[Taocow PBEM] Chapter VIII - The Portal And Beyond...

[Aaron Clausen]

> [Alex]
> There is no way that Alex is going to let herself be left behind. Once
> everybody else has retreated, she will flee herself to the escape portal.
> [/Alex]

> [Ted]
> "Don't move," Ted orders, running to the man's side, "Someone give me a
> hand here!"
> [/Ted]

> [Lady Frost]
> As Frost gets a clear look at the situation she knows that Osiris is
> right.  It was the same thing she was prepared to do the last time they
> were near a portal.
> 
> She puts her hand on Ted's shoulder and gently moves him out of her way,
> then reaches down and hefts the stone off of him, almost casually tossing
> it towards the stairs.  That'll cause some muscle strain later...
> [/Lady Frost]

[Osiris]
Osiris gasps in pain.  It is clear now that the rock is removed that
Osiris's legs are crushed.  The armor is flattened and blood and bone can be
seen clearly.  It takes no medical expert to determine that Osiris will lose
those legs, and his life, if he cannot find medical treatment very soon.
[/Osiris]

> [Lady Frost]
> Then Lady Frost kneels next to him and shifts back to 'normal'.  "I didn't
> want to lose anymore friends.  Give 'em hell."

OOC: For Ted's benefit, he suddenly sees the ice woman transform into a more
normal looking one.

> She gives him a small kiss on the cheek and then stands and moved through
> the portal, shifting back to Frost as she does.
> [/Lady Frost]

[Osiris]
"Thank you." Osiris whispers.
[/Osiris]

> [Kyle]
> "Lets get moving people,  into the portal.  I'll go first and cover your
> arrival."
> 
> With that Kyle jumps through the portal.
> [/Kyle]

OOC: Kyle's a brave man, but he'll never find affordable insurance!

> [Ted]
> "I am getting to hate these portals," Ted mumbles to himself before
> following Kyle into the unknown.
> [/Ted]

[Rod Black]
"I'm not much of a fan of them either." Rod replies as he heads towards the
portal, his hands on his TK-hammer.
[/Rod Black]

> [Talas]
> Talas runs over to the bolder that Lady Frost tossed at the stair-well
> pick it up and jams it well into the stair well.
> 
> Talas then turns to Osiris And says "Lord Osiris my friend, are you saying
> that you wish us to leave you behind?"
> [/Talas]

[Osiris]
Osiris hefts his gun with difficulty.  "I can buy you the time I need.  I'll
just be a burden... like this."
[/Osiris]

> [Talas]
> "Then my friend that rock and what healing I can perform should give you
> time to prepare for the battle to come." Talas then performs healing touch
> on Osiris multiple times. Just before Talas has to leave Osiris to his
> fate he says "My your god bless and protect you Lord Osiris." Talas then
> casts Impervious to Fire on Osiris and then steps through the portal.
> [/Talas]

[GM]
Osiris's bleeding stops, and while he is still suffering a grave injury, his
eyes become more focused and his grip on his gun a little stronger.
[/GM]

> [Bongo]
> "Noble death or not, Osiris, I don't leave friends behind..." Bongo
> growls.  "I'll be fragged if I bug out without so much as a 'thanks for
> the memories' and a smile."
> 
> He quickly slings his rifle back over his shoulder and reaches down to grab 
> hold of Osiris to drag him into the portal with them.
> [/Bongo]

[GM]
Even as Bongo begins to drag Osiris, there is another loud crack, and the
rock that Talas had blocked the passage with suddenly explodes into a cloud
of dust and rock fragments.
[/GM]

[Osiris]
"No, Bongo, my friend." Osiris says.  "This is the life I chose."  He then
frees one hand, puts it inside his pack and pulls out a scroll that looks to
Bongo's eyes like vellum.  "Here." Osiris continues, putting the scroll in
Bongo's hand.  "I should have shown this to you all a long time ago.  I
don't know whether it will help you at all or not.  Now get moving.  You're
out of time, and I plan on taking some of them with me."

With that he grabs his gun and aims into the middle of the settling dust
cloud, where a looming figure can now be seen.
[/Osiris]

[GM]
As Lena follows the others through the door, Phaeton stops in front of Bongo
and Osiris.  "You are wise, Cyberknight, and you do your order and oaths
great credit.  I do not think this is goodbye forever, though."

Then Phaeton turns to Bongo.  "The Cyberknight is right.  We must go now, or
the portal will be closed to us, and our fate, and that of the Megaverse,
will be sealed."
[/GM]

OOC: Just to be clear, everyone but Bongo, Phaeton and Osiris have passed
through the portal.  Well, I'm not too sure about Alex either.  At any rate,
I'm not going to beyond this point until I know what Alex and Bongo are
going to do... but NO PRESSURE!!!! ;-)

-- 
Aaron Clausen	mightymartianca at gmail.com

Palladium Rifts PBEM:
http://test.alberni.net/taocow/rifts_pbem/