Miriam needed only a moment to overcome Anai's seductive voice – in part due to her own strong will and in part due to experiencing Kelly's aura. She looked at the resurrected Queen impassionately. She's hot, I'll give her that. I wouldn't mind bending her over and pounding her ass, then letting Taia do the same. “Congratulations on getting back to life.” Her deadpan voice made it clear she did not mean a single word she just said. “Now, what is it that you need from us, and what are you offering us in return?” She asked without agreeing to anything.
@Tjf @asddas193 @majus @Regin34 @moonblack "Foolish girl!" Kelly chided herself at the seeming resurrection of Anai. The wife and teacher was no strategist or fortune-teller, but she felt she should have seen something like this coming. She wondered why she hadn't just gone home with Max once she'd found him. While she hadn't been a great help during the group's descent into Anai's tomb perhaps her absence would have changed things. "It might have gotten them all killed." She chided herself again. What was done, was done, there was no changing it now. Despair and failure clutched at Kelly's soul; she felt like she'd failed Isis and was despondent with regret. She thumbed her wedding ring and shook her head, self-pity and sorrow wouldn't help now. Kelly rose to her full, unimpressive, height and waited until everyone else in her make-shift group had replied to the resurrected Anai. "You betrayed our sisters." She stated. "You betrayed our Goddess. You killed our sisters. Your actions killed how many more!? And for what? Your own selfish power? Your own vainglory?" Kelly shook her head again and stood next to Natasha. "You lie to get what you want and hold no bond as sacred." She thumbed her wedding ring again. "What reward could you possibly offer that would make me help you?"
He feels a strange burst of vigor, as her eyes fix on him. "Help me gain my true power, and you will have all of this - and more." She promises. (Yeah, the companions are there) "I need you to do a single task - split into groups. Not far from here, you will find three sarcophagi. Destroy them, and I will be able to ascend." Anai's expression darkens as she hears Natasha. "And why is that? To destroy me? Be quiet, little girl, before I make your dreams of being paraded about a reality." She threatens. She repeats her request, smiling at Miriam. "I will offer you what you want. Greater power? Wealth? Knowledge of the arcane?" She smirks at Miriam. "Willing, beautiful slaves?" The queen looks at Taia and grins. "I see you've already started collecting some of your own." "Your mistress is weak!" Anai laughs. "I offer you the chance to serve a true mistress - one with true power." Kelly feels Ben and her bodyguards behind her, backing her up. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anai looks over the group. "You have a choice - do as I say, and claim the reward, or try to destroy me. I assure you, though I don't have my full power, destroying me will be no easy task..."
Natasha smile to hersellf, hearing Anai words about sarcophagus. "She want us to destroy them so it mean she is not able to do that on her own. It also means, these sarcophagus are hold her, probably by sacrifice of guard to prison her." She said smiling to Kelly. "We must protect these sarcophagus. Come Kelly, maybe we will find more clues." She said to girl.
“As you noticed I am doing fine collecting servants on my own,” Miriam intentionally did not use the word 'slaves' “so sorry, Queen Anal,” she intentionally misnamed the resurrected queen “but I'll need something more than words and empty promises that you likely won't even keep once you have what you want. Why can't you destroy the sarcophagi yourself, anyway? Surely if we can do it, someone as powerful as you can do it as well... right?”
"That's it? I don't suppose whatever's in those coffins are going to pop to life, the moment we approach, are they?" Mori/Akrem replied, checking how much ammo, and grenades he had left.
Anai grunts angrily, her brow lowering in a scowl. "Foolish mortals... While those sarcophagi still exist, I'm bound to this room. They're filled with corpses - empty, lifeless corpses." Checking his ammo, Mori sees that he has two magazines and a grenade left.
Natasha decided to try playing on ego of Anai, no matter if she is powerful godness or queen, people in power are most the same. " I guess in these sarcophagus are people who last time bound you and imprison themselves together with to keep watch on you. It must be a big shame to be catch by some unknown guys." She said teasing her, hoping that she tell their names. With all ghost here, it would be easier for them to call by their names, to get some help.
“Then the solution is obvious – we leave you to live your new life stuck here, in this room, and go home. And we destroy the exit on the way out, just in case.” Miriam shrugged at the queen's words. “This trip has already given me more than I expected, I see no reason to waste my time helping you based solely on your empty promises, queeny.”
Spoiler: Deception Roll D100: 53 (Minor Success) Anai scowls. "Those fools had nothing on me - if it wasn't for Set, I'd have never fallen. Only Zatosh had any competence, and he alone wouldn't have been strong enough to defeat me." She names one of the guardians. "Then my solution is equally obvious." Anai narrows her eyes at Miriam. "I break you - here and now - and call for some other fools to make their way here and release me."
Natasha write inside her mind name Zatosh. There isn't all three, but still it is good. She grab Kelly hand and go with her deeper into tomb, hoping to find help of guardians. If queen Anai wasted her time trying talking to them, she isn't so sure her victory. "Miriam, Mori, come with us too. We will solution once and for all." She said to group.
“Oh, please. Do you think I am stupid?” Miriam rolled her eyes at the threat. “If it was that simple you wouldn't have called us; instead you would have called fools that would actually free you. You clearly do not have luxury of choosing who finds this place, so no matter how many times you call people to you, it might always end the same way. Or worse, you might call the wrong people and they destroy the entrance, trapping you here permanently.” She pointed out. “So how about you stop it with the empty promises and equally empty threats, and instead offer us something more tangible as proof that you are not going to double-cross us later?” Miriam chose to wait and hear Anai's answer before trying to follow after Natasha.
For a moment, doubt entered Kelly's mind. Anai was powerful, that much was obvious, and how much did she really know of the goddess Isis? She'd be a priestess for all of what five days? Was she really so ready to risk her life and Max's life trying to destroy this woman? Even with her guards she was almost certain it wouldn't be enough. She found herself wishing for the assistance of the Troll and Minotaur from before. But her doubt lasted only a moment. She had to oppose Anai, she had to bring the woman to justice. There was no telling what would happen if she was set free. @asddas193 Kelly's eyes found Akrem and she frowned. The man seemed to be Anai's willing ally. And with the firearm in his hand that alone might be enough to kill all of her guards. @moonblack Miriam's idea of leaving and sealing the way seemed sound, but that wouldn't stop Anai from calling others. And even if it took two thousand more years, eventually she'd be found. Once that happened... who could tell the result. @Regin34 Natasha was pulling at her arm, trying to get Kelly to go with her, they could look for help, but who was there to help them? How many had died trying to get there? How many more would die if they tried to make their way back? @majus Beatrice seemed to still be mulling over Anai's offer and Kelly wondered if they chose to fight if they'd have to fight Akrem and Beatrice too. But she had to fight. Her Goddess demanded it. "Isis is a goddess. You are just a woman. No. I will not help you."
"Hey, hey, just a few minutes ago, you also seemed like an empty lifeless corpse to me." Mori/Akrem shrugged, looking around to see how the others reacted. Hmm, guess they aren't as in to the idea as me. He thought to himself, leaning toward Eloise. "What do you think? Should we take her offer, or wait for whatever these guys have planned?"
Eloise whispers back. "She seems kinda sketchy to me, personally..." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@majus .." The ancient queen frowns. "So be it..." Suddenly, she begins to expand, before clones emerge from her, identical, and one for Akrem, Miriam, Beatrice, Kelly and Natasha each. "Now, I shall show you true power." The copies begin to advance on the explorers.
"Wait, what now we're fighting?" Mori/Akrem groaned as a copy seemed to he advancing toward him. I don't suppose she's trying to seduce me on a more personal level? He thought to himself, trying to determine if the clone was hostile. If the smuggler felt threatened, he attempts to shoot at the clone's head.
Kelly was most certainly surprised by the appearance of the group's doubles. She backed up towards her guards and hoped they'd be able to shield her from Anai's attack while her eyes darted around looking for something, anything that might be able to help. "Max," she called to her husband. "What do you know about her?"
Hopefully by creating the copies she also split her power between them... Miriam took out her gun – it felt like forever ago when she had taken it from the dead men – and prepared to defend herself. She also looked at Taia. “Any suggestions?” (Night!)
Natasha smile and get ready her spear for coming for her clone of queen Anai. "So it look like everyone have to fight on own. Good luck to everyone!" She said and throw granate at queen squad.
