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Akul Akul Akul... A fine Indian name that is a tribute to the god Shiva, and is also the name of Arja's grandfather.\n\nI HAVE NO IDEA WHY IT TOOK SO DAMN LONG FOR US TO GIVE HIM A NAME! 8D\n\nBut yah, Arja's grandpappy finally has a name. Akul. No surname, it's Arja's [i]mother[/i] that's related to him by blood, not her dad. He's not a 'Barjar' himself.\n\nThis one was a neat one though. We've had little forays into the Supernatural Realms of our little story we're building. A couple trips into the surreality of the Nightside (credit to the very very talented Simon R Green for that. Love your stuff Simon!), a trip down into the darkness of the Underworld (we are but poor geeks White Wolf games, please don't sue us...), and so on... but this is the first time the girls have explored, well, the first bit of the supernatural world we really saw. The Supernatural reflection of India was introduced as a concept waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in Part 2, but we never did much beyond the temple itself.\n\nI let my partner cover most of the stuff here. He's a total geek for Hindu mythology, and he did a damn fine job here. The serpent was a neat twist too. I was going to have Arja and Simoni get ambushed by a group of Rakshasa out for revenge against the one who killed their brother in the mundane world and have them get rescued from those by Morrigan in disguise, but this worked out much better and gave us a look at one of the more interesting creatures of Indian legend.\n\nAnd yes, that part that the ghost of the Fullmoon Warrior was talking about is going to come up very soon.... extremely soon... infact, its quite possible that the next story arc will take place in the United Kingdom.\n\nWhat will the group do? Well, its quite likely that the will ride... [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4tWBILtrSU]to Camelot![/url] ","description_bbcode_parsed":"Akul... Akul Akul Akul... A fine Indian name that is a tribute to the god Shiva, and is also the name of Arja's grandfather.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHY IT TOOK SO DAMN LONG FOR US TO GIVE HIM A NAME! 8D
But yah, Arja's grandpappy finally has a name. Akul. No surname, it's Arja's mother that's related to him by blood, not her dad. He's not a 'Barjar' himself.
This one was a neat one though. We've had little forays into the Supernatural Realms of our little story we're building. A couple trips into the surreality of the Nightside (credit to the very very talented Simon R Green for that. Love your stuff Simon!), a trip down into the darkness of the Underworld (we are but poor geeks White Wolf games, please don't sue us...), and so on... but this is the first time the girls have explored, well, the first bit of the supernatural world we really saw. The Supernatural reflection of India was introduced as a concept waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in Part 2, but we never did much beyond the temple itself.
I let my partner cover most of the stuff here. He's a total geek for Hindu mythology, and he did a damn fine job here. The serpent was a neat twist too. I was going to have Arja and Simoni get ambushed by a group of Rakshasa out for revenge against the one who killed their brother in the mundane world and have them get rescued from those by Morrigan in disguise, but this worked out much better and gave us a look at one of the more interesting creatures of Indian legend.
And yes, that part that the ghost of the Fullmoon Warrior was talking about is going to come up very soon.... extremely soon... infact, its quite possible that the next story arc will take place in the United Kingdom.
What will the group do? Well, its quite likely that the will ride... to Camelot! ","writing":"Our story begins about a half hour after the girls have left Hanuman’s Temple for the jungles of the Supernatural World. As of now Akul, Arja’s grandfather, lays on what may be his death bed. He has been bitten by the leader of the naga who attacked the temple, the venom of the naga queen powerful enough to even overpower the ancient warrior.\n\nTo make matters worse, Merihim can’t remove it from his bloodstream. Akul is an ancient being, almost two hundred years old, and is enlightened among his people… which to Merihim’s demonic nature is the same as being divine or blessed. The demon can’t even touch him.\n\nThe naga had destroyed all of the temple’s alchemical reagents to try to keep the monkeys from brewing an antidote for those who were bitten by the naga, but the head alchemist proposed a solution. In the deepest parts of the Supernatural World’s jungles there are hidden springs tied to the gods of India. In those springs grow lotus flowers with incredible magical powers, blessed by the gods themselves. If Arja and Simoni can find one and return with it the flower may be enough to save Akul.\n\nHowever, Merihim had told them that Akul lives on borrowed time. The naga’s venom will kill him within a week at most, and the jungles of the Supernatural World are dangerous even for a band of trained warrior apes or a flock of skilled garuda archers, much less a lone ape girl and her garuda companion.\n\nSimoni glides over the dense jungle canopy, the temple now barely a speck behind them as the trees whip past below her. She whistles up another tailwind and glances back at Arja, \"Y'know, the thought occurs to me that we probably should have asked for a general idea of where that spring actually is before we left.\" she says to the ape-girl riding along on her back, flapping her wings to gain altitude.\n\nDawn, Sammi, and Stephy had stayed at the temple to help guard against any naga who might want to try their luck again, along with Nelen when he wakes back up... hopefully him anyways. He can plan better than Merihim who's general battle strategy seems to be shoot first, shoot later, shoot some more, and then when everyone is dead keep shooting because fuck questions. Dawn had promised Simoni on the way out that she and Nelen would do whatever they could to keep Akul, Arja's grandfather alive while they were gone, but the simple fact is that he was bitten by a naga queen. The other snakes he may be able to fend off, but her venom was deadly even for a being of his strength. He was on borrowed time and without the lotus that the alchemist spoke of... well, Simoni tried not to think too hard on that.\n\nArja nods, \"Well like I said they're sources of great power, we should be able to feel one near us...\" she replies, looking around slowly. \"Can't see anything through these trees though...\"\n\nSimoni glances back at her, \"Yeah, but they said that they tend to be in the deepest parts of the jungle too... I think we're going to be flying for a while...\" she sighs, trying to sense something, anything that could even feel like one of those. \n\nSimoni frowns, the truth is they had, maybe, three days to find one. Three days out, three days to return with it... beyond that... \"Ugh, I guess it wouldn't be easy huh?\" she frowns, looking down at the canopy as she finds herself wondering just what could be down there. Rakshasa would be the biggest threat, while naga... her expression hardens, after what happened at the temple she wasn't afraid of them anymore. Rather, the naga should fear what happens if she finds one of their number.\n\nArja nods, \"Yea, we need to be fast here... I hate to say it but we may have to dip down further, maybe we can find a camp or something we can ask around in, I don't think just flying blind will help...\"\n\nSimoni frowns but nods as well, she'd been hoping that they could avoid that but the memory of the old ape barely conscious and in pain as the venom burned through him spurs her onwards. She angles down, aiming for a clearing in the trees, as she starts to descend. She circles a bit, trying to see if it's safe, then swoops lower and settles onto the forest floor, letting Arja climb off her as she looks around.\n\nSimoni’s fears aren’t unfounded. The jungles of the Supernatural World’s India are full of not only creatures like the naga and rakshasa, but even more powerful beings that mankind has forgotten all about. There’s almost no telling what the pair could run into in this world.\n\nArja wraps one of her hands in fire, giving her some good visibility in the dark jungle, the area seemed empty for now. \"Alright, look for lights, they may not be civilization but anything smart enough to make a camp in this jungle at least can be talked to…\" she says, walking along the way slowly.\n\nShe nods, feathers molting as she shifts back into her human form. While good for flying, she can't walk very well with knees that bend the wrong way. She slips her talon covers off her now human toes and puts on a pair of sandals in their place, then takes out the small dagger she found in the storeroom where Dawn had taken them during the attack. Again, she can barely use it, but if nothing else it serves as a warning to anything that might consider attacking. She follows behind Arja, keeping her ears open for any strange sounds.\n\nArja looks around slowly as she walks, \"Come on... come on...\" she says before her eyes are drawn to small glowing orbs in the distance \"There!\" she says, smiling as she nods to them \"Let's go!\" she grins, moving quickly in their direction, still keeping her fire ready just in case of course.\n\nSimoni nods, ready to whistle up anything from a stunning gust to an entire windstorm just incase as the two head towards the lights, their feet smacking against the hard dirt as they jog forwards. Even as they run Simoni begins to realize just how different the jungle here is from the one back in the mundane world. The whole forest seems... if not sentient, then at least aware of them. As if the trees are somehow watching them pass by. She even thinks she sees something akin to faces or at least eyes, but when she glances again it's nothing more than an odd pattern in the knots on the wood.\n\nArja slows when she gets closer, looking around the area slowly as it comes into view. It's a massive looking tent set up, looking like it was sewn together with multiple huge tiger hides... well not a Rakshasa camp at least. There were motes of glowing red light hovering around it, casting an eerie light over the huge figure sitting in front of a raging fire cooking the tigers that used to be wearing those hides. He had to be fifty feet tall, his skin bright red, shining in the camp light like it was metal... His head was fat and bald, and his eyes were bright yellow like Arja's. When he grinned he revealed a mouth full of curved tusks all sticking out beyond his lips. \"Demon…\" Arja whispers, \"But he doesn't seem to be dangerous... yet.\"\n\nSimoni eeps at the sight. She'd seen a Rakshasa before, hell she'd almost had her spine broken by that one, but this one was HUGE. The one they'd fought had been ten feet tall, tops. This one was five times that size at least. \"... there's ones that aren't?\" she whispers back, moving closer to the ape-girl as she looks up at the massive red-skinned creature.\n\nArja shrugs lightly, \"Demons aren't a pleasant people, but they're sentient, they have their own agendas and goals and all. Rakshasa are a powerful kind of demon but they're not the only ones... let's see what this guy is.\" She says, taking a breath before walking into the light, still in her monkey form. \"Hello there, nice hunt you seem to have had, spare a bite for a couple girls on a hunt of our own?\" she calls out to the demon with a wide smile.\n\nThe demon pauses, looking the pair over before bursting out laughing loudly. \"Far from your temple aren't you little ones?\" he teases, shaking his head a bit, \"If you're in this jungle alone you're either brave or foolish, regardless, entertaining! Come over here, eat what you like...\"\n\nSimoni hesitates, but he doesn't [i]seem[/i] like he's going to attack them, at least at the moment. Still, she lets Arja make the first move, then follows suit. After all, she grew up around here, she'd know best what to do in this sort of situation.\n\nThe demon chuckles softly as Arja makes her way over, tearing a hunk of tiger off and chewing it happily. \"I'm Arja Barjar, descendant of the Monkey King, my sister Simoni here is a Garuda as you can see. As you guessed we come from the temple nearby, you've heard of it?\" she says to the demon, introducing the pair.\n\nThe demon laughs loudly at that, nodding, \"The monkeys and their bird friends keep this area safe, drive the tigers away, keep them in the jungle, where I can eat them!\" he laughs again, the whole area seeming to shake as he stomps his feet, \"Your kin may not have much love for me, but I am happy for you!\"\n\nSimoni shrugs, it seems this demon is perfectly content so long as he has plenty of tigers to stuff himself with. \"Yes, um... we're travelling right now, looking for one of the sacred pools that Lord Brahma bathed in. Our temple was recently attacked by a naga tribe and one of our leaders was poisoned by their queen.\" she says, lowering her guard a bit. \"We need a lotus from it to heal him but... we don't know where to find one.\" she explains.\n\nThe demon nods at that, ripping the leg off one of the tigers to gnaw on, \"Mhm... those are rare sites, most have long been tapped out...\" he muses before slowly standing, \"I do not know of one, but I know where one [i]could[/i] be... but I need to know you are worthy...\"\n\nSimoni raises her eyebrow at that. \"And... how would you know if we are worthy?\" she asks, getting a terrible suspicion as to how such a creature would measure worth.\n\nHe grins wider, \"I am Akuru, he who's skin has broken ten thousand blades!\" he laughs, arms stretching out, \"Draw blood from me and I'll know you are worthy of such a blessing!\"\n\nSimoni looks closely at the demon, realizing now that his skin didn't just [i]look[/i] like metal, it WAS metal! This demon looked like he could turn aside any normal weapon without so much as a dent on his body. \"Hm...\" she thinks, \"Just draw blood?\" she asks.\n\nHe nods, \"Just draw blood from me and I will help you as best I can!\" he grins, Arja raising a brow as she looks to Simoni, \"Have an idea?\" she asks.\n\nSimoni thinks, \"Well... I might...\" she replies, then starts to whistle as wind swirls around her hand. She makes a complex melody, the wind swirling faster and faster as the demon watches, then suddenly she jabs out with her hand, pointing two fingers at Akuru's nose. The wind, now moving so fast as to make it's own sharp whistle, shapes itself into a small round ball about the size of a marble and, in a split second launches forward and shoots straight up the demon's left nostril with the force of a gunshot!\n\nThe Demon looks curiously as he watches Simoni work, seeming genuinely intrigued about this (Demons, regardless of alignment, loved games, he obviously saw this as one big game… Merihim too, but his idea of a game was to gut someone who annoyed him and skip rope with their intestines) before the wind strikes inside his nose, his head snapping back from the force of the impact! Still, when his head raises back into place, he's grinning wide as blood is indeed trailing down his upper lip. Not a lot, if this was a real attack he'd hardly care, but it was blood! \"Well done little one! I've seen grown Garuda who couldn't control air that deeply!\" he laughs, wiping his blood off his lip, \"I suppose then I must help.\"\n\nSimoni blushes a bit as Akuru praises her, then grins at Arja, \"Yeah... after the last month I had an entire list of 'first thing I wanna try when I can use magic again'...\" she admits, \"Nothing like being stuck as a mundane to give you new spell ideas...\" she shrugs, then looks to the demon, \"So... you said you know where one 'could' be?\" she asks.\n\nHe nods, sitting back down as Arja grins, \"Nice job Simoni.\" she smiles, patting the girl's back before offering her a hunk of tiger. \"As I said I'm not sure, but I know a possibility. North west of here, about five miles, there's an ancient shrine where it's said Parvati, divine wife of Shiva…\" he smirks, pausing at that and looking to Arja, \"I suppose your ancient grandmother then if one were to look at it the right way... bathed herself for the first time when she was reborn from her original form Sati... do you know that tale, girls?\"\n\nSimoni nods a bit, \"Yeah, I think I heard Lakshimi, um... not the goddess, she's the matron of my flock, anyways, she told it to us before a while back.\" she replies, remembering a bit of it here and there. Truth is she'd just become a proper garuda and one of the boy garuda at the temple had been flirting with her over her newly green plumage. She had been flattered, but, well... he had nothing on Arja.\n\nArja chuckles softly, then recounts the tale that she’s probably heard many times since infantcy, \"Sati was the daughter of Daksha, one of Brahma's sons. She married Shiva against his will and in spite Daksha refused to invite Shiva to a major ceremony of flame. Shiva in turn didn't go on his own, and Sati was so humiliated by the actions of her husband and father she committed suicide by fire... Shiva went into a deep depression when that happened, until she was reborn as Parvati and they were reunited.\" The demon nods \"Mhm! Indeed, and this spring turned shrine is, according to legend, where she bathed herself clean of her old body's ashes. The ashes of the woman Lord Brahma's Son caused to kill herself with his pride? I suppose that would be a place he would bless...old man always did have a soft spot... never understood it myself.\"\n\nSimoni nods, \"Well, if that's the place we'd better hurry.\" she says, sounding a bit relieved. Five miles is nothing for her to fly, they could be back by tomorrow easily. \"Thank you so much Akuru!\" she smiles at the large demon, shifting back into her garuda form as she bends down for Arja to climb onto her.\n\nHe nods \"Best of luck young ones, as I said the monkeys and myself aren't exactly friends, but if the old man is the one keeping them defending the area, he's feeding me\" he laughs as Arja mounts Simoni, nodding \"Let's go!\"\n\nSimoni shoots up into the air as she whistles a gust of wind under her wings. She glances up at the sun to find which way is northwest, then angles towards it and soars off into the sky, conjuring herself a tailwind. \"Huh... guess rakshasa aren't so bad as long as they're well fed.\" she giggles, the trees swishing past under the pair as she gathers up as big a gust behind them as she can without losing control, trying to sense out where the spring could be...\n\nArja nods, \"Yea they're pretty primal, keep their base urges filled and... NGH!\" she gasps suddenly, eyes crossing as she slumps over on Simoni's back!\n\nSimoni yelps and quickly slows, righting herself in midair to keep her from falling off, \"Arja?! Whats wrong?!\" she gasps, unable to look back at her entirely as she tries to keep the pair aloft with the sudden weight shift.\nArja blinks as she slowly sits up, \"There's something powerful... there…\" she says in a suddenly weary voice, pointing down, about where the demon described the location of the spring.\n\nSimoni looks down, trying to focus on what's down there, \"I don't feel anything...\" she murmurs, but angles \ndownwards regardless. If it is the spring she can't pass up the chance to find it, and if it isn't the spring, well... nothing says she has to land.\n\nArja groans as she looks down. There was a shrine, and a small lake, but no flowers. Instead, right by it was a massive cave, with a tall, old, man with bright blue skin holding what looks like a tablet computer in his hand. In front of the cave is what looks like a huge line of people, all calmly waiting their turn to enter the cave. \"Oh gods...\" Arja murmurs, still feeling loopy. Simoni began to feel it too, the man was giving off a very powerful aura, and the cave was absolutely saturated in magic. \"Set us down... he'll know where we need to go... ugh…\" she groans.\n\nSimoni wobbles a bit, but manages to land, shaking her head as she shifts back to her human form, \"He? Arja... who is that?\" she asks, rubbing at her temples as her eyes begin to ache, \"... and why does he have mundane tech here of all places?\" she asks again.\n\nArja grunts lightly, sounding suddenly exhausted, \"That's Yama... the god of the Underworld... I guess he upgraded...\" she says, taking in a deep breath as she seems to be focusing herself. Nearby a massive black bull grazes on the grass. After a bit of breathing Arja seems to be standing much more steady as the blue man doesn't even look over at the pair, or the line of people filtering in the cave, simply looking at his tablet, sweeping his finger over it as each person enters.\n\nSimoni nods, recognizing the sensation now. The entropic energy of the Underworld is sapping her strength just as it had after their impromptu train ride back in Texas. \"Ugh... no wonder you almost fainted.\" she mutters, trying to shake off the effects of the gateway. The culture and god may be different, but the underworld is the underworld and unless you're dead, undead, or somewhere in between like a Sin Eater then just being near it will leave you weak and exhausted.\n\nArja nods, walking over to him slowly, \"Yama.\" she says, oddly enough she takes a much more direct and assertive tone with this god than she did with the demon. \"I've come seeking your help.\" she nods, putting as much bravado in her voice as she can as the old man looks up from his tablet slowly, the line coming to a stop when he does. \"Another one of the monkey's spawn...\" he mumbles, his voice soft but haughty, \"Not in line... improvement over most of your kin that calls my name...\"\n\nSimoni wobbles a bit as she follows her, then glances over the line and winces, seeing a few familiar faces waiting to enter. So many of the guardians of the temple had died in the past month, but seeing it like this really shook the poor girl. Especially as the shades of more than a few naga glare at her with what's left of their faces. The shades of the dead bear the wounds that killed them and Merihim did love to go for the eyes.\n\nAs the pair got closer what was on his tablet was more clear, it looked like he had an app open, the image of a set of scales on the screen with a red and green light currently dim over it. He looks down after a moment, swiping the scale as a young man passes through, the green light flashing. \"I have work to do...\" he says simply, \"Your little war has made my work even longer...\" he adds, the red light flashing as a naga slithers in, \"I must weigh the deeds of all of these souls, and decide if they are to advance or fall in the reincarnation cycle, I do not have time for monkey games...\"\n\nSimoni shakes off a bit of the entropy as she nods, \"Well good, because what we're trying to do might help lighten your workload.\" she nods, trying to keep focus, \"Her grandfather and a bunch of the other monkeys at our temple aren't dead... but the naga bit them and their venom [i]will[/i] kill them soon. We're trying to find something to cure it...\" she nods, blinking as she sees a tall white-skinned shade amble past, the large warrior looking at her curiously. It seems he really is backed up, the Fullmoon attack was a whole month ago. \"... anyways, if you help us then we can probably save most of them... or you'll get another big burst all at once when the venom kills them.\" she nods.\n\nThe man simply keeps his eyes on his work, \"Death is the natural cycle child. Even the divine must face it. One day I too will die and my son will judge my soul's worth...\"\n\nSimoni grumbles, being this close to an Averian Gate was giving her a hell of a headache. She can't think of anything else to say, looking at Arja for advice, as she shrugs. He complained about the workload, then he brushes her off when she says they're trying to keep someone from dying... she's out of ideas and the throbbing migraine she's getting from being there isn't helping her come up with any more.\n\nArja frowns, \"You know that isn't true, Yama.\" she says, adopting a bit of a swagger as she puts her hand on his tablet, pushing it down slowly, \"Shiva has beaten death, as the Ender of Death he saved a follower of his from your hold. I'm not even asking for that, I'm asking for a fighting chance.\" \n\nSimoni nods firmly as the line of spirits watches Arja, even a couple spirits who were Fullmoon warriors in life looking impressed at her words. Bit late for that now in their case, but still...\n\nHe frowns at that in turn, letting out a breath, \"Your kind... always so arrogant... you think all of these souls don't have children or friends who would like a 'fighting chance'?\"\n\nArja nods, \"I understand they all have loved ones, even the Fullmoon and Naga here were loved, but if it was your son standing before one of the gods, simply asking for help keeping you from death, wouldn't you want them to aid him?\" \n\nHe frowns at that, mulling it over, \"Fine... but the moment he passes from this cycle, he's mine, and I will hear no argument.\" he says, sighing, \"So, then, what do you need?\"\n\nSimoni straightens up, then slouches again, then shakes it off and straightens back up, \"We're looking for a pool, a sacred one, where lotus flowers grow...\" she starts, explaining the situation to the death god. The space behind her eyes was beginning to ache like a bad sinus headache, the sooner they get away from here the better.\n\nHe seems to think on that, frowning, \"A pool of sacred life... those are rare... but yes I know of one still active nearby. It's about a day's march to the west, at the foot of a mountain fed by divine water, but it's fallen under the control of Ahi...\" Arja tenses at that, \"Ahi... oh no...\" she frowns.\n\nSimoni blinks, then looks at Arja, \"... thats bad isn't it?\" she asks in a weary tone, though its mostly the cave. \"Who... or what... is Ahi?\" she sighs, some of the ghosts, specifically the Indian ones, looking a bit disturbed as well.\n\nArja frowns, “Ahi is... as close to my people have to Satan. A great serpent that is the living embodiment of drought and famine, he blocks rivers and drinks the Ganges. There has to be another option, I can't challenge him, Indra could only slay him for a time...\" she says, shaking her head as Yama frowns, \"Mhm... well... there is another, in the east, it's nearly two days, though, and it hasn't been checked on in ages... who knows what could be there...\"\n\nSimoni sighs, \"Great... just great... either we have to go up against a giant monster or we roll the dice and hope that we don't run into something just as bad.\" she frowns, \"... Arja, I'll fly us to either one, but we're only going to get one shot. Akul won’t last long enough for us to try both.\" she nods, \"Do you want to risk going up against something like that or do you want to try our luck?\" she asks her.\n\nArja sighs, \"The one that's closer would be best... But the serpent is incredibly powerful even in his weakened form, even just an avatar of him is mighty, and spiteful... Simoni you're my sister, not my mount. You get a say too, what do you think?\"\n\nShe hesitates... If they got caught by that serpent then the outcome wouldn't even bear thinking about, but the other one is just too far away and even then it only [i]might[/i] have what they need. \"... Well... maybe we can just grab one of the flowers and run. I mean, this thing can't fly can it?\" she asks, thinking that if they at least keep out of it's reach, \"... or maybe we can sneak past it somehow? There's got to be a way besides taking it on directly...\" she sighs, \"Dammit, we should've brought Dawn with us, she could just teleport in and grab a flower before it'd even know she was there!\"\n\nArja shakes her head, \"It can't fly but the creature could be huge, its avatars range from small to colossal... still if it IS huge it's easier to sneak around... Let's go to the first one, if you think we can make it...\"\n\nShe nods, \"Yeah, I can fly fast... if I see one I might not even need to land to get it, I mean those talons aren't just for looks.\" she nods, then gives as polite a nod as she can manage to Yama before heading away from the cave, trying to get out of range of the entropic aura, as they leave however a ghostly hand reaches out to stop them. \"Oi, lasses...\" says a voice with a thick Irish accent. One of the Fullmoon spirits looking down at them. He was built like most of them were in life, though he probably died when that left arm of his went missing, blood loss and all that. Arja blinks, looking at the ghost curiously \"Yea?\"\n\nThe ghost looks at her for a long moment, then sighs, \"Look... ah dunna expect ye ta take my word fer it... but… I wanna say me piece afore yer death god gets ‘is mitts on me. Not alla us are on board with Franklin's plans.\" he nods, \"Thing is... he has us by th' short hairs lasses. 'is big secret is out among th' clan now, but we canna do ah thing about it...\" he nods, then looks down at himself, \"Well... those ah us who didnae get press-ganged inta comin' to yer temple canna either.\" he sighs, \"About half of our lads are loyal ta him, but th' rest remember when we was called th' Raven's Guard an' we served our witches in combat... but... Franklin kept our younger lasses weak, made it taboo fer 'em ta learn magicks, an' if any of 'em fought back 'e had his loyalists lock 'em up...\" he nods, \"Look, ah didnae wanna help him, ah tried ta avoid killin' any ah yer family... just... remember what ah said aye? Not alla Clan Fullmoon likes that old bastard, but if we dunnae help 'im... its our gels that'll suffer fer it.\" he nods.\nArja Barjar frowns at that, looking the dead warrior over, \"Where does he have the women who tried to learn magic locked up?\"\n\nThe ghost looks relieved as she asks, then continues, \"Ah small island offa th' coast o' Ireland, about thirty miles from Castle Fullmoon. They was built ta hold th' more dangerous creatures we'd fight... the ones who we dinnae need ta kill, or couldn't fer whatever reason, but th' place is designed ta resist magicks.\" he looks at Simoni, \"Ya tell that brother of yers, tell 'im what ah told ye. Get our gels free, an' th' Raven's Guard will stand with ye when it comes time ta make Franklin answer fer what he's done.\" he nods firmly, then notices the line moving again, \"Oi... if ye go... and if ye meet ah woman named Rosaleen an' a wee gel named Elaine... ye tell 'em...\" he moves further away, \"Ye tell 'em poppa said 'e was sorry he dinnae listen ta them an’ try ta stop Franklin afore it was too late...\" he nods, then falls in step with the line as it moves forward.\n\nArja nods, looking back to him, \"If it helps... you have the heart of an honorable warrior. Yama is a stuffy old man but he's a man of honor, despite our different sides, you'll be rewarded in the next life for your courage today.\" she smiles sadly at him, taking in a breath before nodding to Simoni, \"Come on, we have to hurry and get my grandfather safe, I think we're going to Ireland soon...\"\n\nSimoni nods, walking along the line until they're far enough away that she can't feel the pull of the underworld, then spreads her wings and lets Arja climb on before shooting up into the air. She glides along the path, heading in the direction Yama told them for several hours, until she lets out a sudden shocked yelp and almost falls herself, quickly gliding down into the canopy as they come close to the spring. She changes back, hidden in the foliage, and peers out at what awaits them.\n\nArja looks through the brush to see the spring. It was beautiful, a crystal clear bubbling brook feeding into a wide lake at the base of a mountain. Indeed there were lotus flowers, floating on it, seemingly growing from the water itself, pure white and shining in the light. It's hard to see all that, though, as currently surrounding it is a massive snake's body, black with a red stripe down its back. The head and tail aren't visible, but the body seems to be going into the mountain itself.\n\n\"Vritra... the all-consuming snake...\" she whispers, sounding both in awe and afraid, “It's just an avatar of him, a fragment of his power but... it's so strong...\" she shudders as the creature breathes in while it sleeps, the very movement of its body almost sending the girls off their feet as it’s aura expands and retracts with it’s breathing.\n\nSimoni nods, the creature's aura what almost knocked her put of the air. She feels almost foolish now, thinking they could outwit something like that, and then she blinks as she hears what sounds like twigs and sticks crunching behind them.\n\n\"Uuuuugh... I'm sooooo thirsty...\" complains a feminine voice as someone walks out of the jungle towards the spring. A young woman, hindi but with short-cut hair in a spiky style, the tips frosted a reddish color, steps into view. She's wearing a tight red teeshirt and a pair of torn up bluejeans, along with black leather sneakers. Around one of her wrists is a leather cuff with metal studs, and she has a few chains hanging around her neck, some with rune-like shapes hanging from them. She looks up at the snake's coiled form, then at the pool, then reaches out a hand and jabs a finger into the serpent's side. \"Oi, snakeyface. Move over will ya? I want a drink.\" she says.\n\nArja blinks, \"What the...\" she whispers in an incredulous as the massive snake shudders at the sudden waking, slithering around, into the mountain, and then back out as its head slides through the large cave, appraising the young woman before speaking in a low rumble, \"Thissss isssss my ssssspring... leave, child...\" it hisses. As it speaks it reveals its two massive fangs, already dripping with black ichor, the sheer stench of its venom overpowering. The Naga Queen’s was horrible, but this! If this thing bit them not even bones would be left.\n\nThe woman raises an eyebrow at the serpent, then one hand shoots out and grabs Vritra by one of it's long fangs. To Simoni's shock (and probably Vritra's too) the seemingly normal woman yanks him down to eye level with her and says, \"Don't wanna.\" before pulling back her other arm and smashing it between the serpent's eyes.\n\nRather than a Darwin Award being handed out, there's a huge crash akin to a wrecking ball hitting a brick wall as the snake's head goes flying backwards, the serpent's fang remaining in the woman's fist, blood dripping off the top of it as ichor drips off the bottom.\n\nArja blinks again, not sure she believes what she’s seeing, \"What on earth...\" she mumbles, making her way out of the jungle as Vritra reels in shock, \"Who in the hells are you?!\" she demands, keeping her eyes locked on the woman as she moves and momentarily forgetting about the giant serpent.\n\nThe woman looks at Arja, then grabs her, spins her around, and shoves her back at Simoni with enough force to send her careening into the young garuda, \"Sorry kids, audience stays put please!\" she laughs as the serpent's tail comes crashing down where Arja was standing a moment ago. Arja did get close enough to register one thing though... the woman was every bit as strong as Vritra, her aura was just as intense, but also totally unfamiliar to her. \"C'mon Kaa, lets wrastle!\" she grins, picking up the serpent's tooth from where it fell, then diving at the serpent, trying to use it's own fang as a dagger against it!\n\nArja grumbles s she picks herself up, frowning a little bit \"What the... she's strong, like [i]really[/i] strong... and Indian, but I have no idea [b]who[/b] she is...\" she mutters as the woman taunts the serpent, managing to dodge all of its attacks by a hair’s thickness. When it smashes it’s tail down she dodges around it, when it tries to bite she ducks to the side and drags its torn-out fang across it’s scales, ripping them out in large chunks and enraging it further.\n\nSimoni watches as the woman dodges around the serpent, moving like a seasoned warrior despite her attire, as she helps Arja to her feet. \"Arja... she's fighting the giant snake monster... and I think she's winning... Let. Her.\" she says in a slightly stunned tone as the woman waits for Vritra to try to strike again, dodges his attack, and smashes his own fang into the serpent's eye, then punches it at the base, driving the sharp tooth in deeper.\n\nShe cackles as the snake thrashes around in pain, its own venom searing into it's eyeball, then she grabs it by the jaws and forces them backwards... HARD. There's a huge crack like the earth itself split open and Vritra falls to the ground, it's jaw snapped in two at the hinge.\n\nThe woman wipes her forehead off and reaches into a pouch on her back, fishing out a small cup made from beaten tin, then walks to the pool and scoops out some water before drinking it down. She lets out a faint burp with a complete lack of shame, then says, \"Oi, you two want some? Might wanna grab it before hissyfits there wakes up. I doubt he'll be in a good mood.\" she says.\n\nSimoni blinks, then looks at Arja, \"... you saw that too right?\" she asks, \"I mean... Dawn didn't sneak along and get into some hallucinogenic berries or something did she?\" she asks.\n\nArja shakes her head, \"No I saw it...\" she replies, walking over to the pool and looking at the woman as she refills her cup and drains it again, \"Who are you?\" she asks once more, staring up at the woman with both confusion and curiosity.\n\nThe woman looks at Arja, cocking her head to one side, then takes another cupfull and gulps it down, \"I'm me. Who do I look like?\" she replies, shrugging as Simoni reaches into the water and carefully scoops out one of the lotus flowers, putting it into a small pouch on her hip.\n\nArja nods to Simoni, then looks back at the woman, \"Well me is Arja Barjar, child of Hanuman the monkey king, just who are [i]you[/i] to be able to face an avatar of the serpent so casually?\" she demands, putting her hands on her hips and frowning at her.\n\nSimoni looks at her curiously as Arja asks, the woman glancing around before leaning in and whispering in Arja's ear, \"I... have absolutely no intention of telling you.\" she smirks, straightening up, \"Look at it this way. I'm the one who beat the shit out of Vritra with her bare hands and cleared the way for you two to get one of those flowers...\" she nods to the pool, \"Pretty powerful juju in them too I might add... not exactly the kind of thing you'd just pop out to get if you wanted something to make a salad. [i]Perhaps[/i] you should be, say, getting those back to whoever needed them so badly that you two would be willing to risk [i]fighting 'an avatar of the serpent'[/i] for one?\"\n\nArja nods, \"Good point…” she replies, looking at the snake and noticing that it’s just unconscious, not dead. “Well, If you ever feel like talking, come by the monkey temple sometime, we always welcome a strong fighter...\" she says, nodding to Simoni, \"Let's go. Fast.\"\n\nSimoni nods as she lets Arja climb up onto her, then shoots up into the air, the woman calling after them, \"I would, but I'm on my way to visit someone. I'll tell them you said hi!\" she calls back, then smirks and puts her cup away, giving Vritra a good swift kick in the lower jaw as she walks back out of the clearing, whistling to herself as she does.\n\nSimoni glances back at her, \"She felt kinda... familiar...\" she murmurs, then shrugs and whistles up a faster tailwind, shooting forward as she makes a beeline back to the temple. The temple is still miles and miles away, but Simoni pushes herself hard, whistling up as powerful a tailwind as she dares as she soars over the canopy.\n\nArja sighs, \"Well, regardless how it happened, we got a flower.\" she says, smiling, \"We're gonna make it... this is gonna work... it [i]HAS[/i] to work…\"\n\nSimoni nods, whistling again as the wind picks up, the girl practically a green blur to those below as she works her wings. It's over a day away but Simoni keeps going, using more magic than she ever thought possible, and in just six hours the girl half-glides, half-falls into the temple courtyard, sweating bullets and exhausted from overusing her power.\n\nArja slides off her back and hugs Simoni tight, \"Take a rest.\" she nods, taking the pouch, \"You earned it.\" she says, a couple monkeys coming over to help support the girl as Arja sprints to the temple alchemist with the flower in hand, not knowing how much longer she has before her grandfather succumbs.\n\nSimoni nods, falling forward onto the stones as she all but falls unconscious, her eyes falling shut as she sees Arja running off, a pair of bandaged hands picking her up. \"Easy sis, I gotcha...\" says a masculine voice as Nelen lifts her up, carrying her upstairs to the garuda's roost to recover. \"Looks like you two pulled it off...\" he grins as Simoni murmurs, \"Got somethin' t' tell you... ‘mportant…\" before she closes her eyes, falling asleep as she's carried away.\n\nArja smiles as she makes her way to the alchemist, the woman quickly going to work mashing the flower up and putting it in an already boiling pot. \"Quickly quickly...\" says one face, \"Get this to your grandfather\" finishes the other, handing the pot and a cup made of shiny blue glass over, Arja nodding as she runs (careful not to spill a drop) to the roost where her grandfather was taken to rest.\n\nDawn and Stephy are in the room next to Akul when she enters, Dawn keeping watch for any naga assassins who could try to sneak in (plan is Dawn glomps, yells 'surprise!' and then teleports them to the warrior's quarters and nature takes it’s course) while Stephy is using his ice magic to try to keep the old ape's fever down.\n\nArja brings the pot over, smiling as she rubs the old man's side, \"Hey, we're back... we did it.\" she whispers, dipping the cup into the pot and getting the tea out, bringing it to his pale lips slowly.\n\nDawn watches, her cat's eyes wide as the old ape begins to stir, the tea seeming to do its work. It's slow, the naga's venom has been in him for over a day now, but slowly his face begins to regain its color as his breathing starts to relax. Stephy letting out a sigh of relief as he runs a cloth over Akul’s front face, cleaning up the sweat.\n\nArja shudders with relief, laughing softly, \"That it, keep drinking, you're going to be fine…\" she says, feeling tears flowing down her cheeks despite her smile.\n\nNelen walks in as the old man's eyes begin to open, letting out a sigh, \"So... it worked then?\" he asks, the wounds on his arm from the fangs already beginning to close as the medicine takes effect. \"Simoni will be relieved, when she wakes up anyways. Girl almost put herself into a coma getting you back here so fast.\" he says to Arja.\n\nArja smiles at Nelen, \"He's as much her grandfather as he is mine. She did really well... I know she was scared, but \nshe did well...\" she says, making sure he drinks every drop of the tea.\n\nNelen nods, patting Arja gently on the shoulder, \"Well, for now let her rest. She didn't even stay awake long enough for me to get her up to Lakshimi.\" he nods as her grandfather lets out a sudden hacking cough, his lungs finally remembering how they're supposed to work as the naga's toxins are purged out of his system.\n\nSeveral hours pass and slowly, Simoni's eyes flutter open. She's laying on a pile of cushions in the garuda roost. Its dawn now, the sun just barely rising as she stirs, the girl having been asleep since she and Arja returned from the jungle.\n\nArja smiles as she rubs Simoni's cheek softly, having stuck by her since they got back and her grandfather got on his feet, \"Heya brave bird…\" she coos, \"Feel better?\"\n\nSimoni sits up a bit, rubbing her eyes. She'd changed back into a human unconsciously as she slept. \"Yeah... did it work?\" she asks, yawning sleepily. She still looks tired, but more just worn out than the outright exhaustion she'd had yesterday.\n\nArja nods, \"Yea, it did, everything's going to be ok…\" she smiles, hugging Simoni, \"You did so well...\"\n\nSimoni smiles and hugs back, leaning into Arja and nuzzling her shoulder, \"[i]We[/i] did.\" she giggles softly, \"We did well.\"\n\nMeanwhile... deep in the jungles of the Supernatural world...\n\nThe woman who fought Vritra wanders into an old old cave, long forgotten by all but those who were there when the world was young. The inside is decorated in elaborate statuary and large burning torches, all of it showing depictions of famous heroes of Hanuman's line. She takes a breath, then cups her hands and yells out, \"HEY MONKEYFACE! I'M BAAAAAAAACK!\" with a wide grin... Except now she doesn't look Hindi at all. Her skin is now lighter with freckles, her eyes having gone from brown to green, and her hair has gone from black with red tips to bright fiery red. \"C'mon out big guy! Its been centuries!\" she calls into the cave.\n\nAs she doesn’t get a response she tries again, \"C'mon Hanny, don't be shy! You know why I'm here. This could be our big chance to finally get rid of one of those damned swords!\" she yells. Gone are her shirt, jeans, and sneakers, replaced by a green tunic with chainmail over it, a sword strapped to a belt about her waist... She wore a helmet over her fiery hair now, iron with a motif of a raven upon either side.\n\nIn the cave there's the sound of stirring, a figure moving in the shadows as it seems to be waking up from sitting in a meditative pose. \"nngh...\" it groans, it’s limbs clicking and clacking as if it’d been in that position for days, months. perhaps even years.\n\n\"There you are.\" she grins, walking over to the shadows and offering a hand, \"Up and at 'em monkey.\" she nods. \"Easy girl\" the figure says, pulling itself up slowly, the sound of metal chain armor jingling lightly as it does so. \"It's not easy for us old men to wake...\" he replies, coughing a bit. His voice doesn’t sound like an old man, but his tone tells a different story. One of decades, centuries, even eons of life.\n\n\"Oh c'mon Hanuman, you're not any older than me.\" grins the woman, helping him up as she pats his back, \"Oh hey, ran into that kid of your's. Y'know, the one in the prophecy I gave my last matriarch. Looks like she's shaping up well, she and her friend were all set to go and get a lotus from freaking Vritra before I stepped in.\" she nods, \n\"Good thing I did too, those kids are something else, but they're no match for that bastard...\"\n\nHe laughs softly, nodding, \"Sounds like one of mine then... I assume someone she loved was in danger. In my old days I'd throw myself at anything that got in my way to protect folks...\" he smiles softly, a gleam of iron teeth shining in the light, \"She's gonna grow up good, if she can keep her stupid self alive long enough to...\" he laughs.\n\nShe grins, \"Aww, but that's what I like about you monkeyface.\" she teases, \"Willing to sacrifice all for a cause, the mark of a good soldier.\" she grins, pinching the god's cheek like a flirtatious girlfriend. She sighs, \"Oh also, ran into a few of my boys heading into Yama's place too...\" she frowns, \"Apparently that lunatic who's currently running [i]MY[/i] clan had [i]MY[/i] warriors attack your temple...\" she growls, flexing her hands, \"Ooooo that bastard! Not enough he messes up how it's supposed to work but he's using my boys to carry out this idiocy...\" she sighs, \"I swear if there was enough magic in the mundane world for us to manifest I'd march right up to Castle Fullmoon and show him what the inside of his own arse looks like.\" she nods, cracking her knuckles.\n\nThe old man frowns a bit at her words, \"Mgh... if he attacked the temple I'm sure my children are ahead of you in that...\" he mumbles, shaking his head, \"He's gone too far with that... I taught my children to be like protective parents. The girl, Arja, I'm sure she's already got some plot brewing to take revenge if his men came into her home and killed her kin...\" He shakes his head, coughing, \"So, you think they're going to overcome the blade?\"\n\nThe woman nods, \"Well, I sure as hell hope so. From what I could gather they've pieced together most of it... They \nfigured out that they have to overload the sword, but they don't seem to know how...\" she nods, wincing, \"Apparently they had a close call too... Franklin almost got them at the temple, but some kind of musician intervened.\" she purses her lips, \"Kinda sounded like a hard rock version of that guy from Hamlin, the one with the flute and all the mice. Maybe a descendant? Those things do tend to run in families.\" she nods, \"Still, those girls wound up stuck without magic for a month... almost cost us the whole plan.\" she replies in a worried tone.\n\n\"Well, hopefully they'll figure out the rest. Thats the problem with prophecy, I can't just come out and TELL them, otherwise it won't work. They can do everything right, but unless they work it out themselves it won't be enough...\" she sighs, \"All they have to do is get enough magic together for us to come through to the Mundane World again. Heh, if she can figure out how to pull off a stunt like that then she really [i]is[/i] your heir.\" she smirks at Hanuman.\n\nHe nods at that, sighing as he brushes an old stove off, tapping it with his finger and letting it spring to life, \"The issue is... that much magic, even in them... I worry it will take the loss of someone very dear to make them that emotional, give them enough fire. They've already lost so much, it feels cruel if that's the case again...\" he sighs \"Fate is cruel, even to the divine, that's one thing both of our faiths have in common...\"\n\nShe thinks, \"Hm... not necessarily... That girl with her, Simoni. Y'know, the one who was one of mine but wound up changing over to big bird's get.\" she says, \"That girl surprises even me. They went up against...\" she snaps her fingers, \"... Ahura... Ahaha... eh, whatever... big red guy with metal skin. He told them he'd help if they drew blood and I half expected her to break her talons on his flesh, but she conjured a wind ball about this big...\" she makes a circle with her thumb and forefinger, \"And blasted it right up his nose!\" she cackles, \"She can find ways around stuff, and she refuses to let anyone she cares about die. Hell she almost went up against the serpent to save one of [i]Arja's[/i] kin, not even her own.\" she nods, \"Arja has power, but she's clever... clever clever clever...\" she nods, chuckling, \"No wonder she wound up with your bird's children. Tricky mind like that is much better off in that bloodline than the mess Franklin made of mine.\" she nods.\n\nHe laughs at that, nodding, \"They're a good fit for each other, perfect harmony. My girl gives passion and a willingness to fight, yours brings compassion and cleverness... working together maybe they'll surprise me and manage to pull this off without having to bury anyone at all...\" he chuckles softly, \"Wouldn't that be nice, a grand war between the supernatural settled without anyone having to mourn? That'd be an interesting change...\" he says, shaking his head.\n\nShe shrugs, \"Well... a bit anticlimactic if you ask me... but then I'm Morrigan, Maven of War and Queen of Ravens...\" she smirks, \"Still... one thing is certain, someone will have to die one way or another. Franklin Fullmoon is too dangerous to be left alive.\" she frowns, \"That sword has gone straight to his head. He's convinced he can 'clean up the world' by killing of anyone with even a hint of magic about them...\" she sighs, then looks up, \"I told them those were a bad idea... give the mortals a leg up sure, but that?\" she scoffs. \"I'm a war goddess and I saw that one coming.\" she sighs, \"Well... here's hoping.\" she nods to Hanuman, sitting down as he begins to brew up the tea. \n\n\"All they need is to get a window open for us at the right time, just a few minutes... and they'll have what they need...\" she nods.\n","writing_bbcode_parsed":"Our story begins about a half hour after the girls have left Hanuman’s Temple for the jungles of the Supernatural World. As of now Akul, Arja’s grandfather, lays on what may be his death bed. He has been bitten by the leader of the naga who attacked the temple, the venom of the naga queen powerful enough to even overpower the ancient warrior.
To make matters worse, Merihim can’t remove it from his bloodstream. Akul is an ancient being, almost two hundred years old, and is enlightened among his people… which to Merihim’s demonic nature is the same as being divine or blessed. The demon can’t even touch him.
The naga had destroyed all of the temple’s alchemical reagents to try to keep the monkeys from brewing an antidote for those who were bitten by the naga, but the head alchemist proposed a solution. In the deepest parts of the Supernatural World’s jungles there are hidden springs tied to the gods of India. In those springs grow lotus flowers with incredible magical powers, blessed by the gods themselves. If Arja and Simoni can find one and return with it the flower may be enough to save Akul.
However, Merihim had told them that Akul lives on borrowed time. The naga’s venom will kill him within a week at most, and the jungles of the Supernatural World are dangerous even for a band of trained warrior apes or a flock of skilled garuda archers, much less a lone ape girl and her garuda companion.
Simoni glides over the dense jungle canopy, the temple now barely a speck behind them as the trees whip past below her. She whistles up another tailwind and glances back at Arja, "Y'know, the thought occurs to me that we probably should have asked for a general idea of where that spring actually is before we left." she says to the ape-girl riding along on her back, flapping her wings to gain altitude.
Dawn, Sammi, and Stephy had stayed at the temple to help guard against any naga who might want to try their luck again, along with Nelen when he wakes back up... hopefully him anyways. He can plan better than Merihim who's general battle strategy seems to be shoot first, shoot later, shoot some more, and then when everyone is dead keep shooting because fuck questions. Dawn had promised Simoni on the way out that she and Nelen would do whatever they could to keep Akul, Arja's grandfather alive while they were gone, but the simple fact is that he was bitten by a naga queen. The other snakes he may be able to fend off, but her venom was deadly even for a being of his strength. He was on borrowed time and without the lotus that the alchemist spoke of... well, Simoni tried not to think too hard on that.
Arja nods, "Well like I said they're sources of great power, we should be able to feel one near us..." she replies, looking around slowly. "Can't see anything through these trees though..."
Simoni glances back at her, "Yeah, but they said that they tend to be in the deepest parts of the jungle too... I think we're going to be flying for a while..." she sighs, trying to sense something, anything that could even feel like one of those.
Simoni frowns, the truth is they had, maybe, three days to find one. Three days out, three days to return with it... beyond that... "Ugh, I guess it wouldn't be easy huh?" she frowns, looking down at the canopy as she finds herself wondering just what could be down there. Rakshasa would be the biggest threat, while naga... her expression hardens, after what happened at the temple she wasn't afraid of them anymore. Rather, the naga should fear what happens if she finds one of their number.
Arja nods, "Yea, we need to be fast here... I hate to say it but we may have to dip down further, maybe we can find a camp or something we can ask around in, I don't think just flying blind will help..."
Simoni frowns but nods as well, she'd been hoping that they could avoid that but the memory of the old ape barely conscious and in pain as the venom burned through him spurs her onwards. She angles down, aiming for a clearing in the trees, as she starts to descend. She circles a bit, trying to see if it's safe, then swoops lower and settles onto the forest floor, letting Arja climb off her as she looks around.
Simoni’s fears aren’t unfounded. The jungles of the Supernatural World’s India are full of not only creatures like the naga and rakshasa, but even more powerful beings that mankind has forgotten all about. There’s almost no telling what the pair could run into in this world.
Arja wraps one of her hands in fire, giving her some good visibility in the dark jungle, the area seemed empty for now. "Alright, look for lights, they may not be civilization but anything smart enough to make a camp in this jungle at least can be talked to…" she says, walking along the way slowly.
She nods, feathers molting as she shifts back into her human form. While good for flying, she can't walk very well with knees that bend the wrong way. She slips her talon covers off her now human toes and puts on a pair of sandals in their place, then takes out the small dagger she found in the storeroom where Dawn had taken them during the attack. Again, she can barely use it, but if nothing else it serves as a warning to anything that might consider attacking. She follows behind Arja, keeping her ears open for any strange sounds.
Arja looks around slowly as she walks, "Come on... come on..." she says before her eyes are drawn to small glowing orbs in the distance "There!" she says, smiling as she nods to them "Let's go!" she grins, moving quickly in their direction, still keeping her fire ready just in case of course.
Simoni nods, ready to whistle up anything from a stunning gust to an entire windstorm just incase as the two head towards the lights, their feet smacking against the hard dirt as they jog forwards. Even as they run Simoni begins to realize just how different the jungle here is from the one back in the mundane world. The whole forest seems... if not sentient, then at least aware of them. As if the trees are somehow watching them pass by. She even thinks she sees something akin to faces or at least eyes, but when she glances again it's nothing more than an odd pattern in the knots on the wood.
Arja slows when she gets closer, looking around the area slowly as it comes into view. It's a massive looking tent set up, looking like it was sewn together with multiple huge tiger hides... well not a Rakshasa camp at least. There were motes of glowing red light hovering around it, casting an eerie light over the huge figure sitting in front of a raging fire cooking the tigers that used to be wearing those hides. He had to be fifty feet tall, his skin bright red, shining in the camp light like it was metal... His head was fat and bald, and his eyes were bright yellow like Arja's. When he grinned he revealed a mouth full of curved tusks all sticking out beyond his lips. "Demon…" Arja whispers, "But he doesn't seem to be dangerous... yet."
Simoni eeps at the sight. She'd seen a Rakshasa before, hell she'd almost had her spine broken by that one, but this one was HUGE. The one they'd fought had been ten feet tall, tops. This one was five times that size at least. "... there's ones that aren't?" she whispers back, moving closer to the ape-girl as she looks up at the massive red-skinned creature.
Arja shrugs lightly, "Demons aren't a pleasant people, but they're sentient, they have their own agendas and goals and all. Rakshasa are a powerful kind of demon but they're not the only ones... let's see what this guy is." She says, taking a breath before walking into the light, still in her monkey form. "Hello there, nice hunt you seem to have had, spare a bite for a couple girls on a hunt of our own?" she calls out to the demon with a wide smile.
The demon pauses, looking the pair over before bursting out laughing loudly. "Far from your temple aren't you little ones?" he teases, shaking his head a bit, "If you're in this jungle alone you're either brave or foolish, regardless, entertaining! Come over here, eat what you like..."
Simoni hesitates, but he doesn't seem like he's going to attack them, at least at the moment. Still, she lets Arja make the first move, then follows suit. After all, she grew up around here, she'd know best what to do in this sort of situation.
The demon chuckles softly as Arja makes her way over, tearing a hunk of tiger off and chewing it happily. "I'm Arja Barjar, descendant of the Monkey King, my sister Simoni here is a Garuda as you can see. As you guessed we come from the temple nearby, you've heard of it?" she says to the demon, introducing the pair.
The demon laughs loudly at that, nodding, "The monkeys and their bird friends keep this area safe, drive the tigers away, keep them in the jungle, where I can eat them!" he laughs again, the whole area seeming to shake as he stomps his feet, "Your kin may not have much love for me, but I am happy for you!"
Simoni shrugs, it seems this demon is perfectly content so long as he has plenty of tigers to stuff himself with. "Yes, um... we're travelling right now, looking for one of the sacred pools that Lord Brahma bathed in. Our temple was recently attacked by a naga tribe and one of our leaders was poisoned by their queen." she says, lowering her guard a bit. "We need a lotus from it to heal him but... we don't know where to find one." she explains.
The demon nods at that, ripping the leg off one of the tigers to gnaw on, "Mhm... those are rare sites, most have long been tapped out..." he muses before slowly standing, "I do not know of one, but I know where one could be... but I need to know you are worthy..."
Simoni raises her eyebrow at that. "And... how would you know if we are worthy?" she asks, getting a terrible suspicion as to how such a creature would measure worth.
He grins wider, "I am Akuru, he who's skin has broken ten thousand blades!" he laughs, arms stretching out, "Draw blood from me and I'll know you are worthy of such a blessing!"
Simoni looks closely at the demon, realizing now that his skin didn't just look like metal, it WAS metal! This demon looked like he could turn aside any normal weapon without so much as a dent on his body. "Hm..." she thinks, "Just draw blood?" she asks.
He nods, "Just draw blood from me and I will help you as best I can!" he grins, Arja raising a brow as she looks to Simoni, "Have an idea?" she asks.
Simoni thinks, "Well... I might..." she replies, then starts to whistle as wind swirls around her hand. She makes a complex melody, the wind swirling faster and faster as the demon watches, then suddenly she jabs out with her hand, pointing two fingers at Akuru's nose. The wind, now moving so fast as to make it's own sharp whistle, shapes itself into a small round ball about the size of a marble and, in a split second launches forward and shoots straight up the demon's left nostril with the force of a gunshot!
The Demon looks curiously as he watches Simoni work, seeming genuinely intrigued about this (Demons, regardless of alignment, loved games, he obviously saw this as one big game… Merihim too, but his idea of a game was to gut someone who annoyed him and skip rope with their intestines) before the wind strikes inside his nose, his head snapping back from the force of the impact! Still, when his head raises back into place, he's grinning wide as blood is indeed trailing down his upper lip. Not a lot, if this was a real attack he'd hardly care, but it was blood! "Well done little one! I've seen grown Garuda who couldn't control air that deeply!" he laughs, wiping his blood off his lip, "I suppose then I must help."
Simoni blushes a bit as Akuru praises her, then grins at Arja, "Yeah... after the last month I had an entire list of 'first thing I wanna try when I can use magic again'..." she admits, "Nothing like being stuck as a mundane to give you new spell ideas..." she shrugs, then looks to the demon, "So... you said you know where one 'could' be?" she asks.
He nods, sitting back down as Arja grins, "Nice job Simoni." she smiles, patting the girl's back before offering her a hunk of tiger. "As I said I'm not sure, but I know a possibility. North west of here, about five miles, there's an ancient shrine where it's said Parvati, divine wife of Shiva…" he smirks, pausing at that and looking to Arja, "I suppose your ancient grandmother then if one were to look at it the right way... bathed herself for the first time when she was reborn from her original form Sati... do you know that tale, girls?"
Simoni nods a bit, "Yeah, I think I heard Lakshimi, um... not the goddess, she's the matron of my flock, anyways, she told it to us before a while back." she replies, remembering a bit of it here and there. Truth is she'd just become a proper garuda and one of the boy garuda at the temple had been flirting with her over her newly green plumage. She had been flattered, but, well... he had nothing on Arja.
Arja chuckles softly, then recounts the tale that she’s probably heard many times since infantcy, "Sati was the daughter of Daksha, one of Brahma's sons. She married Shiva against his will and in spite Daksha refused to invite Shiva to a major ceremony of flame. Shiva in turn didn't go on his own, and Sati was so humiliated by the actions of her husband and father she committed suicide by fire... Shiva went into a deep depression when that happened, until she was reborn as Parvati and they were reunited." The demon nods "Mhm! Indeed, and this spring turned shrine is, according to legend, where she bathed herself clean of her old body's ashes. The ashes of the woman Lord Brahma's Son caused to kill herself with his pride? I suppose that would be a place he would bless...old man always did have a soft spot... never understood it myself."
Simoni nods, "Well, if that's the place we'd better hurry." she says, sounding a bit relieved. Five miles is nothing for her to fly, they could be back by tomorrow easily. "Thank you so much Akuru!" she smiles at the large demon, shifting back into her garuda form as she bends down for Arja to climb onto her.
He nods "Best of luck young ones, as I said the monkeys and myself aren't exactly friends, but if the old man is the one keeping them defending the area, he's feeding me" he laughs as Arja mounts Simoni, nodding "Let's go!"
Simoni shoots up into the air as she whistles a gust of wind under her wings. She glances up at the sun to find which way is northwest, then angles towards it and soars off into the sky, conjuring herself a tailwind. "Huh... guess rakshasa aren't so bad as long as they're well fed." she giggles, the trees swishing past under the pair as she gathers up as big a gust behind them as she can without losing control, trying to sense out where the spring could be...
Arja nods, "Yea they're pretty primal, keep their base urges filled and... NGH!" she gasps suddenly, eyes crossing as she slumps over on Simoni's back!
Simoni yelps and quickly slows, righting herself in midair to keep her from falling off, "Arja?! Whats wrong?!" she gasps, unable to look back at her entirely as she tries to keep the pair aloft with the sudden weight shift.
Arja blinks as she slowly sits up, "There's something powerful... there…" she says in a suddenly weary voice, pointing down, about where the demon described the location of the spring.
Simoni looks down, trying to focus on what's down there, "I don't feel anything..." she murmurs, but angles
downwards regardless. If it is the spring she can't pass up the chance to find it, and if it isn't the spring, well... nothing says she has to land.
Arja groans as she looks down. There was a shrine, and a small lake, but no flowers. Instead, right by it was a massive cave, with a tall, old, man with bright blue skin holding what looks like a tablet computer in his hand. In front of the cave is what looks like a huge line of people, all calmly waiting their turn to enter the cave. "Oh gods..." Arja murmurs, still feeling loopy. Simoni began to feel it too, the man was giving off a very powerful aura, and the cave was absolutely saturated in magic. "Set us down... he'll know where we need to go... ugh…" she groans.
Simoni wobbles a bit, but manages to land, shaking her head as she shifts back to her human form, "He? Arja... who is that?" she asks, rubbing at her temples as her eyes begin to ache, "... and why does he have mundane tech here of all places?" she asks again.
Arja grunts lightly, sounding suddenly exhausted, "That's Yama... the god of the Underworld... I guess he upgraded..." she says, taking in a deep breath as she seems to be focusing herself. Nearby a massive black bull grazes on the grass. After a bit of breathing Arja seems to be standing much more steady as the blue man doesn't even look over at the pair, or the line of people filtering in the cave, simply looking at his tablet, sweeping his finger over it as each person enters.
Simoni nods, recognizing the sensation now. The entropic energy of the Underworld is sapping her strength just as it had after their impromptu train ride back in Texas. "Ugh... no wonder you almost fainted." she mutters, trying to shake off the effects of the gateway. The culture and god may be different, but the underworld is the underworld and unless you're dead, undead, or somewhere in between like a Sin Eater then just being near it will leave you weak and exhausted.
Arja nods, walking over to him slowly, "Yama." she says, oddly enough she takes a much more direct and assertive tone with this god than she did with the demon. "I've come seeking your help." she nods, putting as much bravado in her voice as she can as the old man looks up from his tablet slowly, the line coming to a stop when he does. "Another one of the monkey's spawn..." he mumbles, his voice soft but haughty, "Not in line... improvement over most of your kin that calls my name..."
Simoni wobbles a bit as she follows her, then glances over the line and winces, seeing a few familiar faces waiting to enter. So many of the guardians of the temple had died in the past month, but seeing it like this really shook the poor girl. Especially as the shades of more than a few naga glare at her with what's left of their faces. The shades of the dead bear the wounds that killed them and Merihim did love to go for the eyes.
As the pair got closer what was on his tablet was more clear, it looked like he had an app open, the image of a set of scales on the screen with a red and green light currently dim over it. He looks down after a moment, swiping the scale as a young man passes through, the green light flashing. "I have work to do..." he says simply, "Your little war has made my work even longer..." he adds, the red light flashing as a naga slithers in, "I must weigh the deeds of all of these souls, and decide if they are to advance or fall in the reincarnation cycle, I do not have time for monkey games..."
Simoni shakes off a bit of the entropy as she nods, "Well good, because what we're trying to do might help lighten your workload." she nods, trying to keep focus, "Her grandfather and a bunch of the other monkeys at our temple aren't dead... but the naga bit them and their venom will kill them soon. We're trying to find something to cure it..." she nods, blinking as she sees a tall white-skinned shade amble past, the large warrior looking at her curiously. It seems he really is backed up, the Fullmoon attack was a whole month ago. "... anyways, if you help us then we can probably save most of them... or you'll get another big burst all at once when the venom kills them." she nods.
The man simply keeps his eyes on his work, "Death is the natural cycle child. Even the divine must face it. One day I too will die and my son will judge my soul's worth..."
Simoni grumbles, being this close to an Averian Gate was giving her a hell of a headache. She can't think of anything else to say, looking at Arja for advice, as she shrugs. He complained about the workload, then he brushes her off when she says they're trying to keep someone from dying... she's out of ideas and the throbbing migraine she's getting from being there isn't helping her come up with any more.
Arja frowns, "You know that isn't true, Yama." she says, adopting a bit of a swagger as she puts her hand on his tablet, pushing it down slowly, "Shiva has beaten death, as the Ender of Death he saved a follower of his from your hold. I'm not even asking for that, I'm asking for a fighting chance."
Simoni nods firmly as the line of spirits watches Arja, even a couple spirits who were Fullmoon warriors in life looking impressed at her words. Bit late for that now in their case, but still...
He frowns at that in turn, letting out a breath, "Your kind... always so arrogant... you think all of these souls don't have children or friends who would like a 'fighting chance'?"
Arja nods, "I understand they all have loved ones, even the Fullmoon and Naga here were loved, but if it was your son standing before one of the gods, simply asking for help keeping you from death, wouldn't you want them to aid him?"
He frowns at that, mulling it over, "Fine... but the moment he passes from this cycle, he's mine, and I will hear no argument." he says, sighing, "So, then, what do you need?"
Simoni straightens up, then slouches again, then shakes it off and straightens back up, "We're looking for a pool, a sacred one, where lotus flowers grow..." she starts, explaining the situation to the death god. The space behind her eyes was beginning to ache like a bad sinus headache, the sooner they get away from here the better.
He seems to think on that, frowning, "A pool of sacred life... those are rare... but yes I know of one still active nearby. It's about a day's march to the west, at the foot of a mountain fed by divine water, but it's fallen under the control of Ahi..." Arja tenses at that, "Ahi... oh no..." she frowns.
Simoni blinks, then looks at Arja, "... thats bad isn't it?" she asks in a weary tone, though its mostly the cave. "Who... or what... is Ahi?" she sighs, some of the ghosts, specifically the Indian ones, looking a bit disturbed as well.
Arja frowns, “Ahi is... as close to my people have to Satan. A great serpent that is the living embodiment of drought and famine, he blocks rivers and drinks the Ganges. There has to be another option, I can't challenge him, Indra could only slay him for a time..." she says, shaking her head as Yama frowns, "Mhm... well... there is another, in the east, it's nearly two days, though, and it hasn't been checked on in ages... who knows what could be there..."
Simoni sighs, "Great... just great... either we have to go up against a giant monster or we roll the dice and hope that we don't run into something just as bad." she frowns, "... Arja, I'll fly us to either one, but we're only going to get one shot. Akul won’t last long enough for us to try both." she nods, "Do you want to risk going up against something like that or do you want to try our luck?" she asks her.
Arja sighs, "The one that's closer would be best... But the serpent is incredibly powerful even in his weakened form, even just an avatar of him is mighty, and spiteful... Simoni you're my sister, not my mount. You get a say too, what do you think?"
She hesitates... If they got caught by that serpent then the outcome wouldn't even bear thinking about, but the other one is just too far away and even then it only might have what they need. "... Well... maybe we can just grab one of the flowers and run. I mean, this thing can't fly can it?" she asks, thinking that if they at least keep out of it's reach, "... or maybe we can sneak past it somehow? There's got to be a way besides taking it on directly..." she sighs, "Dammit, we should've brought Dawn with us, she could just teleport in and grab a flower before it'd even know she was there!"
Arja shakes her head, "It can't fly but the creature could be huge, its avatars range from small to colossal... still if it IS huge it's easier to sneak around... Let's go to the first one, if you think we can make it..."
She nods, "Yeah, I can fly fast... if I see one I might not even need to land to get it, I mean those talons aren't just for looks." she nods, then gives as polite a nod as she can manage to Yama before heading away from the cave, trying to get out of range of the entropic aura, as they leave however a ghostly hand reaches out to stop them. "Oi, lasses..." says a voice with a thick Irish accent. One of the Fullmoon spirits looking down at them. He was built like most of them were in life, though he probably died when that left arm of his went missing, blood loss and all that. Arja blinks, looking at the ghost curiously "Yea?"
The ghost looks at her for a long moment, then sighs, "Look... ah dunna expect ye ta take my word fer it... but… I wanna say me piece afore yer death god gets ‘is mitts on me. Not alla us are on board with Franklin's plans." he nods, "Thing is... he has us by th' short hairs lasses. 'is big secret is out among th' clan now, but we canna do ah thing about it..." he nods, then looks down at himself, "Well... those ah us who didnae get press-ganged inta comin' to yer temple canna either." he sighs, "About half of our lads are loyal ta him, but th' rest remember when we was called th' Raven's Guard an' we served our witches in combat... but... Franklin kept our younger lasses weak, made it taboo fer 'em ta learn magicks, an' if any of 'em fought back 'e had his loyalists lock 'em up..." he nods, "Look, ah didnae wanna help him, ah tried ta avoid killin' any ah yer family... just... remember what ah said aye? Not alla Clan Fullmoon likes that old bastard, but if we dunnae help 'im... its our gels that'll suffer fer it." he nods.
Arja Barjar frowns at that, looking the dead warrior over, "Where does he have the women who tried to learn magic locked up?"
The ghost looks relieved as she asks, then continues, "Ah small island offa th' coast o' Ireland, about thirty miles from Castle Fullmoon. They was built ta hold th' more dangerous creatures we'd fight... the ones who we dinnae need ta kill, or couldn't fer whatever reason, but th' place is designed ta resist magicks." he looks at Simoni, "Ya tell that brother of yers, tell 'im what ah told ye. Get our gels free, an' th' Raven's Guard will stand with ye when it comes time ta make Franklin answer fer what he's done." he nods firmly, then notices the line moving again, "Oi... if ye go... and if ye meet ah woman named Rosaleen an' a wee gel named Elaine... ye tell 'em..." he moves further away, "Ye tell 'em poppa said 'e was sorry he dinnae listen ta them an’ try ta stop Franklin afore it was too late..." he nods, then falls in step with the line as it moves forward.
Arja nods, looking back to him, "If it helps... you have the heart of an honorable warrior. Yama is a stuffy old man but he's a man of honor, despite our different sides, you'll be rewarded in the next life for your courage today." she smiles sadly at him, taking in a breath before nodding to Simoni, "Come on, we have to hurry and get my grandfather safe, I think we're going to Ireland soon..."
Simoni nods, walking along the line until they're far enough away that she can't feel the pull of the underworld, then spreads her wings and lets Arja climb on before shooting up into the air. She glides along the path, heading in the direction Yama told them for several hours, until she lets out a sudden shocked yelp and almost falls herself, quickly gliding down into the canopy as they come close to the spring. She changes back, hidden in the foliage, and peers out at what awaits them.
Arja looks through the brush to see the spring. It was beautiful, a crystal clear bubbling brook feeding into a wide lake at the base of a mountain. Indeed there were lotus flowers, floating on it, seemingly growing from the water itself, pure white and shining in the light. It's hard to see all that, though, as currently surrounding it is a massive snake's body, black with a red stripe down its back. The head and tail aren't visible, but the body seems to be going into the mountain itself.
"Vritra... the all-consuming snake..." she whispers, sounding both in awe and afraid, “It's just an avatar of him, a fragment of his power but... it's so strong..." she shudders as the creature breathes in while it sleeps, the very movement of its body almost sending the girls off their feet as it’s aura expands and retracts with it’s breathing.
Simoni nods, the creature's aura what almost knocked her put of the air. She feels almost foolish now, thinking they could outwit something like that, and then she blinks as she hears what sounds like twigs and sticks crunching behind them.
"Uuuuugh... I'm sooooo thirsty..." complains a feminine voice as someone walks out of the jungle towards the spring. A young woman, hindi but with short-cut hair in a spiky style, the tips frosted a reddish color, steps into view. She's wearing a tight red teeshirt and a pair of torn up bluejeans, along with black leather sneakers. Around one of her wrists is a leather cuff with metal studs, and she has a few chains hanging around her neck, some with rune-like shapes hanging from them. She looks up at the snake's coiled form, then at the pool, then reaches out a hand and jabs a finger into the serpent's side. "Oi, snakeyface. Move over will ya? I want a drink." she says.
Arja blinks, "What the..." she whispers in an incredulous as the massive snake shudders at the sudden waking, slithering around, into the mountain, and then back out as its head slides through the large cave, appraising the young woman before speaking in a low rumble, "Thissss isssss my ssssspring... leave, child..." it hisses. As it speaks it reveals its two massive fangs, already dripping with black ichor, the sheer stench of its venom overpowering. The Naga Queen’s was horrible, but this! If this thing bit them not even bones would be left.
The woman raises an eyebrow at the serpent, then one hand shoots out and grabs Vritra by one of it's long fangs. To Simoni's shock (and probably Vritra's too) the seemingly normal woman yanks him down to eye level with her and says, "Don't wanna." before pulling back her other arm and smashing it between the serpent's eyes.
Rather than a Darwin Award being handed out, there's a huge crash akin to a wrecking ball hitting a brick wall as the snake's head goes flying backwards, the serpent's fang remaining in the woman's fist, blood dripping off the top of it as ichor drips off the bottom.
Arja blinks again, not sure she believes what she’s seeing, "What on earth..." she mumbles, making her way out of the jungle as Vritra reels in shock, "Who in the hells are you?!" she demands, keeping her eyes locked on the woman as she moves and momentarily forgetting about the giant serpent.
The woman looks at Arja, then grabs her, spins her around, and shoves her back at Simoni with enough force to send her careening into the young garuda, "Sorry kids, audience stays put please!" she laughs as the serpent's tail comes crashing down where Arja was standing a moment ago. Arja did get close enough to register one thing though... the woman was every bit as strong as Vritra, her aura was just as intense, but also totally unfamiliar to her. "C'mon Kaa, lets wrastle!" she grins, picking up the serpent's tooth from where it fell, then diving at the serpent, trying to use it's own fang as a dagger against it!
Arja grumbles s she picks herself up, frowning a little bit "What the... she's strong, like really strong... and Indian, but I have no idea who she is..." she mutters as the woman taunts the serpent, managing to dodge all of its attacks by a hair’s thickness. When it smashes it’s tail down she dodges around it, when it tries to bite she ducks to the side and drags its torn-out fang across it’s scales, ripping them out in large chunks and enraging it further.
Simoni watches as the woman dodges around the serpent, moving like a seasoned warrior despite her attire, as she helps Arja to her feet. "Arja... she's fighting the giant snake monster... and I think she's winning... Let. Her." she says in a slightly stunned tone as the woman waits for Vritra to try to strike again, dodges his attack, and smashes his own fang into the serpent's eye, then punches it at the base, driving the sharp tooth in deeper.
She cackles as the snake thrashes around in pain, its own venom searing into it's eyeball, then she grabs it by the jaws and forces them backwards... HARD. There's a huge crack like the earth itself split open and Vritra falls to the ground, it's jaw snapped in two at the hinge.
The woman wipes her forehead off and reaches into a pouch on her back, fishing out a small cup made from beaten tin, then walks to the pool and scoops out some water before drinking it down. She lets out a faint burp with a complete lack of shame, then says, "Oi, you two want some? Might wanna grab it before hissyfits there wakes up. I doubt he'll be in a good mood." she says.
Simoni blinks, then looks at Arja, "... you saw that too right?" she asks, "I mean... Dawn didn't sneak along and get into some hallucinogenic berries or something did she?" she asks.
Arja shakes her head, "No I saw it..." she replies, walking over to the pool and looking at the woman as she refills her cup and drains it again, "Who are you?" she asks once more, staring up at the woman with both confusion and curiosity.
The woman looks at Arja, cocking her head to one side, then takes another cupfull and gulps it down, "I'm me. Who do I look like?" she replies, shrugging as Simoni reaches into the water and carefully scoops out one of the lotus flowers, putting it into a small pouch on her hip.
Arja nods to Simoni, then looks back at the woman, "Well me is Arja Barjar, child of Hanuman the monkey king, just who are you to be able to face an avatar of the serpent so casually?" she demands, putting her hands on her hips and frowning at her.
Simoni looks at her curiously as Arja asks, the woman glancing around before leaning in and whispering in Arja's ear, "I... have absolutely no intention of telling you." she smirks, straightening up, "Look at it this way. I'm the one who beat the shit out of Vritra with her bare hands and cleared the way for you two to get one of those flowers..." she nods to the pool, "Pretty powerful juju in them too I might add... not exactly the kind of thing you'd just pop out to get if you wanted something to make a salad. Perhaps you should be, say, getting those back to whoever needed them so badly that you two would be willing to risk fighting 'an avatar of the serpent' for one?"
Arja nods, "Good point…” she replies, looking at the snake and noticing that it’s just unconscious, not dead. “Well, If you ever feel like talking, come by the monkey temple sometime, we always welcome a strong fighter..." she says, nodding to Simoni, "Let's go. Fast."
Simoni nods as she lets Arja climb up onto her, then shoots up into the air, the woman calling after them, "I would, but I'm on my way to visit someone. I'll tell them you said hi!" she calls back, then smirks and puts her cup away, giving Vritra a good swift kick in the lower jaw as she walks back out of the clearing, whistling to herself as she does.
Simoni glances back at her, "She felt kinda... familiar..." she murmurs, then shrugs and whistles up a faster tailwind, shooting forward as she makes a beeline back to the temple. The temple is still miles and miles away, but Simoni pushes herself hard, whistling up as powerful a tailwind as she dares as she soars over the canopy.
Arja sighs, "Well, regardless how it happened, we got a flower." she says, smiling, "We're gonna make it... this is gonna work... it HAS to work…"
Simoni nods, whistling again as the wind picks up, the girl practically a green blur to those below as she works her wings. It's over a day away but Simoni keeps going, using more magic than she ever thought possible, and in just six hours the girl half-glides, half-falls into the temple courtyard, sweating bullets and exhausted from overusing her power.
Arja slides off her back and hugs Simoni tight, "Take a rest." she nods, taking the pouch, "You earned it." she says, a couple monkeys coming over to help support the girl as Arja sprints to the temple alchemist with the flower in hand, not knowing how much longer she has before her grandfather succumbs.
Simoni nods, falling forward onto the stones as she all but falls unconscious, her eyes falling shut as she sees Arja running off, a pair of bandaged hands picking her up. "Easy sis, I gotcha..." says a masculine voice as Nelen lifts her up, carrying her upstairs to the garuda's roost to recover. "Looks like you two pulled it off..." he grins as Simoni murmurs, "Got somethin' t' tell you... ‘mportant…" before she closes her eyes, falling asleep as she's carried away.
Arja smiles as she makes her way to the alchemist, the woman quickly going to work mashing the flower up and putting it in an already boiling pot. "Quickly quickly..." says one face, "Get this to your grandfather" finishes the other, handing the pot and a cup made of shiny blue glass over, Arja nodding as she runs (careful not to spill a drop) to the roost where her grandfather was taken to rest.
Dawn and Stephy are in the room next to Akul when she enters, Dawn keeping watch for any naga assassins who could try to sneak in (plan is Dawn glomps, yells 'surprise!' and then teleports them to the warrior's quarters and nature takes it’s course) while Stephy is using his ice magic to try to keep the old ape's fever down.
Arja brings the pot over, smiling as she rubs the old man's side, "Hey, we're back... we did it." she whispers, dipping the cup into the pot and getting the tea out, bringing it to his pale lips slowly.
Dawn watches, her cat's eyes wide as the old ape begins to stir, the tea seeming to do its work. It's slow, the naga's venom has been in him for over a day now, but slowly his face begins to regain its color as his breathing starts to relax. Stephy letting out a sigh of relief as he runs a cloth over Akul’s front face, cleaning up the sweat.
Arja shudders with relief, laughing softly, "That it, keep drinking, you're going to be fine…" she says, feeling tears flowing down her cheeks despite her smile.
Nelen walks in as the old man's eyes begin to open, letting out a sigh, "So... it worked then?" he asks, the wounds on his arm from the fangs already beginning to close as the medicine takes effect. "Simoni will be relieved, when she wakes up anyways. Girl almost put herself into a coma getting you back here so fast." he says to Arja.
Arja smiles at Nelen, "He's as much her grandfather as he is mine. She did really well... I know she was scared, but
she did well..." she says, making sure he drinks every drop of the tea.
Nelen nods, patting Arja gently on the shoulder, "Well, for now let her rest. She didn't even stay awake long enough for me to get her up to Lakshimi." he nods as her grandfather lets out a sudden hacking cough, his lungs finally remembering how they're supposed to work as the naga's toxins are purged out of his system.
Several hours pass and slowly, Simoni's eyes flutter open. She's laying on a pile of cushions in the garuda roost. Its dawn now, the sun just barely rising as she stirs, the girl having been asleep since she and Arja returned from the jungle.
Arja smiles as she rubs Simoni's cheek softly, having stuck by her since they got back and her grandfather got on his feet, "Heya brave bird…" she coos, "Feel better?"
Simoni sits up a bit, rubbing her eyes. She'd changed back into a human unconsciously as she slept. "Yeah... did it work?" she asks, yawning sleepily. She still looks tired, but more just worn out than the outright exhaustion she'd had yesterday.
Arja nods, "Yea, it did, everything's going to be ok…" she smiles, hugging Simoni, "You did so well..."
Simoni smiles and hugs back, leaning into Arja and nuzzling her shoulder, "We did." she giggles softly, "We did well."
Meanwhile... deep in the jungles of the Supernatural world...
The woman who fought Vritra wanders into an old old cave, long forgotten by all but those who were there when the world was young. The inside is decorated in elaborate statuary and large burning torches, all of it showing depictions of famous heroes of Hanuman's line. She takes a breath, then cups her hands and yells out, "HEY MONKEYFACE! I'M BAAAAAAAACK!" with a wide grin... Except now she doesn't look Hindi at all. Her skin is now lighter with freckles, her eyes having gone from brown to green, and her hair has gone from black with red tips to bright fiery red. "C'mon out big guy! Its been centuries!" she calls into the cave.
As she doesn’t get a response she tries again, "C'mon Hanny, don't be shy! You know why I'm here. This could be our big chance to finally get rid of one of those damned swords!" she yells. Gone are her shirt, jeans, and sneakers, replaced by a green tunic with chainmail over it, a sword strapped to a belt about her waist... She wore a helmet over her fiery hair now, iron with a motif of a raven upon either side.
In the cave there's the sound of stirring, a figure moving in the shadows as it seems to be waking up from sitting in a meditative pose. "nngh..." it groans, it’s limbs clicking and clacking as if it’d been in that position for days, months. perhaps even years.
"There you are." she grins, walking over to the shadows and offering a hand, "Up and at 'em monkey." she nods. "Easy girl" the figure says, pulling itself up slowly, the sound of metal chain armor jingling lightly as it does so. "It's not easy for us old men to wake..." he replies, coughing a bit. His voice doesn’t sound like an old man, but his tone tells a different story. One of decades, centuries, even eons of life.
"Oh c'mon Hanuman, you're not any older than me." grins the woman, helping him up as she pats his back, "Oh hey, ran into that kid of your's. Y'know, the one in the prophecy I gave my last matriarch. Looks like she's shaping up well, she and her friend were all set to go and get a lotus from freaking Vritra before I stepped in." she nods,
"Good thing I did too, those kids are something else, but they're no match for that bastard..."
He laughs softly, nodding, "Sounds like one of mine then... I assume someone she loved was in danger. In my old days I'd throw myself at anything that got in my way to protect folks..." he smiles softly, a gleam of iron teeth shining in the light, "She's gonna grow up good, if she can keep her stupid self alive long enough to..." he laughs.
She grins, "Aww, but that's what I like about you monkeyface." she teases, "Willing to sacrifice all for a cause, the mark of a good soldier." she grins, pinching the god's cheek like a flirtatious girlfriend. She sighs, "Oh also, ran into a few of my boys heading into Yama's place too..." she frowns, "Apparently that lunatic who's currently running MY clan had MY warriors attack your temple..." she growls, flexing her hands, "Ooooo that bastard! Not enough he messes up how it's supposed to work but he's using my boys to carry out this idiocy..." she sighs, "I swear if there was enough magic in the mundane world for us to manifest I'd march right up to Castle Fullmoon and show him what the inside of his own arse looks like." she nods, cracking her knuckles.
The old man frowns a bit at her words, "Mgh... if he attacked the temple I'm sure my children are ahead of you in that..." he mumbles, shaking his head, "He's gone too far with that... I taught my children to be like protective parents. The girl, Arja, I'm sure she's already got some plot brewing to take revenge if his men came into her home and killed her kin..." He shakes his head, coughing, "So, you think they're going to overcome the blade?"
The woman nods, "Well, I sure as hell hope so. From what I could gather they've pieced together most of it... They
figured out that they have to overload the sword, but they don't seem to know how..." she nods, wincing, "Apparently they had a close call too... Franklin almost got them at the temple, but some kind of musician intervened." she purses her lips, "Kinda sounded like a hard rock version of that guy from Hamlin, the one with the flute and all the mice. Maybe a descendant? Those things do tend to run in families." she nods, "Still, those girls wound up stuck without magic for a month... almost cost us the whole plan." she replies in a worried tone.
"Well, hopefully they'll figure out the rest. Thats the problem with prophecy, I can't just come out and TELL them, otherwise it won't work. They can do everything right, but unless they work it out themselves it won't be enough..." she sighs, "All they have to do is get enough magic together for us to come through to the Mundane World again. Heh, if she can figure out how to pull off a stunt like that then she really is your heir." she smirks at Hanuman.
He nods at that, sighing as he brushes an old stove off, tapping it with his finger and letting it spring to life, "The issue is... that much magic, even in them... I worry it will take the loss of someone very dear to make them that emotional, give them enough fire. They've already lost so much, it feels cruel if that's the case again..." he sighs "Fate is cruel, even to the divine, that's one thing both of our faiths have in common..."
She thinks, "Hm... not necessarily... That girl with her, Simoni. Y'know, the one who was one of mine but wound up changing over to big bird's get." she says, "That girl surprises even me. They went up against..." she snaps her fingers, "... Ahura... Ahaha... eh, whatever... big red guy with metal skin. He told them he'd help if they drew blood and I half expected her to break her talons on his flesh, but she conjured a wind ball about this big..." she makes a circle with her thumb and forefinger, "And blasted it right up his nose!" she cackles, "She can find ways around stuff, and she refuses to let anyone she cares about die. Hell she almost went up against the serpent to save one of Arja's kin, not even her own." she nods, "Arja has power, but she's clever... clever clever clever..." she nods, chuckling, "No wonder she wound up with your bird's children. Tricky mind like that is much better off in that bloodline than the mess Franklin made of mine." she nods.
He laughs at that, nodding, "They're a good fit for each other, perfect harmony. My girl gives passion and a willingness to fight, yours brings compassion and cleverness... working together maybe they'll surprise me and manage to pull this off without having to bury anyone at all..." he chuckles softly, "Wouldn't that be nice, a grand war between the supernatural settled without anyone having to mourn? That'd be an interesting change..." he says, shaking his head.
She shrugs, "Well... a bit anticlimactic if you ask me... but then I'm Morrigan, Maven of War and Queen of Ravens..." she smirks, "Still... one thing is certain, someone will have to die one way or another. Franklin Fullmoon is too dangerous to be left alive." she frowns, "That sword has gone straight to his head. He's convinced he can 'clean up the world' by killing of anyone with even a hint of magic about them..." she sighs, then looks up, "I told them those were a bad idea... give the mortals a leg up sure, but that?" she scoffs. "I'm a war goddess and I saw that one coming." she sighs, "Well... here's hoping." she nods to Hanuman, sitting down as he begins to brew up the tea.
"All they need is to get a window open for us at the right time, just a few minutes... and they'll have what they need..." she nods.
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