"Tell me again what exactly it is you intend to do, here?" The tired voice of Joey Blaese asked the question for at least the fifth time since they had returned to a secretive place. "And why, exactly, we had to come all the way back down here to do it?"
"I lost something valuable in Dante's Abyss," the hellspawned centaur growled. "I intend to get it back."
"Yeah, yeah, okay...but why did we have to come back here for that?" the mechanic snapped. "We could've gone anywhere for you to do you weird magic mumbo jumbo, couldn't we?"
"This place is secret, and isolated." The calm, cold voice of Joshua Graham was the response this time. "Whatever arcane rituals she has in mind can be done here uninterrupted and unobserved, by all but the most omniscient of gazes." The pale blue eyes of the burned man blinked once, his head swiveling about almost robotically to face Altanis. "Is that not correct?"
"Hmph... Your wisdom remains as sound as ever, mister Graham." The centaur merely flicked a finger in something approximating a gesture of agreement. "I require some secrecy and safety for what I am about to attempt. A place with only one path in or out is a boon to such things, as is having some...dependable eyes watching that path."
"Gee, you hear that, preacher man?" Joey drawled. "We're dependable now. Really movin' up in the world, aren't we?"
Graham simply gave a tired shrug. "You should know by now that any kind of positive reference is not lightly given, from her."
"Enough idle chatter," Altanis snapped, brushing her way past the other two and into the heart of the underground complex. She stared up at the crude stone effigy to Darkseid still dominating the chamber. "Now it is time for work to be done." She lowered her gaze, turning to look back over her shoulder. "Mister Graham. Miss Blaese. Go keep watch over the entrance, and make sure that the cache of supplies we requisitioned on the way back are intact after the trip."
"Yeah, sure thing." Joey groaned, getting up to her feet. "I can go do inventory, or whatever...too tired to keep much of a watch on anything."
"Then I will keep alert enough for both of us, while you get some much needed rest." The burned man reached down to pick up his satchel, slinging the worn strap over his shoulder. "You haven't rested properly since before we left for Dante's Abyss."
"I know, I know. Just..." As she shuffled slowly out of the room, the mechanic rubbed her face with both hands. "...not really pleasant thoughts running through my head, y'know? Hard to get any peace and quiet up there."
As her two companions retreated further toward the entrance of the underground complex, Altanis returned her attention to the effigy to Darkseid. "What a repugnant mockery..." she hissed, and lifted a hand up. With a grasping motion, she let loose a rippling wave of telekinetic force that folded around the towering statue like a blanket.
Then she squeezed.
The smothering tele-blanket constricted like so much coiled rope, tightening and crunching the stone within it. It was a slow, gradual effort, the stonework being unnaturally sturdy and resilient. "You think you are strong enough to do as you like..." Baring her teeth, the demonic creature let out a snarl as she clenched her hand into a fist.
The rock shattered into fragments and powder, scattering and flying all over the room and blanketing the floor in dust and rubble. "You are nothing."
"I lost something valuable in Dante's Abyss," the hellspawned centaur growled. "I intend to get it back."
"Yeah, yeah, okay...but why did we have to come back here for that?" the mechanic snapped. "We could've gone anywhere for you to do you weird magic mumbo jumbo, couldn't we?"
"This place is secret, and isolated." The calm, cold voice of Joshua Graham was the response this time. "Whatever arcane rituals she has in mind can be done here uninterrupted and unobserved, by all but the most omniscient of gazes." The pale blue eyes of the burned man blinked once, his head swiveling about almost robotically to face Altanis. "Is that not correct?"
"Hmph... Your wisdom remains as sound as ever, mister Graham." The centaur merely flicked a finger in something approximating a gesture of agreement. "I require some secrecy and safety for what I am about to attempt. A place with only one path in or out is a boon to such things, as is having some...dependable eyes watching that path."
"Gee, you hear that, preacher man?" Joey drawled. "We're dependable now. Really movin' up in the world, aren't we?"
Graham simply gave a tired shrug. "You should know by now that any kind of positive reference is not lightly given, from her."
"Enough idle chatter," Altanis snapped, brushing her way past the other two and into the heart of the underground complex. She stared up at the crude stone effigy to Darkseid still dominating the chamber. "Now it is time for work to be done." She lowered her gaze, turning to look back over her shoulder. "Mister Graham. Miss Blaese. Go keep watch over the entrance, and make sure that the cache of supplies we requisitioned on the way back are intact after the trip."
"Yeah, sure thing." Joey groaned, getting up to her feet. "I can go do inventory, or whatever...too tired to keep much of a watch on anything."
"Then I will keep alert enough for both of us, while you get some much needed rest." The burned man reached down to pick up his satchel, slinging the worn strap over his shoulder. "You haven't rested properly since before we left for Dante's Abyss."
"I know, I know. Just..." As she shuffled slowly out of the room, the mechanic rubbed her face with both hands. "...not really pleasant thoughts running through my head, y'know? Hard to get any peace and quiet up there."
As her two companions retreated further toward the entrance of the underground complex, Altanis returned her attention to the effigy to Darkseid. "What a repugnant mockery..." she hissed, and lifted a hand up. With a grasping motion, she let loose a rippling wave of telekinetic force that folded around the towering statue like a blanket.
Then she squeezed.
The smothering tele-blanket constricted like so much coiled rope, tightening and crunching the stone within it. It was a slow, gradual effort, the stonework being unnaturally sturdy and resilient. "You think you are strong enough to do as you like..." Baring her teeth, the demonic creature let out a snarl as she clenched her hand into a fist.
The rock shattered into fragments and powder, scattering and flying all over the room and blanketing the floor in dust and rubble. "You are nothing."