[center][color=yellow][h3]Mad World[/h3][/color] [@liferusher][@zarkun][@lazo][@kapuchu][/center] With interlaced fingers the first among Watchers awaited the replies of those agents assigned to him. Very little patience lay available to him; half of the queries he expected to be inane, and the other half he just knew would be attempts by the more egotistical members of his little tour group to mock him. He could understand disdain for the lesser servants of the Charred Council, since most of them commanded comparatively small power or authority but kept their inflated pride fit to burst nonetheless, but Panoptos wielded real strength and commanded real respect. With this in mind several of his eyes shone an emerald gaze on Wrath, the Council's sole active Nephilim and the first to speak up. [color=50C878]”Have you no faith in my abilities? Such a complicated and dangerous arcane task would take a troupe of magic-inclined humans, demons, or even angels days to complete, but I can have it done in about fifteen minutes. Of course, every second can seem like an eternity when under attack. Not balking at the prospect, are you?”[/color] In such a manner Panoptos turned the seed of doubt back around to land squarely at the feet of his questioner. He did not bother rewarding the comment of Midori with a reply. Her meager utterance seemed more like self-reassurance or an exercise to make sure she understood than any sort of real confusion on her part, so one of the others could reply to her more or less rhetorical question in the affirmative if they felt so inclined. Panoptos, however, need not acknowledge it. Now, the demoness called Lily brought up an intriguing question. Could it be that she figured it out? In the domain of the Council, its servants were untouchable. Even in realms that they held at least some sway, it would take considerable arcane ability to damage a Watcher in any respect. In a remote and forbidden world like the Undersky, however, the Council's protection did not hold quite so firm. Actually, Panoptos yearned for a chance to 'stretch his muscles', so to speak, and make sure he hadn't let any of his own abilities stagnate while he relied on his masters' protection. It would not do, however if one of the agents of the Council, particularly one of the more ornery ones, got an inkling of this situation. Panoptos believed wholeheartedly that he could take both Lily and Fenn on at once if need be, and he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that a truly nightmarish fate would await them should they betray the Council at any level, but like all Watchers Panoptos despised pain. These thoughts swirled around in his head before he clasped his clawed hands behind his back and leaned down toward Lily from above, like a teacher bending down over a young pupil. The very gesture reeked of condescension, but Panoptos' tone held fairly neutral as he replied, [color=50C878]”You may consider it a test of your abilities. Of course, I could not be touched, but if my concentration were to waver I'll wager you lot would be unhappy indeed with the results. So try not to let me down, would you?”[/color] After this, no poignant concerns remained, so Panoptos wafted toward the World Tree. In a depression in the wood, an aperture that might have been a portal appeared to be boarded up. Strips of interwoven bark covered in etched symbols shrouded it like a curtain. He beckoned to armored Uhelei. [color=50C878]”If you would?”[/color] With as much reluctance as he could without seeming expressly disobedient, the techno-organic warrior made his way to the barrier and laid a hand on it. A small light in the center of his chest, just above where the pectorals would be on a human, pulsed a brighter green. In response the symbols lit up, and the next moment the bark crumbled into dust to reveal a swirling yellow-tinged vortex. Panoptos appeared suddenly by Uhelei's side and shoved him into the portal. His eyes leered at the agents of the Council. [color=50C878]”Come along, now.”[/color] Then he disappeared as well. On the other side of the portal lay a bizarre realm. At first, the new arrivals would experience spinning heads and shaky legs, their inner compasses and senses of balance completely reversed. This feeling of disorientation soon became apparent: this place was upside down. On an ordinary world, gravity drew everything toward the planet's center, but here the exact opposite was true. In the Undersky, gravity pulled away from the earth toward the golden atmosphere and presumably out into space. [url=http://pre13.deviantart.net/25dc/th/pre/f/2010/134/1/b/disaster_is_coming_by_wanbao.jpg]Here[/url], all life existed on stalactites clinging to the ceiling of a cavern with no bottom. Fortunately, this disorientation did not last as the agents grew accustomed to it with merciful speed. Souta approached the edge of the stony landing upon which his group arrived and peered into a yellow abyss. He gave a low whistle. [color=teal]”Pheeew...this place is nuts.”[/color] Panoptos gestured to a path stretching out from the landing over the abyss, which wound like a snake through the air with no visible support toward other pillars of stone attached to a rocky ceiling above. [color=50C878]”No time for sightseeing, toymaker. We're headed that-a-ways, right after we get through with the welcoming committee.”[/color] The Watcher's words elicited a furrowed brow from the smith, not just because of the belittlement thrown his way. Rather than questioning him about it, he occupied himself looking around, suddenly wary of some kind of imminent threat. Sure enough, he spotted something—a strange and unsightly form attached to the roof above. As it detached, the shape resolved to be three separate [url=http://img00.deviantart.net/0854/i/2011/070/8/b/bionicle_creature__by_cornocte-d3be0y5.jpg]creatures[/url], monstrous beasts both animal and machine with wicked claws. The echoing screeches they uttered sounded like metal being torn apart, and Souta shuddered as his Trawlers appeared in his hands in streams of rushing water. [color=teal]”Okay then. I'm ready to scrap.”[/color]