Rest and Relaxation: Start Packin'

[Cptdragon9]

Kara was right that at least his teeth hadn’t gone all funky, and thankfully he’d been wrapped in that cape because he was only a little chilled rather than frozen solid. Half a bottle of bourbon seemed to warm him up well enough.

At least the bar was empty. Of course he’d picked up that the kids had caused a fuss at the castle, and he was pretty sure that Star was causing a fuss for it; one of the other reasons why he had abandoned the castle for the relative quiet of home.

Too bad his brain wasn’t quiet.

It required the rest of the first bottle and nearly the whole of a second before the rapid fire in his head finally began to subside. He laid the length of himself out in one of the booths, he feet propped up on the seat as he couched his head with his left hand, the right still fussing with the second bottle.

In all he did look like he needed a vacation.

[Power Girl]

Kara was quite cocerned about her friend and employer so she went up to him and asked. "Mr. Brimstone, sir, may I get you something at all? I can cook up a delicious meal for you if you want one. If you want, I can scout around in the air for your girlfriend in case she somehow got lost. I did search for a note here just in case she left one but there wasn't any.

Does she ever change her mind about going to a certain destination after saying she would go to a certain location?

I do not know her like you do."

[Cptdragon9]

Brimstone continued to fuss with the empty bottle, his mind clearly chewing on a whole lotta things. “Nah. Think I’m just gonna turn infer th’ evening‘.An’ I wouldn’t worry about Meli. She’ll come ‘round when she comes ‘round.” He dragged himself from the booth and hobbled himself to his room, leaving Kara to tend to whatever she wished before bedtime.

　

But it seemed that things weren’t going to be so quiet. The main doors opened slowly as what looked to be a small man in old fashioned mining equipment hobbled slowly into the room, clearly looking for something, or someone. He spied Kara and cautiously approached her. “No Mes Stone?” he asked in a grumbly gruff voice.

[Power Girl]

Kara watched her friend and employer go into his private quarters as she began cleaning the entire bar to make sure sure everything was neat, tidy, spotless and clean and everything was in the right orderly place. It was as she was doing this, the small man came in. She gave him a most friendly, charming smile as she addressed him. "Good evening, sir, and welcome to Brimstone's Bar and Grill. Mr. Brimstone just went to bed some moments ago for he was extremely tired. I'm his assistant and manager of this bar. Is there anything I can help you with? Would you like to have a drink or have some food?"

[Cptdragon9]

The runted man’s gaze automatically rolled up to that rack of hers before he shook his head the shuffled over to the counter. It took some effort to climb up on the bar stool, tall by normal standards, never mind for those of shorter stature. Indeed it seemed like such an effort that the man pulled a wad of cloth that suspiciously had the Fruit of the Loom tag. He dabbed his brow before stuffing the bit of fabric back into his hip pocket before once again rummaging about on his person, feeling in various other pockets. During this time he said nary a word to Kara; all his movements slow and deliberate.

Finally he unearthed a large well worn leather pouch and upended the contents on the counter, sending coins, small bars and nuggets of gold tumbling across the polished grain. “Fer ‘iz ‘elp” the gnomish creature grunted. He looked like he might slowly remove himself from his perch but then paused, as if the task might prove to be too monumental. He then patted his personage before locating the correct pouch just under the selvage of his breast pocket. He fumbled about, sticking thick fat knurled fingers into the depths of the shirt before pulling out a small glowing green stone. This he also placed on the counter next to the pile of golden loot. “Erm… Wee-Ski?” he asked hesitantly.

(Yeah, it’s Kryptonite. Don’t even ask. Or maybe she should. Maybe she needs and adventure with BS’s hard workin’ friends…… Do with it what you will)

[Power Girl]

Kara poured out the best whisky they had into the proper glass for it and gave it to her customer with a warm smile of friendship. "Interesting glowing green rock you have there, sir. I've nevwer seen one of those before. Perhaps I should bring down Mr. Brimstone so you should speak to him. I'll be right back."

With that, Kara went to Brimstone's quarter's and knocked on his door a bit hard to make sure she would wake him up. "Sir, there is a gentleman downstairs that you should see. He appears to know you and he just placed quite a number of gold bars and and nuggets on the counter as well as some kind of a small green glowing stone. It could be quite valuable. Would you please come downstairs with me and speak to him please."

[Cptdragon9]

(Keep in mind that the bar is towards the top of the mountain and all the living quarters, storage, tunnels, etc extend below it. Someday I’ll draw a map)

Brimstone must have been sleeping hard, or having a hard time sleeping; because his hair was more disheveled than normal, along with the flannel pajamas and some of his face. He did perk up some at the mention of gold though and he wrapped a worn faded purple terrycloth robe (does this man not own at least 1 good piece of clothing?) around his person before stepping out into the hallway to follow Kara back out to the bar.

He did perk up a bit when he saw his friend at the counter, but seemed to frown at the pile of gold. “I’ve told all of yas. Don’t need th’ gold. If ya wanna reimburse me, yer patronage will do just fine.”

The little man seemed to frown as well. “Tis th’ King ‘imself da insist. Can’t say no.”

Brimstone sighed then scooped the substantial pile of loot and glowing green gem (which he hardly gave a second glance to) into his hands to slide them into the till, having to slam the drawer a couple of times to get it to closed. Then he set about with the introductions. “Frank, this is Kara, my new business associate. Kara, Frank. Well his name’s not Frank exactly, but his real name has way too many consonants and gurgling noises for us folks to pronounce correctly, so we settled on Frank. Him and his kin are gnomes. Miners, in fact. These are the folks that come up Thursdays for karaoke.” He was sure that Kara had been caterwauling with them once or twice by now. It was contagious like that. “Me and this guy sort of helped them with a bug problem and they’ve been trying to pay me since then, even though I’ve already accepted a modest fee from several of their higher ups.” He rolled his eyes. “Apparently some didn’t want to be left out, like I’d hold a grudge ‘er sumptin.” He turned back to Frank. “So you c’n scoot on back to yer King and tell’em everythin’s kosher.”

The gnome seemed hesitant, then dipped his head a bit. “Acktuay… we’ve uh problem.”

The mutant’s face seemed to drop. “Oh no. More spiders?”

“Nuh-uh. Ants.”

Brimstone rubbed the back of his head, clearly deliberating the need for sleep vs lives. He finally hung his head. “I’ll get muh things. Give me a minute,” and he trudged down the hallway to his inner sanctum leaving Kara with the mumble-lipped gnome.

[Power Girl]

"Your kin and I do have a great time on Karaoke Night here on Thursdays", Kara told him with a smile. "I lead the singing and dancing on most of the songs and I also learn gnome songs. Sometimes, we have elves and various fairies here too on that night. You, Frankl, should come in sometime and join in on the fun and gaiety. I bet you would enjoy it just like everyone else."

She paused and added. "Normally, ants should be co problems since they are so tiny. May I deduce correctly that these ants are not normal size and they are large. Any idea why they are that size? By the way, would you like another drink, Frank?"

[Cptdragon9]

Frank seemed a bit confused by her inquiries but did push the mug back across the table to be refilled. “’Ants is ‘ants. Dunno if bigger ‘r smaller. Just bad. Need ‘elp.”

　

With that Brimstone stumbled back into the bar loaded for bear. He had a heavy gauge think reminiscent of a bazooka slung over his back, held in place by a D strap braced against his chest as the weapon itself had to weigh at least a hundred pounds. Though it was the prominent weapon, it wasn’t the only one as he had another normal-sized shot gun gripped in his left hand. Five pistols ranging from an antique Derringer to a photon discharger were tucked in around his belt and the pockets of both his trench coat and the shirt and jeans underneath also bulged with weapons and ammo. Two wide straps of leather criss-crossed his chest, also bearing several gauges of ordinance to reload the more conventional weapons on his person.

　

“Think we’re ready,” he nodded.

　

The gnome nodded, draining the second drink ina three swallows before pushing another coin across the counter to cover then slipping off the stool to lead the mutant out of the bar.

　

Brimstone turned to follow, but then paused, looking Kara over. He clearly was deliberating his option before he gave a gesture for her to come along. “Gonna need every fist I c’n get,” he seemed to wheeze, perhaps because he was carrying so much weight, perhaps because of the imagined monumental task facing him, perhaps in memory of how tough the Last gig was.

[Power Girl]

Kara gave Frank his second drink and thanked him for the coin and paying his bar bill.

She nodded and Brimstone when he mentioned she come with them. "Sir, please let me carry those heavy weapons for you. If I can carry mountains with ease, I sure can carry those things. Also, would you like me to fly you and Frank to your destination?

It should be no problem at all, sir.

Also, maybe you can tell me what you saw the last time with those spiders. What size were they? How large do you think those ants are? I take it there's no bug spray here for those things."

[Solem'cleavu]

((may as well kickstart this month old thread as well))

Lo and behold Onyx would actually be at the door just as the others were beginning to make their way towards it. Quirking a brow at the three and especially at Brimstone with his loadout. "Going on a trip?"

[Power Girl]

(OOC -YAY!!!! Someone finally posted. I swore I heard Dr. McCoy saying here. "It's dead, Jim.")

Kara gave Onyx a friendly, charming smile. "Oh, yes. Believe it or not we're about to kill some ants. I'm not sure what size they are though. Last time Mr. Brimstone here had to exterminate some spiders for Frank here. Would you like to come with us on this expedition?"

[Cptdragon9]

(sorry.. between work and garden and a small trip to Colorado, I'm still playing catchup)

“Nay, Missum. Not ta flyin’ be needin’. Jus’ goin’ down deep.” The small miner turned not towards the exit door but towards the basement access of the bar where the living quarters were ensconced.

B.S didn’t seem surprised by the path the gnome took. Anyone that had ever had a gander in the basement realized that most of the Inn was immersed in the tunnel system that criss crossed the innards of the mountain; where the gnomes typically lived out their lives. Instead he headed the shoulder cannon to Kara, grunting a bit under the weight and bulk of the weapon ( a weight that was small potatoes to the Kryptonian beauty,) before checking his pockets once more.

If he was surprised that Onyx showed up, he didn’t show it. In fact it seemed that it had been perhaps a little too long since anyone from the Vashtalian contingent had come in to check up on him, though he would have expected Serenity or Claw to poke their head in the door. Still. “You wanna come along? If you’ve got med skills, we’re probably gonna need ‘em.”

Not waiting for a reply, BS schlepped a knapsack over his shoulder and turned to follow the gnome down the staircase and into the cellar.

[Solem'cleavu]

Onyx thought about the offer a bit. "Well I was only intending to stop by on my way to visit my sister in Rhydin City proper but I suppose she can wait." At that point she just started following the group to the basement.

[Power Girl]

"Gosh, Mr. Brimstone", began Kara with a grin. "This shoulder cannon doesn't weigh too much. It's light as a feather to me. What kind of prohectiles does it uses?"

Noticing the way they all going, she mentioned. "I guess this is logical to head down here since gnomes work in the mountains and there are many passages down here. How many do you think there are, Mr. Brimstone, sir? Have you marked them all so no one would get lost?"

[Cptdragon9]

“The gun’s a plasma cannon,” Brimstone noted. “Ain’t getting’ muh pants caught down this time. As to th’ cave… well there’s a lott’ve ‘em. A lott’ve ‘em indeed.

The rooms below the inn may have seemed small, but once Brimstone opened the large wooden door that led into the heart of the mountain itself it was easy to see just how much room he had to work with. Convoluted cavernous caves seemed to be the mainstay, the tunnels hewn out originally by magma flow that had long ago subsided. The volcano itself wasn’t totally dormant. Heat could be felt emanating through the rock in some spots and every now and then a tremor vibrated through the tunnels.

Neither Brimstone nor his diminutive escort seemed concerned. The only time the mutant showed any sort of apprehension was when they walked through one of the larger cutouts. Most of the passageways and caves had either light filtering through peepholes in the rock or luminescent lichens emitted a soft glow to show the way. The larger cave was a bit brighter, but then it seemed that part of the wall had been smashed in. Evidence of a tumultuous row was littered about the section. Chelatinous shells were strewn all about, several that had cuts and gashes and burns indicating how the oversized insects had perished.

Brimstone merely gave a shudder and continued following the gnome.

[Power Girl]

"Could lava killed these insects, sir?", asked Kara to Brimstone. "You know more about the history and the people and the creatures here than I do. Please tell me about the ants and the battle with them. What are these ants and spiders capabilities and sizes? It would not hurt to know all the facts so I can prepare myself.

Also, do you know all these tunnels or are some of them unknown to you? It may be wise to make some kind of mark in order for us to find our way back."

[Solem'cleavu]

Onyx simply just followed the group, taking a look at the remains of some of the spiders and other giant insects that had met their ends in the tunnels. "The only difference between your regular run-of-the-mill ants and spiders you are probably familiar with and the ones we are apparently going after is simply their size. Plus the giant ants in this area are highly armored to protect themselves against the heat and possible predators." She decided to go ahead and answer the blonde one's question however after that she just continued following silently.

[Power Girl]

"Are the large size of these insects normal?", asked Kara to Onyx in a whispered voice. "If not, how did they get to be this size? Can't you use magic and shrink them to a very tiny size so they won't pose a danger to anyone? Magic here on this world seem to be most powerful from what I have seen."

[Cptdragon9]

Brimstone listened to the duo chatting behind him. He for one was on point now, remembering the spiders and just how fast the fuzzy creepy little boogers were. And him with not mecha-mondo-sized transformer to back his hand. Still Kara was nothing to sneeze at, and any Vashtalian royal was worth their weight in salt.

Giant ants, however; held no appeal to him. “Dunno how big or bad these ants are, but I’m guessing nasty pinchers. Maybe formic acid as well. Probably would be more potent as the sizes get bigger. And they might talk to each other telepathically. I’m guessing that magic’ll work on them.”

　

“Nay,” the gnome replied. “No spell holds. Slow only.”

　

Brimstone hadn’t known that the gnomes could work magic. Maybe it wasn’t very strong if it hadn’t kept the spiders at bay. He found himself caressing the muzzle of the smaller piece in his pocket, trying to garner some solace from the polished steel.

　

It wasn’t too long until they reached the gnome’s village. Clearly this was a mining town, complete with a convolted knot of tracks that drew what would have been coal carts not only along he ground, but up and overhead in a maze that would have made Indian Jones dizzy. Their guide paused, then gestured towards one of the larger apertures. “Der. At dusk most times. ‘Most every day now.”

　

BS looked to the watch on his wrist. “Got an hour. Yah wanna go down in der or wait fer ‘em.”

　

It was a hard wonder to guess where Brimstone was picking up his accent.

　

　

[Power Girl]

"Sir", began Kara. "You know about these situations far better than I. I will follow you where ever you go. Perhaps, I could be helpful here by using my super vision and my super hearing in that direction. Would that be alright with you, Mr. Brimstone, sir."

She paused and then added. "It is most fascinating to see a gnome village. Maybe later I could talk to the the people here so I can learn more gnomes. So what I do want to understand is is that are you saying you can't shrink these spiders and ants down to a very tiny size by magic. Has anyone ever tried that?"

[Solem'cleavu]

Onyx had looked out to the indicated area as well but simply shrugged at Kara's latest question. "It is very possible to shrink them down to size the problem is the sheer number of them. It would take far less energy to simply destroy the ants as they come around. You must also take into account that spells are not permanent by nature. Even enchantments need to be refreshed every once in a while as the energy used to cast and maintain them for any length of time begins to wane and lose effectiveness. In order to maintain a spell for an extended period of time the energy to do so must come from somewhere."

It was then that the Vashtalian Princess simply leaned back against one of the walls of the tunnel then. "The armored ants no doubt have a colony somewhere nearby if they are bothering the gnomes here. Either that or they're hunting for new food sources. The best we will be able to do is set up a perimeter and hope the message reaches the queen ant that it isn't worth their time to be trying to come this way on their hunting trips. These things may not have much intelligence but they are at least smart enough to realize when something is too much trouble unlike their smaller cousins. That would be the best course of action anyway. We could go hunt down their colony but even the entirely of the Vashtalian military could not hope to outnumber an entire colony of those things. It would be like kicking over a fire ant mound. Sure you could kill quite a few but stick around long enough and you'll get swarmed. It will be best if we just keep to the outer edges and ensure the area becomes recognized as off limits to them."

[Cptdragon9]

Brimstone merely grunted at the volley of questions and answers before drawing out yet another mid-range hand-cannon (one infinitely lighter than the one Kara was hefting for him, before trudging towards where the gnome had indicated.

　

It seemed that by the time they hiked up to the massive entrance most of the gnome village had quietly followed them. Nary a sound or a word between the fifty or so numbers, just the muffled footsteps of boot on stone. They stopped at the mouth of the cave with not even a word of encouragement, or even a goodbye to their would-be salvation. Brimstone didn’t seem to take any offense by their lack of response. Instead he merely turned on a headlamp from a modified miner’s cap and continued on into the darkness.

　

This caver was much larger than the one they had traversed coming down to the village. It seemed to be roughly hewn out instead of naturally made; with long deep gouge marks indicating something with sharp teeth, claws, or maybe some mechanical device that had been strong enough to carve through the igneous rock. Brimstone had only paused once to examine the marks, tracing a gloved hand along the groove before giving another grunt then turning and continuing his trek.

[Power Girl]

"Did you find anything interesting on those marks, sir?", asked Kara to Brimstone. "You're experienced in this type of expedition. Do you agree with Princess Onyx type of action against these ants? By the way, would you like this weapon back I've been carrying? I don't know how to use this thing properly since I never use weapons in a battle. My weapons are my powers."

[Cptdragon9]

He should have brought a bigger gun. “Dis ain’t made by no ant,” he concluded. “Not unless it’s got 4 sets of mandibles. He tapped the wall, pointing out the spacing between the marks. “See how they’re evenly spaced? This was a swipe from a paw. A really Big paw.”

The mutant then re-holstered the rifle before gesturing for Kara to hand him the larger shoulder cannon. He seemed able to balance the weight of the plasma gun on his left shoulder, keeping a tight grip on the support handle. “Keep yer peeper’s peeled,” he murmured, even as he tried to gaze beyond the rim of light his lamp would cast against the rough walls. He crouched down for a moment, hoping to get a print, but the rock in the tunnel was just too firm to allow for an impression, though whatever Had walked by must have had toenails that were as impressive as the claws. There were scrapes and pencil-sized pokes into the igneous rock, but again he couldn’t quite gauge the width of the footprint as the scuffmarks were on top of each other.

All he could determine was that whatever it was, it had to be strong to even leave such marks. Really strong.