Chapter 9.2 (21)

*clicking, whirring*

Golem: Pounder activated!

Ashe: You know what? I'm tempted to just heal you s-

Ashe: I'm tempted to just put you back together.

Markus flips around and grins stupidly at Ashe

The party all look up to notice nothing had changed.

Colfus: So you turned something on. Well if you guys are after-

Gregor: Nobody move.

Colfus: If you guys are after the, uh-if you guys are after the skull of Varyndir, uh. We- we have a similar goal. I'm an actual paladin, trying to get this thing. Trying to end all this madness.

Ashe: Interesting, well that's-

Gregor: So are we.

Ashe: -just about the size of things for us.

Colfus: Interesting.

With that said, Colfus takes a step forward, the-

Ashe: Why would you take a step forward?!

edge of the column explodes outwards revealing a sliding piston faced mechanism

Colfus: Oh boy.

Colfus takes a step back and uh, a gigantic arm flies from his backpack bracing the piston

Colfus: Well then, can't say I uh, Didn't expect that one.

Ashe glances in surprise at the arm emerging from his backpack

Alexander moves forward deactivating the panel as he passes and moves to explain the arm

Markus: Eh heh. I'm glad you're here to give us a *hand* Colfus.

[laughter]

Ashe shakes her head, deliberate for a moment, and then kneel down over Markus.

Gregor: [Gregor chortles]

Markus: Oh yeah.

Ashe pauses, considering against healing Marcus.

Markus: I was just kidding, please...make me bleed less.

Ashe: Yes, of course, bleed LESS. That's what I'll do. I'll make you bleed less.

Ashe glances at Alexander, Gregor, and Colfus.

Gregor: So, you've got...three arms.

Colfus: Oh no no, this one belongs to my golem. A little bit of an experiment I'm really interested in golems of the Silk Age, back before they crushed all their emotions and all that jazz.

Gregor pee~ks into his backpack.

It's a creepy mess of- it's a creepy mess of clay and what appears to be gears

Gregor: I'll just close that back up.

Colfus: Yeah I'm not exactly good at it yet and uh Well, she's not exactly...sane yet, but uh... It's closer. It's not emotionless. It's not worthless. No offense to you, um... golem guy.

Motions behind him.

Gregor: That's- that's Budy.

Colfus: Okay.

Markus: That's Rudy.

Colfus: Oh you gave it a name? I didn't think they liked names.

Markus: Two names!

Gregor: He doesn't have feelings don't worry, but we still love him.

Alexander: he is a nice gu-golem

While Markus has been speaking. Ashe mapped out the Some of the wounds on his back and Jam her fingers into all of them and a crackle runs through his body and he convulses violently. For perhaps a bit longer than is necessary.

*Crackling and various grunting sounds from Markus*

Gregor tries to ignore the absolutely disgusting sounds coming from Markus.

*squishy noises and Markus groaning*

Colfus: So yeah, you guys are actual paladins! Just like me, this is paladin stuff. I'm- I'm impressed.

Ashe withdraws her fingers as the flesh begins to knit itself back together.

Colfus: Cool. So let's uh, let's get through these traps They're pretty simple once you know the deal with them, you just don't hit the panel. That's the trick. You don't hit the panel.

Ashe: Yeah, of course you don't hit the panel.

Colfus: but watch out. I think Aftin's got this place watched. Some jerk slapped the panel when I was halfway through the dart trap last time, nearly killed me.

Markus: So which panel can we not hit? Colfus: You already hit the- you already hit the panel, Markus. If you hit the panel, we get- Well if you hit it again, it'll turn off. But uh,

Markus: Oh!

Colfus: How about you do that?

Markus takes a hand out of his satchel and slap it against the panel.

Golem: Pounder activated!

Alexander slaps the panel disabling it again

Colfus: Oh wow, you have a uh, a spare arm too.

Ashe narrows her eyes.

Markus: You know I do.

Markus: Men like us, Colfus. Men like us know what makes the world turn.

Colfus begins to walk.

Colfus: Ah yeah, see? Fine.

Markus follow closely in his footsteps.

Gregor: We're not getting pounded.

Colfus: That's nice.

Ashe bites her own lip and glances nervously about the room and treads forward.

Marcus begins examining how far this passage leads. Finding it to be a straight hallway all the way to the end

Markus: Ok.

Gregor: Well, now that we know the trick...

Gregor looks at Markus.

Ashe is eyeing Markus suspiciously.

Markus noticing the stares back away from the tablet.

Ashe: Alright, then let's go.

Gregor: Alright.

Markus: Now, just watch this be the one that you HAVE to activate to... not screw you up.

Ashe is glaring at Markus, making sure he goes first, so that he does not press the panel as she is in the room

Gregor and Markus look down the hole in the center of the room

Everyone present just crowd around it.

Colfus: Frankly, I'm just-

Colfus: Frankly, I'm just a little surprised that uh... nothing came out or anything.

Markus: Me too. Hello!

Markus echoes his "hello"

The hole is like, three feet deep.

Markus gazes wistfully at the stone that would activate this trap

Ashe block Marcus' gaze.

Ashe slides in, and blocks Marcus' gaze, she glaring at Marcus heavily.

Markus Noticing Ashe's intensely frowning face, turns back around and proceeds down the hallway.

*scattered laughter*