Nightshift 35 - Ballroom (Basement)

[qui_gonjinn]

[From hereMoving down the stairs, keeping his senses alert, Qui-Gon led the way deeper beneath Landels. The darkness in the Force here was even stronger. Qui-Gon faced it even as he felt its effects; his stomach turned, he could feel the hair on the back of his hands standing up, and there was always the sense of someone looking over his shoulder

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[braidless]

As Obi-Wan followed Qui-Gon, he too could sense the oppressive darkness weighing in on him, as if the reflective dark marble somehow magnified its intensity. He knew that likely wasn't the case, of course, but this room was unlike any other room he'd ever seen in Landel's, in that it was grand, expansive, almost overwhelmingly large, and perhaps a sign of the new things they would probably encounter from here on out. As he moved, he was instinctively careful to make as little noise as possible, falling into step beside his friend

[givemeoblivion]

They'd better damn well be prepared. Who would come down this far and then wuss out? Or did some of them want to do stretching exercises before they went any further? What a question.

All the same, she tightened her grip on the sword item as though it wasn't just a blunt showpiece. They didn't have any idea of what was ahead of them, and there was a good chance they were just being played for fools. The sphinx had seemed serious enough, but creatures like that often spoke in riddles even after their trial was passed.

"If you're not ready now then you're never going to be ready, and I suggest you turn back before you get yourself hurt," she said, voice cold.

[prevails]

Sort of, but not really. At least he was as prepared as he could be, given that he had no idea what was going on or where they were headed. The basement didn't leave a lot to be desired (it was like an alternative to the word 'dungeon' to make it sound nicer, something that never worked) and Sanzo's brief story made it even less appealing. 'course, he wasn't afraid of danger and he did plan on going wherever Sanzo went.

That was being prepared, right? He wasn't a stranger to battles either. Hopefully as long as he kept up his guard that made up for everything else.

Except the saw, that one he was still figuring out.

[31st_of_china]

Sanzo drew the gun out, flicking the safety off.

"Let's just get this over with," he said. There were no guarantees that the sutra was here, but he'd nearly been killed trying to see what was down here. Was it a way out? Some answer to how they got here? Or maybe a chink in the Head Doctor's armor.

He hadn't had a chance to really tell Goku exactly what happened down here, but the monkey was good at diving headfirst into anything (it wasn't like he usually asked questions first) and coming out just fine.

[qui_gonjinn]

"There are two indentations here," Qui-Gon said, after crossing to the South Hall's door and examining it. It was pretty obvious what they were for, "Callisto, I need your help opening this."

Qui-Gon reached forward and set the Shield Artifact in the second of the indentations. The door itself looked like solid white polished stone, winged humans in flight and in some state of celebration decorating its surface. The silver Shield fit into the indentation in a perfect fit.

[givemeoblivion]

[switching turns just for this round]

Frowning, Callisto stepped up when asked. It did look like the remaining indention was meant for the worthless sword she was carrying. The shape was exact. How interesting it was that they'd found just the right rooms to retrieve the exact items needed. Hadn't there been other doors within each hall..?

It didn't matter now. The blonde lifted a hand and briefly ran it along the inside of the indention but felt nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing else for it, then. The sword was placed in just as the shield had been, and it fit just as well. She stepped back, eyes fixed intently on the door, and waited to see what their "rewards" would bring along.

[braidless]

In the back of Obi-Wan's mind, he had to wonder why the basement had been set up in such a way. After all, this wasn't the traditional basement used for storage, or shelter, or things of that nature. No, this place had been prepared for something, as if it was inviting them to walk straight into whatever was up ahead.

But it was an awfully elaborate trap, just to capture people who were already being held prisoner. And now matter how he looked at it, this was the only lead they had to go by. They would have to proceed forward, even if it was with caution.

He watched in silence as Callisto and Qui-Gon placed their items in the indentations. After a moment, it sounded like something had unlocked, a click that eerily echoed against the ballroom's walls. After glancing at everyone in their group, the Jedi Knight stepped forward and pressed a hand against the cold, white marble.

It slowly opened, revealing a dark passage way ahead.

((To here.))