EB p.2 The Dark Times

[Awesomoman]

Targus, Agate, and Maruk had gotten to the entrance, but they had run into a slight problem. The cave wouldn't open unless the right gem. Good news was Maruk knew how to make the right gem, bad news. it was taking a while. "Can you hurry it up at all? If Ignis comes here to see if we're on to her or not." Agate complained. "I can do it fast or i can do it right. one way we live the other we die, what would you prefer?" "I would prefer that you..." "Hide!" Targus interupted. "What? No, i would prefer if he..." "No i mean, SHES COMING!" all three hid in their own way. Agate burrowed next to the entrance and Targus jumped down with him, while Maruk went invisible and slowly stepped away.

[Nohiki]

Ignis came over to where Agate was hidden. She started jumping over the spot. "Come out! You know, if a big ball of lard like you burrows, it leaves a mark on the ground!" she Stuck a red square gem under her and jumped aside. The crystals begun to grow, disintegrating everything they touched, on meter per second. That shall force you out. she thought, when her bracelet flashed red three times. she turned around and sent a fireball seemingly after nothing, but second later it hit the water dragon's chest. "The two earthlings may have the advantage and get away, but if you wanted to stop fire, you should have been born as a ice, not water. Now..." The heat around increased 50°C almost instantly when she changed to her battle form. "You better tell me what are you doing here! And i do not wanna hear that you could ask the same question!"

[Awesomoman]

Maruk appeared seeing as he was caught. "I could ask the.......damn." Maruk sighed. "The only reason im here is because they wanted me to open this entrance and get rid of all magical traps, i specialize in magic of all sorts. Take that fire ball you hit me with, i knew it was coming." Maruk turned into water and fell into a puddle. Then the real Maruk appeared behind her. "Water clones, very fun to make. And now that i have answered you question, may i ask what you are doing up here?"

[Nohiki]

"Wait.... No." she said, turned around and touched Maruk, causing his blood about to boil. "Hurts, doesn't it? I can feel your real body's heat, water creature! The two down there are safe for now, but wait till they get out, and they are toast!" she let go and cooled off the heat. "That reminds me..." Two flames shot out of her hands and catapulted her back to the mountain's side. "I don't know why Targus constantly ruins my mission, but it seems i have been busted. So i might as well show you." The tunnels she made opened the second she waved her hand over. She disappeared inside.

[Awesomoman]

Maruk let Ignis touch im an cause him pain, mainly because he really didn't care. Once she was done and opened the door he figured it wouldn't hurt to follow. "You guys can come out now." He called. Agate came out slowly and carefully with Targus balancing on his back. "This thing almost killed us." He said holding the gem on his sword, it was too powerful for the gem to melt through but he couldn't drop it or it would fall on Agate. "That lady is insa HEY the caves open." Agate walked right in. "He not so fast i still have...." the gem dropped off his sword and fell to the ground burning through. "....never mind."

[Nohiki]

"MWUHUHUHAHAHAHA!" Ignis flown by, stucking another blue gem in the wall and exiting the cave. It left a hole big enough for them to breathe. "You! have been a total pain it the neck, halfbreed! Do not even bother breaking out, Aquariah made those tunnel crystals herself, those walls are impenetrable!" She sent them another butterfly bracelet. "Give me a call once you decide to keep your mouth shut!" she said and left the area. She expected all kinds of attempts, but commander Aquariah anticipated this situation and gave Ignis proper tools. Now she only had to deal with amber, though she doubted she will miss Targus at all.

[Awesomoman]

Maruk had Targus and Agate go in first for a reason. Once Ignis's trap went off he actually laughed. "You just tried to kill them and yet they still willingly followed you. The fools must have a death wish."

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"Aaawwww crap." Targus jumped for the exit but didn't make it. "Well, looks like your no longer at a tie. She just out smarted you." Agate rolled his eyes. "I just dont see why she had to trap me in here to. I've been cool, i didn't do anything to her, i didn't even tell you stuff when she told me not to." "Yeah but your still related to me so you already get a mark down for that." Targus just sat on the floor and sighed. "Well, glad i brought this cuz its gonna be a lllloooonnnggggg time before we get out of here." Targus brought out his flask and took a drink.

[Nohiki]

"Nicely said. But keep in mind that same goes for you. If Amber OR your rider asks anything, you didn't find anything. If you speak i'll make a special cave only for you." Thought Ignis to Maruk before she left the range of her own mental communication capability. She returned to her quarters to get some time off. They didn't exactly let her rest in the past few hours.
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A blinding light surrounded Targus and Agate as the Bracelet teleported them. "Long time no see." Said a paerson standing in a shadow. Aquariah walked on the light. "Targus, Agate." she saluted to both of them. "I think you wan't answers. So, ask. You have 5 minutes." she said and sat on the cair behind a large table covered with magical items.

[Awesomoman]

"Dont worry they already told me not to tell anyone. seems this is a secret mission that they weren't supposed to even let me in on." Maruk replied before she left.
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Targus was still drinking when they where teleported, when he heard Aquariah he spat out every drop in his mouth. "HOLY CRAP WHEN DID YOU GET THERE!?!" "I think targus means, good to see you to. Well i guess all we have to ask is, where is this place?" Agate walked up closer. "Yeah, our mission was to find you, and obviously we have cuz your right there, but if we dont even know where we are." targus said screwing the cap on his flask back on.

[Nohiki]

"This is HQ of my own little army. I have some agents in your rebellion ranks, like Ignis, to keep you up and running, and also, most of the intel you ever got from beyond the red line is also work of my people." she stopped and took few breaths. In the light it was easy to see that those two years have left their mark on her. She looked older. MUCH older. "As for how i got here, well... Let's just say that while i know Amber is capable leader, i created this to be kind of failsafe. If anything was about to happen to your base concretely, Ignis has standing orders to ensre Amber's... And your's... survival, hence the tunnels." she said and opened a drawer. She looked for something and then pulled it out. "Two minutes, anything else?" she said and packed the stuff into a bag.

[Awesomoman]

"Will we remember any of this?" "Agate if we wouldn't remember any of this WHY would she even bother telling us." "......Good point.....can we get more time?" "I doubt she gave us a time limit on her own will. How about is there any other way to get here OTHER than you teleporting us?"

[Nohiki]

"For the sake of this place i can't tell you that. And you've got a point, you will remember this conversation but not how you got here. Satisfied?" she said and tossed the bag over to Targus. "Blue thingy gets you out of the cave and hides it again behind you. Not a word about this to Amber, i do not want her counting on my help, she must do the best she can, i can only do something when it's really bad. You yourself must not get overconfident. The vial contains a serum that will ensure that next time you have a bar fight, Ignis will have to pass out twice before you even start seeing the world twice." she winked at Targus, "But the headache will be there. Well, say hello to Amber and give her this." she said and handed over a new sword, with more elemental power stuffed into it than the first she made for her. "I'll call Ignis and tell her that i let you out, so you won't need a helmet next time you see her. Good luck." she said and the light teleported them back.

[Awesomoman]

"Im still not even sure how we got here." Agate said. "That means it worked." Targus replied before she handed him the items. "Wait if im not supposed to tell Amber any of this, why am i giving her a sword and telling her YOU said hi?" Targus said as he started to disappear. "If Indigo is still around let her know we stopped by." Agate joked as he left to.

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Targus and Agate were back in the cave with the items. "Well, time to get out of here.......what do we use again?" "i thought you would remember!" Targus laughed at him. "Of course i do, just wanted to freak you out." He pulled out the blue thing and pushed it into the wall. it opened up enough for Targus and Agate to get out, once they were out it closed right behind them. "Okay, what should we do first. Give Amber the new stuff of go wup Ignis big time." "Normally i would say to give Amber the items, but i think Ignis deserves a little pay back." Targus smiled. "lets head back to base."

[Nohiki]

Ignis got the message from Aquariah and a pile of new tools to better hide her plans. And something else. She looked at the bottle full of caramel brown liquid and two vials with some stuff. Cold laugh exited Ignis' mouth as she waited for Targus to come.

[Kauria]

Maela slid out of her saddle and reached out to shake Vera's hand in an almost-wary manner.
"Do you two know what it was Iztal wanted to show us?" she asked, glancing up at Absalom.