Temple of the Seal(Perma-open!)

[nascent]

(OOC: Sorry about the long delay on this. It looks like it might be a busy summer for me IRL, but I'll do my best to keep up with things here.)



Hearing the impending collapse of the Temple, the rest of the group turned and hastened towards the exit with Alexis. It was only Kassom, eyes flickering a pale blue briefly, who turned and briefly looked back as the Orias took his last mortal glimpses of the world.

"Go to sleep, old man. We'll take it from here."

With those less-than-kind parting words, the furry rogue departed the doomed Temple and rejoined the others. Within minutes 'The Red Corsair' was rising into the skies once more, all crew and passengers aboard. Vates quickly gathered everyone together around his hastily-constructed sensor display and began expounding on what he observed.

"It seems that while we've been busy here, something's been happening out there on the other Temple worlds."

He gestured to the display. Three of the distortion signals were nearly gone, while another two were about half as strong as they'd been previously. What's more, two smaller readings were now appearing on the scanner, small blips of light in comparison to the large radiant swaths that the distortions had been at full strength.

"This kind of drastic change can only indicate that drastic actions have occurred." The eccentric professor declared, pacing back and forth with a worried gaze. "This world's distortion is quickly fading -- some connection to the damaged Temple of the Seal?"

"Dead Temple." Kassom corrected, arms crossed and looking over the railing at the world below. "Turns out the Temples are alive -- some kind of spirit, the monks said, and they were part of it. The damage created wounds... wounds that can't be healed." He looked over at Vates. "If the other Temples are fading, that that means they were attacked too."

"Aye, yet two of 'em seem 't be hangin' on fer dear life. An if'n I'm readin' this 'ere gizmo right, one of 'ems th' Temple 'o Touch!" Cordell observed, rubbing her chin as she leaned towards the display screen. "An what be those shiny bits, eh?"

A resource jams across my procedure! The periodic company resides underneath the idiom. How can the freeing magic exercise opposite your conductor?

It was 'The Red Corsair', spouting cryptic nonsense as usual.

"I cannot be certain... but until just before you all exited the Temple there was another one down there. Strange that it's the only signal that's completely dropped off the scanner, and so suddenly." Vates stated.

Several long moments of silence passed, then Cordell turned her gaze on Alexis with a suspicious glint in her eyes. "Just a thought... but that ain't no ordinary suitcase there, now is it mate?"

Catching her drift, Kassom turned to Vates. "The holy objects of the Temples? Huh... I guess that makes sense. Where are the others?"

Cordell eagerly eyes the view screen. "It be lookin' like thar be one here," She pointed to the world of Olympus. "An' another movin' towards it reeeeeally fast! If'n there be others, they ain't showed up yet."

"Possibly because the distortions haven't disappeared."

There was another long silence as the group considered their next course of action. The sacred objects were gathering -- that could lead them to the man responsible for the Temple attacks, with any luck. At the same time, however, the mystery of these half-faded Temple distortions deserved looking into... and unless they split up there was no way to pursue both at once.

"I'll go."

All eyes turned on Kassom. Iris, alarmed that her twin brother was throwing himself back into peril so readily, stepped forward and glared at him. "You were almost killed once already today, Kassom, even WITH Ilaelis' powers protecting you!"

"Yeah, and?"

"If Ilaelis is telling you to do this, I'll--!"

"And if he is? What if it's my own choice?"

"It's way too dangerous!"

"You see anyone else here who can do the job?!" Kassom barked back, getting slightly agitated. "Sis, I'm the only one who can do this. Cordell can't because no one else can pilot this ship to Olympus. Vates can't because nobody else knows how to work that scanner. And while I don't doubt that Alexis and Mora can handle themselves, I'm pretty sure I'm the only one here with experience in scouting and infiltration."

He took a deep breath, calming down. "Look... I don't intend to get myself killed out there. I can get in, check the situation at the Temple, and get out without attracting trouble." He turned to Cordell. "Just swing by Agrabah, a quick fly-by half a mile from the Temple, and drop me off. I'll be waiting in the city for pickup when you guys are done at Olympus."

"You givin' me orders, ya fleecy whelp?!" Cordell snapped... then shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. "Yer call, fuzzy."

"Alexis, Mora," The furry rogue turned to the blue-haired magician, then hesitated briefly before continuing. "If there's any trouble... please look out for my sister and this old nutjob." He nodded towards Vates. "I trust you two more than Captain Kid here."

"Who're ye callin' a KID, you rat?!" Cordell erupted. "I'll have ye know I'm a right 'n proper woman!"

"Yeah, I doubt that." Kassom scoffed.

'The Red Corsair' sailed on, leaving behind the desecrated Temple of Smell...