Saus

[Graybeard]

Brother Miguel pondered Argus´ concern for a moment, then said, "When in doubt, tell the truth, nothing but the truth, but not necessarily the whole truth. I suggest we simply send back that Argus and colleagues are hot on the trail of Father Egbert, but are now in a part of Veracia without crystalnet service and don´t expect to be in contact via crystalnet any time soon. That´s all true, after all, and other things can be left unsaid."

This idea seemed to meet with general approbation, so a parrot was prepared, equipped with the necessary code words, and launched. "OK now what?" Miguel said.
(OOC: Just able to pop in for a minute here, will be off line until next Saturday.)

[Viking-Sensei]

Sasha pulled out her GPS unit and turned it on... it's display wavered uncertainly, showing only the roughest of proximities to where they were at. "Well, it won't help much this far outside the crystalnet, but we can use this as a rough compass and correspond the data from it to the old maps we have."

"While we walk, I was wondering a couple of things about this Father Egbert fellow... first, and not to be too blunt, but did he actually do anything wrong that you're aware of? You came to Veracia investigating his apparent death, then when you discovered he wasn't dead you started persuing him... now, I know the whole cover-up thing is awfully suspicious, but what if he was just... and no offense here... tired of being a priest and wanting out? Dissappear during warp, make it look like an accident, vanish into the countryside and re-establish yourself as a farmer or something less stressful... it happens more than you'd think, although normally without the dramatic flare of the warp gate 'accident'. Do you actually have evidence of any crimes he's committed?"

[Graybeard]

Sister Rose pondered Sasha´s question for a long moment, then answered. "Well, it isn´t that he has done anything wrong, or at least not anything criminal. If he had, it wouldn´t be our problem anyway. There are two issues. First, something absolutely terrified him, and we want to know what. I´ve known Father Egbert for years --" more years than I should admit -- "and that behavior is completely unlike him. He is not a man who is easily frightened, or perhaps I should say, easily terrified. But something did terrify him, and we´re worried about it -- and him."

Brother Miguel nodded confirmation as Rose continued, "Second, there has been so much other weird stuff happening at the mission lately that there are concerns extending far beyond Father Egbert. Did we say anything about the Cardinal Inquisitor coming to Kiyoka? That means that there is suspicion that the mission has gotten into heresy or worse.¨ Please don´t ask what is worse. "It also means that the disappearance of Father Egbert has attracted interest in the highest levels of the Veracian Church. It´s far better if we resolve the questions, by finding him, than that it be left to a formal inquisition, which will be ... uncomfortable ... for all concerned."

Rose´s exposition was interrupted at this point by a low rumble coming from the southern horizon. "Thunder," Miguel opined, not knowing how wrong he was.

[Drannin]

Argus pondered. His motivations were a little more straightforward: money. The Church had offered to pay him, and he had no doubt eventual recompense would be generous. He needed money if he was going to make his last days on this blasted planet at least somewhat enjoyable. He needed allies in the church to inflict pain on Tsuirakushiti. And this little mission was proving to be... interesting... in more ways than one.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, something dark and reptilian was plotting, collating information, making vague plans.

Honestly? Argus had gone along with things this far because he had nothing else to do. The puzzle at hand was far better than just wasting away in some bar, letting alcohol pickle his slowly petrifying body. But things were falling into place in his mind. Old vendettas were being remembered. Maybe it was the memories that Harker's presence had triggered. He may be a dying old man, but he still had time left.

And he planned to use it.

Of course, there were certain pressing concerns right at the moment.

"Ah... excuse me a moment," Argus said, quietly excusing himself from the group and heading for some bushes.

Harker, make a comment and I will FRY you.

[Graybeard]

Brother Miguel and Sister Rose watched with amusement as Argus headed off into the bushes. Hadn't they dropped enough hints that they'd been on maneuvers many times? Often enough not to be offended by body functions getting the attention that was due them? Or was it Sasha's presence that drove Argus to uncharacteristic shyness?

Whatever the situation, they were turning back to the wagon as Argus disappeared, and consequently, just happened to be looking in the right direction to see a glow appear on the horizon in the direction the thunder had come from. "Odd," Rose said. "That's lasting too long to be lightning. Wonder if this storm that's heading our way started a fire?"

"I don't think so," Miguel said. "Check the color of that glow. It's green, not red. I'd almost say it was magical in origin. Very strange indeed -- and it's right on the road, if this map means anything. Looks a good five miles out or more, but this may be something we should approach carefully."

------------

Damn, Father Egbert thought. Departure has just started. Of all the times for this to happen...

The rumbling noises from the far end of the ruins were growing rapidly louder and the earth was shaking. And he couldn't do anything in response, because of the loss of much of his magical power during Departure. Egbert was a natural mage independent of his Luminosita-endowed skills, but he'd had to burn most of his energies on getting concealed, which now left him with a dilemma: remain in his current form (not exactly one suited to gestures and vocalizations) and he couldn't cast anything to hurry him on his way or attack whatever was coming from underground, or revert to his human, spell-casting shape and have his mana be so depleted by the reverse polymorph that he still couldn't do any spellcasting.

No choice but to wait this one out and hope for the best, he thought as the ground began to crack open, emitting a weird greenish light.

[Drannin]

Argus slowly walked out of the bushes. He looked in the distance, where the odd lights were coming from. Frowned. "Odd. Definitely thaumological in origin..." The old researcher was slipping back. "Almost an octarine hue there... just a bit off... possible mystical release with some outer hues being absorbed by foliage or dirt... strange..."

Harker listened carefully, then turned to the others, who were looking puzzled. "Magical effect. Going boom, possibly some sorta fire. Very odd." Harker translated Argus' ramblings into Normal Person, then turned to his master for the next round of translation.

Argus gave the familiar a dirty look and turned to the others. "Given that we were looking for Father Egbert anyway, this could be worth investigating."

Harker nodded and turned to the other. "He thinks we should check it out."

There were a few chuckles to this. Argus rolled his eyes and knelt down. "Hang on, I'm going to see if I can discern anything from the vibrations." He placed his hand on the ground and concentrated.

"He's gonna see if he can't figure something out," Harker translated. Argus wished vaguely that he had purchased a quiet familiar. This was roughly when a massive explosion came from the direction of the unusual lights.

'Massive explosion' is a bit of an understatement. 'Horrendous racket' like an array of gods having a heated discussion by chucking mountains at each other would be more accurate. It would also account for the sudden, sharp earthquake that sent everyone crashing to the ground. But there really isn't any reason to nit-pick.

In the sudden, awesome stillness that followed, everyone sat on the ground looking at each other in astonishment. Argus shook his numbed hand in disbelief. "I think I felt something," he commented idly.

A rather large boulder hit the ground ten feet behind him.

"We may need shelter," Argus added.

[Graybeard]

Brother Miguel scanned the area anxiously and concluded that Argus might have the right idea, but there wasn't much to be done to make it happen. If another boulder like that one came flying their way, the wagon certainly wasn't sturdy enough to stop it, and while the farm land they were going through wasn't as fertile as what they'd seen up north toward Heamish, it was still definitely dirt, not stone. He didn't think that even Argus' skills would be enough to construct something bombproof out of that. The thin woods didn't seem to offer much to work with, either; as he and his colleagues watched, another boulder came whizzing out of the sky and flattened a large tree down the road.

But that was all. Whatever had caused the sudden bombardment, it had apparently come and gone. No more boulders were hurtling their way, and while the explosion they'd heard was still echoing around the countryside, there didn't appear to have been another one.

"What on earth was that?" Sister Rose asked, as she emerged from under the wagon where she'd jumped (for all the good it would have done her) when the bombardment started.

"I don't know," Miguel said. "Some weird kind of volcanic activity?" Rose stepped gingerly over to the nearest boulder and shook her head. "This thing is barely even warm to the touch," she said. "It certainly wouldn't have cooled off this rapidly if it had been launched by a volcano. And it's far too big to have been picked up by a whirlwind or dust devil. A tornado, maybe, but we'd have seen that. Sasha? What do you --"

Rose broke off as she saw where Sasha was looking. Out on the distant horizon, where the weird green light was, something seemed to be rising out of the ground. It must have been five miles away, certainly too far for any details, but to be visible at this distance, it had to be big -- really big.

----------

Father Egbert saw it too, from his hiding place, after his head cleared from the incredible din of moments earlier. I may have to make a run for it, he thought, having already come to the conclusion that there wasn't anything he could do here. Fortunately, his form allowed that, so he took a moment to look at the thing that was emerging slowly from the ground where the rocks had been launched. It was big, all right; had to be at least a hundred feet across. A domed top had a metallic sheen to it, although the sun shone only dimly through the first vestiges of storm clouds that were passing. What looked like a brim of some kind flared out below.

Looks for all the world like the world's biggest war helmet, he thought. And lucky me, whatever's wearing it, it's facing the other way. Time to get out of here. He took flight.

[Drannin]

Argus stared. And stared. This trip is certainly proving to be interesting. This was his first thought. His second thought was Burrrrrr. Argus' stare slowly started to develop a somewhat vertical aspect to it. As did his jaw. Although there was a slight disconnect as his gaze moved up while his jaw moved decidedly down. Long term, this posed a danger to the stability of certain tendons. Fortunately Argus chose this moment to actually speak.

"Uh... well..."

Not much, but it prevented a dislocated jaw.

Harker padded up and tugged on Argus' trouser leg. "Um... Boss? Izzat... um... a big golem?"

Argus shrugged. "Looks like it. Could just be a statue." The titanic figure seemed to shift. "Nevermind." Me and wishful thinking.

The only saving grace here was that all of the others looked even more shocked than he did.

[Graybeard]

"Anilis' knotted knickers," Sister Rose swore creatively. "That thing must be at least 500 feet tall. Luminosita Himself isn't that much larger." This last statement drew a look from Argus, Harker and Sasha.

"At least it doesn't seem interested in us," Brother Miguel pointed out. "It's heading due west, far as I can tell. Wonder what's that way?"

They all pondered that question for a moment while the earth trembled with distant, but thunderously heavy, footfalls. Then Rose spoke up. "Tsuiraku."

[Drannin]

Argus' face was a mixture of emotions. First, there was savage, almost frightening pleasure as he contemplated this monstrosity marching on Tsuiraku... what if could somehow attack the city itself? Ohhh, yesssss..... the thought of a titanic golem on a mission of destruction filled him with a glee that, quite simply, Was Not Right. Not that Argus cared.

And then it occurred to Argus that his only remaining family member, his estranged yet nonetheless beloved daughter, was still in Tsuiraku. For a moment, Argus considered the prospect of Fayna getting killed by the giant golem.

One long, horrible moment that stretched to infinity......

"Argus?" Miguel's voice, concerned. "You're pale. What's wrong." Slowly, Argus turned to the others. They all were concerned. Well, Rose and Miguel were. Sasha looked like she was afraid Argus was having a stroke. Harker's face was, Argus suspected, a mirror of his own.

Fayna.

"We have to follow it," said Argus. Had he been of the proper mindset, he would have marveled at how calm and clear his voice was. As it was, he had other things on his mind. For all his desire for vengeance, and his admitted flaws, one thing was very much plain:

All else being equal, he was a Father first.