Roleplay:Secret of the Sands

Plot
There are rumors of a legendary treasure hidden in the Mobian Desert, deep within the Desert Ocean Zone! But the trip there most certainly won't be easy, and, to make matters worse, a mysterious being known only as Pharaoh Nassor will make sure the treasure stays in its place! But is this treasure truly worth taking? Or is it best left where it rests...?

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 steering the plot off course or making it revolve around your character(s).
 * 7) No canon characters.
 * 8) No controlling other users' characters without their permission.
 * 9) As of now, only the Sandstorm Arbiters (which also includes Nassor, Absinthe, Faust and Rashidi-Oba) live in the temple. This means you can't suddenly decide to have your character live there as well; you must ask me, first.
 * 10) No finding the treasure early! I already have an idea as to what it is, and I'll decide when it's found!
 * 11) No randomly teleporting into The Pharaoh's room!
 * 12) 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.''
 * green - RP Owner/Moderator
 * Strikes: 0
 * AnnabelleRich - AKA Asia owo
 * Strikes: 0
 * NLG343
 * Strikes: 0
 * Saren the Dark Lynx - AKA Mr.Kitty ^w^
 * Strikes: 0
 * Reens the Hedgehog- AKA... I dunno.
 * Strikes: 0
 * Frost the Wolf - AKA Waddles

Heroes
Those who wish to explore, and possibly find the Treasure!
 * Ryushu the Cat - Ryu
 * Linebeck the Ferret - Ryu
 * Carmen the South American Leopard - Anna
 * Adofo the Cobra - Anna
 * Asim the Rattle Snake - Anna
 * Akil the Cotton Mouth - Anna
 * Tikali the Wolf - NLG
 * Reens the Hedgehog - Reens

Neutral
Those with unknown motives.
 * Exspiravit - Saren
 * Chestnut the St. Bernard- Reens
 * Otis the Corgi- Reens
 * Zarex the Hyena - Frost
 * Noah the Wolf- NLG

Villains
Those who want the treasure for selfish reasons!

Other
''Are these guys Good or Evil? (All played by Ryu)''
 * Pharaoh Nassor
 * Absinthe and Faust
 * The Sandstorm Arbiters
 * Rashidi-Oba (Male; a strange, weasel/Eastern Dragon hybrid thing)

Prologue
In the Desert Ocean Zone...a truly massive temple, surrounded by a great wall, sat in the sands; the building was hidden by a vicious sandstorm. An imposing Mobian clothed in pharaoh's garbs stood at the very top of the temple. He was silent.

Then, two strange little creatures flew out of the temple, joining the Pharaoh.

"Ahh, the sandstorm looks nice today!" said the blue-furred one. His pink-furred, female companion simply rolled her eyes. The male cleared his throat.

"To be honest, I actually kinda hope some fools try and get in here. I'm so bored..."

"You're always bored," said the female.

"Well there's not much to do here unless people actually try and invade..."

Part 1: The Journey
On the outskirts of the Mobian Desert, in a rather small yet lovely-looking town, a purple cat and a brown ferret were dressed lightly to survive the hot weather, carrying backpacks filled with supplies. The ferret was holding a map.

"So, the place is apparently north of here," he said, mulling over the map. The cat rolled her eyes.

"The place has never been detected by even radars; how are we exactly supposed to find it?"

"Easy; we find the sandstorm!"

"Mistress," A deep yet silky male voice called out softly, "Shall we depart on our journey...?"

"Fine. I'm ready to get going." Walking past the cat and ferret was a pale blue spotted leopard with short purple hair. The majority of her body was showing, mostly her upper chest and thighs were covered in loose and manerverable clothes as she walked along, holding the keys to an ATV as the owner of the male voice, a tall built Egyptian Cobra, followed, who seemed to be wearing ancient Egyptian clothing and jewelry before touching the leopards arm, and transforming into a non Mobian cobra that coiled around her neck loosely as she climbed onto the ATV.

The snow leopard might hear a light clanging noise, but if she looked, she wouldn't find anything out of the ordinary.

"Hmph." Carmen sneered softly before reving up the vehicle and riding off into the desert.

Unknown to her, she had picked up a passenger in the form of a spirit hiding in the ATV. Said spirit had made the clanging noise in a small panic.

The cat, meanwhile, pulled a red and white ball off her belt and lightly tossed it, where it opened in a brilliant flash of blue light; this light revealed a Rapidash.

"Alright, let's get going," said the cat, as she and the ferret climbed onto the Rapidash's back. With the cat pointing towards the sand, the Rapidash trotted forward, into the desert.

Carmen continued to ride the ATV into the wide open desert, sunglasses over her eyes to protect her from the winds and sands. The sun was high in the sky, and the sky was blue. Further behind, the cat and ferret were riding through the desert as well. The ferret was sitting behind the cat, looking at the map.

A few clanging noises were made, namely by the ghost inhabiting the ATV.

Tikali: LOOK OUT!

The cat and ferret continue to ride through the desert.

"What the hell-!?" Carmen skidded to a stop and hopped off, "What...?" She started to check over the ATV. Adofo made an appearance again.

"I sense a being among us Mistress..."

"What do you mean a BEING? Tell 'em to BEAT it, we're busy."

"You can't get rid of a wandering spirit that easily.. And unfortunately I can't really manifest myself at this moment..." The ATV, or more accurately the ghost in the machine spoke.

"Well then stay quiet and we won't have a problem, understood?" Carmen glared at the vehicle softly as she mounted it once again, Adofo reverting to his non Mobian form as well, before she reved the engine and took off into the sands of the desert.

'Yeah yeah..' The ghost grumbled but otherwise complied, Carmen might also note the ATV was actually running smoother.

Running in the opposite direction was a young female hedgehog, with hair as dark as a sapphire and fur as light blue as the sky. Her eyes were this color also, although with small flecks of gold. She wore a thin white sleeveless shirt and skirt with a gold sash tied around it, brown sandals, a heart-shaped locket, and two thin gold bracelets on her left arm. Her right arm was covered in bandages, slightly tinted red. She was running away from two slave traders who had wished to sell her to the highest bidder.

Otis the Corgi and Chestnut the St. Bernard were two of these slave traders. They made a living off of how many slaves they sold, and the one they were trying to capture would fetch a pretty price. If only she would keep still, that is.

"She's too fast," Otis complained loudly as the two stopped to rest. His horse nickered and shook his head.

"C'mon, now. Once the sun gets to her she'll drop like a hot potato," Chestnut barked with a laugh. "That little princess won't stand a fighting chance against us!"

"I guess you're right," Otis sighed. "You always are."

Meanwhile, the cat and ferret continued riding through the desert; would they come across the female hedgehog?

By now, the hedgehog was getting really tired and needed a place to sit down and rest. She eventually found a small grove of trees and sat among them, grateful for their shade from the hot sun. Her feet ached as she breathed a sigh of relief. Raising her arms, the one in bandages stung, and she hissed in pain. However, she didn't say anything, as being a slave she was taught not to say a word.

The sound of hoofbeats was getting quite close to the small oasis shaded by the grove of trees...

"Mistress-"

"What?" Carmen hissed softly at her loyal partner as she blinked behind her shades.

"I sense danger... Shall I investigate, and regroup?" He offered.

"Fine. Just don't take too long." Carmen answered back.

"Yes mistress..." With that the cobra jumped from her arm, and into the sands of the desert. Sticking his tongue out he scanned the area, feeling quite at home in the hot sand as he began to slither for the oasis, getting the feeling that a mortal may have needed assistance... After all, his purpose in life was to protect the innocent from danger, and thwart all evil in the world.

Her ears picked up the sound of a hiss, and the female hedgehog recoiled back in fear as the cobra approached. She knew cobras were dangerous, and backed away from it as far as she could. However, her movements seemed to irritate her wounds even more, and she gave a stifled cry of pain.

That was all Chestnut and Otis needed to hear as the two reached the oasis.

"See? I knew we'd catch up with her in time," Chestnut boasted. However, once her horse saw the cobra, he reared back in fright and sped off, with Chestnut holding on for dear life.

"Wait up, partner!" Otis shouted as her turned his own steed around, following in Chestnut's wake.

And at that time, the cat and ferret arrived at the oasis, with the Rapidash promptly stopping upon seeing the cobra and beginning to paw at the ground, snorting.

"No need to fear me, mortal..." He hissed softly and reverted to his Mobian form as he dropped to one knee and bowed to her majestically, "I am only here to help...My mistress granted my wish to assist you..."

The female hedgehog's fearful look took on a more calm expression, but her eyes were still a bit apprehensive. She took his hand, bidding him to rise. As she did so, she tried to say something to him, but nothing seemed to come out. She looked down at herself and sighed, wincing at her arm again.

"Are you quite alright, madam...? You are injured..." He came closer and looked at her arm, his surprisingly cool breath washing over her neck as he did so and held a hand out for her, "I shall do my best to heal your wounds." He pulled out some first aid supplies, "My mistress makes it clear to always make sure that I am carrying some sort of first aid."

She tried thanking him, but all she could manage at first was a grunt. Her lips moved, but no other sound came out. Looking around, she then tried motioning with her other hand, holding it to her throat and shaking her head. "Nngh... can't... talk... much..."

The cat dismounted from her steed and walked towards the hedgehog and cobra.

"Hey! Is she okay?" she asked, looking worried.

The cobra blinked, then nodded as he picked her up, and wondered over to the small body of water in the oasis, preparing to heal her as best he could. The revving of an engine was heard as Carmen rode up to the area, taking off her sunglasses.

"Adofo!" She called out, "What's taking so long?" She walked over with a sour look on her face.

"Mistress...She is wounded...Please...I must do what I can." He replied.

"Fine. But we don't HAVE all day you know..." She headed back for the ATV.

The cat walked towards the cobra yet again, still worried.

"Is there anything I can do to help? I think I have some gauze in my bag."

"A...do..fo..." The female tried the syllables on her tongue, and smiled when they fit together. She looked at him and then looked back down at the ground, as if to say she could walk and didn't need to be carried. "Down... please."

"Oh, my apologies." Adofo set her down, and looked to the cat, "I could use any help I can get..."

"Here." A water bottle was flung at the back of Adofo '' s head and the cobra caught it without having to turn around.

"Thank you mistress." Adofo gave Carmen a nice smile as the leopard rolled her eyes in annoyance. He turned back to the hedgehog and removed the cap from the bottle, "Drink, you must stay hydrated. I'll also use this water to cleanse the areas around your wounds..." He handed her the bottle.

'Wonder if I can manifest myself now...' The ghost thought to itself before trying to manifest itself, only managing a nearly translucent silhouette.

The female took the bottle and looked at it, before putting in in her mouth and drinking half of it. She removed it from her mouth, wiped the top of it, and handed it back to Adofo. "Thank... you. Mistress... okay?"

The cat knelt down and took off her backpack, opening it up and pulling out what looked like a basic first aid kit. She opened it and pulled out a roll of gauze, handing it to Adofo.

"This should be enough gauze; it's a whole roll."

The female looked at the roll and cocked her head before slowly unwrapping her right arm. It was covered in welts and scars, bruises, and cuts, some of which were slightly bleeding. "Do bad job... beat. Do good job... heal. Reens always do bad work."

Carmen growled softly at the silhouette. She'd seen more bizarre things, and stuff like this was no exception as she sipped from her own bottle of water and leaned against her ATV.

"No need to give thanks. It is my duty to protect innocents." Adofo said softly. He took the roll from the cat and nodded to her in thanks. Carmen winced at the scars and injuries Reens had on her arm as she looked off elsewhere.

"What scum of this Earth did this to you, Reens...?" Adofo asked as he took out some small bottles to disinfect the wounds and keep them from getting infected in the future, "This may sting, so bear with me..."

"This!! Sucks!! A**!!" The silhouette shouted.

"Oh stop complaining Puta." Carmen scoffed and glared.

Reens grit her teeth, but then a small whimper escaped her lips. She didn't cry very much and bit her lip in order to keep from screaming. "Reens had worse. Slave traders... they hate... they drag Reens from home... kill family... no one left... sell Reens..."

The silhouette looked at Carmen with an amused glance, his form slowly regaining color, a casual sneer on his face. "Y'know, I would take offense if you actually knew how to speak español puta de mija"

A small sound of anger escaped from Adofo's mouth as an aggravated hiss followed. If there was anything he hated more if would be mortals killing each other, and putting their own kind into slavery, "I shall take it upon myself to end those who did this to you." He spoke up as he started to clean her wounds.

Carmen glared back, "Soy de Colombia nació y creció así que no me digas que no sé cómo hablar mi propio idioma estúpida mierda." She cursed at him in her first language.

"Temper temper~ You wouldn't want to end up a corpse in the desert thanks to dehydration now would you?" The ghost said before he started laughing.

"Pfft! Ahahahahahahahaha!"

Reens looked over at the ghost and shrugged before turning back to Adofo. "Why Adofo and mistress in desert? If looking for gold, no find here. All get here is sunburn and sand in clothes. Adofo and mistress move on soon."

"If you think some crap DESERT will kill me you've got another thing coming. And you can't even say somethin' like that...you aren't even alive anymore...I'm guessing YOU got stuck somewhere out here HUH?" Carmen hissed.

"We are on a quest Reens, to find a well hidden secret here in the desert..." Adofo wrapped her arm back up in clean bandages, "A secret dating back to my own time period..." He looked to the ghost, "Even without a vehicle I will not let my mistress die in a measly desert....And neither will my brothers." He turned back to Reens before two new non mobian snakes slithered forth. A cape cobra and a red spitting cobra slithered over.

Reens cocked her head and smiled. "Adofo mean treasure of Pharaoh Nassor? Reens take you. Reens know where it is! Reens also know where find new vroom-vroom cheap. You follow Reens. Leave ghost behind; ghost scare Reens."

"Exspiravit, and no, I didn't die out here you halfwit, I died burning because I was pragmatic and stupid to save some children from BURNING!!"

The ghost, now identified as Exspiravit, shouted the last part with black flames flickering to life around his feet.

Reens squeaked as the ghost grew angrier and hid her face from it. "Reens say so. Ghost scare Reens. Remind Reens of family. Family... burn..." She looked back up with a big grin, shoving her hurt deep down. "All in past now. Go find shinies! You follow Reens, get new vroom-vroom! Reens warn you... shinies cursed."

"You mean...the temple is real?" Ryu finally asked, looking at Reens. "And you can take us to it?"

Ryu's ferret friend dismounted from the Rapidash, walking towards them.

"This is gonna be a great adventure! I can feel it!"

Exspira remained silent. He was interested in the treasure of Pharaoh Nassor, but Reens probably wouldn't tell him jack since he's a ghost. Interrogation is out of the question because there are too many people around and while he may be undead, that doesn't mean he could just fight all of them blindly and hope to win. This leaves either following them while hiding his presence entirely or playing nice.

Reens nodded emphatically. "Temple real. Been there many time. Lost once in sandstorm. Got sand caught in fur." She giggled and crossed her arms, one finger on her chin. "Reens guide. Make sure follow close. Reens walk fast." As if she were tired, she yawned and scratched her ears. "Start tomorrow, Reens tired."

"W-" Carmen walked over, "Why can't we start now??" She huffed, "...And hell, Adofo found you so you should only lead US to the stupid temple..." She hissed a bit and folded her arms.

"Cursed you say...?"

"Cool..."

"A temple dating back to my time period, I'm sure we can get past it's dangers some how..." The cape cobra and red spitting cobra both transformed into their Mobian forms, dawned in ancient Egyptian clothing just as Adofo was.

Exspira had yawned and decided to curl up and sleep. "If it makes the girl feel more comfortable, I can just fully materialize.. It's a pain in the neck since I don't float but it's the best I can do short of returning to life.. Zzzzzz..."

Reens yawned again and looked at Carmen. "Start tomorrow. Reens tired now. Cat and ferret friend. Lead all to temple. Spotted kitty wait. Find hammock..."

Carmen growled loudly as she huffed, returning to her ATV in a huff as Adofo sighed, before smiling to Reens. He returned to his snake form as did his brothers before they somewhat buried themselves into the sand, feeling right at home. Carmen curses to herself in spanish as she growls, pulling out a small mat as she lays it down and lays on top of it in a huff before sitting down on it and pulling a map out.

"If they think I'm sharing my score they have another thing coming..." She hissed to herself.

Reens took off her skirt, which was alright since she was wearing pants underneath, and hung it between two of the trees. She jumped into it and laid herself down, snuggling into herself. "Good night."

'Do I really want the vast riches? It's not like I could use them anyway..' Exspira mumbled to himself.

Carmen huffed as she glared down at the map and finally put it away, pulling a blanket over herself.

Off in the distance, a hyena was looking through a pair of binoculars at the group. "So, a temple with treasure, huh?" he said. "Cursed or no, treasure equals stuff to sell, and stuff to sell equals profit." He was wearing a black vest with a bandolier of ammunition going around it, as well as a pair of black boots and sports tape around each arm, and a pair of black opaque sunglasses. On his back, his twin katanas where sheathed, criss-crossed across his back. He also had a submachine gun on each hip.

Standing up, he put away the binoculars and grinned. "And profit always makes Zarex happy." he said, referring to himself in third person. He hopped onto his atv and began riding towards them, eventually reaching them in a few minutes.

Feeling the vibrations of the ATV through the sands, the red spitting cobra lifted its head and hissed darkly before slithering through the sands to... 'greet' the newcomer as he used the sand as camouflage.

The sound of the ATV woke Exspira up rather quickly, considering he was just taking a cat nap. He stood up and looked around the desert, only being able to see clearly in the night because of him being a lynx when he was alive.

"..."

For a moment, a large dune of sand obscured the hyena and his ATV from view. The sound of the ATV's engine grew louder and louder as it approached. As the ATV came over the large dune of sand, the ATV soared over the group's head, the driver missing. Stranger still, the ATV was now engulfed in fire. It continued to fly through the air until crashed and tumbled some distance away from the group. The ATV continued to crackle and spark after it stopped tumbling, before finally exploding in a ball of flames.

Reens woke up with a start, feeling the heat from the explosion. "Vroom-vroom go boom! Reens scared!" She ran towards the wreckage, searching for any signs of life. "Nobody... dead?" Panting, she ran as fast as she could back to the grove of trees. "Wakey wakey! Vroom-vroom go boom! No dead body! Reens scared!"

"Adofo will you shut her up...?" Carmen huffed as the snakes went back into Mobian form to look around the area, the red spitting cobra still slithering around where he heard the ATV come from as Carmen hissed in annoyance and sat up.

"But... Reens scared... slave traders... hiding..." She whimpered, sniffling. "Capture Reens... hurt Reens again... spotted kitty not know pain..." She looked at Carmen, tears threatening to spill over. "Know nothing! Don't care about pain... care about self only... selfish kitty!" With a shudder, the tears rolled down her cheeks like twin rivers.

"Boo." a voice said, standing directly behind Reens. It was Zarex, standing there with a slight smirk on his face, arms crossed. He appeared to have come right out of thin air.

"... Bloody wannabes..." Exspira grumbled, turning to look at Zarex.

"Ah!" Reens turned around and screamed a little, then looked at him and hugged him tightly. "Yay! Not dead! Not dead! Vroom-vroom go boom! Not dead!"

"Don't HUG him, moron! He's probably spying on us!" Carmen stood up and growled as Adofo and his brother turn towards Zarex as well.

Reens let Zarex go and turned to Carmen, a look of confusion sprawled across her features. The confusion turned to a slight show of anger. "Reens see now. Spotted kitty hate Reens. Think Reens stupid. Reens not smart. Reens plenty smart! Reens not stay anymore. Find own way to temple. Reens not guide no more." She huffed and walked away from the group, her arms crossed and ears twitching wildly in agitation.

"Wha-!? HEY! You better not walk out on US! We're standing between you and those slave owners!" Carmen snarled, "¡Idiota! ¡Regresa aquí! Dios puerto Damn él!" She began cursing in Spanish.

"Now look at what you've done." The cape cobra hissed.

"Shut up Akil..." Carmen growled.

"I suppose it's up to me now..." Adofo sighed, quickly following behind Reens, "Please Mi'lady...reconsider...My mistress is...not fond of strangers...let alone anyone..." He stated in a calm voice, "Due to her past she is very hard to impress and...Very easily agitated. But I've seen her risk her life for her teammates, Marisol and Isabella. They truly have seen the brighter side of her...And I believe you can see that side as well, if you can reach it that is."

Zarex was caught off guard by the hug, not at all expecting it (or wanting it for that matter). After a few moments, he recollected himself, remember why he had even approached in the first place. "Speaking of those slave owners," he began, "I think I can help you out with that." he casually walked closer to Reens and Adofo. "Now, I couldn't help but overhear ya talk about some treasure somewhere in this sandy wasteland, so let me make you a deal. You lead me to this treasure and give me part of it as payment, and I'll make sure those men never bother you again. Cool?"

With a small sigh of resignation, Reens let her arms down and scuffed her foot on the sand. "Okay. Reens come back. Reens lead to temple. Reens hope to reach sunny side of spotted kitty soon." WIth a yawn, she shook her braid and stretched. "Leave now. Sunlight coming. Find temple easier. Catch up?" She turned and started sprinting away, though at a slow enough pace so everyone could catch up with her.

Meanwhile, from another grove of trees, Chestnut and Otis were hiding, eavesdropping to the entire conversation. "Well, Chessie, looks like they're heading to that temple. Maybe we should tag along, eh?" "First, don't call me Chessie. Second, yeah, we better follow 'em. No way I'm letting my prize run away cause of some knick-knacks." "They're gold knick-knacks, Chessie." "Don't call me Chessie!"

Exspira followed Reens. "Quick question.. Do you know anything legends concerning this treasure?.." He asked Reens.

Adofo glared slightly at Zarex, "How disappointing...you must be as low as that to even consider helping someone evade certain death when my brethren and I were born into this world to do it." With a light hiss he turned and went back into snake form, and as Reens passed by Carmen the leopard looked up with a light sneer as she whistled for the snakes to follow and she gathered her things, revving up the ATV as she took off behind Reens.

Ryu and Linebeck got back onto the Rapidash and rode after the ATV.

Reens looked over at Expiravit and nodded. "Reens read stories. Reens hear stories. No truth to them. Storytellers know nothing. Reens know legend truth. Legends says Nassor wise king, good king. Shinies not cursed then. Nassor care for people. Magician friend of Nassor. Magician have dark secret. He magic guards, make them turn on Nassor. Nassor fight guards, kill magician. Nassor hide in temple. Wait for invaders. Cursed shinies. Had wife and child. Wife die. Child taken away by stranger. Wait for child come back. Nassor still wait."
 * (Ryu: ....can I borrow this for Duamutef Nassor's backstory? .w. *shot*)
 * (Sure! I just made it up on the fly, but go for it! ^.^ -Reens)
 * (Ryu-Thank you! I'll be sure to credit you for it!)

"So... There might be a chance that I might find a spare body to inhabit?" Exspira asked before facepalming after thinking about the question. "They wouldn't be of any use since they'd probably be mummified..."

"Ghostie find body. Might be dead long time, but ghostie find one," Reens reassured him. "Reens think legend true. Reens think lost child might be here. Spotted kitty? Pretty kitty? Adofo? Snakes? Ferret? Reens not know. All Reens know is legend."

Zarex shrugged off Adofo's disapproval quickly. "Whatever, scales." he said casually. Without waiting for any further invitation (or lack thereof), Zarex teleported to where Reens' current location. "Sooo....." he began, "If I protect you from, and/or unalive, those men you're so afraid of, will you lead me to the treasure?" he asked, as he didn't exactly get an answer the first time around.

"Leave the girl alone, idiot." Carmen hissed at Zarex, "Had I and Adofo not come along she'd be DEAD. And I ain't gonna let you hustle her like that..." She growled softly as Adofo ran past the group and on Reens' left, as he gave her a small comforting smile.

Exspira sighed. "Hey, both of you.. Calm down, you both want the treasure and she can lead you to it.. But here's the thing, you ever consider what could be guarding said treasure?" He spoke, getting between the two in an attempt to play the part of mediator.

"Oh, is that right?" Zarex challenged Carmen. "What, are you thinking of protecting her now? Funny, considering you don't seem to like her all that much." he then turned to Exspira. "I'm sure whatever problem tries to get between us and that treasure can be solved with a little ammunition and C4." he said simply, as though shooting and blowing things up were how he responded to all problems.

Reens smiled back at Adofo when her ear twitched wildly. Suddenly, she screeched to a halt and thrust her hand behind her, telling them all to wait. She sniffed the air, put her palm on the ground to feel the dirt, then gave a small nod. "Silent Pass up ahead. Must be quiet. No rockslide. Save yelling for later. Walk from here, vroom-vroom make too much loud."

Zarex let out a short groan of disappointment. He hated being quiet. "Fine." he said.

"Would Cheval be too loud as well?" Ryu asked, referencing to the Rapidash.

"Most likely..."

Reens looked over at the aforementioned creature and nodded. "Big mousey come if he stay quiet, but leave here if too loud. We go now- hush-hush." As quietly as she could, Reens started to walk, barely making any noise with her feet. Even her attire was silent, aside from a gentle clinking of her bracelets.

Ryu brought Cheval back into her Pokeball as she and Linebeck quietly followed after Reens.

Exspira followed Reens, floating slightly above the ground so he wouldn't make any noise by walking.

Carmen sighed and rolled her eyes as she turned off the ATV, grabbing only essentials as she slowly followed, while Adofo and his brethren went back into non Mobian forms, slithering silently through the sand.

Ryu was looking overhead at the looming pass, somewhat nervous.

Looking over at Ryu, Reens smiled. "Kitty no be nervous," she said with a whisper. "Rock people nice, unless be mean and loud." She looked up at the rocky pass and sighed. "Reens love this place. So quiet, peace... nothing spoil it."

"Rock people?" Ryu asked softly, looking towards Reens. Linebeck was just trying to make sure he was as quiet as possible.

Reens nodded and looked up, stretching her hand out. "Rock people everywhere. Blend in real good; no one see them, but some hear them. Protect the pass with life. Keep peace. Rock people know me. They are friends."

"I see..."

"So, I'm not allowed to shoot 'em?" Zarex guessed, growing more bored by the minute. If nothing exciting happened soon, he might start a rockslide just to get some action.

Ryu jumped slightly when a small rock came tumbling down, but Reens deftly caught it.

"So, uhh... how large is this pass, exactly?" she asked.

Tossing the rock up and down, Reens sniffed the air. "Almost through. Temple across river. We make good time." Her ear twitched, and she stiffened, her body rigid. "Shh... sound like... rockslide..." What Reens didn't know was that the two slave traders had been following them, albeit above them than right behind them, and were throwing down little pebbles with their footsteps. Chestnut slipped, and a little pebble made a chain reaction, making huge boulders start to fall. Throwing her hand behind her, she waved it frantically. "Run!"

Linebeck had briefly frozen in his tracks, ears perked up as he heard the sound of pebbles bouncing against larger stones. Then a loud, grinding noise. He didn't need any motivation to start running, quickly grabbing Ryu's arm and pulling her along.

"Go!! Hurry!!" he cried, mostly at his companion.

"Quickly mistress!" Adofo called out as he and his brothers slithered as quickly as they could, and Carmen started to sprint as well.

"Whoever those guys are I'lI KILL 'EM!!" Carmen growled with pure anger.

"Not if I beat you to it first!" Zarex added, bursting into a sprint that outpaced the others.

Exspira, whom had been travelling with the group and remaining silent, continued on through the rockslide. Being a ghost, he could phase through solid objects and such as long as there wasn't any magic involved.

"Aah!" Reens cried out as a large boulder crashed near her, scaring her a little. She had lagged behind a bit and was trying to catch up when an even larger boulder fell down, right on top of her left ankle. She cried out in pain and hissed. "Go! Leave Reens... Reens get free!"

Ryu skid to a halt and turned once she heard Reens' cry of pain. She ran towards the injured hedgehog.

"I'm not leaving you behind!"

A hand swiftly grabbed her wrist and yanked her away.

"Ryu, you can't help her now!" cried a voice; it was Linebeck.

"But-"

"If you go back, you'll get crushed too...!"

The ground around Reens rumbled, and the rocks began to clatter. With a large groan, the pieces came together to create a creature that was about ten times Reens' height and weight, made completely out of boulders with pebbles for his hands. He looked down at Reens and saw her in pain, then flicked the boulder off of her ankle with ease. With as much gentleness as he could being a rock creature, he picked her up in his arms.

Both Ryu and Linebeck stared, awestruck, as the earth formed into a massive being, a creature of living stone.

"I-Is that a...a rock person...?"

Ryu backed up some as the behemoth freed Reens and gently picked her up.

"Whoa..."

Reens looked up and smiled, the behemoth smiling as much as he could back. "Friend... hurt..." "I'm alright, Sandson. It's just my ankle." "Ankle... Need... walk..." Looking ahead, Sandson walked forward, being careful not to jostle Reens too much. With his other arm, he bent down to try and pick up everyone else, except for Exparavit being a ghost.

"Ah-!" It wasn't the first time Carmen had encountered a giant beast of sorts, but it was a first for that giant beast to be willing to help instead of eat her.

As Sandson offered his hand, Ryu and Linebeck climbed on the best they could.

"Thank you! Uhh, Sandson, was it?" asked Ryu, looking up at the great stone person.

Sandson nodded and picked them up, walking forward. "Almost to temple. Cross river, then there!" Reens said with excitement. She smiled at Ryu, though a bit pained. "Rock people like Sandson always gentle. Hurt them, then see bad side."

"I see..." Ryu nodded a bit.

Zarex had already cleared a bit of distance by this time, and looked back to see Sandson having picked up everyone else. He instinctively pulled out his guns, but didn't fire right away.

"Wait, is that one of those rock people that girl was talking about?" he asked himself. He refrained from firing and hostered his weapons. It was at that moment he noticed a large shadow looming over him. Looking up, he saw a boulder several times his size about to land on him.

"What the-" he didn't finish the sentence as the boulder landed, kicking up a lot of dust as it did.

(Would've been nice to get a message saying this RP was still active. What am I, chopped liver? ;~; - Frost)

(I know what you mean, Frost. .~. -Reens)

Sandson lumbered past Zarex, effortlessly picking up said boulder and flicking it away like it was a pebble. He then proceeded to walk towards the temple, which Reens excitedly pointed out. "See? Reens know! Reens know! Temple there! Legend true! Temple there!" Sandson grunted in happiness and let everyone except Reens down at the temple entrance. "Reens... stay with Sandson?" With a small whimper, Reens tried out her ankle. "Reens can walk. Slow, but walk."

"Well what do you know...the girl was right..." Carmen blinked as she and the snakes were let down, and she couldn't help but give a light smile - it was a bit easy to miss though. She looked to Reens, "If your ankle still hurts you shouldn't walk on it then. Don't strain yourself, you hear?" She said as her snakes turned back into their Mobian selves, their ancient Egyptian gold glimmered slightly in the light as Adofo looked at the temple.

"Ah...I get a small sense of home..." The cobra said softly.

Reens shook her head. "Reens need to be with spotted kitty and friends. Booby traps everywhere in temple. Reens know safe way. Reens walk, but... Reens don't know how far." Sandson held Reens closer to him. "Reens no walk. Reens ankle hurt too much." She sighed, then twitched her ears. "If only Reens knew healing spell."

Carmen blinked as she watched Reens closely, before snapping a finger, "Akil can carry you, if you're that worried about booby traps. And if you want to stay with your...rock friend, I'm sure the brothers can sense trouble for us along the way. Right?"

"Your wish is our command, Mistress." The three cobra's bowed obediently as Carmen turned back to Reens. "Your choice, but nothing's stopping me from exploring that temple."

(Ryu-Uhh...the temple's constantly surrounded by a huge sandstorm...)

(Well, Sandson is basically made out the same material, so if he stood in the middle of the sandstorm, he could keep the entrance open long enough. -Reens)

(Ryu-So he'd basically be shielding them from the sandstorm so they can pass? That makes more sense.)

Reens looked up at Sandson and sighed. "Okay, Reens ride with Akil. Sandson stay behind and stop sandstorm while we in temple. Spotted kitty lead the way, okay?"

Chestnut and Otis, who had been following them the whole time, spied Sandson and the rest. "Perfect opportunity to drop in on them, especially since the girl has a broken ankle." "Yeah, Chessie, she'll be easy prey." "How many times have I told you to not call me Chessie?!?"

However, beyond the sandstorm, the presence of Reens and the others did not go unnoticed. Two small figures flew out of the upper windows of the massive, elaborate temple and floated above the main entrance.

"Well, what do you know," said the female, crossing her arms. "Looks like we're getting some company."

Zarex couldn't stop himself from snickering when he Reens and Carmen say 'booby traps'. Once again, he seemed to have just appeared out of thin air behind the group, even though only a minute ago it appeared he had met a terrible fate by getting crushed under a giant rock.

After finally catching his breath, he asked. "If there's gonna be a lot of traps, that's gotta mean that there's a lot of treasure this place is guarding right?"

(just to be clear, I made my edit to look as though Zarex got crushed by the boulder. I was hoping for a different reaction, but I'll go with it. -Frost)

Reens perked her ears up and turned around before hopping onto Akil's back. "Fluffy doggy have no idea." She carefully clambered onto Akil's back, hoping she wasn't too heavy. "Spotted kitty lead the way... Reens have big plans for treasure..."

(Would it be okay if I made a part two? This part's getting pretty long.-Reens)

(Ryu-Go for it)

Part 2: The Temple
Reens pushed a loose strand of hair out of her eyes, then took a match from her quills and struck it against the wall, lighting a series of torches.

"Well, it definitely looks ancient." Zarex said. "Guess this is the place. Now, where's that treasure?"

"If you want to go forward and trigger all of the traps to get to said treasure, be my guest. But for now, shut up." Carmen hissed before walking forward, Adofo and Asim by her sides.

"I hope you're comfy Reens." Akil smiled to her, holding her tight.

Reens looked at Akil and nodded, making sure she didn't kick him. "Reens comfy." She looked up and squeaked. "Spotted kitty, look out!"

Ryu and Linebeck were bringing up the rear, and couldn't exactly see what the others were seeing in the the torch-lit hallway.

"Ah-!" Carmen was startled by the sudden yell, and was stopped dead in her tracks by Asim and Adofo who were by her sides.

Reens took her bracelet and threw it ahead of her, and it fell on the sand, sinking. "Quicksand. Spotted kitty almost drown. Need to crawl on belly like snake."

Carmen sighed, calming herself down as she nodded, "Gracias, chica." She said to Reens.

She took a second to understand what Carmen said, but then smiled and gave a thumbs-up. "Reens crawl like snake... Reens think. No stop, or sink like rock." She carefully maneuvered herself off of Akil's back and laid down on the sand, crawling a little slower than she would have liked due to her ankle. Even so, it was still pretty fast for her.

Ryu crouched down slightly to see that Reens had gotten onto her stomach and was crawling forward, which confused her; the ceiling wasn't particularly low, or anything. But regardless, she felt it was best to trust the hedgehog's judgment, and dropped down to her stomach as well.

"Head's up, Beck," she said to her companion. "We gotta Army crawl from here."

Reens kept crawling, her braid dragging behind her in the sand. She paused for a second, looking behind her, then raised a hand as if to say, "C'mon, we're just fine!"

Th cobra brothers transitioned back to non mobian forms and began to slither across as well, and Carmen got down on the ground and began to crawl behind the others.

Tikali: *appears in darkness* Hello, to you I give.

"Where the fuck-" Ryu was clearly shocked by Tikali's sudden appearance.

"The hell...?" Carmen growled softly.

Tikali: I sense danger behind you.

"Uhh...okay," said Ryu, raising an eyebrow. Linebeck looked at the wolf, frowning slightly.

"Do you live here or something? How did you get in?"

"Obviously it's a spirit moron..." Carmen hissed softly as she continued to crawl.

Thankfully, Linebeck didn't seem to hear her.

"WZarex had stayed back, deciding not to stoop so low as to crawl on the ground. He was intending to wait until they got across before simply running along the wall to meet up with them at the other side.

Upon hearing Tikali say that she sensed danger behind the group, Zarex looked behind him. Seeing nothing, he came to the only conclusion obvious to him. "Who? Me?" he asked, scoffing. "Obviously I'm dangerous! Why else would I have these bad boys?" he asked, flexing his biceps.

The sound of fire being ignited would then be heard, shoud they turn around they might see the familiar face of Exspiravit walking up to them with his right arm ignited with his signature fire.

He had gotten separated but was otherwise unharmed by the natural occurrences thanks to him being a ghost. As for how he got there, well he had materialized himself behind the group.

"Yo.." He said with a malicious grin.

(I was trying to edit just at the same time as you were. Thus, this became a bit choppy and awkward. .w. ~frost)

"Who is this being...?" Asim questioned.

"We'll deal with this when we've reached the other side, now GO." Carmen instructed.

(Sar- Since I can't update Exspy's page until the awards are done I'll just tell ye that Exspira does have two more weaknesses, specifically to Electricity and Radiation.)

Exspira chuckled, his red fingerless gloves giving off a slight red glow, before clenching and unclenching his hands as two scourges made entirely of what looks like crimson fire were generated from the gloves.

"You'll deal with me...? That's a riot.."

Ryu and Linebeck scooted along more quickly now, clearly not wanting to be near Exspira.

Exspira simply floated after them, disengaging the scourges the same way he conjured them.

"Oh come on, I just want the treasure.."

Tikali: It must be close to here.