The corpse of the Wizard (or Archmage) Zehn lies impassively in his large bed, the only sign of life being the red glow between clasped fingers. It's also a good thing that the bed is so big, since he might soon have company.. if in less pristine condition. The bore on Scarlet's steam-pistol is awfully large.
Despite the sudden betrayal and possibility of imminent death by hand cannon, Lin smiles cheerily, as though this is a welcome turn of events. She raises her right hand slowly, palm out in a request for a moment's pause.
Aviri's face changes as Scarlet's words rush over her ears. She can see out of the top of her vision Scarlet's weapon, and though tears still block much of her sight, a change comes over her face. Without even a cry of defiance the Lapi launches herself toward Scarlet's arms.
Scarlet grins, unsettling, cold, and pulls the trigger back as Aviri is flying towards her! The creak is audible as it draws back, as is the whoosh of the hammer as it sweeps forward hard! There's a crack! And all Lin feels is a slight breeze. "Bwaaha, Dagh, kid, you've got some guts," the pirate says as she tries to keep herself from breaking down into a giggle fit ... right as Aviri nearly collides with her! She whips her arm back to avoid incoming bun! "Most people usually wet demselves staring down de barrel," she comments as she flicks her finger and snaps her wrist, rolling the barrel forward and presenting the cylinder. It's completely empty. "I unloaded it back in de dining room. I was just waitin' for the right time t' play the ol' double-cross gag," she says with a horribly wide and toothy grin. "Last crewman I pulled that on peedled 'imself something bad, so hey! An yer friend 'ere got guts too."
"So.. I shouldn't barricade the door this time?" Jock asks, just to be certain.
The rabbit flails, fingers clutching at Scarlet's arms as she passes, trying to grab her, drag her down.
"Ah heh uh... Heh..." Lin stammers, her hand hovering halfway to her knife. "Well, that's about halfway what I was expecting at some point. You know, pirates being notorious about double crosses an' the like. I was gonna try an' talk ya down while Aviri an' Trilup snuck up on you an' Jock while you were paying attention to me nattering." She lets out a deep breath and smiles. "Good one though!"
Scarlet tries to make a grab for Aviri so that he doesn't go splat! "Bit of advice, if I intended to backstab ya, I would have shot you in the back of the head and not said anything," Scarlet comments and winks.
The amount of flailing and fighting Aviri does makes it hard to grab her, though likewise she can't grip the otter, and thus hits the floor alone and with a sharp thud. She immediately curls up, wrapping her hands over her head and tucking her face between her knees, lying on her side beside the wall.
"I'll keep an eye out fer that next time." Lin notes and patts her knife handle reassuringly, "I was sittin' behind you on the carriage an' you were acting a little funny about the undeadly superweapon thing. So you're still gonna honour our deal?" She glances at Aviri for a moment and halfway reaches out to help her up but stops, unsure how to handle that situation.
"I could have used more warning so's I'd have had time to seduce Jock," Trilup mutters.
Scarlet snaps her pistol closed and shoves it back into her leg holster. Instead of answering Lin, she kneels down besides Aviri and puts a hand on her shoulder. "Ey," she says, "It's okay. Jus' ol' Scarlet an 'er bad sense of humor." She tries to roll the doe to at least sitting upright.
"Bun got Bandy, Lin got Blasty.. still gotta do Trilup," Jock ticks off on his fingers.
"Is there a Bakery one?" Trilup asks.
Aviri jolts as though Scarlet were made of electricity at her touch. The jolt unfolds her, at least, with large fresh tear-tracks on her cheeks and knees glimmering on the light. She looks at Scarlet in obvious shock, then to Jock, and Lina and Tril. She cluses her eyes, curls up again, this time sitting upright again, waving off Scarlet's help as she tries to compose herself again. Deep breaths.
"Tough, deal with a hug," Scarlet remarks as she rebukes Aviri's attempts to shoo her off and ends up hugging the lapi instead, "Captain's order." She also finally responds to Lin, "Eh, I'll keep to the agreement, don' worry. I don' care about de weapon, I just want the glowy thing."
Trilup asks, "Wait.. the glowy thing isn't the weapon?" She leans as far over the side of the bed as she dares to get a closer look at Zehn's clutched hand.
The doe golem finally turns around to stop facing the door. "The Archmage is... dead," she says.
"Alright." Lin chirps, going to pull back the covers a little and expose the glowing object, "It's prolly just the key to unlock the weapon. Stuff like this goes in threes a lot of the time, right? Start with the box, then follow the compas, then find the key to be able to take the weapon out of here."
In her lunge, Aviri had left the compass sittin on what had been her side of the bed, now a bit wrinkled in the blankets. The lapi herself doesn't fight the hug, nor does she react in any other way. Another deep breath, and she relaxes a fraction. She sniffs and looks up out of her lap at the mobile statue.
The glowing thing is still firmly clutched in the corpse's left hand, resting on his mummified stomach, and the compass continues to point to it.
"I wouldn't hurt you," Scarlet whispers in Aviri's left ear, then rises and tries to lift the spotted on up as she goes. "C',mon, friends mess with each other, s'how oyu know dey are a friend."
"Aviri doesn't know much of anything about friends though," Trilup confides to Scarlet. "I've been teaching him though! He'll be better once he learns how to fish."
Lin gently prises the glowing object from the corpse's hand and picks it up. "Did he leave a message before he died?" She asks the statue.
Once again Aviri doesn't fight, though she seems a bit limp until she's mostly upright. She pats Scarlet's upper arm a couple times and sniffles. She wipes her cheeks with the back of her hand, her eyes flicking to the door, then Jock, a bit worried.
The device that Lin recovers is a brass.. amulet? It's shaped like a puzzle piece. At the very center is a teardrop-shaped glass vial full of the glowing stuff, which looks to be a red liquid.. that is also a crystal. There are five letters engraved on the brass, each at one of the oddly shaped puzzle edges: S A I N T
"Bah, I gonna feel bad if you keep crying," Scarlet mutters as she wipes at the lapi's cheeks now. The otter then looks up and to Lin, saying without any sort of accent at all, "Be careful with that. I'm not kidding. That can be incredibly dangerous if it is what I think it is."
The doe manages to shake her head at Scarlet, though she could also be nodding. It's hard to say. She does shove the pirate, points at her collar, than at the wall, then just looks frustrated for a moment. She takes another deeb breath before circling around the bed to return to 'her' side.
"Looks like a key to me." Lin notes with a nod to Scarlet. She holds the amulet gingerly as she walks over to Aviri and presents it to the lapi. "You should probably hold onto this for when we find the lock that goes with it. Seems right since you're Zehn's descendant an' all."
"Uh, the compass changed," Trilup says, pointing to the orb on the corner of the bed. The pointer is aiming downwards now.
Scarlet extends her hand as well. "Let me see it," she requests, again with no accent at all.
Aviri once more checks the door as she reaches the headboard. She looks looks equal parts relieved and suspicious at it, then turns and gently pulls at the mattress corner.
Scarlet is still waiting patiently, hand extended. "I'll give it to him after I examine it," she promises, "But I need to know for certain what it is."
The ancient mattress tears a bit and releases a cloud of dust, but doesn't otherwise reveal anything.. or talk.
Lin realizes Aviri is ignoring her now and halfway retracts her hand. "Care to share your theory?" She asks, passing the amulet to Scarlet. "Also, it's prolly pointing under the bed. Try pushin' it to the side. Jock? Could ya get in there an' help?"
Aviri gives up on the endeavor pretty quickly. She surruptitiously wipes her cheek again and looks up at Lin, just in time to see her give up trying to hand the amulet over. She reaches out, not for the amulet, but in a I-didn't-realize-you-were-holding-it-out-to-me way.
Scarlet accepts the amulet then pats around her side a bit with her free hand. "Aha, there," she mutters and digs in a side pocket. She pulls out a rather ridiculously complicated-looking monocle with multiple rotating lenses that can be swapped for use. She flicks one of them over the viewport and then peers through it at the amulet. She then flicks another lens, then another. "Azrael, you old bastard, just what game were you playing back then," she growls as she flicks another lens, then puts the monocle back away. "This is a fragment of the philosopher's stone, encased in Chrontopian brass, shaped by magic," the pirate then announces, "I doubt any of you know what that is?" The otter then offers it to Aviri as promised.
"It's the stones out of a philosopher?" Trilup guesses.
"Wasn't the philosopher's stone some legend about turning lead into gold an' makin' people immortal?" Lin asks, "From the way you say 'Chronotopian brass', I'm guessin' you mean it's not just brass from Chronotopia, but prolly somethin' enchanted with time magic? So it'll... Be like an eternal life preserver thing? Isn't that what necromancers are always tryin' to do with philatteries?"
The spotted lapi gently takes it, eyes going wide, then knitted, then wide again as she peers at the glowing rock, and the brass casing. She starts making a gesture which seems to be moving something form her left to her right, but abandons it halfway and just points to Linyala's guess.
"Eh, those stories were used to keep people from actually discovering it," Scarlet explains. "What it was ... is is a liquid crystal that can raise the dead. Not like what necromancers to, what it makes from the dead is fully living, and a shadow of what it used to be. If you've ever heard of a troll, the legends state they were created by contact with it. Seems that old cat actually did manage to find it. Curious he's then sat on it for over seventy years, but I suppose I should not be too surprised."
The 'stone' sloshes in its little teardrop vial, while still looking.. solid-ish.
"So, we could use it to resurrect Zehn? Unless you want it 'cause you've got some dear deceased loved one that you want to bring back from the dead?" Lin guesses. She also waves Jock over to help with moving the bed.
Aviri's eyes go wider at the description, and she takes a step back from the bed as though that'd put more distance between her and it. But, of course, she's carrying it, so that doesn't really work.
Jock comes over and tries to figure out what Lin is up to.
"In theory you could, but I wouldn't recommend it," Scarlet warns.
"So.. it doesn't make zombies, but it makes trolls?" Trilup asks, scratching her head. "What's the point of that?"
"Big, deaf, and muscley! Help move the bed so we kin find what the compas is pointin' at." Lin sets her feet and gives the bed a shove.
"You know it could just be down the stairs. They did go both ways," Scarlet, ever master of the obvious.
"I ain't deaf," Jock claims, and tries pushing on the bed-frame. It turns out that it's growing up out of the stone floor.. and there aren't many places to push on that aren't part of a Lapi doe statue.
Aviri gently, delicately, gets down onto the ground and tries looking under the bed, closing her upper eye. She initially holds the amulet to her chest, but on second thought lifts herself up enough to put it on the bed, far enough from the edge so it wouldn't fall, before getting back down again.
"Well, that would prolly do it too." Lin admits and stops pushing on the stone lapi foot she was holding on to. She gives the bed a critical eye where it meets the floor. "Rearanging his furniture must have been a real pain."
The doe golem is starting to move again, towards one side of the bed. She starts out rather jerkily, but her movements smooth out the closer she gets. "The Archmage is dead," she repeats.
Aviri immediately stops her search, gets up, and snatches the amulet from the bed, once more clutching it to her chest, away from the golem.
"He has been dead for a long time," Scarlet remarks to the golem. She's backing up a little, herself.
The golem carefully turns down the sheets, and then picks up the nearly weightless mummy. Cradling him in her arms, she turns towards the door and starts walking again.
Lin follows the statue a couple paces back and asks, "Is there something you're supposed to do, now that he's dead?"
Aviri stands back, huddled in the corner, while all this happens, visibly surprised when the golem doesn't try to take the amulet form her. After a pause, she follows as well, tentatively.
Scarlet's brow arches a bit. She moves to follow the golem, but she also draws her gun and starts to actually load it. "I suggest ya stay behind me," she comments, accent returning.
Lin draws her knife and stands asside long enough for Scarlet to pass her. "Maybe he's got another resurrection thingey somewhere. Or the statue's going to trigger a self destruct now that Zehn is dead." She suggests.
"Stop thinkin' like me," Scarlet remarks as she quick-grabs the compass from the bed and then follows the golem.
"Give it a few years, an' more feathers in my hat." Lin snipes back.
Trilup sticks close to Jock at the rear of the odd lineup. The doors open automatically for the golem, who stops on the top stair for a moment. Then the stairs begin moving downwards.
THe mention of a self-destruct momentarily freezes Aviri in her tracks, but she relaxes and carries on fairly soon after, looking almost like she's chuckling. Which is odd, since the tear-tracks are still clear on her face. A strange look.
The ride down the curving stairs is quiet, until they reach the landing where the door is. It's covered in Zehn cones, all saying 'cone' over and over like a lament. They do part way for the procession though, since the golem carries Zehn right across to the next descending staircase, which unsurprisingly starts moving.
Scarlet blinks, then shrugs. "Eh, I seen weirder," she claims, following.
The lamenting cones give Aviri more pause than the thought of a doomsday mechanism, but the lapi pushes on, staying close to Scarlet.
"Yeah, after the zombie moss, hallway of hands, an' that time we were all ghosts and posessed each other... Yeah." Lin agrees with Scarlet, "Still pretty up there though!"
The cones cluster in behind them, but don't follow. Maybe they'd fall over on stairs. The ride down is also dark, with no windows or glowing bricks or chatty cones to provide illumination.
Jock cranks up his frog lamp, so they at least have some yellow-green light to see by, which somehow makes everything just more garish.
Trilup follows with hers, but shines it around more, casting shadows everywhere.
Aviri just waits on the stairs, standing a bit inside of dead-center of the staircase, both hands gripping and pinning the amulet to her pink suit.
This time the stairs stop as soon as the golem steps off onto a landing. The lamps show a set of very tall double doors, which have no markings on them - not even the Z logo. They slide open when the golem approaches, spilling out bright light that makes it difficult to see what's beyond them.
"Ugh," Scarlet mutters and raises her arm to shield her eyes. "Gone dis far, going further," she remarks to the others ... and keeps on following.
Lin blinks repeatedly to clear the spots from her eyes as she descends the last few steps after Scarlet. "Why the big theme difference?" She wonders quietly.
THe spotted doe follows without hesitation, though she's partially shielded from the glare by the bodies ahead of her.
Scarlet quick-checks the compass.
The two trailing otters follow suit..
The compass is now pointing right at the sarcophagus in the corner of the room. The golem is carrying Zehn over to a fanciful looking stone chair. It might be a throne, but it seems to be made of stylized Lapi figures.
"Ah, so Zehn was a Promethian," Scarlet mutters to no one in particular.
As soon as she can do so without getting hurt, Aviri looks around herself, in both shock and awe, at all the things. Her eyes linger on the sarcophagus only long enough to learn they're not headed toward it, before moving on to other venues.
Lin oohs at the array of mad science gear. Showing that she can be practical from time to time, she starts doing a quick survey of the room for anything that looks like it would make a good weapon, be overtly useful or could be sold or traded back home.
"Eh, some of this might be valuable if sold to the right person," Scarlet asides to Jock. "Still gots the weirdo list back on the ship?"
The medical tools look to be high-quality, with obsidian blades. Some of the other surgical devices look more like torture devices. And among the jars on the shelves are some contain plant specimens or seeds. Also, none of them are labeled.
"It had the bat on it that went on and on about bat wees. Big teeth, Lisp," Scarlet clarifies.
For once Aviri isn't immediately distracted by the sight of the plants, though her eyes linger longer on the unlabeled jars, her lips twitching out silent names for those she could identify. She keeps walking, though, and her head soon swivels to the chair-throne-thing.
The golem sets Zehn onto the chair, and arranges him carefully. Once she finishes, an odd process takes over: Zehn's body is turning to stone! And also filling out more, so that the final statue looks more like a life cast. The golem then sits in his lap, nestled into where his arm is positioned to hold her, and stops moving to just become another part of the statue.
The big metal-and-ceramic things might have something to do with electricity, but it's difficult to tell. At least they aren't fused to the walls or table.
"If he resurrects, great. If the whole place starts faling appart, we won't have much time to grab any shinies." Lin chirps as she tucks a couple of scalpels under the strap of her arm sheath. "Oh... That's weird."
"No fishing tools," Trilup sighs after her own inspection.
Aviri releases a hand from the amulet and puts it to her mouth as she sees the statue get completed. She frowns, lowers her head, and for a moment just stands there in silent reverance.
"He didn't want to be alone, not even in death," Scarlet notes as she watches the throne and what happens there. "Sometimes life isn't fair," she adds, shaking her head. Her eyes flick to the compass again, then she heads towards the sarcophagus.
"Hey, Trilup!" Lin chirps, "Let's grab a box an' put together a kit of surgery gear for Igor. He'd prolly trade somethin' good for some new tools."
Jock looks over a laminated piece of paper. "Uh, funny animals.. small monsters.. weird fish.. surgical tools.. machines.."
The lapi takes a deep breath and nods to Scarlet's words. She remains there a few more moments, looking at the floor, before she closes her eyes and sniffles softly. Another breath, and she lifts her head and makes thoughtfully toward the plant jars.
"That Wendigo guy want animal bits and surgical stuff," Jock says after his perusal of the list. "Weird plants are for Bunny Pike, elek-tro-fluidics is dat Twig guy. Don't see no old stuff for wassername, Blatt though. Did is all new-ish."
"I don't see any boxes, just jars," Trilup notes, as she tests a restraint on one of the tables. The leather crumbles away at her tug though.
"Right, well, we can scavage some stuff to fill those requests 'ere, I think," Scarlet tells Jock as she approaches the sarcophagus. She peers at it. "Now, how do you open, hmm?" she asks it.
Some of the plants in the jars look like samples of the ones in the garden, and the seeds all look strange, having geometric or spiky shapes.
Along the face of the sarcophagus are the S A I N T letters again, arranged vertically down the center.
Scarlet looks for a knob, or a lock, as she tries to actually just pull it open.
There's also an odd hemispherical dent off to one side.
Lin comes across a cabinet, that is full of.. puzzle boxes.
Aviri gently takes down a jar containing a spikey icosahedron using her free hand, turns it over, then puts it back the way it was. She frowns, takes a step back, and starts looking for a book or stack of notes or something to that effect.
"That's a good idea." Lin notes, skimming the list from next to Jock, "Then you kin optimize your loot value per diving bell haul so you get as much as you can before the place falls appart or summat." She scurries off again to find an empty jar that can serve as a loot container and encounterss the puzzle boxes. "Oh no... Or yes." She grins and pulls one down to check if it's locked already or if it can be programmed somehow.
Scarlet juggles the compass for a bit. "Eh, why not? What is de worst dat could happen?" she asks as she sticks the compass against that odd dent in the sarcophagus.
For a laboratory, it's odd that there isn't anything in the way of notes, records or books. Zehn may have been paranoid enough to destroy them, or else hide them in more puzzle boxes.
The puzzle boxes all look to be locked, but also come in a variety of different sizes.
The stone of the sarcophagus softens around the compass, and then suck it in. Once swallowed, the slap splits down the center and begins to swing open, letting out a cloud of cold, ground-hugging mist.
Aviri looks rather dejected at the lack of notebooks. She pokes at another random jar, then huffs silently and joins the pile of puzzle-boxes. Or, gets close to joining them; she makes sure to keep a safe distance incase magic things start happening.
"Never say that!" Lin admonishes Scarlet. "Also, I think these are gonna be on my loot portion." She holds up a couple of the sealed boxes. "They oughtta make good training tools fer back home. An' these ones aught not to be haunted!"
"Heh, not ominous at all," Scarlet quips as she hops backwards, draws her sidearm, and aims it at the opening ... thing.
Several of the boxes are book-sized, at least.
Two large, scaly hands with spade-like metallic claws reach out of the sarcophagus to grip the sides of the split door, and the rest of the creature within begins to emerge. It's as tall as a Rhian, and the head that comes out next is like a Skreek, but also like a Jupani. It's furless, has large glowing red orbs for eyes and big, chisel teeth.
"Uh, don' move?" Scarlet requests of the emerging beast.
Aviri follows Scarlet's advice and freezes in place.
The creature replies with an exhale of more cold mist. It's legs and feet are odd, more reptilian than anything with pale scales and taloned toes. The neck is also scaled, but the scales broaden to armored plates on the chest and stomach. There's still more back inside the sarcophagus, shapes that might be wings.
"Er, can you understand me?" Scarlet inquires of it. Rule one of being a treasure thief, never assume guardians are dumb as rocks.
Lin ducks behind a workbench and peeks around the side at the emerging monstrosity, a long, narow box still clutched in her hands.
Trilup hides behind Jock, who.. just stands there and stares.
"Rrrrrr," the beast replies. It looks at the otters, and big Eeee-like (and also Lapi-like) ears flare up from where they were folded flat. Its whiskers are thick, and start to wiggle around like little tentacles or antennae. "Not.. prey.." it finally rumbles with a very hollow sounding voice.
Scarlet slowly lowers her gun. "Right, so you do," she concludes, nodding. "And yes, not prey," she agrees, not even knowing what its prey might be. "Scarlet, Captain of de Bandersnatch," she introduces herself. "The spotted bunbutt over dere is Aviri, probably related to Zehn," she adds, "And the other otters are ... hiding."
Spotted Bunbutt offers the creature a tentative wave of her free hand.
"Hey, Aviri." Lin calls out quietly, "It might know more about what we're looking for." She doesn't go out immediately and talk to it, but she does stand up and stop hiding now that it appears to be non-violent if not friendly.
The beast lowers its head enough to sniff at Scarlet.. albeit from a distance. "Ott..rrrr.."
Aviri turns slightly toward Lin, tilting her head a bit. She nods toward the creature, and points at the compass, than the creature again.
The creature pulls the rest of the way out of its box. It does have wings like a Vartan, covered in white (and slightly damp) features. There's long, flat tail as well, with particularly sharp looking scales that flare out. The scales that cover it look like they're made of pearl, but aren't like Naga scales, having a more pebble-like appearance.
"Soooo ... who are you?" Scarlet asks the creature. "Or ... what?"
"Rrrr," the creature replies again, and stretches its wings a bit. It then lurches towards the chair, and puts its taloned paw on top of Zehn's head. "Master.."
"Yeah, he's been dead for a long time now. Do you know if he had some kinda plan to get better from stuff like this?" Lin asks, having stepped out from behind the protection of the counter now. She's still keeping a safe distance though.
Aviri remains rooted to the spot, turning on her hips to track the creature's movement across the room. Her jaw clenches at the sight of even it paying homage to its deceased master.
"Better.." the thing repeats, and then squats down and bows its head. There on the top of its skull is a missing scale, with a puzzle-piece-shaped depression in it.
Now Aviri moves, jolting herself as though she'd been in a trance. She looks at the amulet in her hand, then up at the thing. She takes a step toward it, stops, and hands the amulet toward Scarlet.
"He's your relative," Scarlet reminds Aviri. "Your duty, eh?"
"Lin nods, "It does look like you'd be the one to do this."
Aviri smiles at that, and pulls the amulet back toward herself. She gulps and steps up to the thing. She takes a moment to work up the courage to actually insert the amulet, but she does, sliding the metal into its slot and then stepping back.
Lin ducks back behind the counter again, just in case.
The letters on the amulet light up in sequence, and then a scale slides over the amulet. The beast stands up, and says, "Super Autonomous Indestructible Necromancer Terminator system is now activated." There's a red glow that outlines the beasts scales now, and the tips of its whisker-tendrils light up as well.
"Sorry Scarlet, I don't think you can keep the key thing. Looks like it's part of the thing we came to pick up." Lin chirps from where she's peeking over the top of the counter.
"What.. what does that all mean?" Trilup whispers loudly from behind Jock, who is looking over his list again.
"Eh, I just keep spotbutt," Scarlet claims and thumbs towards Aviri. "As for what it means, this is some sort of necromancy defense ... creature."
"So.. is it Bio-Alchemy or a Chimera?" Jock asks.
"Archeology was my thing, Jock ... so ... my only guess is Bio-Alchemy," Scarlet comments to Jock. "Never seen anything like it."
Aviri side-steps around until she's in front-ish of the thing and smiles and waves. She frowns, thinks better of that, and gives the thing a little polite bow, pretending she didn't hear Scarlet's quip.
SAINT flexes his fingers, causing the metallic talons to slide together and make a shing sound. "Where are the Necromancers," it asks in its hollow monotone. "I must devour them."
"They are all long gone, supposedly buried in the Well of Souls," Scarlet says. "You're a few decades late to the Necromancer War. That was ended by Felix Kurai," she explains.
"Also, we agreed you'd only keep Aviri until we're done with our adventure." Lin counters, "I think it might be kinda like a combination of those animated statues and the necromancer eating boxes like Waddles, with some really beefy combat gear built in as well as a more advanced consciousness so if can fight smart?"
The nose-tendrils wiggle about like mad, the tips blinking on and off. "No Necromantic signatures detected in vicinity," SAINT declares. "What do I do until they return?"
Aviri grins up at SAINT and mimes sipping tea from a cup.
Scarlet thinks about this. "Do you know how to garden?" she asks it.
The creature seems to freeze for a moment, with its eyes pulsing brighter and dimmer. "I have memories of such," it claims.
"Do you know how to repair things?" Scarlet asks next.
"Prolly come back to Blackshire with us so you can help deffent the area from any necromancers who do come along." Lin suggests, "The Necromancer wars may be over, but they do crop up from time to time. We had one in our hometown not long ago. We were also tasked with bringing you there. Anyways, it's not like you'll be able to help anyone much down here."
The frozen state lasts longer this time. "I do not have memories of 'repair'. Creation only." It's talons shing again, as if to show how impractical they are for wielding tools.
Scarlet raises a finger. "Except he could keep Zehn's dream alive down here," she points out. "Tend to his garden, repair things worn," she points out. "Eh, it be sentimental of me, but I don' want to see this place die."
Aviri nods to that. She points to SAINT, then at the walls, then gestures to the room around them. She mimes putting the amulet into its slot. A perfect fit.
"But it's not doing anyone any good the way it is. Maybe if it were brought back to the surface, we could do more than just repair it." Lin presses, "Right now though, it's just a really incredibly magical toomb."
"Zehn," SAINT says. "I remember Zehn. I have Zehn," it notes, and taps at its head with a talon.
"What do you mean you have Zehn?" Scarlet asks.
SAINT focuses on Aviri, and crouches down to draw its head closer to the spotted Lapi. It's tendrils wiggle at her. "Zehn but not Zehn," it says. "What are you?" it asks the doe.
"Amulet prolly saved Zehn's memmories before he died. Seemed like the kinda thing he'd do." Lin mutters, "Not that anyone cares..." She goes back to the boxes and starts stringing them together with the coil of rope she still has over her shoulder.
Aviri's eyes go wide at being personally addressed by the creature-device-thing. She puts a hand to her throat, gesturing at the collar, and shrugging.
Scarlet rubs her forehead. "Spot, commere," she says to the lapi.
Aviri obliges, a bit sheepishly, holding a finger up for SAINT.
Trilup asks Lin, "So that thing eats necromancers? Does that mean it's gonna starve if it doesn't find any?"
Scarlet digs in her tight side-pocket and pulls out a key. She walks around behind Aviri, inserts it into the collar-lock, and turns it. There's a click, and the otter removes the collar from around Aviri's neck.
It's a gradual feeling, but Aviri's vocal chords start to feel.. there. Other things begin to change as well, which means the swimsuit is not a bit looser in the chest but uncomfortable tight lower down.
The bun ltes out a happy little sigh, and touches the newly-naked fur around her throat. She looks at her hands, and the suit, and starts pulling on the latter in anticipation of changes.
"Could be it eats or absorbs remnants of necromantic energy. You know, like the moss monsters in Eve's basement? Otherwise, maybe the kinds of mutated monsters that were corrupted by the magical crud from the old fights?" Lin suggests as she adds a few more boxes to the chain.
"Accordin' to legend, trolls eat zombies," Trilup says. "'least, that's why they call that town Trollhaven."
Aviri winces as the feeling spreads, fidgiting and shifting as the patterns slowly start draining from lapi-fur. The bun's mouth stays shut, though, the hands still rubbing along the freed neck as Aviri becomes slightly less haunted.
"So maybe this is like a super-troll." Lin glances over the counter to check on the others then ducks back down to keep working on the box chain. "Looks like Aviri's back." Her tone doesn't indicate weather she thinks this is a good or bad thing.
"Wanna wear a collar, Jock?" Scarlet asks the huge otter.
"Could ye stand me having more curves den you?" Jock asks back with a raised eyebrow.
"I'd still be sexier," Scarlet retorts, "And you be quieter."
"Hmph," Jock replies. He's not exactly a chatterbox normally.
SAINT is still crouched down, waiting patiently but watching Aviri with its pupil-less eyes.
"Her--" Aviri says, wincing, rubbing his throat. He coughs, and tries again. "Her name was Samira. She didn't go a nice way." He looks toward the stone chair of Zehn, bows his head a moment, then returns to SAINT. He bows again. "Aviri Chalk. I"m--" he looks around SAINT at the throne. "I'm sorry about your master."
"He stayed dead," SAINT says, is if in praise.
"That he did," Aviri says, a bit taken aback, but he seems to accept the logic behind the praise.
Lin finishes tying the boxes from the cabinet together and bundles them into a lumpy coil to hang over her shoulder. "Did he save his memmories in that amulet though?" She asks, "The one that's in your head?"
Aviri gulps nervously and bites his lip. "Er, what did you mean by me being Zehn but not Zehn?"
"Yes," SAINT replies to Lin. "And no. They were absorbed. To complete me. I do not have a spirit that can be manipulated by magic." It turns back to Aviri and says, "You are descended of Leela Chalk. Zehn sired progeny he did not know about."
Scarlet glances at Linyala. "Wanna wear a collar?" she asks the young otter and swings said collar from the tip of her index finger.
"It would improve your dancing," Trilup notes to Lin with a grin.
"Ah. Thank you," Aviri says and steps back. He looks toward the throne. "I'm glad they're together again." He smiles weakly, and takes another step back, and then just stands there, adjusting the suit still more.
"I'd also be way prettier than you, Scarlet." Lin smirks, "I'd rather not have the boobs that go with the collar though. They'd mess up my sleek figure."
"Kid, you'll never be sexier than me," Scarlet remarks dryly. "And you'd only have a problem with yer figure if yer boobs were inflated by yer ego."
The lapi chortles at that. "Er, right, so ... SAINT, would you want to stay here and tend Zehn's fortress? Or come with us to Blackshire or Stonebarrow and maybe eat a necromancer or two?"
"At least they wouldn't be inflated by a pump." Lin says under her breath and ties off the ends of the box chain.
"Zehn's legacy lives," SAINT claims, standing back up. "I will move him to the dining hall, and restore what I can of his sanctuary."
"After that, I may venture outside," the golem-thing says.
"Sooooo, SAINT," Scarlet says sweetly as she seems to be scheming. "How would you feel if I arranged dis place to be an exclusive hotel?" She mouths to Jock, "Think of the money!"
There's a steely glint in Lin's eye and she smiles sweetly at Scarlet. "Are you saying you'll take your portion of the loot as the fortress?" She whispers in the pirate's ear.
Aviri frowns at SAINT's declaration, and then nods. "Certaily saves on figuring out how t' get it to Blackshire," he mutters quietly. He starts back toward the shelves with the planets, but pauses beside Scarlet. "Oh, and up in the room ... I just didn't want to die in a dark tomb again. Once was enough."
"Don't push yer luck," Scarlet remarks quietly to Lin. "The gun is loaded this time."
Scarlet then looks at Aviri long and hard. She then holds up the collar and asks, "Wanna go back to spotland?" she actually asks him.
SAINT listens to this all in silence. "You would need to provide consumables," it says. "I may not stay once it is repaired. Clearly, whatever 'shares' you speak of would come from the profits, not the property."
"The property belongs to the heir," the beast proclaims.
"Hear dat?" Scarlet then asks of Aviri, "Y'own a fortress."
"Well, that settles that!" Lin huffs with an apologetic look to Scarlet.
Aviri ponders the offer. "I might take it, if you're willing to part with it," he says softly. He jolts at the mention of an heir and turns to SAINT. "Who'd be his---" he says, and then freezes. "Wh... Me?!"
"You and I are Zehn's heirs," SAINT points out. "I have no need for this place, beyond honoring my creator."
"Well, it's a fortress with a big bunny face for a door.." Trilup notes.
Lin siddles over to Trilup pulls her away from the group a bit. "What does Silver have to say about this?" She whispers, "It doesn't look like we're going to be completing that delivery the way she was planning."
Aviri again looks around at the room. "I ... I mean, I'd love to resore it. Especially that garden...." he says that a bit dreamily. He looks at Trilup, and smiles. "And I'd bet this place has quite the library..., but I don't think I should---" He sighs and turns to SAINT. "Lets get Aehn set up nice and proper, then worry about the rest, yeah?"
"I dunno, I don't have the horn with me," Trilup says. "And you don't have your hat.. and I guess 'Viri didn't bring the old watch either. Or else ghosts don't like gettin' wet.."
"Right!" Scarlet quips and rubs her hands together. Why don't you two deal with moving the statue. Jock and I will ... catalog down here," she offers.
SAINT stands and easily picks up the solid stone chair and combined statues, and heads for the door.
Aviri eyes Scarlet and smirks. "Oi, you be stealin' from us now, not some random tomb by a road," he tells her. He follows SAINT, a bit of bounce to his step, even if he hobbled a bit due to the suit.
"And you love me for it!" Scarlet calls after him. "And if you want to be more comfortable, I can put the collar back on!"
"Wonderful." Lin grumps, "One of the most important times to be able to talk to silver, and we're cut off." She waves at Aviri and chirps, "We'll hang around down here an' help with the inventorying. If you hear Scarlet's gun go off, assume we're dead an' activate whatever security this place has."
Scarlet thumps Lin on the top of her head with the underside of her fist ... gently.
"Will-do," Aviri says. "And make sure cataloging's the only thing she does," Aviri calls.
"Gotcha." Lin chirps and rubs her head. "Ya know, if somethin' crawls out of the woodwork an' attacks us an' you've gotta shoot it, I'd rather have it contained down here an get some kinda support from the fortress. I'm not just gettin' ya back fer that little betrayal prank you pulled."
The walk back to the dining hall is different for Aviri - aside from the clustering cones. They don't take the Moments of Zehn ride backwards, as SAINT goes through a secret door disguised as part of the wall, bypassing it altogether. From there it's back through the 'hotel' to the garden and then to the hall, where Zehn is placed at the head of the table.
"You know, you being spotted and quiet would be a boon to us all," Scarlet notes to Lin and brandishes the collar at her.
"Well.. maybe Silver just likes us?" Trilup suggests. "If we go back to the boat and she's gone.. then I guess we succeeded?"
"But we wouldn't have gotten to say goodbye..." Lin pouts. She waggles an eyebrow at Scarlet and smiles. "I'm flattered you consider me such a threat."
Aviri nods in satisfaction seeing Zehn and Leela looking over the dining-hall. "Looks nice," he says softly. He takes a moment, then turns to SAINT. "Hey, er, are there any spare wardrobes or something?"
"Right. A threat," Scarlet says and just nods.
"There are, but I do not know if the garments have fared well over the decades," SAINT tells Aviri.
"No harm in checking them, right?" Aviri says with a grin. "Step two in fixing up the place?" He plucks at the suit. "Better than being pink or mute."
Lin starts opening cupboards and checking off the contents, she stops after the first set is open though and notes, "I didn't really bring any loot bags. Now that the fortress is secure an' we know we're not gonna have to bolt or have it fall appart on us, maybe we should each grab a couple things, okay them with Aviri 'cause it's his fortress now, an' then get the right supplies from yer ship? I also want to take Aviri into the kitchens an' see if we kin find a loading bay where we kin take fresh food an' stuff."
"Aye. Reconnaissance is over, so now we start salvaging what is worth salvaging and leaving behind what should be left behind. I might be a grave robber, but I have morals," Scarlet claims, grinning. "Most of the time, anyway."