The fight for the Throne (Kali09)

The thing looks very solidly attached as though it is gripping on for its life.

Kali risks touching the device with her crystalline fingers, allowing to lightly feel across the surface, searching for any seams or other means of opening it.

The device does not move when Kali touches it. She can feel a very small vibration in the device, but nothing else.

Kali tightens her grip and give the device an exploratory tug to see how tightly it is affixed and how much force would be needed to dislodge it.

The thing is solidly attached and Kali can feel that even with the strength of a superhuman she's not going to just unattach this device, whatever it is.

Kali's brow furrows as she considers her findings so far. She runs the dagger blade across the metal to see if it scores.

Kali's sword would normally go through almost anything, but this particular device doesn't even show a scratch. This is an artifact that has been made to be strong and tough.

Kali stares at the object in frustration.

*Can't remove it. Cant' break it* she thinks. *But I'd bet Thelbane to a brick that this is directly connected to the attack on the Logrus.

*So if it's still here, odds are that they, whoever they are, are coming back. Hopefully soon.*

She looks around the chamber for someplace to hide.

They might come back, or this thing might have used another way to get here. The thing has wings and likely would survive a trip through the Logrus tunnel where a normal person would not.

The only place to hide here would be around the far side of the Logrus itself.

Kali circles round the far side of the Logrus to see what is there. She can almost hear her father's voice telling her "Never leave your reconnaissance half done".

The other side of the Logrus initially looks pretty much the same as the rest of it, but when Kali really looks hard at it she can see that almost opposite to where the device is embedded in is pulsing. The Logrus tendrils here are agitated and striking out in a manner that is unlike the rest of the Logrus.

"Sometimes I hate being proven right," Kali mutters.

She studies the movement of the tendrils to see if she can determine any kind of pattern.

The tendrils seem to be coming out at random angles, but are all going back in much harder and all in the same place.

Not for the first time since commencing this escapade, Kali curses her lack of a deeper understanding of the Logrus. But even she can tell that this is not right.

She allows her crystalline form to drop and brings up the Logrus to study the phenomenon.

Kali changes out of her crystalline skin form and the pressure eases on her now. She brings up her Logrus lens and begins to inspect the Logrus. The area around the device seems to be inflamed and looks odd to Kali's Logrus lens.

"It must been minutes since I last did something mindbogglingly dangerous," Kali mutters to herself. "I must be just about ready to go again."

She extends some tendrils towards the inflammation on the Logrus--being careful not to actually touch it--so she can see how the tendril react as they approach it.

The Logrus tendrils actively resist Kali's attempts to turn them towards that infammation. It seems that the Logrus really doesn't want to go near to the part that is infected and sore around where the thing has clamped onto to it.

*Time to revert to what I'm good at* Kali thinks. *Violence. If nothing else, it might get the attention of whoever is responsible.*

She returns to the device and converts her weapon into its mace form, and swings it at the sphere: aiming it so that if the device does break loose, it will fly away from the Logrus. Unlike her earlier tentative attempt to score the case. she puts her full muscle into this blow.

Kali transforms her sword into a mace and aims a mighty blow at the device, knocking it from the Logrus. In the process of it detaching though it rips off a segment of the Logrus itself with it. When Kali examines where the Logrus has been ripped, she notes that it is puffy and greying underneath as though it is infected in that area somehow. This is not something she has seen or heard of before.

*I didn't even the Logrus could be ripped!* Kali thinks in horror as she surveys her handiwork.

*But if I was an evil genius bent on destroying the Logrus, I would have equipped my secret with some kind of alarm in case some combat-happy Hendrake happened along and smashed it.*

she looks around for any sign of anyone arriving.

The tendrils beneath the Logrus where it has been ripped start flailing about madly. There is currently no sign of anyone else arriving.

*I need help* Kali thinks.

She takes Elstree's trump from her deck and concentrates.

Hello? Oh Kali, you're alright. I was worried about you. Did it work? Elstree answers.

Well, I made it through the warp safely, thanks to your kryptonite, Kali replies, so thank you very much for that.

But now I've got another problem. Do you know if it's possible for the Logrus to get infected?

Sorry, no idea. I'm really not an expert on the Logrus. I suppose in theory it could though if you think about it. Anything could potentially get a disease and there are diseases that affect shifters to, just like there are shifter poisons. Some shifters think that they are immune to everything and can shift any problem away, but there are diseases and posions that can affect them. If they can affect shifters, then I don't see why something couldn't potentially affect the Logrus too. Though I've no idea what! Elstree replies.