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Arja and Simoni were going to get their powers back from the Naga attacking the temple, the sudden spur of emotion and desire to survive and fight back bringing back their powers... but both myself and my writing partner had different ideas of how to do it.\n\nHis idea was to actually have the Naga leader kill Arja's Granddad outright... her anger over his death being what brought back her magic. I didn't like that idea however, I rather like the character (even if we're really being lazy about giving him a damn name other than 'Arja's Grandfather') and I didn't want him to die so suddenly like that.\n\nWell, I got to thinking on it and the other night at work I contacted him via my smartphone and said 'how about instead of him dying outright he just gets poisoned by the naga's venom and the girls have to go into the supernatural world to find the means to -save- him?\".\n\nWell, he liked it so thats what we did. :D\n\nA lesson I learned about writing stories (though the lesson was in a Vampire the Masquerade sourcebook so more writing game plots than books, but given that we're roleplaying this... eh, fuck it) is thus: If you have the choice between killing a character or using them to start a whole new storyline and get a new adventure going, go with Option 2.\n\nAs for Stephy getting his own extreme makeover... well, this one wound up being rather adult, happens with us sometimes, so I probably won't post it here (yes I know its Inkbunny, shut up)... but the short version is this:\n\nStephy has no family. His mother died of pneumonia when he was five and his father died of 'trying to tackle Drusilla' right before he joined up with Arja and Simoni. Sammi's grandmother, a true fae who's name is (insert a sound like tinkling windchimes and icy wind here) but who tends to go by 'Sera', has basically adopted Stephy into her own fae family, making him into a sort of changeling (yes both me and my writing buddy like the World of Darkness books thank you).\n\nDespite the power of her own fae blood, Clan Fullmoon's powers come from a pact with the Irish war goddess Morrigan, making them just a tiiiiiiny bit divine. Her Fae nature can't overpower Stephy's Fullmoon blood entirely, so instead they sort of... mixed. He can still transform and use wind based magic, but both his form and his magic are touched by frost now, tied to Sera (a fae queen of snow and ice).\n\nStephy found the transformation rather liberating too. Having fully renounced his ties to Clan Fullmoon and his late father has caused the shy and quiet boy to become much more energetic and even a bit flirtatious. A bit fae-touched in a way.\n\nHe seems to be enjoying it. :P","description_bbcode_parsed":"Consider this a sort of two-parter story, the next one will take place immediately following the departure of Arja and Simoni from the temple.

This one was kind of an interesting one. Arja and Simoni were going to get their powers back from the Naga attacking the temple, the sudden spur of emotion and desire to survive and fight back bringing back their powers... but both myself and my writing partner had different ideas of how to do it.

His idea was to actually have the Naga leader kill Arja's Granddad outright... her anger over his death being what brought back her magic. I didn't like that idea however, I rather like the character (even if we're really being lazy about giving him a damn name other than 'Arja's Grandfather') and I didn't want him to die so suddenly like that.

Well, I got to thinking on it and the other night at work I contacted him via my smartphone and said 'how about instead of him dying outright he just gets poisoned by the naga's venom and the girls have to go into the supernatural world to find the means to -save- him?".

Well, he liked it so thats what we did. :D

A lesson I learned about writing stories (though the lesson was in a Vampire the Masquerade sourcebook so more writing game plots than books, but given that we're roleplaying this... eh, fuck it) is thus: If you have the choice between killing a character or using them to start a whole new storyline and get a new adventure going, go with Option 2.

As for Stephy getting his own extreme makeover... well, this one wound up being rather adult, happens with us sometimes, so I probably won't post it here (yes I know its Inkbunny, shut up)... but the short version is this:

Stephy has no family. His mother died of pneumonia when he was five and his father died of 'trying to tackle Drusilla' right before he joined up with Arja and Simoni. Sammi's grandmother, a true fae who's name is (insert a sound like tinkling windchimes and icy wind here) but who tends to go by 'Sera', has basically adopted Stephy into her own fae family, making him into a sort of changeling (yes both me and my writing buddy like the World of Darkness books thank you).

Despite the power of her own fae blood, Clan Fullmoon's powers come from a pact with the Irish war goddess Morrigan, making them just a tiiiiiiny bit divine. Her Fae nature can't overpower Stephy's Fullmoon blood entirely, so instead they sort of... mixed. He can still transform and use wind based magic, but both his form and his magic are touched by frost now, tied to Sera (a fae queen of snow and ice).

Stephy found the transformation rather liberating too. Having fully renounced his ties to Clan Fullmoon and his late father has caused the shy and quiet boy to become much more energetic and even a bit flirtatious. A bit fae-touched in a way.

He seems to be enjoying it. :P","writing":"Its been just over a month now and neither girl has gotten their magic back. While they still retain their ability to sense supernatural things they have absolutely no power of their own. Right now both Arja and Simoni are in the Supernatural World, at Hanuman's Temple. Nelen suggested that because the world itself is full of magical energy that it may help speed things up, though again he's only guessing.\n\n\"[i]The fact is girls,[/i]\" he had said, \"[i]I'm grasping at straws here. There are no examples of ANYONE coming this close to being killed by a Mundane Blade and escaping. You two are a unique case as far as I know of. Your magic is still there, but it's barely there... That sword took almost all you had.[/i]\"\n\nSimoni is sitting in one of the meditation rooms of the temple next to Arja, wearing a green silk sari as she usually does when they're home in India, but all she can feel is frustrated. Every time she sees one of her garuda sisters flying, hell every time she sees a bird, she remembers how it felt and feels a pang of loss at having her magic stolen.\n\nArja sighs softly, dressed in her own red and gold sari, taking in a deep breath as she opens her eyes from her meditation, \"Nothing...\" she mumbles, shaking her head as she stands.\n\n \"It's there... I can feel it, but I can't reach it, it's like a little ember just out of my arms' reach...\" she sighs in disappointment. Simoni nods and leans back on her arms, \"I know... Its like I can hear a breeze... but all the windows are shut.\" she nods, trying to put it into words. She shakes her head, \"At least we can still feel it. I mean, Nelen said that if the sword cut us, even a scratch...\" she falls silent and shudders at the thought.\n\nAs she sits there Lupe runs past outside, chasing after some of the younger monkeys. It was all in play of course, Lupe may not be the brightest of their group but she knew better than to hurt one of Arja's family, even by accident. \"Heh, at least we know it can come back though.\" she nods as the werewolf girl passes, her tail thrashing as she barks like a dog chasing a squirrel.\n\nArja nods, \"We just have to find a way to open it back up, once we do that it'll come back fast.\" She had gone through nearly everything her people had, though. Meditation, prayer, fasting, chakra alignment, she even left for a couple days on a pilgrimage to a holy site and bathed in the Ganges.\n\nSimoni sighs, \"I hope so... if I don't get my wings back soon I'm going to go-\" she pauses, looking back out the doorway. She just noticed, but the normally raucous monkeys outside had gone quiet... \"... Arja?\" she whispers, glancing towards her. Arja frowns, shaking her head, \"That's not good…\" she mutters as she walks to the door.\n\nSimoni gets to her feet as she walks along behind her, then freezes in mid step as her eyes go wide. A faint hissing sound is coming from somewhere nearby, one that she remembers all too well, that she'd been having nightmares about since her last encounter with one.\n\n\"Ssss... poor little bird... ssssomeone clipped her wingssss....\" it whispers. Simoni trembles, looking around frantically as she steps closer to Arja.\n\nA second voice joins the first, \"Her little friend too... poor monkey lossst her clawsss and fangsss...\"\n\nArja growls, reaching down to grab a weapon as she looks around, \"Oh gods, this isn't good...\" she whispers, her eyes darting around the room for the source of the voices. It was true before the monkeys could easily keep the remaining Naga at bay but currently, after Clan Fullmoon had launched such a brutal attack on them, the defenses were weak. Simoni just stays close to her. She could barely fight without her magic, her abilities entirely dependent on them, a rather startling oversight given what they've been up against all this time.\n\n\"We've been watching you little monkey...\" sneers the first voice, \"Poor little monkeysss... ssso many got killed... and now sssome more will join them...\" taunts the second.\n\nSimoni looks around frantically. Not behind them, not to their left or right, not... She freezes, then grabs Arja and yanks the girl backwards as two snake-like creatures drop down from the rafters right onto where they were standing seconds before.\n\nBefore Arja and Simoni are two snake like humanoids with scales for skin, long snake-like tails instead of legs, sharp venomous fangs for canine teeth, and huge reptilian eyes, the Naga of Indian legend. Long-running enemies of the Garuda, the Naga want for nothing more than to wipe out the bird-people.\n\nArja takes in a breath as the snakes hit the ground right in front where she was standing \"Thanks...\" she says before raising the staff, \"I don't have my powers, but I was still trained to fight, you think I can't take two decrepit old snakes?\"\n\nThe naga grin at them showing their long snakelike fangs, \"Two?\" chuckles the first one, the other grinning at Arja as it's large green eyes widen, \"Why do you think there'sss just two?\" she asks in a taunting voice.\n\nSuddenly a loud crash resounds through the temple, followed by several loud shouts in hindi. Taking the distraction the snakes suddenly surge forward, their hands raised to show razor-sharp claws on the fingers as their mouths stretch unnaturally wide, their fangs aimed forward like spears.\n\nArja raises her weapon in a sudden defense before, suddenly, the snakes stop, their claws stretching, trying to get the girls, but unable to reach them. Akul, Arja's grandfather, had arrived and was holding both snakes by the neck tightly, keeping them back. In a bit of a paradox her people tended to mellow in age (of course one's talking 'age' in terms of centuries), but they just kept getting stronger. Most elder monkeys (a rather small club thanks to their more erratic youth) tended to become defenders of sacred sites or community leaders, turning their strength to protection rather than aggression as they searched for enlightenment. \"Run.\" he growls from his second face in the back of his head, the normally kind face contorted in rage as he squeezes harder.\n\nSimoni doesn't need more than that. She grabs Arja's arm and her legs almost blur as she dives back through the temple. If they can find a portal they can go home and get help... but it seems the Naga planned this well. Any portal they come across is blocked by at least four or five serpents. As they round another corner another snake sees them and charges, only to be tackled to the ground by Lupe. \"No hurt Lupe friends!\" she snarls, the werewolf's hands and mouth already covered in blood from the last naga she got ahold of as she wrestles on the ground with the serpent, jaws snapping as she tries to get at its neck. \n\nArja takes in a breath as she and Simoni run along, looking around for any portal back that wasn't blocked by snakes. \"Damn it they have us locked in!\" she growls, eyes moving around quickly, starting to look genuinely afraid as she runs through the temple. Eventually, though they find one pool that seems open still, unguarded by Naga. Unfortunately as they get their way over there the water ripples and out surges a huge one-eyed Naga. \"Hello little onesssss, I've missssed you...\" it hisses, the naga’s other eye a mass of scar tissue on the side of it’s face.\n\nSimoni scrambles backwards as the serpent bursts out of the water, her eyes going wide in terror. She immediately recognizes it as the one from Fahad's maze, and given the aura the serpent is giving off it must be their leader, their nest's queen. She mouths wordlessly at Arja as she tries to push backwards, looking for anywhere safe, any place she can run to, and then the air around the two seems to shimmer as they both feel a hand on their shoulder. A split second later the world inverts as they're pulled through to an empty storeroom, each of them with a hand clamped over their mouths. \"Stop squirming dammit!\" hisses Dawn in their ears, \"The whole temple is full of them. Lupe is on her way back to the house now to get Nelen and the others, just shut up and stay quiet!\"\n\nArja nods, taking in a few deep breaths as she looks around \"I don't know if they'll get here in time, we have to go up and help the garuda. The snakes hate us but their real target has to be them.\"\n\nSimoni nods, still trembling from the sight of the one-eyed naga as Dawn rolls her eyes, \"Help them? With what?\" she whispers, \"You two can't use magic right now remember? What are you gonna do? Hit the naga with sticks and call them names?\" she frowns, \"Look, I get it, I really do... but all we can do is stay hidden and hope for the best.\"\n\nArja shakes her head, \"Magic or not, I'm a child of the Monkey God, and we made a pact to defend the Garuda, we have weapons, these are snakes not immortals. We have to help out, can you get us up top?\"\n\nDawn lets out an exasperated sigh, \"Can I? Yes. Will I? Hell no. Nelen would skin this cat if I let you two get killed.\" she mrowls, \"We're going to sit here, nice and cozy, until reinforcements arrive.\" she says in a forceful tone. However, there's a sudden splintering of wood from the entrance as the door crashes in as three sets of snakelike eyes peer into the room. \"... wrong reinforcements.\" eeps Dawn as she quickly teleports them away again, landing inside an old disused part of the Temple now. There's cobwebs and dust everywhere in here, but the sounds of fighting seem further away.\n\nArja frowns at her as they reappear, \"Dawn, these are my people and they're being killed, now twice because of enemies we've made... if you take me one inch further from this I'll never forgive you. Please, this is partially my mess, I can't let my people suffer for it...\"\n\nDawn growls, \"You think they won't suffer if you get torn apart by one of those things!?\" she spits, \"You're just a normal girl now, any one of those snakes is at least ten times as strong as you are! She...\" she jabs a claw at Simoni, \"... can't fight at all without her magic. There is a difference between letting your people suffer and committing suicide.\" she frowns, turning her back to them with her tail thrashing around behind her, “And don’t even think of running off because I’ll just find you and teleport you straight back h-“... and then there's a crash as a pot smashes against the back of her head. The cat's eyes go crossed as she mutters, \"... erblesmerpble...\" before she topples over, falling unconscious.\n\nSimoni winces, having picked up the pot off a shelf to knock her out with. \"Sorry Dawn...\" she whispers, then takes a deep breath and nods, \"Y-you're right Arja. We can't just sit here. I... I'm scared, but... That naga, the one with its eye missing, its after me.\" she nods, \"I ran into it when Fahad was sending us through his maze. She'll follow my scent straight here.\" she nods, walking to the door and peering outside, \"Coast is clear, c'mon.\" she nods, slipping out of the room.\n\nMeanwhile Dawn 'wakes up' in her dreamscape, then rubs at her head. \"Ow ow OW!\" she yowls, \"Huh, didn't know greenie had it in her...\" she frowns, then blinks, \"... hm... actually...\" she grins, then scampers off through the dreamworld. Dawn, being a Wonderlander, is able to move around inside dreams and even travel to other dreams or dream-worlds while she's asleep (or unconscious). As the two leave she picks up a scent a few weeks old, tasting the smell of fresh fallen snow as she follows it back to it's source.\n\nArja nods, looking around before grabbing an old looking spear from the wall for defense, having ditched her staff when she got grabbed. \"Alright, we go right up to get Lakshmi and her people defended.\" she replies, looking around as she moves.\n\nSimoni follows behind her, picking up a small dagger. She can't use it properly, hell she probably isn't even holding it right, but if nothing else it might make a naga hesitate long enough for Arja to gouge one of its eyes out. She follows Arja through the temple, trying to avoid the battles breaking out all over it, as they make their way to the roost.\n\nThe temple is in complete chaos. The naga are slithering up the walls outside as well as tearing apart the inside, the snakes using tree branches, pillars, and anything they can get a handhold on to climb up as the garuda fight them as best as they can. Their arrows can't do much damage, the snakes reflexes fast enough to dodge them in mid-flight, and any garuda that gets close gets pounced by at least three of the serpents.\n\nThe two reach the main hallway leading to the garuda roost as Arja and Simoni wait for a lull in the combat before bolting upwards, scrambling up the stairs as they try to avoid the sight of any naga, \"This isn't good, we need something to turn the odds...\" Simoni nods, wondering if Dawn may not have had the right idea. \"Yeah... but what?\" she asks her, \"I mean...\" she blinks, \"... did you just feel a chill?\" she asks, looking around.\n\nAs she does however several snakes rush up the stairs behind them, hissing as they claw their way towards the girls. Simoni lets out a terrified scream and stumbles backwards as she feels a second cold breeze, and then a sudden blast of super-cold air shoots down from the top of the stairs. The naga let out a shriek as the icy wind cuts into them, sending them flailing backwards, ice and frost forming on their bodies as the thrash around, screaming in fury and pain! Within seconds the naga go still, their bodies rigid and covered in a sheet of ice and snow, literally frozen in place like ice sculptures.\n\nThere's a giggle behind them and the girls look up to see two blonde haired boys on the stairs. Sammi, the ice mage they met in Texas, on the left and on the right, another Sammi? It looks like him, but he's got wings and talons like the garuda do, except his wings are white with long blue feathers and his talons appear to be sculpted out of ice. He has long blonde hair braided down his back and glasses over his icy blue eyes. \"Hehe, looks like I'm getting the hang of this.\" he grins at the other boy.\n\nArja blinks, staring at the two boys, \"What the fuck...\" she mutters as Sammi fires a blast of ice at another snake, laughing loudly, \"Cold blooded, assholes! You won't be walking for a week even in this hot jungle!\" he cackles as the other boy rolls his eyes at him. “Sammi, they’re naga. They don’t walk at all. No legs.” he smirks at the ice mage. \n\nThe half-bird boy giggles and waves to the pair with one wing, \"Hey girls, sorry I wasn't back sooner, but things got kinda busy in Arcadia.\" he nods as something clicks in Simoni's head, \"... Stephy?\" she asks, the boy grinning as he flaps up into the air, summoning a swirl of icy wind at the steps below as another wave of serpents comes climbing up, only to suddenly shriek and claw frantically as the steps change from sturdy stone to a sheet of ice, the naga sliding back down and landing at the feet of a group of angry monkeys, all of whom were holding some rather nasty looking weapons. The monkeys didn't know where the ice had come from, but given the situation they'd worry about it later.\n\nAs Simoni stands there, jaw hanging, she suddenly feels a sharp pain and doubles over, clutching at the back of her head. Dawn is standing behind her, tail thrashing as she growls, \"How do YOU like it?\" she hisses, then raises a hand before Arja can yell at her, \"Stop.\" she smirks, then lifts up a carpenter's mallet she found in the storeroom when she woke up, turning to the frozen Naga. \"Its hammer time.\" she grins wickedly as Stephy swoops back in, having helped reduce the snake's numbers on the walls to a more manageable level, though the forest below was still thick with the serpents.\n\nArja glares at Dawn, but quickly smirks when she sees the hammer, \"Alright. You get a pass for now. Start smashing snakes, blondies, we'll deal with all of... this... later, get us a path up.\"\n\nStephy nods to Arja as he takes a deep breath, then lets out a shriek like some huge falcon, a blast of hoarfrost shooting outwards from his mouth as the entire passageway gets coated with a sheet of ice. The naga are just as cold-blooded as their snake-like bodies would suggest and frantically scramble out of the way of Stephy's magic, only to get struck by Sammi's more direct spells as the group makes their way upstairs, Dawn following behind and twirling… something frozen and round-ish... on her finger while whistling the Harlem Globetrotter's theme music.\n\nArja looks at Dawn for a moment, then turns away. \"Don't wanna know...\" she mutters before pushing the door to Lakshmi's room open, looking around quickly, \"You guys ok?\"\n\nSimoni nods in agreement, especially when Dawn tosses it into the air and smashes it into powder with a swing of the hammer. As they enter the garuda's nest they find that, at the very least, the naga were being repelled here. Lakshimi, the matron of the garuda, was leading the other bird-folk who were more capable with magic than weaponry in creating a sort of localized tornado around not just the roost but the entire temple, cutting off their reinforcements from outside. The chirps and whistled calls controlling the spell sounding almost tranquil and melodic, akin to birdsong, if not for the occasional scream of a naga losing their grip on the stonework outside and falling to its death in the jungles below.\n\nArja nods, turning to the two boys. \"Sammi... new blond Stephy, man the walls... or femboy the walls I guess, this is your priority ok? We can't let them get the garuda, freeze any snake you see.\" she nods, looking out the windows to survey the fight.\n\nStephy nods to her and whips out from the roost. Rather than using it directly against the naga though he aims for the walls themselves, coating as much of it as he can in a thick sheen of ice, then doing a quick twirl in midair and giggling as a good dozen or so naga suddenly slip and tumble to the jungle below, frantically scrabbling at the mirror smooth ice now covering their handholds.\n\nSimoni blinks as she watches him, \"... what the heck happened to him?\" she mutters, \"I mean... the physical change, big whoop. I used to be Irish... but that's shy, quiet, easily embarrassed Stephy?\" she murmurs.\n\nArja smirks a bit, \"I don't know, I kinda like it. I mean he still seems like the same guy just… I dunno... you feel more at home as Simoni don't you, ‘Stephanie’?\" she teases, driving her spear down into a scrambling Naga's neck, grunting and straining to keep her grip on it before slamming it against the wall to knock it off, \"Ugh...so much harder without monkey powers...\"\n\nSimoni winces as Arja spears the naga, rolling her eyes at the girl, and nodding. \"Yeah, I do.\" she smiles a bit, then almost jumps as a sudden wave of emotion (no better word for it) comes from below. She ducks to the edge of the temple and looks down, then mutters, \"Oh jeez...\"\n\nDown below the cavalry has arrived, Nelen and the others coming up through the portal, and it seems that all the high emotions, specifically ones like rage, anger, and well, [i]wrath[/i], combined with the magical nature of the world has allowed Merihim to 'slip his leash' so to speak. Down below the demon has taken full control of Nelen’s body again and, in the battlefield, is definitely in its element. \"Jeez... I almost feel sorry for the naga.\" she winces as a loud cackling comes from the temple grounds, followed by what appears to be two naga flying out of the temple in about five different directions.\n\nShe hears a loud pounding that sounds rather like what might happen if, say, Drusilla had grabbed two naga, tied their tails together, and began slamming them repeatedly into one of the pillars of the temple. \"Still, heck of a change.” comments Simoni. She watches Stephy swoop low and flap his wings, sending out another icy gust to encase a naga's claws in ice, sending it flailing down to vanish through the trees. \"He does seem... happier this way?\" she tries as Stephy swoops low to watch the naga crash through to the jungle. Happier, maybe with a good dash of the oh-so-fae sadistic tendencies too, but definitely happier.\n\nSimoni stands up and dusts herself off as Dawn walks over, \"Well, looks like they're falling back now.\" she says, holding the end of one of the naga's tails, still frozen. She holds it out to Arja and grins, \"Popsicle?\"\n\nArja smirks at Dawn, \"You're fucked up\" she teases, to which the cat replies “… and you’re observant.” with a grin, tossing the tail at one of the fleeing Naga. \"This was... surprisingly easy...\" mutters Arja, frowning after a moment, \"Where's one eye?\"\n\nSimoni blinks, \"I dunno...\" she replies, and then her eyes widen as she hears a loud, pained yell come from the stairs to the temple. She scrambles to the doorway to see Akul laying on the floor, a pair of large puncture wounds on his upper arm as sweat beads on his faces. Standing over him is the one eyed naga, grinning cruelly as she looks up the stairs towards Simoni and Arja, her fangs red and bloody, the tips still dripping with a thick green liquid.\n\nArja freezes when she sees her fallen grandfather, eyes going huge as she just stares in horror, taking in deep, unsteady breaths. Sammi fires ice blasts at the naga, only to have them brushed aside as she holds up a strange golden arm guard on her right wrist. \"Ssssorry, little thing. I'm protected from the magics of mortalsssss...\" she hisses. Stephy follows suit, his spell also smashing against the shield as she grins up at them, the naga turning to land the killing blow on the aging monkey...\n\n... who isn't there anymore. Dawn appearing behind the group with the wounded old ape, \"Shit shit...\" she yowls, \"He's hurt, bad. I think he's been poisoned. Keep her back! I'll get Nelen!\" she calls to them, disappearing again as Simoni looks back to him, then back at her.\n\nSimoni looks back at him, her breath ragged as her eyes tear up. She remembers when they first met, how kind he was and how welcome he made her feel, how he stood by her when her own grandfather announced his plans to kill both her and Arja, \"How...\" she gulps in air, \"How could you...\" she turns back to the naga, breathing through gritted teeth.\n\n\"I...\" she breathes in deep, \"I'll...\" she shudders, then a faint breeze blows dust along the ground as she glares, her eyes flashing a bright emerald green. \"I won't forgive you for this! I'll claw that other eye out with my talons snake!\" she screeches, the last word turning into a sudden birdlike cry as the tornado around the temple suddenly picks up in speed, the winds howling outside as her hair swirls about her, Simoni glaring in fury at the naga.\n\nArja was still just standing there, breathing harder as she stares at her grandfather in horror before her mouth opens and she lets out a scream of anger. \"EVERY DAY!\" she yells out, eyes huge as she slams her hands on the wall, \"Every day it feels like we're losing more and more and more! Either humans expandingor some feud or this STUPID war with Fullmoon! We were the GUARDIANS of this world and now we're forced into our temples, locked away with demons like you! That's not even good enough though, is it?! Noooo you have to come at us again and again... Now you're HERE, in OUR temple, where OUR father once meditated, and why, because YOUR mother got a raw deal when she tried to defy the gods?!\" As she speaks she just keeps breathing in harder and harder, legs shaking as she sucks in more air, like she was stoking a fire, as her eyes flash gold again, flickering like a match about to light.\n\nDown in the temple proper Merihim, in Nelen's body, is pacing infront of several of the naga, now bruised and bloodied, all the fight beaten out of them. \"Well well well, perhaps you fine young ladies can help me answer a question that's been plaguing me for some time now...\" he grins, flexing his hand as he conjures a tendril of blood, the crimson appendage sprouting several large razor sharp teeth, \"How many licks does it take... TO GET TO THE BRAIN OF A SNAKE-SKINNED BITCH!?\" cackles the demon as Dawn appears next to him.\n\n\"Hey, demon. Hate to interrupt but we need Nelen back, we've got a major problem upstairs.\" she mrowls as he pauses, \"Aww... but I was having fuuuuuuuun...\" he protests as the naga shrink next to each other, eyes staring at the demon possessed mage. He pauses himself, looking up towards the garuda roost as he blinks and sniffs, \"Hm... lovely wrath-y scent coming from up there tho-\"\n\nHe stops in mid-sentence as a loud explosion fills the air, a pillar of fire shooting up from the garuda roost as a small figure is borne aloft in it. \"Oh hey, monkey got her voodoo back.\" he grins, \"Alright alright, let’s go deal with this.\" he rolls his bloodshot eyes, sticking his hands in his pockets as he saunters off, \"Hey dog. Sic 'em.\" he says as the naga look relieved for a moment, then let out a loud hissing shriek as Lupe pounces. \n\nBack upstairs Simoni is floating in the fiery tornado, arms outstretched back into her long emerald feathered wings, her talons clacking as she glares down at the naga leader. Seated on her back is Arja, her body once again coated in red and gold fur, her teeth and claws sharp and iron once more as the flames swirl around them, taking the shape of a large eagle made of fire.\n\nArja was probably smelling quite good to the wrath demon right now, flexing her hands as her iron claws shine in the firelight. Sammi takes the time while she's busy to get behind the snake woman. He wouldn't be able to totally freeze her in time, but he could freeze her tail to the ground, locking her in place as she struggles. The naga could protect herself from damaging spells, but being held was another matter. \"The Monkey King once wiped an entire bloodline of demons from this earth.\" she growls angrily, flames sparking between her iron fangs. \"You're going to wish I was as merciful as he was when I go after your brood...\"\n\nMagic responds to need, it has a sort of sentience of its own and (as some of the more sarcastic magic users would say) a flair for the dramatic. Seeing Arja’s grandfather go down, poisoned by the naga’s fangs, caused the small ember of magic inside Arja to explode into life as Simoni’s own ‘light breeze’ became a hurricane. The naga had hoped to demoralize them, leave the two girls shattered and helpless as she moved in to finish them off. Instead, she gave them their powers back.\n\nSimoni doesn't say anything, focusing all her power on getting Arja a weapon, something good and sharp and nasty. She wanted this to [i]hurt[/i]. Stephy quickly swoops in and snatches Sammi away from the snake as she tries to claw at him, then struggles and pulls at her tail, unable to hold onto the ice for long as a weapon takes shape in Arja's lap. Not just a spear, but a long stick with a huge sword-like blade on the end, all conjured out of shaped flames. As it appears the beak of the giant firebird angles downward, pointing directly at the struggling serpent, the snake’s one eye going wide as it stares up at the pair preparing to attack her.\n\nArja growls faintly as she readies her blade, \"You can endure mortal magic... you're about to face the fire of the gods...\" she snarls before nodding to Simoni, \"Finish this...\"\n\nSimoni doesn't need more than that. She folds her wings and dives, the naga's one eye widening as it pulls frantically on it's tail, the spear pointed right at the serpent's chest.\n\nA huge explosion that rocks the entire temple, then Simoni lands behind where the naga was. The ice is gone, vaporized into steam, all that's left of the naga's queen is some singed bones and a soot stain on the floor. She takes several breaths as she lands, then quickly gets airborne again and flies up to the roost where Akul and Lakshimi are, Nelen/Merihim and Dawn already next to the old ape as the mage looks him over, his bloody red eyes showing that Merihim was still in charge.\n\nArja glares at Nelen's demon possessed form, \"Demon, fix him...\" she demands, still in her monkey form and breathing heavily from her high emotions and the sudden return of her magic.\n\nMerihim looks him over, then turns his back on the old ape, \"Nope. Can't. Sorry kiddo, pop pop is boned.\" replies the demon. \"That naga's venom is naaaaaaaasty, I'd give him a week. Tops.\"\n\nArja growls angrily, grabbing Nelen's shirt collar, \"You have disease and blood powers, the venom is in his blood, how hard is it to rip it out?!\" she snarls, her teeth gnashing inches from the demon possessed mage’s face.\n\nMerihim narrows his eyes, \"On about anyone else? About as hard as breathing... but your gramps is special. He's too pure, halfway to being divine.\" he replies, gesturing to Akul, \"I can't even touch him. Watch.\" he says, pointing at the old ape's arm as he flexes his muscles, a spurt of blood shooting out of his fingertip. It gets within a few inches of the naga's wound before suddenly vanishing in a burst of white fire. \"I'm a demon, he is blessed. YOU do the math princess.\"\n\nArja blinks at that, looking between the demon and her grandfather before giving Nelen a shake, her face looking caught half between anger and sadness as she tries to think of anything that could help. \"There has to be something... he can't just die!\" she yells.\n\nMerihim smirks, sniffing in deep, \"Mmmmm... [i]Love[/i] that scent you're giving off chimpy, but if there is I don't know it. Again, demon. Straight from the fiery bowels of Hell itself. We don't really put much time into researching how to help people.\" he smirks as Simoni puts her hands on Arja's shoulders gently. She's upset too, but she's still calm enough to know that if Arja loses her temper and punches Merihim that it'll be Nelen who winds up with a broken nose. \"Arja... you told me once that your family has alchemists don't they? Maybe they can make an antidote?\"\n\nArja blinks, nodding as she shoots to her feet, \"Yeah... yeah we have alchemists... come on!\" she nods eagerly, moving quickly down the stairs, going down into the basement area of the temple. It was a rather large room, assorted potions and other creations scattered around. Tending to them was a tall, scrawny looking, woman with white fur dressed in a simple cloth shirt and pants. Like Arja's grandfather she had a second face, this one coming out right next to her first one...\n\n… and is sweeping up what looks like the vast majority of their ingredients for making potions and medicine. There's a storeroom in the back for keeping herbs, water, and other more esoteric ingredients, the lock appearing to have been smashed off and the room totally emptied. The actual ingredients are totally wrecked, burned, torn up, and it even looks like they got pissed on! \"Oh no...\" whispers Simoni, covering her mouth with her wings.\n\nOne of the younger apes walks past, his lip split and one of his eyes blackened, but none the less worse for wear. \"You didn't hear yet Lady Arja?\" he asks in hindi, gesturing to the mess, \"The naga struck here first. Your... um... red-eyed friend managed to get one of them to tell us their plans before...\" he tries not to gag at the memory, \"W-well, apparently they had a backup plan in case they started losing. Smash the alchemy shop up and bite everyone they could on the way out.\" he sighs, \"We managed to save the lab itself, but... well....\" he nods to the woman sweeping up the pile again.\n\nArja stares as she looks around, her arms going slack at her sides, \"This was the plan wasn't it? Destroy our alchemy supplies and kill our leaders...\" she whimpers, taking in a deep breath as she shakes her head \"Grandfather is going to die...\" she sobs, taking in a deep breath and shaking a bit before the woman sweeping slowly makes her way over. \"He may not...\" she says in a soft voice from one mouth, the other picking up right after, alternating every few words. \"There may be a way...\" \"Deep in the jungles there are said to be pools...\" \"Sacred pools that Lord Brahma, he who made the first man, bathed in...\" \"When he did he infused them with his powers over life...\" \"And the lotus flowers that blossom in them hold the most focused power...\"\n\nSimoni listens, then nods, \"Yeah...\" she nods to Arja, \"Merihim said your grandfather could last a week right? Seven days for us to fly out to the jungle, get one of those flowers, and bring it back!\" she grins, \"I've flown out into the jungle with you tons of times, we can do that easy!\" she nods as the younger ape coughs, \"Um... Pardon me Simoni... but... she doesn't mean your jungle...\" he explains, \"She means our's... in this world.\" he nods, \"There's far worse than a wild tiger out there.\"\n\nSimoni pauses, remembering the naga, their survivors probably scattering into the forests, and worse creatures that could be hiding, picturing for a moment tusked faces and blue skin. She shudders, but shakes it off and nods firmly, \"We have to risk it. I've got my magic back, I can [i]do[/i] something about this, and I'm going to.\"\n\nArja nods to her, \"We have to, grandfather would do it for any of us.\" she replies, going to gather some armor for herself and a good weapon, \"We can handle this, we're just looking for a sacred pool, if they're that powerful then both of us will be able to feel it from a good distance away...\" \n\n\"And so will any number of other powerful creatures…\" her cousin with the blackened eye adds, making Arja frown, \"Yeah...\" she replies, hesitating for a moment.\n\nSimoni scratches at the floor with her talon, \"I don't care what might be out there! I can't just let him die!\" she shouts, then takes a breath to calm herself down before saying, \"He accepted me. He welcomed me in here even after everything Franklin did trying to get to me...\" she nods, staring at Arja with a determined look, \"We [i]will[/i] save him.\"\n\nArja smiles, patting Simoni's back, \"Yeah, we will. Come on let's get going, no sense waiting around.\" she nods, tying off some armor onto her torso as she reaches for a spear.\n\nSimoni nods, then flies back up to the Garuda's roost to tell the others what they'll be doing and to get herself some weaponry as well. As she's clipping on some steel talon covers Merihim looks over at her, \"So... you two are going to head out into this world's jungle. Damnation kid, you just got your powers back and you're actively trying to kill yourself now? Guess you won't be attending King Kong's funeral...\" he sneers.\n\nAfter Merihim winds up laying on the opposite side of where a wall used to be courtesy of a sudden tornado a rather embarrassed Simoni turns to Dawn, \"When he wakes up, whichever one he is, tell him to keep Sammi and Stephy here, but leave the rest of the guys at the house in case something happens back in the mundane world... and that I'm sorry for blasting him through a wall again... and for, um, smacking you on the head.\" she mutters, then takes flight and heads back to the entrance to the temple to meet up with Arja.\n\nArja takes a breath at the edge of the jungle, looking into the thick canopy spread out before her. She had only been in a few times, in hunting trips, with others. The jungles of India's mystic world were incredibly deadly. Beings like her made civilization, lights in the darkness, and protection but the things that remained in the savage wilds, those were the real horrors of her homeland. \"If you don't want to come... it's ok.\" she says as Simoni lands, \"This is really really dangerous, I won't blame you if you want to stay back in case the Naga come back or something...\"\n\nSimoni looks at Arja, then presses her lips to the ape girls for a long moment before simply replying, \"Get on my back.\" with a smirk, bending down so Arja can climb on.\n\nArja smiles, hopping onto the girl's back, \"Alright then, in we go...\"\n\nSimoni spreads her wings, whistles up a sharp tailwind, and shoots out from the temple, gliding out over a jungle that had never seen the footsteps of mundane humanity, not knowing what dangers the two could face out there and, for one brief moment as she feels the wind under her wings and Arja's weight on her back for the first time since their encounter with Franklin, not caring either.","writing_bbcode_parsed":"Its been just over a month now and neither girl has gotten their magic back. While they still retain their ability to sense supernatural things they have absolutely no power of their own. Right now both Arja and Simoni are in the Supernatural World, at Hanuman's Temple. Nelen suggested that because the world itself is full of magical energy that it may help speed things up, though again he's only guessing.

"The fact is girls," he had said, "I'm grasping at straws here. There are no examples of ANYONE coming this close to being killed by a Mundane Blade and escaping. You two are a unique case as far as I know of. Your magic is still there, but it's barely there... That sword took almost all you had."

Simoni is sitting in one of the meditation rooms of the temple next to Arja, wearing a green silk sari as she usually does when they're home in India, but all she can feel is frustrated. Every time she sees one of her garuda sisters flying, hell every time she sees a bird, she remembers how it felt and feels a pang of loss at having her magic stolen.

Arja sighs softly, dressed in her own red and gold sari, taking in a deep breath as she opens her eyes from her meditation, "Nothing..." she mumbles, shaking her head as she stands.

 "It's there... I can feel it, but I can't reach it, it's like a little ember just out of my arms' reach..." she sighs in disappointment. Simoni nods and leans back on her arms, "I know... Its like I can hear a breeze... but all the windows are shut." she nods, trying to put it into words. She shakes her head, "At least we can still feel it. I mean, Nelen said that if the sword cut us, even a scratch..." she falls silent and shudders at the thought.

As she sits there Lupe runs past outside, chasing after some of the younger monkeys. It was all in play of course, Lupe may not be the brightest of their group but she knew better than to hurt one of Arja's family, even by accident. "Heh, at least we know it can come back though." she nods as the werewolf girl passes, her tail thrashing as she barks like a dog chasing a squirrel.

Arja nods, "We just have to find a way to open it back up, once we do that it'll come back fast." She had gone through nearly everything her people had, though. Meditation, prayer, fasting, chakra alignment, she even left for a couple days on a pilgrimage to a holy site and bathed in the Ganges.

Simoni sighs, "I hope so... if I don't get my wings back soon I'm going to go-" she pauses, looking back out the doorway. She just noticed, but the normally raucous monkeys outside had gone quiet... "... Arja?" she whispers, glancing towards her. Arja frowns, shaking her head, "That's not good…" she mutters as she walks to the door.

Simoni gets to her feet as she walks along behind her, then freezes in mid step as her eyes go wide. A faint hissing sound is coming from somewhere nearby, one that she remembers all too well, that she'd been having nightmares about since her last encounter with one.

"Ssss... poor little bird... ssssomeone clipped her wingssss...." it whispers. Simoni trembles, looking around frantically as she steps closer to Arja.

A second voice joins the first, "Her little friend too... poor monkey lossst her clawsss and fangsss..."

Arja growls, reaching down to grab a weapon as she looks around, "Oh gods, this isn't good..." she whispers, her eyes darting around the room for the source of the voices. It was true before the monkeys could easily keep the remaining Naga at bay but currently, after Clan Fullmoon had launched such a brutal attack on them, the defenses were weak. Simoni just stays close to her. She could barely fight without her magic, her abilities entirely dependent on them, a rather startling oversight given what they've been up against all this time.

"We've been watching you little monkey..." sneers the first voice, "Poor little monkeysss... ssso many got killed... and now sssome more will join them..." taunts the second.

Simoni looks around frantically. Not behind them, not to their left or right, not... She freezes, then grabs Arja and yanks the girl backwards as two snake-like creatures drop down from the rafters right onto where they were standing seconds before.

Before Arja and Simoni are two snake like humanoids with scales for skin, long snake-like tails instead of legs, sharp venomous fangs for canine teeth, and huge reptilian eyes, the Naga of Indian legend. Long-running enemies of the Garuda, the Naga want for nothing more than to wipe out the bird-people.

Arja takes in a breath as the snakes hit the ground right in front where she was standing "Thanks..." she says before raising the staff, "I don't have my powers, but I was still trained to fight, you think I can't take two decrepit old snakes?"

The naga grin at them showing their long snakelike fangs, "Two?" chuckles the first one, the other grinning at Arja as it's large green eyes widen, "Why do you think there'sss just two?" she asks in a taunting voice.

Suddenly a loud crash resounds through the temple, followed by several loud shouts in hindi. Taking the distraction the snakes suddenly surge forward, their hands raised to show razor-sharp claws on the fingers as their mouths stretch unnaturally wide, their fangs aimed forward like spears.

Arja raises her weapon in a sudden defense before, suddenly, the snakes stop, their claws stretching, trying to get the girls, but unable to reach them. Akul, Arja's grandfather, had arrived and was holding both snakes by the neck tightly, keeping them back. In a bit of a paradox her people tended to mellow in age (of course one's talking 'age' in terms of centuries), but they just kept getting stronger. Most elder monkeys (a rather small club thanks to their more erratic youth) tended to become defenders of sacred sites or community leaders, turning their strength to protection rather than aggression as they searched for enlightenment. "Run." he growls from his second face in the back of his head, the normally kind face contorted in rage as he squeezes harder.

Simoni doesn't need more than that. She grabs Arja's arm and her legs almost blur as she dives back through the temple. If they can find a portal they can go home and get help... but it seems the Naga planned this well. Any portal they come across is blocked by at least four or five serpents. As they round another corner another snake sees them and charges, only to be tackled to the ground by Lupe. "No hurt Lupe friends!" she snarls, the werewolf's hands and mouth already covered in blood from the last naga she got ahold of as she wrestles on the ground with the serpent, jaws snapping as she tries to get at its neck.

Arja takes in a breath as she and Simoni run along, looking around for any portal back that wasn't blocked by snakes. "Damn it they have us locked in!" she growls, eyes moving around quickly, starting to look genuinely afraid as she runs through the temple. Eventually, though they find one pool that seems open still, unguarded by Naga. Unfortunately as they get their way over there the water ripples and out surges a huge one-eyed Naga. "Hello little onesssss, I've missssed you..." it hisses, the naga’s other eye a mass of scar tissue on the side of it’s face.

Simoni scrambles backwards as the serpent bursts out of the water, her eyes going wide in terror. She immediately recognizes it as the one from Fahad's maze, and given the aura the serpent is giving off it must be their leader, their nest's queen. She mouths wordlessly at Arja as she tries to push backwards, looking for anywhere safe, any place she can run to, and then the air around the two seems to shimmer as they both feel a hand on their shoulder. A split second later the world inverts as they're pulled through to an empty storeroom, each of them with a hand clamped over their mouths. "Stop squirming dammit!" hisses Dawn in their ears, "The whole temple is full of them. Lupe is on her way back to the house now to get Nelen and the others, just shut up and stay quiet!"

Arja nods, taking in a few deep breaths as she looks around "I don't know if they'll get here in time, we have to go up and help the garuda. The snakes hate us but their real target has to be them."

Simoni nods, still trembling from the sight of the one-eyed naga as Dawn rolls her eyes, "Help them? With what?" she whispers, "You two can't use magic right now remember? What are you gonna do? Hit the naga with sticks and call them names?" she frowns, "Look, I get it, I really do... but all we can do is stay hidden and hope for the best."

Arja shakes her head, "Magic or not, I'm a child of the Monkey God, and we made a pact to defend the Garuda, we have weapons, these are snakes not immortals. We have to help out, can you get us up top?"

Dawn lets out an exasperated sigh, "Can I? Yes. Will I? Hell no. Nelen would skin this cat if I let you two get killed." she mrowls, "We're going to sit here, nice and cozy, until reinforcements arrive." she says in a forceful tone. However, there's a sudden splintering of wood from the entrance as the door crashes in as three sets of snakelike eyes peer into the room. "... wrong reinforcements." eeps Dawn as she quickly teleports them away again, landing inside an old disused part of the Temple now. There's cobwebs and dust everywhere in here, but the sounds of fighting seem further away.

Arja frowns at her as they reappear, "Dawn, these are my people and they're being killed, now twice because of enemies we've made... if you take me one inch further from this I'll never forgive you. Please, this is partially my mess, I can't let my people suffer for it..."

Dawn growls, "You think they won't suffer if you get torn apart by one of those things!?" she spits, "You're just a normal girl now, any one of those snakes is at least ten times as strong as you are! She..." she jabs a claw at Simoni, "... can't fight at all without her magic. There is a difference between letting your people suffer and committing suicide." she frowns, turning her back to them with her tail thrashing around behind her, “And don’t even think of running off because I’ll just find you and teleport you straight back h-“... and then there's a crash as a pot smashes against the back of her head. The cat's eyes go crossed as she mutters, "... erblesmerpble..." before she topples over, falling unconscious.

Simoni winces, having picked up the pot off a shelf to knock her out with. "Sorry Dawn..." she whispers, then takes a deep breath and nods, "Y-you're right Arja. We can't just sit here. I... I'm scared, but... That naga, the one with its eye missing, its after me." she nods, "I ran into it when Fahad was sending us through his maze. She'll follow my scent straight here." she nods, walking to the door and peering outside, "Coast is clear, c'mon." she nods, slipping out of the room.

Meanwhile Dawn 'wakes up' in her dreamscape, then rubs at her head. "Ow ow OW!" she yowls, "Huh, didn't know greenie had it in her..." she frowns, then blinks, "... hm... actually..." she grins, then scampers off through the dreamworld. Dawn, being a Wonderlander, is able to move around inside dreams and even travel to other dreams or dream-worlds while she's asleep (or unconscious). As the two leave she picks up a scent a few weeks old, tasting the smell of fresh fallen snow as she follows it back to it's source.

Arja nods, looking around before grabbing an old looking spear from the wall for defense, having ditched her staff when she got grabbed. "Alright, we go right up to get Lakshmi and her people defended." she replies, looking around as she moves.

Simoni follows behind her, picking up a small dagger. She can't use it properly, hell she probably isn't even holding it right, but if nothing else it might make a naga hesitate long enough for Arja to gouge one of its eyes out. She follows Arja through the temple, trying to avoid the battles breaking out all over it, as they make their way to the roost.

The temple is in complete chaos. The naga are slithering up the walls outside as well as tearing apart the inside, the snakes using tree branches, pillars, and anything they can get a handhold on to climb up as the garuda fight them as best as they can. Their arrows can't do much damage, the snakes reflexes fast enough to dodge them in mid-flight, and any garuda that gets close gets pounced by at least three of the serpents.

The two reach the main hallway leading to the garuda roost as Arja and Simoni wait for a lull in the combat before bolting upwards, scrambling up the stairs as they try to avoid the sight of any naga, "This isn't good, we need something to turn the odds..." Simoni nods, wondering if Dawn may not have had the right idea. "Yeah... but what?" she asks her, "I mean..." she blinks, "... did you just feel a chill?" she asks, looking around.

As she does however several snakes rush up the stairs behind them, hissing as they claw their way towards the girls. Simoni lets out a terrified scream and stumbles backwards as she feels a second cold breeze, and then a sudden blast of super-cold air shoots down from the top of the stairs. The naga let out a shriek as the icy wind cuts into them, sending them flailing backwards, ice and frost forming on their bodies as the thrash around, screaming in fury and pain! Within seconds the naga go still, their bodies rigid and covered in a sheet of ice and snow, literally frozen in place like ice sculptures.

There's a giggle behind them and the girls look up to see two blonde haired boys on the stairs. Sammi, the ice mage they met in Texas, on the left and on the right, another Sammi? It looks like him, but he's got wings and talons like the garuda do, except his wings are white with long blue feathers and his talons appear to be sculpted out of ice. He has long blonde hair braided down his back and glasses over his icy blue eyes. "Hehe, looks like I'm getting the hang of this." he grins at the other boy.

Arja blinks, staring at the two boys, "What the fuck..." she mutters as Sammi fires a blast of ice at another snake, laughing loudly, "Cold blooded, assholes! You won't be walking for a week even in this hot jungle!" he cackles as the other boy rolls his eyes at him. “Sammi, they’re naga. They don’t walk at all. No legs.” he smirks at the ice mage.

The half-bird boy giggles and waves to the pair with one wing, "Hey girls, sorry I wasn't back sooner, but things got kinda busy in Arcadia." he nods as something clicks in Simoni's head, "... Stephy?" she asks, the boy grinning as he flaps up into the air, summoning a swirl of icy wind at the steps below as another wave of serpents comes climbing up, only to suddenly shriek and claw frantically as the steps change from sturdy stone to a sheet of ice, the naga sliding back down and landing at the feet of a group of angry monkeys, all of whom were holding some rather nasty looking weapons. The monkeys didn't know where the ice had come from, but given the situation they'd worry about it later.

As Simoni stands there, jaw hanging, she suddenly feels a sharp pain and doubles over, clutching at the back of her head. Dawn is standing behind her, tail thrashing as she growls, "How do YOU like it?" she hisses, then raises a hand before Arja can yell at her, "Stop." she smirks, then lifts up a carpenter's mallet she found in the storeroom when she woke up, turning to the frozen Naga. "Its hammer time." she grins wickedly as Stephy swoops back in, having helped reduce the snake's numbers on the walls to a more manageable level, though the forest below was still thick with the serpents.

Arja glares at Dawn, but quickly smirks when she sees the hammer, "Alright. You get a pass for now. Start smashing snakes, blondies, we'll deal with all of... this... later, get us a path up."

Stephy nods to Arja as he takes a deep breath, then lets out a shriek like some huge falcon, a blast of hoarfrost shooting outwards from his mouth as the entire passageway gets coated with a sheet of ice. The naga are just as cold-blooded as their snake-like bodies would suggest and frantically scramble out of the way of Stephy's magic, only to get struck by Sammi's more direct spells as the group makes their way upstairs, Dawn following behind and twirling… something frozen and round-ish... on her finger while whistling the Harlem Globetrotter's theme music.

Arja looks at Dawn for a moment, then turns away. "Don't wanna know..." she mutters before pushing the door to Lakshmi's room open, looking around quickly, "You guys ok?"

Simoni nods in agreement, especially when Dawn tosses it into the air and smashes it into powder with a swing of the hammer. As they enter the garuda's nest they find that, at the very least, the naga were being repelled here. Lakshimi, the matron of the garuda, was leading the other bird-folk who were more capable with magic than weaponry in creating a sort of localized tornado around not just the roost but the entire temple, cutting off their reinforcements from outside. The chirps and whistled calls controlling the spell sounding almost tranquil and melodic, akin to birdsong, if not for the occasional scream of a naga losing their grip on the stonework outside and falling to its death in the jungles below.

Arja nods, turning to the two boys. "Sammi... new blond Stephy, man the walls... or femboy the walls I guess, this is your priority ok? We can't let them get the garuda, freeze any snake you see." she nods, looking out the windows to survey the fight.

Stephy nods to her and whips out from the roost. Rather than using it directly against the naga though he aims for the walls themselves, coating as much of it as he can in a thick sheen of ice, then doing a quick twirl in midair and giggling as a good dozen or so naga suddenly slip and tumble to the jungle below, frantically scrabbling at the mirror smooth ice now covering their handholds.

Simoni blinks as she watches him, "... what the heck happened to him?" she mutters, "I mean... the physical change, big whoop. I used to be Irish... but that's shy, quiet, easily embarrassed Stephy?" she murmurs.

Arja smirks a bit, "I don't know, I kinda like it. I mean he still seems like the same guy just… I dunno... you feel more at home as Simoni don't you, ‘Stephanie’?" she teases, driving her spear down into a scrambling Naga's neck, grunting and straining to keep her grip on it before slamming it against the wall to knock it off, "Ugh...so much harder without monkey powers..."

Simoni winces as Arja spears the naga, rolling her eyes at the girl, and nodding. "Yeah, I do." she smiles a bit, then almost jumps as a sudden wave of emotion (no better word for it) comes from below. She ducks to the edge of the temple and looks down, then mutters, "Oh jeez..."

Down below the cavalry has arrived, Nelen and the others coming up through the portal, and it seems that all the high emotions, specifically ones like rage, anger, and well, wrath, combined with the magical nature of the world has allowed Merihim to 'slip his leash' so to speak. Down below the demon has taken full control of Nelen’s body again and, in the battlefield, is definitely in its element. "Jeez... I almost feel sorry for the naga." she winces as a loud cackling comes from the temple grounds, followed by what appears to be two naga flying out of the temple in about five different directions.

She hears a loud pounding that sounds rather like what might happen if, say, Drusilla had grabbed two naga, tied their tails together, and began slamming them repeatedly into one of the pillars of the temple. "Still, heck of a change.” comments Simoni. She watches Stephy swoop low and flap his wings, sending out another icy gust to encase a naga's claws in ice, sending it flailing down to vanish through the trees. "He does seem... happier this way?" she tries as Stephy swoops low to watch the naga crash through to the jungle. Happier, maybe with a good dash of the oh-so-fae sadistic tendencies too, but definitely happier.

Simoni stands up and dusts herself off as Dawn walks over, "Well, looks like they're falling back now." she says, holding the end of one of the naga's tails, still frozen. She holds it out to Arja and grins, "Popsicle?"

Arja smirks at Dawn, "You're fucked up" she teases, to which the cat replies “… and you’re observant.” with a grin, tossing the tail at one of the fleeing Naga. "This was... surprisingly easy..." mutters Arja, frowning after a moment, "Where's one eye?"

Simoni blinks, "I dunno..." she replies, and then her eyes widen as she hears a loud, pained yell come from the stairs to the temple. She scrambles to the doorway to see Akul laying on the floor, a pair of large puncture wounds on his upper arm as sweat beads on his faces. Standing over him is the one eyed naga, grinning cruelly as she looks up the stairs towards Simoni and Arja, her fangs red and bloody, the tips still dripping with a thick green liquid.

Arja freezes when she sees her fallen grandfather, eyes going huge as she just stares in horror, taking in deep, unsteady breaths. Sammi fires ice blasts at the naga, only to have them brushed aside as she holds up a strange golden arm guard on her right wrist. "Ssssorry, little thing. I'm protected from the magics of mortalsssss..." she hisses. Stephy follows suit, his spell also smashing against the shield as she grins up at them, the naga turning to land the killing blow on the aging monkey...

... who isn't there anymore. Dawn appearing behind the group with the wounded old ape, "Shit shit..." she yowls, "He's hurt, bad. I think he's been poisoned. Keep her back! I'll get Nelen!" she calls to them, disappearing again as Simoni looks back to him, then back at her.

Simoni looks back at him, her breath ragged as her eyes tear up. She remembers when they first met, how kind he was and how welcome he made her feel, how he stood by her when her own grandfather announced his plans to kill both her and Arja, "How..." she gulps in air, "How could you..." she turns back to the naga, breathing through gritted teeth.

"I..." she breathes in deep, "I'll..." she shudders, then a faint breeze blows dust along the ground as she glares, her eyes flashing a bright emerald green. "I won't forgive you for this! I'll claw that other eye out with my talons snake!" she screeches, the last word turning into a sudden birdlike cry as the tornado around the temple suddenly picks up in speed, the winds howling outside as her hair swirls about her, Simoni glaring in fury at the naga.

Arja was still just standing there, breathing harder as she stares at her grandfather in horror before her mouth opens and she lets out a scream of anger. "EVERY DAY!" she yells out, eyes huge as she slams her hands on the wall, "Every day it feels like we're losing more and more and more! Either humans expandingor some feud or this STUPID war with Fullmoon! We were the GUARDIANS of this world and now we're forced into our temples, locked away with demons like you! That's not even good enough though, is it?! Noooo you have to come at us again and again... Now you're HERE, in OUR temple, where OUR father once meditated, and why, because YOUR mother got a raw deal when she tried to defy the gods?!" As she speaks she just keeps breathing in harder and harder, legs shaking as she sucks in more air, like she was stoking a fire, as her eyes flash gold again, flickering like a match about to light.

Down in the temple proper Merihim, in Nelen's body, is pacing infront of several of the naga, now bruised and bloodied, all the fight beaten out of them. "Well well well, perhaps you fine young ladies can help me answer a question that's been plaguing me for some time now..." he grins, flexing his hand as he conjures a tendril of blood, the crimson appendage sprouting several large razor sharp teeth, "How many licks does it take... TO GET TO THE BRAIN OF A SNAKE-SKINNED BITCH!?" cackles the demon as Dawn appears next to him.

"Hey, demon. Hate to interrupt but we need Nelen back, we've got a major problem upstairs." she mrowls as he pauses, "Aww... but I was having fuuuuuuuun..." he protests as the naga shrink next to each other, eyes staring at the demon possessed mage. He pauses himself, looking up towards the garuda roost as he blinks and sniffs, "Hm... lovely wrath-y scent coming from up there tho-"

He stops in mid-sentence as a loud explosion fills the air, a pillar of fire shooting up from the garuda roost as a small figure is borne aloft in it. "Oh hey, monkey got her voodoo back." he grins, "Alright alright, let’s go deal with this." he rolls his bloodshot eyes, sticking his hands in his pockets as he saunters off, "Hey dog. Sic 'em." he says as the naga look relieved for a moment, then let out a loud hissing shriek as Lupe pounces.

Back upstairs Simoni is floating in the fiery tornado, arms outstretched back into her long emerald feathered wings, her talons clacking as she glares down at the naga leader. Seated on her back is Arja, her body once again coated in red and gold fur, her teeth and claws sharp and iron once more as the flames swirl around them, taking the shape of a large eagle made of fire.

Arja was probably smelling quite good to the wrath demon right now, flexing her hands as her iron claws shine in the firelight. Sammi takes the time while she's busy to get behind the snake woman. He wouldn't be able to totally freeze her in time, but he could freeze her tail to the ground, locking her in place as she struggles. The naga could protect herself from damaging spells, but being held was another matter. "The Monkey King once wiped an entire bloodline of demons from this earth." she growls angrily, flames sparking between her iron fangs. "You're going to wish I was as merciful as he was when I go after your brood..."

Magic responds to need, it has a sort of sentience of its own and (as some of the more sarcastic magic users would say) a flair for the dramatic. Seeing Arja’s grandfather go down, poisoned by the naga’s fangs, caused the small ember of magic inside Arja to explode into life as Simoni’s own ‘light breeze’ became a hurricane. The naga had hoped to demoralize them, leave the two girls shattered and helpless as she moved in to finish them off. Instead, she gave them their powers back.

Simoni doesn't say anything, focusing all her power on getting Arja a weapon, something good and sharp and nasty. She wanted this to hurt. Stephy quickly swoops in and snatches Sammi away from the snake as she tries to claw at him, then struggles and pulls at her tail, unable to hold onto the ice for long as a weapon takes shape in Arja's lap. Not just a spear, but a long stick with a huge sword-like blade on the end, all conjured out of shaped flames. As it appears the beak of the giant firebird angles downward, pointing directly at the struggling serpent, the snake’s one eye going wide as it stares up at the pair preparing to attack her.

Arja growls faintly as she readies her blade, "You can endure mortal magic... you're about to face the fire of the gods..." she snarls before nodding to Simoni, "Finish this..."

Simoni doesn't need more than that. She folds her wings and dives, the naga's one eye widening as it pulls frantically on it's tail, the spear pointed right at the serpent's chest.

A huge explosion that rocks the entire temple, then Simoni lands behind where the naga was. The ice is gone, vaporized into steam, all that's left of the naga's queen is some singed bones and a soot stain on the floor. She takes several breaths as she lands, then quickly gets airborne again and flies up to the roost where Akul and Lakshimi are, Nelen/Merihim and Dawn already next to the old ape as the mage looks him over, his bloody red eyes showing that Merihim was still in charge.

Arja glares at Nelen's demon possessed form, "Demon, fix him..." she demands, still in her monkey form and breathing heavily from her high emotions and the sudden return of her magic.

Merihim looks him over, then turns his back on the old ape, "Nope. Can't. Sorry kiddo, pop pop is boned." replies the demon. "That naga's venom is naaaaaaaasty, I'd give him a week. Tops."

Arja growls angrily, grabbing Nelen's shirt collar, "You have disease and blood powers, the venom is in his blood, how hard is it to rip it out?!" she snarls, her teeth gnashing inches from the demon possessed mage’s face.

Merihim narrows his eyes, "On about anyone else? About as hard as breathing... but your gramps is special. He's too pure, halfway to being divine." he replies, gesturing to Akul, "I can't even touch him. Watch." he says, pointing at the old ape's arm as he flexes his muscles, a spurt of blood shooting out of his fingertip. It gets within a few inches of the naga's wound before suddenly vanishing in a burst of white fire. "I'm a demon, he is blessed. YOU do the math princess."

Arja blinks at that, looking between the demon and her grandfather before giving Nelen a shake, her face looking caught half between anger and sadness as she tries to think of anything that could help. "There has to be something... he can't just die!" she yells.

Merihim smirks, sniffing in deep, "Mmmmm... Love that scent you're giving off chimpy, but if there is I don't know it. Again, demon. Straight from the fiery bowels of Hell itself. We don't really put much time into researching how to help people." he smirks as Simoni puts her hands on Arja's shoulders gently. She's upset too, but she's still calm enough to know that if Arja loses her temper and punches Merihim that it'll be Nelen who winds up with a broken nose. "Arja... you told me once that your family has alchemists don't they? Maybe they can make an antidote?"

Arja blinks, nodding as she shoots to her feet, "Yeah... yeah we have alchemists... come on!" she nods eagerly, moving quickly down the stairs, going down into the basement area of the temple. It was a rather large room, assorted potions and other creations scattered around. Tending to them was a tall, scrawny looking, woman with white fur dressed in a simple cloth shirt and pants. Like Arja's grandfather she had a second face, this one coming out right next to her first one...

… and is sweeping up what looks like the vast majority of their ingredients for making potions and medicine. There's a storeroom in the back for keeping herbs, water, and other more esoteric ingredients, the lock appearing to have been smashed off and the room totally emptied. The actual ingredients are totally wrecked, burned, torn up, and it even looks like they got pissed on! "Oh no..." whispers Simoni, covering her mouth with her wings.

One of the younger apes walks past, his lip split and one of his eyes blackened, but none the less worse for wear. "You didn't hear yet Lady Arja?" he asks in hindi, gesturing to the mess, "The naga struck here first. Your... um... red-eyed friend managed to get one of them to tell us their plans before..." he tries not to gag at the memory, "W-well, apparently they had a backup plan in case they started losing. Smash the alchemy shop up and bite everyone they could on the way out." he sighs, "We managed to save the lab itself, but... well...." he nods to the woman sweeping up the pile again.

Arja stares as she looks around, her arms going slack at her sides, "This was the plan wasn't it? Destroy our alchemy supplies and kill our leaders..." she whimpers, taking in a deep breath as she shakes her head "Grandfather is going to die..." she sobs, taking in a deep breath and shaking a bit before the woman sweeping slowly makes her way over. "He may not..." she says in a soft voice from one mouth, the other picking up right after, alternating every few words. "There may be a way..." "Deep in the jungles there are said to be pools..." "Sacred pools that Lord Brahma, he who made the first man, bathed in..." "When he did he infused them with his powers over life..." "And the lotus flowers that blossom in them hold the most focused power..."

Simoni listens, then nods, "Yeah..." she nods to Arja, "Merihim said your grandfather could last a week right? Seven days for us to fly out to the jungle, get one of those flowers, and bring it back!" she grins, "I've flown out into the jungle with you tons of times, we can do that easy!" she nods as the younger ape coughs, "Um... Pardon me Simoni... but... she doesn't mean your jungle..." he explains, "She means our's... in this world." he nods, "There's far worse than a wild tiger out there."

Simoni pauses, remembering the naga, their survivors probably scattering into the forests, and worse creatures that could be hiding, picturing for a moment tusked faces and blue skin. She shudders, but shakes it off and nods firmly, "We have to risk it. I've got my magic back, I can do something about this, and I'm going to."

Arja nods to her, "We have to, grandfather would do it for any of us." she replies, going to gather some armor for herself and a good weapon, "We can handle this, we're just looking for a sacred pool, if they're that powerful then both of us will be able to feel it from a good distance away..."

"And so will any number of other powerful creatures…" her cousin with the blackened eye adds, making Arja frown, "Yeah..." she replies, hesitating for a moment.

Simoni scratches at the floor with her talon, "I don't care what might be out there! I can't just let him die!" she shouts, then takes a breath to calm herself down before saying, "He accepted me. He welcomed me in here even after everything Franklin did trying to get to me..." she nods, staring at Arja with a determined look, "We will save him."

Arja smiles, patting Simoni's back, "Yeah, we will. Come on let's get going, no sense waiting around." she nods, tying off some armor onto her torso as she reaches for a spear.

Simoni nods, then flies back up to the Garuda's roost to tell the others what they'll be doing and to get herself some weaponry as well. As she's clipping on some steel talon covers Merihim looks over at her, "So... you two are going to head out into this world's jungle. Damnation kid, you just got your powers back and you're actively trying to kill yourself now? Guess you won't be attending King Kong's funeral..." he sneers.

After Merihim winds up laying on the opposite side of where a wall used to be courtesy of a sudden tornado a rather embarrassed Simoni turns to Dawn, "When he wakes up, whichever one he is, tell him to keep Sammi and Stephy here, but leave the rest of the guys at the house in case something happens back in the mundane world... and that I'm sorry for blasting him through a wall again... and for, um, smacking you on the head." she mutters, then takes flight and heads back to the entrance to the temple to meet up with Arja.

Arja takes a breath at the edge of the jungle, looking into the thick canopy spread out before her. She had only been in a few times, in hunting trips, with others. The jungles of India's mystic world were incredibly deadly. Beings like her made civilization, lights in the darkness, and protection but the things that remained in the savage wilds, those were the real horrors of her homeland. "If you don't want to come... it's ok." she says as Simoni lands, "This is really really dangerous, I won't blame you if you want to stay back in case the Naga come back or something..."

Simoni looks at Arja, then presses her lips to the ape girls for a long moment before simply replying, "Get on my back." with a smirk, bending down so Arja can climb on.

Arja smiles, hopping onto the girl's back, "Alright then, in we go..."

Simoni spreads her wings, whistles up a sharp tailwind, and shoots out from the temple, gliding out over a jungle that had never seen the footsteps of mundane humanity, not knowing what dangers the two could face out there and, for one brief moment as she feels the wind under her wings and Arja's weight on her back for the first time since their encounter with Franklin, not caring either.","pools_count":0,"title":"Part 1.17: Old Enemies","deleted":"f","public":"t","mimetype":"application/msword","pagecount":"1","rating_id":"2","rating_name":"Adult","ratings":[{"content_tag_id":"5","name":"Strong Violence","description":"Strong violence, blood, serious injury or death","rating_id":"2"}],"submission_type_id":"12","type_name":"Writing - Document","guest_block":"t","friends_only":"f","comments_count":"0","views":"35","sales_description":null,"forsale":"f","digitalsales":"f","printsales":"f","digital_price":""}