Temple of the Ancients [open]

[Ethereal-Star]

Under the sweltering sun of the desert, lay the remains of an old temple. Called the 'Temple of the Ancients' by many, both travelers and locals alike, it consisted of what was once a glorious temple to gods long forgotten to mankind and other races. Its crumbling walls and what was left of the ceiling once boasted magnificent architecture that held many ancient artifacts, various trinkets, and old tomes which detailed some of the past goings-on of the temple life and those who used to dwell there, some of these writings still somewhat legible to the eye. However, most of what could be found here has been since looted and pillaged from many a desert raider or other type willing to brave the treacherous heat and dangerous beasts that prowled the golden sands far and wide. That being said, there might still be some items of interest lying around buried beneath the sands of time, just waiting to be unearthed and put to good use again.

It was here in these remnants of the past, a figure in bright red could be seen, rainbow-colored hair trailing down her back as she bent over something half-buried in the sand. A slight mistiness and dampness surrounded this feminine figure, as though she were not human but something else. For indeed, rainbow spirits were not often seen around anymore, for reasons only known to them. These mysterious, colorful spirits, for those who had come into contact with one, were known for their love of beauty and hopeful attitude, always giving a smile to brighten one's day with more life. Their zest for exploration was also somewhat known as there was no limit to where a person could find one. They came and went at their leisure and were gone just as swift as they came.

Vivid green eyes looked at the warm tablet in her hands, caressing softly its smooth marble surface of whitish-blue. There were writings inscribed on one side, in an old language Violet did not recognize. Most of it was intact quite surprisingly, but she still couldn't tell what secrets it might hold. The tablet was a beautiful work of art to behold, and frankly the rainbow spirit was surprised it was still here. Flipping it over, she saw the back of it was blank, just uninterrupted smooth marble that she touched with her fingers. The artifact was approximately six inches in length and almost that wide at about five inches. Violet would see something of this nature go in the hands of someone willing to preserve its beauty and honor it for the treasure it was, and not simply greedy for coin and riches as most mortals were wont to do. Sometimes archaeologists came here to see what they could dig up and catalog, although Violet sadly had not seen any around lately. It would be a pity for this to end up as part of some thieves' stash of ill-gotten gains, their only interest in such a piece was how much it was worth and not giving a damn about its magnificence beyond what they could sell it for. She would not stop any who tried though. Violet was not a fighter and wished not to involve herself in petty mortal conflicts as that.

Sighing, she bent down to put the tablet back where it was carefully, minding its fragility and straightened back up, continuing to gaze around at everything. The heat didn't bother her because of what she is. Mortal ailments like heat stroke and colds didn't affect the immortals. It could be seen as a blessing for those who didn't have that kind of fortune, but for Violet she wouldn't know otherwise anyway.

Just then, a lone figure on the horizon could be seen faintly. As it came nearer, the form seemed to shift and sway as though it were some kind of mirage, but Violet figured that was just the effects of the heat waves present in the air. Pondering whether or not she should stay or go, she opted for the former and simply waited as the person drew nearer.

[IcarusDescension]

Laurus balked at the glaring sunlight as it beat down relentlessly upon the small group of travelers, waves of heat reflecting off the saturated sand around them. It was all he could see for as far his eyes would reach: sand, heat, and sun. He had decided hours ago that he hated this place. Now he was past that. Now he genuinely loathed it.

The cool temperate forests of his homeland were where he belonged. What was he even doing out here? Strange how the worst ideas always sounded like such good ideas when still fresh. Of course this one had only been half his idea. True he was the one who had put in the tireless research that eventually led him to discover -or at least believe he had discovered- the location of the ancient ruins. However it had been his father's bright idea to outfit this little makeshift band of tomb raiders and go plunder the ruins for all they were worth.

That was so like his father. Archaeological value? Ancient cultures and historical knowledge? Frivolities. The world around him had value that equated quite logically and simply to its market value, or its usefulness to his purposes.

None the less Laurus had acquired the knowledge, and his father -as always- had his hands on the money, which had made them partners in this little venture. He wasn't sure if the fact that dear father had left him in charge of the expedition itself was evidence of how little faith he had in his son's research, or just that he had been too busy as usual with his various other business affairs to bother to be present. Perhaps both.

It mattered little. He had gotten his coin, that was all Laurus needed from the man. There had been a time when he was very young that he could remember a very different person from who his father was now -in those days the two of them had even been quite close. But those were just memories. He had been but a child then, and the tragedies that had befallen the family in the years since had changed them both. Now they were no more than businessman who happen to be related.

"Hey Twig-" The rude voice shattered his thoughts and he turned to the burly man to his left. Perpetually unkempt and with an odor that could be detected from across a room he was Laurus' least favorite among the group. The man he had hired to outfit this expedition had insisted on bringing his own crew, and it hadn't taken Laurus long to regret relenting on the issue. If only his father hadn't been so bloody thrifty with the coin purse then perhaps he wouldn't have had to fish from the bottom of the barrel...

"-you know what I think? I think you ain't got the faintest idea where we're goin's what I think," the man finished in his unfailingly eloquent fashion. He was holding some of Laurus' notes on the probable location of the ancient temple and was looking them over as if he had the slightest clue what they meant.

Laurus hadn't seen the man going through his things and made a mental note to keep a better eye on him. The nickname 'Twig' had caught on quickly among the band, though most of them only dared use it when they thought he wasn't listening. Partly he knew it was because of his slight build and delicate features, and partly he knew it was because of the strange markings that covered most of his skin. Too numerous to be birthmarks, they looked more like intricate tattoos. They weren't that either though, for he had been born with them. In fact no one really knew what they were. However they looked so very much like branches and vines in their shape and coloring that anyone who didn't know him would surely assume he had decorated himself in the heat of some odd nature fancy.

Ignoring the obviously provocative use of the nickname, he turned towards the man and replied calmly. "Do you now? Tell me something -I'm sorry what's your name again?"

The man seemed slightly offended, which suited Laurus just fine. "Dryke."

Laurus nodded. "Dryke, right. Tell me something Dryke... Can you even read?"

The other man shot him a dark look. "That's got nothin' to do with-"

Ripping the papers violently out of the man's hand Laurus continued in a calm voice. "I thought not. So since you likely wouldn't know a thing about it perhaps you should leave the thinking to  me and mind the horses like you're paid to be doing eh?" Without saying anything more he began ignoring the obnoxious man and returned the papers to his satchel.

For a moment the other man gave him such a venomous look he was worried he might have finally pushed him too far. Not that it would bother him terribly if he had to leave the disrespectful ingrate to walk half way across the desert or die of thirst, but it would be an inconvenient time to lose one of their number.

However it was then that the leader of the hired hands, a scruffy looking middle-aged man with graying hair who had given his name only as 'Dagger' intervened, turning around on his horse to look back at the two of them. "Dryke!" he called sternly. "Make yourself busy."

With obvious reluctance the burly man slowed his horse and fell back, giving Laurus some space.

"So Master Windshoal," Dagger spoke more calmly, addressing Laurus over his shoulder. "It's a long ride through an empty desert. Perhaps you'd be so good as to tell us something interesting about these ruins we're looking for? My men and I could use some distraction."

Windshoal wasn't his real name, but he had figured if 'Dagger' could use an alias he could as well. It wasn't the first time he or his father had come up with a business scheme that called for not involving the family name in any official manner. He had actually come to enjoy going by invented names, the anonymity held some entertainment value.

"Well it's really quite fascinating." The conversation topic did make a welcome distraction from the monotony of the desert, but in truth he seldom passed up an opportunity to talk on topics of archaeology and forgotten magics and cultures. It was seldom he ran upon others who were even interested, and even though he suspected his current listeners probably weren't in that category he could use their boredom to pretend for a time. It was enough to get him started.

"You see almost nothing is actually known about whoever built many of the truly ancient ruins in this region, but there's some recently unearthed documents which -although they're not nearly as old- are written by, believe it or not, an archaeologist who lived centuries before that was even recognized as a field of study. He was documenting an ancient people who I believe were exploring the foundations of what we understand as magic today-"

Dagger failed to suppress a yawn, and the man next to him started looking all-too-fascinated by a fly that was pestering the right ear of his horse.

Laurus scowled at the group, continuing on doggedly – his voice taking on a more forceful tone as if he could make the subject matter interesting to his audience by force of will alone. "What's fascinating is that this people believed that the universe is in fact made up of one pure form of quasi-sentient energy. That this energy is refracted and filtered through the spirits of those who occupy the universe in the same way that light is filtered and refracted by glass into various colors and forms. So that the physical universe we see around us, as well as each individual's unique use of magic, are actually this same energy as manifested by each unique soul. Even the world itself is a manifestation, so they claimed, of the great Earth Spirit-"

"Gripping," Dagger interrupted, calling the group to a halt with a gesture of his hand. "Sorry lad I have to stop you there for a minute, the horses need water..."

Everyone but Laurus leapt off their horses with poorly concealed relief, digging out their water skins.

Getting off his own horse a few moments later with a renewed scowl at his companions he pulled off his saddle bags and rested them in the hot sand. "Uneducated, street-born..." He mumbled under his breath as he shuffled through his belongings, pulling out maps and checking his position against his compass.

"Hey Dryke," spoke up the quiet man who had been staring at his horse earlier. "When do ya kick a midget in his parts?"

"I da know, when?"

"When he's standin' next to your woman sayin' her hair smells nice!"

The joke brought uproarious laughter from the whole group, with the notable exception of Laurus who only buried his attention further in his work and continued to mumble his contempt under his breath. "...simpleton peasants..." He frowned then as he finished double-checking his work, surprised as he estimated the distance they had traveled since his last estimate and where it placed them on his maps.

Dagger seemed to notice his perturbation "Everything all right there master Windshoal?"

"Fine," he replied curtly, then with a sigh, "It's just, if I'm right, we're very close to where it should be."

Everyone looked at him, suddenly frowning.

"I mean it's all very approximate of course, it's not like I have a treasure map with an X on it, but this is really flat land out here with good visibility and conversion from ancient units of measurement to modern distances has been quite well established... We should at least be able to see something by now I should think..."

"So what you're sayin'," Dagger replied, "is that we're wastin' our time lad. There's nothin' here."

He wasn't looking at them as he replied absently. "No, it's too soon to give up - much as I'd rather be back home than in this blasted oven. It's probably out here somewhere... Give me a minute to look over my notes, after all the slightest landmark wrong or mistaken translation..." He heard the sounds of belongings being packed up and men getting on their horses but he was already pouring through his notes and was far too focused for the sounds to really register.

It was only when a blunt object slammed hard into the back of his head that he realized something was very, very wrong.

Even though he was lying flat on his back the world seemed to be spinning out of control as if he was falling head over heals from a great height. He looked up, his vision blurry, as Dagger stepped into his field of vision.

"Sorry, young 'Master Windshoal,' or whatever your real name is, but I don't have time to waste traipsing all over this god-forsaken desert looking for your little temple or whatever. So this this going to have to be where we part ways."

He tried to move, but the world was still spinning wildly and his limbs felt like lead. "What... why?"

"Oh it's quite simple really, and I'll tell you not because I enjoyed being ordered around by your arrogant hide these past few weeks, but just to rub it in your face. You obviously don't realize it but someone's apparently been watching you pretty closely there lad. Shortly after you came to me with this little venture of yours someone else came to me with a much better offer - one that was actually worth my time. Apparently your father made an enemy in one of his little dealings that he shouldn't have. My real employer decided a great way to pay him back would be if his son took a little trip out to the desert and never returned. So they offered me several times what you did and here we are.

"Of course I figured just in case these ruins of yours actually did exist I should wait until we find them so I could leave your tied-up body and bring back a healthy little treasure of artifacts that I could sell for some additional profit -but it looks like this quest of yours was just a fool's errand. Ah well. If it's any comfort at least I won't be chopping off your head today. The contract specifically requires me to give you a slow, painful death and I figure dying of thirst in this miserable empty corner of the desert will do nicely."

With that said he walked away, placing Laurus' saddle bags back on the now-empty horse and then whole troupe was moving on -minus their supposed employer of course, who still lay dizzily staring up at the clear sky and its burning sun.

"Treasonous... backstabbing, ignoble vermin!" He spat at the departing group with all the volume his still-raspy voice could muster. "I'll see you all beg for death for this one day!"

Dryke sent a mocking wave over his shoulder. "See ya' round Twig."

     *     *     *     *     

He wasn't sure how far he had walked since he had regained the ability, or even where he was heading as he had long since lost his sense of direction and no longer had his compass.

"I'll just take part of what will probably be my last day on this earth," he spoke bitterly at the empty sands, "to pay my respects. I'll start with you dear father... Thank you for trusting me with this wonderful little expedition, as it's been so very rewarding. It was most kind of you to send me out here on a boot-string budget and then go and piss off some murderous rival shortly before my departure. That turned out wonderfully.

"I'd also like to thank my colleagues in the field of archeology whose tireless research and endless papers on the subject of expired cultures so clearly pointed me to this patch of lifeless bare sand which is so obviously a veritable hub of ancient ruins and treasures to delight the imagination, and-"

He stopped dead as he spotted something in the distance. Was that a patch of bright red? And a massive crumbling stone structure next to it -both shimmering in the heat waves but otherwise looking so temptingly real... How long had he been staring hopelessly in front of his own two feet, shuffling his way through the empty sands? He really should look up more often...

Then again, it was probably just another mirage not unlike the many that had been torturing his mind over the last few hours... Still, the last mirages hadn't been so big, nor so... colorful. He stared harder at the red blot of color. It looked... human-shaped.

As he got closer he was surprised to see that the large stone structure, with its mostly collapsed domed roof and still magnificent but crumbling spires, did not in fact vanish into thin air. Nor did the colorful shape beside it.

A relief so profound he lost the ability to speak flooded through him as he began to believe his eyes for the first time since he had been abandoned to the mercy of the relentless sun. Another human being, alive and in the flesh, he was saved!

The closer he got however the more a cold hand seemed to close around his joyous relief, as if to choke it out like a fragile beating heart. For although he wanted to believe he was looking at a real live human being -a woman from the looks of it - there was something decidedly odd about what he was seeing. It wasn't her appearance that was bothering him, for although her bright clothing and rainbow-colored hair was unusual (to say the least) for someone standing alone in the middle of the desert, she was certainly human enough physically.

Rather it was the fact that she seemed to shimmer slightly -as if she were there and yet not there at the same time. At first he thought it was just the heat reflecting off the sand again, but as he got closer he became sure that wasn't it. She was just faintly transparent -a little bit out of focus- as if she were a real person but he was looking at her through a thin veil of mist. In fact he even thought he could see her trailing mist at her edges. He frowned, not sure what to make of it. Perhaps she was a hallucination after all? Was the heat beginning to effect his mind, or was she using some strange sort of magic to appear before him perhaps? After all there were many disciplines of magic he had yet to encounter...

"OK so before we go any further," he blurted after closing to within a few feet of her, "are you real? Because I've had a really bad day and I just want to get any bad news out of the way up front, got it? So, what's the deal? You a hallucination, some kind of spirit haunting this pile of rock? Or is it just my eye sight going out from this blasted desert sun perhaps?"

[Ethereal-Star]

As the man drew nearer, Violet took in his appearance as he stumbled towards her in a thirst-deprived state. His white hair hung around his thin-boned face in unkempt tangles as he looked quite the worse for wear. What was really striking about him were the intricate vine-like patterns that encircled his arms and elsewhere on his body. Violet could tell they were of magical origin but she did not know the extent of what they might actually be. They seemed to pulse with an innate power or so she gathered. Regardless, the man looked as though he needed some help.

The rainbow spirit greeted him with a bright smile. "Hello there, traveler. You look like you're in need of some assistance."

At his question as to whether or not she was real, she merely let out a small laugh. "I'm as real as you are, good sir. However, if you're asking if I am human then the answer is no. I am a spirit of rainbows and the sky itself. If that marks me as real in your eyes, then I am glad."

Gesturing with a rosy hand, she indicated to the ruins. "Come, sit in the shade that these fallen structures provide and we shall converse more."

[IcarusDescension]

The sun-burnt man only stared at the cheerful spirit, the right corner of his mouth twitching oddly, as if his muscles were arguing over if he should be viciously scowling or laughing like a maniac. "Of course," he said at last, so casually and soft he might have gone back to speaking to himself. "Spirit of rainbows... sky... Who else might I have been expecting?"

Several assorted muscle spams later he seemed to regroup, finally holding up a hand as if lecturing at a podium. In a more formal tone he began again. "Now, madam sky spirit... You seem like just the most fascinating sort of spirit there could be and I'm sure there are countless scholars around the world who would love nothing more than the chance to sit and have a talk with you -and normally I would count myself among them. However I am indeed in need of a bit of 'assistance' at the moment and so if it's not terribly rude of me perhaps I could ask that we skip the formalities on this one occasion and mayhap you could contrive a way to extricate me from this most unpleasant hole in the posterior of this god-forsaken desert before I become a dessicated pile of bones?"

He took a breath then and tried to smile, but it came out more demented than pleasant. "Sound reasonable?"

A voice in the back of his head was lamenting, even as he wondered if the strange spirit had the ability to rescue him at all, that it would actually be a shame if he got out of there without even looking at the ruins he had come to see. Assuming the pile of rocks he was standing next to were the same. However at the moment the man cared only on getting back to someplace cool and with an ample supply of servants, food, and water. Now that he knew the ruins were actually here, he could come back later with a less traitorous group of aids and study the ruins and their strange colorful occupant safely...

[Ethereal-Star]

The rainbow spirit was not put off at all by his attitude for she could understand his plight to some degree. With another bright smile, she replied. "Of course, sir. I shall provide a quick exit to help you leave here." With the wave of a hand, she summoned forth a glistening rainbow, one end directly in front of them with the other end disappearing far off into the distance.

"If you simply will take my hand, we shall be off. This rainbow leads to the nearest human settlement nearby the city-state that is called 'Essyrn.' It will be a quick trip so no time to see the sights I'm afraid." she smiled again and held out her hand for him to take.

[IcarusDescension]

Laurus stared dumbly at the rainbow for a moment, then back to the spirit. There was nothing he wanted more than to be back to someplace cool and shaded, but he had never seen a mage or spirit who could summon traveling rainbows before. When he had asked for assistance he had envisioned a very different scenario. A rescue that involved things he was more familiar with. Surely the woman could have revealed that she had gotten hear by magical horse or something?

Was the rainbow some kind of portal? As methods of escape went, he wasn't sure that walking into some peculiar colorful portal that took the form of a common optical illusion was one with which he felt overly comfortable. Not that the strange woman seemed untrustworthy, but the whole thing was just so... Well, strange...

Then too there was the thought that what if the portal did work? He would end up without coin or possession on the streets of Essyrn -which would still be a pickle even if it was less of one than where he was now - and he would probably never see the perplexing spirit again. Now that rescue was a real, tangible thing he suddenly felt less sure it was what he wanted.

Did he really want to crawl back to his father in disgrace with not so much as his saddle bags to show for the journey? What if he couldn't find this temple a second time? It had only been luck that he had stumbled across it in his dehydrated desert meanderings.

Yet after further moments of indecisive pondering, his thirst and sun-burnt skin urging him in the direction of the colorful woman's hand, he decided that there could be only one rational choice. After all, he didn't even know if the crumbling ruins he was standing next to were the ones he was searching for or merely some forgotten building containing nothing of value to anyone. Surely it wasn't rational to risk one's life in a desert on such long odds. Maybe the spirit would be gone tomorrow for all he knew. No, he couldn't stay. He would just have to take his chances with the woman's unusual magic.

He narrowed his eyes at the spirit and her rainbow, then took a clearly hesitant step towards her. "Well I suppose that would be alright if... Well, you've, umm, you've tested this... rainbow of yours with non-spirits before yes? That is, it's safe for mortals such as myself to..." Then he trailed off as his eyes caught something poking out of the sand as if recently unearthed, perhaps by the desert winds.

"Is that..." Suddenly distracted he knelt down to pull a bit of marble from the sand not far from where the woman had been standing. His eyes grew wider the more he inspected the item.

It proved to be a tablet of some kind. The first side was blank, but when he flipped it over the breath left him as he saw writing. For the writing was not the mere scribblings of some modern egomaniac desperate to engrave his thoughts in rock for all of time. No, this writing was in a most ancient script. One that he was sure had only seen once before.

Unless he was mistaken, it was none other than the writings of a people so long dead their culture was erased from history itself - or would have been if not for the works of a few determined historians and archeologists that had lived well before his ancestors were even born. Their own work nearly lost to time itself and buried on dusty shelves when it was preserved at all. Writings from people who were destined never to be given the respect they deserved only because their subject matter seemed to have expired from history.

Until now. He had it. He was holding in his hands the first piece of evidence that this ancient people actually existed. Or at least, the only piece of evidence to have survived to the modern era intact.

Then he puzzled over it. How could that have been? It was far too unlikely to think that he had truly been the only human being ever to run upon this temple in all those countless ages. His mind raced as it tried to come up with explanations. Great structures, unless destroyed from war, were rarely torn down by time or conquering peoples. More often than not the new occupants would simply take out everything that gave evidence of the previous occupants, move in their own belongings, rename the city or building, and call it their own. Often even building over the top of older structures or sacred sites. Occasionally inventing their own histories and suppressing knowledge of those who came before them.

It was indeed possible that somewhere within, nearby, or possibly beneath this crumbling building lay an older site. There might be parts of the ruins closed off during construction or long since collapsed that were far, far older than the more recent relics pillaged during his own era.

If this theory was valid, he had just stumbled upon a treasure indeed. Items such as the tablet he held would be worth a great deal of money to the right people - and given the relatively excellent condition of the marble treasure he held it was possible there was an entire cavern or more of items the desert had sheltered to near perfection from the destructive hands of time. This changed everything...

He just had to figure out how to get at it. And of course while that would be more difficult on his own the rewards would be correspondingly greater - and he had already been betrayed once... Besides he was not without a certain set of tools he like to call his 'toys.' Hidden in carefully sewed pockets in his clothing just so as to prevent them from being lost in calamities such as mugging or betrayal by ones subordinates. As long as he had them he wasn't completely helpless.

He looked up suddenly at the rainbow woman, startled by the intrusion of reality once more into his thoughts. A frown crept across his face as he remembered that it wasn't as simple as all that either. He still had no supplies, and no way to get his himself or his treasure out of the temple even if he found it... One way or the other he would still need her help.

He glanced one more time at the rainbow woman. If she had said anything he hadn't heard her in his excitement over the tablet, but that was no matter.

-No, he scolded himself, if he wanted her help he would need to be careful to be more polite. First rule of business, never offend anyone you might need something from later. He mustered the most even, courteous voice his strained dry throat could manage. "You know... Do pardon my sudden procrastination here, but I was clearly unaware of your unique abilities you see, and may have mistook you for some more... common spirit. I'm assuming that you can you do that lovely rainbow trick of yours at any time, yes? -That is, perhaps I've been a bit hasty in my exit. You mentioned you wished to talk and perhaps it was unjust of me to so callously refused you a moment ago. Having reconsidered, I think it would be alright if we delayed our departure for a bit. -If you have no objections of course."

Yes this was clearly a better plan, he thought, proud of himself for mustering such a polite speech in his current state. After all who was to say the strange spirit couldn't spill some useful information on his little tablet? It was worth a try, and would give him time to see how far she was willing to go to help him. If she could appear magic portals perhaps she could do other things for him, things useful in learning the secrets of this long-forgotten temple...

[Ethereal-Star]

Violet waited patiently while the white-haired man took some time to think about her proposal, probably unsure as to the nature of the colorful portal itself and where it led. His attention was soon riveted to the object she had been examining before, the smooth marble tablet with the ancient language written upon its surface. As he stood studying it, Violet took that opportunity to speak.

"A beautiful artifact, isn't it?" she glanced upwards from the item being referenced to look at his sun-burnt face for any tell-tale signs of what his emotions might be regarding the piece. He seemed to be quite fascinated with the object he held. Whether he was admiring its beauty and construction or if he simply wanted to know its market value, the rainbow spirit didn't know. "Sitting all alone here in this vast desert with no one to appreciate the history behind its immense secrets. A wonder it is still here, I should say."

Glancing once more at the marble object, she responded to his query about not wanting to leave here just yet, apparently changing his mind. "It is of no objection to me. We can sit here and speak on matters you wish to for now, if indeed that is what you desire to do." With a flick of the wrist, the rainbow disappeared from view. "And yes, these rainbows are at my disposal at any time, day or night, rain or shine. Not to mention they are quite safe to travel, I can assure you."

Walking over to the nearest broken pillar, its white surface gleaming in the bright sunlight, some obvious patches of brown and black marring its surface in many places, the rainbow-haired woman sat down and patted the sandy ground next to her. The area in which she sat was covered partially by the shade of jutted rocks and other remnants of pillars in this section of the ruins, so it was slightly less hot, the sun not nearly as glaring here as a nearby broken wall obscured the blazing ball of light from their eyes. "Do you have a name?" she asked kindly, and cheerfully. "I suspect there's an interesting tale behind your journey here. I'm all ears if you wish to tell it."

[IcarusDescension]

Hesitantly, Laurus followed her over to the relative shade and cool offered by the ruins. The spirit seemed to have a perpetual cheer that he found unnerving, though he couldn't have said why. Still, as long as it worked to his favor he wasn't about to try to disrupt her gaiety. What he did need to do was direct the conversation to more useful topics. He hardly wanted to waste time rehashing the dismal misbegotten series of events that had led him to his present circumstances.

"Of course, how rude of me. You may call me Master Albran, of the house of Albran. Not that you might have heard of it before, being... Well, a spirit and all... As far as how I got here, well I wouldn't want to bore you with such a tale. As chance would have it, I believe I was looking for this-" He gestured to the ruins around them, then held up the tablet. "Or more specifically, for information on some of its... previous occupants."

His voice was cracking by the end, bringing his attention back to more present matters. "Lo good spirit, it seems I am parched, you wouldn't per chance have the ability to summon some water as easily as you can your rainbows would you?"

[Ethereal-Star]

"Well, Mr. Albran of the House of Albran, it's a pleasure to meet you. I dare say it's always lovely to find what one is looking for, yes?" And she gestured to the ruins around them. "A place of beauty still it is, I can only imagine how it must have looked in its prime."

At the mention of summoning water, Violet smiled. "But of course. I wouldn't be much of a rainbow spirit if I couldn't summon some rain, now would I? How would you prefer it? A nice drizzle or something more heavy falling?" As she said this, a light sprinkle began to form seemingly somewhere above Laurus's head and the area in which they were in, soft drops of clear rainwater falling swiftly down as though this weren't desert terrain at all. She smiled at him.

[IcarusDescension]

Laurus jumped at first as the raindrops fell upon him, after all who could have expected such a thing to happen in the middle of the desert under a blinding sun? Yet in but a few moments his surprise had been overcome by the sheer novelty of it and he found himself smiling and chuckling like a fool, holding out his arms and opening his mouth to literally drink it in.

How careless of him to have almost tossed aside this spirit woman! This was better than he had hoped! If she possessed this kind of magic then surely success would be his. He only needed to continue to play along while he figured out how to get at his treasure. Visions swam before his eyes as the cool water danced on his skin and wet his clothing.

Astride a great horse - better in breeding than any his family had ever owned - he would ride up to his family's estate. A contract already in hand to plunder the riches of this find, a contract which would of course give his family the lion's share of the profits. His father would be all but kissing his feet after such a return! Not to mention the increase in status he could secure for them with their newly acquired wealth. It could turn everything around. Finally, the respect he was due would be his! This was all after he had taken his own due time to study the ruins and learn their secrets of course.

Then his smile faltered as vision faded back to reality and he realized all of the water was going to waste around him as the parched ground eagerly drank it up. Little help the rain would be to him if he couldn't drink it himself...

Anger instinctively pushed its way towards the surface and urged a caustic remark towards his lips concerning the colorful woman and her magical rain, but looking at her still smiling face he realized she seemed completely oblivious to the practical problems with which her 'assistance' presented him. He wasn't sure if that made him more angry or less, but he knew he couldn't afford the emotion either way. Hadn't he just decided his entire future hinged on the spirit's help?

Pushing his anger back down, another solution to the problem occurred to him. He reached into the inner folds of his now damp linen shirt and pulled free the first of his 'toys.' It currently held the shape of a small hand mirror. He kept it in that shape when it was not in use for it made the 'toy' look innocent in nature and less likely to be stolen - not to mention it was easy to keep hidden on his person. However it was in fact much more valuable.

One of only three precious items he had acquired over the course of his life it held unusual magical properties and was no doubt worth a fair some of money itself. None the less he would never sell it. It was simply too useful, and he very much wanted to one day unlock its secrets. None of the discreet mages he had taken it to for analysis could yet explain how it worked, but he remained convinced he would figure it out one day.

He held the mirror in his cupped hands and closed his eyes, focusing on what he wanted it to become, sending the image into the object as he had practiced. Sure enough moments later he felt the usual sensation of something pulling at his innermost energies as the object fed off his own internal magic - transforming it to its own uses. When he opened his eyes he held a reasonably large bowl to catch the rain for him.

The strange object had its limitations of course. It could not become anything living or sentient, or he would have long since willed it to become a horse and been out of this mess. Also, the larger its form the more fragile it became. He could will it to become a small house, but a passing breeze might well blow it to pieces for all the stability it would have. He had almost broken his prize beyond repair at one point learning that lesson.

No, its greatest value was in the secret of how it could do what it did. If he could figure it out, then he could yet devise a way to transform his own pitiful magical talents into things far more useful...

Turning his attentions back to the present, he placed the bowl before him and watched the light rain ever-so-slowly begin to fill it. His thirst made him impatient however. "Perhaps a bit more rain might speed the process," he admitted.

"You know," he added as he remembered the woman's remark about the ruins. "It's interesting you mention the beauty of this place. I hope you don't mind my prying, but is that what brought you here I wonder? That is, have you visited these ruins often? I'd be fascinated to hear any stories you might have to share about them..." Not wanting to continue to stare at the woman's irritatingly sincere smile he made himself busy watching the rainwater slowly fill the bowl as he spoke.

[Ethereal-Star]

"Of course." Violet continued smiling and without seemingly doing anything, the rain began to fall harder now, with her simply willing it to, quickly filling the bowl up in a matter of seconds. "Better?" she asked Laurus.

"I come here sometimes, yes. Many places in the world hold much intrigue and beauty still. Beauty I hope to help preserve and if possible find use again for the good of the world. While I have explored these ruins before, most of what could be found here has since been looted by desert raiders and other lowly thieves. Unfortunately, not everyone is invested in the concept of beauty as I." Despite her words, her smile barely faltered as if she were simply blazing with inner hope and cheerfulness, an endless well that would never dry up.

"My kind love to explore, see how times have changed and with it the people. It is a marvelous thing to experience. However, I am rather young compared to some others of my kindred. Some have been around quite a lot longer than I have, while others are content to stay in our sky home. There are subtle differences between us, but overall we are all spirits of light, color and beauty."

The rainbow spirit turned her attention to the marble tablet Laurus had set upon the sand. "I would see this wonderful treasure go in the hands of someone deserving of it." she said. "I hope you are that somebody."

Remembering his earlier query about the ruins, Violet answered him. "I only know of a little, and it's not much. These ruins are what used to be known as 'The Temple of the Ancients', a once vast temple that spanned much acreage, being home to many priests and clerical types of the old gods. With the passage of time, people have long since forgotten them and the gods they once served though. Again, much of what could be found here is gone, but I suppose if one were to look hard enough, there might be other things buried here worth their time." she winked at him while saying this.

[IcarusDescension]

Laurus, who had once again opened his mouth at the sudden deluge and closed his eyes in relief as his body took in the much coveted water, none the less forced himself to pay as much attention as he could muster to the spirit as she babbled on about beauty and the 'good of the world.'

Naive ideals, he thought as he greedily grabbed the bowl with both hands and slurped its contents. Inconsistent with a world where men took what they wanted and the powerful ruled over the weak. Sure he had believed in such things once - but that had been a very long time ago, when he was but a young child and the world had not yet taught him better.

Yet he felt a sharp twinge in his chest when she talked of her hopes for him being the one deserving of the treasure. A subtle weight was there that had not been there before. Not guilt. No, it could not be that. After all what did he have to feel guilty about? He was no greedy lord who took others' wives to his bed and stole the land of peasants who did not have the means to fight back.

He was a merchant. He earned his gains through fair competition and being more keen and sharp of wit than the next man. These treasures he would see fair compensation for to be sure; but they would neither be desecrated nor destroyed. They would be sold to rich men who would appreciate their value and beauty. So in a way he was actually helping this rainbow woman and her cause...

So why would that feeling in his chest not abate?

He perked up immediately at the words 'Temple of the Ancients,' pushing aside his quandary. He could not remember that name from his notes and research, yet he was so sure he had recognized the writing on the tablet. The mystery deepened and his excitement grew.

If this was not the temple he thought it was then it might be anything - or nothing at all. Yet the spirit talked about it as if it had once been of great significance, and the presence of the tablet meant that surely it had some link to time period he had so diligently researched, which just as surely meant whatever he found here would be quite valuable.

This was the problem with digging into those parts of history time had buried or forgotten. So little was established, so little was truly known. Then again it was also what made it so exciting. Just for a moment he was a child again in his father's study pouring over old books and dusty histories. Just for a moment he almost forgot about treasure and market value. Almost...

"...I suppose if one were to look hard enough, there might be other things buried here worth their time," the colorful spirit finished with a wink.

Laurus stared at the woman intently over the rim of his bowl before setting it down, as if her face might tell him the significance of the wink should his eyes bore into it deep enough. His clothes were sopping wet by now but he barely noticed. It was still something of a relief after the burning desert sun in any event.

Sadly, he could excavate no secrets from the woman's perpetually cheerful face. He would have to play his cards carefully if he were to get this spirit to reveal what she might know. Not to mention securing her help in getting to the inner recesses of the temple...

"You don't say," he said casually, looking around as if inspecting the ruins once more. "You know, I just happen to enjoy exploring myself. And both of us with our love of beauty! Perhaps fate has brought us together for a purpose, don't you think Madam... I'm sorry, I do believe you have the advantage of me..."

[Ethereal-Star]

"You may call me Violet." the rainbow spirit said to him. "Perhaps fate has brought us together for this very reason." The rain continued to pour down in great buckets, yet it didn't seem to affect Violet as much, being a spirit as it were and of a misty appearance. Closing her eyes in contentment, she smiled at the feel of the rain all around them.

Opening them again, she gazed at Laurus, again wondering about his intentions. She didn't doubt that he had a fascination for such things, she could see it in his eyes. "Perhaps..." she intoned mysteriously.

Nodding to the tablet once more, Violet asked, "So, what can you tell me of this tablet here? You seem to be a knowledgeable sort about these things. I fear I myself cannot decipher its secrets, being written in such an old tongue of ages lost..." she trailed off from her sentence and looked up at him. "I've told you everything I know. There might very well be some items of value still lying around here for the taking. I do recall seeing a couple other things of note, but where they are now, I cannot say..."

[IcarusDescension]

[OOC: I got a little carried away with inventing some mythology here, sorry about that. I've always wanted to create my own culture and lore! Guess I got a bit off track... Let me know if any of it was over-the-top. Since it's all more or less anthropological guess-work and theories we can always contradict or disregard any of it you don't like. I'm not sure what you had planned for the origins of the temple?]

Laurus frowned at her last words, the rain still pouring down upon him. Was she telling the truth? Was that really all she knew about the ruins? He didn't want to believe it, but everything about the strange spirit, starting with her irritatingly stalwart smile, just seemed so authentic. He found it difficult to doubt her. He tried not to be too disappointed but it made him realize how much he really had been hoping to mine some information from his colorful companion. Now he was as much in the dark as ever.

It didn't matter, he told himself, she would still be useful in other ways. He couldn't help but sit a little taller though at his companion's observation of his knowledgeable nature. His opinion of the spirit went up another notch. Clearly she was a good judge of character...

"Well, now that you mention it, I have done a bit of looking into these sorts of things. Did you know that long before any of our own cultures took root in this region -" He glanced sideways at Violet as if suddenly remembering to whom he was speaking. "-Well, as far as us mortals go at any rate... That long before us there was rumored to be a culture of people who understood magic and science better even that we do today? These people believed in this single quasi-sentient universal energy of which everything in the universe was made up, directly or indirectly. Pockets of this energy would form, and through these pockets of sentience the universe as we see and interact with it is manifested in the same way that light becomes perceptible when it strikes an object or can be changed in form by passing through colored glass for example...

"So they might have said we are all a part of the same larger consciousness, simultaneously manifesting and experiencing the universe around us until our bodies fade and we once again exist as energy -as a part of the larger whole..." He barely stopped long enough to brush the water from his eyes before continuing. "Now what's fascinating about their little theology is that I believe they still may have worshiped a pantheon of sorts - which is almost unheard of in monotheistic belief systems as it seems so contradictory. However if we consider that even what we call gods could also be considered beings of concentrated universal consciousness then really it doesn't seem so illogical anymore! Take for example a reference once uncovered to some sort of an earth deity, it was referred to as a 'Great Spirit.' Which makes sense if they viewed this being as a spirit or soul made out of the same universal energy as our own but perhaps older, or just manifesting on a larger scale. For example if we were to look at the universal energy as the ocean and all of us as puddles then perhaps gods would be akin to vast lakes or some such. In fact in one reference this earth deity was attributing to manifesting the very Earth itself! And..."

The pale man trailed off then as if suddenly struck by the oddity of lecturing on ancient cultures to a spirit during a magical rainstorm under the burning hot desert sun while stranded during an archeological expedition. The passion in his eyes gradually faded and he smiled as if in bitter amusement.

Sputtering a bit of water from his mouth, he picked up the tablet then and idly brushed one hand over the ancient script as he remembered Violet's inquiry. "Although to be honest, I haven't a clue what any of that has to do with this tablet. Except that this writing seems so familiar I could swear I ran upon it during my research...

"If only we knew more about this culture, but you see to this date there's no real proof of who they were. Only a few inexplicably advanced structures from ages past that might have been built by them but no one can really say, some scribblings on walls that survived long enough to be written about before themselves being lost to time, and a lot of theories by archeologists and anthropologists who are long dead and were never taken seriously. All in all it doesn't amount to much... 'Temple of the Ancients' you said. Could it really be I wonder, are we sitting on one of the lost temples? Could there be proof of a forgotten people sitting buried under our feet at this very moment?

"This writing... I'm sure I've seen it before. That word means... 'ancient' or 'elder' if I recall. This one... 'knowledge' or 'wisdom'... Blast the empty heavens! If only I had my notes..." He tossed the marble into the sand again in frustration.

"If I hadn't trusted those ingrate peasant mongrels..."

[Ethereal-Star]

The colorful spirit rose an equally colorful eyebrow at his last words but chose not to pry. Right now, she was much more interested in everything else he had said. About a quasi-sentient universal energy which made up everything... About how certain aspects of it took more sentient forms and such...

Violet supposed that sounded in part a lot like her kind. Rainbow spirits themselves could be seen as sentient manifestations of light and energy. In fact that's exactly how it was. In regards to certain spirits being seen as gods, she laughed gaily as she remembered something from her youth. Well, youth for a spirit anyway, when she was only a mere couple of decades old.

"Your words brought up a memory from when I was much younger. One of my friends, a rainbow spirit like myself, had such an interesting story to tell. When he descended down to the earth some many years back, some mortals like yourself saw him and immediately likened him to a god. They actually went as far to construct a temple in his honor, calling him simply, "The God of Rainbows and Light", since he hadn't actually really revealed his name to them. These people had no idea he was just one of many, and not actually a god. Nonetheless my friend found great amusement in this as well as a sort of humbleness to the whole deal, and decided to play along with their offerings, prayers and rituals to him. It was a small cult gathering if you will, but at any rate, others they ecstatically tried to tell about this god whom they believed him to be simply waved away their ramblings, thinking they were mad. It's not surprising to me really. You yourself I could tell had no idea someone like myself could have existed before meeting me up front. Don't deny it, I saw through your doubt." she smiled at him to show it made no difference to her.

"But I actually really find this discussion to be fascinating. It isn't often that I meet scholarly types as yourself, and with such passion about their work as well. I suppose that is very refreshing in and of itself to be honest." She paused a bit, thinking about what else he had said.

"I think your theories about spirits being on a different scale than mortals but still comprised of the same energies which make up the universe to be a very astute observation. You're very right on that front, although I would not go as far as to call us gods of any sort. More so, we are caretakers and lesser manifestations of the different aspects of life and nature. If some wish to view that as a kind of god, so be it, but it isn't necessarily true. There are certain spirits of nature out there known as 'genus loci' that while they may be guardians of a certain place or locale, they are still just a spirit and not a god. Although if you wanted to view gods as ruling over their own special domains, then perhaps in a way we are, just on a smaller scale. Not all of us spirits are genus loci however, I am not as I move around quite a bit as you can plainly see." she chuckled a little, still smiling.

"Us spirits, unlike mortals also do not have families, at least not in the same way. Technically all spirits of a fashion could be seen as family to each other, bound by the life that flows through us and not simply blood ties alone. We do not procreate like mortals do as our births are quite different. We also cannot actually die, well at least not permanently. I may be young, but I will live on for ages as us spirits inevitably do. Some of us after a time merge more fully into the web of life, ultimately becoming completely one with it. When that happens not even the wisest of us can fully pinpoint what ultimately becomes of those who do. Perhaps they are reborn in another sense, or remain as they are. Perhaps they ascend to godhood." Violet shrugged, then looked at the white-haired man still sitting in the falling rain she had conjured up.

"Perhaps I can stop the rain now, that is if you're finished..."

When Laurus talked about wishing to have his notes with him, Violet spoke up again. "I can transport you to wherever you keep your notes if you wish. That way both of us can learn more about the wonders of this marvelous tablet."

Gesturing around her, the colorful woman went on. "Temple of the Ancients was the name given to these ruins by past archeologists that had explored these ruins many centuries ago. While more of it was still intact during that time, it was still in a crumbling state as you see before you. I of course, speak of things heard in passing, as I was not around during that time. Well, at least not in my current form." Violet smiled.

((OOC: Not a problem! Feel free to come up with whatever you like! I didn't really have anything super concrete figured out anyway. So, yeah go for it! I think I too went a bit overboard, hehe.))

[IcarusDescension]

Her sun-burnt and now drenched companion had regained his avid interest when the spirit began to go into the nature of her kind and he sat for a moment with a ponderous expression after she had finished.

'Curse my fortune twice over! If I but had my things I could not only gain the insight of my notes I could be making scores more of them!' He thought. The study of spirits and immortal beings was a bit off his primary field of study, but it overlapped in many ways and was not without interest.

At the actual offer to retrieve his things however he shifted uncomfortably. Not only was he not sure where the traitorous thieves who stole them might be by now, but he wasn't at all sure it would be wise to take this Violet woman anywhere near them. Should she realize he had come here in business with common archeological grave-robbers he suspected her help might evaporate.

Even so he winced as he began his declination; his notes would have been useful. "I... No. It would be a wild goose chase. I have no idea where the men who stole them might be by now. Such an errand would be a waste of your valuable talents."

He sputtered again under the deluge and spared a glance upward to where the miniature rainstorm huddled innocently smack in the middle of the burning desert sands, enjoying the novelty of it for a moment more. Then he took the bowl into his hands and tried to send it the image of a waterskin surrounding the water it already contained.

In truth he wasn't at all sure it would work, for he had not tried willing the object into flexible shapes such as a bladder before - and he half suspected it would spill the water everywhere in the process in any event. Yet to his amazement, after the familiar pull of energy he held a nice sized waterskin still full of water. He couldn't help a small smile at the accomplishment. It seemed he was getting better at this...

"...Seeing as how you mention it, it seems the rain has served its purpose."

Then, abruptly, he rose from their makeshift bench. "Well, daylight is a wasting I suppose. I don't suppose you wish to indulge your enjoyment of exploration and help me search these ruins for anything else which might prove useful?" He asked even as he began inspecting the stone and surrounding sands...

[Ethereal-Star]

"Very well." It seemed that Laurus was content to stay put for the time being without his research notes. She flicked her wrist towards the miniature raincloud over them and abruptly the rain ceased, the sand drenched but would quickly dry due to the relentless sun which beat down upon the land.

Looking at the now waterskin he held in his hands after its prior transformation to a large bowl, Violet nodded her head to the magic object. "Interesting object you have there. Where did you acquire such an item, might I ask?" she asked with curiosity evident in her tone. Objects that could change their shape and form to whatever the user desired were rare in this day and age. In fact, Violet couldn't recall seeing or hearing about many objects such as the one her companion possessed. Whatever magic they ultimately contained was a rare, and also beautiful thing in their evident mysteries. Violet would know more about this item if she could. Not because she wanted it for herself, as she had her own magics which were enough for her, mind you. She after all, is an explorer and lover of all things fascinating and unique. Unique was definitely a close enough word to describe such things, even if the magical object wasn't truly one-of-a-kind. But it probably came close.

Violet looked up at the sky then. She supposed the end of the day was drawing near, as the afternoon shadows lengthened upon the sand from person and fallen structure alike. "Yes, let's." She got up and took a look around, finger tapping her chin while thinking about where she had last seen something of interest.

"I believe I saw something you may like a little ways this way. Come." she motioned to another part of the ruins with a dusty rose-colored hand. "Let us see if it is still there. If fortune favors us, it will be there and intact as well. However, last I recall of it, it was wedged between some rocks and I didn't want to pry it loose for fear of damaging it." The rainbow woman began walking over to the left of where they had been sitting, the area noticeably drier in this part where the magical rain did not touch.

[IcarusDescension]

"Oh this?" He made a dismissive gesture before fiddling with his magic waterskin, trying to get the lip of the thing to stay lodged under his belt. "Long ago I ran upon it by accident while inspecting some wears a merchant was selling. He claimed they were from an ancient burial site of a long forgotten culture and worth a fortune, and so on and so forth. He was a fraud mind you and it didn't take me long to figure out as much. The kind of man who preys on those who have plenty of money and large empty estates and expediently solves both problems...

"In any event, normally I'd have laughed in the swindler's face before offering him coin but one piece, a small but beautiful looking vase, caught my eye. I inspected it further, imagining with desire finding the mark of Phedia or another renowned sculptor on its bottom, and even as I held in in my hands I felt a strange sensation - and there before my eyes lo and behold! The mark of Phedia himself appeared on the bottom of the vase where it had not been a moment before.

"Not being a fool of course I said nothing to the man, instead insisting that it was but the cheap knock-off it appeared to have been moments before. He clearly didn't realize it had magical properties for I eventually wore him down and got this beauty for a fraction of its worth!

"I spent the next few years throwing away the better part of my spare time (and far too much coin I might add) in consultation with various mages and magical craftsmen whom I can trust, trying to figure out how this little toy works. None of them could duplicate it, or even give me a decent explanation for it. It simply converts my own magical energies to its own uses somehow and does what it does."

His eyes blazed in pent-up frustration as he added, "but mark my words someday I will have the answers I seek. It's not sentient, which means someone at some point in time built this little tool. Someone who understood how to manipulate magic in a way few if any do today. Just imagine if I could unlock it's secrets! A man with even the most useless and feeble magical abilities might suddenly find his talent very useful indeed! He could-"

Laurus stopped then, startled to realize how much he had just blurted out. Not only had he managed to jabber the entire time it took them to reach the rocks to which Violet had been leading them, but he was suddenly conscious of the fact that he was getting into very dangerous territory. His own motives for wanting to learn the secrets of ancient magics were *not* things he should be casually sharing with a spirit who seemed to have a thing for integrity and excessive virtue. Not that he had any plans to take over the known kingdoms or any such nonsense, but he had no ideas to open a mission either...

"-why, he could do just about anything I imagine! No doubt help countless people and all that..." Anxious for a quick change of topic he looked around for the object to which she had led them.

[Ethereal-Star]

"I'm certain you'll find somebody one day who could help you solve the mystery of that item you have. You just need to keep a positive attitude. Everything will work out in its own time. No matter your reasons for doing so..." she smiled at him, trailing off mid-sentence before looking around a bit more for the object she had mentioned seeing earlier.

Violet then spotted something over by a pile of rock and other debris, a white and black swirled piece of something sticking out from the rubble. "Ah, there it is!" She gestured with her hand and pointed to the object in question. There amidst the rocks was lodged an elaborate vase, mostly white with black swirl markings covering most of the surface, cracked in several places but otherwise appearing unbroken. However, getting it loose could be a problem.

[IcarusDescension]

Laurus exhaled in obvious desire at seeing the vase. He made his way through the rubble at a careless pace, climbing over granite he suspected had once made up the mighty walls of the vast structure. This vase may well have been sitting humbly in a room at one point before the collapse of the structure had nearly crushed it to pieces. Indeed he thought the ground felt more level beneath his feet here, despite being covered in a layer of sand like everything else.

Unfortunately, the very forces of providence which had saved the beautiful object from total destruction had also greedily claimed the object for all of time it seemed. The rubble around it had collapsed in such a way that a shelf of stone, the remains of a column, and several other large pieces of debris had braced each other as they had fallen. They very nearly crushed the vase - but not quite. What made the situation such a mind-rending puzzle was that just by looking one could guess the calamity that would result from moving even one of the critical chunks of stone. Yet without doing so getting at the vase seemed unlikely at best. Oh it could probably be done with enough effort and ingenuity, he admitted, but not for the first time he began to realize why archeological expeditions were not attempted solo.

Laurus felt his fingers tighten until his fits became white balls of flesh. "Positive attitude you say?" He gave the woman a tight smile. "You know what would help that? Perhaps you could simply teleport that little jewel out of harms way with one of your rainbow tricks before the stone crushes it or I get crushed instead trying to get to it, yes?"