Roleplay:Hunt For The Elemental Orbs/A Cimmerian Search

Plot
The Aphotic Orb, the object representing the God of Darkness, Voidstar, is said to be hidden deep within the Fearful Caverns, the home of the Dark Clan of Voidstar. The caverns run far deeper than most people see, but access to these deeper areas is prohibited by the Clan themselves, due to how hazardous the terrain is.

This does not halt the growing interest in the Orb, particularly from the likes of Dr. Eggman, who wishes to acquire the Orb for himself, in order to finally complete his latest creation; the Egg Chameleon, a sinister mecha designed to be fueled by darkness. Conquering the Fearful Caverns and the Dark Clan, to take advantage of the supposed mountains of Tenebrite hidden within the caverns, as well as take a good amount of prisoners, is his other goal.

Rules

 * 1) Stick to the plot. Do not alter it to revolve around your character, do not change it drastically, etc.
 * 2) No Godmodding. You should all know what this means; no auto-hitting, no random attacks, no constant avoidance of damage, etc
 * 3) No Trolling.
 * 4) No picking random fights with others.
 * 5) Do not just randomly jump into a scene. Either ask, or build up your arrival accordingly (I.E "Suddenly, such and such and such" or "Meanwhile, somewhere else blah blah blah")
 * 6) No hogging all the glory.
 * 7) No controlling other users' characters without their permission.
 * 8) Canon characters are allowed. Please make sure to not have them steal the show, however.
 * 9) Put effort in your posts. I mean it; none of this "Person: Shadow Ball! *uses Shadow Ball*" crap.
 * Acceptable method: (Person: Shadow Ball! *charges up a concentrated ball of shadow energy, and then fires it at Person 2*)
 * Preferred method: ("Shadow Ball!" Person yelled. Cupping his hands in front of him, he began charging up a concentrated ball of pure shadows. After a few seconds he threw the ball at Person 2.)

Current Participants
''Moderators are the peacekeepers of the RP (their names are in green). Listen to them if they tell you that you broke a rule, and don't throw a hissy pissy fit if they give out constructive criticism on how you RP. Only people that I (Ryushusupercat) absolutely trust get to be moderators.''
 * green - RP Owner/Moderator
 * Strikes: 0


 * green - moderator
 * Strikes: 0


 * Skyblade743
 * Strikes: 0

Protagonists

 * Characters with generally heroic motives (wanting to stop the villains, wanting to keep the artifact safe, etc.).


 * Dark Clan of Voidstar - Played by Ryu and anyone else who has characters that are members of this clan.
 * Vendeta the Hedgehog - Space-fairing hedgehog and last Guardian of the Chronosabre, Vendeta traveled to Earth after hearing about Vendeta Blue's return, seeking to destroy the robot once and for all. However, priorities change after hearing about the Orb and Doctor Eggman's return. Played by Skyblade.

Neutral

 * Characters with unknown motives.

Antagonists

 * Characters who may have less-than-noble motives (greed, chaos, etc.), or are outright villainous.


 * Mackenzie Hartley the Tiger - A character who's always been difficult to figure out in terms of what side he's on, when Terra told him and Scarlet, the only two present members of Team Mask, about the Elemental Orbs, Mac is determined to find one and either sell it or keep it for himself. Inviting Scarlet along to join him for the party, this electrokinetic mercenary is looking for some fun. Played by Max.
 * Scarlet June the Fox - Team Mask's resident hotheaded gunslinger, Scarlet has been revived and is ready to get back into some action! Disappointed in herself for falling to Luna so easily, Scarlet wants to make up for it, and when Mac gave her a wonderful opportunity, she couldn't afford to refuse. Now, Scarlet is along with Mac for the ride, hoping for some action and adventure. Played by Max.
 * Sephtis Briona (the Fifth) the Eagle - After learning that Luna had lied to him, Sephtis desperately wanted a chance to do something that he actually wanted to do - no bias involved. When he learned that Mac and Scarlet were leaving, seeing as White and Tina were being bums, he begged to go with them. In a "why not" moment, they agreed, and now, the lance-wielding assassin-in-training is on the bandwagon. Will the thirteen-year-old be able to deal with this challenge of pride and bravery, however? Played by Max.
 * Dr. Eggman - Eggman wants the Aphotic Orb to serve as the core for his latest creation. Played by whoever claims him first.
 * Eurish Egg Soldiers - Initially sent by Eggman to scout out the area, but they plan on following the doctor's orders. Unnamed soldiers are played by anyone (anyone can make a soldier if they wish); Norrix the Wolverine, Gavriil the Weasel, Armand the Hawk, Sustineo the Fox, Olga the Rabbit, and Birgitte the Dog are played by Ryu.
 * Charlotte Berute the Monkey - A disciple of the Lamak Zone's strange and mysterious goddess of wisdom, Keira, Charlotte was sent in order to retrieve the Aphotic Orb in order to mend special body parts for her fallen daughter. Charlotte, being the trigger-happy fun-loving monkey she is, quickly rose to the challenge, determined to use her mallet, gun, and Rakek spells in order to get the orb. Will it be too much trouble for the monkey, or can she finish her task? Played by MaxIrvaron. 
 * Vendeta Blue - Having repaired himself from his previous defeats after a short trip to Platinum City, Vendeta Blue has returned to complete his mission and kill his original template, and anyone else who gets in his way. Played by Skyblade.

Part 1
In the Dark Clan's village, a small group of children were gathered near the fenced-off area a bit far away from the back of the village; the old fence was what separated the village from the deeper and more treacherous parts of the Fearful Caverns. The children seemed to be talking among themselves, discussing rumors they've heard about the darkness beyond the fence.

"I heard-" one of the youngsters piped up, "-that a giant monster lives back there."

"No way! How would it have even gotten back there??"

"It probably lived there before anyone even came here, duh!"

The fence wasn't anything impressive, and was only about four feet tall. It was possible to see through the horizontal slots in the fence, and one of the kids poked his head through one; he saw nothing but inky blackness.

"How would a monster even live back there, though...? Isn't it all just spiky rocks?"

The small group was interrupted by a shout.

"Hey!"

A female chinchilla carrying a spear trotted towards them, trying to shoo them away from the fence with her free hand.

"C'mon now, you know this place is off-limits!"

This was met with a groan from the kids, and she crossed her arms.

"I mean it, now come on."

She gazed sternly at them, and the small group finally relented, jogging away from the wooden barrier that sat between safety and the unknown. The chinchilla gave one glance towards the darkness, before walking away as well, going back on patrol. For the people of the Dark Clan, life was currently normal...but of course, that was likely to change at any moment.

At that moment, a small group was making its way towards the Fearful Caverns, moving stealthily under the cover of the trees and the sunset; they were being led by a wolverine. However, the group was about to intersect with another fearsome yet ridiculous one, which was also going to the caverns.

Mackenzie Hartley the Tiger was prowling through the area, using his tiger smell and sensing to help guide a way. Wearing a thick-black headband with a lightning bolt insignia, a yellow shirt that had a sleeve on his left arm but no sleeve on the other with blue lining along with what seems to be a white ribbon tied around multiple times and blue pants with a white spiral all over, the tiger was determined to succeed in his mission. He was even on all fours!

Scarlet June the Fox wore a modified version of her yellow tank top that now had pink sleeves, with very short jean shorts accompanying them. She wore white and green socks with cyan and green boots. She was following her best friend Mac with her arms crossed and eyelids lowered, annoyed they'd been walking for so long. ''When will we be able to get that Apocalypse Orb or whatever? The cash we could make off of it isn't worth a month of our lives.''

Sephtis Briona the Fifth was an eagle wearing a red, black-striped hoodie along with jean shorts and a red headband. He was flying above the two with a smile on his face, happy he could accompany them. Suddenly, Mac's tail went static, and Sephtis asked, "What's wrong, Mac?"

Mac turned around, stood up, and smiled as he said, "I think we found some peeps who could be some competition. Get your weapons out." Mac took a golden sword from his belt, Scarlet took a gun from a belt of her own, and finally, Sephtis took a large lance from his own belt. When he saw that they all were ready, Mac yelled, "WHO GOES THERE?!"

Norrix's squad stopped in their tracks upon hearing Mac's yell, with the burly wolverine frowning.

"Damn. Looks like we're not alone," he huffed, pulling out a laser rifle as he started to step forward. "Stay here."

Stepping barely past the treeline, Norrix glared out into the distance, ears perked; his squadmates stayed nearby the trees, hidden in the dark and getting their own weapons ready.

"Who's out there screaming their fool head off?" he barked, hefting his weapon. "Come out!"

Mac swung Angel around before cutting down a tree. Then, he jumped on the stump for the person to see him. "Here I am, fools! Get a load of this!" Mac started doing stupid dances on the stump, trying to provoke these noobs they just met.

Scarlet facepalmed before grabbing Sephtis by the arm and jumping back. "Wait. If Mac takes care of them all, no problem. If not, we'll help." Sephtis groaned, and after Scarlet glared at him, Sephtis nodded in agreement, frightened.

As the tree fell, the Skullhead Sylphs that were nesting in it immediately flew away, screeching in panic. Norrix only quirked an eyebrow at Mac, his weapon lowering slightly.

"...uh-huh. Okay," he said; the wolverine was definitely confused and maybe a touch irritated at the tiger's ridiculous behavior. "If you don't have anything better to do than dance, then we'll be on our way. We have important business to take care of."

He turned and started walking off to the side to get around Mac, Scarlet, and Sephtis, with his squadmates starting to move out from the treeline; a female Broholmer with Cybernetic lower legs looked over at Mac and shook her head in disdain. The Egg Soldiers kept their hands on their weapons and an eye on the three strangers at all times, however, in case they suddenly decided to jump at them.

Mac, seeing this, opened his eyes wide and ran in front of the wolverine and his squadmates. "Hahaha, sorry, bub, but you kind of hafta leave if you're looking for the Apostle Orb. My gang is searching for it, and... yeah. Just squaddle on home, 'kay? Actually, don't - taking you out'll be way more fun."

With an irritated snort, Norrix stopped again, narrowing his eyes at the tiger.

"So you're after it too, hmm?" he asked, hefting his laser rifle again. "The Aphotic Orb. I'm afraid we can't let you have it; our boss wants it, and we intend to get it for him."

The symbol on Norrix's fatigues made it rather obvious just who his boss was.

"So maybe you kids are the ones who should 'squaddle on home', hmm?" he sneered, while his squadmates gathered behind him, weapons at the ready.

"Okay, watch it, Grandpa," Scarlet said, appearing behind Mac with her gun equipped. "First, we're not kids. Second, we mean serious business. Third, if you want to dance..." Scarlet grabbed Mac's arm and took them both into the air before she could finish, and a strong burst of air was blasted at the soldiers from behind them.

The gust of wind ended up knocking over everyone save for Norrix and the female Broholmer dog, the latter of whom pulled out an Energy Stave.

"Then dance we shall," Norrix growled, cracking his knuckles; the other soldiers quickly climbed to their feet, pulling out their respective weapons.

As the trio fell, they pulled out some weapons of theirs too - Mac took his black-and-yellow sword Angel and a gun, Scarlet had two guns, and Sephtis had a lance. Scarlet fired electric bullets at Norrix and the Broholmer, while Mac suddenly disappeared and Sephtis flew into the sky.

"Take cover!" Norrix barked, pulling out his own firearm, a laser rifle, and taking cover behind a tree, firing at Scarlet now. The Broholmer dog, not keen on ranged combat, took cover as well, looking for an opening to go after Scarlet. Meanwhile, a female rabbit started scaling the closest tree, using her powerful legs to nearly leap up into the branches for a better vantage point.

Scarlet put up a force field out of energy to block the bullets before firing at the tree Norrix was hiding behind. Meanwhile, Sephtis blasted wind at the dog, and a couple lightning bolts were heading the rabbit's way.

Hopefully the force field could block 'bullets' of pure energy. Using her Cybernetic legs to anchor herself, the dog very slowly made her way towards Sephtis, using one arm to shield her face. Seeing the lightning bolts, the rabbit hurled a ball of water at one of them; if they collided, they'd likely explode in midair and hopefully away from the rabbit. Sephtis stayed in the air and fired multiple aerokinetic orbs while Mac appeared behind the rabbit, twirling his sword around before boosting forward and attempted to stab her in the back.

Scarlet's force field succeeded, and it neared Norrix. It'd explode when it got near him.

The dog, Birgitte, dodged the orbs the best she could, using her Petramite-core Stave to deflect other orbs if possible.

"Coward!" she barked at Sephtis. "Come down and fight me like a man!"

The rabbit's hyper-keen ears picked up on Mac's appearance, and she whirled around to block his strike with her rifle. Norrix, meanwhile, swiftly backed away from the nearing force field; he wasn't dumb enough to go near it.

Mac smiled when she blocked his strike before releasing an electrical discharge around him. Scarlet fired a red laser at Norrix, making it go through the force field.

Sephtis, however swooped down, pulled his mouth wide open and stuck out his tongue. "What? You mad, bro?"

The discharge of electricity sent the rabbit falling out of the tree; luckily, one of her allies quickly caught her, helping her back onto her feet. Norrix dodged the laser, growling a bit.

"Yes, actually," Birgitte growled, before dashing forward with shocking speed as she swung her Stave at Sephtis' face. But now there was a din of voices approaching the battle... Sephtis blocked the stave with his lance before releasing an explosion of wind, blasting him into the air (where he started flying) and having the possibility to do the same to Birgette.

Mac still charged at the rabbit, firing a couple lightning bolts before blasting a blade beam from Angel. Scarlet started running at Norrix, seemingly trying an offensive approach.

The explosion of wind was enough to stagger Birgitte, but she quickly got back up, growling as she glared up at Sephtis. Olga and the hawk that caught her, Armand, dodged the electricity and fired their laser rifles at Mac.

Norrix, meanwhile, held his ground, waiting to see what Scarlet would do. But the voices were getting louder; it sounded like people shouting. One of the soldier's ears perked up.

"Boss, I think we got company."

Mac twirled Angel around to block the lasers before hearing the voices.

"What the..."

Suddenly, in a burst of electricity, Mac disappeared. Sephtis also heard the voices and flew off to them. Scarlet continued to run at Norrix, before jumping back when she was just in front of him, leaving a red energy clone in her place. Seeing her allies turn tail, she decided to do the same, running off to the voices while the energy clone exploded.

The soldiers watched as Mac and Sephtis disappeared, while Norrix used his arm to shield himself from the explosion, while also backing away; the explosion staggered him slightly, but he was unharmed otherwise.

"Now what do we do?" Birgitte huffed, looking at Norrix. The wolverine frowned a bit.

"I'll bet you anything those voices belong to Dark Clan soldiers," he said. "Well...perhaps we can let those kids distract the soldiers for us. Come."

He motioned for his soldiers to follow him, and the group left the area as quietly as possible.

Scarlet kept running, and appearing as electricity, Mac reformed in his body, landing next to her before running. "Hey, Scarlet, aren't those voices weird?"

"They aren't just weird, they're irritating," Scarlet said. "It won't take much for me to want to shoot 'em in the head... especially since they sound hostile."

Sephtis flew low, flying above the duo. "Eh, no problem. We're, well, us! We'll be able to solve any problem and destroy any obstacle that comes our way! Let's just check these voices out."

Norrix was right; the voiced did indeed belong to a group of soldiers from the Dark Clan. The sounds of fighting had reached all the way to the Fearful Caverns, so naturally an investigation had to be launched. The group was led by a male bear.

"It sounds like the fighting stopped," a female serval mused. The bear huffed a bit.

"I don't care if it did; I'we need to make sure that whoever was causing that ruckus isn't going to be a threat to the Clan..."

"Excuse me, but I think that was us," Mac said, cutting down some trees so that the Dark Clan could see them. "We saw some intruders, so we tried to take care of them."

"Mac, that's a load of bullshi-"

"So, who are you guys?" Mac asked, quickly shutting Scarlet up. "Or we could answer first, if you want."

Varjud narrowed his eyes at Mac, a disgruntled snort escaping him; clearly the felled trees didn't sit well with him.

"Do you really need to destroy parts of this forest in your supposed fight against intruders?" he asked, arms crossed. "Anyways...we're from the Dark Clan of Voidstar. You can call me Varjud."

The female serval looked over at Varjud, and then at Mac, frowning; she said nothing, but she didn't seem to really believe the tiger's words.

"Well, who am I to talk to you without you seeing my face?" Mac said, smiling at Varjud. "I'm Mackenzie Hartley, your everyday rich boy. I you don't mind, could I please know more about this... 'Dark Clan?"

Scarlet walked to the serval. "Hi. I could tell you what's really happening here, if you're not stupid enough to believe Mac."

"It's called walking. Walking past trees so you don't need to cut them down," Varjud said, rolling his eyes. "And...what is there you really need to know? We live here, namely, in the Fearful Caverns, and our primary deity is Voidstar."

"Ooh, Voidstar? Sounds edgy. Is this some kind of religion? Because that catches my interest," Mac replied. He sheathed Angel, trying to be peaceful.

The serval, Synkka, looked over at Scarlet.

"I would like to know what's really going on, yes," she said, putting her hands on her hips.

"So, me, the eagle, and playboy over there were just fighting some soldier-like guys. We ourselves are here to learn about this powerful ball of darkness we heard rumors about," Scarlet explained. "Mac is trying to play nice, but ultimately, he's going to try to learn about the orb."

"I...suppose you could call it a religion of sorts?" Varjud shrugged. "Voidstar is one of the primary deities of the Element of Darkness; in fact, we believe him to be the progenitor of that Element."

"The element of darkness sounds pretty dangerous. So, I'm going to stop dancing around the point and dive straight into it - if you guys are a clan of darkness, and your god is the god of darkness, then do you know where the Apocalypse Orb is?" Mac asked.

Synkka's eyes widened a bit at Scarlet's words.

"The...Aphotic Orb, you mean? But, no one knows where that thing is...! No one's even sure if it exists!"

"No one was sure if there were Black Arms around, either, but we killed one a few months ago," Scarlet said. "If it's a rumor, then we gotta check it out."

"Dangerous? Yes, it can be, but aren't all Elements dangerous and powerful in come way?" Varjud asked, frowning. The mention of the 'Apocalypse Orb' caught him off guard.

"You mean...the Aphotic Orb? As far as we know, that's just a myth; and even if it exists, we've never seen it before."

"Aw, man, you're kidding, right?" Mac said with a huff. "Well, if it's a myth, do you know where the myth says it is?"

Synkka looked over at Varjud and Mac now, before looking back at Scarlet.

"What are you guys implying...? That we're hiding the Orb or something?"

Scarlet shook her head. "Not in the slightest. We're just wondering if you guys know anything important about it, like where it may be."

Varjud frowned.

"No, we don't," he said a bit shortly. "The myth says that it's supposedly an infinite source of Darkness energy, formed from Voidstar's own power. It even says that the Orb can be used to...to control Voidstar. Like a puppet..."

"You can use this thing to control a god?! That's super cool. But if you guys worship him, why don't you know where his weakness is?" Mac asked, suspicious.

Synkka nodded, narrowing her eyes a bit.

"So why do you guys wanna know where it is so bad, huh?"

Scarlet nodded also, crossing her arms. "It's kind of the entire reason we came out here, so yeah."

"No, that's not cool; you don't understand what could happen if someone were to do just that, do you?" Varjud asked, a bit of a growl in his voice. "And nobody knows where it is, not just us!"

"I don't trust these guys," a nearby male skunk muttered to his comrades.

"Fine, fine, I'll lay off the Orb," Mac said with a sigh. "but could you tell me more about this religion of yours? Like, Voidstar - what is his history? Special things about him? Why do you worship him?"

"Why do you want this Orb so bad?" asked Synkka.

"You see, my friends and I... we're constantly fighting against threats to the world. Just a few months ago... one of them had taken our friend. We haven't seen him since." Scarlet huffed before continuing. "If we had this Orb... we could make sure this type of thing doesn't happen again. We could have the power to stop threats against the world. That's why I'm so determined to get it."

"What is there to say, really?" Varjud said with a shrug. "I already told you that Voidstar birthed the Element of Darkness; there are claims he roams around in a Mobian form, however, as do his siblings. But none of us have really seen him in person; he primarily communicates through our priests and priestesses. We worship other deities as well, of course."

Synkka frowned a bit.

"That's a noble cause for sure, but we still don't know where it is. And even if we did, I wouldn't feel comfortable with it being in the hands of strangers...I feel like the Aphotic Orb is something that's best left untouched."

She crossed her arms again.

"Besides, aren't there other ways to fight against the horrors of the world without relying on something that might not even exist? That famous guy Sonic does it without relying on stuff like that."

"What about those Chaos Emerald things?" the skunk piped up.

"Uhh...besides those, I guess."

"Well, our worst enemy is a genocidal demigod hybrid, and I think Sonic would need a couple Emeralds to handle that," Scarlet shot back.

Mac looked intrigued again. "Other deities? Wait, there are more?"

"This world is full of deities," said Varjud, nodding once. "Ancient things that've walked this planet ever since its birth."

"Then why do your worship Voidstar so much to the point where this entire clan of yours is centered around it?" asked Mac. "Why don't you equally worship 'em all?"

"Well, we do still heavily revere the other deities of Darkness," said Varjud. "Voidstar's simply the progenitor of it all; the alpha, if you will. Don't some other religions have a central deity, as well?"

"In my religion, we only have one," Mac said with a grumble before smiling at Varjud. "Well, what are some practices you do? Like, summoning stuff? What happens when you're attacked?"

"When we're attacked, we fight back; simple as that," Varjud said. "As for practices, well, we sometimes hold little ceremonies; we also trade goods back and forth with other nearby territories, like Avalon. As for summoning, well, we do have Summoners in our midst."

"Summoners? What're those? Do they manipulate god magic to create beasts of legend or something?" Mac asked. This was like finding about a whole new world!

"Well, no," said Varjud. "They specialize in fighting alongside creatures that they've bonded heavily with."

"So, Pokemon Trainers?' Mac inquired.

"What? Uhh...I guess so?"

"Oh, cool," Mac said. "Well, it doesn't look like we're gonna find anything here. Unless you have even the tiniest piece of knowledge?"

"Again, we don't know where the Orb is, or if it even exists," said Varjud.

Mac sighed. "Guess there's no reason for us to stay here. Thanks for trying."

"You're welcome," said Varjud.

Synkka sighed.

"Okay, fine, so the threat is a genocidal demigod," she huffed. "And say you did get access to the Aphotic Orb if it even exists; how do you know this demigod will be weak to the Darkness element, anyways?"

"What do you mean weak to the Darkness element? If you slap her with fire, it hurt. Slap her with lightning, it hurts. It's not like any sort of attack is 'super effective' or anything," Scarlet explained. "And also, my friend has heard some myths and rumors, so we're searching them out."

"So your search led you here, then," Synkka frowned. "And...you intend to take the Orb when you find it? If you even find it? What are you going to do with it once you fight off this threat?"

"Whenever she comes back..." Scarlet made a finger gun before shooting a laser from it, causing it to go through a tree. "Bang. She's dead. It's simple, really."

"And when she's dead? What will you do with the Orb, then?" asked Synkka, not terribly fazed by the laser.

"Probably give it to Keira, if Mac doesn't interject," Scarlet replied.

"And who is this Keira?" Synkka asked, her suspicion quickly roused once more.

"...another god. In fact, even if we didn't, she would probably take it from us," Scarlet said with a sigh. "She's been getting more involved with us these days."

"I don't like that at all." Synkka frowned. "What would Keira want with the Orb then, hmm?"

"Keep it.... I think. She's complicated," Scarlet answered.

"I like that even less," Synkka sighed. "So...what are her motivations, anyways?"

"She's a goddess of wisdom - she gives prophecies to heroes and/or guides them through journeys," Scarlet replied.

"Why would a goddess of wisdom want something like the Aphotic Orb? That doesn't make any sense...!"

"She wouldn't really want it as much as she would keep it to make sure it's safe," Scarlet continued. Synkka raised an eyebrow.

"Somehow I doubt that...and even so, I feel like it'd be best for the Orb to just remain untouched..."

"Well, then, why does it even exist, if it does? I'm not going to let it sit, collecting dust," Scarlet said. "But it's obvious you guys won't be of any help, so there's no point of being here." Mac walked by Scarlet with a slightly disappointed expression.

"Hey, Scar, let's be out. There's not anything we'll get from here," he said, to which Scarlet sighed and nodded. The duo gave halfhearted waves before turning around and going back to where they came from, with Sephtis following them.

"You guys didn't learn anything, huh?" Sephtis asked.

"You know it," Scarlet replied.

Unfortunately, that distraction gave Norrix and his squad ample time to reach the Fearful Caverns, where they were already trying to find a way to sneak inside.

Suddenly, Mac and Scarlet stopped walking, causing Sephtis to bump into Mac's back. "Hey, guys, what's up?"

Mac looked to Scarlet. "You sense that, right? The people from earlier."

Scarlet smiled and nodded. "They probably know more about what they're looking for than us. Maybe we should get some info out of them!"

Sephtis pumped his fist into the air. "All right! I have no idea what you're talking about, but it sounds like we have a lead!" The trio then ran to where Mac and Scarlet sensed he signatures, eventually coming to the Fearful Caverns.

"We might need reinforcements," Norrix mused while his men continued to scout the area for a way inside that wasn't the front entrance. The rabbit, Olga, perked up her Cybernetic ears, and she stopped, pulling out her laser rifle.

"I hear something, boss...!"

That caused the others to stop and immediately pull out their weapons. Norrix frowned.

"Just great."

Mac saw the ground and waved. "Hiya." He pulled out his two guns, Zip and Zap. "You guys seem to know more than we do about whatever you're looking for, so we have some questions. Comply, and no bullets need to be shot."

Sephtis took out his spear, Kyoya, and smirked. "Or you don't, and I get some good practice with Kyoya!"

None of the soldiers flinched when the weapons were drawn, still armed with their own. Norrix huffed, arms crossed.

"Fine; you want answers? Geological readings indicate that there's a massive underground cave connected to the Fearful Caverns, with strong readings of Dark-Elemental energies in it, to boot."

He smirked a bit.

"I bet those pagan idiots did't tell you that, did they?"

"...oh wow! So, we barge in there, nab the orb, and get out? Simple," Mac said with a smile.

"That girl didn't say anything about that... the liars. I bet they knew, but didn't want to tell." Scarlet reloaded her gun with static bullets. "Thanks for telling us! We'll be on our way."

"Aw... I wanted a fight," Sephtis said, pouting. "But I guess this is easier."

"No problem," Norrix chuckled; he seemed more than willing to let Mac and his group do the dirty work for him, if they even survived the cave...

Meanwhile, Varjud and his group were heading back into the Fearful Caverns. Mac and his group were entering the Caverns, with Scarlet putting energy in the form of a fire in her hand to light up the place. "You do realize they are probably trying to trick us, right?" Scarlet asked Mac.

"Yeah, it's too obvious. We tried beating the stuffing out of 'em, and now they tell us this? That's stupid. Be on your guard," Mac warned.

The cave quickly opened up into a large village, where there were other Mobians milling about, doing their own thing; some were patrolling, some were tending to crops, some were simply engaged in conversations, etc. There were some skylights in the ceiling of the cavern, fitted with windows to prevent rain from spilling in. Varjud and his group were already back in the village, as well. While Mac and Sephtis admired the scenery, Scarlet headed straight for Varjud.

"Hey, Varjud!" she said, having overheard his name from his and Mac's conversation. The bear looked over at her, frowning.

"You again...what is it?" he asked.

"Your goon told us that y'all didn't have the slightest clue where the Orb was, but these soldiers just told us that there's been notices of spikes of dark energy near here. What the hell's up with that?" asked Scarlet.

"She's not a 'goon', she's a soldier, thank you," Varjud huffed. "Second of all, what soldiers? As for Dark energy, you're probably thinking of that."

He pointed towards the fence that blocked off the Point of No Return.

"There's probably mountains of Tenebrite and Caligium back there, but it's fenced off for a reason; far too dangerous to traverse."

He turned back to Scarlet, eyes narrowed.

"I would like to hear about these other soldiers you encountered, though."

"There was a wolverine, a rabbit, and a dog. Those are the only ones I remember," Scarlet admitted. Varjud frowned.

"...do you remember anything specific about their outfits?"

"Wait, no, I have another question," Scarlet said. "The wolverine specified that there were spikes, not simple signatures. That means there's more than normal. Why should I even listen to you at this point?"

"I asked you a question," Varjud growled, his hand going to the hilt of his scramasax. "What were those three wearing??"

By now, other Dark Clan members were starting to gather.

"And I asked you a question: why should I listen to you?" Scarlet's hand started to go to her gun, prepared to start combat if things got out of hand.

"Listen...none of us know just what the hell's back there," he said, keeping his eyes trained on Scarlet's. "For all we know, it could just be massive amounts of Tenebrite and Caligium...or it could be some monster. Hell, it could even be the Aphotic Orb, not like we know if it actually exists or not."

He huffed a bit as he stood up a bit straighter.

"But the point is, we don't know. No one's been able to get back there and investigate."

"Well, I'm not some coward." Scarlet snapped multiple times, getting Mac and Sephtis' (who were checking things out) attention. "C'mon, guys, we know what we want and how to get there."

"So, we're bouncing?" Sephtis asked, to which Scarlet nodded. Sephtis smiled and did a loop in midair before flying to her, and Mac walked to her. The trio then started to head out.

"You're not seriously thinking of going back there, are you?" Varjud asked, following the three now.

"We've come all this way, so why not? When I look back at everything I've been up against, there's nothing in there that could really scare me," Mac said, confident.

"Plus, I'm super bored, so I'm coming with them," Sephtis said, giving Varjud a peace sign.