Log:Expedition to Earth-946, Scene 6

Expedition to Earth-946 2008/08/13 	 Amber and Azure Dancing Voice Sable Yolanda; Regent and Nexus (spoofed) 6

The yeti sweeps her aside with ease and turn its angry eyes on Yolanda. Behind Yolanda the curtain sweeps back and a voice speaks in English. "Oh dear. Fancy meeting you here, my dear! You really have got yourselves in a pickle, haven't you?" it says in a jolly tone.

"Dancing Voice!" Yolanda asks. She looks over to try and spot him, while keeping an eye on the attacking yeti as well. "Call off your dogs and we can talk, alright?"

"Oh, they're not *my* dogs, my dear, but the matter is well in hand. And none too soon, I see! Dear me, were you really thinking of taking on an army of Ghravvruhs by yourselves?"

The ice demons do indeed draw back, though they continue to circle around Sable and Jenn.

The "yeti" too ceases hostilities - or at least hitting people - but it doesn't seem happy about it. It stands still as if held and snarls at Yolanda.

Yolanda frowns. "It seemed like it might have worked. How did you know that we were coming?"

Yolanda tries to stall, waiting for the twins and Sable to come around.

"That, my dear, would be telling. BUt surely you don't doubt that sorcerers have their ways? You're just lucky that I was here to save you."

Sable gingerly rolls over onto her side with a soft groan and raises a hand to her injured shoulder, applying pressure to the wound. After a moment she pulls her hand away to look at the blood on her glove before she climbs unsteadily to her feet.

"Lucky." Yolanda says, as if testing the sound of the word. "That would be one way to describe it. I can think of a few others. So what happens now that we've been 'saved'."

Azure feels her head clear. But she refrains from making any agressive action while staying alert. Jennifer in the other section of the tent goes over to Sable to check on her condition and warn her when she comes around that peace talks (?) are underway.

Amber says, "Yolanda is talking to Dancing Voice in the other part of then tent, Sable. Let's keep it cool unless we have to defend ourselves."

"Well, that's an interesting question. I don't suppose, given the effort you have gone to to enter his realm, that you would be interested in joining the service of Ghravvruhs, the Arctic Fox, the greatest sorcerer of this age?"

Sable nods to Amber, grimacing slightly as she straightens. Her voice is slightly pinched when she speaks. "Well, that was a pretty stupid move on my part. Sorry."

"It's funny that you should mention Ghravvruhs," Yolanda says. "We were on our way to see him before this slight detour."

Amber says, "It's my fault actually, Sable, old girl. I misjudged their abilities. Who even heard of mage types being able to suppress technology. There ought to be a law against it."

"Fancy that," says Dancing Voice. "I trust you made an appointment?"

Yolanda's tone is still rather serious. "I was hoping he'd be able to take a walk-in."

He smiles. "Oh, I'm sure he could. Still, there's a way of doing things, and I'm afraid you've been going about things entirely the wrong way. And that leaves us with a little problem. Icy Breath, you understand, would rather I let the ice demons finish what they started."

Yolanda looks over to Azure, trying to gauge what condition she's in. She returns her attention to Dancing Voice. "But he doesn't understand the larger picture. That's why Ghravvruhs has you around, I suspect; you have an eye for the big picture."

Azure says, "That might not be as easy as you think now I'm unlikely to underestimate them again, Dancing Voice. In addition there are two consequences I can promise will occur. One, you'll be lucky to walk away. Two, if we don't return there will be more coming looking for us."

Sable looks to Amber her lips compressing for a long moment before she turns her attention over to Yolanda and her conversation. "What I don't understand is how a psychic sorcerer with an army of ice demons capable of drifting ghostlike through walls and suppressing weaponry has to sit on their butt mounting a siege."

Amber says, "At a guess, damage limitation. A ruin brings in no revenue."

Dancing Voice says to Yolanda, "Me? You flatter me, my dear: I'm just a humble servant. Still, I have been authorised to make you an offer." He turns to Azure. "Very perceptive, my dear, and that is why you are being offered so generous a deal. You can return to your world with souls and bodies still together - if you all vow never to return."

Yolanda says, "I think that the others will need to hear this as well. Will you let them join us from the other section of the tent?"

"They might have some difficulty getting past those ice demons - but certainly, let's go there so we can ask them."

Amber tries to use the healing kit on Sable's wounds, "Let's see if this still works."

Yolanda nods. She eyes the yeti warily as she walks towards the other part of the tent.

Sable remains stationary while Amber works, her gaze wandering over the milling circle of ice demons.

Dancing Voice goes with Yolanda. The yeti stay by the entrance, glaring.

Yolanda says, "Sable, are you hurt badly?"

Azure tells the Yeti, "Next time I'm bringing a hex-proofed flamethrower."

The yeti growls.

Sable shakes her head, experimentally swinging her arm and rotating her shoulder. "No, it seems to be much better." She smiles to Amber. "If you keep this up I'm going to be so far in giri debt to you seppuku will be the only honorable way out."

Dancing Voice says, amused, "I'm sure she's fine, though she's lucky to be so after using that outlandish device. Now then.... my offer. You will leave this world, and vow never to come back - and in return, you leaving will be done with body and soul together. Such is Ghravvruhs's magnanimity."

Amber recoils in mock horror, "No, don't do that. You're on the business health plan. It would do horrid things to our Medicare Insurance premiums."

Yolanda looks to Amber and tries to establish a Mind Link, if she allows.

Sable turns to regard Dancing Voice before smiling to Amber. "Well in that case I'll refrain."

Yolanda thinks to Amber: << I'm not sure that we have any choice but to accept... what do you think? >>

Amber thinks back: <>

Amber says, "Never is a long time, Dancing Voice. Kihzra will simply gather new heroes to her cause. Maybe ones not as ineffective as we proved to be. You'd do better to settle for a reasonable time period. How about a year?"

Yolanda thinks to Amber: << I'll need to concentrate in order to contact Nexus; Dancing Voice will figure out that I'm up to something. >>

"You seem to think you're in a position to bargain, my dear. You are not. Your choice is simple: stay here and die, or go home, stay home, and live."

Sable looks around the confines of the tent. "Am I missing something?"

Yolanda says, "If Ghravvruhs or any of his agents show up on our world, the agreement would be considered void."

"That is an acceptable condition. He has no interest in your world."

Amber says, "Sable, we're debating whether to bug out or go down fighting. Me, if I was on my own I'd pick the latter and figure I had a chance. But that would be making a fighting retreat and then going Jihad in the hills. I very much doubt Yolanda would make it out intact though."

Amber thinks: <>

Sable nods slowly. "I see."

Yolanda says to Dancing Voice, "I can't say that I believe that. Perhaps you could give us a moment to discuss the offer amongst ourselves?"

"Of course, my dear. But don't take too long. I believe it's past that demon's feeding time." He withdraws from the tent.

Amber takes a couple of deep breaths and flexes her arm on the side where the demon bit into her shoulder.

Yolanda narrows her eyes in concentration as she start to try and locate Nexus.

Yolanda thinks: << I don't know about Trueshot's family. We'll need to offer something in return, I think, if we want to negotiate for them. I'd rather not mention to Voice that Trueshot's family is even on our radar. >>

Amber nods as if to some internal thought.

Yolanda thinks: << I should be able to locate Nexus. Should I tell him to get us out of here? >>

Amber thinks: <>

Yolanda tries communicating to Nexus that he should link up with Matt, and then teleport us out to so that we're all together. After that, she tries to reach Prohz, to give him the bad news.

Dancing Voice calls from the entrance, "Oh, and if you're thinking of using your teleporting friend to get you out of here, it may interest you to know that your other friend is here. Very brave of him to fly toward an entire army glowing in the night...."

Sable stands in silence, lips pursed into a disapproving scowl. "ooc :is similarly not ICly inclined to just depart

Yolanda frowns. She says quietly to the others. "Now, I don't see that we have any choice."

The ice demons dance with even more abandon.

Amber nods reluctantly to Yolanda.

Yolanda tries to reach Prohz, to inform him of the situation and to find out whether he wants to stay here or leave for Earth-1.

Prohz replies mentally that he wants to stay here. So long as Ghravvruhs doesn't know he's back, we can work to free his family....

Yolanda thinks to Prohz: << I'm sorry that we weren't able to help free your family. Good luck, and remember that you have friends on our world. Thanks for everything. >>

Yolanda thinks to Amber: << Prohz will be staying behind here. >>

Prohz replies Tanyk you for tryinyk to elp. At least no I ave Te chance to elp my family.

Prohz replies 

Yolanda blinks her eyes open as she returns her focus to the here and now.

Yolanda says, "I suppose we should call Dancing Voice back inside..."

Amber nods again, very discontent.

Yolanda calls out: "Dancing Voice. We've decided."

Dancing Voice returns.

"And what have you decided, my dear?"

Yolanda says, "We've decided to return home. All of us. Including our teleporting friend and our glowing friend."

"Very good. And you will all swear not to return, so long as Ghravvruhs sends no one to your world?"

Yolanda nods. "Yes."

Amber begrudingly nods, "Yes."

"Excellent. Then call your teleporting friend. Once you have all sworn your oaths, I'll take you to your other friend, and we'll see about sending you home."

Yolanda's eyes narrow. "Oaths? Is this some sort of magical ritual?"

Sable watches sombrely. as negotiations are finalised.

"Nothing of the sort, my dear. It's just my understand that you 'heroes' have some sense of honour, and tend to keep to your word."

Amber says, "I'm beginning to think I hate smart villains as much as I hate magic."

Yolanda nods.

Sable refrains from comment

Dancing Voice says to Yolanda, "Well then, my dear, it's time to recall your friend. I feel sure you're in contact with him."

Yolanda narrows her eyes and calls for Nexus, first filling him in on the situation.

Nexus, as one might expect, isn't thrilled by the situation either, but goes along with the group decision, and teleports in.

"And now," says Dancing Voice, "if you all please swear your oaths?"

Amber says, "I already agreed not to back in the tent. If that's not good enough my oath is no better."

Sable says, "I will undertake not to return unless the truce is violated."

Dancing Voice says to Amber, "If your word is as good as your oath then that will do. Though it is better to observe proper form."

Yolanda says, "I swear never to return to this world, unless Ghravvruhs or an agent of his returns to our world. Or unless you give your permission, Dancing Voice."

Sable's lips curve into a soft smile. "So you won't take my word on it but an oath extracted under duress is more trustworthy?"

Dancing Voice smiles. "Of course. But yours ways are different, as I know."

Nexus too makes a grudging promise.

Sable says, "I give my oath not to return unless the terms of the truce are violated."

Azure sighs, "Me too."

"Very well. Then come with me."

He leads you all outside into the cold, where there's a flatteringly large body of men and demons standing guard. Regent is also there, under heavy guard, in the middle of what can only by some sort of mystical circle.

Amber says, "Did I mention I hate magic? It's so unreliable."

Sable says, "The focus of my ire is more magicians I think."

"We shall see." It seems a promise has already been extracted from Regent. "And now, if you'd all stand in the circle, we can begin...."

Sable stands outside the circle. "Can't we transport ourselves?

"I'm afraid, my dear, that you are required to leave *immediately*.

Sable's shoulders lift slightly as she takes in a deep breath. "You're absolutely confident your demons can stop me before I fracture your spine?" She turns to face Dancing Voice. "Because I am not your dear and I'm not intimidated by my current circumstances, so one more piece of ill-considered condescension and I might be inclined to forget myself."

"Be that as it may, if you would be so kind as to step into the circle, we can proceed."

Sable steps inside the circle.

Dancing Voice waits for everyone to step in.

Amber and Azure step inside.

Nexus too enters, and the ritual begins. It's cast not by Dancing Voice, nor even someone close by, but by a man hard to see beyond the swirling ice-guards.

The air begins to shimmer, adding the the blur of the snow flurry.....

The man moves all about the circle, chanting....

Sable folds her arms across her chest as she endures the ceremony in silence.

... and then the world becomes hard to see, blurred with another picture it would seem....

... and your find yourselves in a forest.

Amber says, "Huh!"

Amber pulls out her PDA and checkes for a signal and is there is one, loads up the front page of a Colonial Bay e-newspaper.

Sable says, "Are we getting a GPS signal?"

There's a signal, and the paper looks right. Colonial Bay isn't part of Imperial Russia or any such thing.

Amber shows Sable and the others the PDA. "Looks like we're home. Take a break, Nexus. I'll phone for an air-taxi."

Sable glances at the PDA and nods. "I can't apologise enough for screwing up over there."

The GPS shows you're in Shenandoah National Park, beyond Richmond.

Azure goes over to the biggest tree nearby and ounches it. "I hate losing. I owned the healer and let her down. That sucks."

Sable says, "I'm not sure why they were so keen on that oath thing. I'm going back at the first possible opportunity."

Amber says, "You didn't screw up, Sable. I did. I misjudged the situation. But we were working under a serious handicap. How I would have dealt with it back in my army days... I'd have gone to the hills and then hit and run, taking them down a few at a time. But when I given up on the killing thing and there's magic healing to put right any non-mortal injuries it's a losing proposition."

Sable nods. "That's true, I'm not at all certain how we can deal with them in any way that's even semi-permanent."

Amber says, "When we get back to the city I'm taking the TransMat to Toyko."

Sable says, "What will you there?"

Amber shrugs, "In Toyko I'm old enoigh to drink, and right now I feel like getting blasted."

Sable nods. "Same's true of Australia or England but I certainly sympathise. If you need some company I'd be more than happy to tag along, I can even act as interpreter.

Amber says, "You're welcome to come along. So is everyone else. I've been in Toyko a couple of times. Most people I met spoke pretty decent English."

Sable nods. "We'll paint the town red."

Amber nods and makes the call for a air-taxi back to CN.