Wolf Pack Terminator.

 There's still the weapons to do, the reikland flesh wash on the brass, another wraith bone highlight on the beard and the fenris grey highlight on the armour itself.

The old Necromunda Vann Sarr I've had for a long while now, the original plan had been to use this guy as my ordo Chronos Inqusitior, but I think I'll just keep him in the retinue and have a look for an proper Inqusitior rather than just proxy one.

The other seven have had the Fang base coat and the crimson wash, I like to paint arms off so I can get everywhere.

Plan A is reikland Flesh wash on heads and beards in the morning. 

All the weapons base coated with iron warrior, will try the sepia wash for a more rusted look, which is probably not how a Khorne Berzerker would do something so yes no, nuln oil. 

TLDR you can't shed as much blood with a rusty weapon 

Part 15 C

 Yes it's been a while since the last part.

#rainbowsparklepowerfriends 

We'd move every few weeks to avoid too much trouble. During one of the skips I heard this singing, " she held up her hand, "from the back of a travelling merchant's wagon. We hitched a ride with them to the market in the next town. I gave them a memory that left them totally out of it for a few hours, I grabbed the stone and we both ran out of town. We went back along the route he'd come on until we found a jewelry maker. I apprenticed with him, cleaning and doing small bits of work on the hand. I talked him into getting some iron and used some iron and gold.

I smelted the iron with some hair like the Vikings used to make it into steel, those childhood trips to Yorvik came in really handy, as did Angel's brother's role play books. I forget which one it was but there's a thing that has iron, silver and gold alloy." She held up her sapphire hand, "from the back of a travelling merchant. We hitched a ride on his wagon, to the market in the next town. I gave them a memory that left them totally out of it for a few hours, I grabbed the stone and we both ran out of town, travelling back along the route he'd been travelling until we found a jewelry maker. I apprenticed with him, cleaning and doing small bits of work on the hand. I talked him into getting some iron, I used some of that, smelting, with some hair like the Vikings used to make it into steel. Those childhood trips to Yorvik came in really handy, as did Angel's brother's role play books. I forget which one it was but there's a thing that has iron, silver and gold alloy, so I borrowed that idea. Using the steel and my half remembered anatomy lessons I got him to fashion an arm, he inlayed the silver and gold and as he did that I put any and every shaving from the sapphire into the recesses. It worked and I had a functional arm and hand, over time we've refined it and it's as good as I remember my hand being. I've had others here ask about it and blagged them with the iron, silver and gold alloy story and the magic it brings. I've even had to make copies, there's spares of everything, just in case something went wrong. At first I thought it was luck but now I know it's the energy that flows through it that's kept it from breaking all these years." Morven looked back the way they'd come, the road had shifted to more an east west with a few small changes in direction with the overall heading being westwards. The trail of trampled grass they were following clear enough for anyone to see where they'd been. They didn't see anything more than the trail all that day.

The next morning the crows were back, one of them bouncing about the camp and sticking it's beak in everything, when it saw Morven it started cawing "treinta grados! treinta gradostreinta gradostreinta grados!"

"Is that how many we're chasing?" She asked it, the crow bounced once, "And this is how many Vencejo told you she'd seen?" It bounced once again.

"37 sounds manageable." Beatrice grumbled.

"Hang on a second, if this is a shadow of the 180D road, it's 2 lanes, the trees in the middle and 2 lanes going the other way. " Emilio said looking at the trees,"Has anyone looked to see if the other lane is there?" The English and Americans hadn't even thought to, and the locals with them weren't actually that local, they hadn't thought to push through the scrub.

"Jesus you haven't taken your drone above the tree line?" Claire asked.

"err no, I was flying down the lane not up."

 Beatrice pushed through the trees, "Oh shit. We might have a problem. There's a trampled path over here and it's wider than the one we've been following, we could be facing about 100 of them."

The party looked worried, Claire looked around at everyone, "We'll be fine. Hand Morven a pistol."

Michael drew his side arm and handed it over to Morven who looked at it, flicked the safety off and drew the slide back to chamber a round, "Now what?" Morven asked.

"Shoot me, in the chest. Just let me stand with my back to the trees. " Claire said moving away from the group and standing with her back to the trees.

"You sure about this?" Morven asked.

Claire nodded, "In the chest preferably."

"Because a sucking chest wound here is going to be better than a head wound?" Morven asked, looking concerned.

"It'll be fine, we don't have anything that get through this armour."

Morven turned and walked back a few paces turned and looked at Claire, then walked back several more. "Back up everyone." she repeated herself in Seelie. When everyone had backed up Morven stood side on and aimed the pistol at Claire, "You sure about this?"

"Positive, just get it over with and shoot me." Morven let out a breath and pulled the trigger, the pistol cracked loudly. Everyone was focused on Claire and saw the lightning arc over the armour from the impact point. The bullet slid down and landed on the floor, Claire let out a big breath. "So glad that worked. Right there's an example the weapons we're going to be facing can't hurt us, so the odds don't matter." Beatrice muttered something to Morven and Morven looked at her and replied in Seelie, the pirates in the group looked horrified by what they'd said to each other.

Araceli spoke up, "That's not an expression I like the look of. What are they saying?"

Morven looked concerned, "Well that might not be 100% accurate. In 18 years we've faced a few warlords that have had what they call demon weapons. They seem to work in similar way to your weapons. How many was it again?"

 She asked Beatrice, who held up 4 fingers, "4 of them." she replied.

Morven did the maths, "So roughly 1 every 4 years. So rare."

Beatrice coughed, "And the other thing?" She asked.

"Okay yes, the other thing. As we're facing cultists there is a chance we we could be facing some that have been, for want of a better word blessed by the gods. We faced more of those than the weapons but it's still less than 12 in 18 years but as we are facing the remaining survivors of several murder sex cults there is a chance that a few of these guys will have been... blessed."

"Murder sex cult?" Someone asked.

Morven nodded, "That pretty much sums it yes." She answered.

"They'd made musical instruments out of several sacrifices." Beatrice said.

"Willing sacrifices too, " One of the pirates added and Morven translated for the horrified real worlders,"and don't forget the orgy."

"There isn't enough alcohol to forget that." Morven replied after she'd translated. The party carried on until they reached a large break in the trees with plenty of new breaks on the trees, these breaks came from the other lane and went off into the forest. A quick look at the other lane showed the party on that side had all followed the group on this side of the division into the trees as both crushed grass trail ended abruptly.

"Jesus can you send the drone down there, please?" Michael asked, looking into the trail.

"How far?" Jesus asked.

"As far as you can, an advanced guard will follow, reach the drone and the following party can catch up. When we reach the first sign of them we form up and send the drone up to get an over view and form a plan.

They skipped the drone into the trees several times before the trail broke out above a sink hole, Jesus brought the drone back as soon as he saw the water on the screen, he hadn't spotted any posted guards in the brief view he'd had. He called Owens over and showed him the screen. The forward group waited for the trailing group to join them and they all moved closer to the sink hole.

Jesus flew the drone up and over the shadow of Chitchinitza, they spotted a few groups of cultist, not looking particularly interested in their surroundings scattered around the ceremonial way, but importantly for the attackers not looking remotely co-ordinated.

"Right we'll spilt into 3 groups,"Col Owens started, looking at Morven who started to translate for him,"the locals will cover and guard the path to the sink hole, one group goes west and attacks from behind the temple, the other fire team heads east and strikes from the pillars, our aim is to drive them back to the pyramid. They've already been beaten once they might not have much fight left in them. Team 1 will be 2 Knights of Sol Arwen, 2 Knights Jaguar and Claire, the other team will be the same again with Morven and," he paused and looked up at Beatrice,"I'd like it very much if you could stay with the pirate group and translate for us?" He asked her. He reached into a bag and pulled out the radios and handed them around, they'd only brought 10 sets with them, so Morven went without one so Beatrice was in the loop, it took some effort to get the ear piece to fit into her bovine ear but she understood how to use the radio well enough after she'd had it explained to her. "We transmit when we are in position, and good luck." Everyone slinked off into the trees in their respective directions.

Morven saw the stone pillars come into view through the trees, they circled around them until the long pyramid was on their right and quietly made their way to line of pillars that they knew was in front of them. They reached a wall and could hear a regular clanging as of someone striking stone with metal. The 5 of them looked at the wall that was taller than each of them, scouting along it they found a hole that had been made in the wall with what looked like a shadow of a path running into the trees behind them and around the wall, Araceli went up to the gap in the wall and glanced around, spotting 2 guards doing sword drill on what in the real world was a priceless artifact. She wasn't able to see anyone else from her position. She switched sides and looked in the other direction but couldn't see anyone through the pillars, see motioned for the group to join her at the wall. Araceli mimed what she'd seen.

"The radio picks up whispers, that's the advantage of a throat mike." One of the Knights of Sol Arwen, Thomas Hill, broadcast.

"First time," Araceli replied over the radio she looked around the group, Morven in her leather and mail with a number of weapons, Emilo Ruiz in his gold armour and daggers that arced with energy, Hill carried a shield and a spear and the last member, Nahim, wore the silver armour that the knights of Sol Arwen used with a sword and shield. Her own Dacian Falx, a long cured sword with a 2 handed curved hilt wasn't the best weapon for this area. She pointed at Emilio and Morven and motioned over the wall.

Emilio smiled under his helmet,"Are you suggesting we go over the wall and take these 2 out?" He asked on the radio.

"Yes." She replied, the helmet hiding her blushing as she's forgotten the radio again.

"East team in position." Hill radioed, they waited for the west team to reach their position and roughed out a plan between the 5 of them. Morven and Emilio would go over the wall once they've taken the guards out the others would go through the gap in the wall and then use the cover of the pillars to see what was happening in the clear area in front of the pyramid and form phase 2 of the plan.

"West team in position" Owens radioed. Emilio tapped Morven on her shoulder and boosted her up the wall, once on top she held her arm out and helped him up and the pair waited, dropping down when they heard a clang so it would hide the noise they made.

"East Team engaged." Emilio radioed, then threw one of his daggers just as the guard bent down, the dagger hit the pillar behind him. It looked around at the noise, muttering the local version of "what the hell?" And saw the dagger, it's eyes widened in shock and it stepped towards the dagger and reached to pull it out and through it back, as it's fingers brushed against the handle it tensed up painful as electricity arced from the dagger through the creature and into the ground. Emilio tugged on a teather that only he could see and was pulled towards his blade, body slamming the stunned watch creature, Morven had dispatched the other guard and wiped her knife clean on it's clothes, they spotted the others advancing in close order through the pillars and moved to join them. There were some more trees between them and the open area they moved into them listening hard, a boom sounded from the other side of the open area followed by a fawoosh and several cracks of gun fire from the tree line nearest the sink hole. They ran through the copse of trees and burst out onto the open ground, the temple of Kukulcan on their left. Several groups of cultist in front of them where looking at the west end of the plaza and the trees on one side and now the 5 of them. Some drew weapons, some threw themselves on the ground. Of those standing most rushed towards the 5 of them, some headed to the trees and a few ran towards the long pyramid, either fleeing or to use it as an anchor for a defensive position. Araceli took a half step back and held the sword behind her resting on her leg, both hands on the heft. As the first few cultist were a few feet from her she brought the sword up and swung it around a circle, her leg out to counter balance her as she lent back and the sword flashed over her body, and golden wave was generated by the sword and hit them in the stomach doubling them up. Nahim hit them with a blast from his sword, convulsing them on the floor with chain lightning. Emilio hit one with a thrown knife and pulled himself towards it, a second knife in hand he rammed into him electricity arcing to earth around them, he pulled both knifes out and threw one at his next target.

 Hill advanced behind his shield, spear blast after spear blast taking targets down in quick succession. Morven was a a constantly moving auban blur, her sapphire hand and a different weapon in her other hand for every kill. Soon the only cultist left alive were already face down or had fled to the pyramid. Beatrice and some of the pirates emerged from the trees as more cultist fell back from the west side of the field, some threw down their weapons seeing the 2 groups facing them, armed with exotic weapons and an unknown number of prisoners already, while a few headed to the trees opposite where Beatrice and her company had emerged from.

Claire flared in on a lightning bolt, "Most of them have thrown down their weapons a few are ," she looked as the last few cultist ran into the trees," possibly heading for what looks like a hotel behind those trees, there's no sign of Vencejo on that side of the plaza." She paused, waiting to see if the east team had found her.

"We've not checked everywhere in the pillars or the pyramids but there wasn't any guards that we saw." Morven answered.

"The Hotel is the most likely place then, as I only saw a small group on the long pyramid and they look like they're going to run. Beatrice?" Claire said into the radio, in the distance the minatour looked around confused by hearing her name, Claire waved," can you take your team over to the pyramid and ask those guys if they really want to fight or would they rather come over here and sit with their friends. Tell them we won't kill them or make them into instruments." She nodded her understanding and led some of her company towards the hold outs at the pyramid.

The West team arrived escorting a large group of prisoners.

"What the hell are we going to do with all of them?" Someone asked.

"Did you see Venecjo?" Morven spoke over them looking for Michael and Claire.

"No she's not here, Neva, Jesus is there anything else in the real world near here? Something that might have a shadow here?" Claire asked them. Neva spoke to Jesus in Spanish pointing beyond the trees.

"There's a hotel," She said making an up and over motion at the trees, "beyond the trees. Family holiday long ago." She added more in Spanish, Claire asked a few questions which Neva answered, Araceli added a few details, as did Emilio. Jesus jumped back to the baggage and grabbed his drone, striking down a little bit away from the group and setting the drone up and getting it in the air as fast as he could.

Celebrants Terminator Captain, Screaming Killer And Terminator Squad

I went down to Bolton yesterday and ended up mooching around the Market Hall and Crompton place and was once again blown away by the art on display. 

I got some advice on blending the contrast paints and brought them home to give it a go.

I mean it is just the same as blending layers, but with the different type of paint I was unsettled by it.

I definitely think I've done a cracking job on this guy. 

As I'm packing stuff away today I got the set up out and got a photo of the Terminator squad in front of it. This squad also takes me to 104 Line Terminators.

Lastly the screaming killer was photographed with the good set up.

I've packed away a lot of paint pots as well, just leaving what I need for the Phobos Lieutenant who I'm doing as a Blood Angel so the grey scale Tyranid plates will stand out, the Apothecary and the Sternguard squad.

This was the tester piece I got to practice the blending.

As I'm starting these today I thought it only sensible to get a baseline pic. I've got a walk planned for Tuesday and been told we're more 'on call' rather than on days off next week because of the work situation, I'm hoping to get most of these done, I'm starting the Phobos Lieutenant when I finish sharing this post.

There is one last thing I want to share from yesterday, a couple of the paintings on display in Bolton's Market Hall work for characters in the Rainbow Sparkle Power Friends, but I love all the ones I saw.

I saw this and with where I am in the story right now, Morven's hair being dyed about 2 weeks before this point, her roots are growing through and the henna is fading and she's wearing armour, this picture is currently my frame of reference for Morven.

And while I'm almost certain that this is Brad Pitt in Troy I'm happy to use this painting as a reference for Claire in her armour.

Rainbow Sparkle Power Friends Reunion story Part 13 C

 #rainbowsparklepowerfriendsreunited

To hold, the other entrances in Scotland, Wales and France had been other forts in the net work for High Brazil. Several more had been lost when the Sea levels rose and flooded what is now the Irish Sea and Dogger Land at the end of the Ice Age.

Pushing deeper still Angel reached the point the stone in her hand had been attuned to Cyhyraeth. She saw a man in orange robes, dark skinned and dark haired, with blue, intelligent eyes, smiling at her. Things went hazy around Angel and she felt woozy for a second, and then she stood up, her point of view moved in the memory, or was this happening now?

"My child!" The robed man cried out in joy and coming to hug her, not the stone but Angel. She could feel his arms around her, his face pressed into her arm just below her right shoulder. "You are so tall!" his voice was muffled, "To know I have a descendent who can use the stones as my forefathers could brings me great joy." Angel could feel this world shift as someone entered the room, a woman that looked so much like her own mother that it surprised her, breaking the connection and dropping her mind back into her body, now standing on the ramp, the stone pressed up to her right arm, where the man's face had been pressed.

"Are you well?" The Whisp asked, "Your heart rate is elevated."

"I think so, I just saw a man when I was meditating on the stone, I think we were, I mean are related. He'd attuned the stone for Cyhyraeth to defend High Brazil and it's people from something they knew as the Formorians, who came from the sea." She closed her eyes and focused on the memories," I think we might be able to find other useful items at the other outposts." Angel focused on a map she'd seen, it covered more of the North Atlantic than the one in Tintagel had. She remembered a number of green dots, one had been just off the Isle Of Man a second had been off the coast of Denmark in Jutland, with a third located on the banks of the Forth River, the others that hadn't been mentioned by the Knights had been on the west coast of Ireland, off the coast of Inisbofin, Inishmore, Portmagee and Clonlakilty Angel was later able to pin point when looking at Google maps, but there was no sign of High Brazil. "Would you be able to function underwater?" Angel asked the Whisp,"I'm not sure, that is an environment I have not encountered before."

"When we go back up, you can dip your feet in the water. Metaphorically" Angel finished, remembering the whisp changing into the Warden and picturing what amounts to an 8 foot tall ghost dipping it's toes in the sea...

The Whisp resumed its scanning of the cave, it approached the control tower for the Forge and paused, going around the tower, it pushed against the gel pad and a deep noise of something being activated could be felt and heard in the cave, a small bust of the Warden formed in the air, Angel caught it before it could fall to the floor. "It's fully functional, their are some issues resulting from lack of maintenance but nothing serious."

"So what can we make with this?" Angel asked gesturing to the tower, and by extension the Forge itself. 

"This is a medium size unit, the one in the other cave was a domestic type, the clutter in the assembly area needs to be removed, but that one will be capable of assembling anything in the repository of the tower to a cubic volume of," Angel didn't understand the dimensions the Whisp just said, the measurements going out of use before the Bronze Age," this version can assemble anything from the repository up to." 

Angel interrupted the Whisp before it could give another series of sizes she had no idea of. " Why don't you just show me? Sketch out a block the size the domestic one will do by hovering the corners and I can visualise what you mean."

" The craft is taking up to much space for me to do that in here." The Whisp said, slightly annoyed. 

"Show me on the lawn up there okay?" Angel offered as a solution. "When you're finished, of course." She added. While the Whisp ran scans over the rest of the room Angel touched the gel pad on the black stone tower and lost herself in the Precursor IKEA catalogue for a while. She was pulled out of it by the Whisp talking incessantly about what it needed to fo and how the forge worked. They left the cave, Angel making sure the door was firmly closed, and climbed back up to the hotel, the Whisp submerged itself in the cold North Atlantic with no ill effects. Once up on the cliffs, and back with the group the Whisp quickly sketched out the maximum sizes of the articles that could be built by both forges, the domestic one could build anything up to the size of a large corner sofa up to shoulder height, with the medium sized one could assemble quite complex items up to the size of a large Mercedes Sprinter van. Angel asked Micheal if the cave system had any flooded portions, and was told there were a couple, and she asked if they could get hold of some diving equipment, telling them about the map and brief overview of Cyhyraeth memories. 

Araceli took the lead on the journey back to Mexico, landing the 3 of them on the road outside her house so she wouldn't be lugging 2 suitcases all the way from the beach, Kat had her paper bag with a fat willy's surf shack stamp on the side. They exchanged WhatsApp details and then Angel and Kat returned to Angels garden.

"What time are we on?" Kat asked, Angel took her phone out, several message pings tumbled over each other as her Huawei connected to the home WiFi.

"It's 2.10pm," she scrolled through the notifications, "Claire is asking about the drone, the guys from Cornwall are all added, as well as Araceli and Lola, Ricky has had a phone call from Eldar Seth's daughter asking to meet us, after a message from her mother and seeing us on the news again."

"Do you want me to handle that..." 

Angel held a finger up, "And Ricky is asking if he can have an interview with Claire or myself." Kat raised her eyebrows, "Do you want to do that, or let Claire take it this time?"

"I'll get him over to my work and do it there." Angel replied.

"Not a bad idea."

Angel's phone pinged again, "Claire is saying it's probably not the best idea for her to do an interview given she's FBI, and she's getting a bit of flack officially over being active with us again."

"Shit, " Kat muttered, " I hadn't thought of that, I'll need to talk with everyone I work with, let them know."

"Is there a chance you could do it in a zoom call?" Angel asked.

"That group chat video call thing?" Kat answered with a question, not having used the app yet. 

"That's the one, really handy for team meetings and stuff."

"I don't think I should, security and what not, and it might put some boomer noses out of joint that I'm doing it all at once rather than ringing specifically to let them know that before I told anyone else." Kat paused, "I'm going to have to spend a morning scheduling calls, to spend a day making calls." Angel looked on in quiet support. "Urgh!" Kat moaned, she stomped her a foot a little as well, in exasperation. 

Angel patted her on the head, "There, there," she offered, she put on a Mary Poppins type of accent before carrying on, "soonest begun, sooner done. " she dropped back to her natural accent," Go home, have a glass of wine and start scheduling phone calls." They chatted about a few more things before Kat drove home, leaving the t-shirts and hats on the dining table for the girls to find and made a start on dinner, while the pasta was cooking she started with the first round of phone calls. 

Far Away, the next morning. 

Morven paused before she knocked on the door to the building and looked around the homes near the wizard's house, there weren't any overt signs of damage or recent repairs, which suggested this one either knew what they were doing when it came to potions or was a total book wizard, Beatrice looked nervous, wringing her hands and shuffling her hooves as Morven knocked on the door, the apprentice answered.

"You're a little early the Great Wizard Muth is still preparing for the appointment." Morven felt the usual tingle as one of the creatures on this side brushed the surface layer of her thoughts to borrow a name, "I'm Homer," it told them. Beatrice snorted, trying to work out if it was the Ancient Greek writer or a Simpsons reference that Morven had been thinking at that moment, "but you can come in and wait as she'll not be long."

Beatrice ducked through the door first with Morven following.

Homer brought them both a drink and dissappeard again, fading out in a haze of blue sparkles.

A door opened and a bored voice called out, "Come in."

They walked into the next room, a young looking wizard sat across the room behind a desk and watched with studied (dis) interest as Beatrice negotiated the door. "I don't see Minotaurs very often, free ones are even rarer to come across, " She looked at Morven, "and I've never met a human before, but the crows have spoke very highly of you when I asked them who you were." She pushed some parchment across the desk towards Beatrice, " That's what I know about Minotaurs, it's not much, I'm afraid and most of it the crows told me. I do know more about the Warlord."

Beatrice took the pages and looked at them, then Handed them to Morven,"I still struggle to read, it takes time with my mish-mashed brain for none combat details to sink in. Tell me about the castle." Morven didn't really listen to what was said, as she focused on reading the parchment for her friend. The crows had told Muth that Minotaurs seemed to come from 1 city that was a major source for the slave trade and magical activity, there were reports of Minotaurs coming off boats in chains, but more seemed to be a coming from the place than been shipped in, which suggested captive breeding. The slave markets tended to be flooded with buyers from the various Warlords when there was a large supply of Minotaurs available. The last point noted that female minotaurs made up only a small amount of the observed population. 

Morven looked up and saw the glowing representation of the castle that Muth has conjured on the desk.

"This is because it owes me big, and the crows say I should help you."

"The crows?" Beatrice asked.

"Yes, they like you two. You provide good eating in the majority of places you've been too.." Muth replied, smiling. "They would also like a word, there's one out the back who's waiting for the human." Muth nodded at Morven and pointed to a door in the corner of the room," Follow the corridor it's the door facing you at the end." Muth informed her, Morven stood to leave, folding the paper and putting it in a pouch on a knife scabbard." 2 things, for payment I'd like you to show me how you made your hand, and I'll help you take down the Warlord." 

Morven paused," It's mostly jewellery techniques with a gold, silver and iron alloy."

"Iron? I do have some, but it's not the easiest material for my kind to work with." 

"Are you hoping for something like this?" Morven held up her sapphire hand, "Or just something decorative?" She asked. 

"I'd like something as useful as your hand." She replied. 

"I'll need to go back to the tavern and find the particular set of notes. Can I borrow something to write with?" Morven asked, Muth pushed over a quill and paper, Morven picked up the quill, dipped it in ink and sketched out the links with the dimensions, "You'll need to make more than 30 of these molds," holding up her blue hand and moving the fingers, she pulled another sheet and sketched out the wrist joint, the radius, ulna on a second, the elbow on a 3rd and humorous on a 4th, "Do you need the shoulder strapping? You being a wizard I'm sure you know a decent leather worker who can sort that out for you?" 

"I do." Muth replied, smiling ruefully as she looked at the pages, and cast a cantrip to visualise the joints and bones, while Beatrice studied the castle for attack vectors and weak points.

"Am I okay to go and talk to the crows, while you 2 look at... stuff?" When no one replied, Morven opened the door and followed the corridor to an outside door. Opening it she stepped threw into a walled garden, herds and strange plants grew in spended profusion up the walls and across several raised beds. A large crow stood on one of the frames eyeing up a plant that Morven thought might be parsley or coriander.

"I hear you wanted a word with me?" She asked the crow.

It jumped and looked around at her, tilting it's head to look at her first with one eye then the other. " We do, we have even heard that you are planning on leaving."

"It's a goal now, and it's not exactly a secret as I've been hunting for a way home since I healed."

The crow bobbed up and down and looked at her with its left eye, "What changed that makes you think you can cross back over?" it asked.

"This new series of Rifts seems to offer a good chance of getting back across. Certainly better than what has felt like nearly 20 years of side quests." She answered, "Why is this of interest to you, specifically and generally?"

"Quick and selfish answer is we get good eating when you're around, longer and more complicated answer goes along the lines of there isn't anyone that does what you 2 are doing for the reason you are doing it, no one is doing good for the sake of making things better for their fellow beings, it's Warlord against Warlord here. You are going to be missed by the innocent bystanders, some of them even have human blood."

"Are you trying to appeal to a higher notion? Some kind of shared heritage with the survivors of various mass abductions, the targeted kidnappings and the random wanderer that find there way over, even now?" She asked the bird.

It walked along the woodwork and looked at the soil,"Frankly, yes.." it said before poking at the soil.

Morven crossed her arms, "Given an option I'd settle for a way to keep fighting the good and being able to see my mum and dad, my sister and my friends, but this is an either or situation, I leave for good and everything carries on as it has always done here, with the Seelie and Unseelie fighting skirmish after skirmish with no winner in sight or we stay and do so little that in this, " she snorted as she remembered a line from a book she'd read years before," whole general mish mash, very little is actually changed for anyone that's not a Warlord for more than a month before the next dick head muscles in."

"You are doing the most concentrated good in generations here, and we hope you'll stay and carry that on."

"There's no guarantee that this will work, we might not make it in time, we might not be able to get across, we might have to fight through a sizable army on this side to get to the Rift. There are a lot of things that can go wrong between us having this conversation and me hugging my mum and dad again."

"Well if your mind is set, let us at least help you a little," the crow called out and another crow flew over the garden wall and landed on the raised bed near Morven, this one has a key in it's beak, she held out her hand and the crow dropped the key into her hand," that's the key for the western sallie port, one of my murder will show you the way when you attack. I'm guessing you aren't going straight from here?" the first crow asked.

Morven looked up from the key, "No I'd like to be wearing the armour that works, not a nice light jacket when attacking a Warlord, but we'd better not wait to long, I'm sure they'll have heard we are in town by now."

She thought briefly about what was the best plan of attack, now they had a access to a relatively unguarded way in. "Thank you, " She said to the crow, waving the key at it, "maybe you ought to come in with me, so we can coordinate stratagy?" Morven suggested as she walked towards the door.

Rainbow Sparkle Power Friends Reunion Part 13 A

 Araceli had a thought. "What about what I wore underneath the armour, has that got the threads in it now as well?"

"Everything you wore has gone through the loom." The whisp replied.

"Cool! Just a shame its a party outfit, but I'll look killer kicking ass." She smiled thinking about her enhanced outfit. 

"So our training gear is getting the same treatment?" Phil asked. 

"All items you were wearing are in the processing queue for The Looms and will undergo the enhancement process." 

"Which means nothing man made can harm you, although I wouldn't test that against a rocket launcher, mini gun or grenade launche," Angel said, "although we did take a few 50cal shots, usually the Desert Eagle that the boss guy used to impress his subordinates. Big gun." She tutted and wagged her little finger, Araceli snorted with laughter. 

"How do you know?" Jamie asked. 

"A kick to the balls, occasional a punch, nothing impressive was felt." Angel fired back.

(AI art prompt black teenager in an orange cheerleader outfit kicking a man in the groin) 

"Anyway," Angel said to pointedly change the subject, "the Earth Energy effect stopped everything fired at us from 22 hunting rifles up to a 50cal hand gun, including AR 15's and illegally modified 9mm smgs. " Angel walked over to Kat and leaned in to talk quietly, "Should we tell them about the Queen?"

Kat looked at her, her mouth pulled to the side as she thought,"I think we better had, it's a cards on the table moment really. Maybe tell them while we walk to the hanger?" Kat finished.

"Okay, are you being tour guide?"

"You're kidding? I've no idea how to get there." Kat replied,"I slept in the barracks, and jogged around the areas we knew for exercise, most of the complex was closed off back then."

"Ask the whisp?" Angel said

Kat nodded, "Ask the whisp." Raising her voice she called out, "We ready to try the weapons?" 

Everyone nodded, Kat addressed one of the whisp, "Could you lead us to the hanger, please?" The whisp floated, the second one merged with the first, then it circled the keyboard of the Loom and floated to the archway and through into the corridor. Kat lead the way. "Before we start, I'll answer any questions after I've finished." She clapped her hands to psych herself up, "So what we have learned is the white business woman you met before is known as The Warden, who's one of a Precursor Species that created humans. This complex," Kat waved at the walls, "is a prison for a second Precursor Species that wanted to kill humanity, there might be other prisons out there but we've not been told about them. This second species are called The Nephilim and wanted to destroy Humanity, they failed. Thwarted by a group of 100 enhanced humans, we are all related to at least one of those 100 ancient humans, the armour you're wearing was once theirs, with guided meditation you'll be able to access memories of the users that'll let you fight better, it's like you get their muscle memory and possibly unlock some powers. Those copies of me at the school were an example of that, oh yeah. For Araceli and Lola, who weren't in London my hammer allowes me the ability to create 3 copies, each copy can do damage and fight and can move across the battle field at speed by dissolving into smoke and glitter, Angel have you unlocked a bigger power yet? " Kat asked. 

Angel looked slightly annoyed, 

"Not to use, but I believe I might be able to create a shield dome, I had a dream of staring down my spear as its in the notch in my shield, a second spear planted tip down in the dirt next to me, and six big fuckers are charging at me. In the dream I shouted 'sanctuary' and a glowing orange wall appeared that they couldn't break though. Oh and Claire had one as well, her buckler shield has a fan style design, she was able to enlarge the panels, used that to cut an arm or head off, I forget which it was now, do you remember what she shouted Kat?" She asked. 

"It sounded like 'enbiggen'."Kat answered, shaking her head, eyes closed. "Claire called out Diamond Rainbow shield enbiggen, the shield segments grew, took off the arm of a fighter in golden armour, she then plunged her sword into the gap in the armour at the shoulder. I forget what she said afterwards to get it back to normal." They'd gone past the armoury and up a ramp and walked out into an area that reminded Angel and Kat of the place they'd met the White Queen. Several Vermana had been parked up, the larger of them looked like golden Chinese dragons, the smaller ones looked similar to the big oxe from pre history the Aurochs.

Persian Bull. 

Beyond them the cave dissappeard into darkness and presumably the door the Vermana had been flown in through. 

"Aim into the distance," Angel suggested, "you guys can use your military contacts and see if you can organise us something to aim at next time? " Owens nodded." Gauntletts first. "The 9 new recruits lined up and pointed their arms into the darkness," pick a shot, shout it out." Angel finished, 9 beams fwoosed into the darkness. 

Far away. 

"We got more for those this Destriers than I thought, slange." Beatrice said taking a swing from a large flagon.

Morven took a drink from her human sized pint tankard, "Slàinte mhath," she replied toasting her companion, "we've still a long way to go to reach the location of the next breach, we'll need supplies and fresh horses."

"We've got a couple of weeks before it goes off and a long trip to get there, we aren't to far from the sky ship lane. We could try and charter a ship or do you still want to hit that Warlord on the off chance they'll have something that can get us there faster?"

"How much do we have left?" Morven asked, Beatrice pulled a pouch from a pocket of her pants and counted out the contents, several other tables looked up at the steady stream of clinks. Seeing a Minotaur and her battle axe and a second hardened fighter next to her deterred most. One group huddled up and looked like they were making a plan. 

"Table 12 has taken an interest," a waitress whispered as she put more drinks on the table, "if you're not after trouble I'd put that away."

"Trouble isn't a bad thing," Morven answered, smiling.

"The owner might have a problem and want a cut of your purse to pay for any repairs, and theirs." The waitress carried on. Beatrice finished counting and sighed, "Probably short to charter a ship. I could shake my money makers," She grated her hips in the chair, the waitress laughed.

"Seriously I don't know why you wear those, you're so eager to get them off at any opportunity." Morven observed.

"Come on monkey girl, not everyone has their secondary sexual characteristics on display all the time." Beatrice looked at Morven's chest, the waitress looked as well, Morven's replacement arm strapping and jacket covered everything. 

Morven looked down at her reinforced leather jacket with the extra plating, she reached up with her hands, one flesh, one sapphire blue and cupped her boobs. "A better diet would help and I could maybe make some money with these," she finished her drink and took one of her knives out and started to spin it on the table, eyes closed, head to one side listening to the conversation on table 12,"I'd get the bouncer over to there and ask them to leave with their pockets full rather than go through with their half brained scheme to try and rob us." The waitress gave a signal and the large bouncer walked over to table 12 and explained how much it would cost them if they tried to rob the pair that was the focus of their attention, and how it would be better if they just left the obviously experienced adventurers alone, even outside the tavern. They looked disgruntled but finished their drinks and left, the Ogre bouncer following them to the door and watched them leave, he lent up against the door frame and watched the group that had just left get ready to do something stupid. The waitress was chatting to Beatrice while Morven had the communicater out on the table and only half listening to the conversation,

"So where do you lactate from?"

She flipped it open and looked at the last remaining link to her home, the bow had been broken when Beatrice, in a fungus induced frenzy, had bitten down on her arm and lost when it had sheared off just below the shoulder.

"I don't know, I was captured as a calf, separated from my family and kept off my fucking tits on fungus. I've never met another of my kind that's not needed to be freed from slavery on top of detoxing and asking them sex questions isn't top of the list of things to do." Morven's daggers had been stolen in the camp they'd both been held prisoners at, one of the other slaves had some medical knowledge and had helped heal her arm and set the metal plates that were still on Beatrice's face. It had taken the slave healer 5 months to heal her arm, her outfit had been traded for medicine a piece at a time.

"Never seen a female Minotaur before though"

Beatrice leaned over to the waitress, "My guess is the female of the spieces is like a queen, and we keep a harem of oiled beefcake to please the eye, and provide us with food and when we feel like it, children." She lent back and smiled, "It does explain why there are so many more males out there"

The slaves made their escape a month after her bandages had come off, she'd had to trade a handful of hair to the healer to get them to agree to free Beatrice as well. Her withdrawal from whatever crud they'd got her addicted to had been hard, she still had the occasional pang for a certain type of fungus, and she could smell it from half a mile away, but rather than do whatever it was the demons did to it, she'd fry them in an omelette these days.

"Do you know where you come from?"

"No idea, everyone we've freed over the years has a similar story to mine, so we're either constantly getting raided by slavers, which is odd when most of the armies around here use us as shock troops or, and this keeps me awake at night, we're bred in captivity somewhere and traded. "

Her arm had been a lucky break, she'd found the stone in the market singing to her, she'd not had anywhere near enough to buy it, so had stolen it. They'd moved towns in the opposite direction the stall holder was going in, working were they could until she found a jeweler with the talent and a willingness to work for the challenge rather than price. It had taken a couple of months for him to cut the sapphire into a hand and wrist, she'd worked as a store assistant and designer while there, her articulated necklaces had been much sort after. Once the hand was ready they'd gone to the blacksmith and got the metal work sorted, she'd done a lot of it herself, the wooden cup had started life as a Beatrice sized drinking vessel that she'd broken. The first set of leather straps had been Beatrice's as well, they been damaged and replaced years ago now.

"Have you tried to find where you come from?"

"Of course we have, but anyone left alive when I've calmed down claims not to know anything."

They'd set out adventuring after raiders hit the town they'd washed up in, they'd tried to kidnap Beatrice, thinking they could sell her on and had wanted to take her arm. Her rage had powered it up, allowing her to take the guy holding her down by surprise, she'd taken their weapons and put the smaller jacket on and used a scarf as a disguise, taking out 3 more before any of the attackers realised someone was fighting back, out of the 25 that attacked she'd accounted for 12, Beatrice had taken 8 down and the towns people moped up the rest. They'd got the pick of the gear taken off the dead. The jacket had been much repaired and re-enforced over the years, with some embellishments to strength it, but was mostly the one she'd taken from the first creature she'd killed over here. Over the years she'd added metal paldrons, painting the plates blue to match her old clothes.

(AI art prompt Morrigan Ranger in a re-enforced leather doublelett)

"There's a wizard in town, you could speak to her? She might know something." 

Beatrice looked a question over to the bouncer, who nodded, "maybe after we show some idiots the error of their ways."

Morven looked at the waitress, like a lot of the people over here at first glance they appeared human, but looking closer you notice the differences, teeth slightly shaper and longer than you'd expect, eyes too large and too dark, her skin had the subtle stripes she'd seen several times, Morven hadn't worked out if it was a tribal thing or a caste thing or just random chance.

"If we beat those guys up outside, will we have to pay anyone?" Morven asked the waitress, "And apologies, what do we call you when we write our latest adventure down later?" 

She looked confused, briefly a forked tongue flicked out from behind her suddenly sharper looking teeth, her stripes more prominent, then her appearance was back to how it had been, "Call me Janelane" she replied, smiling a little bit too wide and showing an awful lot of teeth. 

Morven smiled at the name, and opened her jacket to check the straps on her arm, "Well Janelane, we have a lesson to teach some idiots, could we get three shots of your strongest spirit?" Morven pulled out her own purse and counted out the change for the drinks, and added a second pile of coins. Janelane returned to the table, Morven handed her the coins for the drinks," Keep the change." She said taking 2 of drinks," and could you keep an eye on our gear while we're outside, we shouldn't be long." She asked as she walked over to the bouncer, "For you," she handed him a shot, the money in her other hand,"and this is for you if you want to give us a hand dealing with the 6 idiots waiting for us." 

He took the drink in one hand and the money vanished quickly into his pouch, he looked to the barman and then smiled. "I have a break, I can step outside for a a little bit." 

Morven smiled and knocked back the shot, coughed at the roughness of it, "Slange, let's go teach a lesson." 

Beatrice knocked hers back as well, "Slange" she nodded to the bouncer. 

He knocked back his drink and repeated the unfamiliar word "Slange."

Outside the bar, it had begun to drizzle, the group of tough guys looked quite forlorn, some with bunny ears and couple with devil's horns. 

(AI art prompt 6 tough guys squaring up outside a tavern). 

"So you idiots think you can take our money?" Morven called out, trying to assess the leader.

"Don't think, know." One with larger horns said, hefting an axe."We take all, and leave you for the carrion birds."

A nimbus of energy formed around Morven's hand, "I'll take 3, Bea you take 2," she called glancing at Beatrice, "and you take one," she said to the bouncer. She sprang forward, feet touched the floor, spinning around in a reverse round house punch, the crystal hand connected with one, lightning arced from her hand into the nearest tough guy, who tensed up, her hand connected with his jaw with a crack of thunder he flew backwards into one of his companions, sending both to the floor, arcing and tensing as the power discharged through them. Morven landed and slide more than she'd expected, bouncing off a wall. She pushed off and punched upwards, lifting the 3rd off it's feet, she kicked it while it was still in the air landing on it's back, she slid forward and stamped on it's knee and chest, ribs cracking. "Stun." She said, firing a blue blast into the one at her feet, "Stun," she repeated, firing a blast at the pair on top of each other. None of them were the one who'd spoken, she looked around, Beatrice had him, held by the horns, hanging. The bouncer had just got his guy down, "stun. " she said firing a blast into the one on the floor.

Morven looked up at the creature hanging in the air, she picked up it's axe and gave it a swing, "Now what was that about leaving us for the carrion eaters?" Beatrice dropped it and it staggered, Morven slammed the hilt of the axe into its chest, causing it to gasp as the air was forced out of it's lungs, it sank to its knees. "I'm feeling generous, leave your boots and we're taking half of your money, as we're not like you. One last thing," she swung the axe and cut off its horns. "boots, bitch."

Rainbow Sparkle Power Friends Reunion story Partv13

 #rainbowsparklepowerfriendsreunited Part 13

The rest of the party looked surprised as they watched the whisp grow to the tall stern looking woman, with a face that wasn't entirely human. "Greetings males and females, welcome to the Glorious 100 Defenders of Humanity." 

Both The Knights of Sâl Arwydd and Araceli and Lola looked confused, "Pardon?" and various versions as well as the Spanish equivalent was heard. 

"None of us understand that at all." Was the concensus of the nine new arrivals.

The Warden switched to English, "I forgot and apologies, the Rainbow Sparkle Power Friends have an innate understanding of the language I speak, if the armour chooses you, you'll be granted the same ability as well. If you follow the whisp it will take to the armoury." She finished as she folded in on her self. A fragment of light detached and floated in the room. It wafted towards a tunnel leading into the deeper reaches of the Tomb. They all followed with Kat and Angel leading the way.

The side entrances the 3 Rainbow Friends had gone into and found the suspended Nephilim were closed off, Angel noted this and cast Kat a raised eye brow look. They reached the armoury antichamber with the 7 crystal circles in the floor and celling. 

"if you stand on the circles you'll be scanned, & then a doorway will open that gives us access to the armoury. There are 7 of you gents, do you want to go first?" Angel asked. 

The 7 Knights looked at each other and agreed amongst themselves to do it, walking forward to stand on the crystals. 

"It'll get bright and it'll take a few seconds, and when the light goes out it'll take a few seconds to adjust back to the light levels in here." Kat warned everyone. The severn Knights were swallowed by the white glow for 30 seconds. The door in the wall that lead to the armoury ground open, sinking into the floor and walls and the top of the archway in numerous petals, Araceli and Lola looked around the archway into the armoury, checking out the racks of weapons on display and whispering in Spanish between themselves. "We couldn't hear anything from hear either, we had to be in front of ours to hear them, the armour had a certain glow that we could see." She told them. The men were looking around themselves and blinking. "Your turn ladies." Kat said steering Lola and Araceli to the crystals in the floor, they stood on 2 of the crystals circles and the glow rose again, Lola was done much faster than Araceli, who watched the light glow and fade over her relative, until it dimmed and Araceli stood again on the crystal. 

"Are you okay?" she asked in Spanish,"You looked like you faded out a bit there." 

"I'm not sure what happened, but I feel like I'm energised." Araceli replied, crossing her arms and stretch in the armour. 

"Okay everyone, the last time we were here we found a spear and a weapon that sang to each of us, I'm sorry I can't put it any better than that, but you'll understand when you hear it." Kat said. 

Angel carried on "At the end of the armory on either side are rooms full of armour, there were 50 sets on each side but Kat, Claire and myself each claimed a suit so there's 48 on one side and 49 on the other. Check the gem stone on your weapon for an idea of which suit will match you. There is a space to test fire your weapons at the end of the room it might be a firing range or just space that wasn't used. So when you've been selected bring your weapons back here and let the next person go. As Lola doesn't have anything, she can go first?" She switched to Spanish and repeated for Lola and Araceli," You first Lola," as she waved her into the room.

 Lola walked through the arch and looked at the racks of spears in front of her. 

She walked along the first rack & the second, she stopped at the third rack and reached out for one of the spears and a black, purple and green glow illuminated the room briefly as she touched it. She carried on walking past the racks stopping at a heavy looking sword and a green curved shield. As she reached out the Saint Elmo's fire arcing between her hand and the sword was visible to everyone watching closely. 

Lola looked back to the entrance, "What now?" she asked in Spanish.

"Come back and let someone else pick, then we'll all go and sort out the armour." Angel replied, Lola walked back to the group. Very quickly everyone else found there weapons and they moved down to the armour storage rooms. 

"This is a reminder, the armour that'll sing to you will have the same gem stone on the breast plate as the one in your weapons, you need to touch the stone on the armour. The Warden is capable of fitting the spear head onto the gauntlet, leaving a hand free, if you want that. The spear also fires various blasts of energy." Angel carried on. 

" Rapid blasts, wide beam, focused beam. You do need to call the shot." Kat informed them all, rolling her eyes as she did." We'll go up to the hanger later and you can fire some blasts off. You first Lola, try this side." Kat finished in Spanish, guiding her through the arch that Kat had found her armour," Oh mine's there" she said with surprise. Lola walked around the room checking the gem stones, and reached out to a suit that had the matching gem to the one in her weapons. The room glowed green when she touched it. Everyone else followed Lola and found a suit, they returned to the crystal circles with Araceli and Lola going first, glowing with dark and white light in the shafts of solid light. When the glow faded the 2 Mexican woman stood in their suits of orichalcum armour, the spear heads already mounted in the gauntlets. 

Araceli looked worriedly at Kat and Angel "What happened to my armour?" She shouted.

"Don't know, but it'll be what you're wearing when you change back. You can check the room back there to see if your armour is there?" 

Araceli ran to the archway and looked into the room, eyes darting over the racks and stands, the familiar green shades of her families armour weren't there. She exploded in Spanish,

"It's not here! It's not here! Where is it?! Where's the light lady thing?" Araceli demanded. 

"Use the communicater on your belt." Angel called back in Spanish. 

She fumbled in her belt and pulled it out and flipped it open, she looked at Kat and Angel, "Top crystal?" she asked, Kat nodded, she thumbed the crystal, "Hi light lady where'd my armour go?" She asked. 

"Oh Spanish," The Warden answered, " your armour is in the with the Looms, I'm weaving the Orichalcum into the armour. This will take a short time." She finished. 

"I need to see this, where are the Looms?" the panic was audible in her voice.

A whisp of light appeared, "Follow the whisp." The Warden informed Araceli.

Kat and Angel looked at each other as Araceli followed the whisp, "I'll follow her." Kat volunteered as Lola walked out of the room with her cousin, "Follow us? I'm pretty sure those suits," Kat waved at the seven guys, "are going to end up in the same place" Kat finished following Lola from the armoury.

"Ask about Claire's plan" Angel called, Kat nodded as she went out of the arch. Angel turned and looked at the 7 men, "Your turn," she said waving them towards the crystal circles," and we'll get a whisp lead us to the looms." They walked to the circles of crystal in the floor and stood on them, light filled the room again and in a short time the seven Knights of Sâl Arwydd were clad in the orichalcum armour of The Glorious 100. Angel had changed while they were in the light." Give me a moment," She asked them as she walked back in to the armoury, and looked in the archway. Sure enough her clothes were on the rack that her armour had been on, noting the empty racks 

Angel walked back to the room with the crystals. Redknapp and Fowler were sparing with their new weapons. "Come on, we'd better follow the others."

"Was our armour back there?" Owens asked as they walked through the archway. 

"No they weren't," Angel answered honestly. 

"So what's happening to them?" Ince asked. 

"I have no idea. I'm guessing something similar to what happened with our clothes when it happened last time." 

"What was that?" Phil Nevil asked. 

"I'm not 100% sure but the clothes went from being cheer leader outfits to something that stopped bullets and turned aside pretty much everything man made." Angel smiled at the memory of standing there with a wall of bullets forming in front of them," The Wachowski Sisters used something similar in the Matrix films with Neo."

"Did you have to hold out your hand? " said Phil, following on from his first question. 

"Only to confuse the cultists" she answered. 

"What about your weapons back then? " Redknapp asked. 

"They seem to have been a more child friendly version of what we've ended up with now. Okay your turn to answer a question, that image of the red thing you have looked old, how recent was that?" Angel asked 

"Very old, 1070 we think. What's called The Harrying Of The North." Owens replied

"What was that?" Angel looked confused. 

"William The Conqueror didn't like it that the North of England didn't accept his invasion, a number of Northern Barons rebelled and William basically took his army and destroyed the North of the country, burning farms and villages wherever he went, portents and tall tales abound, but one of the things passed down was a drawing of the red creature, they have been a few others over time, mostly the war of the Steven and Matilda, the War Of The Roses, the Civil War, plenty of stories about King William in Ireland and the things that accompanied his army as well."

"We're limited with our Intelligence on this, we've got a sighting at Waterloo, around the Farm the British were trapped in, there was a battle in Spain that destroyed a village, that had a couple of big ones apparently and obviously there's tales of them in No Man's Land in World War 1 and a few sightings in Normandy on Omaha beach." Beckham sighed, admitting " I've not got around to Korea, the Falklands War, the Gulf or Afghanistan files. The older files are still on paper and even with our clearance getting them takes a while, and it's mostly army psychiatrist writing it up from a lone survivor here and there. As you can imagine there's a lot to wade through and piece together."

"Any reference to any of the golden things or the green things?" Angel asked as they walked down the tunnels.

"Nothing really, but based on a colour and where we were, I'd hazard a guess on Pride for the gold ones and probably envy for the green ones." Jamie suggested. 

"Well the next Rift looks to be forming in Cancun, centred around an adult only hotel with clothing optional areas." 

"So a sex spa?" Gary asked. 

Angel held up her hands, "That's as much as I know, Kat and Claire went and had a look at the place, this is what they told me. Ask her for a more detailed report on it, and then there is a couple more forming, one in North Korea and one in East Africa. There is also something we'd like to ask as well. As you know our friend was taken over there."

"That who Claire was talking to?" David asked. 

"Yes, well we have a plan. Claire wants to go through the next Scar and help get her, Morven, back. Now what we are asking is if any of you guys want to go across with her and help rescue our friend." Angel asked. "Kat should be asking Araceli and Lola the same thing, who'll go and ask the others in The Jaguars."

"Why aren't you all going?" Paul asked.

"Claire wouldn't hear it as I've got 3 kids, one is toddler, the others are *and* and Kat has 2 daughters and the thought of having all of us stuck over there and potentially leaving 5 kids without their mums was a sobering moment and we had to agree. So anyone with kids hands up." David, Phil Robbie, Paul and Jamie raised a hand," You're out of contention, Gary and Michael would you both think about it, please.? She's been fighting for 20 years, she's not alone, she's travelling with someone, all we know is she's called Beatrice and she's a fighter. We don't know what you'll face over there, we don't know how long we can keep the Rift open. We are asking for your help, do you want to be the untested new guy in shiny armour or are you willing to get those orichalcum suits dented and scratched?"

 Gary and Michael looked at each other. Owens started first, "I'll need to talk to some people, Gary? "

"I'm up for it, I'll go." Gary nodded, looking at the floor and rolling his shoulders. He paused for a second, closed his eyes and looked like he was taking stock of himself. He paused briefly and reflected on how bad an idea this was going to be. Then hurried to catch up to everyone else before they went out of sight. 

As he caught up, Angel was looking worriedly about the corridor. She pulled out her flip phone and touched the top crystal, "Okay can we have a whisp to follow to these Looms please, I'm lost down here."

"One moment." was The Warden's response, a whisp formed before them and circled the group, before leading them down a succession of corridors that Angel had never seen. She was pretty sure that this section of the complex hadn't been open to them when they'd first been coming here, and was ready to question if it had existed back then but was positive they'd not been in this bit.

They reached an archway and the whisp floated through and the group followed, not really sure what to expect on the other side. There was a large chamber, more like a cave with much rougher walls than the rest of the complex. The cave was lit by the usual strips. In the middle of the chamber, floating above an inscrutable device was Araceli's malachite green armour, around the gaps in the plates thousands of Orichalcum  threads, glowing reddy gold were being threaded into the armour. The green plates glowed gold where the orichalcum was being threaded into the plates, Araceli was watching the gold line progress along the armour plates while Lola and Kat studied the loom. Some of the Knights watched with Araceli some joined Kat and Lola at the Loom. A number of large square pieces in various shades of dark grey lined the front nearest where everyone stood, each square had numerous sigils inscribed in them, 2 large black spikes that could have been spindles stood behind the keys, the armour floated between these. The orichalcum threads pulled from two hair thin golden threads stretching up from the spindles to the roof of the cave. Around the spindles, not really perceived was a dull numbus of gold.

"What's actually happening here?" Phil asked.

Araceli looked around, "The Warden told me that my armour is having the material that can channel the Earth Energy being threaded through the malachite, it'll give the wearer more protection and a greater ability to damage what's comes over from the other side. They'll not be as strong as this," she tapped her new weapon, "or this,", tapping the weapon on her armour, "but they'll do better than the mundane stuff or even the enhanced weapons we already have."

"And this Warden will do this with our armour as well?" Phil asked.

One of the whisps flashed, before it spoke, 'Yes, our settings will need to be adjusted to suit the manufacturer of your suits than the Jaguar suit I currently have on the loom." 

The gold line on the suit reached the end of the arm and body pieces and the suit was transitioned and Owens suit replaced it. Several of the keys moved quickly, more moved as if in response to those moving, 3 different keys moved and 2 more responded to it. They settled in place and the spindles expanded and settled and thousands of golden threads, looking like fiber optic cables reached out to the armour and began to merge with it.

Araceli looked at the whisp, "My suit has been returned to the other room?" she asked it.

The whisp expanded into a flat surface and an image formed of the malachite green armour surrounded with orichalcum armour, "Yes it has been returned to the armoury, when you change back it will be what you are wearing." 

AI art are from prompts related to the story, Destiny 2 screen shot is obviously from Bungie game Destiny 2.