JENNA: * For a year and a half, things continue in much as they did before -- Kalaani visits Mack daily, tending to tea and occasionally other chores and errands, and every couple of months or so, Shane and Jo have another job from him. It's become almost routine -- like a regular job -- after that much time, leaving Shane and Jo unsurprised when another summons arrives, landing them once again on Mackenzie's doorstep.

JUSTIN: * Shane reaches out and tugs on the rope for the doorbell, then sighs and leans back against one of the pillars holding up the overhang above. "Jupteros. I still can't believe I've never heard of the place before now." He fingers the book in his hands, looking down at it as though it has more secrets it might divulge if he stares hard enough. "I mean, it sounds pretty impressive -- shouldn't it be more well-known?"

JENNA: "If it's not, there's probably a reason for it." Jo shifts uncomfortably, staring balefully at the door. For some reason, the mission makes her uneasy. "Maybe the powers that be kept a lid on it ... maybe no one makes it out alive." She shifts again, trying not to feel too dour about the whole thing. A job's a job, after all. "Though if it's that big.. it'd be pretty hard to hide."

JUSTIN: * Shane arches a brow, looking over at her and making a sour face. "Oh, don't talk like that. The last thing we need is you saying bad things that come true." The door opens then, and an unusually relaxed Mackenzie pokes his head out to see them. "If you're finished postulating, I would like to get things underway."

JENNA: "We were waitin' on you, old man," Jo says drily, folding her arms. "So let's have it -- what are we looking for this time around? Book was pretty vague about where the ruins even are." Much of the hostility has eased out of her tone over the year and a half they've been acquainted, and her attitude toward the man has become simply a matter of course.

JUSTIN: "There are maps. There are details." Mackenzie gives her a bland stare, then turns and starts into the house again. "I don't send you out unprepared, it's bad for business." He leads the way, as usual, to his upstairs study and immediately goes about finding the maps and details he has for them.

JENNA: * Jo follows him boredly, by now at least used enough to him to be unoffended. She leans in her customary place and watches him, still trying to shake the general uneasiness that's been plaguing her. Whatever Shane wants to think about it, there were a couple of close encounters on their last couple of jobs that left her wondering if her guild is watching her again. Jupteros itself, she hopes, doesn't really bother her.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie isn't long in searching, finding what he needs in short order and placing them out on the desk. Shane approaches, trading the book for the maps. "What you're looking for," Mackenzie continues to answer her earlier question, "is a gem. A very large gem, worth nothing to a jewler but everything to a scholar. Anything beyond that and I'll lose you, so I won't bother to go into detail. All you need to know is that it is quite possibly the most important item I've sent you for thus far, and it is /imperative/ that it gets back to me completely unharmed."

JENNA: "How many of your toys have we broken so far?" Jo ambles forward to take a look at the maps, glancing at Shane. If they're any good, getting there shouldn't be a problem, and from what she understands, the ruins really aren't far away. "Should be a quick trip, at least."

JUSTIN: "Then I'll expect you before the end of the month," Mackenzie is quick to respond -- even though she was hardly trying to make a promise, and likely wasn't aiming that statement at him in the first place. "And any of my 'toys' so far are nothing compared to what is in those ruins, and I would implore you not to treat it lightly. If you have even an iota of seriousness within you, now would be the time to let it out."

JENNA: "It's a job, old man," Jo grunts. "I always take jobs seriously." She looks at Shane again, then back at Mack. "Anything else, or are we dismissed?" She is more than ready to be back on the road -- perhaps getting the job over with will ease the itch at the base of her spine.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie reaches under his desk and pulls out a by-now familiar box, setting it on the desk in front of them. Shane shuffles his maps around until he has a free hand, then reaches out and takes it. Once done, he watches Mackenzie for any sign of further instruction, but the man simply sits down in his chair and starts arranging papers. Almost as though by afterthought, he finally looks up at the two and makes an impatient waving motion. "Go, go -- the sooner you get back with that gem, the sooner I can get on with my research."

JENNA: * Jo snorts, turning to Shane to relieve him of at least the box. "Right. See you in a month." She shakes her head, starting out the door, and she's halfway down the steps before she stops to wait for Shane. "You'd think his life depended on this one," she remarks, slowing her pace. Then she shrugs. "Hell, maybe it does."

JUSTIN: * Shane hops down the first few steps to catch up to her, and he fixes his hat on his head before looking over at her. "If it was that important, he'd probably just go himself. No research could be more important than something life or death." He likewise hops the last couple of steps, making for the front door without any sidetracking. "Whatever he needs it for, he isn't about to tell us. Has he /ever/ explained what he does with the things we bring him?"

JENNA: "For all I know, he eats them," Jo grumbles, pushing through the front door and starting for the pecos. "But I guess it shouldn't matter to us as long as we get paid." She grimaces, untying her bird and swinging onto its back. Whatever she says, she'd really like to know what's so unholy special about this rock they're supposed to be picking up.

JUSTIN: * Shane follows after her and mounts up, turning his peco to trot around while he waits for her to take the lead. "Not that we need the money, really, but I guess it doesn't hurt. Never know when we might have a multi-million dollar emergency." He quirks a brief smile and stops beside her, turning to look over his shoulder at the large mansion behind them. "And he certainly doesn't mind throwing heaps of zeny away for these things..."

JENNA: "Well, if it's the only thing that matters to you in life, I suppose ..." Jo shrugs wearily, then glances at Shane. "So, let's have a look at the maps. What's our fastest route?" She also pauses to tuck the box away in her pack, shaking her head wearily at the thought of having to use the magic detector again -- particularly considering what it's gotten them in the past.

JUSTIN: * Shane reaches behind himself to pull one of the map tubes from where it's secured on his backpack, popping the top to pull the rolled paper out. "Well, let's take a look." He straightens it out in his hands and flips it over once, eyes squinting as he tries to make out where they and where they should be going. There are quite a few notes on the treated parchment, not all of which are in a language he can read, but their route seems to have been highlighted by the sage for this occasion. "I think... that way." He points, though he isn't entirely certain he's reading the thing right.

JENNA: "Right in his own backyard.. you'd think he could get it himself." Jo pushes her peco into a faster trot glancing at Shane with a grin. "Not that I can complain about the work, I guess." It's true enough that the ruins are very close by. In less than a day's run -- despite getting lost once -- they've reached what the maps indicate is the entrance, a squat, carved cave entrance. Jo dismounts a few feet away, tying her peco to a low stand of trees.

JUSTIN: * Shane hops do the ground nearby, lashing his bird's reigns to the nearest sturdy tree. "Well, you certainly wouldn't guess it's much by looking at the entrance," he mumbles, looking over his shoulder at the entrance and arching a brow. His face quickly scrunches. "This means it's mostly underground, doesn't it... I hope it's more ventilated than the pyramid was. My lungs are still recovering."

JENNA: "From what I could tell, there's a whole city or something under there.. shouldn't be a problem." Jo grins at him, shifting her pack and starting for the door. "I think your lungs can handle it for a couple days. At least it shouldn't be totally dark." According to the book, in any case, something keeps lights running in the underground ruin.

JUSTIN: * Shane scratches the back of his head, then shrugs, fixes his cap, and follows after her. "An entire undergound city. Really makes you wonder what happened to the people who built these places." He gets his lantern handy, and absently puts a hand against the grip of his pistol. Large, ancient underground cities don't exactly fill him with a sense of ease. He just hopes there aren't any mummies.

JENNA: * Jo grins at him and shakes her head. She doesn't say anything, however, as she hasn't been the most positive about this job in the past few days. Their footsteps echo as they walk inside, and the air stirs, almost as if the city itself is a breathing entity. Jo represses a shudder.

JUSTIN: * Shane decides to light his lantern, even if there are supposed to be lights further in. It will at least make him feel more in control over the matter. "So according to the details he gave us, we need to go all the way to the heart of this place." They've already been over this before, at least briefly, but now that they're inside and the full scope of the place is becoming realized, it bears mentioning. "We'll probably need to make this quick if we want to be out before evening."

JENNA: "Then I guess we'd better pick up the pace." Jo grins faintly, but she does do as she suggests, quickening her steps as the exit to the entry tunnel becomes apparent. As they step into the open area, she half-turns to say something, but before she can speak, she staggers back as if struck. Turning her head, she's rather surprised to see a dagger embedded in her shoulder, and a short swearword escapes her throat. "Jumped the gun a bit there, Lei," remarks a familiar voice -- if one they haven't heard in years. "But I guess it'll have to do."

JUSTIN: * Shane's confusion turns very quickly to alarm, and he grabs Jo to tug her back around -- the corner that isn't there. The way the entrance opens into the chamber beyond, there really isn't anywhere to hide. He curses quietly and does the best he can anyway, yanking his gun out of its holster. "Of all the bloody places in the world to run into /them/," he mutters in frustration, "Then again, it is a hole in the ground -- perfect place for rats."

JENNA: * Jo doesn't answer, hand on the knife as if she's debating whether to pull it out. That decision is made for her, though, as several shadowy figures rush out of the dim room, led by Teague himself. One, in fact, seems to have come from behind them in the tunnel, cutting off their escape route. She barely has time to dodge another knife and tug out her own, mind racing for a way to get out of this alive -- a difficult task made more difficult by the blinding pain in her shoulder.

JUSTIN: * Shane nearly stumbles over backwards at the sudden charge, finding that Jo and he are completely outnumbered -- a bad situation made even worse. He pulls off a few shots, admittedly not having the time to properly aim, and whirls around only to find the guildmember behind them raising a sword to strike. Not having the time to pull his sword free, he raises his pistol to deflect the first blow, and the weapon is knocked from his hands with a new chink in its side. Hands shaking from the energy of the blow, he barely getting his sword from its scabbard in time to defend himself from the next attack.

JENNA: * Jo has her hands full fending off daggers thrown by a vengeful Lei and blade strikes from other members of her guild, most of their faces lost in a blur. She can hold her own for only so long against the assault, gradually dropping back as her movements get slower and more strikes find their way close to home. She stumbles back once, colliding with someone she hopes is Shane and at the same time hoping she hasn't thrown him off balance as she has herself, dropping to one knee.

JUSTIN: * Shane isn't thrown off balance by Jo's bump, but he is momentarily distracted by the sight of her fall, and his guard drops for a second. That's all the time his assaulters need, and he soon finds himself under a hail of kicks and stabs, barely deflecting them from life-ending destinations. He trips and falls back against the wall, and his attackers don't seem intent on letting him catch his breath. Still, the only thing he's concerned with is getting to Jo's side before something happens to her, and by a brief surge of brute strength he's able to topple his nearest opponent and tumble over to her side.

JENNA: * Strangely, several of the attackers have backed away from Jo, but their intention is made clear when Teague steps in for the honor of the kill. Jo looks at him blearily, half on her feet, and starts to raise her knife in defense, but it's clear she won't have it in position in time.

JUSTIN: * Shane scrambles to get in front of Jo, lifting his sword with what strength he can muster in an already bruised and bleeding arm. Teague's would-be killing blow rakes down the steel of his blade, but the force of the swing is enough to crumple Shane's defense, and instead of defending Jo as planned he ends up inadvertantly taking the shot for her.

JENNA: * Jo makes a choked sound, lunging for him as he falls, but the move is truncated when someone's boot connects heavily with her head. Her gaze shifts, unfocused, to Teague, who is readying himself for a second strike, when, quite abruptly, there's a sharp flash of metal, and the man's head is gone. She doesn't follow its arc, half-conscious as she is, but she does have the satisfaction of seeing his body strike the ground as screams and curses erupt around them.

JUSTIN: * Shane's ears are throbbing with the sound of pulsing blood, and his vision is blurring fairly rapidly. He's only vaguely aware of the thief's demise, and completely unaware of the chaos errupting around them as the lost city's remaining guardians arrive on the scene. He turns to look at Jo -- as much as he can -- and before anything can even try to get out of his mouth he slumps against her and loses consciousness.

JENNA: * The shouts and screams are nothing more than a confusing buzz just outside Jo's range of hearing before she realizes that she and Shane are no longer under attack. She lifts her head, but between the dark and her blurred vision, she isn't able to make much of the situation, only noting that their escape route is feet away, and no one is trying to stop them. Finding Shane unconscious, she attempts to shoulder him and is barely able to do so, knees crumpling as she tries to get to her feet. In the end, it takes a great deal of support from the wall to get them moving toward the entrance. She isn't entirely certain what she'll do when she has nothing to lean on, but for the moment, getting away from the screaming is more important.

JENNA: * She stumbles when she reaches the entrance, surprised to find the pecos have gotten loose and are grazing boredly nearby. She clucks to one of them sharply, and it lifts its head, feathers ruffling as it makes its way over to her. She stares at it wearily, aware she won't be able to heave Shane up on its back, then reaches over to give its reins a tug. It only takes a few jerks downward for the bird to get the idea, and it crouches on the ground, letting her heave her companion's dead weight onto its back. It doesn't seem sure what to do about it, but she clucks again and it stands up, leaving her to mount the other one, unsteadily, and start away from the cave at a slow, shambling walk.

JENNA: * They aren't pursued, though she wouldn't be aware of it anyway, but it takes the better part of another day to reach the nearest place she can think of to go for help -- Mackenzie's house. She's done what she can to staunch their bleeding, but she's weaving unsteadily as she drags Shane up the walk to his house, barely able to focuse on the doorbell in order to ring it. Once she's done so, mission accomplished, her mind goes blissfully blank, and she's barely able to keep on her feet until the door's answered.

JUSTIN: * There's a short delay, but eventually the door opens in its usual fashion to reveal Mackenzie. He looks pleasantly surprised to see them so early -- at least, until he notices the state they're in, at which point his face darkens dramatically. "This was /not/ a difficult job -- what in Odin's name did you do?" His voice is almost threatening.

JENNA: * Jo can't even muster the wit for a reply, pitching forward to collapse under Shane's weight before she can even open her mouth to make an attempt. She attempts to rise again, hands pressing against the floor to push her upright, but her arms give out before she makes any progress, and by the time her head strikes the ground a second time, she's unconscious.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie takes a quick step back to avoid the falling mess that is Jo and Shane, and he lets out a sharp curse -- clearly intended for Jo to hear, though a little too late. He looks around with wide eyes as blood seeps into his carpeting and cusses again, not the least bit caring who does or doesn't hear it. Leaning down, he grabs the both of them, one in each hand, and with surprising ease hauls them up and deposits their unconscious bodies back on the steps outside. "Incompetent, stupid--" he rambles off all sorts of adjectives, kneeling down next to them. He very briefly inspects their wounds, then their packs, and stands up again looking even more outraged.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie disappears into his house at a rush, making straight for his office. Once there, he rather roughly opens one the desk drawers and removes a circular piece of garnished metal -- a focusing component. Slamming it down on the desk, he places his hand over it and concentrates, a task made rather difficult due to his severe agitation, and fairly soon his mind is swirling with unfocused color and sound. Concentrating further, he focuses in on a single point and shunts the rest to the back of his mind. There's the odd sensation of touching another being's mind, but he doesn't have time to ponder philosophically over it, immediately forcing his thoughts into his target's head. "Kalaani, get your priestly behind to my house -- /now/."

JENNA: * Kalaani lurches upright from where she was kneeling in prayer, momentarily disoriented by the sound of Mackenzie's voice. Several of her fellows tug at her insistently to sit down again and not disrupt the mass, but she doesn't pay them any heed, stepping quickly out of the sanctuary and practically running the rest of the way to Mack's house. She's at least relatively certain that -- no matter how cranky he sounded -- only dire emergency could compel him to contact her in such a fashion. This assumption is more than confirmed at the sight of two prone bodies on his porch. "By all the gods --" she squeaks, nearly stumbling on her way up the steps.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie is already by the door, and when he hears Kalaani's arrival -- or at least, her voice -- he yanks it open sharply. "Stop gawking and tend their wounds!" For his part, he's on his knees scrubbing blood out of the carpet before it has a chance to dry dry, but he does have some medical supplies waiting for her on the bench just inside. "The sooner they're conscious, the sooner they can explain themselves."

JENNA: * Kalaani looks at him blankly for a moment, expression horrified, but she doesn't respond immediately, her need to tend to the injured far overwhelming her desire to take him to task for his words. She tends to Shane first, his injuries being the most dire, and manages, with the help of the first aid supplies and quite a bit of prayer, to at least get him stable, turning to Jo shortly after to continue the work. "They're lucky to be alive at all," she says quietly, a faint hint of admonishment in her tone. "I don't think they'll be able to give you any explanations for a while yet."

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie snarls, throwing his brush back into the bucket of soapy water with little regard and getting to his feet. "If you do your job, they will be. I refuse to have them staying here like this for longer than a day. I'm a scholar, not a babysitter." He turns and snags the bucket by the handle, stomping off into the house to dispose of the bloodied water.

JENNA: * Kalaani looks up from her work on Jo, a sudden hardness coming into her gaze. She turns back to her work, however, as he walks away, only speaking when he returns. "They need more care than I can give them," she says firmly. "If you don't wish to keep them here, then I'll take them back with me to my church." She quivers slightly as she works, the only outward sign of her growing agitation.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie doesn't look very fond of this alternative, either, as it is only confirmation that this is going to take longer than he wants. In the end, though, it seems like he has no choice in the matter. "Fine, whatever, as long as they're back here before the week is out. But if I find out anything's happened to my gem, whatever befell them in Jupteros will look like a spanking compared to the hell I'll give them." He all but growls, getting down to scrub at the floor some more. "And they can expect to pay for this carpet, too, if their damned blood won't come out."

JENNA: * This, apparently, is just about enough for Kalaani, who finishes tending to Jo as best as she can and gets to her feet, by now somewhat bloody herself. "Mr. Malachi," she says, voice trembling with what amounts to suppressed rage, "I hadn't thought even /you/ would be this inhuman." She straightens, fixing him with a hard stare. "These people did good work for you -- they deserve better than to lie on your doorstep while you complain about the carpet! And even if they were strangers, they are still human beings -- and so are you, whatever you happen to think!" She brings her foot down on the step, somewhat marring the image, but she continues nevertheless. "Acting like this -- you're no better than the people you scorn!" With that, she whirls, starting down the steps again -- presumably to get help from Juno.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie stands in the doorway and watches the girl with a blank expression, almost completely devoid of the annoyance and aggression that filled it only a moment before. He seems rather at a loss for words, completely in spite of himself. Under normal circumstances, he would have immediately, and quite gladly, expressed how little he cares what she thinks. But quite frankly, this is the first time he's ever seen the girl mad. Even the time with the wolf cub, so long past, was nothing on this level. And so, unable or unwilling to say anything in his defense, or even to brush her tirade aside, he simply turns and shuts the door, feeling suddenly incredibly weary. He ignores (forgets) the bucket and brush and walks woodenly back into his house, aiming for his bedroom. What he needs, he supposes, is a good, long nap.