37 Red Twilight Demon of the Flowers chapter 37

Chapter 37 Siege part 1

Jessica uses her necromantic training to bandage Loki; there is nothing Jessica can do to give Loki her arm back. But Jessica can stop the bleeding and dress's Loki's wounds. Loki lays in a bed in Yt's room. Hetatsubachi leaves to find Krane, the Living Hive; it takes two days for Tatsu to return with Krane in hand.

The team gathers in Yt's bedroom: Loki, Jloose, Xia, Jessica, Yt, Ami, Vita, Krane, Hetatsubachi. Loki it seems is not likely to recover from her wounds. Yt looks to her lover Jloose "Ok, I think I am owed an explanation. Who are all of you and what is going on?"

Jloose looks side to side, "I think you know Xia already. She is a Skaven swordsman." She then points at Jessica the Weaver "Jessica is the Weaver of the kobolts of Graywall Keep." he points next to Krane "that horde of termites is Krane, they were a member of my mage guild. And lastly, he points out Loki, "and that is Loki, Loki is a menace, and generally unwanted in polite society."

Loki choughs and puts on a smile "now play nice Jloose, you found me as beautiful as everyone else."

Jloose turns to face Yt "she was banished from the cabal after using a sweeping enchantery to force fifteen members of the court to participate in an orgy."

Loki smiles and chuckles to the best of her ability "that was fun. Keyor wouldn't talk to me for months after that."

Jloose shoots his gaze back to Loki "that was why Cinder and I had you thrown out."

Loki tips her head back trying to stay relaxed "you should have just joined in. a merfolk like you could have a lot of fun with someone like me."

Jessica seems annoyed by Loki's shenanigans "shouldn't you be in an unimaginable amount of pain and unable to think with your reproductive parts?"

Loki whimpers lightly, still trying to hide her agony "personal incredulity aside, this is slightly more agonizing then childbirth."

Jloose looks up and down the rest of the team, "I don't think I know the rest of you?"

Hetatsubachi steps forth to clarify to Yt, he takes a bow, "Hetatsubachi Una," he waves off to one side "Vevavita Uni" then to the other "Ami…" he looks to Ami, "is that your full name?"

Loki adds on "the name I gave her was "Amaterasu-Omikami."

Ami speaks up "Skoll is the name my mother called me."

Jessica squints paying attention, her eyes narrow and ears lower. Jessica whispers "the wolf that eats the moon."

Hetatsubachi redirects the conversation "Jloose, I have been to the Steel Rose, Seeker is in control, Cilverant is nowhere to be seen."

Jloose rest his back to the wall sliding into a sitting position "he is asleep, I could wake him up if… Did you say you have been to the Steel Rose?" Tatsu nods. "I have been trying for weeks to teleport up there, but I keep getting blocked."

"I can get past the block," Tatsu explains.

Jloose looks around the room seemingly counting or looking for something hidden in the room. He snaps his fingers and points "Xia, you have the ring Cilverant gave you?" Xia nods "and Jessica, I see you are still wearing your necklace." Jessica confirms the statement "and Krane, your crown?"

Xia opens her eyes wide "you are going to reboot the Steel Rose computer system?"

Jloose enthusiastically "Seeker is acting like a virus, if we reboot the mainframe then the Steel Rose should be able to kick her out. Then so long as Cilverant's heart is undamaged, he should retake control. "

Xia wags her tail "and if Cilverant is hurt?"

Jloose points at Krane "the Krane can fix him."

The central bug that makes up Krane explains "I can't possess the living, every time I have tried I ended up killing them."

Xia folds her hands behind her back, she walks up and down the room, her head down "then hopefully this doesn't become an issue."

Hetatsubachi looks to Loki "Can you still fight?"

Loki shakes her head "I think I am going to have to sit this next one out."

Jloose takes charge "what do we each bring with us to the table?"

The leader of the bugs that are Krane is first to speak "I am a conjurer, I am immune to poison and acid, and I can manipulate dead flesh."

Xia picks up next "I have psyche-metabolic and limited gravitational manipulation."

Jloose dryly throws his training in the air "Invocation, mentalism, elementalism, and I have limited training in divination."

Jessica looks between them "my primary training was in alchemy, I also have done some studying in phonomancy, and most recently I have started studying clairsentience."

Jloose looks to the three wolves aside from Loki "how about you Hetatsubachi? What training do you and the wolves have?"

Hetatsubachi nods "I am a sorcerer of Dis, that says a good deal already. Spiritcraft was the first thing I studied, I am also a front-line invoker, technomancer, with secondary training in enchantery and elemintelism."

Ami comes in behind Tatsu "I have a fundamental understanding of alteration and prestidigitation."

Vita backs away shyly from the others. Jloose locks eyes with the youngest of the wolves "and you, young lady? What training do you bring with you?"

Vita turns her eyes upwards "my magic is wild at it's best. I have no training."

Jloose looks confused "A child of Loki with no training in the arcane arts? How old are you?"

Vita explains "I am 10 sessions old in Nimh years."

Loki clarifies "that is two years old in Neopan time, with something like a reminder of 90 so odd days."

Jloose looks confused. "I am not accustomed to having toddlers follow me into battle."

Vita barks "I am no toddler, I am a woman. In my homeland, I am a Buddha."

Hetatsubachi steps in between the merfolk and the angel wolf "Jloose, do you have an attack plan?"

The merfolk spell slinger nods his head as he turns his eyes to the sky. "I don't think you are going to like it." His eyes shut as he searches his mind for the answers to the puzzle "If Seeker is the beast she appears to be from the world I know her to be from then we will encounter the armies of her homeworld protecting her, she will also have the combined forces of Cilverant's army. We will need to break through them. In the courthouse, under the judge's podium, we will find a stairwell, more of a shaft really, one hundred eighty feet deep. At the bottom is the mainframe. We will need to cut power to it then unlock the hidden door under the court that leads into Cilverant's room. Make sure his heart is still there. After that." He freezes "we wait."

Tatsu grunts and lowers his head "I am at least 50% ok with this." Tatsu looks between the worriers that he will be following into battle. "how soon can you all be ready?"