An Easy Gem and Grab became hard 05DEC20
16
DEC/20
Back to the Sunken Temple:
Oni watched the horizon. He could feel they were close to the sunken temple. Mar’iya had become their guide within the sand. He was leading them to the next gem. Oni wondered how they had come so far. How did a worthless tribes-boy and city elite get to this place? How are the realms of all the gods did he get here? Oni thought for a moment, “all the gods.” When did this change? It felt perfectly normal, but he now thought of all the gods and not just Tiamat. Did this change reach everyone?
As David healed himself, he couldn’t help but stare in Sora’s direction as she and the man who called himself Mar’iya worked the purple worm into useful arms and armor. The much-feared Lord Vashir now made items from slain creatures like some sort of average desert ranger. The change was remarkable. As remarkable as his own change from mind reading slave to light saber wielding warrior.
Oni brought his watchful eye back to Mar’iya and the rest of the group. He smiled. Mar’iya was pulling out his dagger and starting to cut into the worm hard flesh. David, Naga, and Sora worked with him as they removed thick flesh and heavy hardened plates. As those three worked on that, Selise and Mar’iya worked to remove some poison sacks. They were a great team. Oni was the outsider here. He stood there on the old ruins watching and guarding.
Was he now leaving the group he loved so much? He suspected this was just his mind working against him, but he felt he could hear then talking about him. He was the outsider here just like he was back in Trobridge. This was watching his brother Joe and the other hunters bringing back food for the tribe as he watched and read books in private. He wished Ippi was here. Ippi would help guide him then and he would help guide him now. It was curious to Oni that he could not remember his death as they fled Trobridge. He wished he knew what happened to him.
Once the worm harvesting was complete they trekked the last couple of hours to the sunken temple. It was back like it was when they first found it. The collapsed parts were no longer collapsed. David and Mar’iya moved to search the area. Oni looked up to the sky. He knew they should rest before going back in. He saw the moon starting to rise on the horizon. They should hide from her eyes he thought. David was looking at the hole in the ground leading to the temple. It was his first time here after all. Oni swore he saw Naga was mumbling to the sky.
Mar’iya came running back to the group: “Tracks.”
Oni: “Where?”
Mar’iya: “several people came this way, but only one went into the temple.”
David: “Yep, only one went in.”
Sora: “How long?”
Selise: “How many?”
Mar’iya looked off into the distance: “Well the wind hides tracks fairly quickly, so not super long. The footprints are covered in water pits from rain.”
Mar’iya pointed off to a dark space in the distance: “My guess is that rain came through here after they were here.”
The entire group including Oni looked off into the distance. A wind was coming from that direction. It was not the normal wind of the sands. It was a cool breeze like they had rarely felt. In a surprised tone everyone in the group said “rain” at the same time. They had all seen rain only a few times in their lives. A sense of hope poured over Oni.
Oni: “We should make camp and disguise it from the skies.”
Herman climbed out of Oni’s sleeve. He had gone in and grabbed his own piece of dung. Holding it, he climbed down Oni’s leg and took the position of the watch. Oni ran down and started to help make a camp. They used the purple worm plates to prop up the tarps and spread sand out over the top. Oni and the others hoped this would mask them from Nuatuhl. She would soon send agents against them. Hopefully they would go to the pyramid and not be able to follow them to the sunken temple.
Oni woke without having any dreams. Herman was next to him looking out in all directions. It was not odd for Oni that he did not have a dream that included gods and Arnia, but to not have a dream at all was very strange. He looked out at camp and he was the first to rise again. This was always strange. He stood up and gathered up his stuff into his pack. He was now fully packed and still up before anyone else. Oni looked out to the east and could see the sun’s glow just below the horizon.
Oni moved out of the shelter and over a slight rise to the east. He wanted to do his morning meditation and forms. He had this new Staff and he had to figure out how to use it like his sticks. He looked out to east and started his most basic forms. He included the staff in them, modifying them only slightly to incorporate this new weapon. He moved up through to the more complex forms. The sun was still not up yet. He moved to his most complex form, still making slight modifications for the staff. He finally ended as he stood facing straight east.
The sun’s rays and warmth blasted Oni as he stood there. He started to breath. He pulled in air through his noise. As he did, he drew in Ki from the world around him. He moved it through his body in the most healing of ways. He had to close his eyes as the sun was too bright. He released the breath through his mouth, forcing the bad Ki from his body. Even with closed eyes, they hurt and suffered in the brightness of the morning sun. The staff felt warm in his hands as it drew in power with the dawn as well.
A shadow formed in front of him. This shadow was someone walking up on him. He could not hear or sense the person in any other way. A twinge of anger came over him. He wondered who would interrupt his morning meditation. He opened his eyes. The figure in front of him was back lit and it took several moments for his eyes to adjust. This person came into focus slowly. Then it was clear. Ippi was standing in front of him.
Initially Ippi was standing in a rest position with his hands on his hips. Oni had complete shock on his face, “Where have you been, my master?” Ippi transitioned into a fighting stance. Oni tilted his head a little. Ippi moved in to attack him with an elbow, followed by a kick. Oni instinctively moved into a defensive stance, blocking the kick with his new staff. Ippi smiled, “I am always here.” He circled around Oni, striking him again. Oni understood, Ippi was here to spar. Oni smiled, Ippi smiled, Herman stared off in the other direction. He did not care at all. Oni and Ippi sparred for about 30 minutes. It was the best workout he had in many weeks.
Oni: “where have you been.”
Ippi: “I am always here.”
Oni: “I have not seen you since we left Trobridge.”
Ippi: “You have not needed me.”
Oni: “I always need you, and the others do too.”
Ippi: “I am here but only when you need me… Today you need me.”
Oni: “the other will never believe you are here.”
Ippi: “you are correct, they will not.”
Oni: “why did you come out of hiding today?”
Ippi grabbing the staff in one hand: “you need training. I am here to train.”
Oni: “thank you master.”
Ippi placed his thumb on Oni’s forehead: “Your ki is misaligned. This should help. If you choose the path of the dawn, you will never see me again.”
Ippi stood backlit by the dawn once again. Oni took his normal student stance facing his master. Oni saw concern on his face, “What is master?”
Ippi: “Decisions are hard. Once you make a decision, just act. Do not look back until you can. And. Take a master stance now. You are no longer just a student. You are a master. Now, let’s draw in the morning sun’s warm glory.”
Oni was on his knees. He had his arms outstretched drawing in the sun. He had the staff in one hand. He could no longer feel Ippi’s presents. He opened his eyes. Ippi was gone again. Oni could smell food coming from camp. He ran over the hill to gather with the others.
Back into the Sunken Temple:
The group gathered in the sand just above the sunken temple. Oni looked over to Selise. He could see a look of wonder come across her face. She had her own adventures while he was here the last time. He did not know her powers now and wanted to remind her and the others. This might only need to be a warning for himself, but he yelled out over the wind, “casting spells in the temple has a bad effect.” David looked over first. The wheels within his head wondered if his powers counted as spells. Naga yelled back, “what effects?” Oni smirked as he looked back, “it sinks.”
They all moved down to the plaza in front of the doors. Oni looked around. The area was filled with spider bodies. Some blasted by fire and others slashed to pieces. “Be careful, as this place was filled with spiders before,” Oni yelled again as he headed up to the door. They all carefully moved up to the door. Selise and Mar’iya scanned it quickly and opened the door. Oni moved in and headed south to check the southern hall. Naga moved north to check the north hall. Selise, David, and Mar’iya moved up the next set of doors. Sora placed herself next to David protecting his back.
Selise: “I cannot open the door.”
Oni: “I got this,” as he stepped up. He stood in front of the door, “SAKHRALJINNI.”
The door clicked and opened. Oni and Mar’iya stepped into the room. A man was on the ground halfway through the room. Sora moved forward. She was going in to check the body. Mar’iya moved his hand in front of her just in time. A wall of ice formed in front of her. Oni pulled out some oil and set on fire. He said, “ALHAMOUDLA,” and through the flaming oil on the wall. It disappeared. Oni and Mar’iya moved up again. A wall of lightning formed in front of them. Mar’iya placed Prit’s spoon on the ground just as Oni said, “BISMALLA” and the lightning sparked out. They stepped up again and a wall of fire flamed up. Oni through some water on the wall as he said, “DUBAN.” This wall dropped as well.
The stone alter was revealed again. The hole in the top was still exposed. Sora reached up and grabbed the body. The body was truly dead. Oni quickly placed the staff into the hole. He was excited to see the black gem of Badna. His joy and excitement drained from his body as a passage opened beyond the alter. He and Mar’iya stepped in. The walls of energy were back in place.
Oni: “do we wait or move on.”
Mar’iya: “Let’s give them a little time.”
As if by command the group started to speak the magic words and work through the magical wards. They all gathered in the hallway beyond the now open secret door. Selise whispered, “remember, no spells.” Oni moved down the hall past a door stopping at the top of some stairs that headed down. The group moved themselves like a kid’s puzzle so Selise and Mar’iya could be by the door. Oni stared down the stairs watching for danger. Selise nodded that the door as it was free of traps and moved again. Sora opened the door. She moved in and everyone else followed her. Oni moved past her, past the two crypts and waited for David to search the crypts. He stepped in and yelled, “they are above you.”
Two fanged humanoids clung to the ceiling. They dropped down on both sides of Oni. He was now in the center of the fight. Sora moved up to engage the one on the right. David engaged the one on the left. Oni new they should concentrate on one of them first. He attacked the vampiric flanker on the right. As Sora gave what should have been a final blow to the creature, it turned to gas and fled through the wall. She moved to the other one and it turned to gas as well. Mar’iya stepped back into the room, “those are vampires.”
Oni was about to lead the group down the stairs deeper into the crypt, but David pushed forward. Oni wanted to slow him down just a little. He loved the spirit but feared the surprises that came from his impatience. As he moved into the room at the bottom of the stairs, undead came out from seven crypts. They had moved their lids and now attacked us. Naga warned us that these creatures might be able to paralysis their victims.
These, Ghasts were not as fierce as the two Vampires. We dispatched them. David was concerned about them healing themselves. Oni thought, “I hate undead.” Herman came out on his sleeve and took up a spot on Oni’s shoulder. Oni moved to guard the passage to the south. David and Sora removed the heads from the ghasts. They rolled and almost seemed to gather on one end of the room. Mar’iya and David then started to search the crypts and Bodies. Mar’iya found a metal key on one the bodies and David found a scroll in one of the crypts.
David was not afraid of anything. I am still afraid of that stupid book we found, and I think we should destroy it, but we keep it around. He unrolled the scroll and read it’s on word aloud, “Darkness.” Naga as if pulling information his Elvin past said, let’s turn the lights out. Everyone agreed. Naga quietly snapped his finger and the room went black. Oni thought it was strange how the room seemed to go silent at the same time. It was like his light fed our ability to communicate as well.
Oni felt a strange tapping on his shoulder. Oni wanted to jump. Through all his training he knew that was the wrong thing. It was better to move smoothly and understand the danger before action. He moved into a deep stance. The tapping became more pronounced. In Oni’s mind he felt dumb. No that is not correct, he was being told he was dumb. Herman now gave him a sense to look up, you stupid blind monk. Oni looked up to see blood drips on the ceiling. Naga, David and Mar’iya were already talking about it. Oni moved up.
Naga: “Look the blood goes in two directions.”
Oni: “Yeah it sure does.”
David: “Let’s follow the one behind the door.”
Oni: “Yeah that sounds good.”
Mar’iya: “should we check that direction first?”
Oni: “Yeah that is a good idea.”
Naga: “should I turn the light back on.”
David: “yes.”
Mar’iya: “indeed.”
Oni: “oh… I can do that too.”
The room lit up and they gathered by the door on the east side of the room. They followed the hall until they came to a door. Oni moved past the door. He moved to check and guard the group. Guarding was his role. Herman tapped his shoulder, waved, and moved into his sleeve again. Oni new something bad was coming. Herman seemed to feel danger. Oni gripped the staff a little tighter in his hand. He took a minute to look back. Selise was stepping away from the door. Oni knew this meant they were about to go into the room.
David swung the door open and Sora charged in. Battle noises and screams came down the hall to Oni. It had gone bad. He charged back to the door. He scanned the room. Inside were more vampires and some ghostly knights. They had struggled with two vampires earlier, and now there were four with their personal guard of ghosts. Oni slammed the staff on the ground. A wall of fire formed encircling most of them in the back of the chamber. Screams came from the fire. The air filled with the smell of burning rotting flesh. David smiled. He had ideas.
All of the creatures stepped through the fire and into the fight. David looked at Oni and Sora. Oni knew he was trying to figure how to use his teleport power. Oni yelled, “just do it.” David shifted and managed to do it so that Sora was not in the blast. Oni knew he would be. He gripped the staff and readied himself. David’s power kicked off. He was able to move most of the undead back into the fire. Mar’iya looked over to Oni, “that was inspired.”
Selise yelled: “sand is pouring in from the ceiling.”
Naga moved up to heal Sora: “should I heal her.”
Oni: “Yes…. We will figure the sinking thing later.”
Selise feeling like her concern was ignored moved up and gave one of the vampires a grievous wound. The vampire stuck back. Sora hacked at the creature ending that vampire’s un-life. David did his teleport trick a couple of times. It weakened them enough that Sora and the others could finish them off. They did not change into gas. Selise fell to the ground. She had been hit and was now sick. She had been weakened by the attacks of the vampires. They could steal the life directly from you.
A magic mouth formed on the wall and said:
“Babes born from the now-time attempt to destroy the past-time, without question one is doomed to repeat, repeat, repeat, again and again. Why Tiamat took me down the ice to die and left here, never able to warship the godess.”
Selise: “we need to get out of here.”
Mar’iya: “we need rest.”
Oni: “I can lock the door.”
David: “I am not sure this room is safe.”
Selise: “yes, we need to leave the temple.”
Mar’iya: “it might all reset.”
Oni: “I can MAGICALLY lock the door”
Naga: “it might be safer to leave.”
Sora: “this room seems okay”
Oni: “I can place an arcane lock on the door.”
Mar’iya: “Oni what do you think, should we stay here or head out?”
David: “Look I found another scroll.”
Oni: “Fuck off.”
David: “Death, it has one word as well and that word is DEATH.”
Oni using the staff cast arcane lock on the door. He walked over to a corner in a huff and started to pull out his bedroll. Mar’iya looked at him, a little shocked he would cast a spell without telling them he was going to do it. Sora shrugged and started to pull out her gear. Oni pulled out his tools and bamboo and worked on his dolls. They all went off to sleep.
A ringing woke Oni. He tried to keep his eyes closed and go back to sleep but he soon figured out it was going to be impossible. He opened his eyes. A six-foot bug smoking a pipe was all he saw. The six-foot Herman backed up. Oni knew in an instant the he was sleeping. He was hoping he could talk to the gods again. He looked over to see only Herman. He thought, “Great I get to talk to Herman.”
Herman with just the most annoyed look on his face: “Screw You, I am welcome here.”
Oni: “sorry my friend. I was hoping to talk to the gods.”
Herman: “oh, now they are gods. They barely even talk to you.”
Oni: “I think maybe I am not worthy. Maybe now with you here, we are more worthy.”
Herman pointed two of his upper arms to the tower: “Does that look different to you?”
Oni looked at the tower. He did not mean to shift his position, but it happened quickly when you wanted to be at a new location. He and Herman were shifted directly to it. Oni looked up and it was different. Oni could never tell in this place. It looked different, but maybe it was always this way. Maybe things just become aware to you, as you notice them. That your perception of the plain actually changes the plain. So, as the tower looked very different, Oni felt like it was this way the entire time.
The Tower was taller. It was a lot taller. It almost looked like to could go forever but it was limited by Oni’s own perception. His mind restricted what was possible. At different levels along the tower other plains were now visible. For Oni they looked different, but he could not describe them even to himself. He looked up and thought he could see eleven plains attached to the tower. Responding to Herman’s thought he said, “yep.”
Herman was becoming as aware as Oni on the plain. He wanted to see their old godly friends. He was able to move them as Oni did. They shifted to the other side of the Tower. They now faced away from the tower, but both knew it was behind them. Oni could feel the entrance. As he and Herman shared thoughts, he knew that Herman could not sense that entrance. The connection between Oni and Herman was even stronger on the god plain. They knew all of their respective thoughts and senses all the time here. They were more like one set of body and mind split into two.
Herman: “what do you think that all means?”
They looked out and found a very crowded plain on this side. Initially Oni only found Arnia here, then Arnia and her three god friends, now there were maybe twenty gods here. Arnia and her friends were clearly greater than all the others. As Oni tried to process the changes in the plain, he thought there were three clear tiers of gods here. Oni knew this to be Arnia’s plain and she was clearly the head of this current group. As bright as she was it was clear she was not used to being the leader of all the others. The rest of the plain was broken into groups.
The moon woman was off on one end of the plain. She was surrounded by three others. Two women and one man. One of the women and the male both looked sick or weak. She had blue skinned (Umberlee). The color shifted slightly across her body. She mildly looked like she flowed as she moved. The male was mostly green, but his body had growths all over it (Eldath). These growths were green, gray, and brown. He mostly just sat with a very labored breath. The last woman of the group looked relatively strong (Shaundakul). She stood tall and moved about the group. She was in constant movement. Sometimes she would even popped from one side of the group to the other.
The horned beast was in another section. He was near what looked like a light bridge to another small section. The plain was still collapsing. Maybe it was slowing down, but it was still collapsing. He was talking to another completely armored god next to him (Helm) and a great platinum dragon (Bahamut). The dragon was on the light bridge. He barely fit upon it and most of his mass spread out over its edges. Beyond the dragon on the plain were another set of gods. They seemed concerned. The horned beast and the armored one were having a heated conversation.
All of sudden the light bridge below the dragon went out. Many things then all happened at the same time, or they all happened so close together it was impossible for Oni to determine the order. The great dragon took flight. He somehow flew into the tower. He exited the tower on another level; on another plain. The armored god pushed the horned beast to the side. He dove into the gap. He became an array of armored gauntlets in all directions. He was in the middle of the now black space. He was holding the small plain in place. As his center started to disappear just like Oni’s finger, the gap shrank. He pulled the other plain into connecting with the plain that was where the tower was. The horned beast screamed out, “No, that was my job.” In that instant Oni knew that armored god sacrificed himself for the lives of the other gods. Oni felt crushed inside.
He looked up and could see the dragon looking over the edge of another plain. He thought of being there but could not move or shift himself to it. He looked over to the tower. Herman looked over to the tower with him, “Remember the left time you went up the tower, you were dying.” Oni curled the sides of his mouth, “yes.” They both stood there for a long time. Time worked differently here but for them they stood there for years, before both headed into the tower. Their minds were mostly one and Herman knew the instant Oni decided that he had to check.
The inside of the tower had not changed. A set of stairs curved up and to the black and empty top of the tower. Oni could not tell if it was taller now or not. Reality was broken here and understanding how things change was not always clear. They started to ascend the steps. They walked nearly side by side. They continued up for a long time. Oni could feel his own real body becoming weaker as they went up. Herman looked concerned, “if we go to the top, you will die.” Oni shuck his head. He felt fine here, but understood that Herman was correct, “I know.” They continued to climb the stairs.
Oni was moving up when Herman stopped. Oni could not feel why Herman stopped. Oni stopped and looked at his friend,
Oni: “Why are you stopping? I will be fine.”
Herman: “oh I know. I mean you are dying but you are fine.”
Oni: “so why did you stop.”
Herman, pointing to the wall: “The open door. I thought you wanted to check the other plains.”
Oni: “it is only a wall to me.”
Herman: “hu”
Herman stepped through the wall. Oni collapsed to his knees. He was immediately cut off from Herman the pain of loss pushed into his soul and he could not hold him self up. He nearly fell off the stairs. Herman felt some similar loss, but he had a lot of legs and was able to stay on his feet. He did not want to stay long. He scanned the plan quickly. He hoped as he went back through the door, he would be rejoined to his friend Oni. He did a second quick scan. He wanted to be rejoined but it made him giggle to torture his friend a little. Herman stepped back through the door.
Everything was right in the god world again. Oni and Herman felt their connection. They were now joined. Oni and Herman both felt better. Herman reached over to help Oni up. They stood on the stairs. Herman pulled his pipe out and lit the tobacco. The two of them shared the pipe for several minutes before heading back down the stairs and out of the tower.
Herman: “I think only certain people can be on the different plains.”
Oni: “What did you see?”
Herman: “unlike the lighted plain this one had all kinds of different area. even though some of them should not have been visible to me, I could see them. There were caves, forest, dessert, and just about any other area you can image.”
Oni: “are there gods there?”
Herman: “I think yes. There were all these creatures. I saw a lizard man (Essyllis) and a half snake half human (Sseth), this tall cave creature (Vaprap) and many others. It was a strange mix of gods.”
Oni: “why do you think you could go there.”
Herman: “I am not human. My guess is that that dragon went to a dragon plain for gods.”
Oni: “makes sense.”
They stepped out of the tower and shifted to where Arnia was located. She had a smile on her face. Oni had never seen a smile before. It made them both feel better.
Arnia: “Hi Oni, and your friend Herman, my name is Lathander, the Morninglord.”
Oni: “has something happened. Why are you smiling?”
Arnia: “I have for the first time in over 2000 years a worshiper on Faerûn.”
Oni: “at least two, right?”
Arnia: “Oni, listen. We don’t have much time and this is very important. I will do all I can to aid you, but my strength is feeble and fragile. Tiamat still has so much control and power. You are on the true path, you and yours have done wonders, but I must warn you: Your conviction and faith is about to be tested, you must know that… ”
A huge creature grabbed Oni. This creature grabbed him from the plain and pulled him off of it and back to the world itself.
David Scans the doors and Crypts:
After taking a gruelingly long rest they started to move again. Oni had another dream. Why does he not dream out in the sand? He only dreams within these temples. He dreams within the worst places. Even Herman seemed concerned about the dream this time. He grabbed his breakfast poop and just headed right back into his protective sleeve. Oni shock his head and thought, “What a jerk.”
They moved out of the room and continued down the hall. They had camped in that crypt for hours. Oni was surprised that they were not found and attacked in all that time. The two vampires presumably escaped and could travel between walls. They were tough but this last room was so much harder. David moved quickly down the hall.
Using our now routine door checking method David opened the door. The grouped moved into the room. When once Oni led, he now followed and guarded. David and Sora were so strong in the front. Oni stayed by the door as David, Selise, and Mar’iya searched the room. There were four crypts in this room. Oni feared four more vampires. Selise said, “I do not see any trapped.” David looked over, “I could use a power to look inside.” Mar’iya turned and looked at him. He looked like as if he was scanning him and his own mind searching for that power, like his mind was a book of powers. “Once I activate the power, it will not last long, so I will move.” Everyone agreed. Oni was facing out the hall and barely registered the conversation.
David quickly scanned the crypts. He pointed to one, “It is trapped.” He ran over to the over door in the room. He scanned it, swung it open and ran down the hall. Everyone charged off to follow him. Oni was the last to the leave the room. David charged down the long hall. He charged up a set of stairs taking them two at a time. He briefly stopped at a door. He swung it open and charged in.
As Oni came into the room, David was looking through a door. his face turned into a grimace, “in there are three different undead.” He turned to face the group and room, “let’s not go in there.” Oni scanned the room. It had three more crypts in the center, two doors, including the one they came in and two exit halls. Oni moved to the far side to guard one of the halls. Naga stood behind him. Sora went over to the other hall. David scanned the three crypts, “I think they have three ghosts within.” Oni started to think they should ignore those as well. “And the center one has a scroll,” David finished. Everyone looked at each other, knowing they had to open it. David moved a little more central in the room, “my power is almost done.”
Everyone readied to open the crypt.
Oni’s worst Fight:
David slid the lid to the center crypt. His hope was that it would only release one ghost. That was not correct, and three ghosts came out. Oni moved up to attack the center one and managed to kill it again. Sora and David attacked the second one, but it was still up. A scream came from Naga. A vampire had attacked him from behind. Mar’iya knowing the ghosts were still the most dangerous in the room, attacked them. Two of them were still floating around.
One of them attacked Sora. It was not effective just fluctuated in front of her in it failed dance. The other one moved around David and flew towards Selise. It mashed into her and disappeared. Mar’iya and Naga had told the group about ghosts. Their main risk is that they possess people. That is when they become dangerous. Oni knew his sister was now the possessing ghost. Sora and David finished off the other ghost. Oni remembered what Ippi had said to him the day before, “once you make a decision, just act.” Oni turned and drove the brunt of his attacks to bear and grievously wounded Selise. Mar’iya came in and finished her off.
The ghost escaped from her and now hovered in the room. It was going to take over someone else. The vampire now moved into the room. David struct the ghost and it disappeared. Oni could not know if it was gone, but he charged over to attack the vampire. He was so angry he pummeled it. Even after it fell to the ground, he followed it to the ground, crouching on its body. He smashed it again and again. Naga rushed over to heal Selise. Mar’iya came over to Oni and his tantrum. “I think its dead, “ he said in his kindest voice.
Oni moved over to the wall, turned, and slammed his back against the wall. He dropped and slid down to the ground. Mar’iya walked over to him. Oni did not look up, “leave me be for a minute.” Mar’iya stood there anyway, “Are you okay my friend.” Oni still just staring at the ground, “Oh I am fine. They gods send us a quest to help them, I must kill my sister.” He finally looked up at Mar’iya, “Oh I am fucking fine.” David was moving down the hall on the south end of the room. Naga stood up and help Selise to her feet. Sora moved to guard the north hall.
Selise slowly walked over to where Oni was on the ground. Oni looked up to her. From down the hall David’s voice came out, “I found something.” Oni staired into Selises eyes, “I am so sorry.” She gave him her normal little smirk, “me too… you hit hard.” He smiled a little. Selise shoved her hand down to Oni. Mar’iya headed out of the room to where David had gone. Oni took her hand and stood up, “next time, I might let you kill me.” She laughed a little as Naga healed her some more, “next time I might try to kill you.” She turned to move down the hall, “We should see what he found.”
As Oni turned the corner, David and Mar’iya were examining the walls on either side of a short hall. Between them on the floor was a single coin. Oni looked down and then up to David, “was there a scroll?” David did not stop what he was doing, “Yep,” is all he said. It looked like he and Mar’iya were in a race to see who could find a secret door faster. Mar’iya took a moment to fill in the details, still continuing to search, “it had one word on it. It said Memories.” A smile came across David’s entire face, “here it is.” Mar’iya mouthed the single word, “fuck.”