Author Games: The Absent Empress

Task Five: Prudence

Wisdom at the mountain-foot sees farther than intelligence at the mountaintop. 

—Matshona Dhliwayo

Across North America, news outlets reported breathlessly on the suspected deaths of another four heroes of Project Phoenix. The Canadian brothers Splendour! and Kevin had not been seen returning to Los Angeles, nor was the mysterious Black Phoenix . Whiskey Wonder's body had been found near the gates of Base Esquimalt, riddled with bullets and sporting a BAC that could have stunned an elephant.

Her heroes were fighting bravely, reporters commented. Yet despite the danger, the Empress hadn't made a personal appearance. As one particularly blunt channel put it: where the hell did she go?

~*~

Sakura took a deep breath. "Ready, Tif?"

I suppose. You really think hellfire will break the chains?

"I'm hoping enough of it will do the trick. Let's go."

She narrowed her eyes and inhaled, simultaneously drawing cold, slimy power from the seemingly endless well Tifanos offered. In ordinary circumstances, the unearthly energy would turn her form insubstantial and shadowy, and the tremendously destructive hellfire would pour from her fingers, to the detriment of whatever had annoyed her this time.

Nonetheless, the exact same thing as before occurred: the chains wrapped tightly around her absorbed the power like a sponge, and she couldn't do anything more then flicker before becoming solid again. After a minutes of the same, she eventually gave up.

IT WOULD SEEM OUR CAPTORS TOOK PRECAUTIONS WITH LILIM SIGILS AS WELL AS ENOCHIAN. I FIND THIS AN UNAPPEALING SIGN.

"No kidding. I have quite literally leveled buildings with that much power. I don't even think the damn thing's warm."

Super. So that didn't work. Now what?

Sakura scowled at the ceiling of her darkened cell. "We wait for a slip-up? We try to rub out the carvings physically? We hope Project Phoenix finds us? I told them in the note I'd be gone for a week at most, so by now they have to know something's wrong. I hope nothing too bad's happened while we're gone. They're still unpolished, but I'd say up to a Threat Class Gamma should still be within their capabilities."

YOU ARE HOPING OUR SALVATION WILL SPRING FROM THEIR COMPETENCE AND FORENSIC ACUITY.

"I feel like I should really emphasize my faith in them. And that we can still rub the chain against a wall or something to try to damage the sigils."

There was silence for a long moment.

Great. I hate you both, and we're all gonna die.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Requirements

-This round, you need to center your entry around an investigation. A week and a half without any word from the Empress is beyond the norm, so your character decides to puts their own skills on the case.

-The precise nature of the investigation is entirely yours to decide. Who does your character go to? What do they look for?

-This is a fairly flexible task, so I look forward to seeing your well-written, creative entries! Emphasis on creative.

Kills: Two ballot kills, which will determine the ballot challenge next round.

Due Date: Wednesday, November 15 at 10 PM EST