Bzprpg - Onu-Wahi

[Geardirector]

OOC: Finally, we're getting somewhere

 

IC: Whorok

 

Whorok could sense movement in the earth, easily recognizing the vibrations. Kofo-Jaga were nearby.

 

"Get down" he yelled to Vohkon

[Dual Cee]

Ooc: *looks for kofo-jaga on Bs01IC vohkonHa juped on the floor when the tunnel colapsed trapping them with tree fierce Kofo-Jagas. He activated his drill hoping to scare the rahi away with it

[Geardirector]

OOC: I'll control the Kofo-Jaga if you don't mind.

 

IC: Whorok and NPC's

 

Whorok lined up beside Vokhon as he raised his flail, preparing to battle the creatures.

 

"At least they're not Kuma-Nui" he thought.

 

Two of the Kofo-Jaga scurried off into the darkness, making it hard for even Whorok to spot them, while the third charged at them with snapping claws, its tail held high.

Edited December 17, 2012 by Geardirector

[Dual Cee]

IC VohkonHe tried to see the two in the darkness but quickly found out that was inmossible, so he decided to focus on the one in front of the toa, he saw the jaga attacking the toa with his tail, right before the tail would hit the toa Vohkon jumped between them, protecting himself with his shield, but the force of the attack was enough to knock his shield against the weakend skadis head, knocking him uncontious.

[Simulacrum]

IC: Hound and Company, Onu-Koro Hospital

 

The door to Hound's room was the the last of the hallway, and before Gravity and Hajia had a chance to open it, a nurse, the Po-Matoran that had helped stabilize Hajia when she arrived, walked out of it, writing notes down on his clipboard.

 

Noticing the beings in front of him, the Po-Matoran glanced up, speaking briefly. "I assume you're here to visit?"

 

"Er, yes." Hajia said, unsure of the nature of the question.

 

"Be quiet." The Po-Matoran said before walking off, once again becoming silent as he walked down the hall, the sound him checking the clipboard's papers with his pencil slowly fading into silence.

Raising an eyebrow, Hajia glanced at Gravity.

[otter]

IC-Raxa:

 

"Why, yes, I've actually done that before," Raxa said, shrugging slightly. "I wouldn't recommend it, though. The energy it takes is rather draining, and there are more than enough natural ones." He continued along, not talking much as he picked his way through the tunnels, before they came upon Onu-Koro. The entirely underground village of the Onu-Matoran...and near the center of that village, a small clinic.

 

Raxa, meanwhile, became noticably more animated as they came into the Koro, pulling slightly more on Mirehu than he had earlier, trying to get her to pick up the pace, while he refrained from actually running to the clinic.

 

"Hurry up, Mirehu," he said, pulling again, slightly, with a bit of a joking smile on his face. "Or I'll pick you up and carry you."

[sunflower]

IC: Mirehu

 

"Hm... Okay then," the Toa of Crystal replied, a sly grin on her Kanohi as she looked up at Raxa. Promply, Mirehu stopped walking entirely. Whoever his friends were, they were obviously good ones, seeing as Raxa was walking at a noticably faster pace than before.

 

IC: Gravity [Onu-Koro Hospital]

 

I shrugged as Hajia gave me a questioning look. Now that didn't happen that last time I was here. Still, arm still around Hajia, I stepped into the room.

[Geardirector]

IC: Whorok and NPC's

 

Whorok quickly threw the Skakdi aside, before he swung his flail, striking the first Kofo-Jaga square in the back, knocking it into the ground. Kofo-Jaga were fierce, but easy to defeat one-on-one, even for a Matoran.

 

The other two Kofo-Jaga slowly creeped up behind Whorok, preparing their stingers

 

Whorok had no qualms slamming the first Kofo-Jaga into the ground, making every blow count toward a miner he'd seen lose his life to them.

[Dual Cee]

IC Vohkon

 

Not being able to stand up he trew his drill at the first jaga and fired a laservision blast at the second, then he fell asleep again.

[Geardirector]

IC: Whorok and NPC's

 

The drill flew harmlessly above the first Kofo-Jaga, while the other was singed by the laser, driving it on collosion course with one of the caved entrances as it flailed wildly.

 

Whorok was too occupied with his first victim, and was taken by surprise when a strong burning sensation struck him in the back.

 

The hunched over Onu-Toa gurgled in pain and swung around with a roar, swinging his flail wildly.

 

Whorok did not hit the Kofo-Jaga with his blind attack, and the Rahi proceeded to deliver another sting to Whorok's knee.

 

Whorok grunted as he dropped to one knee, before he decided enough was enough.

 

Using his powers, Whorok pinpointed the two still conscious Kofo-Jaga, and unleashed a wave of soil and dirt that threw both the Kofo-Jaga through the tunnel and slamming into the rubble by the caved in entrance, finally knocking them out.

Edited December 17, 2012 by Geardirector

[otter]

IC-Raxa:

 

Raxa stopped for a moment, and rolled his eyes. A second later and he reached over, promptly picking Mirehu up and balancing her over his shoulder with a grin, not even having to use his mask for the short feat.

 

"Just remember that I never said how I would carry you, Mirehu," he said, quietly, as he began to jog towards the small clinic where Hound, Hajia, Gravity, Gahuari, and Kirian were, seeing as the other two had likely already left.

[sunflower]

IC: Mirehu

 

The Toa of Crystal pouted half-heartedly, and would have crossed her arms if they weren't busy holding onto Raxa. The problem was, he was right. Still, Mirehu took the time to get a glimpse of the Koro of Earth as they moved through it. If anything, it just seemed so closed.

 

A big difference from lage open spaces created from building a village in the trees.

[Dual Cee]

IC Vohkon

 

He was alseep and was having dreams, dark dreams. The loss of his friend had weakened his mind leaving him unable to have nice dreams.

[Relapse]

IC. Ussalry.They had returned to their homeland. Their long trip had been abundant of spoils, and particularly light on casualties. That generally happened when you didn't actually fight anyone. Most of the officers, specifically the higher-ranking ones, had added two pieces of armor to their normal uniform: the elbow armor, which was long and bladed, and the serrated-edged dagger which most of their dead enemies had carried on them. These two things signified to downfall of Xa-Koro, and the heightening of Onu-Koro in power.Just as Kyju would've wanted it.

[Geardirector]

IC: Whorok

 

Whorok grunted as he got up and dusted himself off. The stings from a Kofo-Jaga burnt like mad, but would wear off with time.

 

Whorok was about to get back to his hut to take a rest when he stopped and looked at the unconscious Skakdi lying on the ground.

 

"Aaw shucks" he grumbled as he controlled the earth two slowly sweep the Skakdi after him.

[Dual Cee]

IC Vohkon

 

He awoke and said "My dream, have been dark ones, but now I'm awake and the darkness cannot stand before me!" He thanked the toa and started walking himself

[25K Now!]

IC: [uyism]

 

Uyism stood on a street corner in the village of earth.

 

OOC: Open for interaction.

[Emzee]

IC: Wokapu – Kofo-Jaga Nest – Onu-Wahi

 

The golden Toa rose and lowered, sweat dripping, breaths short. As long as he’s eyes had been open and his breath steady and reassuring, the Toa had been training.

 

“One-ninety-six, one-ninety-seven, one-ninety-eight…”

 

Wokapu was nearing the completion of his pushups, his sculpted arms reinvigorated by the activity. These pushups were the last of his training that had taken place for the last three hours. The Toa of Air had to be ready. He was already willing to take on any obstacle and any threat to ensure the safety of his sister.

 

Nothing would stop this Toa.

 

“… two-hundred”

 

Wokapu sighed and sat cross-legged on the cave floor. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander.

 

Despite the fact that Wokapu was a Toa of Air, the Toa spent much of his life in Ko-Koro and thus commonly adopted the principles of the Ko-Koronan. His willpower was what helped in see business deals through, and his peace, though it was a façade, helped Wokapu to never falter on his practices.

 

Wokapu’s eyes remained closed. He would soon feel his complex and confused mind start to unravel like a tangled ball of string. He carefully created some soft, fresh air currents around him, seeking to abolish the sultry confines of the dark cave.

 

He then began to think about his sister, reassuring himself that with his unbreakable will, he would find her, and their sour relationship would be mended and become enduring for all-time.

 

“Wokapu?” a meek, almost-broken voice cried out behind the Toa of Air. It sounded like the whimper of his sister, but it felt all too real to be a product of his imagination. Indeed, he felt presences in this cave.

 

OOC: Wokiya, Darien, and Lekori moving from Ga-Wahi…

 

IC: Lekori & Wokiya – Kofo-Jaga Nest – Onu-Wahi

 

The Toa sitting cross-legged and back turned before the group opened his eyes and rose to his feet, turning around to face the cave entrance. Before him stood the object of his quest: Wokiya. Her eyes glistened even in the dark, but Wokapu saw no tears fall. Flanking her was Le-Koro, and another Toa… possibly Wokiya’s rescuer?

 

Time had seemed to slow down as Wokapu got up and turned around. Then, like an elastic band, time snapped back into place, its speed restored. Wokapu watched as his sister ran up to him and wrapped her arms around his legs.

 

“Thank the Great Spirit you’re safe!” Wokiya cried, her voice bouncing rapidly off the walls of this cave.

 

“I… can’t even fathom how this happened,” Lekori said as he took three steps towards the two siblings, he then turned around and motioned Darien to step forward. “Wokapu, Darien here is the one who saved your sister’s life”

 

Lekori then looked up at the Toa of Plantlife, and then looked at Wokapu, “Darien, this is Wokapu – former leader of the Cultured Gentry and soon-to-be hero. He’s also a good friend of mine”

[Eyru]

IC (Caerus)

The bar was dimly lit by a few lightstones, but was dark for the most part. This was fitting, because the main patrons of the bar, Onu-Korans, preferred darkness to bright light. The muted lighting lent the bar a relaxed atmosphere, aided by the quiet murmur of low voices. Various beings sat at tables and in booths, conversing softly over cold drinks. The barkeeper was wiping the counter.Off to one side, under one of the lightstones fixed into the wall, sat a Matoran wearing a black suit. His clothes were odd compared to those around him, finely crafted and tailored to his body. He wore a black jacket over a white collared shirt, a petite tie fastened under his chin, his black Rau carrying an expression of fervent concentration, though it was difficult to make out. Sitting directly under the lightstone, his features were cloaked in shadow.He sat leaning forward in his chair, a glass of amber liquid at his elbow, untouched. At his other elbow sat a pot of ink, which, in contrast, was very much in use. The Matoran was writing feverishly on a piece of parchment, scribbling lines and words, heedless of the specks and spots that sprinkled his fine clothes.

 

At last, he sat back, and examined his work with a critical eye. Slowly, a smile crept across his face. He reached for his glass, and took a drink, savouring the smooth liqueur as it slid down his throat.

 

The man who bought the iron walls

Held a city safe and strong

Till faced with shadows' siren call

They fell to earth where they belong

[EmperorWhenua]

Ooc: I'm going to retcon Aurelia leaving the fleet for now. Clarification on the matter will be implemented in a later post from the fleet's perspective.

 

Ic: Aurelia looked down at her iStone for an update from the fleet; things were looking fine. She ditched the ships as they edged by the Onu-Wahi coastline, her launch passed by Brykon on the Intrepid Tapir and given a salute. She didn't bother returning the favor.

 

Aurelia hated rough travel. The launch was bad, the coast was bad, the tunnel to Onu-Koro was bad. She named the ussal she rode "Lumpy" because he had a bump on his back that peaked through the saddle, irritating her butt with every stride. She hated it. She wanted her carriage, but... whatever the team needed, she guessed. This was an important sidestep in her travel plans.

 

It took a while, but she and her escort eventually arrived in Onu-Koro, and that's when she looked at her datapad. The guard at the gate didn't seem to care much about her sudden reappearance; the mining and trade baroness was simply waved by. She gladly dismounted her crab and her lander guards followed suit. "See to it that Lumpy is put to death. Nobody deserves to ride a deformed critter," she bitterly said. The crab cowed at her words, sensing her intentions, but the electress didn't care for it and simply handed the reins to a retainer before stepping into the city of opportunity and innovation.

 

It hadn't changed since her departure two months earlier. The roads were the same, the huts hadn't moved and the canal still ran down the center of it as before. The distinctive hum of miners as they sang their hymns to themselves could be heard, as could the steady beat of drums and equipment beating against the walls in a constant quest to conquer the earth.

 

Her associate was a poet, though that didn't do him justice. In truth, he was a little bit of everything with words and had an array of skills with language arts. But Aurelia knew Caerus for his more ulterior work than mere linguistic flower. A few times she had used his network of spies to find answers to her more odd problems, and while their relationship never was anything she at least knew who he was and she liked to think the reverse was true, too. She was also sure Caerus was a good fit for the Peers, though she would keep that judgement until the last minute after she met him for real.

 

Unlike her male counterpart in Po-Koro, there wasn't anything in the way of a loyalist in the village to give her directions to her intended target. How do you find the master of information himself, anyway? She had no time to send a message through his connections; that would take too long and wasn't even promised to work. But then she recalled something she knew of Caerus from one of Ambages' dossiers on people: He was a sad but quirky man. If that report was right or wrong, it didn't matter; what did matter was the fact that as a poet, Caerus was likely to frequent the usual haunts literary masters occupied. Namely, places of somber corners and shallow lighting: Bars.

 

She strolled through the town as if surveying it, thinking back to a time here hours before when she ruled an archipelago lager than Onu-Koro would ever be. Unlike Xa-Koro, though, which was usually bustling with life and action, Onu-Koro almost always seemed deserted and dark, the occupants usually away, digging and sifting. She drifted from inn to inn, tavern to tavern, until she found a bar that was lit lower than the rest by just a handful of dimmed lightstones. In a corner, sitting by himself, was Caerus, a mostly untouched bucket glass of fluid by his side and a shallow ink basin on the opposite side.

 

Aurelia quietly entered unnoticed to the patron and motioned for a horn of the house ale, an earthy, frothy affair of spices and secret ingredients. She collected a chair and placed it on the opposite side of the table and slid into the seat. Her rings and jewels refracted the yellow light slightly and seemed to glow themselves as she sat and reclined forward a little; it all seemed to just accentuate her appearance and her wealth. If Caerus was half as sharp as she remembered, he would recognize not only the body but the gems themselves. "What is the great author writing this time?" she asked as she looked down on the paper with craned neck.

[Eyru]

IC (Caerus)

 

The poet looked up from his work, his annoyed frown melting into a charming smile. He leaned forward, his sharp eyes quickly passing over the merchant queen, noting the jewels dripping from her body, and finally resting on her eyes.

 

“Aurelia,” he breathed. “I thought this dull village suddenly seemed brighter.”

 

He spun the sheet of parchment around so it was facing his newly arrived companion, and leaned back in his seat, catching up his glass of alcohol in one hand.

 

“Nothing particularly noteworthy, especially to a queen such as yourself,” he said carelessly of the paper, before taking a sip of his drink. His casual smile drooped into a melancholy frown at these words, before replacing the glass on the table.

 

“Though... I am sorry to hear of the loss of your kingdom.”

 

Aurelia looked down at the paper. Though the light was dim, Caerus' writing was bold and easy to read.

 

So quickly lifted up

So swiftly fallen down

The merchant queen shall sup

In gloomy miners' town

 

“The guard at the gate thought you looked quite lovely tonight,” he said with a coy smile. “I must say, I agree, although your temperament mustn't match your beauty. I suppose the pub down the road will be serving Ussal stew for breakfast.”

[EmperorWhenua]

Ic: "You never cease to amaze me," Aurelia said with a genuine smile, though looks could still kill. She spoke in a hushed tone as if the bar was a library; indeed it sounded like it enough. "My kingdom, as you say, isn't as great a shame as you think it is, though. All things fit in a plan somewhere, as I'm sure you've found." She raised her horn to salute the manager of knowledge and took a draw of the opaque brew.

 

"You've always been one for information," she said, pleased with the man across from her. Of course, she knew he was far more dangerous than he seemed in physical traits, and she summed her awareness of his potential deadliness in a sentence. "If there was ever a testament to the saying that knowledge is power, I'm sure you would be behind it."

[Geardirector]

IC: Whorok

 

After digging through the rubble, Whorok continued walking without bothering to see of Vokhon was following.

[Dual Cee]

IC Vohkon

 

He picked up his drill and said: "We better go to Onu-Koro to tell those matoran-beings that this tunnel colapsed, isn't it?"

[Geardirector]

IC: Whorok

 

Whorok nodded slowly, not turning his head as he continued toward Onu-Koro

[Simulacrum]

IC: Hound, Onu-Koro Hospital

 

The room was silent, save for quiet, controlled breathing, and the horrid noise of steel meeting flesh.

 

In the center of the room, in a circle of dim lightstones, was the massive, makeshift structure that Hound occupied. At such an odd angle, it could only be described as a hideous bed/chair hybrid, devoid of purpose and constructed in what appeared to be moments, covered in an assortment of objects of varying degrees of softness, creating a bizarre mattress of sorts.

 

Occuping this "mattress" was a being whose size seemed inconcievable, uncanny, to say the least, his golden armour and coal black skin covered with shadows, and his eyes, light brown and oddly animalistic, stared at Hajia and Gravity with quiet, reserved happiness and welcoming.

Next to Hound, her dark grey hands now red, was the Onu-Toa doctor, her Kanohi of Healing glowing softly, casting crimson light across the room, so that the shadows seemed to be stained with the blood seeping from Hound's chest. She was frowning, her worn and hardy face contemplative, as she carefully cut away flesh and inspected what lay beneath, obviously concerned about her patient's wounds.

 

It was several moments before she finished, and until then, Hajia sat in one of the wooden chairs in the corner, returning Hound's quiet welcome with one of her amiable smiles. When the doctor finished, she left quietly, never speaking a word to Hajia or Gravity.

"You seem to have healed quickly." Hound said, his voice as gravelly and ancient as ever, though slightly softer than normal. "I hope you have sustained no permenant wounds from what occured."

"I don't think I have, Hound. But what about you?" Hajia asked, sounding slightly concerned. "You're still in such a terrible condition. You sound, and look, like you're in constant pain."

Hound's response was a nod, and then momentary silence. "Surely, Hajia, you have the most life left to live, out of all the members of our company." He paused again, his eyes staring at her as if he was viewing her future. "I pray that you do not follow in my steps, that you live a happier life. You've certainly seemed to being doing so, but I felt as if I should warn you, to prevent you from even considering such a painful path."

 

Hajia only blinked in surprise, unsure of what Hound was speaking about, or where this conversation was going."And you, Gravity. I have not known you long, but from what I've seen, you seem to courageous and brave." Hound's speaking was slightly distant, and slightly dark in tone. "I believe you aim to do good, to be a hero of sorts. I was once this way. You may discover that heroism is a fanciful dream, in a harsh, personally affecting manner, as I did, or you may realise it from the pain of others. Either way, when you do realise that black and white, justice and evil are whimsical concepts, I pray that you will still remain kind. The world is gray, but there is no reason you must be a lighter shade of grey than the rest."

Edited December 18, 2012 by Giant of Lannister

[sunflower]

IC: Gravity [Onu-Koro Hospital]

 

I stood near Hajia, as she occupied the only chair in the room, my slight frown of worry deepening as the massive being spoke. His gaze was unnerving, not cold, but distant. Obviously of one who was in quite some pain, but there was another side to his look, one that I couldn't quite get the meaning out of. I blinked multiple times as he spoke, his voice, somewhat softer than normal. The guy was in rough shape, even now.

 

"...Hound..." I began, looking worried at said being, but I didn't know what I wanted to say. "What are you talking about?"

[a goose]

IC: Nikarra (Bar, Onu-Koro)

 

Nikarra sat back at the table, putting her feet up on it. When she was glared at by the barkeep, she returned it, before putting her feet back on the floor, and staring at the empty glass in front of her. She wasn't entirely able to remember finishing it, but then, she could barely remember getting here.

She noticed a guy looking at her from across the bar, and immediately gave him a look so poisonous it would've been enough to make most people drop dead even if they weren't drunk already. The guy didn't die, though; he just turned away, in favour of less hostile targets.

Nikarra stood up, leaving the glass on the table, and walked out. At least, she tried to walk out. She fell over a few times, before making it to The Unfortunate Fikou. She made no attempt to buy a room, simply collapsing on a chair and falling asleep there.

"Suuuure, you can stay here. No, don't worry about paying, just get a chair and sleep there, I don't mind..." Commodum muttered, walking past Nikarra while trying to clean up broken glass on the floor.

 

OOC: Nikarra open for interaction (The Unfortunate Fikou inn, Onu-Koro).

[otter]

IC-Raxa:

 

"He's explaining how the world works," Raxa said, stepping into the room, despite the protests of the Po-Matoran clinician who'd been walking around. He didn't check to see if Mirehu had followed behind him from where he'd set her down or not. "Based on the experience he has. And I'd have to agree. No reason to be the dark shade of grey, though that's all there really is." He shrugged, leaning against a wall, nodding at the beings in the room.

 

"Hajia. You're looking well. Hound, not so much. Gravity, you're still missing a tentacle."

[Franco]

IC: Ashiem was soon recalled to her CEO's office. There the head of the Horseman Company sat, smiling affably as ever.

 

"I trust you found your first assignment worth its work?"

 

Dendron awoke to the void. Before his eyes stretched nothing but infinite blackness, and his ears detected nothing. His lone sensation was the feel of cold stone against his back.

[Relapse]

OOC: Kyju from Le-Koro.IC. Kyju.It was a long walk from Le-Koro, especially considering he didn't take an Ussal. His feet were sore, and his muscles heavy. He would make it soon, but for now, all he could do was walk.

[25K Now!]

IC: [Ashiem]

 

"Other than having trouble getting the tomb through the door, it was fine."

[Franco]

IC: Kultos blinked. "...You brought the tomb through the door?"

[25K Now!]

IC: [Ashiem]

 

"Yep."

[Franco]

IC: "I don't quite remember asking you to move it that far," Kultos muttered. He smiled again. "But anyway. Are you ready for your next assignment?"

[25K Now!]

IC: [Ashiem]

 

Ashiem nodded. "Yes sir."

[Relapse]

IC. Kyjuisms.As soon as he got back to his hut, a small place in the middle part of town, he realized he had already reviewed mail. He filed through it, seeing bills, a summons he needed to attend in about a half-hour, and...fan mail? Something. He opened it up, reading over the sloppy handwriting with a hint of distaste. It was riddled with grammatical mistakes and spelling errors.Dear Kaiju,I'm am you're largest fan. You give mee hope fore a beter future.-GarwinRipping the note in half, he tossed it back into the excesses of his room. He had enough to deal with besides some unintelligent stain. He would have to institute some sort of schooling law on the future.After finishing paperwork, he had enough time to relax a bit and sleep off days of activity. It had been one thing stacked on another. Now, a conference. Shaking off his slumber, he departed to the council building.

[Simulacrum]

IC: Hound and Company, Onu-Koro

"Raxa." Hound said, turning his head slightly to face the Toa of Crystal, his eyes as ancient and unfathomable as ever. "I see you've found a new friend." He continued, smiling momentarily at Mirehu, and then looking back at Gravity.

"Raxa's suggestion that the world is only grey is perhaps true; I've often considered the subjectiveness of morals and standards of behavior. Ah, but I did not want to discuss philosophy with you. A more serious subject has arisen, and I think it is time that we it is dealt with." "Onyx had been planning deaths for years before he set his plan into motion, I have no doubt that melee combat was most certainly included in his plans and schemes. He has always tended to plan past his own demise, forcing his will upon the living, even as he lays in his grave deep in his catacombs. I fear that his plan for my arrival was well calculated, premediated to a level beyond my range of intelligence and planning, for the weapons crafted for my death were designed to be effective past their owner's own demise, as I now realise."

 

Pausing, Hound looked from face to face, frowning slightly. "I see that my florid wording seems to be more agonizing than the message I am attempting to convey." He paused once more, lingering on his last word, his frown increased. "Onyx's weapons that pierced by abdomen were poisoned. Even now, my internal systems are shutting down."

[sunflower]

IC: Gravity [Onu-Koro Hospital]

 

Aaaaaand there's Raxa. Right on time. Seriously if the situation were different, I would have made another "stalker" comment again. Well, this time he wasn't along, some black-armored Toa was with him... Or hiding behind him. Yeah, I was wondering who that was, untill Hound dropped the bomb.

 

"Wait, you don't mean..." My eyes snapped onto that gigantic being, wide with surprise, shock, and some other stuff. Eh, I was in shock, not gonna take the time to explain it. I was also unable to complete my sentence. Hound was really...? He was...? No.

 

He can't be dying.

[Franco]

IC: Kultos promptly rifled about in his suit's pockets. "Excuse me," He said with another apologetic smile, "While I retrieve your orders and payment."

 

He rummaged some more before he stopped with eyes fully lit. "Here you go," The CEO proclaimed, handing over another jingling pouch and a scroll. "Would you kindly take this?"