2018.12.14: Searching for Khol Pt.2

Searching for Khol? Pt. 2
Gathering of friends turns into Khol's kidnapping by mysterious forces
IC Date	December 13th, 2018
Players	Eloise, Ildar, Johanna, Journey, Khol ST, Skully, Kandula's Hope
Location	Serenity Grove, Eloise's Sanctum
Spheres	Gaian Garou

Johanna has been worried, and upset, and freaked out since they realized Khol was gone. As Skully gets up to discuss some of the options with Ildar and send him off to go fetch/howl for help along with Ouray, she searches her brain for ideas. Then she remembers! Khol has learned that gift - so he can be linked with them. She is already on her knees, and it is like she is praying as she puts the call out on the pack link - hoping Khol has it activated.

<Kandula's Hope> Johanna says, "KHOL???!!!?? Can you hear me? Please respond if you can. Just think it. Think of us. The pack."

<Kandula's Hope> Khol responds, but he sounds a little off kilter, perhaps groggy. "Jo? I can hear you.. In my head.. " there is a buzzing, almost electrical sound like interference in the link, but it is just brief pulses. What happened?"

Skully is outside, scouring the yard for clues, traces... /anything/. And then Johanna's desperate shout rings out in his mind, and he looks back at the house sadly, considering going to her... /and Khol answers/.

<Kandula's Hope> Skully jumps in, shocked and aware, "KHOL?! Brother, /where are you/?!"

<Kandula's Hope> Johanna says, "Khol, it is the gift you learned. You are in our minds - the pack link - with Mammoth. I'm so glad to hear you. I love you, I miss you. You disappeared. That attack was a distraction. We need to find you, get you."

<Kandula's Hope> Khol isn't thinking quickly right now. but he is starting to focus, there is a sense of intensity in his mind, a sharpening his thoughts slowly, "I'm. yes the link.. Never used it before. I love you too Jo.. I'm.. I just see light its green-white.. There is something beyond it.. movement.. but I cant see what, or where. Its .. big I think.

Skully is already taking long strides toward and into the house, moving to find Johanna but not /disturbing/ her; simply standing near, being where she is, shoulders tense and eye grim.

<Kandula's Hope> Skully says, "Can you tell us anythin'? Give us /anythin'/ to go on, great or small."

<Kandula's Hope> Johanna says, "Smells. What do you feel? Temperature..."

<Kandula's Hope> Khol says, "I was going upstairs.. heading to the firing point I was at the other day, And then everything froze. I just woke up here a few moments ago.. its like I was there one moment, here the next. All I smell is.. Ozone.. like the air coming through the light is electrified.. Wo.wow.. My hands tingle if I touch it.. but it doesn't hurt.. ""

<Kandula's Hope> Skully says, "Like Xen... Khol, are you inside or outside? Walls, doors, floor?"

<Kandula's Hope> Khol says, "I don't know.. this is like.. an egg or a cacoon I'm suspended, but I'm not sure how.. and I cant see out well enough to tell anything about whats outside of it."

Johanna reaches out a hand and takes Skully's in hers. She squeezes tight as she concentrates.

<Kandula's Hope> Johanna says, "I have no idea what that would be, but it does not sound pleasant. Can you move around much? Do you have the paper butterfly talen still?"

<Kandula's Hope> Khol says, "Its in my shoe.. Im kinda floating, so I can move. but its hard to anchor myself. I can work at getting it."

<Kandula's Hope> Johanna says, "We are going to get everyone we can on this to find you. If you can get to the butterfly, be ready to use it. We need to put a stop to whatever it is that took you, but when the time is right, you use it and get the hell home!"

<Kandula's Hope> Johanna sounds desperate and worried...but not trying to freak Khol out.

<Kandula's Hope> Khol says, "Okay.. Ill have it ready." he then offers "Jo.. Hey.. Baby, I love you. It will be okay. " there is another series of rapid buzzes followed by a longer sound that is almost like a roar coming from a long way away."

<Kandula's Hope> Skully says, "Khol? What is that? Why can we hear it? Khol?"

<Kandula's Hope> Johanna says, "Khol?!?"

Johanna looks right to Skully, her eyes wild and worried. If he wasn't so strong and tough, his hand would be broken now with how tight she is clenching it.

<Kandula's Hope> Khol says, "What? " he pauses and the roaring becomes louder, then breaks up, then becomes buzzes again, then again clears up. "I .." he takes a deep breath "I don't hear anything.""

Skully holds her hand unflinching, brows furrowed, thoughts /focused/. He's trying to understand; it's just all so /far/ beyond his ken.

Johanna just says it, "Could they be drilling into his head? How can we hear this???" Her eyes wide and she is both mad and upset and about to burst into tears all at once. She doesn't even know what to say anymore to Khol.

"I ain't got a clue, Starchaser," Skully rumbles softly, shaking his head. "Don't understand it at all. But he's /alive/, sister; cling to /that/. We know now what we ain't known yesterday, an' that only strengthens our resolve. We /will/ find 'im."

<Kandula's Hope> Khol says, "I'm okay they .. they .. Oh.. Wow! " he sounds amazed, in awe, but not in pain, and then the roar becomes almost deafening and then cuts off, as if it were overwhelmed for the moment."

<Kandula's Hope> Skully says, "Who are /they/? Brother, what is /happening/ to you?"

<Kandula's Hope> Johanna says, "Anything. Any details. Please. We love you and care about you. But it will be hard to find you."

<Kandula's Hope> Khol says, "Doesn't respond right now.. its as if his whole mind is wrapped up in something else."

<Kandula's Hope> Johanna implores, "Sweetheart, my love, remember us. Keep us in your heart and in your mind. We will find you. We will get you home!"

<Kandula's Hope> Skully says, "We are comin'. Hold to that. We /are/ comin'."

<Kandula's Hope> Khol doesn't answer, but there is no sense of fear or pain, not right now at all.

Johanna shakes her head, the tears coming now. "I cannot sense anything anymore from him. I... I... need him. He is my other half. I hope we can get the others here to help find him. Before ... all he is is lost." Everything out of the table. Her weakness and strength wrapped up in what is lost right now. "Ildar is getting Journey, and whoever else. What else can we do? Who else could aide us?"

"He sleeps, I think," Skully offers quietly, closing his eye and trying very hard to remain calm. He takes slow, deep breaths, and finally says, "Mocks-the-Dark has deep knowledge, too. Defiant Storm, Howls-at-the-High-Moon, Howlin'-Wind... I'm jus' namin' names, darlin'."

Johanna asks, "Perhaps we need Eloise also? Since she is a mage and I think she said she'd be keeping an eye on him as well? Oh, if he went to sleep? Do you think he would do that himself? Or they drugged him? Oh my, brother what are they doing to him?"

"I don't know, but I don't intend to let 'em do it much longer," Skully replies angrily, teeth grinding so hard his jaw pops loudly. "Eloise. Yeah. Get Eloise. Willworkers got tricks I can't hardly fathom."

Johanna pulls out her phone, and sends a 911 message to Eloise. "I'm sure she will get here as soon as she can. Hopefully, Ildar has reached Shaderunner'rhya already. I know he will pop in when you least expect it."

<Kandula's Hope> Johanna says, "I'm getting Eloise on the case, honey. Soon, she will help us find you."

"He was headin' to get Journey when I last saw 'im, had already asked his help," Skully offers, moving to take a seat and put his face in his hands. "Gaia, we desperately need a Crescent-Moon in this pack."

Johanna moves up to Skully and embraces him. Rubbing his back as she does in the sisterly way, "I know. I know. We will find one. Until then, we call on the Elders to assist."

Skully leans against Johanna and groans, rubbing his face. "I hate this, sister. I hate it. He's /our/ family, an' we can't do a damn thing. I feel so useless. He needs us, an' we jus' gotta sit an' /wait/. I'm so sorry, Starchaser; I wish we were already on the hunt. I wish we were already there to find 'im. I'm lettin' you down here."

Johanna nods, the tears falling down her face. "I know. For all that I have learned, and the things I need for this, I do not have. I cannot find him. I do not even know where to start. But you are here for me now, and not letting me down. You are stronger than I am right now. I need you."

Johanna texted Eloise a 911 to get over to her home ASAP - that Khol was kidnapped. She did not say more and would explain whenever she was able to get there. For now, it is just Skully and Johanna, trying to keep their wits about them, while Ildar goes to find more help.

As Eloise portals into the upstairs hallway of the House, the current image is a bit surreal. Skully and Johanna are standing at the top of the stairs.. and what is clearly a frozen image of Khol running up the stairs stands immobile. Its as though someone had frozen the light itself as it came off of him (Giving it a slightl blurry edge) but leaving a decoy of Khol just standing there. The magic holding it there is slowly fading at this moment.

Johanna turns to see Eloise get here, and blurts out with a finger pointing at the image. "Something attacked outside. It was an illusion - shadow creatures, and a 50 ft tall thing coming right at us. The whole thing was to distract us and take Khol. He's gone! It took him! Where, we do not know. Ildar went to get more help, including Shaderunner'rhya, but you are so powerful, and know Khol as well. Can you help? Please?" She is beside herself, but trying to hard to get the help that they need.

Skully is leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, and bows his head at Eloise with a polite, "Ma'am" and just stays where he is. Johanna said enough; he'll answer questions, but for now it's time to let the woman work.

Eloise comes out of a room, not unlike Journey does, really, and then she's bombarded by Johanna. She shakes her head, holding out a hand. "Okay. Okay. Breathe, dear." She briefly pinches the bridge of her nose as she fights teleporting. "Here's what we're going to do. I'm going to LOOK.. Nothing more. And then we're going back to MY PLACE.. so I can WORK. I will get you all there safely. But if I'm working against a mage, which.." She sniffs the air a little bit. "I probably am. I need to be in my safe space.. and so do you all."

Ildar, in his running, has been using that lupus form to move faster. As he'd get to the front of the house, that shift would happen, letting him have a hand to get in the front door, looking about even as he'd pant softly, recovering from the run.

Johanna nods, as she stops talking and lets the good woman do her work. She takes in a breath and steps out of the way so Eloise can do what she needs to here, and just goes over to Skully, leaning into the big guy.

Skully's lip curls back from his teeth in a snarling grimace, and he grumbles, "Mages. /Again/." He huffs loudly, noting Ildar's arrival but keeping quiet. This is Eloise's crime scene now.

Eloise nods to Skully. "I apologize. We aren't ALL horrible kidnapping caern rapists." Eloise is in no mood to mince words. She has work to do. She looks around slowly, her head tipping this way and that, her eyes going a little blanks, glazing over, and she nods. "Three..." she finally says. "There are three. This will disappear soon.." She waves a hand at the frozen image. "They did teleport him out. I don't dare TRACE it unless I'm in a safe place. Not with three of them." She leans in toward the illusion and breathes on it, just a little puff of air. "Are you safe, Khol?"

Ildar glances at the others who seem really focused on Eloise. A small frown at her words but he shifts a little to stand closer to Skully, trying to not get in the way as he'd lean in a little to speak up to the big guy. "Uh.. mages..? I'm.. missing something. Aren't I?"

Johanna shakes her head, "Three? Three? Like a pack or coven or whatever it would be called? Damn it. Why do they want him?" She struggles... so much. "Ildar, Honor's Keeper - did you find Shaderunner'rhya? Is he on his way?"

"Don't use that term in front'a 'em; it ain't polite," Skully says to Ildar when Eloise says 'caern rapists'. "Will-workers. Them humans as can change reality around 'em. Miz Eloise is one of 'em; as she's Kinfolk an' trusted by the Sept, you can drop your guard some with her, but never, ever trust one ain't fully vetted. They're as dangerous as dangerous gets without bein' of the Wyrm." He frowns, shrugging at Eloise in mild apology. "All right. We need to get to where you're safe, then."

Eloise frowns just a touch and her brow knits. "I can't find him." She blinks a few times, as if to clear her mind a little and shakes her head. "Back to my place. Can any of you build a moon bridge?" She nods to what Skully says. "More information later. I can get all of us back to my place, or someone else can, but we need to do it RIGHT now, time is being wasted."

Ildar looks to Johanna and nods slightly. "I got to him. I told him what happen. He said he'd work on it, Starchaser-rhya." Looking over to Skully, then to Eloise, he nods slightly and while ready to help, stays quiet as he's not sure how to do what's asked and doesn't want to interrupt someone that could!

Johanna moves over a bit into the hallway and she opens the Moon bridge. Another gift of Mammoth. "Let's go. Good thing I've been to your place before." She holds it open for everyone to go through and they can get things going.

Even as you are preparing to leave, the image of Khol simply vanishes, one moment its there, the next, its gone.

Skully moves from the wall, walking to the Moon Bridge and waving Ildar along. "Come on," he grumbles, glad to finally get on with the investigation and showing absolutely none of that joy in his stern mien.

Eloise nods. "The clinic, please," Eloise agrees, again pinching the bridge of her nose.

Ildar nods a little and would follow on quietly, hesitating a moment at eyeing the bridge, a glance at Skully.. it can carry him? Then he'll be fine and Ildar follows along after him.

Johanna steps through and closes the moon bridge as they all arrive. She wishes she could enjoy this location more, but she cannot right now. Her hands cradle her belly, as she walks forward and will move wherever, stand wherever, do whatever Eloise needs right now.

Back to the Sanctum. Eloise immediately moves through the small house and into the back yard, grabbing her bag along the way. "Okay. Tell me everything you think is relevant. CALMLY. While I work. Even if you don't think it's important, tell me anyway." She starts pulling things out of her bag. A little fan, a needle, a small bowl, a bottle of water, a ring with a dandelion encapsulated inside of it, handcarved runes, a tarot deck, a bottle of bubbles, some bones, a slip of cotton, a pipe, which she hands to Skully along with some very fresh looking weed. "Load that."... a rope with several knots in it, another ring, a crystal ball, a pendulum. Shit just keeps coming, each thing being laid out in its own place.

Skully is all business, having loped along the Moon Bridge and strode straight into the clinic with quiet determination. He puts a hand on Ildar's arm and tilts his head to the side to pull the Silver Fang away a bit, giving the women their space. He breathes the humid air in deeply before murmuring, "Pay close attention, speak when spoken to, stick next to me."

One marvel into the next. He'd look about, but focuses when Skully motions him over. Stepping to the side, he nods slightly, glancing at Eloise, then back to Skully. "I'll stick close. You can count on me." He'd motion slightly to the pipe. "Should get that loaded though, right?"

"Yeah, I got it," Skully replies quietly with a nod, loading the bowl carefully -- lack of practice -- but eventually getting it managed in the correct fashion. He closes the bag of weed, awaiting his next instructions.

Johanna blinks watching Eloise doing her thing. At least Skully is more with it and getting things done right now. She's trying to find her center and darn really needs to meditate soon.

It only takes her a moment or two to get everything prepared. "Journey is almost here," she says as a matter of course. "Ten seconds." SHe gives her long hair a toss and collects the runes, tossing them out to scatter across the decking. The ring on her finger is slid off and replaced by another, older, worn. "I'll try contacting his mind, too. Soon as Shaderunner gets in here, see if he can look for him and then fill him in on the necessities. Is there anything else you can tell me?"

Journey did not hear the Ten Second prediction. If he HAD he would have sped up or slowed down, just because. As it stands, it's on the nose, ten seconds after Eloise said it. "Hello." He looks around. "Many people." He sighs, and moves to find somewhere comfortable, "Okay. What happened?"

"Another attack on Starchaser's home," Skully answers Journey, looking over to the Silent Strider but keeping his place. "Sudden winds, crawlin' shadows, an' a giant storm titan. Sent Khol up to the crows nest to sharpshoot while Starchaser, Ouray, an' I tried to handle the matter. Honor's Keeper arrived an' discerned it was an illusion, a ruse; but by the time it was all over, Khol was missin' leavin' only some sort'a afterimage."

The big Metis clears his throat and adds, "He spoke with us today, through the link we share with Mammoth. He... he jus' learnt the trick of it. Can't think straight, can't tell where he is, some kind'a interference in his mind... but he's alive."

Johanna nods with Skully's words. "Yes, and we need to find him. This may be it - the triggering event to his awakening. This is just bad. Bad bad bad. We need your help too, Shaderunner'rhya. We need everyone on this. We have to find him."

Ildar looks between the others, frowning, but keeps quiet. He's focused on the task at hand and ready to do his part when needed. But right now, the best thing he can do is pay attention and don't interfere.

Eloise tips her head to the side and she smiles. "Found you. Okay. He..." The smile fades and her eyes go glassy and her head tips a little to the side. "He's... well, fuck. He's awakening. There's chanting. He's calm. He's in an... egg... of energy.. Big room. Shapes outside.. empty.. like.. echoes.. so .. there's a hum... probably from the energy field. What the fuck is going on here? Journey, can you sense the prey and locate him? There's something blocking me. I can go through it, but it might take time that we don't have." She says, almost a mumble "Khol, it's Eloise. You're going to be okay. I'm with Jo. We're coming to get you." And then she blinks, clearing her head, glancing up and around briefly. "Someone set a timer on their phone and put it where I can see it."

Journey slips a hand into his satchel pops his phone out and poke poke timer, and starts, setting it out, to the hundredths of a second and lowers his head, then points at Eloise, "Yeah, yeah I'm getting that resistance now.." He then snaps his face up, looking to one direction, "Doesn't stop me though, I got him."

Skully grits his teeth and keeps his mouth shut so as not to snap out any questions, taking deep breaths and keeping calm so that he is clear-headed when it comes time to act. But he is obviously tense and eager to move.

Ildar looks between Journey and Eloise. A small nod is given as he'd watch them, preparing for what might be coming next. He'd go to say something, pauses, then just stops. Skully said no talking so he makes sure to jsut be ready to help while he waits for when it's his turn to act.

Eloise nods. "You got him? Good." She holds out a ring filled with Dandelion fluff. "Take this. Go. I'll stay here and work from my sanctum. I can do a lot more from here."

Johanna rubs her hand around her belly. She feels some movement and is trying to calm that down while she keeps it together, and readies herself to do whatever is needed.

Journey takes the ring, and throws it forward, blurring as the ring flips in the air until the Jackal catches it in his teeth and starts moving. <FUCK YOU PEOPLE MOOOVE> He's not fucking around, he's burned down Elder Councils for less. Shaderunner shifts and flows down into the form of a Jackal.