Rabite
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Post by Rabite on Feb 27, 2016 22:51:19 GMT -6
"From what he told me, James was interested in the subject for as long as he could remember. And he spends much of his time doing related studies too, a but too much if you ask me."
When Tamara attempts to sense any hint of mana, she'll notice the jerkies having a bit on them. The meat themselves did not release any mana, it's more of something with magical powers have made contact, or in this case took a bite from them.
As the two leave the house, they would notice some commotion coming from the entrance to the village. If Tamara decides to take a look then she would notice another jeep coming from the roads, stopping just out of the village. Several men gets out of the vehicle, dressed in noticeably different clothing than the villagers, in ones that are more suitable to operate in the area for a short amount of time rather than living in it. More importantly is that they seem to be armed, each of them with a rifle on a sling, and possible other equipment that are harder to spot at long range. They seem to be approaching the village, and unknown about their identities it might be better to stay out of their sight.
So the two now have a decision to make, they could quickly return to the elder's home, and risk being spotted. If they don't want to take that risk, hiding inside the house they currently at could be another choice, but would provide some risk to Dieter and Gedeon who might not have noticed their arrival.
"What should we do Ms. Tamara? If we rush back we might be able to warn the two gentlemen, but they're armed and could possible spot us, might be risky if they have any hostile intentions."
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"I saw they would be around... 1cm wide, and around half a finger deep. It seems to be a flesh wound, but according to some of the experts that had arrived to investigate, there are no hints of other materials that would be left behind if it is caused by regular matter."
This is a very, very strange thing, and definitely signs pointing towards magic or mythical beings. If it is caused by a weapon, it should leave traces of metal or other materials that makes up the weapon, but that material does not seem to exist. At least, if something does exist it is not something that is known by the general public.
"None of the victims could see any possible things that would have caused these wounds, no matter if it is day or night, they would suddenly feel sharp pains as the wounds appear. However some have mentioned they could feel a gust of wind, which could be the attacker or their method of attacking."
As for the last question, he gave them another photo, which seems to show a pair of yellowish green gems. The gems are round, and around the size of a palm.
"The history behind them were lost, but it was pass down to us by our ancestors. Although it does not seem to have any special uses, I would be very grateful if you were to return them to us. If it really was those group of people that stole them from us, it would be likely that you can find them in the ruins, as Mr. Salvator have suggested. However I would advise that you all be careful, they are armed and dangerous, I won't know what they might do if you get in their way."
He seem to have some experience with them in the past, and have suggested it might be better to try to keep out of their sight, rather than trying to take them down. Of course there is also the reason of not wanting to be dragged into a violent conflict, as the adventurer groups only came for a visit, the villagers are the ones that have to stay behind and deal with them if anything happens.
The part about a portal did not seem to draw much interest from the man, as he does not have the related knowledge to know what it is. But there's no mention of it in James' notes, an information that the two might get after the two parties regroup.
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Richter
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Post by Richter on Feb 27, 2016 23:15:25 GMT -6
Once again, Dieter was fast to write down the information for his own records. Depending on how things go in the ruins, they may or may not be back for awhile. Everything was definitely pointing to some kind of spiritual attack, or that was still his current hypothesis. It'd explain the lack of matter in the bodies of the victims, and the phenomena surrounding their appearances. Ephemeral entities were sometimes said to disrupt the local flows of energies upon arriving, sometimes taking the form of breezes or cold spots. Perhaps that was what they were looking at? It would be a very messy issue to solve if so.
"You've been a great help, thank you for taking the time to speak with us. I'll do everything I can to assist you while we're here. Hopefully we'll have something to report soon." Was said in closing. He returned the majority of the documents and photos and then shook Rashidi's hand a second time. For now he kept hold of the photo of the gems, but only so that he could show it to the other members of his group to aid in the search. Once they had all gotten a look at it this photo would be returned right away as well, likely after Tamara and Kate returned.
Having finished with that leg of the race, he decided to spitball ideas with Gedeon a bit. It did appear that these grave robbers were related. Even if not with the actual curse, it sounded very likely that they could run into one another on the adventure. "I think you're correct about the robbers, and those ruins. We should investigate them as soon as possible. Those being the doctor's last known place of visitation further makes them an important clue on our journey. If we're lucky he'll have left some notes in his things that can assist us in that, once the girls return."
By and large he wasn't very excited at the prospects of a battle. Of the four of them, he'd assume only two were actual career fighters. Tamara had skills but not the stamina to keep at her craft for long, and the other woman was a secretary. Hardly a profession one goes into when they have martial talent, but he'd been proven wrong about similar things before. The explorer patted his side to make sure that his pistol was still there, and then the other side for his knife. Both were still safely in position. Worst come to worst, he had some more in his belongings back in the wagon. Of course he had magic to augment these mundane tools as well, which may be helped or hindered by the local environment if numen here was heavy. It tended to be strong where spirits and the religious existed in number; though, that wasn't always a good thing for foreign practitioners.
It was the topic of magic itself that he addressed next after running that inventory. It was a bit early to try and chalk anything up to a single theory, particularly when evidence was scarce. So Dieter urged him to keep an open mind. "We can't be sure its a portal, recall that this world does have endemic magic and its own deities. To blame a portal out of hand would be a mistake, I think. We could be dealing with a wholly local phenomena. Keep both in mind."
In truth he wanted to ask Salvator about how his own magic was coming along, and if he brought any weaponry. But to do so in front of their host here might give the wrong idea. Even if he was following old beliefs, he may look down upon the idea that they themselves used magic. Arcanists tended to be distrusted even in their own societies, sometimes for good reason. As for weapons, asking a question like that could make it appear that they were intent on starting a fight. Which he would probably not like the idea of, they had enough trouble without drawing in mundane issues as well. So that question he held back and would ask when they were en route.
Instead he tossed out his own rough theory to Gedeon, that it was some kind of spirit, and as well showed him the picture of the heirlooms they were to be looking for. "It appears these are what was lost. They appear to be of an expert cut, so let us hope there aren't many like them to get confused with."
Mention of Set and Horus caught his attention as well. "Those gods are enemies, are they not? I don't think they'd be working in tandem, or anything associated with them. It would be tantamount to high treason, I would think. But admittedly, my focus on this area is at its strongest starting with the Ptolemaic Era. So by then, foreign influences may have skewed the traditional mythology. Still, it is worth considering one or both as the angry deity in question."
He went to the window and looked out to see where the women were while he spoke those last lines. So far there was no sight of them, but he did notice that once again the villagers seemed to be disturbed.
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Post by Pitman on Feb 28, 2016 1:05:17 GMT -6
Tamara soon felt it but it was only jerkie off to the side which she soon comments, "Unless James feeds magical beings jerky its was probably just him eating it."
She soon pondered as Kate soon finished what she was searching, then when suddenly both stopped and saw out of the window. Before them see could see from the distance. They were just outside and they didn't look too friendly.
"What should we do huh.", Tamara soon commented on as she looked around the room.
Noticing another window away from them she soon comments, "Exit stage left."
She soon went to the window and kicked it hard which broke at the force of her kick. She soon got up and took a look around then suddenly jumps out.
"All Clear, its best we hook up with them. If they are here for James things its best to get back to the others quickly.", Tamara stated as she soon would turn around to help Kate out of the window that is not towards the incoming men.
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"That is true, you did mention that before last time.", Gedeon replied to Dieter as they both moved back.
When hearing the rough theory Gedeon then adds, "So we got precious hem missing likely taken by these grave robbers and a curse that is hurting the village in a response. Its like what is that saying? Its another normal day at the office?"
When they were walking Gedeon began to notice the people around were acting differently suddenly. He began to turn his head around and even noticed neither of the girls were coming out, with enough time to as well.
"Weird.. why would they be distrubed suddenly?", Gedeon then mentioned as he noticed it as well to Dieter.
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Rabite
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Post by Rabite on Feb 28, 2016 2:07:39 GMT -6
"I don't think that's such a good idea... (crash) ...Ms. Ashborne."
If the men did not notice the two women before, they would now with a window kicked out of it's hinges. They might not be able to see them well but that doesn't mean they are deaf, Tamara's assault on the window created enough sound to get them to take a look at what's going on... and to encounter Tamara who just climbed up and was trying to help Kate do the same.
"Hands, air, together."
They spoke broken English, but judging from the guns being pointed towards them, the armed men wants them to have their hands where they could see them. If they did not have any intention to start something, they do now, and for a good reason when they see some foreigners seemingly break out from a local house. No matter how you see it it's not going to be something that looks legal.
The man's not alone either, there were four of them in total, each of them armed with an AR70/90 assault rifle. Staying several steps away from the two when they delivered their demands, not sure if the two girls have any weapons on them, or plans to resist. Either way this is not a good situation to be in, and the walls aren't going to be much protection if they start shooting... and Tamara's not even behind the wall!
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Rashidi lightly bows at Dieter, showing his thanks to the German for the assistant from him and his team. He also give them some general directions on where the ruin is, so they could head there themselves. When the two men gathers to pile their chips, Rashidi steps out for a moment when one of the villager comes to talk to him, seemingly in a rush. A few moments later he returns, looking a bit worried about something, and going up to the two.
"Mr. Gerhardt, Mr. Salvator, we seem to have a problem. A group of people from the grave digging group that I mentioned seems to have came to the village, it would be better if you and your team avoid them, but they seem to be heading towards where Professor Gransela was staying at. I'm not sure the reason why they have came this time, but it might be bring danger to your teammate, or to my people. Perhaps you would want to come with me to take a look?"
He's not armed, but he doesn't seem to be afraid with dealing with the new arrivals. It is not like he could run away either, he's already at home and he's got his villagers to protect. After hearing the two's answer, he heads out towards where the armed men and the two women are at right now.
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After the two have decide to do as they were told, Kate stood beside Tamara in front of the armed men, with their hands in the air. At least the men aren't as suspicious anymore, with only one of them pointing their rifles at them. They were discussing what they should do with the seemingly burglars caught in the act, if they should hand them over to the village, or something else.
One of them, goes over to see if the two are armed, but there's nothing of the sort. He did find Kate's wallet, and decides to pocket it, but the two aren't in any position to argue. He also treated Tamara like she's crazy, to be wearing something like this in the desert. He was checking out the two when Rashidi and his people comes alone.
"What is the meaning of this, why have you came today?"
The four armed men looks at the group strangely, but began to talk after a brief moment. They were speaking in Arabic, so Tamara, and Gedeon if he came along, would not be able to understand their conversations.
"I heard you sent those men over, been quite some problem... I told you we won't look kindly to any interference, do you want that man killed? None in this village would see the sunrise if we see any resistances, you hear me?"
"Certainly not, if we want any trouble we would have went straight to the government for help. These people are my guest, I demand that you leave them alone."
"Hm? These ladies here? Thought they were thieves when I saw them broken out from that house... ha, guess even the good leader want some women on the mat."
The leader, exchanged a few words with Rashidi, looks like they are here to give the village a warning. He grabs Kate by the chin to look at her a bit, but lets her go before anyone could voice their concerns.
"Hmph, lets go."
"Wait, leave what you took from the lady."
He gave an annoyed look before waving at the one that was doing the body search, who grudgingly returns the wallet. On the bright side, he got to grope the two a bit so he was not completely empty handed. The group then leaves without saying another word, and start to walk back towards their vehicles.
Kate, now freed from danger, sighs in relief. That was a quite dangerous situation, and could have resulted in death if it wasn't handled well. She thanked Rashidi before turning back towards Tamara, scolding her for taking the risk.
"Ms. Ashborne, please be more careful next time, we didn't know what those men would have done if no one came for us. We could have been kidnapped, killed, or both!"
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Richter
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Post by Richter on Feb 28, 2016 3:06:47 GMT -6
"A normal day for you, perhaps. For us, not so much. Though I will say that spirits are the most common form of supernatural activity on this dimension, almost everyone has a story or two regarding them, even if they dismiss them as an otherwise rational occurrence." Dieter explained. But Occam's Razor wasn't always the right answer, something to keep in mind.
They didn't get the chance to talk turkey for as long as he wanted, because it turned out that what they were seeing were the first signs of trouble. A deep frown crossed his face to hear Rashidi's news and concerns, but even so he agreed to go with him to see what the men wanted. Usually, he would have preferred to stay out of sight completely. That would give both sides plausible excuse to deny knowing one another in whatever they went on to do later. However, Dieter had the sinking feeling that the two girls had gotten themselves into trouble, and that he had better go with him to see what it was all about just in case.
This turned out to be a correct hunch.
It took a lot of effort, but he kept a neutral expression as he was lead into the village to find the four robbers holding Kate and Tamara hostage at gunpoint. He kept his arms down and away from his weaponry, making sure that he didn't do anything to imply that he was armed or hostile. He shot Gedeon a look to do the same, no sudden moves at a time like this. As well, he played dumb and pretended not to understand at all what the two groups were saying. No reason to give anyone more clues than they needed. It sounded pretty grim, but it was news, that's for sure.
Gerhardt watched them get back into their vehicles and go. Once they did, he uttered a few curses at their expense in German. "Disrespectful savages. They have no shame."
He went over to the girls and looked them over to make sure that they were alright. They appeared to be, but he asked to be certain. "I trust those swine didn't harm either of you? A small blessing."
Once sure of that he called all of them together and translated what he had been told.
"Apparently they're holding a man hostage and are threatening to kill him, and aren't being very kind towards the village just to make matters more dire. Evidently, they've also had trouble from other men poking around their business. I'm guessing those would turn out to be the people that Mr. Rashidi sent to escort James. I think that those ruins are precisely where we want to go. I would guess that they're camped somewhere nearby and continuing to excavate, or otherwise remove and transport, artifacts." The explorer speculated.
"I want to stress how much this situation has just escalated. Not only do they now know that even more foreigners are in the area, but they also know that we are associated with this village, and we had to have them cover for us. Whatever we do is now going to directly fall upon these people's heads, though I would guess they'd have attacked it anyway at some point in the future. We'll need to be more careful from now on." He looked at Tamara specifically. "No more rash acting without due cause for it."
To think that she was a warrior. He had raw recruits from the slums of Buenos Aires with more common sense...
"I'd like to thank you for covering for us, it was a risk you didn't need to take. It seems inevitable we'll come into conflict with that group. I understood your conversation, you see. I can guess who it is that they're holding hostage. I presume that the men they were shaking you down over, were the ones you sent to escort him as well. As was said, we'll see what we can do for them." Dieter again said to the wiseman. Unfortunate that they were getting even more trouble at a time like this. Whatever the case, he turned back to the group and motioned for them to follow him to their jeep.
"Did any of you bring weaponry this time, or will I once again be providing it?" He asked. The suitcase this time was bigger but just as heavily locked as the last one. He dropped it onto the hood and flipped it open. Without the need to bypass scanners there was more room inside. There were a couple of Walther pistols, commonly used in this part of the world, and some kind of rifle. The longarm was in pieces so it would fit, but he quickly began assembling it. While doing so, he commented: "You know, at first I didn't like this gun. I thought it would be a liability in battle and waste of resources outside of it. Yet, overtime, I came to realize that I was wrong, and that it's a marvelous piece of engineering."
It was an Stg 44. Strangely, this gun and its ammo were also still in use in this area. So it wouldn't be as out of place as one might think. Also amongst the guns was ammo for them and his spear, which he fit back into its holster on his backpack. He tucked the long arm between the driver's seat and the front passenger one. Also out of the case he pulled an old Wehrmacht style y-strap belt/bandolier that he fit over his tunic and quickly began to slot magazines into. He kept the cap. At the end of it he looked startling like someone from the Brush Wars, or perhaps the African front of WW I or II. Once done he'd hand out a pistol to anyone who needed one, and then close and stow the case again.
"Gentleman and ladies, it is my recommendation that we go and deal with those robbers. I wholly suspect that they have information we need, if not regarding the curse and heirlooms, than of James himself. I think we should wait until nighttime and head to their location. As was said, we can't afford to take risks. Cover of night and stealth will help to even the odds, as I suspect there are more than four of them. Ideally we'll be able to take a few alive to interrogate, but I get the feeling they won't play nice." Dieter announced. If the group was against it he'd relent, but overall this seemed like it was the right way to go. If nothing else, it'd be doing this village a service. Gerhardt was the type of person who valued these half-forgotten ancient traditions, and dedicated his life as well to help preserve them. That was why he knew the magic he did, why he had the spear, and why he originally joined the group he know lead. So he wasn't above fighting them just for that, though normally he wouldn't be taking the risk of acting immediately. Time was of the essence for them, however.
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Supposing no one else opposed or had a significant counterpoint, he'd have them wait until it got dark and then head to the ruins under cover of darkness. With the lack of city lights, they should be able to navigate by moon and stars. He'd keep their own light discipline extremely strict, as in having none on, and drive slow as to not kick up dust or make too much noise. Whenever possible he'd keep cover between the vehicle and the ruins once they had caught sight of them. If all went well he'd stop a long ways off and scope it out with binoculars so they could get an idea of what they were up against before making a plan on the more tactical level.
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Post by Pitman on Feb 28, 2016 3:44:55 GMT -6
When Tamara turned around to see the men with rifles she soon raises her hand in surrender muttering, "Crap"
When they were done and began to pat them the first thought that came into her mind was to kill all of them on the stop. Slowly she began to chant a spell to use the sand and wind to capture these men but suddenly stopped when Rashidi arrived with Gedeon in toll, she felt violated when they were patting her down. Well one thing for sure that was the worst thing they could do, especially when you piss off Tamara you do not want to be on the end of it.
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Gedeon soon heard about the commotion followed Rashidi toward where it was and when he saw what was going on he was ready to move. Inside he began to chant a spell to give speed of lightning to his feet and attack the men. But suddenly being stopped by Dieter, he paused to let this played out. Regardless we recorded their faces into his mind and took every detail even from the gear they were using. When it was done and they were slowly begin to leave, Gedeon soon noticed Tamara walk up and shouts, "I know you may not understand me, but know this!! By tomorrow morning you will never see the light of day ever again! That is the price you get for touching!!"
Gedeon almost stopped at what Tamara was saying then adds, "Great.... when she gets like this its best not to be on the other side. Especially now with her magic back."
Gedeon began to remember her outbursts before which usually included knives and other things being thrown. Now with her magic back a bad mood Tamara was the worst kind of Tamara.
"Oh do not worry Kate, not scared at all they were nothing more then push overs with fancy guns. Take those away and their nothing but punks that need to be put in their place. I seen worse and they would mop the floor with them within seconds.", Tamara replied to Kate which suddenly Gedeon walking up to her and smacking the back of her head.
"GAH!! That hurt!!", Tamara screamed out which she soon adds, "Why you do that Gedeon."
Gedeon was not in the mood especially when he was in charge of protecting her, if she just stopped being an bratty idiot he would stand her more.
"Next time, when you threaten someone you threaten them when your about to kill them within the same time you say it.", Gedeon soon taught Tamara who soon replies, "Ah so that is how it is done. Alright next time when threaten beat the crap out of them. Got it."
Gedeon then turned to Dieter who gave his own input on what to do. The way to deal with these grave robbers before anything else worse happens was a good idea.
"That is a sound plan, if it was with more we could raid them fully but due to we got an assistant, and a bratty idiot here. It would be best to plan this out completely.", Gedeon soon replied and Tamara was getting angry at Gedeon for calling her bratty.
With that in mind Gedeon would drag Tamara back to the Jeep as he got her back pack out from her end of the jeep.
"Gedeon why did you not beat those men for... for touching me?!", Tamara soon raged as he opened it up to take out some cylinders and an interesting mechanism.
Gedeon continued to take out things and replies,"You do realize what your wearing it's just asking for it right?"
A hard slap hit Gedeon ash Tamara screams,"Not the point!! Didn't you promise to protect me!! Gah nevermind!"
Tamara soon stormed off away from Gedeon then sat down to fume as nothing else to do.
"Teenagers... seriously she doesn't understand why issues? What she wears always a distraction especially for me.", Gedeon muttered to himself.
Soon after an hour of preparing items Gedeon soon held a large stick with an large enclosed end on one side. He began to practice with it, using what he remembered what his master taught him as the basics to see if the weapon was fully held together right and balanced.
"Alright this feels good now let's see if the device works well.", Gedeon mentioned as he pressed a hidden switch on the pole.
Suddenly the top opened to reveal a sharp blade that came out like a T shape. It was in fact a spear which worked well. Once done Gedeon went to the bag again to take out a large short sword hidden as a cane. Going to Tamara he soon says, "Here you will need this."
Tamara accepted the weapon but was still pissed at Gedeon for whatever reason. Gedeon began to take out multiple knives and a belt for them all over. Finally he took out what seemed to be a hand gun as he put it in the holster on his leg. A new addition since he came here, he finally began to coordinate fire arms with hid usual gear. Once ready Gedeon went to Dieter to check up on the plan.
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When night fall came as they were on the road Gedeon was sitting next to Tamara who looked at the night sky.
"Dieter after you scout we can get close without wearing about making noise. I know of a way to get there quickly. Though it may make you a bit woozy for a moment when we do.", Gedeon mentioned quietly as they drove closer.
"Since when did you manage to regain lighting step?", Tamara asked lowly.
Gedeon put his hand on his chin then replies,"That last job for the bakery? I did scare the shit out of that guy."
Tamara soon turned back to the sky as they slightly moved. If the plan worked thst Dieter gave them all would end out well. At least they hoped it would.
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Rabite
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Post by Rabite on Feb 28, 2016 14:54:57 GMT -6
Kate watches the interaction between Gedeon and Tamara and chuckles, Gedeon didn't voice much of it, but he certain was worried about the girl. Tamara might be somewhat reckless, but she had good intention in mind, so Kate didn't say anything more about that. However what she heard during the conversation makes her wonder how is James doing right now, if it's been days since he's out there he might be lacking supplies, so even if he's alive he might not be doing too well. Wanting to find the professor as soon as possible, she agrees with the plan, even if it might be dangerous to deal with those armed groups.
Rashidi did not say anything about Tamara, but nods at Dieter in response.
"It was my duty, I can't have any guests fall victim to them."
He and the villagers with him then return to their home, leaving the group to collaborate on their own, so they would not be around when Dieter drops the suitcase of weapons.
"Oh? That's the famed spear of destiny that James had mentioned? I have read the report that he wrote, and it seemed quite interesting... a shame that no one believed it though."
After their adventure last time James was able to take a closer look at the relic, and write a short report about it. However neither he or the publishers seems satisfied at the writing, so it ended up being on the bookshelf in his office.
After grabbing one of the Walthers, Kate seems to have remembered something, that there are a few stuffs in their vehicle that they could use. Leading the team back to the Kubelwagen, she unlocks the trunk where a lays. Giving some of her keys a few tries, she was about the find the right one and unlocks it, revealing a taken apart Tikka T3. Hunting is not an uncommon sport in certain areas, and it's legal to carry such firearms provided you have a permit. However Kate seems to have the knowledge and experience in handling a firearm, and was able to quickly snap it together. There also a package of ammunition being stored with the vehicle tools, along with some accessories for everyone like holsters and slings to keep their weapons in. Kate steps aside for a moment, when she returns later the handgun seems to be gone, stored somewhere on her.
They rested a bit until nightfall, before departing from the village with Rashidi seeing them off, waving at the Quartet and wishing them good luck.
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The ruin wasn't too far away from the village, but they would be unable to go directly to it, not with the groups of armed men around. The group might want to stop a distance away and walk the rest of the road to avoid attention, otherwise the noise of their vehicle would certain be heard by the guards and possibly be shot at. The armed men seems to have setted up a large camp around what seems to be the entrance to the ruins, with watch towers on all four directions, two guards on each to keep watch for intruders. Spotlights are placed on these towers to help the guards on their duties, but it doesn't seem like they have any binoculars so they won't be able to spot things too far away.
The camp itself is surrounded by fences, doesn't seem to be attached to any power sources so it's just a regular metal fence, but it'll still be able to keep intruders long enough for guards to notice if you attempt to climb through them. They are, however, not too solid, being placed on sand and not done by professions. So if they really want to do it their vehicle is good enough to run through it without any problem from the fence itself.
Just by visuals they can see around 16 guards, with three squad of twos patrolling the area, two on each watch tower, and two more standing guard by the ruins. They seem slightly alerted, possibly because of the warning they received earlier by the team that went to the village. There's not much light in the camp, mostly focused around the ruins. The camp itself have several barrels setted up for lighting, and are placed here and there with no one to tend to them, so most of the are seems quite dark.
They could do it by force, and risk dealing with all of these armed men and more. There are several construction vehicles in the area, which suggests there are actually more than they could see, so fighting would certainly not be all that simple. Another choice is to find a way to sneak in without anyone noticing, while the last could be luring some of them out and deal with them in smaller numbers.
If none of those choices seems possible, they could always retreat and try this again after more preparations. However they should keep in mind about the condition of their rescue targets, and how the grave digging group might respond in according to their actions.
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Richter
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Post by Richter on Feb 29, 2016 2:42:12 GMT -6
By the time they started to see the camp on the horizon, they hid the car behind some broken terrain and proceeded the rest of the way on foot, after taking a road flare from the wagon's emergency kit. The deserts weren't as flat as people would think, the wind could create high dunes and deep valleys between them that could provide excellent cover. This was what made tank fights here in the last century so tricky, many of them were just the right size to hide everything below the turret and make return fire difficult. Dieter also kept the group into these gulches as they approached, occasionally sneaking peeks as they went to make sure that they hadn't drawn attention.
Eventually he draws up onto the top of a particular tall dune that overlooks the camp from some distance away. A sweep with his binoculars uncovers all of the aforementioned information on the camp and the guards, but he keeps watching for a little while longer after that. In addition to trying to figure out if all of them were armed, and how well, the spear bearer was trying to memorize the routes being taken by the patrols. Once satisfied, he slides back down the far side to rejoin the group at the foot of the sandy slope.
"I count 16 men at least scattered around the camp. Armed. Probably more we can't see, either asleep or on patrol on the far side of the area. It is decently well lit. The camp entirely surrounds the ruin entrance, which is protected by fences and manned guard posts." Dieter relayed. He offered the binoculars to anyone else who wanted to get a look for themselves, on the stipulation they keep prone while looking.
"If we sought to rush the ruins we'd surely be spotted and surrounded, even if not, we'd be trapped in there. Dealing with them is probably the most efficient solution. Even if we could slip by unnoticed, supposing the doctor or anyone else is wounded, it would be much harder to carry them out unseen. All of that, again, supposing that he's in the ruins and not somewhere in the camp. Too many variables." Gerhardt said, crossing off the wholly stealth approach. At least in his mind. "I would suggest that we lure out and neutralize the patrols first, if all goes well, that will cut their numbers by one third. Then we can deal with the rest."
A backwards jerk of the thumb towards the hill worked to begin his next point. "I would like Miss Casimir and Tamara to remain on this hill. It is the best vantage point in the area that we can safely get to. It should make a good sniping perch with your rifle, and I'm sure Tamara can work out something to do from here. But note, we need precision striking, not carpet bombing. So to speak." In other words, he warned her not to do anything dumb such as blow up the entire camp like she threatened. They still didn't know what was in there and if it would be important. "Gedeon and I can use this lightning step he talked about to blitz their defenses with your cover later on, if all goes as planned. Supposing we don't get the chance to regroup, take that plan as the default. We'll signal you if we need the big guns at any point, so to speak."
Gerhardt drew a rough map of the camp in the sand and traced the patrol routes of the three squads into the loose soil, using circles to indicate the men and arrows their routes.
"We could probably creep into position and ambush them as they go by. I think it might be better to lure them to us, however. Recall those wisp scrolls the doctor gave us, I think they would make fine lures. Just bright enough and small enough to be seen by the patrol we wish to lure, but not by everyone in the camp. Normally I would be afraid they would consider them will-o-wisps from lore and avoid them, but I would think grave robberies to be very atheistic. Ideally they will take the bait. In any case, Gedeon, stealth is important, and so is taking them alive. We need at least one. I trust you can work within these parameters?" In addition to giving the group the first phase of the plan and outlining what everyone would be doing, he once again set the objectives. It was a big desert out here, if they could get rid of the mobile element, being cooped up in that camp would actually detriment everyone left over.
The camp was small and much brighter than the desert. They roughly knew were quite a few robbers are, but they had a wide area to disperse along for hit-and-fade strikes. If it came to that and the jig was up before they could stop the patrols and attack the camp directly. Tamara and Kate didn't have to help with the initial segment unless anything went wrong, which meant they could keep an eye out for any surprises. In his mind, it was the best way to handle things for the moment.
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Once they're in agreement the two groups split up, with the men keeping low and moving to intercept the route of the outer most patrol. Crawling commando style if they have to, but in general they attempt to remain in some kind of concealed position. Once there, Dieter would read the glowing words on the scroll he had brought with them. Doing so caused the writing to flash for a second before the paper itself burnt up in whitish fire, this flame eventually becoming the wisp to be summoned. It goes without saying he did this behind a dune so that its summoning wouldn't be immediately noticed.
With a handful of whispered words he had it poke itself up out of concealed a dozen or so meters behind them, bobbing up and down from behind mounds of sand. It kept its light as dim as possible. The hope was that its torch-like appearance would draw several of them this way, with Dieter and Gedeon waiting on the backslope of a hill to ambush them once they had crossed by. A decent plan in theory, they would see how it went in practice. In addition to his gun he also took the tire iron from the kubelwagon and brought that along as a more wieldy bludgeoning weapon. A good shot from that ought to knock a man out cold.
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Post by Pitman on Feb 29, 2016 20:03:16 GMT -6
As Gedeon and Tamara got off the vehicle they both stayed silent as Dieter began to scout from his position as they waited. Both would be sitting on the sand waiting for the time to move. When Dieter finally arrived back Gedeon took the binoculars as he moved silently into same position Dieter did earlier as he looked off to the distance. He too saw the same thing but also noticed the various points to hide if they had to. Once he memorized the positions of everything he crawled back down and hands the binoculars back.
"Seems manageable.", Gedeon soon whispers as he soon confirms Dieter's findings.
"Sounds like a solid plan, What should be the signal when you need help?", Tamara soon whispered to them.
When she soon hears of precision striking and not carpet bombing Tamara soon exclaims, "But can I do it afterwards?"
Which got a slap to the head by Gedeon as she asked that question. For a moment Gedeon thought on what kind of signal, then he soon adds, "Hrmm I guess I can make a signal with magic if we need your help from a distance. Just listen to what Dieter stated, precision not blowing the away the camp like a raging dragon."
Of course Gedeon could use a fire ball or some type of magic to make them notice if it came to it.
Tamara understood with a heavy heart replies, "Alright, alright... I won't blow away the camp into hell fire. I will kill those fuckers who touched me though. Ahem I mean uhh don't worry about Kate!! We will cover your asses if shit hits the fan! Hahahaha..."
With that done both of them turned to the next part with the map, when Dieter explain the patrols and a way to lure them toward it. Gedeon listened intently then adds, "Good idea, we will start with your Dieter and see if it works. I can get us into the position instantly so not to worry, unless they have a way to track magic which I doubt is the possibility it should look like a normal fire to them."
When hearing of the parameters Gedeon soon states, "Easy enough I will just stun one and kill the rest. I can do it now lets get this show on the road."
With that done Gedeon soon moved into position as Tamara went into hers crouching down. Looking around he soon moved along with Dieter staying low and cover to not be seen as they moved into the spot Dieter went he soon saw him take out a roll of paper which had the spell summoning spell as he activated it. As the summon completed he moved promptly with Dieter into a hidden position as he brought his spear ready and began to concentrate on it. He began to give a small bit of mana into the spear, which now was ready and primed to use any type of magic he waited with Dieter to see if anyone catches the bait.
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Rabite
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Post by Rabite on Feb 29, 2016 22:37:13 GMT -6
Kate nods, accepting her supporting role and taking a better position in case she has to shoot. However she's not too sure how loud it might get if she needs to carry out the sniping, nor is she sure on how many enemies might there be. Either way Dieter is the more experienced commander, so it's better for her to just follow orders anyways.
"I don't think attacking directly is a good idea, if there's more of them inside the ruins then it'll definitely alert them, and it'll make it much more difficult for us to carry out the rescue mission. Not only that, it might draw unwanted attention, such as the villagers or even the Egyptian Army. We might not be close to a city, but that doesn't mean we could be safe to assume no one is watching. Ms. Ashborne you can keep watch for me, in case I need to use this."
She lays on the sand to keep herself close to the ground, as low as possible to reduces chances of detection. Sand's getting all over her clothes, which makes her winced at what the sand might do to her skin.
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The two patrol guards that are secretly being watched comes into the area, they walk side by side, with slight distance between each other to reduce the chances of being taken out at the same time. They watch the surroundings carefully, covering for each others blind spots. The assault rifles in their arms shines when they pass moonlight, ready to gun down intruders that appears in their sight.
When the Wisp come into their sight, they look around to see if there are anymore suspicious happenings, after that they report their sighting back to the camp. It didn't stir up any trouble yet, but if the two ends up disabled or dead and unable to send another call after a few minutes, it may alert the camp and make it more difficult to keep themselves hidden. After that is done, they slowly walk towards the light that is generated by the wisp, so that they could identify where the light came from.
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Richter
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Post by Richter on Feb 29, 2016 23:02:53 GMT -6
The ambushers watched as the patrol report back to base. No one else came out to go looking with them, which was a mixed blessing. Even so they only had a small window to work within now. Ideally, if everything went well, they could get rid of them and the other teams before they would realize what was going on. The good news was, that by watching where they went, Dieter had an idea of where their command staff was. What he didn't know was how organized or well trained they were, but it was still something to go off of. A place to strike for later.
Emphasis on later.
For now they continued to wait while the patrol came their way. The wisp continued to move and hang back, luring them in and past where the two men were lying in wait. It remained far enough back that they couldn't get a good ID of where it was without walking by Dieter and Gedeon, so that they couldn't just stop out of range and ruin the entire ambush. The German was careful to note their gear while they moved around, noting that they were also armed with automatics. That'd make things tricky if it went south. On the plus side, they weren't very useful in a melee, with their long barrels.
Gerhardt remained on his stomach, inching his way up to crest the dune his stomach was pressed to like a snake. As was said, he was on one side of the route with Gedeon on the other, with the soldiers ideally moving down the middle of both. Fortunately, being he was wearing tan, he blended in relatively well against the ground. He didn't know about his comrade, but it was better than nothing. The living flame continued to bob and weave in an attempt to catch the eye and attention, making sure to keep its course erratic so it didn't appear that it was trying to back away or purposefully distract. Once the group were in good position, Dieter locked eyes with Gedeon and made two motions. The first was a lip-zipping motion, to remind him that they were to do this quietly. As in, they had to be quiet, and keep the enemies from making any noise or calling for help. The latter was harder, but he hoped that Salvator could figure it out. Being a trained knight, surely stealth was part of the regimen? The second gesture was a nod of the head, to signal that it was time to go. It was all in god's hands now.
The explorer pushed himself first onto his hands and knees, tensing his body the way a football players would right before the whistle was blown. Body in a crouch with all of the muscles tensed and ready to go, the stronger leg in front of the other and bent at the knee. It was here that he began, launching into a lunging dive with that leg, assisting it with his arms as he moved into, what was essentially, another maneuver from that sport; a tackle. He'd aim to land atop the closest grave robber's back and force him to the ground. Ideally this would knock the wind from him and stun for a moment. In that time, Dieter would bring his tire iron around and press the bar against his throat, beginning to choke him. Dieter pushed both elbows into his shoulders to force his body forward and tighter against the tool to apply more pressure to the neck and make him pass out faster. The goal was to knock him out rather than kill him, but if it came down to it, he'd do whatever he had to in the course of preventing any noise or escape. Finally, he wrapped his legs around the prone man and rolled him over onto his side. Basically, this meant he was using him as a human shield incase his friend would want to shoot. If all went well Gedeon would follow suit and incapacitate his own man so that wouldn't happen, but they'd have to see. In a best case situation it may also disorientate the victim and stall for a few more seconds before he could start to react, which would hopefully be in panic. But again, that would depend on how well trained they were.
Since Dieter was taking one alive it also freed up Gedeon to kill the other, if he so chose. Gerhardt still wasn't sure where his skills lied, but being that his main weapon for the moment was a spear, it might be easier to just cup his mouth and then cut the throat with a knife. That assuming he was smart enough to have brought one as a backup weapon, the way that the adventurer here had from the get-go. After all, a lance was much harder to use in a brawl than the German's solid steel club was. Maybe his mafia friends had taught him how this kind of thing should play out? At any rate the mage would have to decide for himself, they couldn't well communicate while this was going on.
While this was going on the wisp ducked back out of sight so anyone looking this way wouldn't catch sight of the melee. While it was unlikely the light would go that far, something might gleam, and it wasn't a risk worth taking.
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Post by Pitman on Mar 1, 2016 2:17:00 GMT -6
Tamara soon nodded bakc at Kate as she crawled up and kept slow with the binoculars in tow. Looking around she would give Kate all positions in a whisper if they saw anything. To add more comfort she put a dark blanket below so her and kate wouldn't get sand on them as much. After all dusty sand would be quite irritating for women who were not used to this desert. Once done she would stay silent as she watched Gedeon and Dieter do their job mean while looking if anyone else noticed.
"Come on guys, you better be quick about it.", Tamara whispered to herself as she saw.
Meanwhile with Gedeon as he kept low waiting for the guards he saw them arrive just like Dieter's plan. Through the waiting he was silently chanting without saying the word out loud but with his mouth.
'By the speed of the sky and the power of the storm. Give me strength to move thy self faster then the wind of the gods.', was for the lightning step.
'By the Light of the body to give thy power, Into the speed of light and towards a cut of the darkness, Give thy power under you oh great power of the sky, Pass through the darkness and give your light to all.', stated a shorten version of his lightning spell that itself was being injected into his spear for his quick attack.
As he was ready he watched at the men's gear and looked at Dieter's signal to move, at the right moment Dieter Striked first as he soon would capture the man on his end. This left Gedeon with the easier option to do next. Even if the man noticed his partner is being attacked it would be too late like a breeze Gedeon would instantly land right behind the man he was to target. Within that instantly Gedeon moved his speed in a slashing motion so quick with the man wouldn't have notice his head would be suddenly pierced and electricity would suddenly shock him to death. A technique not of Gedeon's own but one he was thought that was a signature move of his master Ven Avenor. It was called Spark Death, to move one spear when using lightning step and adding lighting into the spear one could slash not only cut limbs off but also suddenly shock the person and destroy their sense as they would feel numb at the sudden loss. In fact it would be so sudden the man wouldn't even feel his death, as it would be both painless and suddenly the last thing he would be able to see would realize his own head falling to the ground. It all depended on the man Dieter had captured, if he resists or simply just surrender. After all he would see his own partner's head on the ground and the sudden of it would make anyone just surrender on the stop. Not to mention the lighting from the wisp itself would make Gedeon look like a demon or a monster as just appeared before him as blood of the partner would be all over the bladed part of the spear. As well his own eyes were the color of red to add the atmosphere for good measure, making it truly intimidating.
Tamara continued to watch as she saw what Gedeon did and soon looked away, for a moment knowing what Gedeon could do if he had a true weapon on him. After all she saw how Gedeon killed all those attackers with ease and with such ruthlessness. Small wonder of the rumors she heard about him before she met him. The rumor that the Spear of the God Slayer's appearance was far more ruthless and dangerous then the mentor himself. Now seeing it fully herself she never seen Gedeon act this way before almost another person entirely on how efficient he was at killing someone when he was not acting like his goofy self. Like a switch, this Gedeon simply kills without any sort of emotional response and mercy.
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Rabite
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Post by Rabite on Mar 1, 2016 19:12:33 GMT -6
Their plan managed to carry out just as they hoped, the one that Gedeon attacked died without making a sound, however the one with Dieter took a bit more effort. The man struggled, trying to get loose or be able to defend himself, however his positioning makes it difficult to effectively do either. Eventually his strength weakens, and was choked into unconsciousness by the tire iron.
After some interrogation, they are able to get a bit of information from the guard, however as the man was not exactly a high ranking officer the information is not very in depth. From the man the team now knows they had started with around 90 men, being quite a large group. However their numbers have been dropping since the night after they have setted up camp around the ruins, and have now dropped to 60 or so. When asked about the prisoners kept, he could not provide a good answer, not knowing where it is or if they had prisoners at all.
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Although they had carried out the attack with decent speed, it still took them some time, and a team of six men had came to take a look. Not getting a confirmation from their fellow patrol groups, they expected enemies to be hidden somewhere, and are trying to search for the team. If they don't move fast then it might not take long before they would be discovered. Some of them have flashlights attached to their assault rifles, making it easier for them to look around at night, without the need of carrying another one.
However, this does help lured out some of the guards from the base, so if they want an opportunity to sneak in, now would be a decent time assuming they could deal with the guards on the towers.
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Richter
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Post by Richter on Mar 1, 2016 20:03:25 GMT -6
Their cunning ambush went off without too much of a hitch, which was excellent news. Yet, it only opened up more problems. 60 men. That was quite a number. A shift in tactics was necessarily. Once they were done questioning the man, Dieter tied him up with his belt and stashed him and his dead friend in different places to keep suspicions down. Ideally, Gedeon hid the other body to save time. Once done, he linked back up with him to relay the change in plans.
"We need to change tactics, I think. 20-some men, perhaps, we could have dealt with. 60, will take another approach. So here is my plan: We gather the group and use your lightning step to evade the patrols and guard towers, jumping the fence and hiding amongst the camp's tents. From there we can approach the ruin entrance and, perhaps, slip in behind the guards from above, or neutralize them and take them in with us. That seems to be the best idea, unless you have other plans?"
Supposing he didn't, they'd move back to the rest of the group on their vantage point and explain the plan. While it might be handy to leave the girls back here to act as distractions and provide assistance if they needed to break back out later, it would be risky. They could get caught and they wouldn't know until it was too late, or other things. It also was extremely ungentlemanly, call him old world if you will. So instead they'd be moving as a group, easier to operate that way. They may also have talents the party will end up to need in the ruins, Tamara's magic was impressive despite its wielder's lack of self control. Once again he outlined the camp now that they had gotten a closer look at it, and detailed where the tents were. With so many men on hand originally, they had to provide a lot of space for them all to sleep and keep their things. From a distance it appeared like a good place to hide, with plenty of shadows and unlit areas for safety purposes. They just had to get in there to do that.
This was, of course, where Gedeon and his magic came in. Gerhardt just had to hope that he could pull it through for them...
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If no one else had another viewpoint, then once again, they'd move onto carrying out the plan laid out by the explorer. Gedeon's spell was phase one. If it had a certain range they'd evade the 6-man hunter team and close in to wherever the needed to be before casting. If it didn't, and it wouldn't strain him too much more, they'd just use the flash step to move the entire way and avoid as much time wasting as could be possible. They would come around at a curving angle to avoid the spotlights of both towers and approach from the side with the most tents on it. So that as soon as they jumped the fence, they could drop straight down into cover and hide. Salvator said the spell made them move as fast as lightning, which should be faster than the eye could track. Dieter had practically missed him when he attacked the soldier a few moments earlier, so that did seem to be the truth of the matter. However, that was no reason to tempt fate. With only two men per guard post, 4 in total on their side, it could be hoped they weren't perfectly coordinated. Once they had an opening in their line of sights, which he'd use the binoculars to check for, the signal was given to move on with entering the camp.
The moment the spell went off they would run across the ground, between the two searchlights, with the men leading. They'd boost the girls up and over the fence first, so they could get to the other side of it without risking getting their hands or feet caught in the chain links. Next, Dieter would cup his hands to give Gedeon a boost up to the top. From there, the knight would reach down and pull Dieter up, and then both would hop off on the inside and join the women in cover. The important part to underline here in doing this was that they were aiming to avoid the metallic rattling that would come from actually climbing the fence conventionally, because they'd be going straight up to the top without having to deal with footholds, which would essentially amount to kicking the barricade each step of the way. If possible, they'd do this as close to a fence post as possible to further reduce any noise.
According to the mage, while under the effects of this spell, the user still had perfect coordination. That is to say, they didn't appear to be going as fast as they were. So this athletic coordination shouldn't be too difficult, at least for the men who would be doing most of the work. Doubtlessly, they had done similar before. Once they were on the other side and in cover, they'd wait and make sure that they hadn't been seen, watching for lights and listening for voices. If none came, or if they did once passed, then Dieter would start to scope out the area and try to plan out a route that'd lead them towards the ruins entrance. Since it was dug into the side of a hill, ideally, they could get on the far side of the hill and drop down into it. or that was the idea for now.
If trouble did come their way, in the form of a patrol or sentry, the spear bearer would lead them under the flap of a nearby tent. Any occupants, sleeping or otherwise, would be neutralized in melee and hidden under their bedding. In a worst case scenario, it was a good fallback. If everything was going as planned, though, it was a risk not worth taking. Better to stay in the impromptu alleys between the textile shelters.
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Post by Pitman on Mar 2, 2016 2:00:47 GMT -6
Gedeon completed his attack and his result was exactly as he wanted. The headless body soon fell to the ground without much a sound as Gedeon caught it and lowered it slowly. Turning now he noticed Dieter having an issue with the other but would soon knock him out. Once the interrogation occur it began to occur to Gedeon that just how many they had to deal with was far more then they could handle. If was back at home and with a full squadron of Mage Knights then maybe the 60 wouldn't pose a threat. Though in that world they didn't have automatic weaponry which itself was quite deadly to make anyone a soldier by just pulling the trigger. Gedeon would soon quickly hid the body and put sand over it to give it cover as well cover the blood as best he could. As he turned he followed Dieter back with the group which he began to reveal his plan. If Gedeon uses his lightning Step with the others, he could get them to the camp itself very quickly. The only issue of course is doing it without miscalculating and not been seen.
"Ya I can get us there the only issue will be the timing. One off and we will end up in a very wrong spot.", Gedeon turned to the girls and he soon adds, "By the way I am sorry if I touch somewhere not suppose to, I will be hold on to both of you well Dieter will get on my back. As long your in contact with my body you can come with me."
Meaning as long you hold tight and don't let go your fine. As they got into position, Gedeon began to observe the search lights and position's on where they went. After seeing the pattern Gedeon grabbed Tamara and Kate by the waist and had Dieter hug his back.
"We only got one shot at this, please don't throw up. WHen I activate the magic all of you got to simply keep touching me as I guide us.", Gedeon then mentioned as began his full chant in a whisper.
Unlike before this was the skill at full power with the extra baggage he needed it to be able to do so. Once completely Gedeon soon pushed off, the others would notice the sudden movement like they never felt. Gedeon's electricity over his body would cover all of them as he would use this as a group formation. Moving quickly to the naked eye it would look like nothing but a small gust of wind so subtle most wouldn't notice it. He soon looked around and timed everything as he moved forward, he would guide the others as they moved in unison. In his mind he counted, and was fully focused on this task, one mess up and the entire situation would be dire. It was a challenge but not unmanageable as they moved and suddenly arrive at the darkened fence as he lead them there, not as advance as teleportation but advance enough for a small group to move. He soon quickly turns to Tamara as he and Dieter quickly boosted her over the fence and then the same with Kate. Once done, Gedeon would help Dieter first over the fence then finally Gedeon would inject mana into his legs and do a high jump over the fence then safely lands on other side. Looking around he moved into the shadow with his spear in hand and silent wait to hear if anyone noticed. If so he would hide with the others in a tent to avoid being seen.
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