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Sunzi thinks: "There is so much to ponder. First off, I am intrigued by the 'corruption' of the wolves and people. Evidently Pain of Glass has an ability beyond my skill to reprogram minds. It can completely change the fabric of a person's being, rewire the very nature of a person. Their souls become something no longer human. Mersy took the initiative in realizing these people could no longer progress on their karmic cycle. It only took a simple push (literally) for me to realize they required the Good Death. Irregardless, there must be a way to understand, and combat, this complete destruction of a human soul. I intend to ask the ghost child in Mexico if she can grant me insight in this puzzling, yet exciting, realm of exploration. Also, the motivation of Damien/Pain of Glass confuses me. It/they had two opportunities to destroy us. Does the krys protect us? Does it/they have some other plan? Or does the damnpyr/demon hybrid simply do not believe we to be any threat? Until Myogin pointed out the air spirit's request, I had assumed it to be one fused creature. But it may be possible to destroy the Damien portion of the hybrid. I may be able to give his mind a Good Death, and perhaps his soul will follow. Whether or not the demon will allow this, is another matter... |
The trip across the Mexican border occurs without incident. The mages drive past Mexico City while Raj tinkers with the van, adding improvements and reinforcements. They hide the van, and hike through the jungle arriving at a very familiar cave. Inside, they discover the rubble of the alcove and the skeleton of the little girl. An argument breaks out between Sunzi and Myogin over the ethics of their decision in the trip across time. Unbeknownst to them, Damien/Pain of Glass arrives at the mouth of the cave. Myogin prepares to destroy the rail-gun while Sunzi attempts to communicate with the damnpyr/demon. Marcus and Mersy attempt to access the spirit door when the gun fires. They find themselves in the spirit-equivalent cave alive and unharmed. The ghost of the little girl explains that the priests selected her to replace the original spirit and to await the remainder of her fate/destiny. When the mages bring all of the other elemental spirits back to the cave can the krys be fixed. Arriving in Colorado after several days, the mages do a bit of mundane research in a bookstore to find the appropriate mountain. From there they drive, then hike to the Garden of the Gods, a national park. Once there, they encounter four wolves devoid of spirit, and programed to defend the path from intruders. A quick coordinate fight eliminates the threat easily. Unfortunately, they find their destination guarded by six similarly controlled people, all armed with shotguns, rifles, and a sniper rifle. The damnpyr/demon arrives on the top of a peak, and proceeds to blast a hole straight into the center. Two assassinated hikers, and one destroyed police helicopter later, the mages discover that they cannot leave without a bullet in the head. Raj tests this discover and receives a high-powered sniper bullet through his shoulder. While the rest of the group had no choice but to continue forward, Raj manages to pull off a miracle and reattach his severed arm. The group arrives at the crater. Damien/Pain of Glass announces that he has "taken care of the situation" and flies away. Befuddled, they search the crater only to discover that the air spirit was free already. The spirit will aid them, but with a catch: they must destroy the damnpyr. |
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