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| Details |
| Author: | MrMook |
| Summary: | Blue Squad investigates mantid attacks near Niuzao Temple and discovers the Sha of Fear has escaped from its prison beneath the temple. Descending into the catacombs below, they endure fear and sha corruption together while confronting only a fragment of the true threat. |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
Arric's hat seems slightly less ridiculous now that the rain is coming down hard. It's like a mini umbrella.
And then the rain stops. He leaves the hat on, though.
Shun is checking on some supplies with the quartermaster at the garrison.
A treant is just hanging around, happily soaking up the rain. When the rainfall stops, the treant turns into a Kenelly.
Arric startles. He was… not expecting that.
Atley marches up to the group, bladed helmet tucked under his arm. "Good afternoon, squad."
Arric salutes.
Shun glances over his shoulder.
Atley returns the salute.
"Good afternoon, Sir!" Kenelly salutes. It seems the thing to do.
Atley grunts and juts his head to the southwest. "I understand you brought the fight to some mantid on an island off the coast, mm?"
Shun nods.
"That's right, sir," says Arric.
"We did! It was quite intense," Kenelly adds.
Rica goes to stand next to Shun and stare at him with intensely blue eyes.
Shun slowly turns to look at Rica.
Rica tilllllllts her head to one side.
Shun blinks.
Rica blinks back.
Atley nods once. "Good. We're to handle more of them today."
Shun is now having a staring contest with a raptor.
Atley looks between Shun and Rica, slowly lifting a brow.
Rica reaches to gently pluck one of the feathers tied to her left arm and hold it out to him with her clawed "hand."
Shun takes the feather, though there's a small spark of confusion in his eyes.
Atley briefly turns to eye Arric as he observes the exchange.
Arric raises a brow as he looks at the two. "Interesting," he says, as Rica runs back to his side.
Kenelly clasps her hands and looks like she's about to melt into a puddle of cuteness at Rica's actions.
Shun looks at the feather, then looks at Arric questioningly.
"I've only seen her do that to other raptors," Arric says. "Make of that what you will."
"…So she thinks I am a raptor. What is the significance of the… feather gift normally?" Shun asks.
"I believe it signifies that the raptors are of the same pack," Arric says confidently.
Shun grunts, then puts the feather in his bag.
"She's more growing ahead of her, doesn't she?" Atley asks, side-eyeing Arric.
"Yes, in theory she should be large enough to ride, eventually," Arric says. Rica makes a happy little scree sound at that.
Kenelly beams. "Would you like that, Rica? Do you want to be a noble steed?"
Rica screes again.
"Is that a yes?" Shun asks, tilting his head.
"It is," Arric says. "She gets quite annoyed when I ride Win-Win."
"You wager you'll retire your horse once she's large enough?" Atley asks.
Peixin appears, sitting on the pole of the highest tent. "So, what are we waiting for?"
"Well, not retire entirely," Arric says, "but Rica would become my mount during combat situations."
Rica will allow it. Or so her slight nod seems to indicate.
Atley glances up at Peixin and tugs on his helmet. "You. Come on down from there."
Arric waves.
Shun grunts.
"Me? I've been here the whole time, I was waiting for you!" Peixin scoffs. She jumps of the tent and lands right next to Shun.
Tai Ho is seated in meditative silence by a campfire. He looks up at Cobalt Company, but does not get to his feet. “Travelers,” Tai Ho says. “Thank you for coming. We hope you may be of assistance to us.”
Atley turns and marches over.
Shun deadpans at Peixin briefly, then goes to follow the group.
"Wait there, Rica," Arric says, pointing.
“The Shado-Pan wishes to know why the mantid are attacking so violently,” says Tai Ho. “We have our suspicions, but we cannot be sure. Furthermore, we do not want to alert the mantid that we are investigating them. That’s where you come in.”
Shun tilts his head.
“I need you to kill the mantid of Kri’vess, in the north,” Tai Ho says. “I will be with you in the shadows, and will search for clues among their bodies. In addition….” He gestures to a nearby crate of explosives.
“The mantid build up munitions daily. We cannot stop them, just you and I… but we can set them back. Because I must keep a low profile, would you do the honors?”
"We would," Atley says.
"Of course!" says Arric.
Peixin stands mantidly. Ready to infiltrate their ranks to spy.
"Kri'vess? We're due north, then. Let's move," Atley says, beckoning for Thoras.
Shun goes to fetch a kite from the pandaren.
"This'll be it," Atley says, observing the mantid structures nestled in the shade of another gigantic tree.
"That does sound like the kind of place that'd be called Kri'vess!" Peixin giggles.
Arric readies his rifle. Rica paces excitedly.
Shun grunts.
After they get settled, Atley charges in to slay a Screamer.
“Nothing on this one,” Tai Ho’s voice says from the shadows.
Atley grunts.
“Look,” says Tai Ho’s voice. “The color has just… left its body. There is no doubt these creatures have been affected by the sha.”
Another mantid falls. “There’s nothing here,” Tai Ho says. “Let’s keep looking.”
"Supplies ahead. Who wants to take point with the explosives?" Atley asks.
"The sha is involved, but did they willingly give themselves to it or are they, like…" Peixin shrugs. "Hypnotized, somehow?"
Atley cranes his head in a crooked nod. "A fair question, Peixin."
"Do people willingly give themselves?" Arric asks in astonishment.
"I don't know, I'm not a mantid," Peixin says, slipping into a mantid magical illusion, turning into one.
"In recent years I've witnessed no shortage of the madness of mortalkind. Especially those who desire power," Atley says.
"I find myself equally incredulous, Arric," Kenelly adds.
Shun furrows his brow.
Atley doubletakes Peixin. "Careful," he warns, before setting down a gunpowder cask in the middle of the weapons.
“There’s nothing here,” Tai Ho says. “Let’s keep looking.”
“Look at the size of this one,” says Tai Ho. “Definitely a breeding male. That means the mantid queen is involved somehow….”
“His body,” observes Tai Ho. “It’s covered with scars. Old scars. From pandaren weapons.”
Atley leans over to see for himself with a frown.
"Please, do give us the details," Peixin says. "How is the queen involved, do you think?" Peixin tilts her mantid head.
Arric turns to nod at Peixin when she speaks, then startles slightly when he sees her mantid ?illusion?.
“Ah!” says Tai Ho triumphantly. He holds up a tuft of yak hair. “I think we can begin to put together a picture of what is happening here. Meet me back at camp when you’re ready.” He vanishes.
Atley stares at the empty space where Tai Ho had just been before he looks Peixin. "I warrant he'll know more, then. Let's return."
Shun waits a beat or two, then looks at the others. "Did the intelligence from White Squad not get— nevermind."
After they land, Atley looks from Shun to the others. "We are all aware of the Klaxxi, and the situation White Squad finds itself in?"
"Yes sir!" says Arric. He actually pulls some papers out of his bag and waves them.
Peixin turns ot look at Rica. Is she aware of the situation with the Klaxxin, and the situation White Squad finds themselves in?"
Rica is not.
Arric does not read her the newsletters.
Ately grunts, appeased, and dismounts, marching up to Tai Ho.
Peixin nods and raises her hand. "I think we need a reminder for Rica."
Arric gently facepalms. Rica tilts her head at Peixin.
Atley pauses and looks to Peixin. "The Klaxxi are a ruling council staging a sort of civil war against the Queen of the mantid, whom they believe have led them astray with this early, aggressive war."
"White Squad is assisting the Klaxxi. Making allies of them," Atley explains. "These reports have been disseminated by the Captain."
Shun nods, "And they are dealing with the sha of Fear out there."
"Yeah, I know !" Peixin repeats the information to Rica, just in case she still hasn't got it. All the team must be well aware of all of it.
Rica understands now. Or doesn't. She doesn't say.
Tai Ho is seated by the campfire again, gazing at a tuft of yak hair. He looks up. “The yak hair on that mantid’s body suggests one thing… it came from Niuzao Temple. Our journey continues westward.”
Shun glances back at Tai Ho, then looks to the west.
Tai Ho gets to his feet with surprising grace for a pandaren of his size. “Niuzao, the Black Ox, rests in the temple to the west. He may know why the mantid are attacking. He may, in fact, know much more than that. I will rendezvous with you there.”
"We ride. To the Temple… Niuzao is one of the August Celestials, you lot. Best behavior," Atley warns sternly.
Arric's eyes widen.
The stone bridge, worn smooth underfoot with age, spans the strait below that separates the temple island from the mainland.
"Would you believe me if I said I've nevermet onf ot eh celestials one-on-one?" Peixin says.
Atley studies the bridge architecture with a glare of both awe and tactical analysis.
On the far side of the bridge stands a lone pandaren child, gazing at the temple arch in the distance. He turns at Blue Squad’s approach. “Wait! Can you help me!”
"Of course!" says Arric.
"I would believe you," Kenelly says. "I haven't either."
Shun blinks at the child.
Atley furrows his brow. "Wot' is it, little one?"
Kenelly shifts into a less fearsome form. "What's wrong, child?"
Arric kneels down to the child's level.
Peixin giggles at Kenelly, then gets very serious when she sees a child. "Oh, Ku-Mo, Hi! What are you doing here ?"
The boy wrings his paws. “Peixin? Oh. Hi! Um. I came here to visit my dad at the temple, but as soon as I got here, I saw the most terrifying thing!” His eyes fill with tears. “A mantid went right past me, carrying my father’s crossbow.”
“Something’s happened to my dad!” Ku-Mo cries. “We’ve got to find out what it is! The mantid was going west, behind the temple.”
Atley nods slowly and grunts, dismounting. "Stay here. Stay safe. We'll return shnortly, little one."
Arric puts a hand on the boy's shoulder. "We'll search for him," he says gravely.
"Don't fret over it, I'm sure he's fine," Peixin smiles. "Where di Ku-Yao go… ?"
Shun mutters once they're further off, "What if his dad is just pulling off a trick like Peixin's?"
Atley grunts. "Wot' do you mean?"
"One can hope," Arric says with a lopsided smile.
"Peixin once mentioned her mantid disguise is a pandaren trick," Shun shrugs.
"One one hand, it'd be pretty funny…" Peixin says. "On the other, really rude to pull a 'maybe I'm dead' prank on your kid."
"A fine idea, Shun. We'll have to make certain 'fore we engage," Atley says.
"Not like that. Like he is disguised for a purpose," Shun grunts.
"It may be, but we can only act on wot' we know. He can inform us of his purpose if he does hide," Atley says.
In the corner at the foot of a partially-toppled wall is a trio of mantid. Two are small, greenish-colored drones. The third is a larger, red warrior mantid.
Kenelly kneels by the body of a dead pandaren, full of arrows. "Oh no."
"That answers that," Shun grumbles.
Arric sighs deeply, brow furrowing.
"Oi. If you're under any disguise, drop it, now. Or die in vain," Atley says. The trio of mantids turn to the group.
The trio attacks!
Peixin winces as she spots the dead pandaren. Then she takes a better look. "there's still hope!"
As the red mantid falls, an ornate pandaren crossbow drops from his claws.
Atley points out the weapon. "Peixin, take it."
Peixin salutes. She grabbes the weapon.
"Back to the child, you lot," Atley says.
“Did… did you find it?” the cub asks, wide-eyed.
"We have found the weapon, yes," Peixin hands him the
crossbow, as if it's all too natural for a small child to hold a weapon that big. "No signs of your dad yet, though !"
He accepts the crossbow carefully. “Yeah. This is dad’s.” He looks up. “Let’s head over to the temple. They’ll know….” His voice catches and he blinks down at the crossbow. “They’ll know what happened to him.”
Arric puts a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"After him," Atley says.
The courtyard of the mighty temple is in turmoil. Armored pandaren sentinels are holding off clusters of mantid intruders, while other sentinels stand vigil at the stairs leading up to the temple’s interior.
Peixin blinks at the big bugs.
"Shit, this is a mess," Shun notes.
Atley grunts and nods.
The Sentinels stand aside to let the Cobalt group pass. Ku-Mo has slipped up the stairs ahead of them.
Atley gives the sentinels a nod and marches past.
At the top of the stairs, Ku-Mo stands facing the Sentinel commander. “Please!” the boy is pleading.
Behind the Sentinel commander and the Temple Sentinels gathered around him, the Temple corridor is occupied entirely by the massive, shaggy form of Niuzao, the Black Ox. He stands impassively, blazing with white light.
Arric's sky-blue eyes go wide with awe.
Atley squints, initially turning his head to the side, before he bows low.
Kenelly's mouth hangs open…and she unconsciously starts panting.
Shun dips his head at the big spirit.
Arric reaches over to gently close Kenelly's lower jaw.
Atley side-eyes Kenelly. "Breathe."
Peixin lets out a "whoa". Still not a one-on-one meeting, but still.
Kenelly snaps her mouth shut, privately grateful that fur hides blushes.
Sentinel Commander Qipan turns his attention to the squad. “You have come with the boy?”
Atley takes a step closer and upwards, towards Qipan. "We have."
"Yup," Peixin smiles.
The Sentinel commander nods. “The boy’s father — Sentinel Ku-Yao — has gone missing. He could be in any number of places. We have no shortage of enemies these days. You’re free to look around, if you wish.” He shrugs.
“You might start by trying to track his yak. Or perhaps Sentinel Yalo will know something.” Sentinel Commander Qipan points left, to the courtyard below.
Atley nods once. "Very well."
"I promise we'll search thoroughly," Arric says gravely to the boy as though they were both adults.
Past the Sentinel Commander, in the shadow of the Black Ox, Tai Ho is conferring with a pair of Temple Sentinels. One of these turns to the group now. “Ah. Cobalt Company.”
Shun turns his attention to Tai Ho.
Ku-Mo fervently nods up at Arric in response, wringing his tiny paws together.
Atley looks to Tai Ho and carefully approaches.
The Sentinel nods. “I am Ogo the Younger. Your Shado-Pan associate has spoken with us already. Yes, Niuzao knows why the mantid are attacking.” He pauses. “But he is not ready to tell you. Not yet.”
Shun furrows his brow.
Atley does the same, briefly looking to the Celestial and back again.
"All right, keep your secrets, then," Peixin says, crossing her arms playfully.
“Niuzao owns a statuette which he values greatly,” the Sentinel says. “It is a small icon in his image, sculpted by one of his long-since fallen sentinels. The Sra’thik mantid have stolen this icon, and taken it to their camp to our north. Bring back the statuette. Then Niuzao will give you and the Shado-Pan the answers you seek.” He folds his arms.
Tai Ho stares in silence for a moment and then nods curtly. “As you wish. We will find your artifact.” He turns to Blue Squad. “Friends — I go to scout the Sra’thik Incursion. Meet me there when you can.”
"Ahh, a test of the gods. A classic." Kenelly nods.
Atley tears his gaze away from Ogo the Younger and nods at Tai Ho. "Travel well. We're looking after the child's father, then we shall join you."
"Company, move out," Atley says, rapidly descending the steep stairs.
Arric says, "Rica, follow."
"I knooow," Peixin says, tilting her head at Kenelly. "They love games and playing hard to get."
Niuzao stares at them all impassively.
A Sentinel paces back and forth watchfully on the temple terrace. He pauses when he sees Blue Squad. “Yes?”
"Sentinel Yalo?" Atley asks.
“I’m Yalo, yes.” Sentinel Yalo frowns.
Atley furrows his brow, letting Atley handle this one.
"We're on the lookout for sentinel Ku-Yao. Seen him about?” Atley asks.
“You’re looking for Ku-Yao? I haven’t seen him in days, now that you mention it. You don’t think he’s in trouble, do you?” Sentinel Yalo says.
"We aim to find out," says Arric.
"We found his crossbow," Atley says.
Peixin's eyebrows knit in worry as she looks at the others.
Sentinel Yalo nods toward the stairs behind him. “You can go and see if any of his stuff is still in the barracks?”
Shun grunts.
"Right," Atley says.
Rica trips slightly on the stairs.
"Look!" Peixin says, reaching the barracks. She picks up a shield, left at the entrance. "I think that's his!"
Arric looks more worried than ever.
Rica is fine.
"She enters the barracks where a few pandaren are resting. "Is it any of you guys'?"
Atley furrows his brow. "How do you know?"
Kenelly sniffs at the shield.
"I think she's right. It smells…similar to the boy," Kenelly says.
"I know him," Peixin says. "Plus there's like… a big inscription of Ku-Yao's name on the back so… Unless someone just love him that much…"
Arric can't help but smile a little at that.
As Peixin addresses the barracks, a Niuzao Sentinel sits up. "Slow downnnn…" he yawns, rubbing an eye. "What are you asking?"
"We're looking for Ku-Yao," Arric says tensely.
"Ku-Yao's missing. That's his right? You don't have a crush on him so big you wrote his name on your shield ?"
Peixin says.
"…." Shun stares.
The sentinel shrugs. "I don't know if that's his shield, but this is his bed roll. Wherever he is, he didn't take it with him."
"Hm." Peixin says.
Atley immediately jogs back outside. "Right… We're getting closer."
"Ha-Cha!" Peixin exclaims.
On the farthest terrace of the Temple, a solitary yak stands beneath a statue of Niuzao. Perhaps it is contemplating the might of the Black Ox. Perhaps it is just being a yak and thinking yak thoughts.
"Like the beast you borrowed," Atley says to Shun, eyes on Ha-Cha.
"Why would he leave his shield and his mount…" Arric murmurs, perplexed.
"I sold Ku-Yao that saddle !" Peixin says. "Again, his name's also written on there, on the blanket. The guy just really like to name his things."
Shun nods at Atley.
"He may still be on the grounds, somewhere," Atley says. Back to the child. Then we make for the statuette."
Kenelly sniffs at the yak…and recoils. Yak.
"But then why would a mantid have his crossbow?" Arric persists.
"He may'be been near when he was accosted," Atley theorizes.
"His crossbow, his bed, his mount and his shield," Peixin crosses her arms. "He did leave a little too many things. It's suspicious."
"Ku-Mo," Atley says. "We've found his shield, his bedroll, and his yak. All here, on the Temple grounds."
“No shield, no crossbow, no yak…. Something bad has happened to my dad out there,” says Ku-Mo unhappily. “Thanks for your help, friends. I’m going to… keep asking around, I guess.”
"We'll keep an eye out, Ku-Mo," Peixin smiles at him.
Atley grunts and nods. "We've done all we can. Time to link up with Tai Ho to forge ties with Niuzao."
“Same drill as before,” Tai Ho’s voice says from the shadows. “You do the killing, I’ll do the searching.”
Shun grunts.
“Nothing here,” says Tai Ho. “Let’s keep looking.”
As another Sra'thik Guard falls… “Strange…” says Tai Ho. “This one carries a few pieces of polished stone? Perhaps from Niuzao’s statuette. I will keep them, and we’ll see.”
“Ah! Another piece of stone,” says Tai Ho. “This has definitely been carved… I think I can see where the other pieces we found might have fit.”
“If I didn’t know any better,” says Tai Ho, “I’d say this was a stone ox tail. All that’s left now is the head. It can’t have gotten far.”
Atley grunts as he listens, nodding slowly.
“Here’s the head,” Tai Ho says. “A perfect fit. We’ve performed Niuzao’s errand. Now it’s time to get back to some real investigation. I’ll see you at the Temple.”
"We've got it, then." Atley gives the squad a nod. "Let's move."
"Right…" Shun utters.
Atley lands and marches up to Ogo x2.
The Sentinel Ogo the Younger is waiting for them. He bows his head. “Niuzao is pleased. Despite his size, our patron is a beast of grace and compassion. He treasures this icon just as he treasures each of his followers.”
“Our secret can remain hidden no longer,” says the Sentinel that stands with him. “I am Ogo the Elder, and I know the answer you seek. Our secret can remain hidden no longer.” He bows.
Shun raises a brow.
Atley frowns and tugs off his helmet, raking a gauntlet through sweat-damp hair.
“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the suspicions of the Shado-Pan,” Ogo the Elder says. “The mantid are under the sway of the Sha of Fear — and it was our sworn duty to confine that creature beneath our temple. Unfortunately, our vigil faltered, our defenses buckled, and the sha escaped. It is among the mantid now. But you may go and see for itself, where the mantid have burrowed into the western side of our island.”
Atley inhales slowly and silently lets it out.
Shun stares at Ogo.
"Of Fear, uh? Yikes." Peixin bites her lower lip. She looks in Ku-Mo's direction.
"One of Cobalt Company's other squads had… deduced this," Arric says. "But we appreciate your full disclosure."
Atley grunts.
Shun grunts.
Tai Ho nods once. “It is as I suspected. Thank you, Ogos. Cobalt Company, I will meet you in the mantid catacombs.”
Peixin grunts in solidarity.
“My friends,” calls a woman standing before Niuzao with a pair of yaks. “Please, may I speak with you?”
Atley turns and marches over. "Miss?"
“You now know Niuzao’s secret.” The woman sighs. “We are not only the wardens of this temple — we were the wardens of the Sha of Fear that was buried beneath it. The Sha itself may have escaped, but it left traces behind. If you’re truly going down into the catacombs, you should eliminate what traces you can before they escape and cause greater problems than we already have.”
"Of course!" says Arric.
"We'll clear the lot of them out," Atley says.
Atley tugs on his helmet and moves to leave when –
“Wait,” calls Sentinel Commander Qipan to the group. “I overheard. Our secret is out, then.”
"Okay so, just in case, everyone…" Peixin says. "You know how some of you are very susceptible to Anger or Hatred ? Well, Fear might be the one that gets me. Hope there's no residual… parts of him in those catacombs."
"I hate to say this, sir," Arric says to the Commander, "but… it was not particularly secret."
"We will be here to bolster your strength, Peixin." Kenelly says.
Atley marches over to clasp Peixin on the shoulder. "You looked after us when we were weak to the Sha. We'll look after you. We're a Company."
Arric gives Peixin a brief manly shoulder-grip thingie. Buck up, lil pandaren.
Shun grunts.
"Thanks guys," Peixin smiles. "Knowing that isn't helping at all because right now it's just all hypothetical, but… thanks!"
Qipan nods. “When I learned that the mantid had burrowed beneath our temple, I reacted hastily. I sent dozens of guardians to defend what they could… but they were not prepared to deal with the residue of fear. They did not return. I can only assume they succumbed. A pandaren deserves to die embracing the earth, as he does in sleep, not on his back with his eyes transfixed in terror. Please, give the dead the peace they deserve.”
Shun nods at Qipan.
"The dead shall have their peace, Commander. You focus on holding the line. We'll return directly," Atley says.
As the Company lands at the cave entrance, a pandaren martial artist sprints out from the the tunnel in hysterical fear, and assaults them.
"Bring him down!" Atley barks.
Arric barely has time to get his rifle ready. It's fine, Rica's on it.
"Oi!" Shun shadowsteps out of the way and defends himself.
Peixin's eyes widen. She throws a shuriken at the surprise attack.
"A sample of wot' awaits us," Atley growls as Yul Wildpaw falls, dead. "We face wot' lies ahead together. Understood?"
Shun grunts, then vanishes into the shadows.
"You know," Arric muses, "I think I'm so afraid all the time that this Sha ought to have little hold over me. I've been fighting fear since I was very small. One learns… techniques."
The cave mouth ahead seems to exhale a creeping sense of dread, a damp cold that whispers of unease.
Peixin pulls on her scarf nervously and vanishes.
Tai Ho says from the shadows, “This place doesn’t look pretty. Come on, let’s go inside.”
"Peixin—!" Atley hisses. "Stay close."
"I'm here, I'm here," her voice coming from nearby Dane.
Atley grunts, appeased.
Shun appears in a cluster of terrorlings and sends knives in all directions.
The dark inside the catacomb is heavy and watchful; it feels like it is darker than it should be, and the air of the tunnel seems to whisper around them.
Arric finds a pandaren who has died staring at the cave ceiling in abject terror. Very gently, he closes her eyes, then turns her over into a peaceful sleeping position embracing the earth.
Atley nods.
Peixin reappears behind a dreadling, fighting with a dagger in one hand, and holding a tanuki plush in the other. She vanishes again instantly.
Arric is pale, with beads of sweat at his hairline, but as always he is focused on the mission — the fear doesn't seem to change his behavior at all.
Atley observes each member — that he can see — and continues the descent into the Niuzao Catacombs, his grim visage illuminated by Thunderfury's eternal flickering.
Whenever Peixin reappears, her hands are shaky, her strikes not as precise. She lets out a scream of surprise as aterrorling sees through her invisibility
"Peixin," Atley hisses. "Stay with us. With me. Hold onto my cloak if it'd help."
"Is everyone alright?" Kenelly asks. Then Peixin screams, and Kenelly approaches carefully. "It's alright, Peixin. You're safe. We're together."
Arric goes to stand near Peixin protectively, even though he's still sweating himself.
Peixin looks at the plush in her one hand she's holding close to herself, and then the dagger in the other. She grabs Atley's cloack with her teeth. There, she's holding onto the cloak.
Atley turns and doubletakes Peixin with a small, brief sigh, before he looks to Arric and gives a nod, entrusting him with watching her.
"'Sanks," Peixin tells Kenelly, before vanishing again. Dane's cloak floats behind him.
Shun furrows his brow at Peixin, as he fights a dreadling, he gets knocked back and appears to have a gaping wound for all to see. Once the dreadling falls, the wound vanishes.
Tai Ho mutters uneasily to himself.
Atley startles and takes a step towards Shun, only to pause and withdraw. "Tricks — ?!"
Arric blanches at the sight of Shun's "Wound" but keeps firing.
The dark water that runs along the side of the path seems to ripple. Did something move beneath it?
"Tricks," Shun grunts.
There is a sound like sobbing in the darkness. A moment later it turns to hysterical laughter. It fades away.
"If Ku-Yao is SOMEHOW the one who let the Sha of Fear escape, I swear to the Celestials…" the invisible Peixin says.
“Can you feel it?” whispers Tai Ho. “This is where the Sha of Fear was held.”
Arric remains… very much his usual self, despite his pallor and sweating.
Atley exhales smoothly and narrows his eyes at The Ghastly Confines.
Kenelly nods solemnly. "I feel it," she says, but her voice is steady, and she seems undeterred.
In the black depths of the deepest chamber of the catacombs, a clawed shadow hovers over a pool of opaque waters. The whispers in the dark are loud now, and the creature seems to be their source.
"No, Tai Ho," Peixin says. "I'm feeling terrified because I just love the feeling."
"The air is thick," Shun mutters.
Atley grunts.
In the black depths of the deepest chamber of the catacombs, a clawed shadow hovers over a pool of opaque waters. The whispers in the dark are loud now, and the creature seems to be their source.
Peixin is breathing heavily, so her invisibility isn't really useful right now. She's still only using one weapon. The plush is not a weapon.
"Together. Bring it down," Atley says.
Arric stands close to Peixin. keeping a hand on her baCK.
Atley consciously forces his breathing to cooperate as he engages the Dread Shadow, with Thunderfury lighting his movements.
Tai Ho waits on the shore of the murky cave pool. “Let me make it clear,” he says grimly. “That creature was not the Sha of Fear. Simply a shadow… a fraction of the sha’s true power. The elders of my order must be informed immediately that the Sha of Fear is with the mantid. I will handle it from here. Thank you for your assistance, friends. And your courage.”
"We are all still alive," Arric says. "We are all still together." His voice is soothing.
Shun grunts.
"We are. Yay," Peixin says, vanishing again.
"Very well," Atley says to Tai Ho, before he nods at Peixin.
"Let's get back, you lot. Report in to the Temple," Atley says, briefly glancing behind him at the lightless pool.
“Understood,” Shun nods.
“Yes sir!” says Arric.