[PRP]Beneath the Seas of Sand ( Puds & Sniper)[FIN]

[Gestalt Effect]

The seeker had done well to avoid every laser shot at it until the last moment. The beam landed right between the eyes and caused it to over shoot the target and slam into the ground.

"At least you won't be bored.... Talon Beauregard..."
The Iron Judge snickered as she casually made her way to the statue with the chains. Even at an up close view there was no sign of a button to get the stone bird to release the chains. Not that it would be a problem... She snatched the thick chain just above the statue and held it tightly in her grasp. Her grip tightened on the chain, letting the heat make quick work of the old chain.

Above, the seekers begun to swirl about, eagerly awaiting the door to open. Their focus shifted from battling the cuddlers to avoiding them completely, which proved to be easier to do.  

[PuddleInk]

Talon's eyebrow fell to join the other in frowning. Even his mouth got into the act. It was a very sincere frown he had going on there. Then again, he was kinda annoyed that this 'person' knew who he was.

"Oh joy, " was his reply. Boredom was the last thing on his mind right now. "I'll thank you now before I curse you later. " He grumbled the last part, figuring the woman would be able to hear him either way. It's a wonder they could even speak from all the noise that was going on! Sheesh!


Which was what he was looking at.

He was watching the swirling of the birds above, spacing mildly in thought. Stalemate. The birds were just as smart as the cuddlers, though it looked like it took them longer to learn that lasers hurt. Moe, by now was coming out of its stupor and chirped, spied the circling birds and promptly shut itself off again. Talon was also keeping half an eye on what Nick was doing. It was interesting, but not so much to keep his attention.

He had a curious urge to keep as far away from her as he possibly could right now.  

[Gestalt Effect]

As soon as the chain was too weak to support both boulders it snapped casing them to come crashing down. The stone slab blocking the door was hoisted into the air revealing another dark pathway. The seekers immediately flocked into the hallway, all but one whom was lead into the wall by one of the cuddlers. That one fell to the ground shaking its head to ease the ringing.
"kawwwwwwawwaawww~"

Steam poured from the vents in Nick's arm as the palm begun to cool.

"I am... already cursed... save your breath boy..." The Iron Judge growled as she looked over her shoulder. Her right eye's brightness begun to dim.

Her left hand moved to prop herself against the wall. Something to keep her from collapsing completely. The right arm hung limply at her side, still cooling. Her hair was drenched with sweat at this point. Damn limitations...

The cuddlers who made it to the floor begun to gather around Talon, each watching Nick carefully, though none would dare approach just yet. Some even had their tentacles raised and ready.  

[PuddleInk]

Talon observed the one Seeker make friends with the wall and felt a pang of sympathy for the creature. A small pang, since the birds had been trying to hurt his Moe earlier. He didn't like that part too much.

A soft chuckle escaped. He didn't feel like prying. Yet, oddly he found her rather funny... " For a dead girl, you're a real act. " It was when she was leaning heavily against the wall and sweating like a polar bear in the Sahara did he realize that she probably wasn't too dangerous.

And there was a swarm of cuttlefish behind him. He just noticed that. It was like they were all waiting for her to move and then they'd kill her. He raised an eyebrow and eyed them all. "Um... " He hadn't a clever saying for times like this. Though ' Calamari Calvary came to mind, it just didn't seem like it would go over well with the current crowd.

Talon removed the cuttlefish from his shoulder, though it clung on tightly and finally released and settled to clinging to his left forearm. It seriously didn't want to be let go. Moe was still passed out, and the Cuttlefish obliged by holding onto the little thing, adding more weight to that arm. Bah...

With an army backing him, Talon approached Nick, "Cursed or not, I have bad luck anyways. Shall we keep moving? " The right hand was extended. Talon would be smiling here, but seriously, after all of this, he hadn't the patience for a smile. It was a orderly suggestion, one could guess.  

[Gestalt Effect]

The Iron Judge chuckled as she looked back to the wall. "You... should see... the main show..."

Confidence was great, and it helped that the cuddlers seemed to back up his cause. They knew what was going on and were ready for any outbursts. Though, at this point Nick didn't seem like she -could- do anything if she wanted to.

The seeker that had plowed into the wall dizzily made its way toward Nick. Its movements made it unclear weather that was intentional or not. Either way its head was tightly in Nick's hold. Surprisingly it was not crushed instantly. The funny part was that the movement was so slow on both of their parts.

When Talon's hand was extended she again looked over her shoulder at the soldier. Didn't run away to save his skin? Even when faced with an obvious blood thirsty emotionally unstable 'demonic' being...

With another chuckle she let the bird drop back to the ground. It now bore a nice hand dented skill, but was still 'alive'.

"krrrowwwww..." It mumbled before stumbling back into the wall and falling over.

"I wouldn't... call it bad luck..." She laughed and turned to face him. The left eye was begginnging to seem more aware of what was going on. At least it wasn't so narrow. She looked to the hand than back at Talon. "A moment... touching me now would be... hazardous." That was spoken as more of a warning than a threat. In fact it wasn't a threat at all. Perhaps she would explain when she was back to normal, which seemed not that far away.

One of the golden cuddlers made another approach to latch onto the Nick's right arm. The others seemed to commend its bravery.  

[PuddleInk]

Talon didn't really care what the Cuddler's thought at this point. They kinda helped, but for the most part they blew holes in the walls. And the one currently attached to Talon decided that being on the ground was good. It was close to the human, but not too far away. It was braver than the others.

Though it did cheer the golden one on with a wave of the torch. A sort of ' YOU GO GIRL' thing. Or ' For the GOOD OF THE COLONY!'. Something like that.

Talon, really, wasn't paying attention to that. He was rather interested in the bird being held in the woman's hand. He also noted her warning and took a step back. "Of course. But I'd like to point out that I still don't trust the rest of the way out. Considering the temple's makers, there's probably at least one more trap there, or call me paranoid. "

It was only then did Talon notice the brave golden cuttlefish. He raised an eyebrow at it, wondering what had possessed it to think that it could even attach itself to the woman at this point. She seemed pretty against being touched right now. OH well. Its loss...  

[Gestalt Effect]

"Kulluu!" The golden cuddler lept onto Nick's mechanical arm and held on tight. Nick tensed and nearly grabbed at the thing to crush it, but her movement was too slow and the golden was safe. It cooed in what seemed to be pain as it struggled to contain the fog as its brethren had.

Nick winced as, once again, she could feel the Iron Judge persona retreating to the back of her mind. Her left eye seemed fully aware of the surroundings while the right didn't seem as creepy as it did a moment ago. Not staring into his memories and what not...

She looked from the cuddlers to the seeker on the ground and back to Talon. It was like waking up from an unpleasant sleep. A concern frown replaced the previous crazed look. The soldier looked okay, but she could never be sure what happened after a nightmare.

It was also at this point how fatigued she was from the usage of her blazing palm hit her like a brick. At least she woke up to more than that small room and the swirling black fog. Not to mentioned being pinned to a wall... this much she was thankful for.

"I didn't attack you did I?" She huffed as she looked over Talon for any sign of a struggle. She was also left wondering why the cuddlers were with him. They seemed... fond of the soldier.

The seeker on the ground shook its head than rolled over to its feet. It looked over all the present beings as it remained still.
"....." Something was definitely different about this one.  

[PuddleInk]

Talon was amazed again by the little inkers. No only were they brave, but rather observant of the odds. He scratched his chin in thought as he studied the golden cuddler, then observed Nick's facial reactions to having another cephelapod on her arm.

Well, at least it wasn't ripped off. And she seemed...saner? Could that be even possible? Aww... he was starting to like the dangerous side of her, even if he was more certain he could have died at any time.

Her question made it more clear. "No." he said. Moe had decided to switch back on and looked around as well. Found himself in the grips of that malfunctioning Cuddler and gave a squeal of anger and annoyance. It wriggled out of its tentacles and was on Talon's head scolding the thing like a squirrel. Talon seemed to completely ignore this. It seemed normal out of all the abnormal things today. "You did have clever witt about you. And were kind enough to open the door. ..."

Talon remembered the Seeker and pointed to it. "Oh. And dent this guy's head. You kept clear of me, if I recall. " Honestly, he hadn't a clue what the woman was talking about. He remembered talking to someone else for the past...however long it has been. OH wait...it was..that...yeah No. Brain not wanting to go there. Something about a creepy, soul sapping stare. He wasn't going to mention it.

But what he was going to mention was: "I've also seemed to amassed an army. " He looked about him, shrugged at the piles of metal calamari to be, and then extended his hand out to Nick as a gesture of help. "Shall we? "  

[Gestalt Effect]

Witt? Luckily he wasn't pulled into a deadly mind game with the Iron Judge. At least he didn't seem like he was. Most of the time the Iron Judge only spoke to further a foothold in one's brain and further obliterate their sanity. At least before killing them via crushed skill or fiery whip. But at least he was in one piece and still amusing. Perhaps that's why he was still intact? Nick let out a sigh of relief.

She than side glanced to the seeker when it was pointed to. That part she remembered... very vaguely. "Atelius..." Nick questioned her memory with a mumble. The seeker perked up at the mention of its name. So that was right...

"Thanks..." The hand, this time, was gladly accepted with her own left hand. The right palm was still much too hot.

She was having a hard enough time keeping herself up against the wall, much less springing from it to walk. But as long as she didn't use the inferno palm her energy would return rather quickly.

The golden cuddler cooed as it asked Nick to relay a message to Talon. "They say that they are making sure black fog didn't 'infect' you... too much."

Ahead the pathway was still dark, meaning that there was no let out any place soon. But, than again, where did the seekers escape to? The walls of the hallway were bare brick on brick meaning no obvious sign of traps.  

[PuddleInk]

Apparently Lady Luck was in league with Lady Death and they decided to keep Talon around to joke again. It was a sick joke, if one asked him about it, but no one seemed to so he put up with their joke, begrudingly. Apparently, their bargain had appeared again, at least from what he could tell from Nick's reaction.

A small frown creased his forehead as he studied this 'Atelius'. Not a bad name, then again, he didn't expect one of the Seekers to live. Let alone go by a rather grand name. Not that Talon knew what it meant right now, the name just sounded grand.

Moe chirped angrily at the Seeker, happily perched on its master's head. Talon ignored this like a good human. The Cuddler on the other hand loped along beside Talon, peering inquisitively at the changed behavior of the Seeker and the female.

Talon snickered softly, taking the liberty to help Nick off the wall. He still had a bit of strength in him and knew something very important: Things that melted chain would be hot. He made doubly sure not to touch the hot arm as he very carefully took hold of the woman to help support her weight.

He blinked at the golden cuddler. He frowned, wanting to ask what this black fog was, but decided it wasn't worth the explanation. He was making a random guess that the rather scary thing had been this 'black fog', or whatever the golden shiny thing said though Nick. "Thanks...I'm very reassured. " he replied dryly and started down the rather dark ( though lit by a rather proud looking cuttlefish holding a torch walking just ahead...er... scooting just ahead) corridor of brick. Talon figured the expendable fish thing should go first...

It inked his shirt, it soooo could go and he'd feel fine! He'll mourn over the loss of a grand torch holder later. Not that he wished death to the thing, NOO! He just was holding a small grudge right now.  

[Gestalt Effect]

Not many people understood what the black fog was, nor did they live to repeat the tale of their encounter. The Judge was always listening to Nick's thoughts, so she could not tell anyone its secrets. What was safe to anyhow. The cuddle fish seemed to be blocking most of the connection between her and the Judge... So perhaps he was entitled to a little bit of enlightenment, at the very least for his efforts.

"What you saw, was just a little bit of what an 'infection' can do..." Nick looked forward as the slowly advanced down the dark hall. "It consumes your mind in an instant, creating illusions you can feel, and can even convince your body to shut itself down. Usually slowly so that extreme suffering can occur before death." Not to mention completely control your every thought and induce incredible migraines at times of forcing submission.

The mass of cuddlers followed the group into the halls and kept close watch on the captive Atelius, whom in turn kept an eye on them and the torch bearer.

A wide chimney-like opening came into view further down the hall. It was the obvious route the other seekers took to escape the temple, a feint light could be seen at the end of that vertical tunnel. The light was taunting as the walls were too smooth and wide to climb. They would have to finish out the rest of the temple... which hopefully was not long at all.  

[PuddleInk]

"Essentially, a toxic neuron-hallucinogen to its prey. " He simplified it for her, though he was paying half attention to her at this point. Talon paused, frowned, and remembered the nightmarish woman in a mask. He didn't dwell on details. Details of that weren't important. "I understand it well enough that I want nothing to do with it. 'It' though, seems to have other plans. "

He gave the woman a measured glance. His mind did work quickly, but right now, he was going to assume that she was suffering from the heat of her arm. Yep. Had to be it. Made the most sense.

... When he glanced at Nick, he did take time to peer with the corner of his eyes at the entourage they've aquired. Gods...what was he? The Saint Patrick's of the Cuttlefish? Though, now they acquired a set of wings too... Why did this feel like he should have stayed at home and buried himself in a good book moment? Moe grumbled and chirpped something about wanting to stay at home and chase butterflies that sounded more like hoots and honks and squeaks to most everyone else.

Talon paused at the massive sky light and did a quick calculation... The ancients must be laughing at them right now, eating their popcorn, nomming their gumdrops, slurping their soft drinks and laughing! Though, Talon had to give them props for their engineering skills.

+1 Mad Engineering
-1mil Maze of Doom

He sighed and continued on down the path. Directions would be nice, else he'd start checking for wind flow... though, from the looks of the tunnel, it looked to be a pretty straight shot. Hopefully he wasn't too far from Tyrant. Hopefully.  

[Gestalt Effect]

Somewhat, though there was a lot more Nick could not say about it. And 'it' having planes, more like one of them did and she got to be the good blood thirsty meat puppet. Nick was curious what the Iron Judge had told him, but she refused to ask him. It couldn't have been anything enlightening or something she wasn't already aware of. "It always does..."

For the most part the path was straight, leading them down with the hope that this was the end of this accursed place. However, up ahead there was another fork in the road and holes in the wall leading down both walls going both directions.

The horde of cuddlers cooed, squeaked, than made their way into the first group of medium sized holes leaving the explorers, once again, alone. Only the golden and the silver ones remained behind to do whatever it was they were doing at the time.

Atelius hissed at them as they left. Good riddens! The uneducated pests were upsetting his already disturbed mood. Not that the humans could tell this... but they were!  

[PuddleInk]

Talon snickered softly, noting the horde of cuttlefish vanishing into the cuttlefish holes in the walls. Typically, they decided to vanish just when directions would have been awesome.

He gave a weary eye to the Seeker, and frowned. "Well? Pull your weight. Which way? " Moe eeped and clung to Talon's head when the human said that.
The silver Cuddler seemed to roll its eyes and wave the torch about, blubbering something or other about 'back in my day'... At least that's what it looked like from the gestures. Talon would have to be around it more to actually understand what it was saying.  

[Gestalt Effect]

The golden cuddler clung tighter to the metallic arm when Talon demanded a direction from the Seeker. Golden only knew the tunnels through the holes, but the path further down. Even if it did know, it didn't want to say much. It was too focused on its task and incredibly fearful to think of something else.

"Kawhissss!" Its metallic 'feathers' bristled at Talon.

Nick frowned. What was he kept alive for? With some effort she moved away from Talon having to hunch a bit still as she walked. The seeker watched bright eyed as she made her way toward him. It was almost like looking at a dog that knew it was in trouble.

Lucky for Nick it didn't run, it only tried to hide its head under its wings. It was amusing, a while ago it was so confident. Nick reached down with her right hand and gripped the birds skull tightly before slowly hoisting him up so he could look at the paths.

"Tell us... which way or you loose your head..." Nick spoke flatly.

"Ack, no no, I like to think, right... always right is the right way... J-just don't... KAAAWSCREEE!" Atelius pleaded as he flailed around.