Sepulcrum Patris [OPEN-INVITE (ask to join)]

Mayze wasn’t quite sure how he found his way to this dark and foreboding place. He had been soaring through the skies, ruminating on dark feelings and thoughts of the past. Perhaps it was fate, or maybe the dark energy that littered this land that brought him here. Whatever the cause, he was here.

He was familiar with destron gas, the accursed tuffle invention. It was incredibly dangerous, even to the strongest of fighters. The gas had felled some of the toughest legions the saiyans had to offer when it was first introduced to the war. The saiyans had been caught off guard by the unknown tech, and many died long, slow deaths from its lingering effects. It took some time to develop a counter, which in hindsight, should have been incredibly obvious. Special suits and re-breathers were effective in countering the gas, but the material was flimsy and quick to break. Not exactly great for combat purposes.

Of course, while the Tuffles discovered and introduced the tech, it ended up being a double edged sword. Turns out, destron liked to stick around for a long time after its initial deployment. This mountain was utmost proof of that. Dead and decayed, very few living creatures stalked this wasteland and hadn’t for some length of time. Destron gas was often thickest in the low-sitting crags of the mountain due to being heavier than air, but there was enough lingering amongst the rest of the land to deter most weak, living things.

It had been a mountain resort for the Tuffles during peaceful times. Then a war-torn battle zone when the war kicked off, and now, merely a simple reminder of the damage and destruction large-scale warfare always caused. Who knew how long it would be before it returned to normal? Whatever, Mayze could care less.

He blinked by a massive gorge within the mountain when something pinged off his senses and piqued his interest. It was a small ki signature, so small that it could be mistaken for simple fauna or flora. Except, it’s general location came from within the crag, where nothing should be able to survive. What could that possibly be?

Switching course, Mayze reversed direction, coming to a stop at the edge of the gorge. He descended, feet softly touching the ground. The saiyan peered over the edge, but was unable to make anything out over the black, murky gas.

He had grown stronger since his fight with Cheri, much stronger actually…. maybe he could just jump in there? After all, his power was more than that of an elite. Not quite super elite unless… unless he used that hidden power he found within himself? The idea seemed tempting, although he’d have to hold his breath. I mean, what was the worst that could happen?

The saiyan took a moment to power up, blue aura shifting into a red flaming inferno that surrounded his presence. A controlled rage fueled this power up, and it took significant willpower to not lose control. He still didn’t have a great grasp or understanding of this strength, but he had learned how to utilize it.

And so, with reckless abandon and against better judgement, he plunged in.

The gas wrapped around him, already trying to choke the life out of him. The feeling of it against his skin was terrible, it felt acidic, as if it were burning away his skin. Thankfully, his current power kept him safe, but it was still unbelievably draining. He had the sense he wouldn’t be able to stick around too long. Well, and how long he could hold his breath was a limiting factor.

Mayze made sure to quickly search for the faint source of power. Time could not be wasted.

It took him a minute or two, and by this point he was nearing his limit without fresh air, but he finally found the source. It was dark which made it difficult to see, but in the distance he could just barely make out a vague humanoid figure. A saiyan, perhaps? It was hard to be sure, but the height didn’t indicate a tuffle. Still it could just be a very tall tuffle.

Mayze moved a bit closer, noting that she was near what appeared to be a supply cache which was protected by some sort of energy field. He mentally shrugged, grabbed a small pebble, and tossed it at her, hoping to get her attention if she hadn’t already noticed him.

In his infinite wisdom, he also decided to call out to her…. Mayze opened his mouth, getting ready to yell a loud greeting. Only, choked gargles came out instead! The gas wasted no time in seeping down into his lungs when he opened his mouth! He exploded into a fit of coughs, choking on the toxic gas. The saiyan grasped at his throat, trying to do anything to get rid of the gas that now invaded his respiratory system. However it was for naught, the only relief would be to escape the crag, and he lacked the ability to do so.