Chapter 24
The AMS Dao is up in the air and sailing toward the location of the Tomb of Borneth, the captain informed everyone over the intercom that they are an hour out and that everyone should gather in the briefing room to talk.
Raziel, a small pack of supplies tossed over one shoulder, steps into the room silently. Noteably one of the two amber kukri with the feathers locked within is missing from the man's side. After inspecting the room for who's there and who's not he starts over to a wall and takes up a leaning position with arms crossed over his chest and his head bowed quietly. Marduke has prepared himself as best he can. His third set of robes since the first two have been ruined so far, his belt with his normal supplies and oddities. Though not much else as he moves into the briefing room. A nod offered to Raziel as he steps in and finds himself a spot to sit down and wait at.
One burmecian with mis-matched eyes enters the room after Marduke; she has a different revolver tucked in her holster, freshly borrowed from the moogle crew; and tucked into a sheath strapped to her back so the handle just sticks out below her jacket is Raziel's second Kukri. Jenna produces a cigarette as she enters and tucks it between her lips; a small flam from a mechanical lighter ignites it, introducing the pungent scent of burning sagegrass to the room, as she takes a seat and kicks her feet up on the table.
Thaylorn isn't too far behind the others as he enters into the room seemingly fully prepared for whatever they may have to be facing ahead. Fully equiped with his leather armor and blade he seems just about ready for whatever will happen. He would move to one of the walls and lean there will waiting for everyone else to arrive.
Wearing his usual gunfighter gear, and looking much healthier after the oppertunity to rest, the aged man known as Mordecai finally enters last. Letting his pale eyes flick this way and that, looking at everyone, and briefly pausing upon Raziel and Jenna both, before he just nods silently in greeting and steps forward to find himself a seat at the table, settling down to await to upcoming discussion or mission briefing.
Captain Farquan waddles in shortly after Mordecai and removes his hat, "Hello everyone kupo, just thought i'd bring you up to speed. The Tomb of Borneth is about an hour away now according to yur directions. We will pyt you down then retreat to a safe distance once more kupo-po. When we come in to pick you up we'll do so as quickly as we can."
Raziel glances up as the others arrive, but remains quiet over all. Only when the moogle steps in and makes the announcement does the man nod and then speak, "if you'll allow us the use of the flaregun once again we'll use that to call you should an emergency arrive and we need to flee or when we are ready to go, captain. Otherwise.." he looks around the room, "we should all make sure we are prepared. Our enemy has the advantage and it's likely there will be traps, pitfalls and hostiles to face. We bypass them as expediantly as possible. Time is not on our side."
Marduke just nods slowly with a faint smile, clearly a bit worried about all this, "I am are prepared as I can be. My contracts have had time to recover." Shaking his head and leaning back a bit, "This is going to be rough, again." sighing softly.
Jenna shrugs her shoulders lightly. "I'm ready," she drawls around her cigarette, before exhaling a little cloud of smoke into the room. "Got meself a new gun, got me swords, got me smokes..." She chuckles softly. "Got everything I'm going to need, I reckon." She reaches up and clasps her hands behind her head. "Do we have a plan, or are we just making it all up as we go?"
"I'm ready to go whenever, I'm just ready to get out of this jungle." Thaylorn murmurs from where he has leaned, eyes closing briefly as he sighs "Think we'll be able to get it in time, though? I mean she's had a headstart now and well, that's not a good thing at all."
Mordecai silently listens to the Captain, and then sweeps his gaze across each of the other team members, watching their reactions and noting their various comments. And he shrugs a bit then, shifting in his chair to seemingly get more comfortable before he speaks up in his calm, gruff voice, "There is no plan. We go in, hope we can avoid the trap the witch laid out for us, shoot and stab anyone who's in our way, and hope we succeed. That's about all we can do at this point." The man pausing a moment afterwards, before he adds, "The odds aren't in our favor, but maybe Lady Luck is watching out for us this time."
You say, "You will be able to go inside," Alliandre says from where she is sat in a chair, the golden imp sighs softly and looks around the room, "It will be a lot harder then it might have been I am afraid. I can wish you all good luck though I will stay here on the ship." The Captain meanwhile hands over the flare-gun to Raziel again and nods to him, "Wish you all good luck down there! Brick back the goods you hear?""
Raziel accepts the gun and nods quietly to the captain once more before he looks at Alliandre and tilts his head. "I'm not entirely sure I want to know how you know that, but.. we shall see Alliandre." Tucking the signal flare away then he pushes off the wall and starts towards the exit. "One way or another, captain. One way or another."
Marduke moves to stand up and glances around, eyes landing on the Imp then over to Raziel with a chuckle. "The future is sometimes like looking through a bunch of doors for the different paths, seems the most likely ones favor us getting inside. Though it seems we will need to be ready for some hard fighting as well or trials." Offering a bow to the imp and turning to start walking out, "I will be waiting on the deck."
Jenna flashes a grin, and the end of her cigarette flares brightly as she inhales. "Well, I s'pose we'll just see what all happens," she observes. "Well, whatever. Someone lemme know when we're there." She stretches, and leans right back in her chair. Her mis-matched eyes close, and she seems to be settling down for a snooze right there, cigarette still perched between her lips and everything.
Mordecai nods some at Alliandre, and then as everyone finishes putting in their two cents, he pushes himself up to follow the Aegyl outside, not having much to add anymore either. Simply slipping past Raziel to head up to the deck and wait for the adventure to start, the man not seeming at all nervous... Though of course people might have noticed he's pretty well versed in keeping up a poker face to begin with.
The golden imp smiles at Raziel, "I see what I need to see Master of the Stellazio coins, and I am glad to see you and miss Jenna were able to reconcile your differences.... we will be there soon. You should all rest and prepare..." She lifts up and bows, "I will pray for guidance and Thaylorn.. should you need me cast your water magic and speak my name, I will hear and offer what aid I can from a distance."
Raziel looks at Alliandre over his shoulder for a moment then at Jenna. The man's brow perks up before he states quietly, "we will not be sending someone just to come fetch you. I would... ask... that you come to the deck with the rest of us. Better to aquaint yourself with the lay of the land before just leaping in." He nods then to the female imp before turning and walking out to head himself for the ship's deck.
Marduke just shake his head and steps out of the briefing room and makes his way to the top deck. Moving to find himself a spot to watch the landscape below and leaning up against a railing. The summoner loses himself into thought or meditation for any that notice him. A purple eye cracks open, and Jenna regards Raziel with a cock-eyed gaze for a long moment. Ultimately, she shrugs, and hauls herself up to her feet. "A'ight," she replies. "Just habit. I always used to nap before major engagements. Settles the nerves." She falls into step behind the rest of the group, and ambles her way up to the main deck. Once there, instead of napping, she sets about checking her weapons, and making sure her revolver is loaded.
"I shall call upon you if the need appears, thank you." Thaylorn offers towards the other Imp before he walks off after the others to fully prepare, or maybe rest just a bit more before the group ends up going down into the jungle again. "Raziel, has she set traps for you before? Know at all what she might do?"
Mordecai stands at the railing himself, someways off from Marduke, and seems to be quietly gazing down into the jungle below. His expression entirely unreadable as he undoubtedly thinks on what kind of excitement and violence awaits them once they reach their destination.
Alliandre and the captain follow the party up on deck and the wind tugs at cloaks and clothes and off the starboard side of the ship can be seen a large stone edifice rising up out of the jungle. It is surrounded on all sides by trees and the stonework is covered in creepers and greenery. A large staircase leads up one side to a large stone structure built atop the stepped pyramid shaped tomb. A single opening, no door or covering stands open to the outside world and from up here it is dark and empty... an ancient abandoned ruin just waiting for the party to venture inside.
Raziel stands at the side of the ship, his eyes turned down to the edifice below them. While making a few silent notes he lifts his chin to strok along a cheek before glancing over at Thaylorn, "you were there or it. Remember the giant monster in the research facility under the ocean? You've been around for more of this journey than the rest here Thaylorn." He looks back down again. "We'll need lights. Lanters or torches. The mages can summon up something, but if we lose concentration the lights will go out, so best to have a backup." He checks his pack before disappearing downstairs only to return a short time later with a smallish lantern hanging from the side of it. The man decends down to the tomb once everyone else appears to be ready.
Marduke eyes turn over towards the stone building as he notices and frowns a bit. A shake of his head as he offers over to Mordecai, "A little to peaceful I think." Eyes never leaving the building and the pushing off the railing with a faint sigh. Starting to walk over to Raziel, "The moogles here should have some basic lights I would think. Torches with her wind abilities would be blow out easily. A light globe or two, else torches." Shrugging his shoulders and glances down there, "Think there is something big hidden in there then?"
"Not a bad idea." Jenna immitates Raziel's collection of a lantern, though for the time being she certainly isn't lighting it; she merely hangs it out of the way on her belt. With that accomplished, she makes her way down to the tomb as well, and stands in front of the yawning entrance. While she waits, she checks her revolver one last time, and then stands there, idly spinning the chamber, producing an erratic series of soft clicks.
"Ah, I suppose that's true, so expect some sort of big beast just poised there waiting to pounce on us at any turn." Thaylorn murmurs as he looks back to Raziel before giving a slight nod "Sounds interesting enough, I suppose, I vote for being extra careful regardless though, an old place like this probably have traps already." He adds a flicker of a smile showing before he would follow the others down towards the tomb from the airship as well.
Mordecai gives a sideways glance to Marduke, and nods some at the man, rumbling in response, "Aye, it does... But that's how traps work, usually." And leaving it at that as he pushes away from the railing, and heads over to join the others in their descend to the tomb. Soon letting his feet touch the stone surface of the structure, and pausing a moment to glance around the surrounding jungle, before his gaze is naturally drawn towards the dark entrance leading within... The man's lips ever so briefly drawing down into a scowl, before he states towards Jenna, "Be careful with your gunfire. If the tunnels are narrow, our shots may very well deafen us. We might have to rely on melee or silent magics in the tight areas."
The captain manouveres his ship down and to a safe position, a rope ladder is lowered down to the upper tier and the entrance into the structure on top of the pyramid. Lights are handed out as well as a few flasks of oil for the lanterns as refills. Alliandre smiles at you all a she stands on the railing, "Good luck, I will be here, if you need my advice have Thaylorn call upon me."
Raziel looks back up at the ship then he turns his eyes to Thaylorn, "possibly.. but there was another before." He waves his hand to summon up a mage light, intending to save his lamp oil for now, and then starts to move into the opening at a slow, hesitant pace. "She chose to wait for us to get to the end then snatch the stone before we could. A black winged aegyl. If she is thief or agent, I do not know, but be wary eitherway of those who would steal all you have worked for."
Marduke just glances between Thaylorn and Raziel as they have their conversation. A shake of his head with a frown as he moves to follow along behind Raziel. "Be mindful of Alliandre's offer for help as well, she has reiterated it a couple of times. Suggest to me we will need it." Shrugging his shoulders at that and glancing to Mordecai, "Thanks for the warning."
Jenna holsters her pistol, and rests a hand on the hilt of her sword, instead. "Yeah, that's a good point," she replies to Mordecai, chewing her thoughts for a moment. "Better deaf than dead, mind you. But if it looks bad, I'll only shoot as a last resort." She sidles up towards the entrance, and perks an eyebrow towards Raziel. "So if we see a black-winged aegyl, what do you want done with her?"
"Aye, I'm sure I will be calling her forth at some point to aid us, most likely for certain." Thaylorn remarks towards Marduke's statement, nodding at the summoner before turning his attention back to Raziel "Well, maybe we'll get them this time." He murmurs with a small shrug as he makes his way into the ruins with the others.
Mordecai nods at Jenna, and keeps his own handguns holstered as well, though he has his large stag-handled knife and his fists to fall back on if need be. Peering into that tomb entrance for a moment though, he soon cocks his head towards Raziel, and remarks, "Due to what I just said, I think one of you should take the lead until we get to more open chambers within. Your magics will do more than my knuckles, in any case." And he motions then, for one of them to move forward and get this over with.
Soon enough everyone is down on the stone of the temple, the steps are baked dry and bruttle in the sunlight of countless years and the parties lights show them the room beynod. It is an altar chamber, six feet by six feet and the large slab of stone in the centre has been moved out of the way. The familiar shape of the stolen key-stone is set in the top of the altar and the stairs that spiral down into the depth below are open and exposed to the world...
Raziel's light lifts to shine throughout the room as he takes a few moments to assure they don't run afoul of any traps. Looking at the keystone though and the stair down the man sighs and then pauses, glancing at Jenna, "kill her. She is one that deserves to be stripped of her wings and forced to live in shame as I was, but I will settle for her death." And then he starts down the stair.
Marduke frowns as he notices the Alter first thing. then takes his time to look around the room briefly and then back to the alter as he walks over towards it. "Indeed, so attack first on her." Glancing to Raziel and nods, then back down to the stairs, tucking the vial of oil into his belt and holding up a lantern, "Maybe she will spring a few of the traps for us."
Jenna's eyebrows rise, and she bobs her head once in agreement. "Alright then, she gets the thirty caliber treatment," Jenna replies, "Unless it happens to be a bad idea for some reason." She approaches the entrance with the group, but doesn't yet light her lantern; relying instead of the lights of others, so as to save the oil for the time being. "I don't think I'd count on her springing traps for us, Marduke. Maybe she will, but we should assume not. Otherwise wi'll get lazy."
"She may not even be here." Thaylorn chimes in as he examines the strange altar chamber the group had walked into, eyes tracing about it before he starts heading down the stairs with the others, staying a short distance behind Raziel so he can offer his magic more quickly when the time eventually comes. "She probably knows where they all are, if she were here."
Mordecai pauses at the sight of the keystone, and seems to zone out for a moment moments as its kharmic energy washes over him... But then the older man shakes his head some, trying to ignore the stone again, and rumbles, "If she has survived encounters with Raziel's previous parties, and gotten this far, I assume the thief you speak of is more than skilled enough to get past any traps in this place... And that's assuming she's not working for the witch. But let's not dawdle." And with that, he briefly motions, urging everyone on.
The party start down the steps following Raziel, into the Tomb of Borneth where maybe if thye are lucky victory awaits them and if not... then at least Heroism in thwarting Ultemeicia's plans!
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