THULWAR/AANZU/ICOSA
Reluctantly, Ajax takes the vial. "The small one, I like..." - he points out towards Thulwar as he speaks to his captain. He seeps from the thing at first, smells it, studies its' color, and finally drinks. "HERMES, GET THAT COMM LINK WORKING! I COULD HAVE CRAWLED TO PALATINE TWICE BY NOW!" - he cries, strolling towards his companion.
"Three cities are, from what I gather from your people, much deeper under Demon City. There is a whole world under the world. Aanzu comes from very far away.
The captain looks pensive for a few seconds. Soon, though, Thulwar himself realizes he's startled and speechless. The captain runs his eyes through Thulwar, Harfik, Aanzu, and then back to Lyllie and Icosa. "We thought it to be destroyed... There ARE survivors, then!" - he rises an eyebrow, a strange sense of awareness rising within him. "As for the princes realm, it must be on another continental mass, I assume, maybe on another hemisphere entirely..."
Are you humans who discovered how to utilize metal and energy in better ways or you adapted yourself to look like humans because they live in your area? How do you regulate the energy of your suit when it needs to fly, shoot and move at the same time? Does it use some energy while you stand still? Did Chton come from trying to make yourself better constructs? Icosa here and similar soldiers are impressive, but if you could meld metal and flesh into self-healing whole, that would be different thing. How do we stop Chton? What if we're 'infected'? Would Tink, as metal creature, be immune?"
As for who sent us in, there was some kind of sentient illusion in the glass.
The captain gives Thulwar a curious, suspicious look. "Sentient illusion... What, like a
homid girl? I mean..." - he looks for the word - "Human!?"
Now it's the soldier that approaches Thulwar once more.
"Amberilan." - the captain nods. The soldier continues. "She... Was supposed to be shut down... How did you find her? And what did she tell you, sir?" - the soldier asks as the captain gestures towards him, allowing him to talk to Thulwar.
"As for your doubts, they surely are numerous and complex. I can answer them in time. For now, the most critical ones: the Cthon Awareness was an attempt to merge flesh and technology, yes. It feeds on loose energy lay lines and employs it to regenerate and reform organic matter. It grows by feeding on living bodies and it can control all manner of equipment - even robots and androids" - he points out towards Tink and Icosa."
"May I ask in return how have you come across both a robot and an android, sir? Given your knowledge" - he seems excited to discuss such details, as if no one else would be willing to partake on such fancies - "I assume that at the very least the robot has met your talents. But the Android..." - he waves towards Icosa - "...I was under the impression that they were all below, within the mountain." - he approaches Icosa slowly, studying the machine from a safe distance. "Often I have found their behavioral patterns to be incomprehensible, and yet you seem to hold this one as an ally. What have you to say for yourself?" - he asks the machineman directly.
HARFIK/LYLLIE
"If you will walk with me we may talk but, I must go check on the others. We come from out side Amberilan. We are not associated with this Demon city but we could be allies against it if all goes well. You know this area far better than us Captain. I think it best if we follow you to your city."
The captain excuses himself, leaving Thulwar to talk to the now oblivious soldier. It seems his subordinate is far more interested in exchanging technological information than anything else. Both men do the round. Yttrian took upon himself the task of rounding the startled survivors of Mount Amberilan, having them seat. He's helping mend the bruises on the miners' bodies. One of the released slaves even helps Embla take care of the baby. The words 'male wet nurse' are thrown out by one of the miners, and a light dialogue starts between them amidst laughs, explanations and tales of each man's past.
As Harfik and the captain pass Embla, her eyes widen. She lowers her head, as if ashamed. Her bruises have been lessened by former cures, but she seems at a loss, fascinated by the Teraphim's naked face, and yet frightened by the perspective of sacrilege. Only in the most fanatic of cultures have Harfik seen such unquestioningly obedience. The captain notices her reaction, smiles, touches her hand. She trembles. He reaches out for her hand, making her touch his own face. "There. Nothing to fear." - he says. She's on the verge of tears, confused and marveled. "We're just as sacred in the eyes of the gods, you and I and him." - he points to Harfik. "Rest." - he says on a soothing voice, and she complies, embracing her moaning child.
"Religious protocols..." - he whispers to Harfik. "
They learned to respect our leaders' commands to the letter. We are advised not to show ourselves. This was made to maintain order within a confined space." - he doesn't seem particularly comfortable with the technique, but in a way Harfik's refined senses are enough to suggest that he himself made a choice based on such protocols when he chose to reveal them to Harfik.
A few more steps towards the elevator and Harfik soon finds his weapon laying on the ground. Oddly enough, it's enveloped by a small shard of the blackened tentacle, still pulsating with life.
"Here, let me..." - away from the others, the captain offers to cleanse the weapon with a quick charge from his crossbow. "Now, tell me, how are things outside these days. I take it that the Cthon never left confinement, since you didn't know of its' existence. Good. I fear what it would do, if left unchained upon a world filled with carbon-based life." - he looks at Lyllie, trying to find the answer to his own question.
"Miss..." - he calls out to her. "How..." - he seems to choke on the question, unable to formulate it. It's obvious to both Harfik and Lyllie that he wants to know what happened to her. Odds are he already knows.
He straights his body. "Tell me what happened. Tell me of outside. Please." - he says, with a surly face.
[MENTION=24380]Neurotic[/MENTION] [MENTION=4936]Shayuri[/MENTION] [MENTION=6776182]JustinCase[/MENTION] [MENTION=6855102]Greenmtn[/MENTION] [MENTION=23298]industrygothica[/MENTION]
[Special shout to [MENTION=23298]industrygothica[/MENTION] and [MENTION=4936]Shayuri[/MENTION]! Are you with us, guys? Still gotta hear from you!
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