#fenixtj

And they are scrambling... but, will they be in time?

And now, she holds a floating Otem in her arms in the pool. A curse inside him working to rip choice from him.

"Otem, if you can hear me..... We're coming. I'm coming. We're here to help you. Please... hang on."

He has been among her most loyal allies for a long time now. More than that, he shares her dream of peace. And that is no small thing.

No small thing at all.

Ariel comes in "Uncle Emmit is on his way"

"Thank you." Jess murmurs.

"But it's gonna be a bit" She says worriedly

"Shit." she says again, uncharacteristically.

The little girl says "Want me to get the swear jar?"

"Not now. I'll do an IOU."

"Okay. I'll remember for you" She says with serious dedication "But I don't blame you. Mister Otem is... he's a good person. Not fair he's feeling down"

"You are right, there."

She addresses Otem. "You can hear me. I know it. We're going to bring you back, please hold on. Please."

She imagines he.. no, just her imagination. He didn't squeeze her hand. Did he

?

"Jess?" A voice says

"Yes?" more focused on Otem than... whoever.

Olgar enters in "Hey kiddo. I just got a call...came as fast as I could." Echo, his dog is with him

"Unc...." and Olgar is pulled into a hug... and likely, into the water.

"Can you help him, please, make him Nunnehi and not Kith?" rushing him to Otem.

He hugs her back "Okay okay, slow down" He takes Otem up "Give me the low down on what's going on?" A frown though as he kens "Deep state. Induced slumber"

Jess fills him in. Quickly but... she tries to hit everything, including black dream scorpions.

"Nasty.. and you decided not to fight them rather give warning to folks here. Smart. The fight might be a delaying tactic of the curse. Never heard of one that could turn a Nunehi into a kithain. Not MY idea of a curse, but to them? yeah"

"Please, help him."

"I'm not a namer, but... I can slow this down, buy time" He offers. "I'll need to go in. There will be a fight, if I get a few cuts, don't panic. It's basicaly reversing their move by keeping THEM busy"

"You want me to go with you?"

"It could be..." He stops himself "Ah, look at me , all these years and I still fall into the protective alpha male archetype. I almost told YOU it could be dangerous for you. You know that though. Your call, Jessica. The two of us will have quite the fight but I won't say I'm better off without you in this, because it's not true. On the other hand you might want to stay out here to fill emmit in"

"I have an heir, and allies. But I have no Dreamcraft, Olgar."

"THat's why you'd need me, I get it." he nods

"Help him."

"Hang tight then" He says "Don't worry , Jessica. I'm not in the habit of losing those I'm asked to save. It's a pride thing. I'm just too damned pretty to lose" Says the faceblighted ogre with an attempt at levity, and... it seems a bunk, as he immediately goes into a trance. Entering a dream

Jess hangs on tight.

OOC If he brings her! She doesn't have Dreamcraft but she'll go if taken.

BIC: And they find themselves back in front of the Scorpions... Olgar says "Let's make it hard on them" And things twist, closing off their easy access so they have to come one at a time

And Jess attacks, maul swinging."

(Stamina plus Melee)

/roll 5

The nightmare is not of Otem's doing, but this curse's, and she holds the line, drawing the curse's attention and slaying it's minions

"HERE!! COME TO ME!!!"

Olgar works another tunnel entry, "This is SPARTA!" hehehhe

And the enemy is driven back. Olgar says "Okay, keep moving forward. Closer to the core"

She does.

They move forward, slashing...striking, hammering...