Raider's of the Lost Ark [Team Soul Society] ❷✗

[Ranth]

The team, it had to be said, wasn't exactly off to the best start. Yes, they'd uncovered the location of what seemed to be the best place to seek clues but there were already signs of an alarming lack of unity between some of the members of this intrepid rescue and rescue operation. Would these cracks grow and risk the success of the mission? Or would unbreakable bonds of friendship and camaraderie be built in the crucible that lay ahead of them? Only time would tell.

For now, Wycliff had found a use for the key's he had found in the kitchen, enabling him to open the door to the shed to the Nroth West of the outpost and within it, he found the remaining vehicles stored within. 'Remaining' vehicles, because there were obvious signs that other vehicles were stored here, but were currently absent- much like the researchers and the shinigami and the hazmat suits. All signs were pointing towards answers awaiting them 23 kilometers away at the mysterious place marked on the map.

Whilst Wycliff was busying himself with preparing the vehicles; Kaen, Rin and Aevus would be free to finish up whatever final pieces of investigation they may have wished to partake in before being drawn outside by their companions shouts. Two people could fit in the snow-plow and one person could comfortably fit on each of the three snowmobiles. The dog sled was technically an option, but at the same time... was it really? In much the same way as the security had been lax around the computer password, a brief investigation of the each vehicle would find that the keys were already in the ignition- the key Wycliff had found was the one that opened the main door that would enable them to take the vehicles outside.

Eventually, when the time came to begin their journey they would find that the 'path' was marked by orange flags driven deep into the snow. These flags marked the route that was solid, whilst anything outside of the flags could just as easily be a thinly veiled crevasse or an unstable section of glacier that could lead to even a Shinigami meeting an untimely end at the hands of the dub zero temperatures, freezing winds and awful visibility. Slow and steady would win this race and eventually, they would come to an impassable clifface. where the vehicles could go no further. This was further evidenced by the fact that there was already a snow plow parked there.

As the group approached the other vehicle, they would find it abandoned with the key still in the ignition. After all, who was going to steal a vehicle all the way out here? Ahead, some two hundred meters away where the clifface rose up from the ice and snow, a cave entrance could be made out and an eerie green glow radiated outwards... a glow which became more prominent as they got closer and the temperature seemed to drop even further with every step they took towards it, until quite soon they could have been forgiven for looking down to double check if they were still wearing their jackets... or anything at all for that matter.

[Deleted]

Rin was entirely enamored with the wolf before her. She smiled brightly as her tail swung wildly. The result of a nice scratch behind the ears and a good tummy pat. Dogs and wolves were the same; they all loved the notion and in turn, Rin loved them. “Ah~ She speaks! How interesting, ne~” At the sound of a cough, Rin immediately sat up straight, her face hot and stained red with embarrassment. She focused on Lumina for a moment before looking back to Aevus, fairly frustrated and began to pout. “…O-Of course we have a mission. Hmph!” she retorted with mild irritation. It was as if she were a child who’d gotten caught stealing cookies. Fingers would rake themselves through Lumina’s fur one last time as she stood and faced Aevus.

“Rin Minamimoto.” She introduced herself to the other lieutenant curtly before passing the map off to him. She was still fairly embarrassed. The only way she knew how to pass if off was through anger like a little girl. She cleared her throat before point at the map. “We likely have to go there. It’s probably where they went.“ She stared at the map contemplatively for a minute. What could have caused those men to have just up and disappeared like that? There had to be something quite urgent going on.

It would be then that Kaen came up to the them, making mention of the bathroom and there being a blockage. There hadn’t been anyone here for a few days. Rin would pass off her hazmat suit to Kaen and nodded to him, “Follow it. You may destroy it if you wish to, Kaen. Try not to get wet as we’re heading out soon. This might be of use to you” She’d let him go off to literally destroy the bathroom. If he believed there to be something, she would let him follow that lead. She trusted him and his judgement after all. Every breadcrumb was worth checking out, even the ones that didn’t seem so important.

When everyone was finished, Rin eyed the snow plow and looked back to her third seat and pointed at the larger vehicle. “Kaaaaaaen~! You’re driving, ne~” she grinned as she’d call out eagerly to the brunette as she would climb her way into a seat and sit comfortably in the passenger’s seat. Empresses did not drive… And it wasn’t because they didn’t know how! Hmph!

With time, they eventually got to their destination and Rin looked on at the sight with awe. It was somewhat dark with the exception of the entrance. The cave was oddly pretty and there was a iridescent green light emanating from the entrance. Rin was dressed properly for this climate. Her furs were top notch and she was quite warm. However, the closer they got to the entrance, the colder it got. It felt almost unnatural. It got so cold that she would tremble slightly. "W-Wait." Rin was freezing and she' look at herself and then back to the rest of the group in confusion. It was almost bone chilling. “H-How… How did it get that much more freezing? I was feeling fine before. Honestly! This weather is such a pain, ne~!”

[☾ Aevus | Umbra ☽]

The moment he saw those reddened cheeks and that pouting face, his feigned grin would turn into a real one. Strangely enough seeing those cheeks enlightened reminded him of another... at least for a short time. He was used to offsetting the nerves of a particular icy green eyed Shinigami. Heh but this strange lieutenant certainly wasn’t her. Past a blunt introduction he could still hear the faint traces of embarrassment shed away from her lips. So this was Rin Minamimoto…? The former thought to be dead Lieutenant of squad 7. Something even Central 46 couldn’t even seem to come up with an explanation for.

“Aevus." The Shinigami barely had time to introduce himself before being handed a map. His fingers would brush the edges of the paper, giving it a quick look over before returning his attention back to the fiery eyed (and formerly cheeked) Lieutenant. "So we should start heading there immediately." Aevus commented. Judging from the map’s layout their destination was twenty or more Kilometers away. Pretty far away for your average run of a mill Shinigami. But if there was one thing Aevus excelled at, it was his mastery of Hoho.

While he could have attended the others in commandeering one of the humans vehicles. He honestly had no idea where to begin in operating one of them or hell even how to start one for that matter. And well the dog sled was certainly off the table... Merely even thinking about using it would have probably soured his Zanpakuto Spirit’s mood even further. Even so, in his eyes the vehicles would really only slow him down and he really wasn’t one to waste time. At least not when it truly mattered. Taking visual aid from Kaen, he’d steal a single coat before heading out. Giving a sideways glance towards both Kaen and the ever so strange Rin Minamimoto. Who had already seemed to settle into the large snow-plow. "Race you there." He'd tease in an almost playful tone before heading off into the snow.

Lets go Lumina.

And Like a shadow Lumina was never that far behind the Reaper. He could still feel her glaring silver daggers into his back, even before her voice slipped into his mind. If another one of them pets me- I’d just take it as a compliment. Being treated like some lapdog... is a compliment? Heh I mean you did seem to be enjoying it. A snarl echoed with his head causing the Shinigami to shake his head with small chuckle. As the two ran they made a point to run atop the air ground. The snow would only leave tracks and of course... slow them down.

Even with his coat, the cold wind whipped against his body harshly. He felt as if frigid branch in a hurricane. Maybe it would have been better for his body to slow down. But regardless he carried on. Easily arriving before the others. He immediately felt something astray. A cold shiver ran up his spine and he knew just from Lumina’s shivering, she had felt it too. It felt like ice had nestled into his very skin. “Aevus... something isn’t right about this place.” That green foreboding glow only seemed to guide his blue eyes to the source of the benumbing cold. “I know, I feel it too.”

[Kaen Youji]

As Rin fawned over Lumina, Kaen couldn't help but stare at the Empress. His eyes shining as he smiled at her behind her back. He couldn't help it! Rin was too damned cute when she was happy. But.... To be honest, that flustered embarrassed blush that crossed her face and her haughty attempts to cover it up? That was just plain adorable to Kaen. It was one of the reasons he enjoyed taking his chances to rile her up a little bit when he got an opening. Well. What could he say? He had really missed Rin. And going on an assignment with her was making him absolutely ecstatic, even if it was stupid cold, and he had to wear these awkward coats. But he was forced to cover up the broad grin on his face when Rin suddenly faced him. ...It was then replaced almost immediately with a much darker grin. That was a grin of anticipation. "Understood your majesty!" He exclaimed cheerfully, as he sprang into action immediately. Kaen took the hazmat suit from her, and was forced to remove one of his coats to pull it on. With three coats it was just too damn bulky, and Kaen acknowledged either the coat or the suit would be damaged first, before he achieved it. Besides. That'd make it incredibly uncomfortable to move around in with a fourth layer on top. There was only so much Kaen could pull on, and anymore would also risk squishing Rin's scarf! No way he could allow that to happen!

"I won't be long~" And then Kaen strode into the washroom again, now in a hazmat suit. There was a chance water might spray and Rin's scarf had to be protected at all costs! Kaen took one last look at the washroom he was about to "remodel". He took a deep breath and rolled his shoulder slightly, to check his mobility in the Hazmat suit plus two winter coats. It was.... pretty poor. "Darn.... won't be able to do it at full capacity like this.... Not if I want to keep these intact. Ah well...." Kaen took a second breath and drew his arms back. It was a low-key version, but it would be a good warm up at least. "Wild Arts: Hundred Fangs!"

Outside the base, the group would hear an abrupt and sudden explosion, as shards of metal and shrapnel exploded from the side of the structure, and a blur of movement sprang out through the explosion. Though it wasn't the full version, which could deliver one hundred blows in an instant, Kaen had used a toned down version of the Wild Arts: Hundred Fangs to deliver over twenty attacks. There had been no reiatsu expenditure. To the others, one might have thought Kaen had used a kido of some kind, except for those with high enough Energy Sensory to realize that he hadn't used any reiatsu. This had been with nothing more than physical strike. In fact, had Kaen been facing anywhere except the wall leading to the outside, he might have been able to crush the entire facility with nothing more than a series of punches. Fragments of plumbing, wall, sink, shower... you name it, all scattered across the snow, and Kaen sprang out through it, landing in the snow, so swiftly that he had cleared the room before the water pressure even had time to burst out. After this act of wanton destruction, Kaen began to remove the hazmat suit, at a safe distance from the destroyed wall, and looked over the debris. Anything that might have been blocking the water pressure in the pipes or any appliances was outside now. The white snow made it fairly easy to spot where everything had landed. If the metal didn't outright show up on the snow, due to the contrasting colors, it at least left an indent that was easy to investigate. Kaen took a few moments to examine the debris for any evidence, before hearing Rin summon him. Hearing Rin call him, Kaen quickly gathered up any evidence, and then vanished in a blur of movement, returning to his Vice Captain's side.

"I'm so sorry to keep you waiting, Empress." He said to her. Rin commanded Kaen to take the helm and well.... Kaen would try. He was somewhat unfamiliar with Human World vehicles, but he'd driven one once! A rental car! Off a cliff. Into the sea. Well, no technically he'd missed the sea, and hit the rocks at the bottom of the cliff. Soul King be praised that Shinigami were made of tougher stuff than humans. Well at least this time there were no cliffs around. Right? "Not driven one of these before, but what the hell! Let's give it a try!" He said cheerfully as Rin sat beside him. As long as he could stick with his Vice Captain, Kaen was pretty happy about this mission. Kaen turned the key in the machine and heard the engine roar to life after a momentary stutter, due to the battery needing a moment to wake up. "....Now there's an important question to ask you before we start, my Empress." Kaen commented, over the engine. "We've got the biggest ride out of anyone here. So do I, or do I not aim for Wycliff?" He inquired of her, as he began to pull the vehicle out into the snow-- relying on the Empress for navigation. Then he overheard Aevus's response, and his eyes sharpened. "On second thought...." And he gunned the engine.

Well, while a snow plow couldn't have possibly hoped to keep up with a snow-mobile in speed, Kaen had somehow kept things dangerous. It seemed what he lacked in control, driving aptitude, safety and skill, he somehow made up for in speed, pushing the snow mobile far past what should have been its reasonable limits, and hurling the frozen water everywhere as he did so, like some kind of terrifying, barely directed avalanche, hot on Aevus's heels.

But the group did manage to finally make it to the caves, and Kaen emerged with Rin. When he heard her complain about the cold, he smiled at her. "Here. I got an extra one at the base." He offered as he slid off his outer coat.... Then removed the inner coat, to offer the inside one to Rin. The one that was not already covered in snow, and that had been suitably warmed up by Kaen's own body heat. "If you need an extra layer, Rin." Kaen offered, using the Vice Captain's name for once. Only because nobody else was in earshot, of course. Then Kaen pulled his original one back on. Sure, it was a lot colder now, but better the Empress have it than him! She was the lynchpin of the team afterall, and it was vital that she remain in top condition for anything that might come about. Kaen was not planning on letting harm come to Rin if he could do anything about it. The third seat then advanced towards the cave, noticing the chill strike him. It seemed even colder than before! "You're right that that's pretty cold." He agreed. Frick! I can't wait to start fighting so I can bust out Hachiryuu and get some damn HEAT going!"[/color] He growled out, burrowing into Rin's scarf a little bit more. "How about you Aevus? Are you and Lumina holding up okay?" He figured Rin would probably offer to keep Lumina warm by hugging the poor puppy at a moment's notice if she got half an opening.

[Wycliff]

As Wycliff watched as the others went to get the own vehicles he rubbed his hands together trying to warm them up some, with little effect given that the rubber of the hazmat suit didn't let him exchange heat so well. When all was said and done he simply drove off full speed towards where the cave was. At full speed he could feel the wind chill run against his body. The extra jacket he got as well as the hazmat suit offered very little in ways of protecting him against the wind sheer of him driving full speed in this weather. The only thing he could hear as he drove was the sound of the wind and the engine of his snowmobile.

Being confident in driving the vehicle he actually arrived before the rest of them, not too much sooner than the rest, but enough that he would be able to look around. He saw the abandoned snow plow, advancing towards it he noticed a few things, first that the snow had piled up around and on it, it had been here a while, the second was that the hood of the snow plow was clearly cold with the amount of snow on it. This thing had been here a while, not long enough to be eaten by the snow and cold, but enough to allow it to cool. “Fuck.... this ain't good, no way someone just walks away from this place.” Wycliff muttered to himself as he stepped away from the snow plow waiting for the others to arrive.

It didn't take long for them to get there and now that they were all here they could move onto the more interesting feature of this place. That cave that glowed green and acted as if it sucked in heat. His body felt the chill straight to his bone. The laughs of Chukudo echoed in his head followed by it speaking calmly. This is all too familiar isn't it, this cold, doesn't it remind you of the past. Of that night? Chukudo stopped speaking at the end of his question, but Wycliff knew what night his zan spirit spoke of, the night of his death. That had been the coldest he had ever been, the chill of the London air the last thing he felt before he slipped away from being alive.

Wycliff looked at the cave taking a step towards it, then slowly another one. The glowing green energy coming from deep inside. Before venturing more towards it he stepped back and towards the group having a sickening feeling about what awaited them inside. “Somethings wrong here, that glow it ain't natural, least it don't feel like it. What's more this place is colder than the base and the drive. Listen I ain't saying it's not safe, but I wouldn't go in there without a hazmat suit on. If inside is what I think it is, well it ain't good for the skin. I'm thinking that place is radioactive, so do we go forward or not?” That green glow reminded Wycliff way too much of nuclear material, if that was what was keeping this place lit like that, then the whole place could be radioactive. That was a chance he wasn't going to take with at least everyone agreeing they should enter.

[Ranth]

NEW POSTING ORDER: BOMEI -> RIN -> WYCLIFF -> KAEN

Aevus

Having forsaken the use of vehicles, Aevus and Luna would arrive a full twenty minutes ahead of Wycliff. Though the trade off for this speedy arrival was a kind of freezing numbness that spread through his body and made his teeth chatter and it would be a struggle to so much as wiggle his fingers and if he tried to form a first he could only laugh at his own impotence as he could barely have summoned the strength to crush a tomato in his grip thanks to the almost paralytic effect that the cold had upon his extremities. Even Luna would find that the longer they waited there, the worse the cold got and the weaker their bodies became.

After a minute, Aevus and Luna would both independently begin to develop an urge to escape from the cold by venturing into the glowing cavern. It wasn't something either of them would question as the moment they took a step towards the entrance, the unrelenting cold would lessen for the briefest of moments. The trouble was that after each step was taken, the momentary warmth would be followed by even greater cold and so they would inadvertently be forced to enter the cave... and they would be rewarded with a small measure of relief from the unnatural chill. Now out of sight from the snowy landscape outside, the path would transition from snow to solid rock and the path split into two- one path going slightly left and the other going slightly right, but both appearing completely identical to all of the combined senses of Aevus and Lumina.

Oddly enough, neither Aevus nor Luna would even think of turning back or waiting at the fork. Something was driving them onward like an instinct that could be neither questioned nor denied. Within seconds, they would choose the path that felt correct and off they would go, guided only be the omnipresent green light that seemed to have no source, but was somehow everywhere regardless. What neither of them would realise was that the moment they chose their path, that particular fork would vanish and leave only the unpicked path for anyone who came afterwards. Eventually, the pair would come to a perfectly square room measuring fifteen feet on all sides and no obvious way out. Behind them, the way they'd came in would seal and they would find that there were two levels on the other side of the room. Both levers were pointed up towards the ceiling and looked like they could be pulled towards the ground.

Above the lever on the left was an inscription in a completely foreign language accompanied by a diagram that consisted of a single horizontal line with four upside down triangles beneath it. The lever on the right possessed a similar inscription and a diagram that consisted of three swirls in a line an a single triangle above the center most swirl. No amount of force would enable Aevus to escape the room, so eventually they would have to accept that their only chance of finding a way out or forwards was tied to one or both of those levers.

Everyone Else

The destruction of the outpost would yield no hints or clues to Kaen- whatever had or had not been clogging the pipes hadn't been made of strong enough stuff to withstand such supernatural forces. With that out of the way, the faithful second in command would find himself behind the wheel of the vehicle with Rin sitting in the passenger seat. The journey would be uneventful and almost pleasant once Kaen discovered the air-con controls. Eventually however they would reach the point where vehicles could go no further and they would be forced to disembark- which meant leaving the warmth of the cabin and immersing themselves in the frigid winds outside.

They would find Wycliff, who would have just had time to finish his inspection of the immediate surroundings of the cave and report on his findings and observations. The single most important detail he would have to report though was the presence of two sets of tracks- one human and one animal which would have already been all but wiped away by the wind. It wouldn't take a genius to connect two sets of tracks with their now absent party members- Aevus and Lumina.

They would not feel the pull that Aevus and Lumina had, but the unrelenting cold would certainly make a joke of even the thickest, most insulated attire. Thus, their only practical choice would be to enter the cave and follow in the footsteps of their rogue party members- even if some of their party had to be dragged kicking and screaming. Just as Aevus had, they would find that snow gave way to rock and then a single path led them deeper into the cavern, with no sign that any other path's had ever existed. Eventually, they would reach a large chamber.

This chamber consisted of two levels with sealed doorways lining the walls of both (3 on each side for a total of 12 sealed archways) At the far end of the chamber there was an altar of sorts with flaming torches arranged around it. High above, there was what looked like another sealed gateway, but with no way to reach it readily apparent. The first thing any of them would notice upon entering the chamber was that the path they had come from sealed the moment the last member of their party entered the room. The second thing they noticed... was that many of their innate supernatural abilities were not working. Specifically, air ground and shunpo would not work and neither could they phase through solid objects like they normally could while within the human world. It was as though this place was starved of reishi, or rather... like something in this place was devouring it.

OOC: All techniques are currently being treated as being class 8 and all costs are doubled.

[☾ Aevus | Umbra ☽]

“Aevus... rushing ahead like that wasn’t very wise.” Lumina managed under a cold breath. She could see that the Shinigami was already shivering in his silence. That human coat didn’t help the man at all against the benumbing air. Aevus could barely move his fingers and his teeth nearly chattered as he caught his breath. "I'll be fine." It was clear that he wasn’t used to these temperatures but that wasn’t entirely it... Something was off about this place. The frigid air burned coldly against his skin. Even Lumina shivered as it brushed through her furs.

They both felt it. Like gravity, there was a strange pull to those caverns before them. But Aevus succumbed to it first. “Lets go.” Like clockwork Lumina followed after the Shinigami. As he entered Aevus would let out a sigh of relief as the cold temperatures seemed to settle. Coming upon the fork he would stop causing Lumina’s ears to perk. Of course this place is a maze, nothings ever easy... “Lumina, do you sense any difference between the two?” Aevus wouldn’t even glance towards his Spirit as she spoke. “No... I feel the same sense of unease coming from both paths. Aevus maybe we should wait-”

“They’ll just have to catch up." And like that Aevus began to take the left path, with his Spirit ever so hesitantly on his heels. Neither seemed to notice as the path behind them disappeared. Regardless there was no going back now. That eerie green glow seemed to cover the walls. But where was its source? Both Aevus’s and Lumina’s eyes would light up as they entered that strange room. Something was wrong. But before they could leave, the path behind them sealed shut. The wolf’s ears would flatten “A cage...” Aevus immediately reacted drawing his runic blade against the surface of the rock behind them.

It was no use. His Zanpakuto would bounce off the surface causing him to grunt in turn. “Dammit. I should have known that wouldn’t work...” Aevus swore under his breath as held forth his Zanpakuto with an aching hand. His blue eyes narrowed as he looked around himself. “Lumina stay close. I think this is a trap.” Lumina’s white ears would pivot. Her silver eyes sheltering across the room. "Feels more like a prison...” Four walls surrounded the two on all sides. There were no openings... At least not from what she could see nor sense. Aevus would sheath his Zanpakuto and next his eyes would narrow upon what was within that room. two levers and some strange inscription. Written in a language he could not read nor hope to understand.

It seemed pretty straight forward. Pull both levers right? But it couldn’t be that easy. After all nothings ever that easy. For all Aevus knew, pulling either of those levers could be a trap. Hell... he may even walked down the wrong path. Aevus would sigh leaning against a wall. Scanning that room for anything. Any seams, any cracks. But no... The two were sealed shut. It seemed their only choice was to try the levers. If the room was booby trapped, he had a few ideas on how to get out. Heh the beauty of having a release that allows you to escape tough situations like this.

“Lumina, pull that lever over there on my signal.” Lumina would give the Shinigami a strange look. “But what if it is a trap like you said?” Aevus would grin in turn. “You know as well as I, nobody can trap us for long.” And like that on whim Aevus would give the signal. Jumping up he would grab hold of the first lever. While In turn Lumina would take hold of the second with her jaws.

[Deleted]

As Rin traveled through the bitter cold alongside her companions, she took in the sights of the chamber. She smiled and shook her head at Kaen. “Thank you. I doubt it will make a difference. Keep yourself warm, ne~” At the mention of Aevus and Lumina, the Empress looked around and her expression turned into one of concern. “Where did they go?” The disappointment in her voice apparent as she was separated from the d— er.. wolf. She was robbed of having her fun and felt quite sour and pouty about it.

She looked around and up the tall stone stairs. This place looked extremely ominous. With the sconces lit up and the face etched in stone looming over them, Rin couldn’t help but raise and eyebrow. The decor here was utterly tacky and disgusting. How on earth was someone allowed to decorate this place in such a manner. It wasn’t even stylishly scary! It was just tasteless. Once she entered she heard the entrance slam shut and turned to look at it utterly annoyed.

“Hmph.” She folded her arms across her chest and rolled her eyes. “I suppose we’re meant to go in here. I’m sure that is where our missing men are.” She said dryly, clearly not enthused by this place whatsoever. Naturally, Rin didn’t like the looks of this place. She was taking in as much details as she could. The further she stepped in, Rin felt something gnawing at her viciously. She could Hiretsuna in her mind commenting about it and talking about how uncomfortable he felt.. Over and over and over! There was no chance of using air ground or shunpo and Rin already wanted to leave.

“I’m sure theres something utterly nauseating waiting for us. Let’s be quick, ne~” She nodded to both Kaen and Wycliff. “And we should tread carefully. We don’t know what lies ahead.” She said remembering her walkthrough a city covered in spider webs. The Empress remembered her little duel with a few overgrown wolf spiders and how she triggered them. It was often in big grandiose places like these with sealed chambers and the sort where hidden things lay in wait. Whether it was an enemy or something else she didn’t know.

She noticed the gateway far ahead and that was sealed and reaching it she knew would be a pain. Of course they couldn’t just get there easily. Were they meant to run through this place like chickens with their heads cut off? Not I, said the Empress. She will be doing no such thing. Rin was going to investigate as much as possible before taking another step forward.

[Wycliff]

It seemed that even though he had his own reluctance to going into the cave the other two were ready to go head first into the cave and with the lack of Aveus and his companion there. While all of them had been coming this way he had seen the two of them run ahead of the group so he was sure that they had gotten here before the rest of them. It seemed that based on them not being here that the two of them had gone inside of the cave. So it was settled before Wycliff could even get his own piece out about being careful going in.

He still didn't like the fact that they were going into the cave without knowing what was going on with the place. There was something off with everything that was going on. This whole area was unaturally cold. He could feel that the heat was being sucked out of the world around them. As his mind started to dwell on this he heard the soft chuckling of his zan echoing in the back of his mind. The cold is inviting, returning to where it belongs. Embrace it, or it will embrace you.

Those words haunted him as he followed both Kaen and Rin into the glowing green cave. He kept quiet as he walked behind them wondering what they would find inside of this place. It wasn't as if they had any clues as to what they were walking into or even what they were suppose to be looking for. He had a feeling that they were walking into the middle of a horror film and there was someone in the audience telling them to go back and not go in there.

Being the last one into the massive hall he felt the movement of the air from the door slamming shut behind him. "Well shit this place is given off some temple of doom vibes." The whole area was off and now the massive stone door behind them closed shut. This whole thing was wrong, this place looked like a temple out of a cheesy adventure movie and it was here in the middle of the arctic. Wyciff wanted to get a better look at the second row of doorways. As he tried to step up to try and examine the second row he found that he couldn't use air ground.

[Kaen Youji]

Kaen looked at the coat he had offered Rin and frowned slightly, but nodded. "I understand. But tell me if you change your mind." He told her. He seemed concerned for Rin's comfort and well being. At her question as to where Aevus and Lumina had gone, Kaen took a long sweeping look of the area. "Ah... only one place they could have gone, I suppose...." He murmured, looking at the cave up ahead. "Unless of course, they have no instincts whatsoever and somehow missed this." He added. "I'm sure Lumina is further in, Empress." He assured Rin, knowing already that Rin's focus and subsequent disappointment would be on the fluffy wolf, rather than Aevus himself. Wycliff joined up with them and Kaen now gave a curt nod of his head, as his gaze swept their surroundings. Cautious now. They were possibly marching into dangerous territory, and his gaze kept fading back to Rin. She might have noticed Kaen staring at her more than once or twice if she paid any mind to her third seat as they advanced through the stony halls, but Kaen wouldn't look away, aside for another survey of the area.

....He was not going to let anything happen to her. Not that he doubted her abilities-- he knew firsthand the Empress could handle herself, but after the last several months of his life, that had been a walking nihilistic pit, Kaen was not taking any chances today.

As Rin approached the stone steps, Kaen nodded. "I find it unlikely that if they had access to the maps, that they'd have somehow missed this. I don't know if we'll find them further in but we'll probably at least find... something." Kaen was serious now. His subordinates might be in here somewhere. Alive or dead. Shinigami he'd personally trained. Friends. ...Family, even. He would bring them home, one way or another. Or he would avenge them, if nothing else. Wycliff made a comment about the place giving off Temple of Doom vibes. He wasn't wrong. There was a strange pressure in here. His body shivered slightly, and he doubted it was from the cold this time. "Fukutaichou, I'll take the lead. Just in case there's any traps ahead. I'm confident in my speed, that I can get out of the way." He proposed to Rin, and moved to step ahead of the Empress as he scaled the stone stairs with her, only a step or two ahead, being sure not to stray far.

The sound of stone on stone emanated as their retreat was sealed. Kaen however... did not immediately react. Why would they need to retreat? They were going to push forward and crush this place. Find out what happened to the other shinigami and the workers, and then return home together. That was all. A simple thing, right? Well, only if you put it like that. Kaen walked forwards. "I can try to take a look at that upper one if you like, Empress." He mentioned. As well as being able to use Advanced Air ground, Kaen also had powerful legs. With 600 strength, leaping a considerable distance into the air should be doable. If need be. There were other things in the room that required investigation as well. After climbing the stairs, Kaen took a moment to sweep the room from a higher vantage point, paying particularly close attention to the altar. There had to be a clue in here somewhere... a hint on how to proceed. He doubted it was simply a matter of sheer brute force, after all.

[Ranth]

Aevus

Aevus and Lumina would find that the levers gave easily, as though centuries- if not longer- of disuse meant nothing to the inner mechanics that they were connected to. With a loud and definitive clunk, the levers locked into place and no amount of force that they could exert would reverse the move. For a moment, nothing happened within the room following the clunk, though a vague and distant rumbling could be felt through the walls and floor as cogs began to turn and ancient mechanisms churned to live for unknown purpose. Then a section of the wall to Aevus's left hand side slide away and a stone slab slid out to reveal a control panel of some kind. Upon this control panel were three buttons- one blue, one red and one green from left to right.

Before Aevus or Lumina could press any of the buttons, a flickering light emerged from the ceiling above and after several seconds of flickering, a projection of a room with three familiar looking people inside would come into view... and Aevus would immediately recognise them as Rin, Wycliff and Kaen all in various phases of exploration of the room.

everyone else

As the trio explored their new surroundings and came to terms with their new limitations, they wouldn't come across anything that hinted at the fate of those who had come before them. However, after only a few minutes the sound of grinding gears would shatter the relative silence of the room- seemingly emanating from behind the walls, floor and ceiling in a deafening cacophony of noise. Amidst all of the noise, it would be impossible to miss the sight of the enormous altar and the face carved into it began to exude a brilliant orange substance that trickled down the groove that led to the trough at bits base.

Judging from the sudden intense heat that filled the room the moment the orange substance appeared, it wouldn't take a genius to realise that the orange substance was molten lava and as it began to fill the trough, glowing words began to appear on either side of the stream which there had formerly been no sign of.

A trio of trials for a trio of trespassers
The first a maiden of light and shadow,
The second a man of fire and fist,
The third a man of powder snow

Hurry now and do not dawdle,
unless through lava you wish to waddle.
If you all wish to proceed,
then your treasures must be freed.

These words would flare brilliantly just long enough for each of the trio to read them before the heat in the room suddenly intensified and the trio would turn to find that the gargoyle statues that lined the upper platform had opened their mouths and they too had begun to spew forth a steady stream of lava that was beginning to pool on the floor of the lower section. At the same time, three doors on the upper platform slid open with the sound of grating rock. At the rate at which the lava was pouring into the chamber, they would only have a matter of minutes to clear their respective trials and return to the chamber in hopes of being able to proceed deeper into this strange and dangerous place.

Each individual would be drawn towards a different door, as though what lay beyond had been specially designed for one person and one person only. An instinct as powerful as breathing and as intimate as the voice of their own innermost thoughts would guide them over the threshold of each door, greeting them with a long dark passageway high enough for them to stand without fear of smacking their heads and wide enough that they could stretch their arms out by their sides and comfortably brush the walls with their hands.

The moment they stepped through their passages, the doors would slide shut behind them and total darkness would engulf them. Total, suffocating darkness and complete silence save for their own bodies surrounded them, but there was something else that filled the room... an air of anticipation. Then out of the darkness, each of them would each find something unique changed within their room.

For Kaen, the temperature in the passage would begin to increase.

For Rin: Something soft and fluffy would brush up against her leg.

For Wycliff: the temperature in the passage would begin to decrease.

[☾ Aevus | Umbra ☽]

Lumina’s wolven ears quivered as the ground and walls began to rumble around the two. Her silver gaze shifted to the Reaper awaiting his words. But Aevus was silent as ever. Like a habit he couldn’t kick, his left hand sought the handle of his Zanpakuto. Ready to release the weapon at a moments notice, his eyes would narrow upon a strange control panel. He was expecting some time of trap, but this? His eyes widened as he came face to face with a projection.

“It's strange... what do you think it is?" Lumina asked breaking the silence. But her question would be answered as three familiar faces appeared before the two. They were in a strange room surrounded by what appeared to be gargoyles spewing out lava. Which would have worried the Reaper if not for the three separate doors allowing for their escape. “So that’s where they are.” Aevus would sigh as he looked down at the control panel. He had no idea what any of those buttons would do if he pressed them. Each one a different color. Perhaps signifying something or maybe it meant nothing at all.

“Aevus?" So many various outcomes began to play out in the Shinigami’s mind. He was so affixed that he hadn’t even realized his Zanpakuto Spirit was calling out to him. Lumina would jump up to get a good look at the panel. As she did so her left paw had managed to press down against the green button. Causing Lumina to nearly lose her balance as the weight of her paw shifted beneath her. "Aevus?" She would peer up at Aevus, shifting her head as he stepped back in disbelief. “What is it?”

[Deleted]

“Temple of doom is correct..”

Her tone was as dry as ever. Rin carefully stepped through the room. She was sure there were traps about. If that door behind them could close just like that, who knows what else was waiting for them? Spikes? Minotaurs? Quicksand? Ugh. How she loathed such things. That bone chilling drop in temperature would suddenly dissipate and it would only grow increasingly warmer by the second. She’d see it instantly. That bright, fiery liquid slowly crawling its way down from the face of the altar. Her eyes narrowed at such a sight. “It seems that won’t be necessary.. This place is as tacky as it is deadly.. ” She practically growled at the sight of it, irritated as ever. Trapped in a room with lava well on its way to claim their lives if they decided on doing nothing.

There were words. Rin wouldn’t waste time reading it out. Rather, she’d hurriedly read what was meant for them. It was a test for all three of them. The Empress scoffed at the description. Was this not the second time someone had spelled out a prophecy for her? Everytime.. Hmph! First she was a Black Empress, then a White Empress. There were talks of a certain sheep adoring wizard and it was all very messy. Much happened then.. Though it was pointless to dwell on. If she didn’t act now, her and her comrades could die without even getting a head start in their investigation. That would be the true disappointment.

So she was the maiden of light and shadow. How nauseatingly fitting. “We’ve got a few tests to pass, ne~?” Rin eyed a specific door. One she couldn’t ignore as opposed to the rest. Being a woman who relied on her instinct many times before, she would trust it. “We should split up.” It wasn’t an idea she ever thought she’d come up with but the words just spilled out of her mouth. She placed her hand on Kaen’s shoulder and looked to both him and Wycliff, nodding reassuringly. “Good luck to you both.” With that, Rin walked off to the room she was most drawn to.

She was met with complete darkness. She closed her eyes in an attempt to help with her senses. They say when you close off one, the others get stronger. There was the silent padding of steps. The sound of them made her think they weren’t human. The lightest scraping of nails against the floor sold it to her. There was a creature in here. What kind, though? She’d opened her eyes, letting them get adjusted to the darkness. That was when she felt it. Tufts of fur barely reaching her finger tips as whatever it was was brushing up against her leg. Rin decided to remain perfectly still for the moment. The idea of it being some sort of dog did please her. A wolf like Lumina perhaps? It would probably be less friendly than she was. What needed freeing in here? What was it?

[Kaen Youji]

Things were getting warmer. Kaen visibly sighed in relief. As the temperature rose, he opened the front of his coat to allow himself to breathe a little-- though did not remove the scarf Rin had gifted him. Magma was pouring in. "Huh." A bemused response from the Squad 7 third seat, as he witnessed the glowing sigils appear in the form of letters. Kaen's eyes narrowed and he studied them. A maiden of light and shadow... that was obviously Rin. Fire and fist? A fitting description of Kaen himself. And powder snow? ....Wycliff and his strange ability. Then a rhyme. It was a simple enough rhyme to decipher. Magma would continue to flow out of this alter until it filled the room, unless they completed some task or another that was given to each of them. Straightforward as it came. If it came down to it, Kaen could always shield the ground from the magma if it was too high upon their return. Fire didn't often burn fire, and while his flames couldn't completely dissolve their heat, he could easily ferry people across on flame platforms if he had to. But there was something else. Something that frustrated Kaen. Three trials.... that probably meant--

The suspicion that had begun to grow in Kaen's mind was confirmed by the sound of stone doors grinding open. Three doors to be exact. They were going to be forced to split up. If you wish to proceed, Then your treasures must be freed. There was something to be liberated in his trial chamber then? Kaen felt something drawing him towards one of the passages, but it wouldn't be that easy. Kaen had an incredibly strong and tempered will. Something like this could be fought against. "That's my trial there it seems." Kaen noted. "I don't like the idea of splitting up, but..." Then he felt a light pressure on his shoulder and looked over to see the Empress at his side, showing him a reassuring nod, and wishing him luck. Kaen briefly reached up, placing his hand over hers, reassuringly as well. Then grinned at her. "Good luck to you as well. Though I'm disappointed I might be missing a chance to see your blade-work in action again." He started up alongside Rin as they approached the passage. "Well, I hope I won't keep you too long. I won't let you forget it if I finish my trial before you do~" He teased briefly, before disappearing into his trial tunnel. As he did, once he was beyond the sight of Rin and Wycliff's gaze, a look of concern crossed Kaen's face. Truthfully, while he had absolute confidence in Rin's abilities as well as his own, he didn't like splitting up. Strength in numbers, afterall. And there was something about this place.... Too specific. It was impossible that anyone could have prepared for their specific arrival on such short notice. It had only been a couple of hours.

But to prepare it this far in advance? How did they know? Or was this some kind of illusion? There were a lot of questions that were setting Kaen ill at ease, here. To be perfectly frank. Kaen hoped he'd be able to attack someone soon. Silly though it was, Kaen could lose himself in the thrill and joy of battle. Even at his lowest, testing his skill to the fullest brought a certain satisfaction. An intense focus that allowed him to forget his worries. Even at his lowest moment, during his fight with Yuri-- a losing battle, due to his own fatigue and injuries, Kaen had been able to alleviate his personal pain and worries. Battle... brought something out in the former Vice Captain. So. The sooner Kaen could punch someone in the face, the better. As Kaen strode down the passage, he felt the temperature growing again, forcing the Vice Captain to shed one of the coats he'd brought, dropping it along the cavern path, and removing the second one to tie around his waist. It seemed he didn't need it anymore. "A trial by fire?" Kaen asked as he broke into a light jog. "Well then. Bring it on! Show me what you've got, mysterious ruin!"

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

800 TP to participants.

No Ryo and no DM TP due to incompletion.