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Arkae Zellar Welcome back to the Ashen Isles.

Today's mission is simple: escort an apprentice down to Drypeak Colony. It's a simple and easy task, and the Shapers have even provided a boat. The task is less about the escorting than it is about the entry to and guided tour of Drypeak, which if you have even the tiniest bit of adventuring sense is pinging as an interesting hotspot.

Also intersting is the 'boat'. It's alive, and better described as 'sea monster' than 'boat, really. https://imgur.com/a/iEuIA4S (but bigger so that you're not all crowded together, obviously)

The hooded apprentice has been good company for the last few hours, albeit quiet company. He goes over his notes and the little speech he's been prepping for when he presents himself at the colony's managers.

The Great Ocean is calm today, and there's a pleasant breeze blowing through. Surprisingly, nothing bad has happened during this whole voyage.

How are you all handling the downtime?
Arcadia For once Arcadia is not flying. Imagine that.

She was going to, because boats that don't fly are slow. But the Shapers insisted everyone stay together on the boat since the outsiders were not familiar with this world. Annoying as that was it was correct, and the sphinx relented.

So instead she was leaning against the railing formed by the upturned outer edge of the beast-boat's shell-like backside, listening to a music player she picked up from who knows where in the multiverse.
Amelris Belthrone      Amelris is rather perplexed and pleased by the idea of this 'boat'. While that there has been some disagreement and some rough first tumbles, Amelris desire no ill of theses people either. It IS, however, a good idea to follow them along to learn more of them.

     The Red Mage is keeping watch over the boat, watching over the ocean itself as they sail through. More importantly, he's observing the 'boat' itself, seeing how it moves, trying to get a good gauge of what it does in the water. The Shapers DO have some very fascinating arts and uses, he'll admit.

     So, the Lominsian is merly enjoying the salty seas.
Metal Sonic      The fastest thing alive being subjected to ride a slow seafaring creature is perhaps a fate worse than death. Unfortunately however, escort missions don't allow one to go from point A to point B on one's own term, but hell if Metal Sonic hasn't considered it.

     The rather short mechanical hedgehog hasn't said a single word the entire trip though, rather, they just seem to be tapping their foot impatiently with both arms crossed. They occasionally scratch underneath their metallic noise as well, not because it itches, but...out of habit? Or perhaps, they really want to get the point across that this dinosaur is SLOW and BORING.
Sumiko Mikoto has never been on a sea monster boat before!  This was, actually an exciting trip for her, and escorting the mage was an added bonus.  She got a chance to really see what these created beings can do.  To her, they were just like animals, more than people.  While she talked to the mage, he seemed more focused on his speech, so she moved up to the front of the 'boat'.  

Sitting down on the edge she rested a hand on the back of the creature.  Giving it a firm pat and not speaking to it, but letting it know she was there.  Mikoto always had an affinity for animals, and of course, these things were basically animals to her.  

Eventually, she looks over to Metal who looks extremely impatient.  "Hey, take a moment to smell the roses.  Not everything has to move at the speed of light."
Maya Maya had come back she need to learn more about this world and people's life magic. She was very unsettled by the questions raised by some of their practices. On certain social and religious taboos on her world. Still, she knew she didn't have the full story so here the very old elite was once again out and about. A living ship wasn't so alien to her as the majority of her world's ship were armoured or altered local flying creatures. Maya had been taking in the ocean and had noted on more than one occasion how alien it was to her still seeing this much water in one place was to her. Her hulking magitech 'dog' was curled up and very unhappy whimpering a bit from time to time.
Arkae Zellar The voyage passes by one of the deserted islands in the chain... and Amelris notices it first. The 'boat' is turning.

It's supposed to be a pretty straight shot, north from the capital island down south to the colony... but now it's turning east.

Towards the island they should be passing by.

"I meant to ask..." says the apprentice, who hasn't noticed. "About you. About your construction."

He points at Metal Sonic. "There's a lot of, um, things I don't understand? I know what robots are, but you have a very... distinct design?"
Amelris Belthrone      The sensation of a boat turning, veering into another direction might be subtle but he IS from a coastal city, he's been on quite a few boat rides in his life. The Red mage's brows furrows at it, straightening up. He licks the tip of his finger, lifts it up, looking where the sun is at and frowns.

     "Uhm." Amelris calls out, looking over his shoulder to peer over at the rest of the 'crew' on here, including the Shaper. "It seems that we are veering off course. We're heading East."

     He turns around fully. "That's not normal for your 'boat', is it?"
Metal Sonic      Mikoto makes a joke about smelling flowers, which is promptly disregarded. It's the kind of juvenile joke a certain copy would make, and thus not worth his time.

     Metal Sonic's pupils then move over towards the apprentice's direction as they're pointed at, before snapping back to their original position.

     "The fact you waited this long to ask such a pointless question explains why you need company to ensure your safety. Though to answer it, it is the peak design for moving quickly."
Sumiko Metal ignores her, to which she rolls her eyes.  "You're at least the same level of a jerk as that guy," She says, without saying much of anything.  You try and be nice to a guy and they treat you like you're not there because you look like you're about to explode from impatience.  

It looks like the other member of the Concord is musicing out.  Damn, this means she might have to actually associate with someone else.  Well, the cat looks at least inter-hey wait, did they turn?

Mikoto pats the creature on the neck again, this time speaking towards it in one of those firm but soothing tones you take with animals that might not be doing what you want them to do.  She isn't too put off by this detour, but at the same time wouldn't want an animal to be harmed because they didn't follow directions.  It's not something she's going to die for, but she at least shows some empathy for the creature.

"Hey there buddy, you're going for that island.  Any reason for that, because we shouldn't be going there unless there is a good reason," She says, calmly.  Then again, a detour would be nice.  Nothing wrong with a little adventure in between boring escort missions.  Even if they pay well.  
Arkae Zellar "It's... not? Maybe whoever taught it the route included some... shortcut?" says the apprentice, not even believing his own words. "Or... some detour or... something?"

"I don't know how to steer it, these boat-drayks just kinda go on their own..."

He shrugs expressively, his entire apprenticeship robe moving with the motion. "I'm not too worried yet."

The boat is moving with purpose now, and doesn't seem at all worried, as far as Mikoto can determine. Actually it looks... eager?

"Anyway... yeah, peak design." The apprentice nods, looking over Metal. "Probably based off of something that goes fast?"
Arcadia Arcadia doesn't notice the boat is turning because she's focused on her music to keep from thinking about the fact that this trip is slow and boring and slow and--

When other people start making note of it, then she notices, sitting up and pulling an earplug out of her ear. "Huh? What's going on?"

Why was she using earbuds anyways? Couldn't she just plug it into her own systems? Unless they're incompatable. Or she just wanted the 'real' experience of using the apparatus. It's not really relevant. Especially when there's other things to worry about.

"About time this boat got moving!" It's still... kinda slow. But not as slow as it was, and that's something.
Maya Runner raises it's metallic head and looks at Metal sonic making a disapproving dog noise and lays it's head back down. While Maya pauses for a moment as their ride start to turn it take her a moment longer than Amelris.

"Something isn't right...and I can confirm we are heading east. Are we taking a side trip?"
Amelris Belthrone      "Well, that's... reassuring." Amelris answers without much conviction, jogging over to the front of the 'ship' to get a closer look at what they are seemingly headed troward to. The Miqo'te holds on to his hat, squinting up ahead. It's going with some /enthusiasm/, even eager. Did it spot something that it really wanted or is something trying to attract it there?

     Whatever the case, this is clearly going off the rails.

     "I suggest for everyone to hold on to something and keep on to flotation devices, just in case." The Red Mage declares up, giving the two robotics in the ground a brief look, then adds. "We /are/ going on a side trip!"

     He moves up to be beside the apprentice. This IS still an adventurer's job and they ARE escorting this guy. "Shaper, if there's really nothing you can do about this?"
Sumiko Mikoto leans over, aiming to pat the animal a bit higher up, she notices the desire to get there faster, and she frowns just slightly.  Maybe something is controlling it?  Not IMPOSSIBLE with these gene mages around, but was that happening.  "What's on that island?" She asks the creature, knowing she wasn't going to get a direct answer.  Still, she tries to calm it down, even if it's pointless.  

Looking out towards their goal, she tries to see what is there, if anything.  Another one of its kind?  An ambush?  

This was going to be very interesting.
Arkae Zellar "Hah, um... not a Shaper, not yet! Need to finish the apprenticeship first, and only then I get that title."

The 'boat' turns the corner of the island and reaches its destination... a big chunk of pungent meat dangling from a rope on a pole on the beach, at approximately the right height for its head. It immediately starts eating.

"So... that's why the boat took us here, I'm guessing - where is here, anyway?"

The apprentice pulls a map out of his pack. "It's... oh, this is Sucia Island. It's barred- that means it's forbidden, and... yeah, it's been forbidden and abandoned for four generations. Nobody's set foot here for more than eighty years."
Sumiko "Let me guess, you don't know anything as to why this place was abandoned and forbidden?" Mikoto says, watching as the creature eats the meat.  If something was trying to attract the animal, then there was a reason.  Escape?  Well if it was here for that long, why didn't it try to escape before now?  Hunting...?

The thought made Mikoto's blood go a little cold.  Standing up she takes a moment to transform.  Flashy lights and SPARKLES reveal a woman in a green mask and green magical girl outfit.  In her hand was a jade-blade as she looked out over the rest of the island.  

Mikoto's back seems to produce a magically fueled jetpack, as she takes flight and attempts to get a better view of the island and their general surrounding area.  
Metal Sonic      Their 'ship' docks, and Metal disembarks by jumping off.

     "Next time, I advise investing in a traditional ship... Is what I wish to say, though admittedly, a forbidden island is a lot more intriguing than a bumbling apprentice."

     The mechanical hedgehog does a few leg stretches, completely for looks rather than function, before continuing further down the island, completely disregarding the rest of the group as they go to do their own thing.
Maya Maya heeds Amelris warn and will gab hold of Runner's backside which has a spot which looks like two people could perch on by hanging to handlebars near the front. She hangs on and braces herself, then she pulls a card which she will use to cast a protective ward on the rest of the party, to help lessen impact damage.

"Do you have some kind of override?"

She looks to Arcadia as her question doesn't matter at this point.

"Arcadia think you could scout it out. It also looks like someone set out bait. We can either wait for our ride to finish eating or we could try to get to the bottom of this."
Arcadia "No one has set foot, huh?" Arcadia scoffs at that. And walks off the ship.

Of course she just walks out onto thin air because of her ability to hover. "AND STILL NO ONE SETTING FOOT ON IT HAHAHA."

This amuses her way more than it should. "... Oh, yeah, I can take a look around." She spreads her wings fully and goes higher over the beach.
Amelris Belthrone      This certainly have ALL the looks of 'bait' all over it.

     "Forbidden, huh?" Amelris comments, giving the machina -- the robot -- a look and nodding up at Arcadia. "Go for it! Tell us what you find when you come back."

     The Red mage comes closer to look at the creature eating the meat, frowning, staring out at the beach. This DO scream everything about it that's something of a bait. Else, who the hell leaves a big bunch of meat just on the end of a stick?

     ...Well, fishers, for one. Is this a coencidence of some people living on here trying to fish something big and they just happened to come and pass by? IF there's people, here?

     "WELL!" Amelris says, rubbing his hands. "I dunno about you but this IS screaming for an investigation."
Arkae Zellar "... Hey, hey wait! Didn't you just hear me say this place was forbidden!?" yells the apprentice after Metal Sonic.

He jumps off the boat and tries to run after them to catch up along the beach. "Waaaaiiiit!"

"Wait!"

Flying people: You get the general layout of the place. It's a fairly big island with some varied terrain... https://i.imgur.com/2igMmbk.png

You're on the southwest corner of that map. A bit further inland is a little village, which isn't an immediate indication of inhabitation since the buildings could just still be standing... and some farmland in neat weed-free rows of crops, which is not so easily explained.

People who are not flying nor Metal Sonic: A bit more investigation of your immediate surroundings reveals a set of wooden docks, which are in extreme disrepair... and a set of stone buildings, wide-walled complexes and courtyards, which are also in disrepair but considerably less so since they're made out of stone.

There's also footprints in the sand - claw marks, indicating some sort of beast, as opposed to some sort of person.
Sumiko Huh, a forbidden island, but apparently there are signs of not only life but a civilization.  The village COULD be abandoned, but the maintained fields are probably a detractor for that theory.  Thinking on this for a moment, she makes a call to indicate she's heading towards the village.  

Flying over the terrain, she takes a note to observe things as she gets closer, and then land just outside of the village itself and walk-in.  She wonders who lives here, and why they were abandoned by the world?  You just don't forbid a place without SOME sort of reason.

Maybe they're all smart genecreatures.  That'd be hilarious, and interesting to put into a report to the Concord.  Her smile fades, oh man, that would mean that they COULD be sentient.  Ugh, and Staren would bitch and hero pose forever.  Maybe she could just...limit the report?  

It's probably just people, but come on.
Amelris Belthrone      "You'd rather sit all alone on the ship when it was clearly being lured here for a reason or another?" Amelris comments, slowing down at least enough to keep close to the Apprentice as they move along to the beach. He takes a moment to knee down to stare at the claws, furrowing his brows at it. Yeah. Definetively inhabitated in some manner or another.

     "Let's follow the flying girl to the village." The Red Mage points at the habitations up ahead. "It looks... old and kind of rudimentary from over here, but that's a start. Keep close."

     A beat, then he looks at the Apprentice. "What /is/ your name, anyway?"
Arcadia Alas, no real time to admire the view. Arcadia scans from her vantage point, radios it to the rest of the group, and then heads back down an altitude that's only somewhat above everyone else.

As much as she would love to speed ahead, she has her duty as a guardian to maintain as well, and that remains staying with the group. "Forbidden or not, we need to find who set up that bait. They might lure in people who are not capable of dealing with such trouble... Besides, it's got to be forbidden for a reason." Which is enough for her to head farther into the island.
Maya Maya can fly but she's not going to get flying just yet as several people who are likely far better than she is. She ill fall in with the apprentice. While Runner follows her along and she starts scoping out the ruins.

"First thing first, do you know why this island was locked down? A life experiment gone bad? A plague? What might we be looking at here?" She's saying this while she'll head towards the stone buildings if there's anything of note its more likely to have survived there.

"Runner protect him."

The machine whines a bit but falls in with the apprentice.
Metal Sonic      Metal Sonic stops as the Apprentice yells at him, turning around to stare them dead in the eyes like they're stupid. They don't respond up until Mikoto points out there's a village north of their location, at which point the badnik reaches out to firmly grab them by the arm.

     "Be quiet and just come with me."

     Despite being relatively small, Metal Sonic is surprisingly strong. Strong enough to lift a full grown man over his head and run off.

     There's no sonic boom. But there is a slightly deafening sound of the engine inside their chest turning on as they zip and zoom their way in the direction of the village.
Arkae Zellar Mikoto: There's... oh hey, there's the little robed servant dudes who were serving drinks and snacks at the College, working the fields.

One of them happens to look up when Mikoto goes by... and it shouts, and they all scatter.

Metal and others: "Right, the map didn't say why it was locked down, and my name is- AAAH!"

The apprentice gets cut off by Metal Sonic blasting off. There's a small problem, in that the most direct path to the village is blocked by thick, impenetrable jungle.

That is, a problem for other people. Metal can just fly right on over it if they like.

The people Metal has left behind: The buildings seem to be built in such a way that going through the stone-brick complex is the only real way further inland... unless you want to brave pushing through the dark, thick jungle, or getting a lift from someone who can fly. All three are viable options.
Sumiko Mikoto slows down her flight when she notices the little robed servant guys.  Oh no, she was right...

Oh no.

She can't let Staren know.  Ok, wait, table that, we can deal with that later.    She flies down near the other guys and holds up her arms after stabbing her blade into the ground.  Openly making peaceful gestures and indicating she's not here to harm them.

"Hey now, I'm not here to hurt anyone.  I'm not with the mages who created you.  In fact, we wouldn't be here at all if not for the meat trap set to lure in the ride we were on.  My name is Mikoto Shimizu, Magical Girl of Envy."

Assuming they don't immediately scramble and listen to her anyway.  
Amelris Belthrone      And just like that, the Apprentice Shaper is wisked away like this over the forest, the Miqo'te stopping quite surprised to look at them soar off. He's left there, scratching the back of his neck to give Maya a brief look, shrugs and continues making his way onward.

     "Well. We might as well look at the things on the way there, I suppose." The Red Mage comments, pointing onward at the mysterious rundown buildings. "Leeeeeet's go!" Amelris enthusiastically declares, popping his knuckles and firmly strides onward to the buildings in question. He keeps his eyes open, ears up and perked, ready. Now, some dungeon delving, THAT's something he can assuredly do.
Arcadia Arcadia pffffts. "Sure. Go that way, it's probably safer."

Arcadia gets down into a runner's starting crouch, which looks kind of rediculous as she's still hovering off the ground, but she doesn't care. She crouchs down, spreads her wings, and then all her magitek boosters ingnite and the sphinx takes off with extreme acceleration.

Not over. Right INTO the jungle. Dense? Dark? Dangerous? Bring it on!

It does help that she's extremely maneuverable and can easily weave her way through the heavy foliage. What else lies down this way? Hopefully something more exciting!
Metal Sonic      Jungles and trees are no problem to Metal Sonic, who just casually flies over them. At this point he's just shoved the Apprentice underneath one of their arms as they hover at extremely high speeds to the village.

     He pass Mikoto and the weird shaped figures she's talking to as- Wait. Hold on.

     Just as quickly as they passed the magical girl, Metal Sonic is back. Planting the Apprentice firmly on his feet next to them.

     "Here we go. If you have complaints, take it up with them."

     There's a rather nonchalant attitude in the robot's tone as they kick a foot up and back, slapping it with their hand to knock out any loose dirt stuck to it as they impatiently wait for a response.
Maya Maya does not get a chance to get the Apprentice's name as Metal Sonic flies off with them. She sighs for a moment and moves to fall in with Amelris for the moment and she'll keep her rifle ready and she follows after him.

"Let's see what these ruins hold. Hopefully, there's a lack of spiders."

She does not like spiders at all from the sounds of it, it's not fear from the tone of voice she has but hate of dealing with spiders from the sounds of it.

"Come on runner lets go boy."

Runner barks in Metal Sonics general path of departure then paws after the Red Mage and Junker.
Arkae Zellar JUNGLE - As Arcadia kessel-runs her way through the thick foilage, she becomes aware, gradually, of something else aware of her...

https://i.imgur.com/hqYgSqD.png

It's a group - no, a pack - of some of those creatures they were showing off at the college. The bipedal raptors (the ones that the scene-runner forgot to mention, but they were totally there). At the college, they were complacent and obedient guard animals.

Here, they seem neither complacent nor obedient, and significantly more interested in eating Arcadia, jumping out of the jungle at her.

BUILDINGS - The exploration turns up a couple of interesting things... a set of things that seem to be crosses between fungal molds and screwdrivers, a mana recharge pool...

(While they are exploring, Amelris gets one of his trademark wine cooler blackouts.)

Especially of note: A waist-high sealed container in one room, and one of those little man-faced-pigs-on-a-pedastal (A 'servant mind') next to the building's exit. It seems easy enough to open the container, or talk to the servant mind, if you'd like to do either...

VILLAGE - The scattered workers cautiously approach holding pitchforks and spears, scatter again when Metal Sonic arrives, and then approach a bit more eagerly when they see who the metal hedgehog is holding onto.

"A shaper," stage-whispers one.

"After so, so many years..." says another.

"Oh, serviles," says the apprentice to Metal and Mikoto. "Huh. Guess they've been maintaining the place..."
Arcadia A raptor appears! Arcadia spirals out of the way of it's lunge, weaving around a cluster of trees to keep from doing so. That was a reflexive response, and when she glances over her shoulder to actually see what it was, she huhs softly. Did those come from here, and were trained? Or were these left on the island because they're not good enough?

Questions for later, because there's several more jumping out, and they're all giving chace with gnashy sharp teeth and equally sharp claws.

"I knew this route would be more interesting!" Arcadia sounds way too excited about this. Though, she really shouldn't stop and fight. Fortunately, she doesn't need to.

As she goes speeding through the jungle she snaps her arms out to the side, ripping her claws through several trees at blinding speed. To slice them down and send them toppling towards her reptillian pursuers.

At least she's listening to the 'don't burn the jungle down'. For now.
Sumiko Mikoto looks sideways towards Metal Sonic.  She can't BLAME him for bringing him here, but she kinda wished right now maybe he didn't?  Well, too late now, she thinks and holds a hand up to get him to shut up.  "He's not a shaper, he's still an apprentice."

Holding her hands out, she takes a step forward, "We're not here to harm you.  Can you tell us what is going on?  According to the map, this place is forbidden.  We were also baited in...litterally by bait for our transport.  Also why you were...left here?" She asks because that seems like what is happening.  

She turns her head towards the mage, giving him a /look/.  Like 'shut up', but probably a bit harsher.  
Amelris Belthrone      Amelris rather enjoys this part. Delving into something potentially dangerous, with potential beasties just roaming around all the way to a /mysterious village/. The Mana pool is of particular interest to him, as well the various other 'tools' left around. It's when he stares at one of the screwdrivers, that a sharp pain snaps into his mind, a splitting headache as the Echo comes bearing down on him...

     Several robed figures are leaving the island. Shapers. Two of them as they are on the transports talks to one another.

"--I couldn't bear to do it. I couldn't destroy it. We spent so much time on our research here that I..."

The other cuts him, waving a hand.

"I know how you feel, but, it won't matter. It's not like /anybody/ is going to be returning here to find out. It's not like we could work out the bugs with 'it', anyhow."

Both falls into silence, watching as they speed away from the island.


The world returns to Amelris, holding his forhead, then shaking it. "A secret research place, then... is it?" He mutters, giving Maya a nod, then walking up to the Servant Mind.

     "Servant Mind," That's the name he, thinks? "Are you alright? What has happened here?"
Maya Maya searches through building alongside Amelris, she seems experienced in this and Runner is also searching alongside Maya sniffing as he goes. Maya does not find too much she's willing to touch but the servant mind does catch her attention she'll ask the Servant mind.

"What's in the container and do you know what happened here why the island has been abandoned?" She also looks to Amelris to make sure he's all right when he seems to blackout.

"Are you all right Amelris? Do you have need of a healer?"
Metal Sonic      "It probably would have been better to have them think he was a Shaper, but it's too late now."

     Metal Sonic tilts their head for the briefest of moments as the word 'servile' is said before it clicks.

     "So, serviles...Slaves. I see. How appropriate. Let us cut to the chase. Why is this place forbidden, and can you see this Apprentice off the island and towards his destination?"
Arkae Zellar VILLAGE - "You don't need to talk politely like that to the serviles, just give them orders," says the apprentice.

The various pitchforks and other weapons are leveled at him, specifically.

"Or not, er, sorry, I didn't actually mean that, sorry," the apprentice says quickly.

The weapons are lowered... slightly.

"There's a set of boats on the east side of this island..." says one of the serviles in response to Metal's question. "... As to what happened here, we are not sure. One day there were Shapers... the next day, when we woke up and went to work, there were not, and decades have passed."

"Aside from the feral creations and the servant minds, you are the first we've seen since..."

BUILDINGS - "I am functional," says the man-faced pig. "Energy stores are estimated to last another fifty years on standby.. Maintenance and food are required for continuing function."

"Accessing... this facility was last accessed eighty years ago. Since then, there have been no events of note."

"... Specific container contents, unknown. Description matches a Shaper Canister. Documentation on canisters: Long-term sealed storage, typically for sterile medical supplies or other useful materials." It looks mildly concerned when Maya mentions possibly needing a healer. "Recommendation is accessing this canister if you are in need of assistance."

JUNGLE - There's screams and roars from the raptor things as the trees fall upon them. This doesn't dissuade the survivors, but it becomes clear that Arcadia has them outclassed.

She's free to join either group right now... though at the same time, there's the glint of something metal further off in the jungle. One of the same sort of canisters that the group in the stone buildings came across...
Arcadia Arcadia could out maneuver the raptors and just fly right on out of the jungle. But thanks to her visor being specifically designed to not loose track of her surroundings even at high speed Arcadia notices the sparkling that others might of missed. The reaction is about what one would expect to a cat (she's mostly cat at least) seeing something of interest.

Her tail snaps like a whip, grabbing one of the larger trees and using it to turn sharply, kicking off another opposite tree so she doesn't smack into it, and launch herself in the direction of the sparkling container. Artifact Retrieval Process, engaged.
Sumiko Mikoto rolls her eyes towards the Apprentice, it's like he specifically wants to die or something. When he recants, she speaks up, "That might have been the smartest thing you said all day," Mikoto cuts to the point.  "Keep it that way and shut up for a minute.

"Can I ask you something, given your response.  You are not like the other...creatures we met under the control of the shapers, are you?" she asks, noting their response to the attitude of the apprentice, and their wariness, or seeming wariness of them.  

"We also promise to keep him in check, so do you have names?  Again, I'm Mikoto, this is Metal Sonic, and the guy here is just Apprentice."
Amelris Belthrone      "No, no, I'm fine. Thanks." Amelris waves it of, blinking his eyes wide open. "It happens, now and then. Magic's like that."

     He looks at the Servant Mind, then turning around to look at the sealed canister, or at least the room it is in currently. "So this was a research facility. Alright."

     He rubs his hands. "I can't give maintenance but food, at least, I can give." The Red mage says, reaching out to offer a piece of jerky over. "I don't know what you eat but I hope that works for now. What was being researched here?"

     He looks aside at Maya. "We probably should grab the canister, at least."
Maya Maya listens with interest to the report from the Servant Mind.

"So some sort of medical or research storage? It could be useful then. Good and magic friend? I have been there I know how it goes."

Maya notes as she scopes the container out for a moment. She'll move to grab the canister at Amelris suggestion. She then looks back to Amelris for a moment.

"If you refer to healing I am adept at healing magic if that would help?"

She asks the Servant Mind.
Metal Sonic      Metal Sonic gives a rather smug bow as he's introduced, but doesn't say anything. Once he's done with that though, he turns his head toward the Apprentice.

     "You have a means to leave if you want now, if you stay any longer, this is on you, and I would have you cooperate rather than waste oxygen by venting your complaints or upsetting the locals."

     A scrawny mage probably cannot row a boat by themselves, and Metal knows this, but he's hoping that the point is made.
Arkae Zellar JUNGLE - Arcadia can grab the sparkly canister and head off in whatever direction she wants.

BUILDING - "Preserved animal meat. Acceptable sustenance." It eats it.

"... Healing magic is also acceptable for short term maintenance."

BUILDING AND JUNGLE - While the container is movable, it is somewhat bulky (about a waist-high barrel). You might want to crack it open at some point to see what's inside, at least. It's sloshing around like it's something liquid.

VILLAGE - The ranks of the serviles part, and one of them from the back steps up. "My name is Ellhrah, and we are the Awakened..."

"One day, decades after we were left behind, one of us just... realized that there was more to everything than just staying in one place and doing the tasks the Shapers set for us for forever."

"... I'm sorry to say that the rest of us terminated him immediately, at the time viewing him to be defective, but it left the seed of the idea in our heads, and we eventually all came to the same realization."
Amelris Belthrone "I'll be fine. It's not an ailment." Amelris explains, stepping back to give the container a look. Healing Magic, eh? "Ah, /THAT/ I can do." He says, reaching out for his rapier, wriggling his fingers at the hilt. The gem comes right off, snatching it with his gloved hand as he take a stance, holding it sideways.

     Aether condenses around him as he concentrates. It gathers, glowing bright as he snaps his fingers, pointing at the Servant Mind.

     "VerCure!" He exclaims, rolling the glowing gem on his fingers and snatching it with his other hand, the first hand now doing the pointing. "VerCure!"

     Even if he's alone with Maya, a robot dog and a meat data robot, a Red Mage still have to look good when they are casting spells.
Arcadia Arcadia has to tug a few times to get the barrel off the ground and out of the undergrowth. Her visor switches to its thermographic enchantment to check on the raptors that were still chasing her.

Looks like playtime is over. You never stop to check the loot when monsters are about, every dungeoneer knows that. But that's okay, she got her thrills, and now she has something more important to worry about. So as soon as the barrel is off the ground she engages her thrusters, going for force rather than speed to counter-act the awkward mass of the barrel, and just goes straight up to get out of the jungle and away from the ground based monsters that were in pursuit.

Arcadia glides to somewhere clear of the jungle before setting back down to the ground so she can investigate the barrel's contents properly.
Sumiko Mikoto listens to Ellhrah, nodding once as she listens to the story.  Of course, it makes sense that they would kill the first one to awaken and that it'd eventually follow.  This also means that they DID have the ability to become their own life forms over time.  The ramifications of that being just large enough to fully go beyond her grasp.  To think of something like this, it's full implications are difficult to really get at.  

"So you do not know what forced the Shapers to abandon this place.  If you want, we can look into this for you.  If you can provide us what you know, and any locations that you may know.  Also, you indicated two other beings, could you tell us more about them as well?"

"Oh forgive me, we are with the Concord, a group of multiversals from the greater multiverse.  Our group is a powerful and well-connected group of like-minded individuals."
Maya Maya will pause for a moment and take out a card, it looks like it's some kind of Tarot card of alien design to Amelris. It has some sort of winged woman on it with pointy ears and several runes. Maya focus for a moment blue fire bleeds out of her body into the card it glows then Maya focuses on the Servant Mind. Pink, yes pink energy will wash over the Servant Mind and should help to heal or improve any injuries it might have alongside Amleris own efforts.

"You like putting a show on don't you?"

There's a laugh from Maya so she's taking it well as for the container she'll take a look and go to crack it open to get an idea of what's inside it. If they are going to be hauling it even with Runner here to do the carrying.
Arkae Zellar Building - Healing happens.

"Expected time before loss of functionality extended by five years. Thank you."

VILLAGE - "Concord? Multi... verse? I'm not sure what you mean, but..."

"There's two other groups of us on this island - roughly divided by how we've decided to approach the Shapers if they were to reappear. We, the Awakened, think we can work with them - not *for* them."

The collected Awakened give a dirty look towards the apprentice, who stays wisely silent.

"The Obeyers are convinced that throwing themselves on the Shapers' mercies is the only route forward, while the Takers think... the opposite. They're ready to go to war."
Metal Sonic      Mikoto continues to talk to the Serviles, but eventually, Metal's had enough. And it's not like anyone would disagree with them that checking the village up close is probably worthwhile. So it's decided.

     The robot hedgehog assumes a sprinting position, bent over with both arms on the ground. The sound of the turbine in their chest revving up fills the air, and before long there's a deafening boom as they disappear in a blue blur.

     They hit the village at top speed, searching every square inch of it, leaving no stone unturned, no drawer unopened, no bed unflipped.

     There's an attempt to not leave the place looking like it was ransacked, but it's still somewhat obvious something or someone just went through the area.

     Whatever they find (or don't find) however, they eventually return to the group, no more than a few seconds having passed at the least.
Arkae Zellar The two canisters are opened, one by Maya and one by Arcadia...

Despite what the servant mind predicts, neither one contains medical supplies. Instead, both containers are full of a shimmering liquid... one that flows upwards and homes in on the people that opened the containers.

The liquid spears into whatever patch of exposed skin is nearest, as if being absorbed into them, and vanishes.

Nothing happens for a few moments.

And then pain happens. It's intense - but it's momentary, fading to a dull ache after a few seconds and then fading entirely a few seconds after that.
Arkae Zellar Metal Sonic's ultra-speed searching finds mostly what they could expect. Primitive society, more serviles, farming and gathering and defending against the feral creations...

They do find something interesting, but it's up to them if they want to share it or keep it close to their chest.
Arcadia Arcadia opens the barrel and peers inside. It's just liquid? Huh. Well, maybe it's valuable.

It's as she goes to put the lid back on that the liquid seems to leap out of the container and soak her, drawing a cat-like 'I'M WET' hiss from the sphinx as she hops back. The chemical quickly soaks in, finding there is enough genetic in the guardian's technorganic physique for it to bind into. "That was.. Gah!" Something happens and she briefly hunches over, holding her stomach with one arm. Fortunately this time doesn't involve hacking up biolit hairballs before she recovers, reaching up with the other hand to grab the top of the barrel and pull herself up. "That was... odd.. very... huh."

Arcadia seems to be regarding something for a moment, then looks up as she holds her arm up and flicks her fingers. It's almost like hitting a lighter and shoots a bolt of fire harmlessly into the air. She does it again, and again, and then lowers her arm and peers at her fingers. "... Cool! Or maybe Hot! would be more appropriate."

It might not seem like much. But it's very interesting to her, because Arcadia was shooting those sparks of fire -on her own-, not through her magitek weaponry.
Sumiko "I should probably start at the beginning..." Mikoto starts, and then only THEN notices Metal being gone.  "Goddamn it," She mutters to herself, but too late now.  Turning back towards the Awakened, she tries to explain this better.

"The multiverse.  So you know how your world is a thing right?  Well, there are OTHER worlds, some similar to yours, some very different.  My world is very different on many levels.  The Concord is a group of multiversal beings who have come together for their greater good.  That being for themselves, as those with the talent deserve to rule."

"I digress, but recently your world became part of the greater multiverse.  So...hi!" she says, before moving on, "That's also quite a story...three factions, and differences in idealogy.  So are the takers hateful of EVERYONE, or just specifically the shapers?"
Amelris Belthrone      "Hey, you're welcome. That's five more years, pretty good for a quick casting!" Amelris says, nodding at the Servant Mind and turning around to look at Maya, who is opening up the canister.

     Then things happens. The Red mage steps back in surprise, his eyes wide just as he was about to step out to go visit the village proper. "Shite! Are you alright?"

     He spins to face the Servant Mind. "What was /that/?"
Maya Maya had hoped the medical supplies would be easier to carry once they were out of the container. It's not containing what Maya thought it was, however. As the liquid flows up and gets its self on her body seems to have absorbed it and she's unaware of what it did. Did she just waste a heal? Then the pain comes she staggers herself for a moment trying to brace herself on Runner. She's then holding her head for a moment shaking it once the pain passes she pauses for a moment.

"Wait how do I ... know this?"

She pauses for a moment raising her hand there's no use of fate cards here and she channels magic a ball of flame bursts into existence in her palm and she just stares at it for a moment before she dismisses it.

"Those we're not medical supplies...I think I'm all right but that was not a form of magic I knew before. I should be alright but do keep an eye on me. We should get moving and you are pretty adept with healing yourself."
Metal Sonic      "Not to change subject. But is there a 'Nabb' present within the group?"
     Metal calls out to the group of serviles, cold red eyes scanning for reactions.

     "I would very much like to speak with them, in light of some new found information."
Arkae Zellar "Accessing... unknown," says the servant mind.

"... It appears that the canister did not contain medical supplies," it notes, redundantly.

The Awakened listen to Mikoto's explanation. "Interesting... I think we'd like to hear more about your Concord," says Ellhrah. "As far as the Takers - you'd have to ask them. We've all three groups agreed to not fight amongst ourselves... we do not have any way to make more of ourselves, and so we'd all vastly prefer to convince the others to our ways of thinking and absorb the others into our groups than wipe them out."

"... But along with that, we tend to limit contact amongst ourselves, to also limit the possibility of conflict."

"Hey, Nabb here," says another of the serviles, waving.
Amelris Belthrone "Thaaaat's..." Amelris was about to snap something sarcastic but Maya's display makes him pause. He tilts his head at the fireball being conjured. It's not too unusual, what is is her claim that she was not capable of it beforehand. His interest is then shifted into the canister itself with some renewed interest. "...Interesting. A sort of ... aetheric imprinter of some sort?" He mumbles to himself, tapping the side of his head, his ears wriggling in concentration. "Or as close as it gets for magic on this world. Fascinating, Fascinating."

     He perks up. "Well, let's get to the village, if you don't feel too bad, then. Servant Mind, we'll likely be back later."
Sumiko Mikoto nods to Ellhrah, it makes a lot of sense.  "Something we may also be able to help you with, but I can not make any concrete promises.  We can get experts in to help, of course, for your continued aid in uncovering the secrets of the island of course."

However, Metal comes back with something, so she nods to him when he asks for a Nabb.  There is a pause and she looks towards Ellhrah.  

"So...how did you come up with names for yourselves?"
Metal Sonic      Metal Sonic disappears in another loud 'boom' once again, when he arrives back, he's holding a piece of paper. A letter, to be exact. Nabb probably recognizes it. They wave it around in an antagonizing matter, as if to agitate them.

     "Tell me about these Takers. What are they to you? I am having, for a lack of better terminology, a 'hard time connecting the dots', so to speak."

     Despite feigning otherwise, it's clear by his somewhat mocking tone that he realizes that whatever the Takers are, they aren't aligned with the Awakened in the slightest. If anything, Metal's goal right now is just to get the rest of the village to eye up Nabb like the criminal he is.
Arcadia This is neat. Not even someone being pouty over the channel that she didn't share is going to spoil Arcadia's ethusiasm. She'll have to experiment more later, though. See how useful this really is.

Arcadia gets back on track, taking to the air and heading for the villiage to see what the other Confeds are up to.
Arkae Zellar The question of names is put aside in favor of the more immediate matter of Nabb.

"I... um, I used to believe in their cause... but I realized they were wrong and came to stay here a month ago," says Nabb.

"And he's been a model member of the Awakened since," says Ellhrah. "If only we could convince all of them so easily."

Everyone here is wearing hoods, so only Metal Sonic can see the pleading look on Nabb's face. It's the look of a man (or servile) who know he's been caught and whose only recourse is throwing himself on the mercy of a possibly merciless metal hedgehog.
Sumiko Mikoto lets the question drop in favor of what Metal was getting to.  She lets him take it from here because it was his discovery.  She looks at Nabb with a hand on her hips, just staring at him.  If only, to add to Metal's attempt at...negotiations.  

"Oh has he?  It's good that you've managed to convince others of your point of view with just words and philosophy."
Maya Maya says "My school of magic requires foci, think of them as templates for many spells. I didn't need to do that fo what I just did and it seems to be the case of some sort. I should get this looked at later I think just o be on the safe side. We don't know what other effects it could have. Perhaps later we should talk on Magic? I didn't go to a formal magic school however I have a lot of practical experience. As for that sounds like a good idea."

She nods to the Servant Mind.

"We shall return later."

She'll whistle for Runner to follow and head along with the Red Mage to the Villiage. She's also going to get medics to check her out once she gets back to base as well.
Arcadia Arcadia makes her way to the village, coming down to her usual hover near the ground when she spots Mikoto and Metal. And notices all the servitors around. Has to remind herself that these are sentient ones and not mindless slaves.

Quickly she points in the direction of the other two Concords. "I'm with them!"
Metal Sonic      Metal Sonic pauses for the briefest of seconds, he could easily come out and explain that Nabb has probably not been converted in the slightest. The spy probably knows this, but instead, they don't push for that angle.

     "I see. My apologies, I'm afraid I'm not too familiar with these parts."

     Folding the letter up in his hands, the mechanical hedgehog walks up and approaches Nabb, placing the piece of paper in their hand as he puts a hand on the servile's shoulder in feigned sympathy.

     The way they look dead on into the servile's eyes and the fact that the hand on their shoulder is squeezing rather hard seem to indicate he is anything but sympathetic though. Metal leans in a bit closer, speaking in a lowered volume that for all intents and purpose could be considered a whisper.

     "Tell us more about your plans and these Takers. And next time, make sure to dispose of the evidence."

     After all is said and done, they return to the side of the Apprentice and Mikoto, folding their arms across their chest once again.