Pieran swallowed to regain his breath. A sigh accompanied him. “I said you played your cards close. You must go through housekeepers the way I go through parables,” he said, lowering his sword. “Alexis, whatever your future, please never nap in a china shop.” He patted his heart. “Easy big fellow.” He exhaled again, his adrenaline looking for someplace to go. Suddenly he broke into hearty laughter. “Alexis, you are second to none!”

Orean watched the exchange between the members of this eclectic group with mild amusement. When the explanation was offered for the bench movement, she seemed relieved.

To Dren, she said, “Although your choice of action as to how to resolve the moving bench issue was a unique approach, I suppose it did achieve the desired result.”

Flipping the pages to the book she was looking at, she said, “I think I can fix this situation here. I may even be able to send you back, but I will need your help. I have everything I need here, but I can not be in two places at once. I need to work with the Sands of Time and I also need to expose the Staff of Sol to the sun. I could fly up above the clouds, but …”

She frowned.    “If only we knew if there was a break in the clouds, any direct exposure to Sol should be the key we need.”

“The clouds broke once when we were in town. We were walking across that star symbol that we arrived on, but I have no idea what triggered it or how to repeat it.”

"Where was tha' bit o'sun tha' burned Iain?" Dren asked, "Mostly 'cause I'd like t'see tha' again!!" he added jokingly... or happily - it was had to tell to the outside observer.

Orean seemed excited. “They broke? The cloud cover broke? Broke how? And did you notice the time? This could be important.”
This message was last updated by the GM at 19:15, Wed 29 Sept 2004.

"I think t'was around Noon." replacing his book and pen Dren lifted his backpack again as if ready to put it back on "I could go stand on th' star an see if tha' does anythin." he suggested trying to take a sip from the ale he'd finished off. Looking down he almost looked as if he were about to blame someone for stealing his drink.

   Though not having caught much sleep at all, Jognny felt awake and attentive again. While the details of extra-dimensional history didn't quite touch even the perifer of his unnatural desire for knowledge, getting back to a more homely enviroment was rather high up on his to-do list.
   "To be painfully, anal-retentively precise, it was at one-oh-oh PM - strangely even number, but nonetheless. I have no idea how to reproduce the effect though, but we could go back there and see what happens."

"Well w'at time is it now? If w'do go back, it should be a th' same time. I mean, if th'sands are moving that mean's time 'asn't stopped an really it's jus' repeatin' a moment."

“By the position of the sun it was noon. It was around 9 on the hour according to my watch, but I’m still on Egypt time.” Raven thought for a moment. “The hourglass turns on the hour by my watch. Maybe the clouds break every hour, on the hour, coinciding with when the hourglass turns.”

Dren checked the hour glass then drew his compass, "Idea! I go out by th'star, wait fer th'could's t'break then signal wit th'compass. If th'two are connected we'll know exactly when in relation t'th'hour glass." then turning to Johnny "Tha' is o'course if yer okay wit' m'leavin'. 'Cause tha' would b'splittin' up an I know 'ow much y' dinna like us splittin' up."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:13, Wed 29 Sept 2004.

   Shrugging, Johnny said: "Well, it wouldn't be splitting up if you just left the group, with indetermined plans to return. It is indeed a good point that we are clocked in different timezones, though. Why don't we all go out for a leisurely walk?"

"B'cause if w'leave who's gonna b'left b'hind t'watch at w'at point th'sands turn. Does th'break 'appen as th'last sand falls? Just as soon as it turns? Midway through th'turn? Would it open at th'start o'th'turn an close at th'end? Nope, I say someone should stay, if no other reason than t'disprove yer 'orror movie 'ang up. Come t'think o'it... We should 'ave at least two people stay b'hind tha' way two controllers in th' experiment can get a more subjective result than th'potential errors o'just one."

"I may as well stay."  Alex gave a pointed look at the stretcher.

"Me too... I don't tan well, anyway. Sorry to spoil your fun, Dren" Iain grinned.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:37, Wed 29 Sept 2004.

Dren smiled "Dinna spoil m'fun. But y'may b'breakin' Mr. Bee's 'eart!" with that Dren started heading out, "Least I know two o'ya will be still 'ear. I'll flash th'sun this way w'en the cloud's part. Y'may want Alex keepin' an eye out for that one." stopping at the doorway he glanced back and smiled "Come t'think o'it. Iain, can stand 'ere just the same!" then headed out and toward the star.

Raven looked at the others as Dren headed out. “You guys watch for the bat signal, Iona and I can watch the hourglass.”

"Then if you'll excuse me, I left some things behind. I'll be right back."

Pieran made a hasty exit toward the temple orchard to gather his books and weapons, before returning back inside only a few moments later.

Dren made his way to the star that they crossed and kept and eye out for danger, this time his hand carried one of the 18" stakes. He figured he could pull the gun if he needed it, but didn't want the shots alerting people that he was in over his head. After reaching the star he paused before putting on his sunglasses and stood ready with his compass.

"Should've brough more ale wit' me." he thought aloud.

Watching Dren stroll out the door, Alex frowned, a look of concern evident on her face.  "Isn't anyone going to go with him?"  She shifted slightly on the stretcher, unhappy with the idea of someone being outside alone.  The star was far enough away that if someone did attack Dren, he could easily be overwhelmed before they could reach him.  That being said, Pieran was probably about the only person who could go out there and hold his own in a combat.

Alex wasn't used to having so many non-combatants around her.  It making her a good deal more reckless than she usually was, and it looked as though she was going to have a scar to prove it.  She gingerly touched the bandages over her stomach, weighing up her options.  Should she risk bursting her stitches, possibly attracting vampires with the scent of blood, and head out there to back Dren up, or should she wait it out, hoping everything would be okay?

Finally, she decided to delay making a choice for a few moments and see if anyone was going to answer her question.

   "Why, of course, was just making sure everything was in place." Johnny went out, following Dren closely, allowing him to take lead.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:06, Thu 30 Sept 2004.

"S'Johnny-Boy? W'at d'I owe th'pleasure of yer company to?" Dren asked as his traveling companion approached.

   "Well, if we first split up, let's do it together rather than by ourselves. Besides; four eyes see better than two, two heads think better than one, and one brain's better than none." Johnny smiled, comfortably sitting down and letting the Irishman take care of the experiments.

Dren smiled as he opend his compass and stood just outside the marker.
"I'm remind'd of a great sage who once said:
Less's Less.
More's More.
More's bet'er.
An twice's much's good too.
Not enough's bad.
An too much's ne'er enough,
Unless it's jus' about right."

After synchronizing watches, Dren and Johnny headed out to the town square and the seven-pointed star shape on the ground. As the top of the hour approached, they looked up and noticed that the clouds directly above them had stopped moving. They were frozen in place while clouds at a distance continue to drift. After a moment, just as the minute hand hit the hour mark, the clouds directly above them spiraled open like the iris of a camera shutter.

Bright sunlight streamed down in a tight beam onto the town square. It lasted about 30 seconds, bathing the entire star symbol in warm sunlight. But then as suddenly as it started, the clouds spiraled closed, like the iris of a camera shutter. It was like the sky just took a picture of the land below.

The moment the clouds started to shift Dren was ready with the compass saying "Most people have a full measure of life... And most people just watch it sloowly drip away." as the clouds opened he grabbed the sun with the mirrored area of the compass continuing "But if you can summon it all up... At one time... In one place..." Flashing the sunlight toward the temple he coninuted the back and forth wrist motions that should have sent a constant strobe to anyone watching from the temple. He kept this up until the clouds had closed once again then finished by saying "You can accomplish something... glorious!", then capping his compass he smiled and Johnny before motioning they needed to head back.