Something's Missing..., Closed!

It is a fairly ordinary day. The weather was, in fact, particularly nice for this time of year. If you are of the detail oriented sort, you may have noticed something was a little off, though you might not be able to put finger on it right away. It's small enough that you would probably begin your daily routine with little difficulty. That feeling would continue to work it's way into your brain as the afternoon approaches, like an annoying song or when you can't think of the exact word you want. Eventually you will be compelled to sort out exactly what is bothering you.

Then it will dawn on you.

Something of yours is missing. Something very precious to you. No matter how much you look, you will not be able to find it or any trace of where it's gone. A letter, however, will arrive at your door and things will start to make just a tiny bit of sense. This was no random misplacement, it was quite deliberate.

The letter reads:

Come seek us where our voices sound
We cannot sing above the ground
While you're searching ponder this
We've taken what you'll surely miss
An hour long you'll have to look
To recover what we've took
Past an hour the prospects black
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back


It looks hastily scribbled and there is a sort of accompanying map and a small note to appear at dusk , but no more information. It looks like you'll have to go if you ever want to find what you have lost. (If you can work out a piece of the puzzle you might want to pack up something that would help you breathe underwater, but it's not necessary. )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


You would have to find a way across the ocean to the mysterious islands. Unfortunately you would not be visiting any of the picturesque seasons of the first four. No, you will be visiting the fifth island. Upon approach you will notice there is a large, gloomy looking cloud sitting over the island. If earlier events weren't an indicator, this might be a sign this wasn't going to be a terribly pleasant experience.

The island was hardly that. There was not much of a soft beach to land on, only hard, volcanic rock. The middle seemed to have sunk into the ocean, leaving just a ring of rock in the ocean filled with murky colored freshwater. The ring was about 100 feet wide so there was more than enough room for everyone. There was a small drizzle and a little bit of a haze in the air, but the sparse nature of the island made it obvious where you were supposed to proceed to. There are a few shapes that jut up toward the inside of the ring.

As you approach, you would notice one was a Teku Serpen, and the other the tiny pink form of a sugarglider familiar. There is also a large table set up and a rickety dock jutting out a few yards into the lake. You cannot see very far into the water. The table holds some basic looking scuba gear and a some strange looking, slimy plants. There is no indication as to what they are for.

One might recognize the familiar as one of Meliai's bonds. The angel's tiny voice speaks up, quivering. Please help! They have.... She is almost immediately cut off by a sharp hiss from the serpen, but he does not address those gathering...yet.





--Yey! Welcome to my bonding! Please read the Serpen info!
--You may bring a shiny, but they will remain on shore and not be able to assist you during the bonding. Further rules will come to light in future posts.
--The precious thing you have lost can be anything of your choosing. Perhaps a beloved shiny or an object. It can even be a fellow whazzitian if you wish. If it is a PC they will either have to forfeit participation in the bonding or have limited participation, and as a result, a smaller chance at bonding. Please PM me first if you plan on this.
--PM me with what your precious object is, or put it in bold in your post. It will not be damaged in any way. I may PM you asking for a little more information if needed.
--This bonding will pose physical challenges, your character may get roughed up a bit, but, as always, you will have control over the severity.
--This will be open for about two weeks(unless I get a bunch of people right away) and you can post as many times as you want between now and then. I will post about halfway through the two weeks, maybe more often.
--Prefs are nice, but not necessary.
--PM me with any questions, I apologize for all the text! <3

Next Post: Because of finals week I probably won't post until 6/6-ish.

Attending: Chet, Ria, T'Rae, Professor, Grimm, Khrys*, Maeko*

- missing posts from here on out will count against you. I'm not going to kick anyone out (unless you fail to post beyond here), but participation is always in your favor.

Waiting to Post: Everyone!



Bond list

0/1 Aeolian
Rylexa -- Grimm
0/1 Feras
Toexic -- Da'chetre
0/2 Niatu
Fexhalten -- Geoffrey
Qlar'hy'ex -- T'Rae
0/2 Ivra
Hexene -- Ria
Irilex -- Ria

While all of the Serpens are siblings, they are all nearly adults at this point. They have been hiding out on the island until some unsuspecting person came along (Mel).



Physical Descs and pictures coming soon!

Inner Battle Runespoor Aeolian

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#3CB371

It is said that a runespoor has three heads, one a planner making decisions, one a dreamer and one a critic. Aeolian's tend to have a couple personality traits rolled into ones... this particular queen happens to have little walls put up between them. One wouldn't call them multiple personalities per se, but she tends to be quite moody. Yes, there is a certain pleasant demeanor about her, but she is a serpen after all. One moment she's as sweet as her species can be and the next she feels the need to tell you all the reasons why your newly hatched plan won't work. She's been eating your homemade cookies all week, but today she's decided they aren't up to snuff. These traits, however, are just the surface of her inner battles. She is constantly raging inside. She wants to act like the queen she is (disregard an junior in her title), but at other times, she doesn't want the responsibility and just wants to be your friend. Does she uphold the nature of her species, or step out on a limb and be herself with you? She's conflicted all the time and she needs a bond that is willing to help her through this so she can be at her best, whatever that happens to be.

Just like her personality, this queen's hide is a beautiful yet conflicting combination of visual elements. The pristine white that dominates her speaks of her high rank and royalty. Yet it is overlayed with grungey textures of bright green arranged in vague circles down her spine and wrapping down around her long body. The very edges of her porcelain fins are also tipped with this bright color. For some reason her hide never seems to get marred or dirtied. Whether it's a fluke or because of her careful keeping will only be revealed to those closest to her. Fine boned and lithe she is a wonderful physical specimen of her kind.


Words are Lethal Nundu Feras

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Bold c73829

He's only the biggest most badass serpen in existence. It doesn't matter that he's a junior king, none of the high kings could even stand up to him. He prides himself on coming up with the most complex and impossible prophecies predicting your demise. His stories are indeed legendary; so long winded and winding that you might actually begin to doubt yourself and falter. Then you can be just another testament to his amazing ability. While you'll never see him personally contributing to your demise, there is plenty of other things he can do. In fact, you pool of current bonds is a great place to recruit little pawns to make you fail and make him look more kingly. So just be on the look out whenever he decides to denounce your failure, because he will certainly do anything to make it so.

Don't ever tell him that animal print is out of style. He thinks he's gorgeous. Large and muscular even for his rank, this is certainly a serpen you don't want to mess with. Even his bulk doesn't seem to slow him any. Not that you will see him needlessly running around. No need to spoil his shiny hide unless he absolutely must get his hands dirty. Let him know that he's perfect in every way and you might escape his bad attitude. He's a bright, fiery red color that reflects his nature. Leopard spots decorate every inch of his body, ranging in shade from a lighter red to a flame orange. His fins start off fiery in color and fade to a dipped in blood red. He's fabulous, don't tell him any different.

Invade Your Space Erkling Niatu

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Italic #319ADC

Typical of Niatu, this guy is insatiably curious. While his lack of negative nature might make him a more attractive bond, he does have his faults. Mainly that he has no fear and no idea how to navigate social situations. As a result he has no concept of personal boundaries. There are no off limits questions. No, he didn't know your nap was a terrible time to ask you about the intricacies of herb gardens. He also has little concept of making friends and puts everyone on the same level. It doesn't matter if he's just met someone, why shouldn't he drill them on their dietary habits? While he can be very in your face at times, he's not loving or cuddly in the least. In fact, he seems to be rather unemotional. At least he tends toward the logical side?

A typical flat blue, there seems to be nothing too special about this Niatu. However, a closer look will reveal dozens or coffee ring like stains across his hide. They probably got there from all his late night ups studying or exploring. His fins rise up in a paler hue, plain and unadorned. In terms of size and strength he is pretty unremarkable. Perfectly average on the outside. Which is just fine with him.



Pesky Grindylow Niatu

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Bold #101040

If you took a serpen and fed it five cans of red bull and the brain of a Kachir you might get something like this junior junior king. He's the smartest of his siblings but doesn't seem to ever put it to good use. The most demanding you could bond tonight, he is constantly hanging around you needing stimulation. And it's not just random trivia or answers to questions he craves, he wants to know something and he wants you to teach it to him. From the moment you wake him the morning he'll be bringing you his favorite books to read, or show him how to fix that thingamabob you are working on, or take him on a walk and tell him all the names of the plants. He's very devoted to you and wants you to be involved as fully in his curious nature as can possibly be. Did I mention he's a little clingy too?

This handsome fellow starts as a beautiful, deep, dark indigo. It is so velvety looking you might believe him to be much softer to the touch than he actually is. A spattering of electric blue runs down his spine as well as the the upper half of his fins. His body is whippy and thin, the perfect for wrapping himself around you and clinging there or for squeezing into any place you've tried to shut yourself in. Don't mistake it for a lack of strength, though. He might not be able to hold his own against his two brothers, but that doesn't mean he is weak by any means.


Overreactive Lobalug Ivra

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Bold #a8629f

Everything is a disaster. You stubbed your toe, that's totally proof that you are suffering from some terrible disease that is degenerating your coordination. If the weather has been warm lately, well, Planet must be hurtling toward the sun and we will all soon be all be burned to a crisp. Her prophecies are outrageous, unsubtle, and every little thing is proof of them. She's not the smartest, however, and this makes her particularly hard to reason against. She's definitely not a conspiracy theorist, just an enthusiastic spoil sport. Don't you dare call her a drama queen, all of her drama is perfectly justified! Oh, and she's a little more PIF prone than her siblings, but not in any sort of good or useful way. Good luck with that.

Just like her flamboyant personality, this little Ivra has the flashiest coloring of all her siblings. At first glance her base color is white, but as she flashes through the water you will notice the iridescent sheen that her hide takes. On top are saturated stripes, thick and flashy, just like her. Her beautiful fins, however, are that pristine white that changes color in the light. There's no hiding anywhere for her, but that is just fine. She has nothing to hide. Everything about her is upfront and obvious.

Anklebiter Dugbog Ivra

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#a2763f

Unlike her overdramatic Ivra sister, this girl is much more likely to take the subtle approach and slowly wittle away at your resolve and confidence. She is much smarter than her sister and will find the little cracks in your defenses and pick away at them. She might even seem nice at times, but you shouldn't trust it. It's only a way for her to glean the information she needs to stab at you later. It's not even that she never takes your side, but be sure that if she does it's only so that she can get at someone else. This is like a game to her, to find what makes you tick and tear it apart. There is no reason to be discriminatory with her negativity, you're all her little puzzles she wants to unmake you.

More subdued in color (as well as personality) than her Ivra sister, this little lady has a base more ivory than bright white. You might not notice too much of a difference if not for her bone white helm and teeth. Streaks of lighting or perhaps veins wrap around her form in a variety of colors, although they remain slightly earthy in tone. It is substantial for an Ivra, although she will always be built for flight rather than fight. Her ivory fins are tipped in green and purple. Her coloring is one that borders on creepy, although some might find beauty in it. Either way, she doesn't seem to care much. She believes her value lies somewhere in that pretty little head of hers.

It didn’t actually occur to Chet for a while that Parjii the Steel Demonhound was missing. It’s not to say he was inattentive, but the Steel had a tendency to wander off and work on being the best at everything, which tended to take him away for much of the day, or at least keep him busy around the homestead. But Parjii was Chet’s first shiny and possibly his closest companion, and so when Chet didn’t see him at lunch…

Well, normally Parjii was the first one to show up for lunch and the first one to finish it. Fastest, you know? But the Horansi never saw the ‘hound and after a while he started to wonder where the Lord had gotten himself off to. He asked around but no one had seen him.

That was when the letter showed up.

It was fortunate that it was nearing dusk at this point. There wasn’t going to be any waiting on Chet’s part—the moment he had the letter and map in hand he was setting out. But not alone, as it turned out. Upon realizing her bondmate’s distress, Hildreth was at hand.

<<Let’s go.>> She didn’t need to ask, nor did she do so. She knew what was going on and she knew what the Steel meant to Chet. The Amethyst was one of the few that could contest Parjii’s importance in the household.

Mounting up on the mostly-grown Dragon’s back, they set off together for the island marked on their directions. Chet didn’t know what to expect upon their arrival, but he knew for certain that he’d be saving his ‘hound. There was no doubt in him that he’d be getting his companion back, it was all just a matter of how.

They saw the ring-shaped island in short order. Even from rather high up, Chet’s sharp eye caught sight of the tiny pink familiar and the larger form of the unfamiliar shiny. But Hildreth knew what it was and hissed, <<Serpens,>> warningly. Despite this sudden suspicion on his Dragon’s part, Chet had her land hastily, not keen on wasting time. He didn’t disembark from his currently mounted spot on her back, ears flattening at the plea from the little sugar glider.

Golden eyes locked angrily on the Serpen next. “Where Parjii?” he demanded, not currently willing to play any games until he knew what exactly was at stake. Hildreth shifted on the rocks, angling her rider so that he might glare effectively at the snake-like creature, her own dark red-eyed gaze leveled on the reptile as well.

It was fairly normal for T'Rae to wake up alone at Geoffrey's, with his tendency to waking up far earlier than her and not having any of her own creatures for cuddling. It was easy, normal even, to brush off the uneasy feelings as remnants of her nightmares, scenes still dancing before her eyes as she did her best to pretend that she wasn't actually awake yet. It was probably another good hour or so before the Vulcan finally made herself move, hauling herself up out of bed and making for the shower, there was only so far that she could get away with lazing in his bed before even she found it entirely to unproductive for her tastes without having the cold as an excuse.

Cleaning herself up and getting dressed it didn't elude the Vulcan that everything was fairly quiet, while not entirely unusual it did catch her slightly off guard. Assuming that Geoffrey had set in to his work T'Rae opted not to disturb him, making her way down to the kitchen and making herself some tea and debating whether or not it would be worth it to make breakfast. Ultimately she didn't, making her way up to the lounge she normally claimed for herself and settling down with a mug and one of the several plays that she had slowly been working her way through here lately, when she had the time or patience to work her way through the older language.

She couldn't be sure how long it was the she stayed there before the silence started bother her, usually she would hear something of Geoffrey by now, if not coming to check on her then at least moving around. Draining the last of her tea and deciding she should at least poke her head in and let him know he was up if he didn't realize that already. There was only one problem with this plan.

Geoffrey wasn't in his study. Well that explained why everything had been so damn quiet. Though the general unease that had plagued her this morning made a comeback T'Rae shrugged it off. She had asked before that he leave her a note if he was going to go somewhere, she hoped that he would. It was far more likely that he was just outside. Leaving her mug in the sink to deal with when she got back she made her way outside to see what he was up to.

That was when T'Rae did, in fact, find a note. The problem was that the note wasn't in Geoffrey's handwriting, nor was Geoffrey much of a poet. Suddenly that nervous anxiety was a whole lot harder to ignore, and in fact was quickly turning into fear as the Vulcan clenched the letter and took off, snagging Korsau quickly from the stable and making for home. If she was going to get him back then she couldn't exactly show up unprepared. Properly outfitted and machete obtained, with the added note that she should probably sharpen it with as much as she had felt a need to carry it here lately.

She was not the first to arrive on the island, which was not entirely surprising though Da'chetre was given as wide a berth as was practical and still be able to confront the sugar glider and the Serpen. It was very clear to her who was at fault for this situation. "What have you done?" She demanded, while normally she trusted that if Geoffrey was in any kind of danger he would be able to fend for himself, there was more than a little bit of a sore spot that they had managed to get him right out from under her sleeping nose. Possibly literally she couldn't sure. She could be sure that she was going to find out and they were not going to like it when she did.

It wasn't unreasonable that Ria didn't notice what she had lost until the afternoon. After all, she wore two rings on the fourth finger of her left hand. How could she have been expected to realize that one of them had been taken...even though it was the larger one...the most important one...?

Ria had awoken with the strange, uneasy feeling of forgetting something important, and that thought had lingered in her head as she prepped the tavern for opening and handled the morning customers. Had she forgotten to place that order for sultanas for next week's lamb curry special, maybe? The thought was brushed from her mind during the busy lunch rush, and when she retreated to the kitchens afterwards to wash the lunch dishes it did not return, for when she went to remove her rings before plunging her hands in scalding water she realized what she'd been missing. Her engagement ring was gone. Only the thin gold band of her ring of knowledge remained. It didn't make sense. Those rings had been soldered together as they formed a matched set. How could she have lost half of it?

She'd wash dishes until the anxious churning of her stomach made it impossible to concentrate, and then she'd ask someone else to manage the tavern while she searched for her engagement ring. If it wasn't in her room, it had probably been nicked by one of her sparkly-trinket-obsessed Shinies and she'd find it soon enough. The nest of the Gryphette siblings Lizzie and Jude functioned as a lost and found and it was here that Ria checked first. Apart from the standard odds and ends like an oven knob and the twist-tie from a loaf of bread, there was nothing new in their nest but a crumpled piece of paper. Ria smoothed it out and after reading the first two lines she was ready to throw it out, assuming it to be a discarded poem from one of the artsy types who liked to sit in the tavern and drink far too much coffee. But the fourth line caught her eye and seized her body with a cold chill: we've taken what you'll surely miss.

It couldn't be a coincidence. Ria jammed her shoulder heavily against the frame of the cabinet that housed the Gryphettes' nest in order to keep herself from falling over, as her knees had suddenly gone limp. She took a very deep breath. "It's gone," she told herself quietly. Not quietly enough for Ighyas to ignore. What? came his strong and sudden reply, but he needed neither clarification nor repetition. "My ring is gone!" Ria leaned her head away from the cabinet to see Ighyas at the window with his ears pinned back, desperate to get closer but unable to. The Demonhound that lay between them didn't share their horror. Fury didn't even look up from painting a Catahoula's nails. Finally. You better off without him, sister. Her tone was approving--she didn't understand how Ria could stand to be chained to her fiance--but a few seconds later she yelped as her pot of purple polish levitated and spilled across her muzzle. "Iggy! She didn't do it...look," Ria pleaded as she pressed the wrinkled letter up against the window pane for him to read, and then she unlatched the window, crawled through it, wrapped her arms around the sturdy young Unicorn foal, and buried her face in his black mane.

I don't understand. Who would take it? he grumbled, and Ria could feel the little surges in his mind as he parsed through the poem line by line. They silently conferred and the focus was enough to keep Ria's tears from falling. Someone had taken the ring and sent this letter. Presumably the map indicated where the ring had been taken. They did not know who had sent the letter. They did not know who it was that could not sing above the ground. Ighyas pointed out that the song of an Ialroa could only be heard underwater but one could not have stolen her ring. They didn't know what to expect or what to plan for when they showed up to claim the ring. They had only until dusk to secure a boat ride to the island on the map. Orca had offered to drag Ria to the island but Ighyas insisted on accompanying her. After all, it was his ring too. That ring had been his as well from the moment he selected it from a pile of so many other important somethings.

It was easy to charter a boat. Ighyas could be so very charming, and even today when he could not maintain a perfectly engaging and noble exterior there were still those who were glad to ferry an enchanting Unicorn foal and his outwardly cheerful bonded across the sea while they shared their terror between them. As they approached the shore--what little there was--Ria pressed a few coins into the captain's palm and managed to swallow her nerves long enough to pleasantly request that he remain nearby. Ighyas charged down the ramp as soon as it was lowered, neck arched and tail flagged, and kept pace by Ria's side as she stormed towards the small crowd. It was clear to Ria and the Unicorn that the Serpen must be involved in the theft for him to have garnered the ire of Da'chetre, his Amethyst Dragon, and T'Rae. After approaching, Ighyas planted his hooves and tilted his spiraling horn until the tip of it was in line with the Teku's bony helmet. "Where is it?" Ria snarled after the Serpen silenced the Familiar. She wrapped both of her arms around Ighyas' dark neck; it was not a comfort-seeking gesture. Her muscles were flexed against the strong, unyielding flesh of her Unicorn and her fingers were twisted into his mane with the effort of keeping herself contained long enough to get answers.

((For clarification/info: these are Ria's rings. The smaller one is the ring of knowledge she got in the advent event and the larger one is her actual engagement ring. They were soldered together (like so) but only the engagement ring was taken from her today; she's still wearing the knowledge ring.))

Today was not unlike any other day expect for the fact that he couldn't find anyone. No, all of his companions were hiding or maybe they had just disappeared. The worst of all these options was that they had somehow managed to get into the TARDIS and probably gotten lost in one of the many winding corridors. Which is exactly why the Time Lord hadn't bothered to look for them, nothing felt wrong or dangerous about them not being around which meant they were fine even if they were a little miffed about the inner workings of his baby. There was also the fact that he had specifically told them on more than one occasion to not go in there without him, because the chances of finding their way out on the first time was impossible. So, yes, maybe he was being ass but it was well earned. He could not however, figure out why they all went in together. But that was a matter for a different time.

For now, the Professor was sitting sideways on one of the stairs leading upstairs, his head back against the wall, staring at the ceiling. He was trying to figure out what was pricking at the back of his head and nothing seemed to be coming forward. He was at a dead end and it was driving him mad. This position had only been happening for the last couple of minutes but the feeling had been getting steadily worse since he woke up this morning. The feeling like someone was lost and he had lost it. But every time he came up with something it fell short when he found it and then he would be back at square one with no idea as to were exactly he should go now. Which brought him to the second story stairs, halfway between top and bottom, and grumbling through a long list of everything he owned.

His eyes slipped shut and when his head lulled to the side his eyes shot open again. He knew exactly what he was missing now! The Time Lord patted down his person his breath coming quicker and more shallow with every pat he gave. When his hands faltered on his pockets he shook his head, mumbling repeatedly. "No. No. No. No. NO!" To anyone else it was a stupid piece of metal with a light, holding no value, but to him it was a link to his people, to home. It didn't quite rank up with the TARDIS, but it came in on the same list because it had been through so much with him, had helped him through so much, even saved his life a few times. That Sonic Screwdriver was important damnit!

The letter was found completely on accident, he was rushing out the door to retrace all of his steps, it made him falter and quirk an eyebrow. He stared at it for a second before plucking it up off the ground, who knows it might bite. It made little to no sense but what did ring loud and clear was that the owner of this horrible handwriting had taken his precious. The map and time to arrive was noted and the note was shoved in his pocket, creasing and possibly shredding in the process, as he rushed back into the house and shoved useful items into a Civil War styled knapsack. Nothing special just a small breathing apparatus and a change of clothes, you never know what to expect and water was mentioned and this Time Lord didn't want to walk home wet again. He considered bring a weapon but that idea was shot down quicker than it formed. It was unlikely that he would even be able to find one, seeing as how he didn't own one. He wasn't a weapons kind of guy.

Getting to the island, the 5th one, was not hard. He probably could have taken the TARDIS if he wanted too, but instead he he took a boat and arrived at dusk. The island was lack luster and really didn't seem like an island at all. From the volcanic rock to the depressing clouds hanging over head. And let us not even get him started on how gross the water looked, if all of this wasn't unsettling enough there had to be a note made that this couldn't even be considered an island but a large circle of rocks. Well, this should be fun. He wasn't the first and probably not the last but he fell into position easily enough amongst Chet, T'Rae, and Ria, all whom he had seen before in little more than passing. He had seem them quite a lot actually but he was more focused on the scene in front of him.

The things at the center of all had been breezed by, there but because other things were going on unimportant for now. Everyone else before him had asked for their whatever they were missing but the Professor wanted to know more. "Why did you take it? Of what use it is too you?" His voice was bland but if anyone looked at him long enough they would see that he was trying very hard to not clench his hands and his jaw, he was trying to hard to be relaxed.

The teku was obviously coming off as a culprit in this situation, and indeed he had a small hand in it, but only because his other arm was twisted behind his back. The reason for hushing the small pink familiar was for no other reason than that he was a serpen and, therefore, knew their suddenly common enemy far more intimately than she did. This was a game. And if Pala dared break the rules, even if she had a dragon or two on her side... well, none of them would get their precious things back.

The serpen was obviously very agitated if anyone cared to notice. He lashed his tail and ground his teeth, eyes flicking from those arriving to the sugarglider and then the water. Da'Chetre was the first to arrive astride a dragon. Velexiai regretted the magnificent beast would be of no use to them. Indeed, if dragons could do any good he had two on his side (actually they were wary of the teku, but they were close enough on his side). The man would elicit no more than a brief glare from the serpen himself. Others would be coming and he had little desire to repeat himself.

Upon T'Rae's approach Pala looked even more scared and agitated, although a glimmer of hope rose in her expression. She moved toward the Vulcan, although remained silent. It was very distressing for the familiar to have knowledge of Geoffrey's current fate. For one, he was a dear friend of her bondeds and by association a friend of her. Secondly... well, they would get to that wouldn't they.

When Velexiai found himself confronted with an angry unicorn he hissed loudly, barbed tail curling up in a defensive posture. He did not back down. The approach of the Professor got nothing but a quick glance, as he teku was a little reluctant to turn his back Ria and her bond just yet. ENOUGH!. His mindvoice cut through their questions. These few would have to do. He would not stand to be misunderstood any longer. I am not your enemy here tonight. He held the gaze of Ighyas, waiting a moment for the creature to acknowledge the last statement. You are not the only ones to find yourself missing something very dear to you.At this statement Pala looked particularly pititful, wringing her tiny hands.

They came in the night, took what was most precious to me and forced my hands and the hands of my brothers and sisters, at the threat of my bonds death. Having explained enough to ensure his own safety the teku turned away and slithered toward the inner shore. And now they want to play a game. Whatever it is you are missing... you will find it there.. He nodded his bony face toward the murky water. If you kept your eye on the water for a moment you would notice a faint glow, as if somewhere deep within there was a source of light. As well as a host of other dangerous obstacles of which I do not know the exact nature. Before you head off though, I must warn you , there are rules and you'd do best to remember them. They are simple, but if you break them expect never to see what you have lost again First, use whatever means against what you encounter, but only your means. If any bond or pet of yours is found assisting you, consider your participation forfeit.

He made his way back past the group, winding around a couple of the guests and over toward the rickety looking table. While the situation was deplorable, it might be just a tad obvious that the serpen was enjoying building up the ominous nature of the situation. Second, you will need gear to breathe underwater. Here is all I have to provide. A more mechanical and traditional method is here on your right. The slimy looking plant is grown only in this lake and is said to give gills and fins to those who consume it. Third... you have until midnight.

With that the teku went silent, his demeanor grumpy and irritable. He would answer any further questions to the best of his ability, but it was clear he would like to be finished with the talking part. As for Pala, she tugged at T'Raes pantleg, eyes wide. She spoke, but in a voice loud enough for all to hear. They have Meliai!



((Alright! There you have it! Feel free to stick around on shore for one more round, or dive right in. The tasks won't be impossible and you don't have to worry about finding your way to where you need to be, it will either be obvious or I will get you there somehow. More description on what is actually in the lake will come in future rounds. I wanted to leave it vague and open enough so anyone who still wanted to join wouldn't have anything spoiled. Having something to light your way won't be necessary, as I know not all characters carry those sorts of things on them. PM me with questions if anything is unclear please!))

Where the hell was Tilly?

His young Frost Blazemount just seemed to be up and missing, and Grimm was not happy. He couldn't really feel her, couldn't figure out where she was, and beyond anything, that scared the living hell out of him. He had searched all her favorite places, went to check on the Blazemount herd and the stables, headed down to the village to visit the homes of those that bonded her siblings and family, but still, nothing. But the worst thing, the very worst thing, was he just couldn't feel her like normal. The bright playfulness, the spark of intelligence that hadn't died, the eagerness to be something more than just a baby, but a queen. It was all gone, numbed, far away, and it worried Grimm sick. Had another shiny gotten her? A fisi, anything? Or, was it something else entirely?

The note turned that fear into something a whole lot more hotter. Grimm was furious when he realized his yearling had been kidnapped, by something, and was being used against him. And the mention to appear at dusk didn't help his temper any. It was close to then, anyways, but despite the almost shaking of his fingers, and the desire to hit something and not stop, Grimm still had a few things to do. His medic bag was gone over, restocked quickly because common sense told him there would probably be injuries...and he wouldn't be the only one missing someone. His hunting knife was grabbed, the sheath fastened around his ankle on the outside of his pants, for quick grabbing. And then he went and found Regulus, the large Cloudfrost that would get him to the damned island. He didn't need anyone else to help him here. He would make whoever did this pay.

Unsurprising, he found a small group waiting when he dismounted from his Pegasus. A glare was given towards the Teku, but Grimm hadn't said anything as he finally heard what was going on. The hell did this all have to happen in the water? The doctor's attention drifted towards the items that would help him breathe, and he vaguely had to wonder how long he could last without air. He doubted he could drown. But this wasn't the time, or the place, to be testing that out.

Not that he was going to be touching that slimy plant anytime soon.

With a quiet order for the Pegasus to stay where he was, Grimm left his med bag with the shiny before strolling over to the items. His boots were kicked off, socks peeled off, as was his shirt. It was already damp from the drizzle, and he didn't want to risk it tangling him when he got into the water. He knew, at least, the cold wouldn't bother him like others.

The gear he was going to use was checked over quickly as the doctor tried to pull any memory of things like this out of his mind. But he quickly fitted the mouthpeice on, made sure he knew how to breathe with it in, then stomped down the dock before jumping into the water. He wasn't entirely sure what he'd find, but he had a bonded to rescue, and a little water and some f-cking serpens weren't going to keep him from Tilly.

So, towards the light he went.

Others showed up, all equally agitated as he was, and in the end it seemed that the Serpen at hand was not the enemy they apparently sought. The explanation was listened to, a quiet rage filling the Mandalorian’s gut and the Dragon’s eyes blackening with the same. More games—always messing with those they sought to bond lately, shinies were. It was starting to get… tiresome. Chet hissed as he climbed from Hildreth’s back. She let him go, aggravated that she could do nothing to help him, but intent upon watching over him anyways. She wouldn’t let anyone cheat him out of a chance to save Parjii.

While others might have to stop and partake in what was offered to them to go underwater, Chet was already prepared. The small re-breather in one of the pouches in his belt was always at his side. A fan of water in general, he tended to go swimming often enough to warrant it and now it was removed from its hiding place and gripped in his teeth. He strode out onto the pier and shot one last nod to his Dragon.

Knowing others would be shortly behind him, he made a point of haste. While it wasn’t a race, there was a deadline and he wasn’t going to trust any of them to not screw this up for everyone when Parjii was on the line.

The cold water enveloped him and the light wavered in the water down below. A few strong kicks had him going deeper, fast and strong, not caring if he wore himself out. As long as he found his friend, that was all that mattered. Then he’d see if he had energy to thrash those who had taken him from him.

While T'Rae did make a note of other people arriving, the Professor that she recognized and Ria that she was vaguely aware of, her entire attention was on the Serpen. The Serpen that was smart enough to actually speak up and answer some of their questions, though it didn't make T'Rae feel any better. A game. Again they were playing with lives like a game, like they meant nothing. At least this time she could take an active approach, they were not going to take him away from her again like that. Tightly her hand gripped around the blade and it was a very good thing that the Teku made it very clear he wasn't involved with them or she would have had no problems taking him out. Not again. Never again.

The rules were simple at least. And gave her room to breathe. Midnight, she could make midnight, it was considerably more than the hour she had been lead to believe that she had. While she did not like having these kinds of surprises it was at least not entirely negative. And it meant that she had time to kneel down to the little sugar glider Familiar. As much as she wished that small animals would stop pleading her to help, her mind flashing back to Blitzen looking up at her in the cold, she could find the time to hear them out. "I'll bring her back." She promised quietly, "I'll bring them both back." She had no idea how, and she knew it would be more complicated than just making it to the bottom of the lake, but she knew that Geoffrey would never forgive her for not trying, and she knew she would never forgive herself.

Promise made T'Rae would waste no more time, leaving her bag with Korsau, though she knew he would stay until she returned. Double checking the machete was firmly attached at her waist, leaving the Phaser since it would be next to useless underwater, she grabbed the breathing device, though she pocketed two of the plants just in case. She paused only a moment at the water's edge, judging the distance to the light as best as she could through the water and hunting for any sign of danger or trouble though she knew she was unlikely to see anything. Best to take in what she could from here rather than just blindly rushing in, the more prepared she was the more likely she was to be successful and she would risk neither Geoffrey nor Meliai due to her own foolish worry.

Without any more delay or hesitation, and certainly without any show or drama, T'Rae dove.

Khryssie was neither observant nor yielding. Even with her fingers clutching the piece of paper with its hastily-scrawled, cryptic message she still could not admit something was missing. Even though the letter spelled it out, Khrys could not face the fact that something of value was gone from her home. Plucked from right beneath her nose!

With a growl, the Pernese woman balled up the note into a wad of crumpled paper and threw it to the ground. The act served to only deepen her frustration; the free flow of exasperation and anger enticed one of Khrys’ shinies in particular, so Zin’olhyrr found her Phorrah splayed on the king-sized, four-poster bed with her face in a pillow.

Usstan zhal jiku mina da’nos dal da’nos. It was hard not to get excited at that offer. Khrys perked up immediately, the prospect of violence upon those who had stolen something from her too tempting to pass up. Like precious stones, the Rahwenress’ eyes glimmered as though they bore a thousand facets and there was no mistaking the Kal’daka’s enthusiasm.

There wasn’t much to prepare for. Khrys’ bag for bondings was always by the door, so she had only to sling it across her shoulders and usher Zin’olhyrr out then they were on their way. They secured passage to the fifth island with coercion and threats rather than charm and sugar-coated promises. No one wanted to say no the Kal’daka with dyed-fur, anyway. All it took was a glare and a growl and they were aboard a boat.

Upon the shore of the fifth island Khryssie and Zin’olhyrr were dismayed to learn of what waited for the human. The Kal’daka made well aware her displeasure, pacing in loose circles around the Teku. Dosst xo'an ulu k'lar l'crup a l'talwien d'byrren zhah yeunn. Dosst vress’lve ph'tonaik, cahlind. Dos ph'natha nadorhuan. The Serpen would not escape Zin’olhyrr so easily; the Rahwenress at the very least would settle her heavy, intimidating gaze upon the reptile for the duration of Khrys’ search.

Speaking of- Khrys was eyeing with displeasure the ancient scuba gear and the slimy lakeweeds that sat on the table. She was supposed to pick from those? It wasn’t like she had her own way of breathing underwater (Da’chetre’s re-breather looked nice and easy, maybe he had a spare? No? Okay.) It was either faulty scuba gear and risk drowning, or potentially poisonous plants and... risk drowning.

All over a stupid bottle of whiskey.

Sure, it was the first whiskey Khrys had ever made for herself, immediately following her impression to her first Dragon- but it was sentimental, alright?

Alu xuil ‘lolvan. Without any sort of reasoning as to why the plants were better, but Khryssie trusted Zin’olhyrr. The fierce Handmaiden lived to serve and protect her. If she thought the plants would be the better choice, then Khrys could accept that. So into her mouth went a handful of the slim- Oh, OH, EUGH. Ew, ew, ew! Khrys gagged, hard and dramatically, doubling over as the mucous-y, rotten, nasty plants slid all over her mouth. It was hard to even chew them!

“I think I’m going to hurl,” Khrys warned as she stood there, doubled-over, waiting for the magical flora to take effect.

Ria could feel the pulse of hot blood in Ighyas' neck as he stared down the Serpen, and only she could feel the sheer terror racing through his body as he held the threatening posture. Only she would be privy to the anxiety over how far he should and would follow through. He was not aggressive--throwing Fury's nail polish in her face had been the first confrontational action Ria had witnessed--but these were extenuating circumstances. Ighyas needed the ring returned and the Serpen needed to cooperate.

Luckily--luckily!--it would not come to that. If the Serpen was not his enemy then there was no purpose in harming him, so long as he was helpful. As the Unicorn shifted back from the Teku's gaze, his aggression faded away, lifting his head and unpinning his ears but leaving him just as unhappy. He took small, tentative steps back and pressed his ribs into Ria's back, and her arms loosened from their rigid cradle around his neck to drape one across his shoulder and rub one palm against his neck while they listened to the Serpen's explanation.

Ighyas' ears were pinned again. Not only would Ria be forced into a dangerous situation to retrieve her own ring, but he couldn't even help her unless they wanted to risk losing more. 'We don't want that, Iggy,' Ria reminded him as she slipped out of her clothes and into scuba gear that the Unicorn flashed the whites of his eyes at. 'I've gone scuba diving several times before. I'll be fine.' She held his gaze fearlessly...and uselessly. Her heart was beating nearly as fast as his and they both skipped a beat as the Familiar cried out.

It hadn't occurred to them that people and shinies could be taken. Who else had been taken to the bottom of the lake to join Meliai, Da'chetre's Parjii, and most assuredly Geoffrey? "If you can't carry them both, I'll bring Meliai back myself," Ria promised T'Rae and Pala, the sheer determination in her voice masking her mingled disgust and sympathy. How awful it must have been for people to realize that a living, breathing soul lay at the bottom of a dark lake, how despicable that something had dragged them there. "I only lost something small." And if it came down to reclaiming her ring or saving a life...

Ria took a steadying exhale and gave Ighyas' withers a final squeeze before striding confidently towards the water, only to slow her steps when the water hit her shins. While acclimating to the temperature change Ria adjusted her breathing apparatus and then she walked into the lake. When she couldn't walk anymore, she swam.

Stuck on shore, Ighyas busied himself for a moment with neatly folding Ria's heavy skirt and long-sleeved blouse, such mundane magic when he could have given her the gift of Beorfin lungs. While the fabric tucked itself into neat folds, Ighyas softened his eyes thoughtfully at those still on shore. You have to hurry, he urged the Professor and Khryssie, giving the latter an extra mental nudge as he worried over the effects of the plant. Into the water, quickly. He wasn't sure what else to do, besides possibly steal one of those strange plants for Tikvih to examine later. Not being able to help felt awful.

Ighyas shifted his weight uncomfortably and then lowered his nose to the little sugar glider, nostrils flared and eyes heavy with concern. Come watch from the dock with me. We'll wait until they all return. The dock didn't look too stable but he'd make sure it didn't break beneath them. Although...if the dock happened to dump him into the water, would it be cheating to let his body sink like a stone down the sloping bank...? Sigh, probably.

Working on a post! :3

Maeko knew what was missing almost as soon as it had disappeared. It had never been more than a couple hundred yards away in centuries. Centuries.

She rounded on the growing mare within mere seconds, ruining the perfect morning as fast as a nightmare killed a dream. “What have you done?” Her luscious lips were drawn back into an animalistic snarl. Ire spread from her face to her fist as she slammed it into the stable door, shattering the wood. “I trusted you! You of everyone in this godforsaken place knew how important that is!”

I’m sorry, Maeko. I don’t know how it happened. I turned to see Naphal and-

“I don’t care how it happened!” She spat, staring down jade eyes until the Silver backed down. “Tell me who has it. Was it the Sukeys? The Celeste Cats?”
I didn’t feel them. It was different. The mare asserted. I had only set it down for a minute. I didn’t want it to get dirty.

“This is vhy horses shouldn’t have necklaces!” There had never been much love for the Unicorn. Maeko was not the sort of person to ever accept a creature of such goodness. This didn’t help Lheyr’s cause. “I vouldn’t have had this problem if you hadn’t followed me home AGAINST MY VISHES. I-am eliberat, vrăjitoare ce eşti!”

Maeko. Her blood froze as the quiet warning broke the air; in the next instant she had stormed off. The handsome Toku had made his appearance at last. Dhampir or not, he was a hunter and he would take her down. She doesn’t mean it. It’s the darkness. She doesn’t wear that cross for show. It holds her together.

I know. And though the Percheron stood tall, it wasn’t hard to see that she was a little shaken. She could feel that red-eyed demon, and it was nothing like the dull shadow the cross contained it as.

The shadow at the door didn’t apologize, merely tipped his hat to the lady and headed off after the vampire. He found her at the door, where a note and a map had been left. Oh, it was coming back. Had she the powers of fire the paper would have been incinerated by now. It had to come back. “Rin!” The Chained Absolver Twistered her off on the hunt.

And somehow D had beat her to the island. It was Cincu; she smelled the East on him. Să nu este de a muri. He warned her, content to take his place amongst the rocks and wait. There were few hunters better than the undead Alpha, and he kept himself forgettable for the time being.

"VOI să vă mănânce prima.." Maeko hissed. She caught half of what was spoken by the strange shiny, no more. There were too many distractions. Too many soudns, too many people. The night was alive.

Breathing underwater? Not a challenge for a vampire. She bypassed both scuba gear and weeds with a soft sneer. Already her eyes had taken on an eerie crimson glow.
The cross was the only thing that kept the beast at bay; without she’d be a true monster.

And it was gone. Whazzit was in a lot of trouble if she couldn’t recover the stolen object. She didn’t care who was at fault; explanations were a lost cause for someone who possessed an inner desire to kill without reason.

She slipped into the water without so much as a splash. Her head was pounding, but at least under the water she couldn’t hear the rush of heartbeats, the roar of blood coursing through hot veins. What little light held on for as long as it could in the dark.

OoC: Thanks for letting me sneak in! <3

Velexia was glad to see that most of those present saw reason and listened to him. He had no intention on of hurting anyone tonight or seeing anyone else hurt, although he might be powerless to stop the latter once they were in the water. A few others arrived, but they seemed to glean enough information to relieve the worried serpen of having to repeat himself. Khrys' Rahwenress was given a suspicious, cursory glance, but when it seemed no harm would come to him just yet he set his eyes away from shore into the murky waters. He would stand vigil to make sure no bonds entered the water and to count those that returned. Midnight was both too close and too far for such a wait.

T'Rae's words soothed the familiar's worries somewhat, although they would not be completely dispelled until Meliai was alive and above water. She welcomed, as well, Ria's assurance that the dryad would not be forgotten. The sugar glider welcomed Ighyas invitation to the dock. Waiting was hard to do, but it was all they could do. The creature remained quiet, eyes trained on the water.

At first the water around the seekers was thick, empty and cold against the skin. Only the slight glow would guide them in the right direction, their surroundings taking form as they swam closer to the light. Those who entered the water would come to a decision. There was the steady glow, but two paths were lit by it.

To the left lay a massive field of seaweed like plants. The leaves rose like arms from a shelf in the lake, waving in the slight current of the water. There was enough light to navigate by, but the flora did dim it some. However, the plants would create some shelter for those who felt vulnerable against the wide spanse of water that surrounded them. There was, however, the chance that something hid within the seaweed.

If one chose to swim into the kelp forest they would make their way quite easily at first. The only thing out of place as they brushed past the plants was that some seemed to brush back. It was nothing at first, but became more frequent the farther they went. The other side was just visible, open water beyond, when the leaves begin to wrap around your limbs, holding you back and suddenly stinging to the touch. The first challenge had been posed.

To the right was a much clearer path. Part of the shelf dropped off like a deep cut in the earth, forming a canyon like structure. The source of the light could distinctly be seen on the other side and it was a clear, straight shot through. It seemed the obvious choice, but nothing tonight would be perfectly easy.

Halfway through and certainly too far to turn back a large, deep boom would ripple through the water. The sound itself wasn't terribly loud, but the resulting vibrations were enough to shake the rocks and walls around those who chose this path. At first, a few pebbles would topple down, but the tumbling stones would grow larger in size. Soon it would be obvious the canyon was caving in on itself. Caution would need to be thrown to the wind in what was now a race for your life. Would you win?

((A little shorter than I hoped for but here are your first challenges. You have a choice, so choose wisely. Remember that all of you are being forced in the same direction and there are no rules against you helping out each other. Short and multiple posts are certainly welcome! How hurt you get, how impeded your character is, etc is all up to you. You're in the Serpen's world now, tread lightly.))

As far as T'Rae had ever been aware lights glowing underwater, at least lights that large and attention drawing, were not exactly common underwater. Without any other kind of guidance T'Rae was going to assume it was either a destination or a trap, and considering there weren't many other options to be had in a dark lake like this while she was pressed for time and Geoffrey and Meliai were somewhere down there in danger, she was going to have to take her chances. Orienting herself in the water, and orienting herself to the location of others that she couldn't say she exactly trusted in this particular endeavor, she made her way downwards. Fairly quickly she picked up a fairly good pace and dreading the fact that if they had been captured they were likely unconscious and she was going to have to bring them both to the surface.

She was going to have to be fairly quick about this in general. Vulcan's weren't built for water, and already she could feel the cold of it sucking the heat out of her body, she may have been given until midnight but T'Rae wasn't sure she was going to have that long.

So when the Vulcan stumbled upon her first roadblock she barely hesitated, ignoring the fact that the plants were, well, plants, and plants should never be trusted, there was the simple matter that they would simply slow her down too much, and she couldn't afford that. So without a second glance she zeroed in on the light and pushed through the rocky canyon. In retrospect she probably should have gone with the plants.

The initial rumble jerked her attention back to her immediately surroundings, a sense of dread settling into her stomach as the first rocks began to fall. T'Rae had practice dodging rocks, she had training dodging in general, and she had instinctively good reflexes. None of that practice or training had been under water. She lunged as best she could, she tried to pick up the pace to make it out, but damage was inevitable. It was about halfway to her destination that the first rock managed to land it's mark, striking her leg, nothing large or particularly hard, just enough to bruise, but also enough to slow her down when she could least afford it. The next clipped her side and knocked a bit of the wind out of her, and slowing her enough for one of the larger stones to strike square in the back.

The blood was not what she was worried about, though the trail of green certainly wouldn't help either. The wound didn't feel like it was anything to be particularly concerned about, though that might just be the adrenaline talking. No, what did worry her was the instinctive gasp that meant she lost her hold on the device, reaching for it only to snap her hand back as it was sent spiraling away by the rocks.

The rocks. She had to get out of here. Never before had she been quite as grateful for her larger lungs as she was right now, pushing through to the end of the canyon with a final surge, and even then putting some distance between her and it just in case there were any strays. First thing was reaching into her pocket and pulling out one of the plants, knowing she was going to regret this and hoping it would be quick, and that it would work on Vulcan's for that matter, she swallowed the thing. And more water than she would have liked but it wasn't like she had options.

Please work quickly, please don't let the rocks have wounded her to bad, she still had two people out there waiting for her. In the chaos of it all T'Rae had lost track of everyone else, now she was looking desperately for anyone that might offer some kind of assistance, or for that matter anything that would cause further harm.

[In My Mind - Flow - 666 Words]

When it came down to it, Grimm was a good swimmer. He'd always enjoyed the water, both oceans and lakes, and he wasn't too concerned with the cold, or even really growing tired anytime soon. He WAS concerned with the threat of Serpens, and what they might do to his Blazemount, or what they might do to anyone else that had been captured. Or those that were also diving in, searching for what had been lost. It wasn't a safe adventure, and the danger was everywhere, even as he pushed deeper underwater and towards the light. He didn't know what to expect, merely that he needed to expect the worst.

The first challenge came upon him, and two clear ways to go, and Grimm was almost in favor of the plants. Physcial injury wasn't a threat to him, so whatever might be hiding in there really didn't concern him...but it was movement out of the corner of his eye that turned his attention away from his choice. He could see T'Rae, swimming ahead, and having chosen the canyon way. And something just...felt wrong. It was a deep, uneasy feeling as Grimm kept himself still in the water, his gaze switching between the plants and the canyon. He came to a decision sooner rather than later, though.

Without really knowing why, the doctor followed T'Rae quickly, only to be caught in the same problem she was having. He could hear the rumble, twisted to see the rocks starting to fall, and would have cursed if he could. Instead, he just twisted, doing his best to avoid the falling rocks, though he felt one clip his foot, his arm, graze his shoulder...there was a shock of red blood, and that healed just as easily as ever. But Grimm had seen the Vulcan get injured, could see the faint trace of green blood in the water, and it was enough to push him forward, towards her, and towards the end of the canyon.

A few more grazes with rocks, a sharp hit to his shoulder (again), but it really was all ignored. And by the time he got out of the blasted canyon, any aches he might have had were gone. He caught up to T'Rae, his biggest concern, and was quick to reach out and touch her arm. Cold and Vulcans didn't mix. Cold water and Vulcans really didn't mix, and there was blood in the water. And with this kind of cold, she might not even be feeling any pain.

He was worried. If she held still long enough, Grimm would run his hand over her back, just checking to make sure there were not any serious injuries that he could feel right at the moment, but...when it came down to it, there wasn't anything he could do here. They needed to move on. He gave her a hard look, and motioned between the two of them. he was going to stay with him, so he could make sure she was okay. And if that wasn't clear, the doctor grabbed for her hand, and tugged her forward. They had to keep going towards the light, and find everyone. He just hoped T'Rae could handle the cold water for longer.

Between the pain, the confusion, the cold, and the desperation it was all that T'Rae could do not to breathing, to stop herself from flooding sensitive lungs with water. It wasn't long before she was going lightheaded and dizzy, and though it was barely a trickle, the fact that she was losing blood weighed heavily. Both oxygen and heat that she could use, that she dearly needed in this situation, were slipping out into the water and there was nothing she could do about it. A shudder ran down her spine, it wasn't working, the damn plant wasn't working and the serpen had lied, she was either going to have to go back to the surface, or die here, and either way it significantly lessened Geoffrey's chances of getting out of this. He didn't exactly have many allies around the weyrd.

Oh. That felt. Weird.

What air the Vulcan had left in her lungs escaped as a coughing fit wracked her body. Her neck ached, her hands hurt, her back hurt, this wasn't good, this wasn't…

The lightheaded was gone. Puzzlement creased the Vulcan's brow as slowly she uncurled from the way that everything had clenched up. Slowly her hands raised up to her neck to feel the small slits that had appeared there. She knew if she lifted them she would feel gills along the skin. T'Rae pulled her hands back and held them in front of her, slight webbing, not much, not as much as a truly webbed created would have, but it would help a little. T'Rae had to wonder if it would be perhaps more potent to someone with less resistance to plant life, but she wasn't going to question it. In fact she wasn't really questioning anything, the only thought currently going through her mind was that this better be f-cking temporary. Especially since it had done nothing for her wound or the fact that it was still freezing in this water and if she didn't start moving now then she was probably going to start getting frostbite or something. At least she could breath.

Then something was grabbing her and T'Rae very nearly backhanded the good doctor before her eyes settled on him enough to actually make him out and she relaxed. There were serpens about, after all, T'Rae was not keen on taking chances. Not when Geoffrey and Meliai was out there and at risk. He wouldn't need to worry about her staying still long enough, the only movement being to keep herself from sinking further. The wound he would find wasn't much, not enough to hinder at least, it stung and it bled a little bit, mostly because the water and cold wasn't letting it slow enough to properly coagulate and stop.

The hard look he gave her got through perfectly well enough, T'Rae certainly wasn't going to argue if he wanted to help. She wasn't entirely sure that she could make this on her own, and it would be good to know that if she did end up failing Grimm would come through for her. T'Rae raised her left hand where he could see it, her other hand tapping the ring finger. Geoffrey. They had Geoffrey. She hoped he understood that, what he was getting into by helping her. She was aware that they didn't exactly have the best relationship. She assumed he knew that they had Meliai as well, and that T'Rae would be going for her, but she wasn't sure how to get that through to him. She wasn't turning him down by any means, and as he took her hand and pulled he would find absolutely no resistance from her.

If anything the webbing actually made it easier, pushing through the cold water fairly smoothly and doing her best to ignore the shiver that was trying to shake her body. It was good to have help, reassuring.

Ria had always enjoyed recreational diving. Several times a year she made sure that she hopped on a transport to the small planet of sunny ocean resorts so that she could trade in loud, bright-lights nightlife for a few hours of sunbeams quietly diffusing through deep waters. While underwater, the sights and sounds were utterly and beautifully foreign and relaxing. But Ria was not enjoying this dive. The air she drew from the respirator felt cold in her lungs. The muted sounds of people quietly drifting through the depths and gently paddling their feet had been replaced by the rush of limbs sweeping towards the distant light. There was not enough sun to light her way. Ria felt quite alone as she stiffly moved her limbs and trailed behind the other divers.

By the time she reached the split in the path Ria was dreading what would happen to everyone. Deep water was dangerous and so much could go wrong. Though she initially decided to follow T'Rae and Grimm through the vast crevice, loathe to venture alone, the thought of putting herself in open waters with so much implied danger around forced her to a standstill. Humans, no matter how well equipped, could never outswim the denizens of the deep. There was already at least one Serpen involved in this situation, and though Ria did not know much about the species, she knew that they were deft swimmers, that they were violent, and that they were venomous. What if the canyon walls were home to a nest of the coiled serpents...? She couldn't hope to escape them.

The kelp would at least give her cover, but Ria didn't gleefully dive into the dense, rippling forest. With great apprehension and slow movements, she allowed herself to drift through the sweeping curtains. The broad blades of kelp dragged heavily against her body and slowed her down, requiring lots of careful paddling and apprehensively plunging her hands into unknown tangles of the dark plant in order to propel herself along. Several times she felt the kelp coil around her legs and with panic choking her throat she'd have to gently unwind herself from its grasp. When the kelp began to thin, when the light on the other side became clear again, Ria eagerly reached out towards it only to find that both of her arms had become entangled. She attempted to pull them back towards her, but the kelp resisted.

More than that, it pulled back. With a squelch the blades snapped back, pulling her arms out from her sides until Ria's shoulders began to ache and burn. The prickling was spreading and she could feel the sting following in the wake of the blades of kelp that began to slide down her back and wind around her rib cage. It hurt too much to breathe; she was fighting the urge to scream and losing some of her tanked air to the water around her. With a fitful pounding of her heart, Ria realized that she was alone. She'd chosen to separate herself from potential help in a dangerous and uncertain situation and now she was in deep trouble. The kelp had already immobilized her arms. If it managed to ensnare her thrashing legs, she might not ever escape. With a twisting motion, Ria kicked both legs and threw one shoulder forwards in an attempt to break free.

Or maybe Ria was not quite so alone as she had originally thought. Upon being presented his two choices, Da’chetre had carefully considered the options. While one way was certainly more direct, the other way had cover. And as an ambush predator, cover was something he relied on heavily. Not that he strictly was expecting to have to ambush anyone, but these sorts of habits were what often kept him alive.

So he took to the kelp, swimming low and through the brushing strands, not actually all that far behind Ria, but clearly not noticed. It wasn’t surprising that she didn’t note him—he was rather well hidden in the dark water and she was enclosed in gear, which he personally lacked. Even his own amazing vision was stunted underwater, though, and so he did not see the thinning of the kelp until about the same time Ria would have. The brushing hadn’t bothered him, as he was low enough in the blades that he didn’t even notice it was odd. But then he felt a tug on his tail.

He turned with a growl only to find that it wasn’t a hand that had him, but some of the plants. A jolt of pain rode up his tail and he jerked free with a snarl. He turned to see if Ria had made it past and found that she, too, was being accosted by the vegetation. Slashing at some that sought to grasp him again with his hind legs, he caught up to Ria just as one took him around the waist, pulling him down. He couldn’t say anything to Ria, but he did grab at one of the plants around her arm, trying to rip with his claws and help her free.

Maybe if he could at least get her free, she would help Parjii—that was what mattered to him right now, getting his Demonhound safe from the Serpens. Even so, he would not go down without a fight, and he snapped again at the kelp, this time with his teeth, some of it having wrapped around his wrist. The stings hurt, but pain was not hard to overcome with the right motivation.

((Hellllloooo, short and late, but this week was harder than I anticipated. DX <3))

The Time Lord was still waiting for an answer and observing all that was happening around him. He was completely unsure of all of it and refused to open his mouth until he understood more. Nothing was said to him and his arrival seemed to trigger something. Maybe it was his questioning or maybe it was because the Teku got sick of everyone's questions, either way he snapped his mouth shut and his head lulled to the side in a curious manner. The following words surprised him even more. He wasn't the enemy? But was it not him who called them here? And hadn't he been the one to shush the poor Familiar. Perhaps the man was not given all the facts and this was why he was jumping to such an outrageous accusation. He would believe the Teku for now, he had no reason not too, a single note wasn't proof enough. That and he didn't seem very threatening at the moment. For now, that was enough.

So, he listened, and the story made sense and peaked his interest. When the male slithered forward the Time Lord moved forward as well, looking down at the water with mouth agape and brow raised. That water was not clear at all, it was murky and almost impossible to see into. He wasn't a germaphobe by any means but this water just looking at it made his skin crawl and tear to get away from his skeleton. The glow made his eyes widen to match his mouth, a step was taken away from the murky water at the sight of that, instead his attention went to the speaking male. Rules were being explained and that was interesting as well as important. The rule was simple enough, it was only him after all, he had no other means to use but his own. Therefore he wouldn't be breaking that one with any knowledge.

But it seemed that he wasn't done yet, he was snaking his way toward another table and speaking some more. The Time Lord was getting rather anxious, he just wanted his damn Screwdriver back! All of this waiting was beginning to get to his calm. This wasn't exactly a rule, more of an object so that he could breath underwater, for that he was grateful, dying because of this would be horrible. He was already had a 'death' toll to four and that was about four too many. The plant looked slimy as he approached, all prepared to suck it up and consume it but he paused. The last 'rule' to be given was a time limit. He had until midnight. That seemed easy enough, but who know what would happen once he got in that murky ass water.

Either way when silence followed the Time Lord weaved through people and grabbed a serving of that, sniffing it and flicking his tongue at it before popping it into his mouth. His face twisted as he chewed it and eventually he gave up and just swallowed the rest. It wasn't worth the taste, and he assumed it worked either way. Once the plant had been swallowed he was being herded toward the water by Ighyas. He nodded and smacked his lips together, the after taste killing him. The water was in front of him and he closed his eyes before stepping off the edge. Water swallowed him up and it was like the second his body hit that water the plant started working. He no longer had to hold his breath and moving deeper into the water was easy as could be. The water was cold and felt more like sludge than water, but he kept pushing forward, following the soft ebb of a glow in the distance.

He wasn't in long before the path split in two and he looked between the two in question. Which was the right way? Both seemed to be very different and only one held obvious danger. The path to the right was much clearer and that was the reason he picked the path to the left. It was more difficult and thus seemed like it might be the better choice. That and he wouldn't see whatever was out there wouldn't be able to see him as clearly in the kelp. Though that failed in the opposite aspect of things, he couldn't see them when they did finally see him. He was swimming through with little difficulty, his 'fins' brushing and pushing through the kelp, hardly noticing that the kelp was brushing back. Until it felt like one was wrapped around his ankle, and then instantly he sped up, flashbacks of those horrible vines happening all over again.

The Time Lord got briefly tangled in the kept, but he did break through after some wiggling and kicking. He was almost completely out of the Kelp forest, the speed really helping him propel through. The end was near, he could see it but then he was being grabbed at, and tugged against his own will, in directions he didn't want to be pulled in. He struggled and writhed, even attempted to rip whatever was holding him away from his body, but nothing worked. It failed even more when he the kelp started stinging him, everywhere, he groaned and twisted. His skin felt like it was on fire and he couldn't do anything about it, that much was obvious from the multiple attempts he made at ripping the leaves from him only left his finned hands burning and tingling. Well, this was not at all what he had expected to happen.

[ooc; I am sorry this is such a sucky post, my muse is still flailing and drowning. But thank you so much for letting me sneak in a post.]

[The deadline was the 23rd, I'll give you an extension for a week from today, so the new deadline is Saturday, June 2nd.]

((first of all, I would like to apologize for the delay. I was cat sitting/staying at a friends while they were out of town and their internet went out and I really had no way to fix it. But I have internet again! And I thank you for the extension Henna! :3 I will be posting by group from here on out so if all of one group posts I will further their part of the bonding. If not, I will post in about a week. <3))



T'Rae and Grimm

The rumbling gradually subsided, the canyon behind them now half filled with rubble and remnants from the tremors. But they had escaped with little injury and that was impressive. However, there was hardly to be a moments rest. As they swam closer to the light they would hear a slight music playing. None of it was really clear, only that it was quite out of place and melodic in nature.

The ground beneath them would suddenly drop away. Not that it mattered so much for movements sake, but the black chasm beneath might be more than slightly unnerving. A quick flash of blue in the water and the pair might recognize a pair of Niatu serpens floating above the darkness right in the path of the light. They were slightly entwined with each other and just stared at the humanoids. One of them held T'Raes breathing device delicately in his jaws. Without notice they swam back towards the light. If T'Rae and Grimm wanted to follow they would have to cross another wide open area.

As if they hadn't learned enough about swimming into open water the first time, the murky lake below began to tug at their feet, swirling around them and picking up speed until a great funnel was formed. The water above remained undisturbed but the whirlpool began sucking in anything that lay above the chasm. There would be no escaping it's strong tug, but a couple of ropes dangled within a couple arms span. A good kick or two toward the whirlpool would get them there. Glancing up their length they would see the two serpen had circled around to offer help to those that would take it.

They had two choices. Forfeit the competition or extend a small measure of trust to these two creatures.

Ria, Da'Chetre, Proffesor

The kelp continued to put up a good fight, but a well camouflaged green and white creature flashed through the forest, blindingly fast. A clear view would uncover the form of an Aeolian. Kinder than her siblings, she wasn't willing to let those hindered by an obstacle be left behind. Her sharp jaws snapped at the plants, freeing any remaining limbs that were entangled by them. They would be free to swim the short distance into open waters.

Unfortunately, there would be nothing good waiting for them . The light appeared suddenly closer, it's source now clear as day. A small glowing antennae dangled from the head of an oversized angler fish. If the small group was unfamiliar with the species the giant, spine like teeth and mottled, slimy skin were certainly a good indicator of it's demeanor.

There was a moment for all involved to consider a course of action before the giant creature lunged forward, much faster than it's bulk would suggest. The kelp was behind them, offering cover but not necessarily protection. To the right, the pretty swirled form of their rescuer quietly observed their progress in silence. Making sure she had been spotted she darted along the lake bed and seemed to suddenly disappear into it.

Those who had speed and mind to follow would find a crevice in the lake bed, large enough for them to fit through one at a time, but too small for the monster pursing them. They would only have a moment to make a decision, however, as the giant fish snapped at their feet.



((If you have missed a post and would like to continue, assume your character makes it through the first obstacle))

Grimm was rather happy she didn't backhand him, but Grimm couldn't blame her for it if she had. He had all but snuck up on her in the water, and between the damned rocks, and the damned Serpens, everyone was allowed to be jumpy. But, right now, it was just the two of them, and Grimm wasn't sure how everyone else was. He knew they weren't the only ones in the water, but they were clearly the only ones that chose this way. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, but they had no choice but to continue onward. He had to find Tilly, and T'Rae...well.

He saw her point to her finger, and yeah. He got it. Geoffrey. Yes, he knew who they had to save, and as much as he wasn't willing to like Geoffrey, it didn't mean that he was going to abandon T'Rae and let her deal with this alone. He nodded once, understanding, and accepting. They'd get through this to the end. And he knew that things would only get harder.

Was that music?

Adjusting the breathing device in his mouth, Grimm followed after T'Rae, not as able to swim without fins, but he was still a strong swimmer. He pushed forward, only pausing when he suddenly spotted the pair of Niatus. It put him on edge, ready to reach for the knife he had, but he didn't quite yet. He had his own Niatu, and honestly, he wished Thexu was with them right now. He was a friend, and not so bloodthirsy, and he'd be a help. But he couldn't, and they had to move on. He motioned to the Serpens, though he mostly assumed T'Rae had spotted them. And there really wasn't any choice but to follow them out into the abyss.

And that was about the time he started to feel a current. This wasn't like before...fallen rocks that could be mostly avoided with some luck. A whirlpool was dangerous, and it could drown both of them. They couldn't really stay in one place for long, and...there were ropes. And the Niatus. Could they really trust them?

Did they have a choice?

T'Rae's webbed hands and her low tolerance for cold could be a problem, however. He was worried about her not being able to grip the rope properly, and hold on as they got out of there. And if those serpens attacked? Shit.

A planned formed, though. And with a quick tap on T'Rae's shoulder, he tried to get her attention.

Not that Grimm was good at playing charades.

He held up one finger, then pointed to himself, then the rope. Let him go first, get a handle on the rope. The cold wasn't so much a bother for him yet, and his holding onto the damned thing might be better.

Then, he held up two fingers, pointed to T'Rae, and motioned towards the ropes again. She'd go second, and Grimm would be able to grab onto her, and make sure that she never lost her handle on the other rope.

The Serpens? Well. Grimm would just hope they weren't going to maul them. They didn't have much of a choice here.

Nor did they have a lot of time to decide how to handle this. He hoped T'Rae got the basic of what his plan was, or if she had a better idea, she mimed it quickly. He had a feeling they were running out of time.


A whirlpool was nothing to mess with. Shit.

These weren't rocks that could be dodge...this thing could pull them down and drown them both, and that wasn't good. But the light was that way...and the Niatus had stayed above the pulling water, and....there.

The relief at Grimm’s acceptance despite the man that she was trying to save was obvious, but it didn’t last long. Time was short and they needed to be on the move. Relief was replaced by the same brow-furrowing general anxiety as they started back towards the light. Good, he was a strong swimmer. T’Rae had enough training in water that she could swim, but given her limited contact with water it should be a surprise to no one that she wasn’t particularly strong with it. If it weren’t for the strange changes the plant had made it was entirely likely that Grimm would have been a much stronger swimmer than her. He was doing enough just helping her out like this, she would have felt even worse if he had also been dragging her along through the water.

So she stared determinedly ahead through the water and towards the light, logically it didn’t seem like it was so far away, but the expanse made her nervous and she had no doubt there would be more hindrances like, or worse, than the falling rocks. Hopefully with the two of them one of them would be able to spot danger before they got themselves too far into the thick of things. In the end she was going to prove right about this, because T’Rae didn’t hear the music at all. She had enough music playing in her head that it always took her a second or two longer to differentiate what she heard around her from what was constantly playing in her mind, particularly when she had honed in on the sound of Geoffrey to help direct herself, and with Grimm touching her and the sound of him drowning out most anything else, the melody never reached her.

It was only when Grimm stopped and the current started picking up that she noticed that something was going wrong. Of course something was going wrong in an expanse like this. Grimm, Serpens, ropes, whirlpool, Grimm making silly hand gestures at her. Still, the rudimentary message got through enough, and it only took a glance down at her hands and an attempt to flex them into a fist to confirm that yes, that was indeed somewhat awkward, and it certainly wouldn’t do any harm to let him go first. She hated needing help, but she was so far out of her element here she didn’t have a whole lot of choices.

T’Rae was only a heartbeat behind him, there was no sense in wasting any time when it was such a precious commodity. Her grip on the rope was expectedly awkward, but she thought she could manage it. Grimm’s presence as still extremely appreciated though, she only hoped the Niatu really were trying to help and not intending to drag them down as soon as they had a hold on the ropes.

[Where's Your Head At - Unaware - 479]