Starfinder: The Jade Regent Pt. 06

"Or at least beat up the priest.." Hana frowned slightly, "You think if we broke the shrine it would free you of your curse though?"

"Fighting demon-queens is what Heroic Adventurers do," Xata put in. "Assuming they are reassured of the worthiness of the cause."

"So we smash it fast, call her names after." Nora said, leaning back on one foot with a smile. "Won't like a two-bit goddess stop us from helping you and ending this dumb place."

"I am totes down to do some shrine smashing," Rakain growled. "Nobody fucks with Desna like that!"

The harpy gulped. I...y-you'd do that for a monster? she asked, sounding nervous.

"I was more thinking we try and trick the priest into doing it for us, but that's really more a tactical thing." Hana said, smiling. Sam casually shrugged.

"Surely 'monster' is a point of view." This sentiment actually flew in the face of much in Xata's cultural databases, but it felt right. Androids had been 'monsters' once, data indicated that much.

"For a friend. I'm Nora." She said, shifting a little to offer her hand while her drone crawled up onto the mechanic's shoulder.

The harpy rubbed the back of her neck. but... She paused, then looked at the offered hand. Shyly, she held out her hand, taking it. Zaiobe... She said, shyly, her tail feathers foomping up slightly in excitement, unwittingly exposing her pert, pale golden rump to Xata and Rakain. Rakain bit his lip and looked away pointedly, not wanting to be rude. Though he'd be thinking about that ass after they got out of this hellhole.

"I'm Hana, and to be fair Xat's got a point." Hana smiled cheerfully. "Just don't be a dick and you won't need to be a monster." She smiled playfully.

Xata looked at her with undisguised admiration. "You are beautiful."

"Hey~ some of us enjoy dicks." Sam teased at the comment. "Anyways, yeah. I'm Sam." She said, finishing the round of introductions.

Zai looked back, blushing a dark red as she reached back, pushing down her tail feathers. I-I, um...are you sure? She asked, through the telepathic link. I'm a harpy... She looked uncertain, kicking at the ground with her clawed, scaled feet, while her wings settled around her shoulders.

"WHAT?!" Hana wheeled on the others "Did you ALL know this?!" She said, jabbing a finger at the woman. "Why did no one tell me she was a harpy?!"

Zai blinked, looking confused.

"Very sure," Nora agreed, smiling after shaking the harpy's hand. She keyed a few buttons on her wrist after that. "Plus very pretty plumage for a harpy."

Ami snickered, quietly, covering her mouth with her hand

""Hana is 'joking'," Xata said, proffering her own hand, her voice a weird counterpoint with the humming in her throat as she maintained her spell. "As she very often does. It confuses me too. But she is right. Being a harpy doesn't matter. Being good is what matters."

"Yes!" Rakain said. "Pretty...plumage." His eyes darted down to that rump, then back up again.

Hana looked back to Zai, stage whispering loud enough they could all hear her, "It's a joooooke. You're totally obviously a harpy."

"Besides," Sam added, "If you're willing to be with us I think we have a few positions for you. And yes, phrasing, I am aware."

"Oh, you were being metaphorical? So, we're not gangbanging the birdie?" Hana asked, cocking her head. Zai coughed - one of the few sounds she could make. Which raised the question what other noises could she make.

W-Well, um...if you kill the priest, I know the way into the storage locker where Yoshi kept...It. She blinked at hearing Hana, her words stopping. And they learned another sound the harpy could make: A loud, startled squeak.

Rakain almost made a smart remark, then bit his lip. They'd only just met the harpy. He could come onto her later. Xata looked around in alarm, as if worried the harpy had seen something. Then she realized something and telepathic-messaged: "Um. That was another 'joooooke.'"

Sam glanced over to Hana. "I wouldn't make sexual release a condition of our protection. Rather I was thinking Zai would be a good babysitter for Brash."

R-Right... The harpy said, her knees quivering slightly. Should I wait here, or...do you wish my assistance for fighting the priest? And...um...are you sure you want a harpy near a baby? She sounded deeply uncertain about that, looking down at herself.

"Or was it a joke?! And I was just thinking we're all charming and sexy AF and she'd totally be into it." Hana snickered, "And Brash is a pseudo-dragon. Also, again, don't be racist against yourself."

"You do not need to fear our reactions. We are Odd Ducks in the non-literal sense," Xata said. "Do you feel you should not be trusted? Otherwise I for one would be glad of your friendship."

"I mean even if she IS into it Hana, maybe we can wait until after she has her voice back?" Rakain ventured. "That way she can tell us what she likes, what she doesn't, et cetera..."

The harpy bit her lip, looking at Hana. For a few moments, rather than a statement coming from her telepathic link, they had a faint mental image of Hana's shirt writhing off and speculation about what lay beneath. Then Zai flushed bright red, hearing Rakain's voice. U-Uh, yes! Um...having a voice would be nice...

"I'm with Rakain. I'd rather focus on getting her voice back and helping that...Kami, was it? The Kami." Nora said, nodding.

"Well, she's got the telepathy, so she can still tell us. Hell, she can communicate with her mouth full, making it even easier to understand what she wants." Hana grinned, "Not that I'm not thinking we want her voice back."

Yes, the Kami is what is in the storage room, she said, nodding to Nora - cheeks still red.

Xata found herself liking the way the harpy thought. She sent a message reassuring her: Do not worry. I have those thoughts about Hana every 6.5 seconds at my estimate. And... they're spectacular. THen, turning to the others, she spoke aloud. "Storage room!" She tried to imitate the brusque all-business styles of Sam and Nora. "Check."

Once more Sam gave what was by now her patented shrug. "Well we aren't going to need you to risk yourself with defending us, we handle our own pretty well. But if you are with us atleast for the Kami it may make versing the curse easier." She noted.

Zai breathed in, then shyly said: May...I get more comfortable while we go to deal with the priest? she asked, biting her lip.

Hana snickered, "So, first we kill the priest, trying to get him to smash the idol, then we take care of the kid ghost, then downstairs? We leave the bat for later since it's just being sleepy?"

"Comfort is typically positive," Xata nodded happily. "And Hana's itinerary sounds workable."

"You're not in debt to us, Zai. You may do as you like," Hana said.

"Yes, you have the total freedom to wear as much, or as little, clothing as you want in general, save when risks demand otherwise." Sam teased.

Zai nodded, then grabbed her shirt. She shucked it up and over her shoulders, tossing it aside, her body entirely nude. She walked forward, her claws making soft clicking noises as she strolled forward, her perky, heart shaped rump jiggling as she rolled her hips. She looked over her shoulder, crooking her finger to indicate they should follow.

As she left, Ami was too distracted by her butt to even kick Rakain in the shins. Then she coughed. "W-Wow...uh..." She shook her head. "Why...do people hate harpies again?" She asked, starting to follow after Zai with wide eyes.

"I haven't the foggiest," Rakain said, his eyes still locked on Zai's backside.

"It is a very fair question," Xata breathed in agreement.

hana snickered, "Because most of them aren't this sexy or friendly I'm assuming?"

Nora let out a happy sigh, watching the perky rear without comment or complaint, happy to start following along in the woman's stead.

Ami snickered. "Fair..." She said as they came to the entrance to the priest's room.

Zai turned to them, biting her lip - then, using the telepathic connection, she asked: Should I distract Nevkali? That is the priest's name.

"If you can do so without putting yourself in danger, then it sounds good to me. If not, then feel free not to risk yourself if you don't think you can do so safely." She said, smiling at the other woman.

Zai sighed, quietly. No... she admitted, honestly. She is a very...vicious priestess, and my curse means she believes I am chosen by Lantashu to do some great work - and so, she harangues me whenever she finds me not doing whatever that work is.

"People don't like Harpies because people make bad decisions." Sam said simply.

"So we can distract her with Haranguing You," Xata said: "Or alternatively, I could try distracting her by illusory means."

Zai rubbed her shoulder. The harangues usually involves beatings... She said, her voice blunt.

"Beatings are sub-optimal." An idea occurred to Xata. "Supposing she heard your voice again? Would that distract her?"

Zai nodded. She'd think it was Yoshi, she said. Since he used my voice once he stole it.

"I'd sort-of rather harangue her back," Nora mumbled, frowning. "Foot-in-door style.

Rakain clenched his fist. "Okay, my objective just changed from 'murder the priestess' to 'brutally murder the priestess,'" he growled. Sam put an armored palm on Rakain's chest, a silent sign to reign it in just a little.

"Perhaps you could sing me one of your favourite songs," Xata suggested, "over our link. I can try to replicate it aloud while our companions get in position."

"Rak!" Hana said, sounding faux offended, "We can't murder her now. Now, we get her to destroy the altar, get cursed horribly by her goddess, then break her arms, then wish her a long and horrible life."

Zai smiled, then focused, thinking at Xata.

"Remind me not to piss you off." Sam said to Hana.

Xata closed her eyes and began to sing. Nora moved to get to a place of cover, getting her pistol out while her bot get ready with it's own aiming systems. Xata began to sing.

*I will rise, I will rise

*I will rise, I will rise*

*It was like somebody knew how to cripple me*

*with the perfect plan to break my belief*

*Take me piece by piece till my faith was all but gone*

As Xata sang, Ami drew her pistol, aiming it at the doorway. Rakain's magic crackled along her weapon, and then...the door opened and there was a loud BOOM as a magical flash exploded in the middle of them. They staggered, Hana, Xata and Rakain all staggering with the impact, leaving only Nora and Sam on their feet as the corbie charged from the room, longsword in hand as it screeched in common: "Diiiiiie!"

Not that most of them could hear her, considering their ears were ringing.

Sam lowered her stance and almost half-sworded her blade as she shoved forward into an opening the corbie priestess left in her rather reckless charge, almost bodychecking the sword into her.

"Surrender and follow our exact instructions, or I am going to dismember you, leave you barely breathing, then drag your helpless ass back past every single soul I have brutally murdered here to get you to the airlock and vent you into space for your dying breath." She threatened in a cold, menacing tone.

"You have 3 seconds to comply."

Rakain leaned against the wall, bleeding from one ear and trying to steady himself. "You tell that bitch, Sam!" he yelled.

The corbie priest ruffled up her feathers, clicking her beak, growling as she met the blade with a series of sparks. "I fight for my goddesss, man-thing!" She hissed, springing backwards, sword humming as she flashed it around. But despite her words, she was clearly shaken!

Xata thrilled to Sam's incredibly sexy Display of Martial Intimidation even as her head rang.

Nora took aim with her pistol and so did her drone. Both fired...and missed the priestess by inches, searing a few corby feathers. She didn't pause or weaver as she kept her pistol steady, "We're not messing around. You have two seconds to comply."

The corbie priest stood there, having backed away, standing five feet away from the crowded door. Then she screeched...and a shimmering, rippling energy flowed along her body, causing her to fuzz and shimmer and fade from view completely - completely vanished!

"Not going to help." Sam noted as her left arm snapped to the canister holstered at her hip and pulled out the grenade. One handed she pulled the pin on it and gave a lazy toss at about the point that should be at the corbie's feet. The grenade clinked and clattered and then exploded with a loud crump, filling the room with black smoke - and producing a loud cough coming from within as the corbie coughed!

Rakain staggered to his feet, pissed that his Supercharge had gone to waist and at the ringing in his ears. As he heard the corbie cough, he dug deep, summoning the last of his more powerful spells by slapping his hand to his choker. He angled himself towards where the cough sounded from and thrust his hand out. The air around him rippled and dropped in temperature as a cone in front of him began to ripple with heat haze. His aim was good, the invisible corbie catching a good swathe of the overheated area.

The flames seemed to outline the corbie, causing it to stagger, the smoke roiling, the invisibility made quite useless! Xata straightened up, shaking her head and fighting off the stunning sonic attack as her circuits began to glow. An unearthly wailing sound rose from her throat. "You should have complied," she said.

The missiles flew into the smoke and the fire, thudding home with a series of loud, wet slaps. As the sound stopped fading in Hana and Ami's ears, the smoke started to clear, revealing the scorched, blasted form of the dead corbie - the statue undamaged behind her, the visage of Desna clear despite the attempts to make it into Lantashu.

Ami coughed. "Well..." she shook her head. "Nice shot, Xata."

Zai nodded. It's good she's dead, she said, sounding angry. I never liked her...any of them, really.

"So, onto the shrine?" Nora asked, holstering her pistol.

Xata bowed to Ami and gave a smoldering look to Sam. "You were very Inspiring, Fellow Adventurer."

Rakain resisted the urge to kick the corbie's corpse. "Good riddance," he growled.

Hana frowned, "Damn.. was hoping that we'd get her to destroy the shrine.." She sighed slightly, tapping her foot. She shook her head slightly, moving to her knees to check the corbie's body.

Ami shook her head. "Maybe we could reconsecrate it?" She asked, stepping over. "Clean it off, sprinkle it with holy water?"

"Just shatter it maybe?" Nora suggested.

Sam sheathed her sword and started to approach the shrine. "Does anyone know prayers or rituals to Desna?" She asked, not sure of the answer herself.

"Anyone want a low level cure serum? Or a spell chip of dispel magic? Or.. want to try using the chip on Zai?" Hana asked as she rummaged through the corpse, pulling off what could be used. She smiled and held up a wand, "Also, wand of moderate cure, but I figure I'll hold onto that."

"Yes. Chip Zai." Nora said, her head snapping to Hana in response.

Hana's eyes narrowed and she took a look again at the wand. She scowled. "Wait... this is cause wounds, not cure.. damn it.." She grumbled.

"The spell chip sounds useful to me," Xata said. "I think we may need to interact with the shrine to restore Zai. Miss Woodwise's reconsecration idea sounds workable but would require our strongest Mystic." She looked at Hana, who as far as she knew fit this bill.

"I know a few Desna prayers," Rakain said, moving towards the shrine. He started to ready himself, looking the shrine over.

Hana blinked, "Well.. I can try it.. not sure I'd be better at consecrating it than Rakain" She said, shrugging.

"If that doesn't work, maybe turning it back to a shrine of Desna by removing the additions and trimming away more when that cannot be done, like removing the wings? Or prayers to her as it is broken?" Sam inquired. "You do tend to have the most knowledge about these details Hana."

Nora shrugged, "I only really pray for general 'please oh god don't explode'. Desna isn't really up my alley."

Hana shrugged, "I can try it." She said, smiling slightly, "Just.. not particularly devout." She shrugged, "So, I think Rakain should say the actual prayers." She said, heading over to the shrine to check it out, nodding to Rakain as she stepped over to stand with him.

"While Hana works...Zai, can I go retrieve that lovely smut you where watching? And that seriously impressive toy?" Nora asked, flushing a bit but smiling as she turned to the Harpy.

Zai, who had been glaring at the dead corbie, started and looked at Nora. She blinked. W-Why do you want my smut? she asked, sounding confused. You're not...a...p-pervert...

Hana leaned over the statue, beginning to clean it up with her magic, doing her best to repair the damage done to it, bursting out into laughter at Zai's statement. Sam followed suit, bursting out in laughter at Zai's naive statement.

"Pervert," Xata reproved, "is one of those words like 'monster.'"

"Oh, I am. I just hide it well," Nora said with a slightly more stronger blush. "Besides, who wouldn't want that toy?! Wooof."

"If you are 'pervert' for admiring Beauty and Sexual Satisfaction, we all qualify," Xata said.

Zai blinked, then blushed. I ordered it from a website... she admitted, shyly, grinning a bit as she did so. As she spoke, the statue of Desna/Lantashu started to become cleaned, looking more alike to its original state. But there was no magical change to it. Well, beyond the magic of cleaning it.

"Veeery good choice," Nora said with a small giggle. She gave Zai a wink and slipped off to quickly get the data downloaded.

Rakain had to fight to keep from busting a gut as he knelt down at the base of the shrine. He ran his claws over the base, murmuring some of the prayers he knew - blessings for travelers, adventurers, and good fortune. He brushed grime away from the butterfly symbol at the base of the statue. The combination of Hana's careful magical cleaning of the statue and Rakain's prayer to Desna both caused a sudden, dramatic change in the statue. The stone shivered and the wings grew outwards, fusing back into their original shapes - the face becoming serene once more. A glowing light filled the statue and the voice within echoed outwards - beautiful and feminine. "You have my thanks..." it was ethereal. "And a single boon, heroes."

"So.. Zai's voice, right?" Hana said to the others curiously. "I mean.. seems like the most sensible option."

"It is what we promised." Xata said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Agreed. The restoration of Zai's voice." Sam said with a nod.

Nora quickly returned with big purple dragon dong in her arms, hurrying up before stumbling to a few staggered stops at the voice filling the room. She suddenly went red at the dawning understanding a goddess probably could see her holding it.

"Definitely," Rakain nodded, taking a knee.

Zai gaped, while the goddess chuckled. "Generosity of spirit serves far better than fierceness of calculation..." The light faded away and Zai blinked, then opened her mouth.

"H...Hi?" she asked, her voice soft, musical and quite beautiful. A low rumble shook the station and each could almost hear the sound of a dark goddess screeching in her rage. but then the connection to the outer realms faded and the shrine...was just a shrine, and not a conduit. The stone crumbled and turned to dust, reduced by the contact with the divine.