Memoirs of a RAFian

[Cloak]

Richard? Didn't I make it more vague?

And -- oh! -- we're over 4,000 replies in this thread.

Now, new chapter.
 

CHAPTER THREE:
Lacking Information

Cloak's eyes snapped open. He usually was very cranky when his meditation was interrupted. But this was different. He sensed a power that was somewhat reminiscent Garrotik's, but nowhere near his level. It was more akin to Cloak's power level, more or less. It wasn't exact science this power-level-sensing schtick.

But it was enough to make him forget his crankiness, to make him stand and consider this new development. Whoever this power belonged to . . . it was not good.

And Cloak was not alone, all the other felines sensed it, too. They were on edge -- as they should be. . . .

***

The trio may have ran at the sight of the Lord of Phantoms, but that did not mean they escaped. They found themselves standing stock still after a few seconds -- they had nearly made it to the gate. But they weren't the ones that told their bodies to do that. They found that they could no longer move of their own accord anymore, they could not speak of their own accord, and their eyes were dilated.

They, rather stiffly, turned around and calmly, but rather rigidly, walked back to Regiphaetos. The trio did not want to do this, but they were unable to stop themselves from doing so. Their bodies were acting of their own accord!

"What manner of squishy beings are these?" Regiphaetos said, his voice rather like Pariah Dark (from "Danny Phantom"), upon seeing the three prepubescent humans. "Of the same species, yet with so much physiological differences. What are they called?"

"They are called 'humans', m'lord." Herb said, but he sounded as if he was speaking from the bottom of a deep well. His green eyes dilated, but having a small indigo light flashing every now and then from within the pupils. It was the same with the other two.

"Humans?" Regiphaetos said, tapping his headpiece thoughtfully. "This creatures could prove useful to me. Useful for the primary goal. . . ."

"What is your whim, my Lord?" Wesley said, sounding as if he were in a different, but equally deep well as Herb.

Regiphaetos said nothing for a moment. Then he addressed Wesley -- or, rather, whatever was possessing Wesley's body.

"You, eidolon imp," he said. Eidolon imps were the personal minions of Regiphaetos, separated and unaffiliated with the Eidolon Consciousness.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Leave that fleshy sack."

"As you wish, my lord." he said, at once. It seemed as if Wesley's body should have shuttered or twitched or something like that. But nope. No physical reaction from the depossession. But Wesley's fear flooded it within moments of the depossession, and he wanted to run.

But, he didn't want to abandon his two friends. He hesitated, and, within moments, he lost control over his body. Regiphaetos decided to experience the human experience by briefly inhabiting a human body.

"Hmmmm . . ." Regiphaetos said, appraising the body. His voice was indistinguishable from the real Wesley's voice. Then he fell to the ground, trembling. "Eidolon imp, prepare to retake this 'human'."

When the switch happened, the Regiphaetos spoke, "Pathetic creatures. Unable to house me without endangering themselves with death. In any case, this was a momentary distraction. I nearly forgotten the real goal, in my curiosity about these creatures of flesh."

[Cloak]

Guess Saffa is busy.

New chapter.
 

CHAPTER FOUR:
Plate Hunters

"It appears that I will not be able to disguise myself, to ensconce myself in one of those fleshy sacks," the Lord of Phantoms said. "My momentary habitation of that human told me that he feared me."

"He still does, m'Lord," the Wesley-inhabiting eidolon imp said.

"As does this human," the Jo-inhabiting eidolon imp said.

"This one does, too," the Herb-inhabiting eidolon imp said.

"Yes," Regiphaetos said, thoughtfully, uninterested at the three from interrupting him. Then he made a sweeping motion with his left arm, and fourteen more eidolon imps materialized before him. "Yes, this should do."

He addressed the three that were ensconced within the kids, "You three may use those foolhardy humans that you're wearing as long as may be necessary. Discard them as soon as the circumstance calls for it. They are expendable."

Then he addressed all the seventeen eidolon imps gathered, "Now you -- all of you -- go! Procure the other plates, procure my sisters and brothers. Use whichever these saggy bags of flesh -- these 'humans' -- you need to complete this objective. Kill them if you have to. The plate acquisition is paramount. Your touch will not awaken them from the plates, I believe. It may take more to accomplish that."

His yellowish-orange eyes sparkled malevolently, and, from his manner of speaking, it was clear that he was now smiling, "My siblings are just lucky that I sleep so lightly."

No one dare make mention of the real time duration of his hibernative sleep.

"What are you waiting for? Go! Go go go! You already ruin the atmosphere by not doing so after I spoke!" Regiphaetos said. Apparently, he was feeling testy now.

***

Cloak could not relax. He could not calm down.

Just because the power level he sensed wasn't as strong as Garrotik's was the last time they met didn't mean that this couldn't have been him again. He could have risen again, just like last time. And it could be his fault again. . . .

Cloak was well aware that he wasn't thinking rationally, and he stopped himself from pacing like the anxious tiger that he was. He was letting his worry, his fear, his doubt get the better of him. He had to calm himself and look at this rationally.

While the power he had sensed could have possibly been Garrotik, by the very same token, it could very well not be him at all. The individual in question may very well have no connection to that foul beast. Cloak was getting himself worked up over what very well may be nothing. He could be jumping to negative conclusions without any real proof.

This . . . didn't work. The anxiety remained in Cloak's body, like some detestable parasite, gnawing on his body, mind and soul every so often.

[Cloak]

New chapter.
 

CHAPTER FIVE:
Plate Placement

Cloak was getting rather antsy, so he left his thread and stormed away, mind reeling with the possibilities. The terrible possibilities. He went to Yarin's ship, and he was clearing out some junk that had accumulated on it in the past few days.

The Nyac jumped as Cloak approached.

"Guilty conscience?" Cloak asked.

"That's entrapment," Yarin said, absently dodging the question.

"High-strung, then?"

"You walk too quietly, that's all," Yarin said, hefting a cardboard box in his lower set of arms. He held a broom in his upper right hand.

"I'm a tiger," Cloak said, a tad pedantically. "We all walk quietly. It's in our nature."

"Suuure, it is," the Nyac said, distractedly. He was clearly more interested in the housekeeping of his ship than the conversation. Normally, that might have irritated Cloak, but the Realm Walker was in a more ambivalent mood just now.

While Yarin when back to his rather thankless work of housekeeping*, though it was just the finite area of his ship, and it wasn't a particularly large ship. But Yarin didn't mind, as his ship was his absolute pride and joy. Without question.

Then Cloak noticed a strange violet plate the size of a serving platter, just laying haphazardly over a nearly overflowing, cubic, cardboard box. It puzzled him, as he had never seen it before, yet it seemed oddly familiar. It reminded him of one of Arceus's plates, to which the Pokemon's life is connected.

"Where'd you get the plate from?" Cloak asked.

"That? I dunno." Yarin said, turning to scrutinize the plate. "It's more like an armor plate. You had me thinking of a dinner plate."

"In any case," Cloak said, attempting to keep the conversation on point, "how'd it wind up here?"

The question wound up never being answered, as Cloak heard a subtle sound, a sound rather like a vacuum powering down, only quieter and nearly unnoticeable. Cloak looked around and saw, to his apocalyptic fury, that Code Avalon shut down.

"Who's on monitor duty?" he growled.

"Rotiart, I think." Yarin said in a tone Cloak was convinced was far too genial for the situation.

"Rotiart?" Cloak said. He tried not to seethe with rage. "ROTIART? Hasn't he proven himself too immature and derelict to duty to be entrusted with such responsibilities?!"

"I thought he could handle it," Yarin shrugged.

"WHAT?!" the Realm Walker's voice intermingled with a tiger's roar. "You vouched for him?"

"I thought he deserved a second chance."

"He's had at least seven 'second chances'! I don't know why -- who are you? What are you doing here?" Cloak said, attention snapping from Yarin to an intruder. It was teenager dressed like a punk or delinquent.

She said nothing, but snatched the plate and made a run for it. Cloak wasn't about to let her get away with this, and gave chase. He didn't know why, but he knew the plate shouldn't leave RAF custody.

When he eventually overtook her, he realized that she tripped and she seemed to be confused, not aware of where she was. Several minutes later, Code Avalon kicked back into activation. Cloak glowered at it for a bit, before throwing the girl an appraising look. She looked to be genuine in her confusion and her dazed state.

There could only be one conclusion: she was being controlled in some way. Whether by mind control or possession or some combination of the two, it was unclear at the moment. But there was one thing that was crystal clear.

The Plate was gone.


*As a housekeeper myself, I feel that I can say this. That housekeeping is one of the more thankless jobs in my country.

[redtailedsaffa]

Why is Rotiart even on the duty roster?

[Cloak]

Second chances, Saffa, as he was showing some improvement, but nothing really big enough to warrant a leap. Helen was really behind giving him a second chance, in a way. Having a big heart can sometimes be a fatal flaw, if one is careless with that compassion.

New chapter.
 

CHAPTER SIX:
Collection of Plates

While Rotiart's fate was left to the investigation by the mods (with both Cloak and Saffa livid that he was even on the duty roster due to his past shirking or flippancy of important responsibilities), the eidolon imps were busily searching for the plates.

The gray one was found in a quarry, and the eidolon imp used the body of the quarry's foreman to obtain it. But had to discard his body for a young schoolteacher when the foreman's quarrymen employees began to prove to be obstacles in bringing the plate to Regiphaetos. Then he had to duck into the body of a minor when the young woman's fiancee came up to be all lovey-dovey with her. Then it takes over the rock-climbing enthusiast when the minor's father begins to hinder his progress, and succeeds in presenting the gray plate to Regiphaetos.

At the same time, the sapphire blue plate was found in the deep end of an indoor pool. A different eidolon imp used the body of a ten-year-old girl to procure the plate, but then fumbles with it outside the pool, and, instead of dealing with this and the girl's three pretentious older sisters. The eidolon imp withdrew into a foppish dandy womanizer, and gave the woman he was romancing the cold shoulder when he went to retrieve the plate. It was a bad move as the woman happened to be loud, and unafraid to make a scene. So the eidolon imp ditched the womanizing scum and leaped into a suave, romanticizing guy. He easily retrieves the plate and begins to walk out. He accidentally drops the plate as he walked out, eventually retrieving it in the body of a luchador. Then it uses the body of a waiter to take the plate when it discovered the luchador body attracted too much unwanted attention for the eidolon imp's tastes. But the waiter's boss was a tyrannical piece of work, so the eidolon imp quickly abandoned the waiter's body in favor of a beach bum's. It found that this was easier for a while, until he left the beach, then he stuck out like a sore thumb. His body was deftly abandoned in favor of a stuffy, snobby chef. It was in this body that the eidolon imp succeeded in its endeavor to get the blue plate to Regiphaetos.

Scarcely a minute later, the electric yellow plate was discovered, in the electronics department of an old thrift store. A new eidolon imp discovered it, and used the body of a retired Army lieutenant to procure it. But when he tried to leave without paying for it, the eidolon imp -- in effort of trying to avoid unwanted attention -- set the plate on the counter and ditched the old soldier's body for the cashier's rocker-like body, complete with earring stud. He walked outside with the plate, before his supervisor came and told him to get get back inside, it wasn't time for his break. Then the supervisor became the eidolon imp's host, and he snatched the plate from the disoriented cashier. Then he walked away from the store before fumbling the plate with the supervisor's clumsy fingers. Cursing this, the eidolon imp abandons the elderly man's body for the supermodel who picked up the plate. However, when the paparazzi decided to target her, the eidolon imp deftly passed the plate to a confused nerdy kid in an engineer's jumpsuit. But the look of confusion on the kid's face evaporated as the eidolon imp ditched the supermodel for his body. Still inside the kid, he manages to present the plate to Regiphaetos.

A mere minute later, another eidolon imp discovered the forest green plate on a nature trail's path. Well, most of it anyway. It inhabited a young woman in a kimono-like attire, but not quite a kimono. She passed the plate shard to another girl, transferring the eidolon into that girl's body. She passed the plate to a waiter, and the eidolon imp took him, ditching the girl's body. The eidolon was hoping that he was throwing off his trail so that people would not be able to follow its progress. He passed the shard to an exiting patron and jumped from the waiter into the cane-utilizing retiree. It was in this old coot that he presented, with apprehension, the shard to Regiphaetos, who recognized what it meant after inspecting it.

The rest of the plates were found soon thereafter, with similar stories. The eidolon imps that controlled Wesley, Herb, and Jo had to abandon them fairly early on, before any of the three discovered any of the plates.

Soon, only one plate was missing, and one eidolon imp was dead. Demos had discovered this eidolon imp, and destroyed it without much thought, giving into his demon nature momentarily.

[redtailedsaffa]

Which is why I tend to shut myself off from most emotion.

So Demos has a clue of what's going on, then?

[Cloak]

Nope. Demos just gave into a demonic impulse without thinking or considering.

New chapter.
 

CHAPTER SEVEN:
Somnulent Siblings

With all the plates, barring one, in his collection, Regiphaetos was estatic. But he lifted up the green shard given to him by the eidolon imp-possessed retiree. In his other hand he had created an ectoplasmic construct in the shape of a figure remarkably similar to him, only with mossy edges to his plated cloak. It had a radioactive green color, but that was due to the ectoplasm. In real life, the plates on his cloak and around his head were as forest green as the plate, and his eyes were a burning, penetrating red.

"Alas, dear brother," Regiphaetos said, in a more detached way than reminiscent. "How could you have perished? What manner of being could have had the audacity to kill a son of Garrotik? I think I know. The murderers must be his, the one who murdered my father in cold ichor. This will not stand, but for now, you will remove those bloated flesh bags from my sight. Then you will go back to your dormant states until I call for you again."

They rushed to acquiesce to Regiphaetos's command. The Lord of Phantoms was impassionate and indifferent towards them. His concern lay with his brethren. He placed the plates rather delicately and reverently before him, in a semi-circle. Fourteen of them. He knew that his sister, Regimagus, was still lost, but he must release his siblings from their long sleep.

He touched the golden plate (found at an old airport) in a gentle, caressing way. Within four minutes, the plate unfolded into a similar form to Regiphaetos's current one only gold, with steam leaking from underneath the plates, and possessing aloof, silver eyes. It was the Lord of Air, aloof Regiatmos.

"Greetings, brother," Regiphaetos said, solumnly.

He touched the purple plate (found at a chemical plant) in the same gentle, caressing way. Within a minute, the plate unfolded into the same form as the other two, only with purple plates who seethed venom from the spaces betwixt the plates. His eyes were also plain yellow, like a "Wet Floor" sign. It was caustic Regitoxicos, Lord of Poison.

The Lord of Phantoms gave Regitoixcos the same pleasantry.

Then he touched the olive green plate (found in an abandoned wasp's nest) in the same manner. Within three minutes, the plate unfolded into the same form as the other three, only with olive green plates with trails of spider silk streaming out from beneath the plates. His eyes were a pale red, not quite pink, color. It was the Lord of Swarms, Regientomos, who has the irritating habit of talking to himself and answering himself constantly.

Again, Regiphaetos gave this brother the same greeting.

Then Regiphaetos touched the silver plate (found in a metalworking building) in the same manner as the previous three. Within six minutes, the plate unfolded into the same form as the others, only with silver plates that clanked with every movement. Her eyes were the color of molten gold. It was the Lady of Metal, Regiferros. She was a being of steely determination, who never made unnecessary conversation.

Regiphaetos gave his obligatory greeting.

Then Phantoms Lord touched the brown plate (found in a cave) in the same manner as the predecessors. With five minutes, the plate unfolded into same as his fellows, only with brown plates and dust blown out with every movement. His eyes were Pepto-Bismol pink, and he had a very grounded personality. It was the Lord of Earth, Regiterras.

Regiphaetos gave his brother the standard greeting.

Then the Lord of Phantoms touched the ruby red plate (found in a smelting plant) in the same manner as the predecessors. Within five minutes, the plate unfolded into the same form as her fellows, only with red plates which vents flames between the plates. Her eyes were a chemical green color. It was the Lady of Fire, Regipyros. She was a being of a fiery temper, which can rage out of control.

The Lord of Phantoms greeted this sister of his.

Then the Phantom Lord touched the sapphire plate in the same manner as the previous siblings. Within five minutes, the plate unfolded into the same form as his fellows, only with blue plates and water leaking out between the plates. Her eyes were a bright orange, and possessed a very tempermental temperament. It was the Lady of Water, Regihydros.

Regiphaetos greeted his sister differentially.

Then Regiphaetos touched the electric yellow plate (found at a power plant) in the same manner as the previous siblings. Within four minutes, the plate unfolded into the same form as his fellows, only with yellow plates and electrical discharges between the plates. His eyes were venomously purple, and he has a problem thinking around obstacles. He was Regielectros, Lord of Thunder.

The Phantom Lord gave his brother the standard greeting.

Then Lord of Phantoms touched the violet plate in the same manner as the previous siblings. Within six minutes, the plate unfolded into the same form as the others, only with violet and psionic concentric circles issuing from the plate with every movement. Her eyes were dark yellow, and she was intellectual and thoughtful, never making hasty movements. She had won most, if not all, the competitions between her and all of her siblings. She was the Lady of the Mind, Regineuros.

The Lord of Phantoms gave his sister the standard greeting.

Then Phantom Lord touched the snow white plate (found at an ice rink) in the same manner as the previous siblings. Within four minutes, the plate unfolded into the same form as the others, only with white plates and frost issuing between each plate periodically. His eyes were the darkest black, and he was cold, calculating. He was Regicryos, the Lord of Ice.

The Lord of Phantoms gave his brother the standard greeting.

Then Regiphaetos touched the tan khaki plate (found at in a dragon statue's mouth) in the same manner as the previous siblings. Within four minutes, the plate unfolded into the same form as the others, only with tan plates with toothed scales on the edges. Her eyes were filthy brown, and she was highly emotional, and prone to rages. She is not one for strategy, just brute force. She was the Lady of Dragons, Regidraco.

He gave his sister the standard greeting.

Then Phantom Lord touched the midnight black plate (found at an abandoned warehouse) in the same manner as the previous siblings. Within three minutes, the plate unfolded into the same form as the others, only with black plates with deep shadows at the edges. Her eyes were soullessly, empty white and he tends to shy away from light, reveling in darkness. She was the Lady of Darkness, Regiumbra.

Regiphaetos gave his sister the standard greeting.

Then Lord of Phantoms touched the orange plate (found at a battlefield) in the same manner as the previous siblings. In an indeterminate amount of time, the plate unfolded into the same form as the others, only with orange plates and battered edges. His eyes were sky blue and empty, and he revelled in the most banal battles and pointless fights. He was Regifisticuff, Lord of Battle.

Regiphaetos gave his brother the standard greeting.

Then Regiphaetos touched the gray plate in the same manner as the previous siblings. In an indeterminate amount of time, the plate unfolded into the same form as the others, only with gray plates and gravel shifting out of the plates with every movement. His eyes were a deep brown and he had a hard heart and stood his ground. He was Regilithos, the Lord of Stone.

Regiphaetos gave his brother the standard greeting. Then he turned to address all his siblings assembled. "Brothers! Sisters! We have much to discuss."

[redtailedsaffa]

Love the linguistic play.

[Cloak]

Linguistic play? Why, whatever do you mean?

Anyway, new book ideas! Including a new arc of sorts.

• Book DCLX: "Mnemonic Overload" -- The RAFians must help a girl who simply remembers too much.
• Book DCLXI: "Unintended Intimacy" -- Two friends get closer than anyone would like. The RAFians are called in to help.
• Book DCLXII: "So Cold . . ." -- The RAFians must deal with a thermal vampire.
• Book DCLXIII: "Shocking Secrets" -- The RAFians must deal with an obnoxious electrokinetic electromorph.
• Book DCLXIV: "Reformatting Exosuits" -- A criminal cartel manufactures exosuits, in a most illegal way.
• Book DCLXV: "Demon Cure" -- A rumor of a cure for demonism is abound.
• Book DCLXVI: "Shenecron's Gambit" -- Shenecron makes his play, and the RAFians must interfere.

Remember, the titles are subject to change. And, yes, that's Book #666. Tell me what you think.

New chapter.
 

CHAPTER EIGHT:
The Game

"So, Father has perished," Regineuros said, thoughtfully. "By the same one who imprisoned him. Hmmm."

"The Father was weak!" Regidraco said, savagely. "Weak! Only the strong deserve to survive!"

"A fight?" Regifisticuff said, eagerly, as a child eagerly anticipating a pleasant time or a present. "It's been forever since I tasted a good battle!!"

"Is it necessary? Is there a more, uh, tastier way we could go about this?" Regientomos said, before launching into a Kreacher-like mutterings, only buzzing and incomprehensible speech.

"We are the children of Garrotik," Regielectros said, "those that slayed Father are children, proverbial children, of his imprisoner. It only make sense that we should slay them."

"YES!!" Regifisticuff yelled, absolutely elated. Meanwhile, Regidraco just laughed with a disconcerting hiss.

"We shall bring the battle to them, then!" Regipyros said, impassioned.

"Why should we fight them on their ground? Terrain they know better than us?" Regiterras said, practically.

"Coward!" Regifisticuff accused.

"Worse, killjoy!" Regidraco corrected.

"You really want to disgrace yourself by charge up to their doorstep?" Regicryos said, coldly. "If they want to fight me, these inconsequential insects --"

"Hey!" Regientomos protested the phrasing choice.

He was ignored as Regicryos talked over him sithout pause, "-- these inconsequential insects will have to come to my doorstep."

"And, pray tell, how do you propose we get them to come to our doorstep?" Regilithos said, voice hard. "Without any incentive, they would not come to us."

"The lust of battle will draw them!" Regifisticuff announced proudly.

"They're not that stupid," Regihydros sniped.

"It's not stupid!" Regifisticuff protested hotly.

"Enough!" Regineuros said. "But, on topic, I propose we institute the rules of the Death Game."

"For what purpose?" Regiterras asked.

"To see who will inherit the choicest parts of the planet atter we take it back from these odd creatures," Regineuros explained, rather manipulatively. "The fifteen place holder will get the crumbs and gristle."

One-by-one, they eventually nodded in agreement.

"But the question remains," Regiumbras said, darkly, "just how can we be sure that these creatures, this RAFians, will take us up on our offer of battle?"

"Oh," Regiphaetos said, with a sardonic lilt to his voice, "I think I have a way."

***

". . . Accept our challenge, and right a wrong." one of Garrotik's progeny said. Cloak could not tell which one was speaking. But he was very leery of them. "Accept our challenge. You have no choice."

"You never gave us a reason why we should indulge you in this petty competition," Cloak said brazenly, with narrowed eyes. "Nor why it will be three of us against just one of you."

"That was to make the competition more fair to you," the same speaker said, "otherwise, you'd stand no chance."

"And your ego could sink the Titanic alone," Saffa said, dryly.

"Again, you never said why we had to engage you in this," Parker said, arms crossed as tightly as Cloak's were. "Why we had to even bother with you at all."

"Oh, forgive me," the speaker said, with the air that he or she had not forgotten at all, "I forgot to mention our . . . our esteemed guests."

They saw images of several people, mostly prepubescent humans, which looked like they were being controlled by various means. These lunatics had hostages. Of course they had hostages.

"The first battle will be with Regilithos at the quarry," the speaker -- obviously, not Regilithos -- said, casually. "Choose your three champions and send them there."

[redtailedsaffa]

Of course Shenecron wrecks havoc in book 666.

[Cloak]

Yep.

Now, fair warning, this book will be over the requisite twenty chapters. Not by much, though. . . . Er, don't hold me to that.

New chapter.
 

CHAPTER NINE:
Rock Steady

The quarry was the very same place where the gray plate that held the dormant state of Regilithos. The quarry itself was essentially just a deep ravine, almost like a deep laceration into the earth. It connected to a cliff on both banks of the ravine. Off-white stone laid within the ravine and cliffsides. Other than that, there wasn't much to it.

And that's what made it so creepy. And suspicious.

Cloaky, Mithril, and Oceanspray arrived in the quarry, and there was a foreboding feeling all around.

"Wasn't this an active quarry?" Mithril asked.

"Yes." Oceanspray answered.

"Then . . . where is everyone?" he asked.

Cloak muttered, as if it was obvious, "Hostages."

"All of them?" Oceanspray said, skeptically. "We can't know that."

Cloak stopped and slowly looked at the robotic RAFian with irritated, narrowed eyes and folded arms.

"Unless you already had sensed them seismically," Oceanspray said. "You did Earthsight them, didn't you?"

"Yes. They're in that shack. In the fetal position," Cloak said. "I doubt the door is even locked."

"Mind controlled or possessed?" Mithril said, astutely extrapolating possible reasons for such a scenario.

"Can't tell that from Earthsight," Cloak said, succinctly. "But they have small, diamond-shaped, crystalline stones on their foreheads, so I surmise it's the former."

It was true, the crystalline stones -- the Suggestion Stones -- forcibly wipe a person's mind blank as long as it is attached to their foreheads, and they become very open to suggestion, rather like being Imperiused.

"Ah, very shrewd." came a voice which sound as powerful as an avalanche, and as hard as a mountain. "You're right, of course. Very good. For humans."

The RAFians all spoke at the same time.

"I'm not a human, per se." Oceanspray said, arm folding into his arm cannon.

"I'm not a human, I'm a Keeper! . . . Wait -- that sounded wrong." Mithril said.

"I'm not a human, I'm a Realm Walker, and my kind was old before you ever took your first step!!" Cloak snarled, taking immense offense at Regilithos's condescending tone.

Regilithos looked afronted by Cloak's tone, which he took as impudent, as he considered Cloak inferior. "How dare you speak to a superior in that way! I am the Lord of Stone, boy!"

"Stone is but one element!" Cloak roared back. Realm Walkers were a prideful species, and Cloak was not exempt from this. "I command a mastery over six!"

"Your boasts are pointless! You cannot fool me. No one being could have mastery over more than two elements at one lifetime." Regilithos countered.

"Feel like we've been sidelined, too?" Mithril asked Oceanspray.

"Kinda," Oceanspray answered, casually.

"Enough talk then!" Regilithos said, acting more like a rock that had been dislodged from a precipice and began rolling down a hill. He terrakinetically summoned a rock up from the ground the size of a rolled-up Arburian Pelarota, then he condensed and compacted the roughly spherical rock to the size of a beach ball.

Then, with a bunch of unnecessary flourishes of his arms and feet, he projected the rock forward. But the rock disintegrated into dust and sand before it would have made impact with Cloak.

"Pathetic," Cloak said, who hadn't moved an inch.

Regilithos tried again. And again, he failed.

"Are you just out of practice?" Cloak said, scathingly. "Let me help you out then."

Cloak extended his hand and closed it into a tight fist. Regilithos gray plated armor was crushed as the sides of the quarry ravine pinched together momentarily. When they separated Regilithos appeared to be nothing but gravel and gray plate shrapnel.

"Cloak!" Oceanspray complained, as he unfolded his hand out of his arm cannon. "You didn't leave any for us!"

"Don't jump to conclusions," Cloak said, eyes still on the remnants of Regilithos.

[redtailedsaffa]

Does every plate-lord get a different set of champions or...?

[Cloak]

Well, I don't think it's too big a spoiler to answer that, Saffa, so I will. Yes. Yes, they do. They each fight a different team of three RAFians.

New chapter.
 

CHAPTER TEN:
Stone Unbound

There was a very Jafar-esque laugh that echoed around the quarry. Only Cloak looked unsurprised. Very much the contrary, this actually confirmed his suspicions. The plated cloak formwas just a confining form -- a Confined Form, if you will. It limits their abilities, and weakens what they can do. Forcing them to rely on minions that they summon, unless they didn't think of it, of course.

Regilithos was now unbound, and Regilithos Unbound was at least twice the size of his Confined form. He looked like a solely gray Ben Grimm (as the Thing), with gray, sharp-edged, angular luminous crystals protruding, Hork-Bajir-like, from his elbows, wrists, and knees. They also gave him five luminously gray, crystalline claws on each of his hand (with one opposable), and three claws on each of his three-toed feet. He had more inconsequential, more purely cosmetic crystal and gem growths in a very Doomsday manner. His teeth were long, but blunt, like a Bastiodon.

All in all, not a very pleasant creature to look at.

"What is that?" Mithril said, repulsed.

"Is that Regilithos?" Oceanspray said.

"You said you wanted some," Cloak said, quietly. His eyes never left Regilithos Unbound. "Here's your chance. Chances are that he's stronger now, too."

"Gee, thanks." Oceanspray said, voice dripping with sarcasm like a leaky garbage bag.

Cloak shrugged, "Be wary of what you wish for. Now the battle truly begins."

"Lovely," Mithril said, less than thrilled.

The battle flowed quickly from there, though mostly long-ranged combat. The Unbound Lord of Stone terrakinetically heaved massive stone boulders at the RAFians which Cloak and Mithril terrakinetically reduced to dust and sand, while Oceanspray just blasted the lot of it. Within moments it came to midrange combat, which the RAFians managed to hold their own.

The problem came when they got in close. Regilithos made the mistake of allowing Cloak to get too close to him, and allowing him to basically terrakinetically shatter and explode every crystal on the Unbound Lord of Stone's body, allowing him to crack every gemstone, allowing him to injuring the Unbound Stone Lord severely.

"You're Garrotik's son, right?" Cloak said, backing off a bit.

"I'll . . . I'll kill you. . . ." Regilithos said. "I'll kill you . . . for . . . for what you did to . . . h-him."

"Such a pity," Cloak said. "You didn't have to follow his example."

The other two moved to attack, but Cloak held his hand up to bar them from proceeding. "No, it's over."

Right after the Realm Walker spoke, Regilithos exploded into gray energy that dissipated forevermore. It did not give Cloak any satisfaction to see, even after the Suggestion Stones had crumbled away from the hostages' foreheads.

[Cloak]

New chapter.
 

CHAPTER ELEVEN:
Splish-Splash

The next location was an indoor pool, and there was the ridiculous stipulation that Garrotik's children had forced. No three champions may face two of them.

The RAFians couldn't really argue. Not without risking the lives of the hostages, that is. So, they were forced to abide by their rules.

It was Shadow, Horse, and Aquilai that had elected to take on this child of Garrotik. Aquilai carried Horse, rather like Misty and her Togepi, only Horse was far less than thrilled about it.

"Okay, where's this piece of --" Horse said, rather disgruntled.

"Language, Horse. Shadow's still a minor." Aquilai said primly.

"Hey, I'm still older than either of you," Shadow countered.

"In actual terms, yes." Aquilai replied readily. "In relative terms, no."

"Wait a minute . . ." Horse said, who wasn't focusing on the back-and-forth between the two. "Are those the hostages? They certainly don't act like it."

"Their utter servility seems almost . . . obscene," Aquilai observed.

"Oceater is not obscene!!" a voice raged. "The Waters of Servility are infallible!"

"Nothing's infallible!" Horse protested. Then she addressed Aquilai, "Put me down."

"I am!" Regihydros said, proud and vain. "I am the sea, and the sea has no flaws!!"

"There's . . . There's going tp be no way to reason with her, is there?" Shadow said, wanely.

"You impudent child! You stupid, impudent child!!" Regihydros raged, causing the water in the pool to slosh angrily.

"Excuse me? 'Stupid'?" Shadow said, eeriely echoing her mother's mannerisms.

Then the battle went from there, with a certain viciousness on Regihydros's part. But she wound up frozen solid -- courtesy of RAF's resident seal -- and she was shattered by concerted efforts by Shadow and Aquilai.

"Yeah!" Horse said.

"Don't jump to conclusions," Shadow said, unknowingly and unintentionally echoing her uncle.

[redtailedsaffa]

Isn't Horse still a minor too?