off the bus.

Cilan gives the Apo vial one last sad glance before setting it in a satchel to her side, closing it, and sealing the bag, she rises from her seat, and makes her way to the door of the bus, stepping off, and looking directly upwards, examining the Devils Tower closely.

Sparhawk stands in the dust of Devil's Tower and looks around with some annoyance. "Why am I the only person who has a plan, hmm? They are often useful devices to fling into the face of fate."

Sori climbs down. "We're out of her range if she's up there. But... A close approach to the face of the Tower will give cover. A straight-down shot without exposing herself is impossible. What is your plan, Spar?"

Snowblind softly mewls, "Because dear, you keep your head on your shoulders when all this went down. Truth be told I would have lost it after watching two die when I had no chance to save them."

Sori earflats at that, and loses a bit of her drive.

Narg finishes her prayer get out her seat and steps off the bus, drawing her pistol as she does.

Snowblind turns and sees that Sorien is downed by her own words. "No offence dear." Snow says before giving a likely unwelcomed hug to her. "Not always the best at my manners, just at my job."

Sori shakes her head, then tries to get her ears back up. She waits for Spar's plan.

Sparhawk responds to Snow, "Sure are a lot of people giving up on Apo and Tag. Ghosts, seriously. There are ghosts flitting around being reassuring, and people assume Taggart is impossible to find?" Sorien's question just gets a quiet look, and then an answer, "I can't tell you."

Cilan says, "I will do whatever it takes to bring both back. Anything."

Narg growls quietly "Who said anything about giving up? You guys have told me you've died before and came back so why not now?"

Loki rises to his feet, going to his robot, suiting up as best he can with the various trinkets and devices he has made, all the while, his teeth grit through the pain, his robot also carrying some of his armaments. He looks to the others, and nods. "Cilan... you have my backing.. on such..." he murmurs, going back to his robot, and typing in a few more keys, and then seems to wait for a moment.

Grantok gives Sparhawk a glance and then takes a moment to take a full extent view of the natural monument. "Hugging the cliff face on approach is going to be the best bet for fliers. Though she also has the mobility of air."

"Then you really can't complain about other's not having a plan, silly." Sori tries to at least look like she's in control of herself. "She'll have gone up pretty much anyway- wouldn't matter with no threats against her. She'll be at the high side, there," Sorien points, "as it’s the best and cleanest spot for a shooter to be in. She won't shoot til we're up there and separated- her pistol has limited range and will lose a lot of power over distance. So... We have to find a way to surprise her."

Grantok tilts her head slightly in Sorien's direction. "There is not going to be a way to 'surprise' her on this. The view is too open. The best we can hope for is a minimal amount of damage done."

Snowblind softly mewls, "There is dead, then there is dead. As much as this is not the time for movie quotes. 'Mostly dead is still partly alive' So like Cil said lets go and get them back. Resurrection is possible on anyone." She pauses as Sori talks. "Idea is sadly what I am lacking on. Maybe half of our group can fly? I am rather stuck to having a tow up there or finding a way of cling myself. The best is to not let anyone go at it alone."

Sparhawk's gaze shifts up to the pillared cliff. "I'm more interested in what happens when we get up there. Say everything goes well, we have surprise and she's cooking noodles by shooting them. What happens?"

Narg eyes up the Devil's Tower and listens to the strategisers strategise

Grantok continues to analyze the situation. "Grouping together too much will leave us prone to those grenades that we already know she loves. The best bet is to have a distraction on the approach."

Sori says, "I... I'm not a tactician. I'm a solo fighter, and not the best of those either. If nobody else has ideas, we have to play it by ear. First step, getting up there. If people can climb that would be best, but I doubt we're that fortunate. There are NO trails up there, but there IS a helipad around here somewhere. I doubt it can fly though. SO we fly up, run as close to the Tower as we can, and find places to land short of the top that we can climb or walk the rest of the way."

Cilan raises her hand and offers, "I volunteer to be said distraction.. only thing is." she says as she reaches into her old satchel, ".. Someone has to take care of Apostasy."

Narg raises her hand. "I can climb pretty well."

REDACTED speaks sharply, her accent surprisingly strong, "Enough, if she's going to shoot at us, she's going to shoot at us. Our only option now is to find a way to disable her heart, to shut her down. If it costs a life, we will all be safer in the long run. We must purge the shadow from this world."

Sparhawk smirks as shi says, "I have an awful lot of climbing rope. Someone needs to agree with REDACTED, though."

"Fliers, pair up with groundlings. Let’s get close to the base, then fly up." Sori says.

Loki stamps his foot down. "If you need a distraction... I can offer." he shouts, hoisting some equipment. "The only problem... well... there will be some aftermath.. but it is all non lethal... although there may be benefits to me going last if I can hit here with one of these and they work correctly."

Snowblind softly mewls, "I don't but that is on a principle that even I know is false. So let’s get going before nightfall."

Sori licks REDACTED, then starts walking towards the Tower.

Cilan makes her way to the base of the tower, her crimson wings spreading out as though stretching outwards, and falling back to a folded position behind her.

"I want to say that I have something that would help, but after last time I am not so sure." Grantok looks towards the base of the tower as she says this. "If someone with wings can get me close enough, I can hope that she'll not be prepared for the assault. If nothing more, she will remember it."

"Loki, no attacking first. We have to win here- and that isn't killing her. Also, we can't draw her attention the wrong way at the wrong time." Says Sori over her shoulder.

Sparhawk provides no further advice, merely hiking toward the tower with the group. In the afternoon sun the solar-scaled bird looks significantly less impressive than a dark basement under siege.

Loki glares at Sorien. "Never said I was going to kill... Just.. disable... the problem with this stuff.. well, not sure what’s going to work... got some flashbangs and a flashlight that’s hopefully bright enough to temporarily blind people provided you don’t have a plate of welders glass... the flashbangs also hopefully can deafen unprotected ears... on top of that... foam that should increase weight if it hits... and hinder mobility... likely getting in to any guns and such, disabling them.. think of it like a glue... among other things... all assuming they work as intended..."

Narg follows close behind Sparhawk.

Snowblind is quite for most of the hike more watching the group and making sure that no one is getting behind. While on the ground she offers to have a flyer or two take a ride on her back so that they do not have to walk then fly.

Sori says, "I'm not mad, Loki. But you're overthinking. This is... It’s not gonna be a fight when we get down to it. At least not a physical one. We have to beat the Shadow. Free her, one way or the other. But it won't be a battle-test in the strictest sense."

The pathway strangely seems to -move- away from the group, clearing itself as they pass. It's not a comfortable feeling.

Sori continues, "Fer is a victim here, just like us. Just like..." She pauses, then starts again, "Like Tag and Apo." We owe it to them to do this right."

Sori takes a shuddering sigh, and leans a bit against REDACTED as they walk.

Sparhawk quickly follows up Sorien's statement with, "Like REDACTED."

Loki shrugs. "Well.. I think if I can disable her and stop her from trying to kill us that we can actually have a better chance of it... right?" he inquires, shrugging. "Still... I can leave this stuff here if you want..."

Seeing no other offers, Grantok proceeds along behind Cilan, doing her best to keep pace. A "Nothing stupid, right?" is mentioned slightly along the trek, hoping to get a glimpse at her state of mind.

Snowblind watches the path clear. "Good to know that we are wanted here. Someone is still helping." She drops back a bit and takes up the last position in the marching order.

Cilan offers a simple wave involving only her index, and middle finger over her shoulder, offering Grantok a response to her request, but saying nothing, all the while she continues trekking up the path seemingly casually with little difficulty towards the difficult ground in front of her.

Narg continues her hiking next to Sparhawk only glancing at Snowblind as she goes back behind the group to be rearguard.

"Bring it, Loki. Can your robot fly?" Asks Sori.

Sparhawk smirks at something else, too. Out loud shi says, "No, I'm not interesting inside my head today." If anyone shows any signs of struggle shi'll offer them a ride on the antigravity taur, trained to carry tons of REDACTED, but the likelihood of anyone letting an ounce of pride drop in this group is slim.

Loki nods in response to Sorien, hefting the equipment as best he can. "Yes... and I can fly... what would you have me do?" he asks, finally having his robot resume combat mode, and stepping off the bus.

Sorien feel a gentle pressure on her shoulder, and a whisper in her ear. It says, "Hey sexy, do me a favor and keep yourself smiling." and then it disappears.

Sori stiffens, ears going straight up as she looks around!

Cilan glances towards Sorien as she suddenly stops, "Hmm? Something the matter, Sorien?"

Snowblind sniffs at the air some more at the back of the group and starts to sway to the sides of the path as Sorien perks her ears.

"I... Heard a voice. Nevermind." Sori replies. She takes the radio and responds to Loki. "Hurry up if you can. I'm hoping it can carry Snow or one of the others."

Narg goes into a crouch at Sori's sudden stop sniffing at the air and swivelling her ears around, then as Sori dismisses her sudden stiffening continues hiking next to Sparhawk.

After Sorien's comment, Cilan glances around the surroundings, her eyes searching the foliage to find anyone, or anything capable of speech.

Sori seems, after a bit, to be more relaxed, as if she's trying to let where she is help ameliorate her mood; she even keeps her ears and tail up as she moves through the rocks and brambles.

Loki tries his best to hurry and catch up with some others. "Wait, what now? What is supposed to carry Snow or one of the others?" he inquires, doing his best, not really being able to run with the equipment due to his injury.

REDACTED tries to sniff at the air, frowning at her human senses, and scratches at a spot that should be behind her ears. She eyes Sorien wearily and her reaction, but shrugs it off and keeps focused. The path isn't nearly as long as it should take due to magical assistance, and before long the group arrives at the clearing before the rise. The foot of the mountain is stunning, what looked large from far away now looks as if it climbs up into the very heavens.

Grantok simply holds her position a few steps away from Cilan, eyes watching the tower top for so much as a glint of reflectivity betraying a position.

"The robot, Loki. The robot. We have more groundhogs than eagles." Sori sounds for a moment rather like Spar.

Loki sighs in to the radio. "I can try to take to the air if you wish." he offers.

Sori's ears flat, this time in frustration.

REDACTED says softly, "I will climb my love. The rest of you can fly. She will be looking for me and may spare you all if she doesn't see me."

Grantok swiftly reaches for her comm and crackles onto the radio. "No! Take to the air only near the base of the tower. Otherwise, you're a sitting duck."

Over the radio, Sori says, "Sweetie, you need to listen. Follow us, and when we get there, THEN it would be nice if your ROBOT could carry someone if needed." She sounds just a wee bit exasperated.

Snowblind looks at Sorien knowing better then to look straight up the mountain. "Hey, thought I would offer my help as well. I promised REDACTED a long time ago that I would be there when she faced Shadow. And now here we all are."

"Sweetie, thats a 1500 foot vertical climb. It’s impossible without gear, and takes people HOURS." Sori says.

Cilan says, "If need be.. I could carry two.. if they're light enough.. though I’m not sure how much weight these wings of mine can carry.."

Sparhawk looks up at the cliff, and leans back, then more back...totally cheating as shi does a light-footed backflip that takes ten lazy seconds.

Ghostly whispers and urgings, "Hurry... hurry!"

Loki is relatively quiet, but his voice eventually crackles through. "Roger... It may be able to do so... it all depends..." he trails off. "I Think I may be lost... but I am likely on the right trail." he says, largely relying on his nose to find the others.

"Right. Faster, people." Sori starts going quicker, but also picking the easiest path she can spot for people to follow.

Narg perks her ears at the ghostly urgings "I'm not too fond of spirits talking to me, especially since that stuff at the last area we were at"

Cilan seems to quicken her pace towards the base of the mountain, her movement seeming to be a quick jog now, verging on running.

Snowblind looks around and then to Spar. "Got silk?" She asks to lighten the mood of herself. "We can at least start with the flyers and that way we have something else to go off of to."

Sparhawk is, actually, in mid-flip when the voices whisper. This has an electrifying effect on the taur, grabbing at a tree branch and flipping upright, then leaping at least twice everyone else's speed through the air at ground level. People shi passes will catch 'hilarious', 'path' and 'robot' in individual word snatches.

Grantok gives Cilan a nod. "If you please, Cil." She keeps pace along with her and keeps her eyes glued to the cliff. Her ears are perked and listening for any sounds to be made out.

Cilan quickens her pace to match Spar's, turning next to Grantok she nods before gripping the small lynx, her wings spreading to full span before flapping powerfully, the two rising into the air moments after.

Loki does his best to close ground, jogging now, only slowing to a brisk walk when his shoulder is sufficiently agitated enough. He looks at the wound, and its stubbornness to heal. Normally something like this would have healed within a minute, likely a lot less. He eventually manages to catch up, and then slows significantly, panting for breath, but does quickly recover and regain his bearings.

Narg speeds up her pace to match Spars and Sori.

Sori makes sure to maintain a pace that REDACTED can match; not too hard as skunks aren't speed-demons. As soon as they reach the base she stops, not breathing all that hard and placing a hand upon the greenish stone of the Tower itself. "Been some time since I was last here... I never actually touched the tower proper- only the stone field around it."

Leaning into Cilan's grasp, Grantok takes a moment to whisper a request to her pilot and method of travel.

REDACTED isn't weak, even though she's human her speed and stamina surpass her mate, but she remains quiet as she follows.

Sparhawk is waiting upon the wall and looks down at the people as they arrive with a stare that reminds the observant of Lasair's quiet periods. "I can carry REDACTED up just fine. Who's lacking in zoom that needs assistance? A climbing silk line will be less efficient than flyers."

Narg reaches the base as Sori does breathing lightly and deeply to keep her breath in check "I'm gonna need a lift up"

Narg continues "I'd prefer not having to climb even if I can"

Snowblind is still near the back of the path when the group starts to hurry. She makes as good as time as anyone but the kitty has goes a bit quite as the tower is now in toughing range. She steadies her breath then answers Sparhawk. "I need a lift. I can be light of feet but not so light as you Spar. If no flyer can take me I will still prefer the silk line to forcing one of you to make two trips."

Cilan nods affirmatively, and being used to following directions to the tee, she does exactly as Grantok requested, as she nears the top of the mesa, she reaches out to grip tightly at the rocks in front of her with one hand, and onto Grantok with the other, letting the Lynx take over from there.

Sparhawk snorts at Snowblind. "I can run up this cliff face twice before anyone can climb halfway up! So I'll glue ya below the edge and come back for REDACTED, then we can all show up at once. Sure is a good thing I'm a hero and not a beast made of rage, eh?"

Snowblind softly mewls, "That would be kind of you, thank you."

The wolf's senses are still running everywhere at once, and she doesn't notice the scent of a cat at first, the feline stench causes her skin to crawl, and then she feels pain, followed by a loud sound ringing in her already drowned out ears. she looks up, and there's a small patch of blood as her skin was grazed by something. Her eyes turn and focus, and there's some kind of man, cat, thing laying on a stone, she smiles and then makes a shooing motion at her.

The wolf growls softly at the one who injured her, backing away warily with her hackles raised. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a small voice, growing louder, is trying to tell her things, about what just happened, and who it is. Her head cocks to one side as understanding filters into her mind. She barks sharply at the one she now recognises as Ferox.

Sori waits till everyone reaches her, then, inspired by the place, speaks. "Long ago it is said, the great hero Hiawatha encountered the Great Bear. The creature was angered, and chased the man over great distances. Eventually, Hiawatha climbed a great spire of stone, just before the Bear reached him. In its anger, it clawed at the stone, but it could not get purchase; thus Hiawatha was saved and the Tower became as you see it now."

Sori continues. "We are in a sacred place. Hallowed long ago and still today by the people who lived here before us. We must respect it, and cause as little harm as we can. Ferox is held in service to a thing which is anathema to the place and the land; if we are respectful, they who came before shall be with us. I'm not religious. Never was, really. But I know when respect is due. And here and now, it is."

Narg hmmms "I've heard that story before, in a book I think"

"I don't do it justice, I'm afraid. Longfellow did a better job by far. But... Let’s go." And Sori changes.

Loki shakes his head. "I have not heard such a story... does it have any relevance to this?" he asks, scratching the back of his head with a wing.

Narg would thwap Loki but doesn't "Loki it's a Native American Legend to explain how the Devil's tower got this way" she gestures at the Mesa.

REDACTED tries to nuzzle her mate, missing her muzzle it comes off awkward, but she whispers into her mate's ear. "We will get Tag back somehow my love. I promise you."

Loki nods, tilting his head slightly. "Well.. I do not follow your reasoning Sorien, but I do try to not damage the environment.. and I do not think I would wilfully harm this marvellous feat of nature... unless it is what it takes to destroy the shadow... but... well... I will oblige, but for different reasons..." he trails off, sighing. He turns to Snowblind. "Snow.. my robot can carry you... but it will likely be rough... it is already a tad overweight as is..."

Snowblind gives a small nod of her head and takes her hand to the EMS patch on her arm. "Spirits be with us all. Those long ago and near at hand."

Sparhawk listens to Sorien's version of the tale while bundling up Snowblind atop hir back with the assistance of gravity defiance and a crash webbing web. "Heroes and spirits, we are going upstairs. Bear's at the top, but we are not made of rage and know how to climb a thing. I take only pictures and leave only footprints." Then there is a dust cloud and a strained meep-meep sound.

With assistance from the angelic soldier, Grantok finds a tight grip on the cliff face and nods to her carrier, followed by a head tilt gesture towards the rock wall. Her ears are perked and trying to pick out any sign of life on the cliff top.

Sorien pulls REDACTED close, making sure she's ready. "All set?"

Cilan nods affirmatively as she releases Grantok, and reaches to a handgun, preparing it, waiting for further orders.

Narg checks her gear and what not while waiting for Spar to come back down to pick her up, she mumbles a small prayer and looks up at the flyers

REDACTED nods and lets her mate have control of her once again.

Snowblind whispers something to Spar on the way up and actually giggles when she gets placed up near the lip in a webbing.

Sparhawk skitters around the wall testing Snow's hammock for secure bonding to the rock, whispering something back. And then leaping away from the wall, making a swan dive at the unforgiving earth, falling at more than 9.8 m/s^^2, wings snapping open at the bottom! Shi is panting as shi trots the few steps to Narg, one hand offering a lift and the other stuffing a bundle of food into hir beak.

Loki spreads his wings and leaps in to the air, robot following shortly after. He has some defensive measures ready, a trinket of his, just in case he needs to use it. His robot rockets past, primed and ready for action as well, likely trying to make it to the top first, to act as a shield for others.

Cilan climbs slightly higher, though she does not actually reach the top, only moving enough so she can hear something more clearly than she had while lower on the mesa.

Narg takes Spars hand gratefully "I've always wanted to fly"

Ferox gives another little grin, amused at the bark as she wiggles a few more fingers to the wolf. "Come on... get going. Unless you wanna watch the fun. Just keep in mind that -I- can still see you, cutie." The feline woman stands up and pulls her heavy pistols, spinning them about in her hands as she saunters to the edge, looking down for a moment before sauntering back to the large black rock, sitting down once more. The wolf barks again, and settles into a low growl, prowling in a circle around the seated woman. Her hackles are still raised, though she doesn't move any closer, seemingly content to watch, at least for now. She feels something land on her back, followed quickly by a "shhhh" in her ear. "Calm now puppy, she'll find out why I called she here soon enough." and then the pressure disappears. The wolf spins about in confusion, looking for whatever it was that was on her back, before returning her attention to Ferox. The words linger in her mind. Just who was it that called her? And for what reason?

Grantok whispers in Cilan's direction moments after catching the movement above, knowing full well that what is said can be heard. "Shall we greet the devil in kind?" She begins climbing up the cliff face to the summit.

Sorien's wings flap hard, raising dust as she vaults into the air; she catches a thermal, and keeps as close to the rock face as she safely can. When she can, she uses the broken-off tops of basalt pillars to set down on and look around, watching her friend's progress as well as briefly resting.

Cilan answers with the shake of a head, "Little we can do to Ferox with just the two of us.. we wait for now.." a few hand holds up she continues, "I just want to listen to what she's saying." her words being a whisper, making sure Ferox doesn’t hear her.

A taunting and playful laugh flits across the wind, "Damn, you guys are slow!" It is, obviously, Ferox.

Snowblind strains her hears to try and hear what Cilan and Grantok are saying but she catches other words instead. She then grips the side of the wall to test the possibility of climbing the rest of the way just in case. Though she will not be the first over the wall. "Can you blame us? Not that the welcome mat was left open." She answers the voice.

Narg smiles "My Ferox is an impatient one"

Sori starts at the voice, then vaults again into the air. She continues to use the stony wall as cover, getting closer and closer to the top. She is looking for a landing spot close to the top, where the broken rock will allow a non-flying approach.

A playful pout can be detected from how her words carry on the wind again, "Awww... someone upset that they have to climb the big old mesa?"

Disregarding what Cilan advised, Grantok continues up and pulls herself up and on the plateau. Her nerves are steeled, knowing full well that any semblance of a plan is shot and she just became prime target for bait. "Odd that it comes down like this. I can't recall the last time I've heard you like such."

Loki smirks, and clings to the wall with his good arm as he nears the top, catching Ferox's taunting. He decides to retort. "Be thankful we came at all! What would you have done if we simply took our time with this and left you waiting?" he yells, then continuing his ascent, his robot still gaining momentum, the thing practically a rocket at this point.

Sparhawk is too busy making the second dash up the cliff face to talk to Narg or let any of the taunts out at Ferox, rubberized paws making slapping noises as shi aims to leap off and arching down with a weird trajectory as soon as at least one other person mounts the clifftop. Shi'll leave Narg for less than a minute to fetch Snow.

Cilan says, "God damn it." to herself as Grantok presses on forward, the soldier then climbing up to meet Grantok, and come face to face with Ferox, her handgun already drawn, and ready to counter anything Ferox attempts.

Snowblind clinging to the side still. "Now don't get upset just because I answered. I am for a good climb but I rather be able to take my time."

Sori continues her odd platform-hopping flight to the top, looking for her hoped-for accessway.

Ferox is just standing, hip cocked to one side with her weight upon one foot. She's got a wide, fanged grin spreading her lips, all trace of unease from their previous encounter gone. Both of her heavy Mateba pistols are in her hands, but they hang down at her sides.

Noting her enemy carries twin handguns, Cilan joins in, her free hand moving to her second handgun, and pulling it free of its holster, "And what did you hope to do now, Gran?" is asked as she keeps her eyes on Ferox, though much like Ferox, her handguns both point downwards.

Grantok simply grins as Cilan speaks. "Simple. We wait for the others. After all, what's sort of challenge do the two of us pose without an element of surprise." The lynx is working off her memories of the other always liking a challenge, a hell of a tough fight. "How else would this be fun?"

Finding what she recalled being there, Sorien lands and lets REDACTED loose. she moves away from the edge and towards the centre, listening carefully for where Fer is. As she does, she shifts to a more useful form.

Loki continues his climb, his robot far above him, likely going to arrive faster than the scientist. He continues his ascent as best he can, still gaining on the others.

A short chuckle can be heard from Cilan as she grins at Grantok's statement, her grip only tightens on the handguns as she stands there, waiting for her allies to finally make it to the top.

Ferox casually starts to pace back and forth, her pistols starting to dance and twirl in her fingers. They are large. And heavy. And should not be moving that quickly through the air with as such small hands as she's got. The other thing is... it's not as if she's showing off. She just seems to be one with those pistols, never letting them away from her hands for long. Idle habit.

Ferox is standing, looming at the edge by Grantok and Cilan, Sorien far away behind her. There's a strange black object, shining obsidian spike, embedded in the central area of the mountain. Sorien also spots a white winged wolf that seems to be acting confused and awkward, but still feral in its motions and movements, not too far away.

Sori nuzzles REDACTED, then with a glance questions if she's ready to move forward. She sees the stone and the wolf, and raises an eyebrow, pointing at REDACTED' bag for the stone she'd found at the house.

A faint smile finds Ferox's lips as she paces about, "Ya know... this reminds me of this movie that my boyfriend made me watch... Princess Bride. I was gonna try to find it and make Taggart watch it..." A small frown creases her lips, a flinch at the corner of one of her crimson eyes, but then she shakes her head to dismiss it.

The wolf barks as she sees Sorien come onto the mesa, but continues her watching of Ferox, padding slowly back and forth.

Cilan says, "There might be a chance to do just that.. if you want?" a shrug is soon made as she continues, ".. if that happens, you will not the first person to break free of shadow, you know."

Knowing that she's not able to sneak up, and really not wanting to, Sori makes her way forward. "Nice view, Fer... Did you pick the place?"

REDACTED moves to her pouch, pulling it out, and holding it up into the sun, it sparkles and reflects much like the spire. As she's looking, there is a flash, and a voice of laughter, recognizable as Hare's by anyone who's met him. He's sitting on top of the spire and says gleefully, "What was his is now mine. You left it unguarded child of the shadow."

Narg looks around for some cover as Sparhawk drops her off at the top of the mesa, her pistol is drawn but not raised fully her finger resting on the trigger.

Ferox turns her head sharply at Cilan, "You wouldn't know the slightest how hard that is to do... besides... I like it here." She grins and wiggles slightly wider hips back and forth, teasing before Sorien speaks and then Hare pops in. She rounds about quickly, both pistols coming to bear on the small animal sitting on top of the dark rock. "Get the FUCK off of that, you damned rabbit!"

Grantok begins pacing along the edge of cliff as well. "Oh? Can't say I recall the movie. Never was one for the theatre. Too many fairy tales that were so detached from reality." Her tail flickers as she steps, idly letting it sway behind her.

Sparhawk makes the vertiginous leap over the cliff, landing on four paws and placing Narg on the ground on the other side from Ferox. Shi pauses to give a salute that is even less formal than the ones shi's done the past year, then darts down to fetch the larger snow leopard. A panting voice calls over the edge, "Can show it to the Taglings still, if you want!"

Cilan says, "Mm.. wouldn’t I? When only days ago I nearly killed everyone I loved?"

Cilan says, "All because of Shadow and its taint."

The wolf springs in front of Hare, snarling at Ferox, shielding the small creature with her body as best she can.

Sori blinks at the sight of Hare, then speaks again. "Fer... Please. We were friends. We were. I cared for you. Tag... God, you don't know what happened. Without you, he just closed in for the longest time."

Hare laughs at Ferox and says, "Oh, the child just quivers at the sight of my manliness doesn't she?" And disappears, or well, suddenly -is- next to it, and he casually leans on it, pushing the thing over. The snapping crack is loud enough that it resounds for miles around.

Loki's robot rockets up in to the air, eying the scene for a moment before it preps its weapon systems and fires a cluster of seeming rockets at random- towards the roof of the spire and in to the air, some of them exploding pre-maturely, but others sailing off, some not even working at all. The ones that do burst seem to explode in to a multicoloured ink of sorts, and due to it being day, some of its properties are largely lost. Its colour seems fairly unstable.

Ferox lets out a scream of rage as she watches the large spire of black rock crack in half and topple over, pistols suddenly blaring and sending a pair of slugs at Hare, wolf in the way or not.

Some cloudy stuff rains down on people, and the place darkens a little, momentarily distracting Hare, who -falls- backward into the spot where the stone he pushed over once was.

Narg quickly hides her pistol from the cloudy stuff trying to keep it's lens clean.

Snowblind for now is just watching though she does give thanks to Sparhawk for taking her up. She knows better to just stick her paws on something that might be dangerous so she focus more on Ferox and the danger that she is. When she fires though Snow snaps to and hands reaching back towards her saddle bags.

Grantok shifts her weight slightly and crosses her arms, aware that while the first move has been made, she has not shown any aggression. She simply watches Ferox for her reactive movements even as the rainbow of smokescreen falls over the plateau.

Sparhawk swarms up over the edge like a centipede dragging a Snow along with. "Seriously, I was gone for like fifteen seconds. Rock breaking, inksplosions, bullets..." As if people are still listening to hir at that point!

One of the bullets nicks the wolf's wing, her aim focusing on the rabbit god, one hitting painfully into the god's rear leg, the other missing his head as he falls in. The normally intangible god actually bleeds, red blood spattering into the air. He picks himself up on a paw, only to find himself -stuck- to the black surface of the obsidian.

The wolf yelps in pain as the bullet grazes her wing, but moves over to Hare regardless. She noses at him, and tries to lift him back out of the hole carefully.

Sori starts forward slowly, watching the situation. She's not moving at all in a hostile fashion; she knows this isn't a good place to fight. She's circling, trying to get closer to Hare, to heal the old rabbit if she can.

Narg sighs as the ink settles, her white fur is once more discoloured, and lets her pistol back out into the open and ready to use in a moment’s notice

Ferox starts to curse, shoving both pistols into the holsters at her hips as a hand slips to a grenade hanging from a bandolier on her front. "Fucking little shit! I'm gonna shove this thing down your throat and watch you goo!" The female lynx starts to cross over to the fallen god, her foot lashing out to kick the wolf aside so that she can better get at Hare.

When Fer pulls out the grenade, Sori stoops; she scoops up a pebble and bounces it off Fer's head!

Cilan quickly takes aim of the arm holding the grenade with one of her handguns and fires a single round, aiming towards her wrist, attempting to disarm the woman as Ferox did with her days ago.

The wolf yelps and seems to shy away from the kick, but then leaps at Fer, barrelling into her midsection in a bid to knock her from her feet.

Snowblind starts on almost a direct line towards Hare and the wolf as they both get hit. She is watching Ferox still and see the grenade that she pulls out. Saying nothing she sprints harder across the mesa. Un armed but for a normal looking bandage and the fact that her body nearly seems to be aflame with feathers trailing after her.

The normally callous and playful god struggles to pull himself free. Struggling is not something he's used to, or even -being- somewhere present. Her looks around, and pulls hard, but it only seems to make him stuck more, he finds other body parts attached to the fallen obelisk.

Sparhawk sing-songs, "Tiiiiedye!" as shi gets ink upon hir scales (and vest and clothing, but they will get nanite-washed later). The catching-breath phase overlaps with looking-around, so shi's still panting when shi hollers, "What is that black thing anyway?"

Loki finally clambers up on top of the roof standing around in a daze for a moment, taking in the scene, and blinks as Ferox pulls a gun. He takes a small device of sorts and flings it at Ferox. "Catch!" he exclaims, the device exploding in to a few smaller ones, which then start to explode in to a foam of sorts at differing intervals, the foam being a kind of rubbery adhesive if they come in to contact with metallics... ideally.

With Ferox's attention elsewhere at the moment, the other lynx slips over into the smokescreen cover. She relies on her earlier visions of the grounds and uses the visual obscuration to move closer to the shattered black spike and others nearby.

REDACTED moves towards Ferox and says, "Stop this now Ferox. It's not too late to bring Taggart back."

Snowblind sees downed people and a grenade and all she can think of is to help get those wounder out of the way of the device. Snow catches hares continuing to struggle against the stone and puts in an extra burst of speed to get there. Mumbling "Never good when spirits bleed..."

The speed at which Ferox reacts to the sudden attack from different angles is, put simply, mind boggling. Think near-Matrix. The grenade in her hand, pin still in, drops so that she can free them, a cat hiss resounding as claws flip out from her fingertips. Upper body flinches left, that pebble missing by an inch as she turns and steps back with her right foot. She rolls with the forward attack from the wolf, sending the beast harmlessly to her side and behind, causing damage to neither before her catears perk and flicker at a gunshot from Cilan. She does her best to turn again, but the bullet grazes her shoulder. Pain registers, causing her to suddenly drop down into a spread crouch, leg going wide and hands pressing to the ground for support as the goo grenade explodes and sprays harmlessly above her. Time seems to pause a moment as she stands back up and pulls her pistols, crimson eyes darting around at her various targets.

Sorien and Snowblind are able to get in range of hair, on the fallen side of the obelisk, but Ferox's position is far closer to Hare, risking her ire should they step any closer. Hare's continuing to pathetically struggle, as his lifeblood leaks into the black around him. He's struggling pulls him only deeper, the god truly lost now, as he's brought down to mortal levels. "Help me, let me go, please let me go." he begs.

The wolf's paws scrabble at the ground as it tries to keeps its balance after the tackle was dodged. It manages to keep its feet, and rounds on Ferox again, but keeps a wide berth, wary of the guns now in the feline's hands. She snarls and barks, trying to keep her attention from falling on those by the wounded spirit, darting forwards with feints on occasion.

Sori looks at Hare with worry. "I think by claiming it you're joining it. You'll have to reject it to be free... But I'll try to help." She extends a hand and attempts to heal Hare.

Loki seems to settle a little. He sighs, standing down for the moment, lowering his 'armaments' if they can even be called such. "Ferox... EVERYBODY!... Can we just all talk about this... instead of people trying to kill each other here?" he sighs, scratching his head with a claw on the wing of his, trying his best to stay poised and reactive, wary of the bullets that actually hurt.

Snowblind gets there a second after Sorien and raises her hands to show that she is an unarmed medic. "Ferox you don't want to fire on us. We are here to help, not to hurt. Now just let us help." She looks down towards hare hoping that the fiery feathers can offer some help to Sorien as she heals the hare.

At the sounds of the rabbit struggling, Grantok fumbles from the minimal visual cover to retrieve a specific coin from her belongings, palming it and then lies in wait for the opportune moment to move.

Showing her unwillingness to fight on, Cilan raises her hands as though surrendering, her fingers still around the trigger, but the weapons soon point downwards, as nothing is wrapped around the grip of both weapons.

Narg slides off to the left firing a laser shot at one of Ferox's pistols before shifting into a combat roll and getting back up to her feet.

Sparhawk trots toward the antagonist of the piece, looking around with intense inquisitiveness and a lack of fear. "Hm, where's Tim?" shi murmurs, getting out the Magical Tourist Camera and taking some more shots of whatever magical light might look interesting...and also some lasers, which causes a sigh.

Shortly after surrendering, the weapons are quickly returned to the holsters the two had come from.

REDACTED steps forward further, and tries to reach out to touch Ferox on the shoulder, calmly.

Ferox lets out a small catgrowl as most of the offense seems to die from the group. The laser aimed for her pistol goes low, as she raises that hand up and crosses her body to let a bullet loose through the air, sending it flying toward Narg to slam into her thigh. And damn, does it hurt. After such, she starts to dance with the wolf, lashing kicks out at the feral creature to keep her at bay before she spins and ends up at the edge, facing the group. Her hair is raised and her twin tails are flitting and dancing about behind her, angrily. "Fucking worthless! All of you!" A flinch, then, and a pistol drops, her hand raising to her temple to clutch her head in pain.

Hare struggles still as Sori attempts to heal him, it seems to help his leg wound like it would any mortal, but he doesn't seem to listen to her, his struggling continues to cause him to stick further, his paniced cries are no longer verbal, just whimpering at this point.

Narg howls loudly as her thigh is shot and puts her free paw to the open wound staunching the blood flow spitting a curse at Ferox, she stops any action as she is clearly outmatched, waiting for any resuming of fighting so she can assist.

Click here to continue to Chapter 6.