Scry upon Party C.

For a mere fraction of a second, it feels as if your mind is racing along a cosmic highway. The feeling isn't greatly different than when you Bunny Hop, but instead of your body warping through space, it's simply your perception of the world around you. Suddenly, your eyes snap open, but it isn't Niki, Eva, Amara, Nyllia, or Masumi in front of you anymore.

Your previous words ring across the battlefield.

Lynx perks up, confused at first to hear your voice from any direction besides her pocket, though she turns her head just in time to dodge a tendril made from solidified sand which was attempting to strike her from behind like the thrusting of a spear. When she recovers her footing--difficult given the terrain--she looks around herself before bringing the FONE back to hear ear. "Was that you? How did you do that?"

"... I don't know," you answer.

Much to the surprise of those nearby, your voice doesn't come from the FONE anymore. You feel inherently connected to the device in her hand, though you're perceiving from several feet above anybody's head, yet you have no body or anything tangible. You feel like a spectre.

Despite that, Lynx is looking at you. "There's something there," she says. "A shape."

Now that you can see what's going on, there are three terrified camels bucking around in the distance covered in half-spilled bags and surrounded by various supplied that have been scattered in the chaos. Near, two men and two women dressed in breezy pale fabric are evidently the ones who were screaming before, which is especially clear by the green spandex-clad heroine standing before them with her staff in-hand. Rabbit's Foot has come to save them.

You still can't see their opponent. From the ground, more tendrils of sand attempt to strike at or entangle either your allies or the helpless travellers, yet there's no obvious source.

Ariusia easily slices through a tendril on its way towards the others. "At least they go down quick," she says. "But what kinda creature makes these?"

"Probably some kinda mage nearby!" Bek shouts. "Ah. They aren't that fun to crush either. I got sand all in my beard."

"You think you have it bad? I think I got sand in my--"

"Pussy! Come out here and fight us like a warrior! No more hiding in the shadows. You think I can't do this all day?"

One of the women trips to the ground by the rumbling of loose sand beneath her feet. Rabbit's Foot lays her hand upon her shoulder, and then offers a hand to lift her back up straight. "I'm here" says RF. "As long as I stand, no harm will come to you."

"I'm kinda worried this might not be a mage or monster," Vex says. She spits some sand from her mouth. "We're nearing that temple. Yeah, the spirit there was dormant for years, but hypothetically speaking, what do you think would happen if some people were to barge in and steal the temple's treasures? It probably wouldn't just wake up."

"It would also be pissed," Lynx says.

"We're still so far from the temple itself," Mistress Dajy comments. "I'm no priestess, though I do think I would look sinfully alluring in a holy woman's gown, but for the spirit's power to extend this far... Either it's here with us, or something else is projecting its power."

You watch from above. It almost feels like you're playing an RTS. "Keep those four safe just as you're doing. I'll try to spot something!" you call out. "Lynx, start charging a blast. RF, keep close to the bystanders. Bek, Ariusia, Dajy, Vex, clear the area of those sand-tentacles before they get out of control. If anyone sees anything strange, let everybody know immediately!"

"Can do," Dajy replies with a quite frightening grin. You've known her for some time now, and you've been through a lot, so it's easy to forget that she's still a powerful demon capable of striking fear into the hearts of her foes, or in this case, tearing them apart. Her massive wingspan shadows the area as she leaps into action. Though the tendrils are made from sand, you can see there's enough resistance that an ordinary adventurer may not be able to cut through them at all, but Dajy's sharp, hard nails shred them to pieces.

Meanwhile, Lynx has her hands to the side. A spark of light appears between her palms, and it gradually increases in size and power as she charges one of the boons given to her by the Rite of the Sun.

A voice then rumbles out.

It seems to come from the earth itself. It's deep and distant, but it echoes out for all to hear. "Creature from the Realm of Darkness," it says. "You're dangerous. You taint the very land you stand upon. Now... decay, just as your presence does to this world. Rot, dissolve, and become one with the dunes!"

Suddenly, the sand loosens beneath Mistress Dajy's feet. It causes her to lose her footing just enough to where she's unable to dodge the next attack. She sinks half a foot just as a concentrated beam of sand fires up from the ground and directly into her torso. She's absolutely covered, though after the attack ends, she's still standing strong with both hands up to cover her face.

She blinks, confused.

The voice speaks up again. "Ah. I forgot what that attack did. I remembered incorrectly."

Just then, what little Dajy normally wears suddenly begins to disintegrate. The fabric turns to sand in a matter of seconds, and it runs down her now-naked body to join with the desert. She's left completely unclothed, though it doesn't seem to affect her in the slightest.

As for the four cowering travellers, they look upon her backside with jaws agape. All of them flush red like a pack of ripe strawberries--men and women alike.

Ariusia screams in surprise as she's blasted by the exact same beam. It strikes her abruptly on the side, causing her to roll down and over a small dune. When she crawls back up, the last little bit of her clothing trickles down her skin like a waterfall of sand. It takes her a moment to realize, but when she does, she brings an arm across her chest, and a hand between her legs. "Wh-What the fuck kind of attack is this?!"

"Oh heck no," Lynx says as she backs away, still readying her attack. "I'm not letting this creature melt my clothes. I like this outfit a lot!"

"Hold on," you reply. "Don't stop yet."

"Kyle. If I get hit by that while I'm charging, I'll be really upset--Ah!"

Just before a tendril of sand could strike her, the naked Ariusia leaps in to cut it down. "It isn't so bad," she says. "It's a bit embarrassing, but did you know that in the wild, mantises don't wear clothes at all? They also eat the heads off their mates," she says with a toothy grin. Her eyes turn upwards to where your presence hovers. "Did you hear that, Kyle?"