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Neruheru giggled behind her veil as she walked up to Koniryu. "Don't you miss them..?" She stopped, putting her face close to his. "What do you care anyway.."

She spun on her heel, walking over to the wall of roots. "Don't get in my way," she hissed behind her veil, tearing her hand down the center of the plants, ripping them away.

Karasu was just staring, mouth agape and mind screaming for her to get out of there! But her body wouldn't listen and all she could do was watch... Imriel was curled in a ball behind her keeper whimpering pitifully, visions of shadow and lonliness clouding her vision. Was this the end of her... AGAIN?

Neru's eyes glowed brightly with glee. "Awake... awake.." Her voice echoed in the room, filling the air with an eerie energy. She placed her right hand on the wall in front of her. "Be free.." With visable effort she braced herself and shoved her hand through the crystal.

A ear splitting shatter tore through the air as shards of crystal flew everywhere. An errant shard sliced across Kujaku's face, another catching the tip of Imriel's wing. The ground rumbled again and the sound of falling glass followed shortly. The barrier was broken.

A soft sigh drifted into Karasu's mind, followed by the sound of crying.. Imriel heard it too.. What was that?

Neruheru stood triumphant over the broken barrier, laughing maniacally... slowly the statues began to move.. they looked.. alive?

"Welcome back.." Neru said, barely able to keep her voice straight with all her giggling.

The two people, the two gods, slowly opened their eyes.. Suddenly one of them stepped in front of the other, obscuring her from view. This other one.. its eyes glowed fiercely as a strange smile curled on its lips.

The only sound from Kujaku was a sharp cry as the shard sliced across his face. Curled into a teal-feathered ball against one wall, the tiny Ieldi tried to make himself as small as possible, his legs curled up to his chest with his arms wrapped tightly around them as he huddled there in numb terror.

Roots sprang up in front of Koniryu, sheilding him from the burst of crystal shards, before they crumpled to the ground, dying in an instant. Ignoring the sudden flares of pain he could feel from the Kin behind him, Koniryu lept forward. "GET THEM AWAY!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, before a torrent of roots lept out of the ground, grappling at the first new figure, making it stumble to the side and revealing the second.



Simultaneously, a tangle of roots cracked the ground underneath the adventurers, weaving into a thick mat that began to rise teeteringly into the air, carrying them up to the top of the hole again. It was messy, but... Koniryu's forehead wrinkled with intense concentration, and a thin sheen of green light danced over his skin.

As this new form came into view Oliver peered up and stared in wonder at her...who was this...what was this...what was happening...His heart suddenly began to beat normally as they rose upward, away from all of..well, whatever this was, no more, that's all he could think, his fragile mind now throbbing as he watched it all slide below them.

Avelena held the kyunru close and protected him as best she could from the dangerous gods but she knew in her mind she was nothing and her sobs became obvious even as they rose to what might be safety.

Siff had been brooding, as usual, lurking around the tree when something had struck him, causing him to stop in his steps, seemingly shocked. A few muttered curses then he stood up straight, crossing arms over his chest and rather quickly sinks down into the ground, disappearing into the shadows to vanish from sight.

More Pantheon... they'd help, wouldn't they? Kujaku sniffled, trying to keep himself from running again. If he did, he'd run right off the platform and that wouldn't be good. He crawled towards Imriel then, curling up with her and bringing a wing around her slightly.

"Ullue... it will not hold," Koniryu managed, slowly stumbling backwards, most of his mind still on holding the roots. He slipped into the ascending tangle and quickly drew even with the top of the hole. The roots twisted and dumped everyone on the outside of the hole before crumbling instantly to dust.

"All of you, GET UP and COME WITH ME," Koniryu barked, putting the full force of his authority as a member of the Pantheon into his voice. "I know you're scared but swallow it now if you want to... just come with me." He crouched next to Imriel and Kukaju, carefully lifting the peacock Ieldi. "Hold her," he told Rasu, quietly, before shaking the others and motioning them to move forward.