Aidan frowns as he hears her sarcastic tone. "Don't get cocky with me, lady. It was a fair question. However... I forgive you for that idea of yours." He gives her a wink and switches on thermal vision. The entire screen in the cockpit changes color. All the green get's replaced by blue and... Aidan pulls the yoke to the left, making a sharp turn with the ship. The turn is so sharp and sudden, that the artificial gravity loses grip for a split second and things can be heard falling in the back of the ship. Aidan stabilizes the ship and brings it back around before putting it in hover mode.

Before them stands a large red grainy tower surrounded by a blue forest. They were about fifty meters close to it. Had they turned on the thermal vision a second later, they would have collided with it. Aidan swipes his forehead with the back of his hand and let's out a sigh. "Okay, bonus points for that idea. Guess we found our tower."

He switches back to normal vision and looks down for a landing spot. He quickly finds one at (what he thinks) is the base of the tower, and steers towards it.

"Naturally." Val chirped back toward Aidan with folded arms and one leg crossed over the other. She sounded so sure of herself. She did not say it in a gloating or smug way, more the fact that she knew what she was doing. She expressed it neutrally and left it at that, however smirked beneath her breath after he told her not to get cocky with him. It really was fun pushing his buttons.

She watched his piloting skill with some admiration at how he took control of the ship. His strong hands that gripped the joystick with a firm hold. She wondered what they would feel like on her.

No. You must not think that Valentisha...you must remain professional at all times. She felt the ship come to a halt with the lowering of its stabiliser legs hitting the floor. At that she hopped out of her seat, ready for action.

"Another thing that doesn't make sense." The ramp lowers, allowing the two inquisitors to exit the ship. "I'm aware of small scale cloaking devices, but to cloak a tower this big? And the heat that was coming off it also wasn't normal! That thing must be hogging some kind of energy. Energy that tribal people wouldn't even know of yet." With careful steps, Aidan creeps closer to the tower until his foot hits something metallic.

"Guess the tower starts here." He looks up, trying to see some kind of distortions in the air, maybe even some flickering. But nothing. It's like there is nothing in front of them. He unholsters his pistol and shoots at ,where he think is, the wall. The 'nothing' looks bend by impact. Aidan looks closer at the spot and frowns. "I'd almost say it's not a stealth field, but the material itself that makes the tower invisible." He looks over his shoulder at Val. "Your thoughts?"

Valentisha disembarked Invictus with caution. Gripping her gun slightly she followed Aiden toward the tower. They stop and she looked up with him. The hot breeze furrowing her long side curls to and fro slightly.

"Feeeeels liiiie....Chaos energy." From what she knew and had seen of chaos before. This didn't make sense, like Chaos. Trickery and deception at every turn, was certainly chaos like. Also hidden in the shadows in plain sight. Everything about it screamed Chaos magic.

"But Chaos does not act on its own. Something or someone is behind it. A cult perhaps?" She drew her gun upward and took the safety off the catch. "Don't know what we'll find in there."

"Well, first problem is actually finding the entrance I'd say!" He slowly begins to circle around the tower, occasionally tapping with his foot against the base of it. It doesn't take long before he finds a difference in architecture. His feet hits nothing. Really nothing this time. "The normal base of the tower stops here." He takes a step forward, with his hands in front of him. There is no resistance for at least half a meter. His hands scour the surface of , what he thinks is, the door until they find what seems to be a valve.

"I think I got something here! Alright... The next thing might look rather silly." His hands grip around the valve and he starts to turn it with all his might. It was a tough one that hadn't been used in quite a while. Or Chaos Cults just liked tough doors. That could be the case as well.
To anyone watching, Aidan may seem like a mime or something. All of a sudden the valve gives away, making it a lot easier to turn. Aidan gives it a pull and the door slides open to the outside, suddenly revealing an interior amidst the 'nothing'. "Well, this is definitely not weird." Looking at Val and back to the interior he grins. "Ladies first I'd say." He makes a formal gesture and bows jokingly.

Val raises an eyebrow at her partner. "Typical." She stated with a joking tone and a grin. "Too wimpy to go in first? Need me to hold your hand too?" She asked as she strode past him confidently. Jokingly extending her hand out. Her blue eyes sparkled somewhat in the light and they gazed into his with a fiery glance.

She walked inside the mysterious building, looking around with suspicion in her mind. Everything felt real enough, the ground felt solid with every step she took. She noted how she could smell the stagnant air, and it felt warm to the touch. Almost unbearably warm. "It's like nobody has been here in a while and yet-..." She stopped her line of thoughts when she spots a banner hanging on the wall with a Hedonism symbol. With burning candles beneath it and a pentagon drawn on the floor. Like a ritual spot. "Kesgana?" Now things really didnt make sense when they thought they did. Maybe it was a crossing of two God entities they worshipped. Hedonism was her personally worst hated of the four evil forces in the cosmos. She felt her fist tightening and her eyes narrowing at it. She wanted to burn the entire building down, better yet destroy this God-forsaken rock.

Aidan follows behind her, looking around the room. "Looks like we found the lair of some Kesgana cult or something." The room was kind of lackluster. Besides the ritual sign, some candles and a stair leading up, it was quite empty. "So where are the sunbeds, massive orgies and never ending buffet?" He notices her clenched fist and narrowed eyes. "I'm guessing you dislike Kesgana. Hold off from blowing it up for now. I want to know what this tower is and does first. After that, you'll have the honors of to pushing the button to drop the Deepcore charges. But for now... we go up." He points upwards to the ever spiraling stairs.

He turns around for one more time, looking outside. Something changed. There was no forest and no more grass. It almost looked like an entirely different planet. He takes a step closer towards the door, but hesitates. Now everything is green and nice again. One step back, red. One step forward, green. He looks down and finally sees it. He's standing on a part of the Kesgana symbol. Then it dawns... "Val! It's an illusion! Well... the planet is real, but what we see is an illusion! They don't need to cover an entire planet in a spell, just our sight! What we saw outside, the forest, the village, everything wasn't real. We probably fought demons instead of villagers. And the village was probably a... Yuck... Brood pit or something. And I can't imagine what we hacked through if it wasn't a jungle..." He shudders at the thought.

Her eyes widen as she listened to him. She noted how he was swaying to and fro whilst stood on the symbol as if testing something. Watching with intrigue. She turned her gaze upward toward the spiraling stairs that lay in wait above their heads. That was a long way up. Best take it at a sensible pace. She was glad she was rather physically fit and had a moderate reserve of stamina to use on such a task.

She felt a chill run down her spine. "I don't wanna even know..." She murmoured softly and made a point of not stepping into the symbols. "That's why we saw paradise. We saw what we wanted to see. What made us happier or more docile. If we had arrived on a bloodied, deathly looking area, we would have been on our highest alert. Instead they were going for something to catch us off guard, make us feel at ease or to confuse us." Valentisha pointed out with a hand placed on her curvy hip. She then made way for the stairs, beginning the ascent up this dreaded spire. Taking point with her gun, looking down the scope. She took the lead once again. Although, it was not because she was dominant, she was used to being alone and having to do everything first anyway.

Aidan nods at her theory. "Nothing more dangerous then two highly alert inquisitors." He looks at the symbol one more time before following Valentisha on the stairs. He draws his sword, for using a gun in those compact of an area, could only end disastrous.

He follows her willingly, trying to not get distracted by the swaying of Val her bottom. It was not... decent to think that about a colleague. Yes, colleague was the right word. So instead he tries to look the wall. Portions of the wall are covered in drawings which seem to resemble various hedonistic acts. One drawing shows acts of gluttony, people shoving their faces full with the weirdest kinds of food, another depicts lust, showing probably the weirdest kinds of sexual acts. This didn't really help him in any form or way. He stands still for a second, looking at a picture of a man and woman intertwined. He wonders what it would be like if he and... NO! He shakes his head, trying to clear the vile thought and catches up to Valentisha.

Valentisha focuses on her green laser sight hitting against the darkness of the wall, lighting it up in a circle of green light. She heard each step clang on the metal stairwell. It echoed for miles around, signifying that it was a long staircase they were ascending.

Chaos and Hedonism, intertwined together - here and why? It was definitely a strange one for the history books. She did her best to ignore the murals depicting all seven deadly sins. The worst one of all lust. Her eyes just could not gaze away sometimes. And with each disturbing image she viewed, only brought more painful memories to the surface. She thought she was strong willed. But she was just like any other sensitive woman. Her hand becomes shaken as she held her gun out in front of her. She had to stop for a moment and grip the railing, feeling a dizziness take over her, Was it the air in here or just the mental trauma? She couldn't bare looking at some of these pictures, depicting abuse and power over the weak. She knew how it felt...to be weak and helpless. But now she was a grown woman and capable of much to protect those who couldn't protect themselves.

She continued onward. Once again her thoughts drifted toward the man who followed, she had no idea that the higher they reached, the more their pheromones were affecting one another. This whole spire oozed sexual desire, lust, pride, vanity. And its magic effects were strong. It seemed like all who had been lured in never left as dead bodies started to appear along the stairwell. Val felt herself getting warmer and she had to wipe her forehead with her arm. One by one she stepped over a different type of species, they all were lured in by this giant venus fly trap.

She felt her heart race increasing and the inside of her stomach become knotted with a growing sensation that resembled...butterflies? It was if she were experiencing what humans would call "falling in love", that moment when a tender moment heightened all senses. She didn't like what was happening to her. And then she felt something compel her and influence her surroundings. Things began to look...nicer. And cleaner. No longer was it dark and dingy, it was newer and romantically lit in purple-red lights. She had no idea what was happening here but they had to press forward no matter what happened. No matter how strong an urge she had to turn around and grab Aidan by the throat, pull him close and touch her lips to his. She shook her head at the thought. She must overcome this!

His head hurts. It's like something tries to drill into his skull. But with each step on the metal stairs, the higher they get, the pain slowly turns into pleasure. Aidan was not unknown to the feeling. He had undergone Kesgana magic before, but never this strong... and never with another human being around.

More minutes of climbing the stairs force him to pause. He grabs the railing and leans forward, panting heavily. It was not so much a physical effort as it was a mental one. He felt completely exhausted, the only feeling left his pounding head. He grabs the arm of Val, forcing her to stop. "Val... I think we should turn back. I'm-..." As Valentisha turns around and meets his eyes, his heart stops beating for a second. His mind gets flooded with things he wanted to do to her. Both pleasurable as terrifying. He quickly breaks the eye contact, trying to drive out the thoughts. "We... Must... Uhm... Come on Aidan, keep it together. W-We should leave. I'm... uh... Not feeling well."

He looks up and notices they had actually become rather close to the top. Wait... was that music? That music didn't belong in this dark and creepy tower. What dark and creepy tower though? There was no sign of creepiness anymore. It was like the entire building had undergone renovations as they were walking the stairs. The walls were now lovely red, the metal stairs looks like old vintage wood now and the smell, oh that lovely smell. What was that exactly?

NO! Illusions! All illusions! Keep it together Aidan. You're stronger then this. Was he though?

Val felt a hand grab her arm. Bad move Aidan. She turned so quickly as if taken by surprise. Soon her eye met his and she stares into them for a moment. Blinking. He seemed more...handsome than before. The way his beard framed his strong chin and jaw. Making him seem more manly and strong. And desirable to boot. She wanted to reach out and pull him close. Thank god he broke eye contact or she ma have just done it.

As soon as he looked away, she then turned to hear the music. "What the fu-" She gazed the area, adorned with red and purple hues and candles, giving off a warming sensation. It no longer resembled a tower. The smell in the air was a sweet floral fragrance, like that of sweet strawberries. She turned back to the front, gripping the railing hard, it felt cold and hard like metal, it was grounding. She powered on through. "Stay there." She instructed him as he seemed to be struggling with the illusion.

She ventured up the last flight of stairs and emerged into a warm room with soft furs on the floor and leopard skin sofas and a few large circular beds. It looked to accommodate a few people. But where had everyone gone? She pondered as she scanned the room. "Hmmmm..."

He leans against the wall, slowly sliding down until he sits on the stairs. He rubs his temples and tries to clear his thoughts. He knew this was all fake. They were still in that creepy temple tower on the unknown planet. They were send for investigation. That had been his task. Their task. Yet somehow, that all seems like one big swirl in his brain. The only thing that remains was that sweet fragrant smell and the warm and buzzing atmosphere in the tower. He looks at a skull. One of the many they found. It seems like it's staring back at him, trying to warn him. He gives it a kick, making it fall the entire way down. He doesn't even hear of impact. How high was this tower again?

A scream grabs his attention. More specifically, a scream his partner! It had come from upstairs. He quickly stands up, tries to find his balance and sprints up the stairs, grabbing his sword and gun. Then he enters the room. A gulf of warmth hits him, but he ignores it and looks around. He sees Val in the middle of the room but no sign of a threat. Was... was he going insane? "You... didn't scream?"

Valentisha heard his manic scrambling to the top of the stairs and she turned around to look at him with a sense of confusion. He heard her screaming? How odd, she heard nothing.

"No..." She felt something very fishy was going on here. And as Aidan came up the stairs, the sweet aroma filled his sensory hairs in his nose and swept up into his brain. Making Val seem...even more radiant than before. Although, nothing had changed at all about her. His vision was being clouded and manipulated by the energy in this tower.

Valentisha turned back to face the room. Seeing nobody around and everything clean as though nobody had ever been here. But she knew that wasn't true, the floor was littered with the bones of those who had entered and never escaped. She had to flick her visor down over her eyes. It wasn't a cure but it certainly helped her to pick out the strongest areas of magic.

But she was becoming light headed with each breath she took. And then she wobbled upon walking toward the sofa. She collapsed onto it and panted. "What the hell...is this...stuff...argh." She held her head feeling so weak now.

In Aidan's mind, Valentisha wasn't even wearing her Inquisitor outfit anymore. But a long elegant red sexy dress. This place liked to mess with your memories and senses alright.

Aidan was silenced by the stunning view of this... this woman. He knew he had to resist it, but he just couldn't. That smell... that sweet aroma. He takes another step on the stairs now fully entering the room. He didn't notice the bodies, for he had only his sights on the beautiful woman in the red dress. Was she showing some upper leg there? Aidan hadn't really thought she would go that far.

He takes a step closer to her, only taken out of the moment for a second by the crunching of bones. But the radiant woman was too much. Even the two red eyes, lurking at them from a dark corner didn't distract Aidan. His lips part. They feel dry. "Val... I-... You look so lovely. I just... I just... I need you." He takes another step closer, drops his weapons on the ground and reaches an arm out to her.

Valentisha shook her head and closed her eyes. "No. No you don't, Aidan!" She couldn't take it anymore and the only thing she knew what to do here was use violence. She mustered up enough strength to push herself off the sofa and she lunged at him in one stride. "SNAP OUT OF IT!" She slapped him as has as she could across the face, and then she smacked herself. The sharp stinging sensation seemed to be enough to break through the affects on their brain. Pain and pleasure went hand in hand. A momentary pain could override pleasure in a split millisecond.

She looked up just in time for her eyes to widen with a gasp. "Look out!" She shouted as she saw a shadowy creature with red eyes dash at them, she shoved Aidan to the floor just in time to protect him, and the thing...that thing, whatever it was - collided with Val. It dragged her across the room. The dark cloud entity filled her lungs through her open mouth and seemed to vanish. Leaving her laying cold and lifeless on the floor. That could have been Aidan. But she saved him from the attack. She just hoped he could pull through it and be strong enough to power through this. At least she was not an erotic distraction anymore...

Aidan hits the floor, hard. He shakes his head, clearing all the feelings he felt just a moment ago. No more was the room a lovely romantic place. It was a dark and eerie room. Blood covered the walls and bones littered the floor. The couches that looked so comfortable moments ago, were actually torture devices. How could he have been such a fool...

Then he sees Val laying on the floor. He slowly begins to remember what happened just moments after he snapped out of the illusion. They got attacked and... and Val took the hit! He picks himself up and hurries towards her. He drops himself on his knees, gliding the last centimeters before halting next to her body. He immediately checks her pulse and eyes. Good, pulse was still there. Eyes looked... weird. Her normally starry blue eyes had faded to almost pale white. Was she poisoned?

He quickly grabs his weapons from the floor and sheaths them away. He needed to get her to the Invictus. He didn't care for this damnable tower anymore. He would bring her back and then she would personall push the button to drop the Deepcore charges. Yes, that was how it was going to happen, and no way else.

Aidan picks Val her body up and sets his foot on the first stair. He scans the now illusion free room one more time. How close they had come to perishing...

Val's white eyes now just stared out into the cold hard darkness that now lay before her in her mind. So clouded by corruption. They just stared, her body unmoving, cold and limp in his arms. Her arm just dangled there as he walked her down the stairs. The entity that had once been inside the tower, now resided within her...

Her chest slowly rose and fell with her breathing, at least she was still breathing. They had to thank the Gods for small mercies. As he left the tower, it disappeared behind him by its cloaking shield. As he reached the ship, Valentisha was no better and so he had no choice but to lay her down to rest for the time being.

(sorry for the short post)

Aidan lays her down on her bed and hurries off. After a couple of minutes he comes back, his arms filled with medical supplies. He drops it all in the nearest chair and hurries off again. This time he returns with candles, incense and a book. This too gets dropped in the chair.

On his way down the tower, he slowly remembered what exactly attacked them in the tower. He picks up the book and starts to turn the pages quickly. Halfway he stops. "Black Widow. Great demon of Kasgana. Lures people into a confined space with the emotions of lust, greed and gluttony. If in pairs, the demon will possess one and try to seduce the other. If succeeded and... slept with, she eats the partner." Val hadn't tried to seduce him yet. A good sign. Her mind was stronger then most he presumes. He was no expert in exorcisms, but he also didn't have the time to find a cleric.

Come on... It had been a part of their training. Basic exorcisms. He wasn't even sure if a basic one would work on a great demon, but he has to try, right? He simply begins by lighting the incense and placing that down. Then he lights the candles and arranges them in the holy symbol of Vida around Val. Now came the part were he needs to chant some special words... Problem is... he has no idea what the words are...

Languishing

In Val's Mind...

She stood in the center of an Inquisitor room. A rustic looking one filled with trinkets of the old world. Everything here felt and seemed real. Even down to the warmth of the candlelight. She looked left to right. Eventually taking a few steps forward toward what looked like a blurry figure. And then Aidan materialised before her very eyes. Only he seemed a little older, maturer, wiser. His eyes displayed a despair she'd never seen in her partner before.

“Aidan? Aidan what has happened to you?” Believing this world was real she approached him. Her tone and expression were ones of concern for him. And then he reached out and took her elbows. He pulled her close toward him. This made her feel uncomfortable, she looked away and felt blood pouring into her cheeks, turning them a crimson red. “Please, don't leave me Val. ...I need you.” He looked down at her, her eyes widen as she turned to look back up into his eyes.

“I'm not going anywhere...” She whispered, softening all the more as he leaned in toward her. She closed her eyes in anticipation of his lips to connect upon hers. But just before they touched, the world disappeared from around her and she fell into blackness.

=======

...And then Val's eyes snap open, returned to normal. She blinked once. She lifted her arm up to hold her head as if in pain. “Ungh....” She slowly leaned up, looking around to see many candles, medical supplies and Aidan, holding an Inquisition book. She took one look at him, instantly feeling nostalgia of the vision of the possible future she had awoken from. “What are you doing?” She asked him out of curiosity. She seemed fine, her usual self. Only she looked less hardened than before, warmer somehow. Could it have just been the dream that made her look at him in a new light?