Power seems to corrupt anyone. The thought crosses Thunkin's mind as everyone
around him scurries to return to their position. He had seen it as well. The
strange woman had somehow stolen a loboshigaru straight out of the ship and she
was now fleeing away from them. Such power is something Thunkin has never
witnessed before. No one, not even the Heresiarch or the Archmage, has ever
wielded power like that. Compared to her, the demigods of Magnagora were as weak
as a child, and the thought scares Thunkin. Power is something he has always
sought, and wanted to make his own. That's why he left Estelbar for Magnagora in
the first place. But now, for the first time the prospect of having power scares
him. To him, power means safety. If you are powerful, you have far less to fear.
No one enslaves the powerful. No one kills him, because he is powerful enough to
not be killed. Instead the powerful is a killer in his own right. But Thunkin
doesn't think himself a killer. Sure, he struck out against those who had
betrayed him, but that was justice. What Mind is doing though, he can't possibly
see how that is anything but abuse of power. And he can't quite grasp why she
wants to do this. Because Emirie was dangerous somehow? Yet Emirie herself is
too weak to pose any danger to mind. These thoughts plague Thunkin as he makes
his way back to his position by Trickle's side. Everyone else are busy trying to
catch up with Mind, so Thunkin is left to mull over these new questions. At
times, the violent shaking of the ship would bring him out of his introspection,
but with nothing for him to do he quickly returns to his own thoughts. Power
should be used to protect, because there are many who use power to threaten
those weaker than themselves. Thunkin finds the thought saddening, that power
not only begets power, but power is also the only cure and protection against
power. What do you do then, when power is all you have? Thunkin ponders if this
could be the cause of Mind's behaviour. What do you do when you have all the
power in the world, yet nothing else? Without anything to protect or work
towards, power is utterly meaningless. Thunkin growls silently to himself as his
paws brush against the interior of the ship. He just can't make any sense out of
all this, and it frustrates him a lot. So intense was his frustration that when
Trickle snaps him out of his concentration, he turns around and hits the larger
canine straight in the face. "Oh..." he says half shocked and quite meek as
Trickle's expression changes from urgency to wrath.

"What is wrong with you?" Trickle growls as he lifts Thunkin by the ear. The
smaller whimpers in pain and fear as Trickle drags him across the room and
throws him down on the ground. "Emirie's old friend has been kidnapped, we're
close to where Mind took the poor man and you have the audacity to hit me?"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I was thinking." Thunkin rubs his ear carefully.

"Thinking? About what?" Trickle growls as he stands above Thunkin and stares
down with cold eyes. Thunkin looks up at those wrathful eyes and shrinks away,
trying to put himself back up in a standing position, but Trickle forces him
back down. "Well? What?"

"Nothing. I wasn't thinking about anything in particular."

"Don't lie to me." The seriousness of the voice makes Thunkin squeak a
high-pitched sound of fear.

"No... I wasn't. I was just..." He sighs. "I was just thinking about my home
and power and this and... lots of things. Just... nothing special." Thunkin
looks up at the angry water-elemental. It was not the whole truth, but the anger
of the larger man makes Thunkin too afraid to properly elaborate.

Trickle snarls for a moment, before he turns. "You're lucky I don't have time
to deal with you right now. Come on. We're needed."

Thunkin takes a deep breath, nods and follows, feeling a certain amount of
relief that he hasn't been turned into a furrikin-sized snowcone. The two make
their way to the empath grid, where the rest of the crew have already assembled.
Thunkin's eyes stop to ponder Emirie's face, and all of her usual curiosity and
friendliness seems to have eroded away to be replaced by a stern gaze more
suited a solider. When she opens her mouth to speak, it is with a stern voice,
but Thunkin can easily detect signs of uncertainty. "Okay, I know that we're
charging in blindly, but this is something we have to do. Toi... long ago, Toi
helped me escape from Mind. It's a very complicated tale, but we somehow managed
to defeat her. I thought that we had managed to finish her off, but we didn't.
Now she's back, and she apparently wants revenge on me and Toi. It's a lot to
ask, but I need you guys to help me save Toi. I don't think I could bring her
down again, as last time it was just a simple stroke of luck. Now, will you help
me?"

"Sure." Ista exclaims. "Ah'll help ya, and so'll the others. We ain't gonna sit
here n do nothin'"

"Someone needs to stay behind and take care of mother though. You can't all
come with me."

"You shouldn't worry about me." Kristen interrupts. "I may be too weak to join
you, but that doesn't mean I cannot defend myself. And she would not be after me
anyway. No, I would want to urge you to not go... but I know I cannot. You're as
headstrong as I am, and at this moment arguing like that would be a waste of
time." A heavy sighs escapes Kristen's scarred lips. "But at the very least take
with you as much help as you can."

"Your mother is right miss Emirie. I will stick with you until we have
defeated Mind." Trickle seems to have calmed down after the incident.

"Yeah, this'll be like an adventure too, and anyway we're not the type to
ignore someone in need of help." Ester gives Emirie a reassuring smile, before
everyone turns towards Thunkin.

"Me? Oh..." His eyes travel over the others. Ester and Ista, young and naïve.
They are freely willing to throw themselves into the danger this mission
represents for nothing but the thrill of it, and an urge to help Emirie. Emirie
does this to help an old friend even though she just barely escaped the same
fate. Kristen allows her own daughter to go, but freely expresses a willingness
to help. Trickle, violent though he may be, seems to genuinely care for Emirie
and seeks to protect her. "While I'm just..."

"You're just what?" Trickle demands, and the two lock eyes.

"I'm just a mechanic. This was not what I signed up for! I did not want to be
dragged into this... but since I've come this far I might as well join for the
end. I'll help too... but I think this is suicide. I mean, you saw her. She tore
this Toi guy straight out of a ship. Not even the seven lich-sorcerers could do
something like that. Heck, I can't even conjure cosmicfire or swing a sword.
Emirie has studied rituals, you are an excellent telepath and Ester and Ista are
both skilled at aeromancy. What can I do?"

"Maybe not much." Emirie admits. "But I need all the help I can get."

"Fine. I'll come. Maybe I'll throw a wrench at her, but after that I'm out of
there."

Emirie nods in acceptance, before she beckons for everyone to follow her. A
twirl of light whips around the five explorers and blinds them, before they find
themselves standing on a metal walkway. All around them are various metallic
machines in perpetual motion, while several crystalline screens display a
variety of numbers and letters that make little to no sense. In the centre of
this laboratory stands Mind and Toi. The divine monster herself wears a callous
smile, while Toi seems to be standing by virtue of some outside power struggling
to keep him afloat. Time seems to pass painfully slow, with neither side doing
anything. Only the steady echo of the pumping machinery echo through the
chamber. Finally, Mind breaks the silence. "I did not expect you to lead her to
me this quickly."