[three_fourth]
Dandd rubs his face in frustration.
Rain is on his ass, trying to backpedal away from the highly agitated guild.
Lalandra, screaming: WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE IT IS?!
Rain backs into a tree and is quickly surrounded by menacing glares.
Lalandra: WELL?!
Rain: well…I…uh…
Lalandra, venom practically dripping from her mouth: OUT WITH IT!
Rain: I never left Paradise City.
Balreth: Ever?
Rain: No! I was charged with protecting the Temple of the Black Pearl.
Quickly, a guild full of skeptical faces glare at Rain.
Rain: Seriously! The Temple of the Black Pearl is underneath the Stairway to Heaven, where Crysania and I fought.
Gwen perks up: Wait, you left when you caught wind of the Black No. 1 .
Rain: That is true, but I just followed the aura of Grenth to Quinhalla, then I Followed Crysania back to Paradise City. She moved so slowly through the city, it gave me just enough time to get back to the temple entrance.
She caught me at the door.
Angel storms off in frustration.
Nyx is the only one having fun, playing keep away with Georgia’s raptor bone.
Jora sighed: all this happened at night too.
After a brief pause, eyes shifted to Spike.
Jora: “Dear,” YOU found Paradise City.
Spike panics.
Jora takes a step towards Spike.
Spike: Well…you know…Rock Candies…and Rain is clumsy, and noisy, and then…more Rock Candies…umm…a blank spot…then following Crysania’s battle cries. She doesn’t fight silently you know.
Jora attempts to smack Spike on the side of the head, when he instinctively blocks and punches her in the solar plexus.
As Jora gasps for air, Spike shrieks and runs off.
Dandd places a hand on Jora’s now-accessible shoulder: You got to be careful with that level of advanced crazy. Try not to kill him when he comes back.
Jora nods, turns, and kicks Rain.
Rain yelps and wonders aloud why HE got kicked.
At that time, a lone henchman finds Dandd.
Henchman 1: My Lord, MASH is complete.
Balreth winces.
Lalandra: MASH?
Dandd: Yep, the Mission Active Search Hub. We need shelter.
Balreth giggles.
Angel: Wait a minute, you and Nyx said you moved everything under Code ALF.
Dandd nods: We got everything out of Quinhalla, but once the Henchmen were clear with the Wiki, I came back to Quinhalla to help clean up. I left them in charge to build MASH.
Lalandra: You left HENCHMEN in charge of WIKI AND building?
Dandd nods again: These henchmen are the Keepers, they have a Massive Effect on the day-to-day and post-event maintenance of Quinhalla. Crysania calls them Hoolequindustries, or HQI for short.
Lalandra and Balreth, in stereo: The KEEPERS had a MASSive EFFECT?
Dandd, innocently: Yeah…
Nyx throws Georgia’s bone: and I didn’t get to bring the full menagerie forward. I got to release everyone, and all but Georgia fled after the explosion hit. I WOULD HAVE done more, had SOMEONE not brought the fight TO ME.
Janie isn’t even fully repaired.
Balreth kicks at the grass nervously: At least you get to find and Charm everyone again…
Nyx glares at Balreth.
Balreth looks to Angel for backup, who is also glaring at him.
Angel: I don’t know why you’re looking at me, YOU caused Crysania’s Tower to fall on me.
Balreth kicks at the grass nervously again.
Rain, attempting humor: I blame Lalandra. If she wasn’t so cute…
Lalandra grabbed her Hammer and swung with all she had.
Rain, easily, jumped out of the way.
The force of the swing caused Lalandra to pivot on her feet and hit Jora square in the chest, knocking the wind out of her again.
Dandd quickly stepped in: Shall we retire to MASH for now? It’s been a stressful day for everyone.
The lines between friend and foe are a bit blurry, but everyone follows Dandd.
They walk over a few hills to a decent plateau where a large camp has been set up.
Balreth scans the terrain: Not Bad. Maybe we’ll build a Quinhalla II here.
Dandd: Sure, Guild Leader.
Balreth shakes his head and walks quickly towards MASH.
As they approach camp, an arrow is released from a guard tower. It goes right through Dandd and impacts the ground.
Rain: Dandd!!!
Dandd turns around and grins: I’m a walking equipment list, boy, that arrow never had a chance.
Rain didn’t understand, but was glad Dandd was ok.
Balreth was pleased with the shoot-first mentality.
A HQI Henchmen met them at the gate.
Henchman 1: Sir, let me show you around.
As the tour was given, everyone from Quinhalla had a basic space to try to press on – training new henchmen and preparing Search Parties the best they could. They even found Bip – sitting silently in front of the clinic.
Seeing the gaze, Henchman 1 piped in: He hasn’t said a word since we recovered his body from the Quinhalla Chapel Ruins.
Henchman 1: …and this is the Swamp.
Angel: Swamp?
Henchman 1: Yes. Sleeping Quarters for Balreth, Dandd, Spike, and Rain.
Lalandra: What about us?
Henchman 1: I dare not pick that out for you…
The men nod with the wisdom of the statement.
Just then there was a male voice coming from the Swamp.
Dandd walked over and peaked through the cracks in the cloth, and laughed.
They pulled back a tent flap to see Spike tweaking a series of tubes and other oddities into one contraption.
Jora stepped in to confront Spike when instead he thrust a vial of clear liquid at her.
Jora: Just-
Spike: DRINK
Jora: Now-
Spike: DRINK!
Jora, just to shut him up, drank the contents of the vial. Moments later she was trying to hide the burning sensation and the tears. She ‘excused’ herself while everyone else bit their lips.
Spike: Some scouts gave me some sketches of things they’ve seen in the area. You might want to take a look.
[reference video]
Dandd: Ok everyone, let’s get some rest for now. The Henchman are on constant guard. We’ll figure out more of this stuff tomorrow.
As everyone disperses: Lalandra, Nyx and Georgia agree to share the vacant tent near the Swamp and Angel chooses the quiet Tent near the corner Guard Tower.
As everyone walks away, they can hear Rain gasp loudly: IT BURNS!!! /gasp /choke /wheeze
Jora approaches the outside of the tent, where Spike rests and whispers: I’m glad you came back.
Spike grins: Oh, Brickhouse – Nothing Compares 2 U.
It was at that moment that Dandd realized that the times had truly changed…
[/three_fourth]
[one_fourth_last]
Episode 35
30 Nov 2010
Notes: Balreth as the next guild leader? anyone? First introduction of 90’s music into the history.
References: Guns and Roses, Pirates of the Caribbean, Led Zeppelin, Type O Negative, MASH, ALF, Mass Effect, D&D, Sinead O’Connor (Nothing Compares 2 U)
[/one_fourth_last]