ic Danger in the Lost World! (IC)

[Ari]

GM

With a tearing and horrible sound of sizzling flesh and bones, Blodeuwedd's sword cut through the king of terror's hide with terrible ease in a gout of reptilian blood that cascaded over the floor. It howled again, its voice sharpened by its agony and rage as the measly prey it had taken the humans for turned into deadly foes. The monster swayed and struggled to look blearily at the creature that had destroyed one of its eyes, limbs wavering and refusing to obey when he tried to launch a savage counter-attack.

The injuries it had taken and the blood it had lost in such a short time were definitely taking their toll, and again the tyrannosaur fell partially to the ground and against one of the few undamaged walls, the bones cracking and collapsing under its gargantuan weight.

The refugees from the fallen citadel quickly gathered to their silent and grim Lord and Lady, materializing out of the darkness and soon forming a vast and solemn procession to the north, deeper into the vast jungle. The heroes were, by some alchemy, allowed to walk at the front of the party.

[Ari]

From his post in the sky above the city, Heraldo instantly heard Cerys's voice, and turning in a flash of power the boy soared down into the hall, landing hard enough to dent the stone floor.

Sliding an arm around her waist and another behind her knees, Subito glanced at the enormous mass of flesh and bone she and Tsunami had battled, and with a cheerful "Great job, Blodeu!" shot off again into the sky. He did take a moment to enjoy the flight, of course, the Welsh girl resting comfortably against him and fresh from battle, but the night..."I wish we could've done this before this place was attacked, it would have been beautiful." he smiled awkwardly at Cerys "Anyway, I'm glad things weren't worse."

Sailing down out of the sky to the ragged band of people hurrying into the dark embrace of the jungle, the pair landed in their midst and dropping Blodeuwedd gently on her feet, falling in step next to her.

"So, Zandar" he asked the Jungle Lord "where do we go first?"

[Thevshi]

By the time she and Myrmidon had led the group of ambassadors and Kazra out to where the Jungle Lord's subjects were regrouping, Tsunami was breathing hard, both from the flight from the falling citadel and pushing her powers further than she had before. But the Asian teen remained focused and outwardly calm as she fell in alongside Myrmidon as Lord Zandar and his wife reemerged and began moving the group off to the north.

Though she was not sure how they ended up in the lead of the column of refugees, the teen did her best to keep an eye out for any potential danger in the darkness of the vast jungle.

[Tiffany Korta]

Joining the rest of the refugees Blodeuwedd felt the piece of cloth in her pocket. It meant one of two things either the Roman tried to sabotage things, or someone was trying to set them up. Whilst normally she liked to think she had enough emotional detachment to think through these things, she knew her feeling towards the Roman would colour her opinion. So she’d need a second option, someone she’d trust to help her puzzle this out. That meant one of her fellow Claremonter’s.

Whilst she loved Subito to bit’s he could be a bit of a blunt force when it came to uncovering the truth. And whilst this new girl seemed genuinely nice, she didn’t know enough to trust her with any secrets just yet. That left John who detached and logical mind-set was almost perfect for this kind of thing.

She caught up with the teen and as subtly as she could she pressed the piece of cloth into his hand.

“I found this on the back of the T-Rex, it say’s Victory and glory to the Princeps Septissmerus. Someone here set that beast upon us; we need to find out who before it’s to late.â€

[Semi-Autogyro]

John had collapsed his helmet, but still kept his armor on as he moved through the line of refugees to check on the others. Moving alongside Giang, he noticed the signs of slight fatigue and unclipped a canteen from his pack. "Here." he said gesturing for her to take it, "Excellent job on clearing the path, but please be cautious about over-exerting yourself." He fell back into his origin position in the column while slightly slowing his pace, wanting her and the others not used to forced marching to catch their breath when Cerys had appeared alongside him and pressed a cloth into his hand. Well, that saves the trouble of checking in on her.

Looking at the livery on the cloth, he repressed the urge to sigh as he connected the dots to the Nova Roman ambassadors' earlier behavior. His eyes narrowing, he handed the cloth back to her saying; "Excuse me for a moment, Miss Cerys. I have a suspicion to confirm, and if I am proven correct then we will need to talk to Lord Zandar." Moving back towards to where the Nova Roman ambassadors were, he gestured for one of the translators he had seen in the village to follow him just in case as he addressed the man in question. "Sir, May I see what you reclaimed off of the fallen rider back in the village? If it pertains to everyone's' safety I must request that you share the information. I cannot protect you and your fellows from an potentially unknown threat otherwise."

[Thevshi]

"Thank you." Giang replied to both John's complement on how she had performed during the evacuation and the offered canteen. The Asian teen took a few sips from it before closing the top once more and returning it to the other teen. She nodded in understanding to his warning about over-exerting herself. "I had to use my powers in a way I had never done before, but I will do my best not to slow us down." While she was going slower than she might normally be able to, the group of refugees included children and the elderly, who did not allow for as much speed as might be desired.

As John feel back in the column, Giang focused back on the area ahead of them as she continued in the direction Lord Zandar had indicated.

[Ari]

GM

The Roman diplomat glared at John, but produced the torn piece of cloth, and instantly set into a furious tirade as the slanted moonlight illuminated a pattern exactly like that borne on the ponchos of the Viracochasuyun. The nearby and austere-looking Jungle Tribe interpreter calmly repeated it in English, loud enough that all the other Claremonters were able to hear it too "This is Mountain King cloth, see the stripes and pattern. All know that the People of the Sun ride those flying terrible lizards into battle, this was all a plot to get us off-guard, and take the citadel for themselves. With the death of the Lord and Lady, who could stand against their machinations in the jungle?" he glanced at John idly "That is mostly true, visitor. There is nobody else in our jungle who can command the tribes as Zandar and Korzeel do." returning his attention to the ambassador he went on "We must take these Incas prisoner, and force them to reveal what plot is being laid against us." another sideways glance "Shall I ask for the warriors to restrain him, or will you deal with this man yourself?" like the others he was long-limbed and very strong-looking, and looked like he could take three like the Nova Roman by himself.

The hundreds of Jungle people made amazingly quiet progress, stepping in near silence with even the children barely whispering. The massive roots, vines, and swampy ground impeded them, but they managed with the utmost skill and dexterity, flowing like a human river.

Ahead of them, far off in the tangled darkness, dim lights could be seen. "A camp" murmured the interpreter closest to Giang and Cerys "a few of us will stop there, and send word to the other tribes while we follow Korzeel, she will go to the Brazen Hand and seek wisdom from the seers. The Hand is close by, hardly a day's journey" he added comfortingly "dry ground too, high branches."

Subito heard the Viracochasuyuns talking amongst themselves, whispering about Roman assassins and their known penchant for striking while the foe was dazzled from some other attacker. "Clearly, this is a plot to send us out into the jungle so they can make sure our caravans go unguarded, and our people go hungry!" one whispered, glaring at the togaed men with hateful eyes.

[Semi-Autogyro]

John nodded and waived off the offer of restraint. "Before your Lady leaves and we go our separate ways, please inform the Lord and Lady Zandar that I need to speak to them concerning the attackers. It would be for the best if the ambassadors from both Nova Roma and Viracochasuyun to be present as it concerns their interests. If they attempt violence, please restrain them as painless as possible." He turned to the Roman ambassador. "Thank you for you honesty, Sir. I will bring this information to the attention of Lord Zandar as a neutral observer."

Once they had gotten to the camp, he waited for the impromptu meetings guests to arrive. Once they did he showed both sets of livery. "In my parlance, this was a False Flag operation. In other words this raid was meant to cause political infighting and weaken all three of your nations while potentially eliminating senior officials. Who amongst the enemies of your civilizations have the capability and means of successfully perpetrating this action? Who would benefit most from this?"

[Ari]

GM

The procession eventually arrived at the campsite, thatch-roofed huts scattered among the trees, with small fireplaces in the midst of particularly open stands of towering trees. Once there, John's request was granted, and the dignitaries and rulers of the jungle assembled in one of the larger huts to see what he had to say. The other Claremonters were politely asked to attend as well.

They all remained silent as the clone hero explained his views, and the two sets of livery certainly got their attention. The argument over whether or not the Romans or Incas had placed evidence to confuse the other raged for a good ten minutes before they finally were stopped by a curt word from Zandar. A few minutes was taken to consider John's question.

Then one of the diplomats from the Inca Empire jumped to his feet and began to speak "Only one race we know of would be so dastardly" he said, glaring at the Romans "But the Serpent People were overthrown decades ago, and they could never manage something like that attack" said the obliging translator. The leader of the Nova Roman ambassadors added "We are in agreement: only the Serpent People would gain from something like this, but they have not the strength to do this." he met the Incas gaze squarely "Which raises the question: which of our nations has allied with them?" the hatred between the two groups was for a moment almost palpable, their glares downright savage.

Lady Korzeel broke the silence, the grand woman saying quietly "You will not listen if either of your agents try to uncover this plot. If you work together, you will be so set on proving the other guilty the truth shall be hidden, if separate you will deny what they find." she glanced at the Claremonters "A third party would be best for this, but the Jungle Tribe needs its leaders, as much was lost in the fall of the citadel that must be remade and regathered. We know little of the Serpent People, the few times we meet them they are trying to destroy our tribes outright with fire and spear, they see us as beneath subterfuge I think." getting to her feet from the small stool she had been sitting on she surveyed the teenagers with care. "Do any of you know the Serpent People, or how to tell when they walk among humans in our shape? You are new visitors, powerful, and have no allegiance to any of us, will you do this?"

[Thevshi]

Giang nodded as the interpreter near her and Cerys explained what would happen with most of the jungle people know. Once they had arrived at the campsite, she made her way to the gathering that John had called for. The Asian teen listened as John explained the evidence and what he believed to be taking place. She certainly agreed that it seemed likely, the idea of setting ones enemies against each other until they were both too weakened to put up resistance was indeed a classic strategy.

It was a bit disappointing when the gathered Incans and Romans proceeded to start trying to blame each other for trying to frame the other. Finally Lord Zandar silenced the debate, and everyone began discussing the Serpent People, but dismissing the possibility that they could have been behind the attack. "Are you so certain that they could not have recovered?" Giang asked when the representatives from both groups had spoke. "Or perhaps they are being aided by some outside power?"

When Lady Korzeel spoke up about needing an impartial group to investigate who was behind the attack, the Asian teen glanced over towards the others, and particularly John. While she was more than willing to offer her assistance, she was not about to commit the group to such a course, given she had only come to Claremont only a few days before this trip.

[Ari]

Dispelling the mantle of El Heraldo, Subito trudged along through the jungle, glad that he had at least managed to save his backpack. Rifling through it the strongly-built teen took out an energy bar and ate it thoughtfully, listening with a cringe to the bitter and paranoid mutterings of the messengers from the South Americans. 'Oh come on, both of them were in danger there! Why would the Nova Romans do something like that? The idea is that if the attack succeeded, they could simply say 'Why do you suspect us? Our people died there too', and thus evade responsibility And the little flag thingy stapled to the dinosaur praising their glorious ruler? Well, ideally they would see its belly before they saw its back Huh, good point'

When the company at last arrived at the camp he breathing a little heavier, legs streaked with both narrow splashes of mud and from tumbling, scrabbling and marching through overbrush for hours, Subito was glad for the chance to rest a while. Following the others at Korzeel's and Zandar's summons he leaned against the wall and listened attentively, smiling gratefully at John for the astute clone hero's crisp and effective words. Then the arguing started and he toned out for a while, only to be started back to attention by the mention of the Serpent People!

Subito had tangled with those before and their possible involvement made a whole lot of things make a horrible amount of sense. Clenching his fists with determination, he instantly stepped forward at Korzeel's suggestion, saying eagerly "Of course we'll do it! I've met the Serpent People, they'd totally do this" he added darkly to the others, turning back to the Lord and Lady, he gave them a beaming smile "Whatever those scaly guys are up to, we'll stop it! Just tell us where we oughta head, and we're there."

[Tiffany Korta]

Blodeuwedd would have been at the meeting even if she hadn’t been invited, she was curious to see what the truth of the matter. She cursed herself for failing to see such an obvious tactic’s, it worried her that she could have her thought effected but such ingrained prejudices. She promised herself that the next time someone appeared to not be as they seemed she would give them every chance to prove her wrong.

“There are legend’s that some among there number are sorcerers that can take on another’s forms. If you wish us to try and pin down this threat I suggest that what we have planned doesn’t leave this room. Maybe we could be taken on a little field trip?â€

[Semi-Autogyro]

John waited for the others to voice their opinions, as this was a request and not an order. Catching Giangs glance at him he shrugged lightly and lightly nodded in the others Claremonters' direction, indicating he would go along with whatever the group ultimately decided to choose. At the moment he was more concerned about his lack of information on the Serpent people. Magic foes were more of Etains' or Morgans' bailiwick, as John focused more mundane and technological opponents. The teen did know they were able to be slain, which unfortunately was not the case with a large majority of magic entities. However, he knew that Cerys had experience in the mystical field from his previous encounters with the Welsh teen which would help immensely if they chose to assist.

After the others were finished, he spoke. "It appears that we have reached a consensus to aid you in this endeavor. We require any information you have, no matter how insignificant it might seem, on the serpent peoples. As Miss Cerys indicates, we also must keep this to a minimum number of people as we are dealing with a foe with superior espionage abilities." Counterespionage tactics and strategies immediately started being formulated by the teen, as he mentally began constructing plans and counters.

[Ari]

GM

"It will be as you request, Mr. Smith" Zandar said "Whatever our guests know about those scaly folk will be yours as well. As for us, we know only that they are scaly, vicious, have a poisonous bite, and a few of them have some kind of mystical power over darkness. We have heard rumors before that they could make themselves appear as our kind, but gave it no credence. And now, to prepare for your journey." the muscular jungle lord then vanished out of the hut to see about the gathering of supplies, leaving the Incas and the Romans to give the teens whatever information they knew to the interpreters, who repeated it in hushed whispers, Korzeel making sure that nobody drifted too close to the meeting.

As it turned out, both groups knew a great deal: the Serpent People were numerous(less so after the recent wars) and lived throughout the northern, swampy reaches of the vast jungle near a large river delta, though they drifted often as they lived in a loose confederation of tribes ruled by magicians of great skill, if not power. They seemed to have some power over the minds of animals, especially reptiles, were inhumanly brutal fighters with their crude weapons, and mostly of sub-human intelligence besides their rulers. The Romans knew that they didn't have any kind of trade system, hierarchy, or social structure that they could observe, and the Viracochasuyuns weren't too sure they had ever possessed the art of writing. Crude and shapeless idols had been found scattered throughout the jungle, most of them horribly dangerous and painful to touch and daubed with vivid paint, but nobody knew what it could be that they worshiped, or why. "None have any memory of those creatures not dwelling here, and the gods themselves cannot tell us" the Roman leader commented ruefully "Wherever they are from, they might once have ruled this world." "Perhaps they have "

It took only a few more hours before supplies were gathered for the speedy trip to the capitals, the Incas teaching the Claremont students a few key phrases to use in their land, and giving them a small tablet granting them safe passage through the land of the Sun to the Inca. The Romans were heartened to learn that Subito knew Latin, though they thought his pronunciation and sentence structure absolutely abysmal. They handed over a scroll that also gave the four teenagers freedom to move about the new empire, and see the Princeps. A quick night's sleep was permitted, and the next day dawned fresh, bright and festooned with a lovely mist.

After well-wishes and warm hugs were given freely by the undaunted jungle people, the four were sent due east, to take the high Inca road to Viracochasuyu. "I do not know you as you do," Zandar said, leaning on his spear "so I cannot choose your leader. I will send word to your Headmaster of what has happened. Do as you think best, refrain from harming any animal who does not first attack you or another, and..." he looked deep into their eyes, his own like glowing coals "take nothing that is not freely given to you. Farewell, and bat those rapscallions about the head for me!" he called after them, waving beside Korzeel until the four were gone in the jungle.

The going was not as tiresome as it could have been, though the fallen trees, frequent streams and seemingly random boulders with eyes carved upon them did their best to slow the trek. As they walked in the warm forest, they each had the feeling that they were being watched...

[Ari]

GM

The more experienced members of the party quickly located the source of this mysterious feeling directly above them in the sprawling canopy. Subito was, naturally, oblivious.

Whatever it was must have realized it had been detected, as a faint rustle sounded above the four teen heroes, the faint sound of something clambering down gradually drawing neaer, until with an explosion of foliage Kazra landed in front of them, an adult's spear, bow and quiver filled with fine arrows on her back.

Looking defiantly up at the Claremont students she said "You don't know the land, and I know this jungle as well as anyone!" she smiled confidently before adding, with a slightly unsure look "Uhm...except my father, mother and their chief hunters, I suppose. But you" she gestured around at the standing trees "you definitely need help! You might walk into quicksand or-or something! Besides," she shouldered the spear with a grin "I know the best trails around here, and where the herds move! We can move unseen and unheard by anybody."

An excited edge came into her voice "And you can tell me all about where you come, from, right? Nobody ever tells me about it, not even my sister when she visits. She just tells me queer stories about what's happened at her school, like when that boy attacked a party she went to." she glared briefly at her feet before looking back up the picture of eager voluntarism.

[Tiffany Korta]

Blodeuwedd was ready for trouble and had her hand on Dyrnwyn when Kazra landed in front of them. Luckily she was quick enough on the uptake not to actually draw the weapon on the young jungle woman. She relaxed slightly, but was still aware of everything that was going on around her.

“We’re not exactly in a position to criticise someone your age running around the jungle, but what would you father say if he found we’d let you travel with us?†she crossed her arms “But I can’t deny that a guide like yourself would be valuable. But it’s not just my decision; you’ll have to convince all of us to let you stay.â€

[Thevshi]

After the chance to rest over the night, Giang was better able to handle the trek she and her fellow students began as they tried to discover if the Serpent People were behind the assault on Lord Zandar’s people. She took the somewhat challenging path with her general stoicism, her demeanor calm and relaxed, though she was attentive to the jungle around them.

Having noted the source of the mysterious presence she had been feeling for some time, the Asian teen had prepared herself to draw on her powers if it proved hostile. Though slightly surprised that it turned out to be Kazra, Giang did not overly react to the girl's sudden appearance. She was quite as she listened to the jungle lord’s daughter explain her reasons for following them, and the also to Cerys response.

On one hand, Giang was rather troubled by this development. As Cerys indicated, Lord Zandar could very well be quite upset with them if they allowed his young daughter to accompany them on what was sure to be a dangerous mission. Beyond that fact, she had been taught the importance of respecting and obeying ones family, and to allow Kazra to accompany them as well as teaching her about the world they came from, could well be assisting Kazra in disobeying her father and mother.

However, Giang herself had gone against her father and his wishes, leaving his home and striking out on her own. While she certainly believed her choice was the morally correct one, it was still somewhat hard to fit those feeling with the duty to honor ones family and elders. Though the Asian teen did not really think that Kazra's situation was quit the same as her situation, the Asian teen still would feel somewhat hypocritical if she was to raise the issue with the others, who were not necessarily as likely to feel the same way regarding deference to one’s family.

So, she decided that perhaps there was another way to look at the situation that supported Kazra’s remaining with them. "How much time would we lose if we turned back to return you to where your parents have gone?" She asked simply.

[Ari]

Taken by complete surprise by the sudden appearance of Kazra, Subito jumped several feet backwards with a yelp, stumbling against a nearby stump and nearly crashing to the dry jungle floor. Looking suspiciously at the young jungle girl, Subito crossed his muscular arms and considered what she'd said. While he thought it over, he listened to what his schoolmates thought of her offer, nodding shortly in agreement and walking back over to them. Frowning at Kazra he said "Cerys is right, we can't just take you along 'cause you show up outta nowhere and say you know the way. We don't know the way around here, nah," the stocky boy added, sticking his hands into his pockets "but we ain't exactly helpless either. You know how to avoid the real dangerous places? We can deal with the most dangerous stuff this place can throw at us, no problem. You won't have to worry 'bout us letting your people down." he declared with a confident grin. Squatting down a little so he was more on Kazra's level, he smiled warmly and said "But hey, mebbe there's somethin' goin'' on we don't know about here."

Glancing over at Giang the young paragon frowned again "If you guys are okay with it, I can probably fly her back." his eyes flicked over to Cerys "'Course, I'm not really that stealthy, might have to just walk her back to her folks."

[Semi-Autogyro]

John resisted the urge to audibly sigh, instead settling for an internal one alongside making a mental note to have Mister Archer work on Subitos' situational awareness skills once they returned to Claremont. He remained silent while the young noblewoman argued her case to his classmates, listing to their reasons for the decision for her to stay or go. In reality, he knew that this was a catch-22 situation, and that either choice was not optimal. So he would go with the lesser of the the two evils, keeping her here. Not to mention that other than 'go north to reconnaissance the river delta' was not as concrete of an objective as he would have preferred.

With Subito saying that he would return the girl he finally spoke up, walking over to the Puerto Ricoan teen and shaking his head. << I believe that course of action would be unwise. >> He said, before turning to face Kazra, her defiant look reflected off his faceplate. << This is not a game, or a adventure. We are facing an enemy who has the ability to look like anyone, and not fifteen minutes after we set out you show up claiming to be Princess Kazra. Which strikes me as rather convenient, timing-wise. >> He held up a hand, forestalling the counter argument he knew was coming. << We do not know you, so you cannot adequately prove your identity to us one way or another. So I will choose the option where I can keep an eye on a potential saboteur, as returning you to the others would possibly insert a spy into their ranks. >>

He kneeled down, facing Kazra on an eye-to-eye level, if she could see his eyes behind the darkly mirrored surface. Judging by his tone and inflection John was not at all amused with the current situation. << I do not mean to belittle your skills, but terrain obstacles and pathfinding are the least of our worries. Mister Subitos' flight ability is just one of his many skills allowing us to easily bypass earthbound dangers while transporting others if need be. The quicksand you mention is a moot point with Miss Giangs' considerable abilities, not to mention making dehydration a non-issue. Miss Cerys is perhaps one of the most skilled operatives I have had the pleasure to work with in the field. As for myself, this mission is very much along the lines of what my training and abilities were intended for. >> He paused, letting it sink in. << Whereas I do not know your abilities, other than what you claim, and I therefore cannot rely on that supposition to keep everyone safe during this journey. So I and the others can not and will not tolerate any errant behavior or intentional falsehoods from you. Do you understand? >>

[Ari]

GM

Flinching a little under John's cold stare, Kazra nonetheless stood her ground, crossing her arms and assuming a position of defiance. "You still wouldn't know where they are! And I bet flying over a swamp glowing as bright as he does would get attention you wouldn't desire." She added, gesturing derisively at Subito.

Blowing a short and irritated breath she looked up at the others, holding the strap of her spear in one hand to keep it from banging against her. "I've been sneaking through this jungle since I was a child, and know every trail from here to the borders of the Walled Cities. I've been hunting those dinosaurs almost before I could talk!" she declared proudly "And I know how to keep close and quiet, don't worry Mr. Smith. If we get caught in an ambush, won't be my fault." the young jungle girl added, grinning.

Glancing around at the forest she beckoned to the Claremonters, and set off more or less along the path they had been already following "Those maps the Romans gave you aren't inaccurate, but they don't know how tough the going can be going straight for the road. We'll go through the hot lakes just a bit north of here" he pointed out a distant mass of steam in the sky "then we can just sweep around and get right onto the road." Keeping pace with the fasts of them, the quintet trudged on...

[Thevshi]

Giang watched quietly as John stepped forward to explain why he felt that Kazra would have to stay with them. His reasoning was certainly sound, and while Giang was not quite certain about the others, she at least viewed him as the de facto leader of their group, if for no other reason than he was the senior student. But of course, there were far more reasons than just that.

But young Kazra did not seem to head John's final comment about not being able to trust in what she might claim to be able to do as she listed off her expertise in surviving in this environment. The Asian teen managed to resist the urge to sigh, instead remaining stoic as she took a moment to scan the jungle before looking back at the girl.

But then they were off once again, moving in the general direction that they had previously been going, but with Kazra indicating it would likely be best to take an alternate route past some hot springs. Unless John had something to say to the contrary, Giang fell back into place among the group, scanning the area around them as she went.

[Semi-Autogyro]

John had to admit, the girl was a skilled pathfinder and he let Blodeuwedd and her take the lead. With Subito and Giang in the middle, he could bring their offense up quickly if needed while he kept a few paces behind them while keeping the others in sight as much as possible. He kept their pace normal even though he knew that they could easily cover ground but lose the chance of surprise. But he needed to make a identification method in the off chance they were infiltrated, even if it included Kazra.

An hour or so later when they were about to cross a small stream he stropped the others. << Hold please. >> He extracted a length of bandage wrap from his medical kit and retracted his suit from his left arm. << We need a way to determine if we are ever infiltrated. So we will use a double mark system. >> Taking a marker from another pouch, he inscribed a large 'X' on his left forearm and proceeded to wrap a length of bandage covering the mark before tying it off and holding the marker to the nearest person. In this case, Giang. << Same location, same symbol. If you have a reason to doubt one of the others' identity, have them show you the symbol. Doppelgangers typically miss small details that cannot be ascertained, and in the case of perfect mimicry the mark is not a naturally occurring feature and requires knowledge that only mental magics can typically have. >> He reformed the suit over his left arm and waited for the others to finish.

<< When we arrive at our location, I will need a small amount of time to reconnoiter the area and develop a plan of attack, so do not stage an attack unless you are in danger. >> Looking at Kazra, he nodded towards the north. << Lead on, Miss pathfinder. >>

[Ari]

Subito trudged along though the heavy brush with much more careful steps, the jungle princess's appearance making him that much more cautious, and the stocky boy listened carefully at the sounds of distant animals around them, gauging how far away they were in case they needed to make another detour. He didn't have many suspicions about the younger girl, in fact he was fairly sure that she was the real deal, if for no other reason than she acted a lot like his own sister had when she was Kazra's age. 'Wonder how she's doing?' he thought glumly 'Gotta be better than me' he sighed internally, stepping absently around the grey, massive coiled tail that lay partially across the small clearing.

He swatted neatly at insects that buzzed too close, and was inordinately quiet when John halted the small group by the softly babbling stream. Listening closely he nodded once when John outlined his plan to avoid any duplicates getting the drop on him, casually marking his own muscular forearm and tying a few loose strips around it. Glancing over at Cerys he asked "Hey Blodeu, you ever thought about getting a tattoo? Or would that mess with infiltration stuff?" he watched some small feathered dinosaurs scurry hastily by, almost out of sight even ten feet away in the tangled brush. "My sister wanted one once, but every time she went in she'd get into a fight and need to go somewhere else." he scowled "You know, the fact that she was always fighting seems a lot weirder than it used to!" he gestured to the packs as the group resumed its stealthy course through the towering jungles of the Lost World, "Also, how should we split the meals up?"

[Tiffany Korta]

As herself and Kazra took point she decided to try and soften John’s word a little bit, after all most of them had been in a similar situations.

“John can be a little blunt at times but he only has all our interests at heart. You’ve got to understand that we’ve all been through life and death together. And you’ve not seen him at her worst trust me.â€

She didn’t mention that this was the first time that she and Giang had worked together, but if the Headmaster had choose her for this mission then she had no reason not to trust her.

“As long as you know when to follow orders and when to use your initiative then we should all be okay.â€

When they stopped Blodeuwedd took her turn to mark her arm, before seeing to it that Kazra was similarly marked.

“The trick I was told was to look generically beautiful, enough to catch the eye but nothing that sticks in the memory. Any kind of distinguishing mark, like a tattoo, would stand out and defeat the object. That if I choose to go back to that kind of work, you never know I might consider getting a tattoo…â€

[Thevshi]

During the hour the group had continued on before John stopped them briefly, Giang had primarily remained focused on keeping an eye on the jungle around them.  Despite the events of yesterday evening and the unexpected situation she and her fellow Claremont students now found themselves in, the Asian teen was remarkably focused.  She had found a chance to meditate some before going to sleep last night, which had allowed her to clear her mind of any stress and other emotions that had been building up. 
 

After John had called the group to a stop, Giang listened closely as John described his plan to try to prevent any duplicates from infiltrating the group.  After applying a matching mark to the same spot on her left forearm and covering it with a length of bandage, she passed the marker and remaining bandage on to Subito.
 

The teen nodded when John indicated his desire to gather information on the Serpent People before they made any attack upon them.  When he told Kazra to resume their march once more, the Asian teen once again stood up. shifting her pack back into a more comfortable position before starting forward once more.