Episode 2: Welcome to the Jungle!

Not paying attention the large rat god and its dance with Baracus, Ybus maintains his concentration on the bonfire while sweeping sweeps his spear at the plague rats that surround them.

As he sweeps, Ybus hums an grooving song, sending a warm loving light upon Erden.

After stretching out with his feelings, Urban feels reality stabilize, at least momentarily. He concentrates and is able to regain a glimpse of the portal through which he was thrown.

Believing now that he might be able to make it back to his friends, Urba tries his best to will himself towards the spatial rift that leads back to the wicked cult cave of the bestial rat god.

Erden calls upon his magic to transport him away. He quickly determines the spot in the room that's furthest from the swarm of rats but also outside of the rat god's aura.

Once he reappears, he launches a bolt of flame at the swarm's writhing masses

Urban struggles to stabilize. He still cannot seem to get control of his body nor his mind. He is falling. Being thrown.

The dark force still lurks in this place, but Urban cannot get enough control to see - or feel? - where it is.

He is losing his orientation, but...does he sense something nearby? Or perhaps, someone?

Urban tries to focus all of his will. Just focus on one thing: making himself still.

He closes his eyes to block out the sensory overload. He takes a deep breath. He cannot think of the gods here. He is not sure they can reach this place, where reality is broken.

He thinks instead of the simple things. Familiar things. Home. Cadarnle. The house he grew up in. His father. It has been a long time.

It doesn't seem to work. He opens his eyes again to get his bearing.

Now though he is sure of it. He sees...someone. Through the blur.

Rydler?

His minds swarms at his surroundings; sensory overload, too much to take in, too many questions...too many unknown answers. Where was he? How did these portals come to be? All gathered in a single void. So much to be gained from here for the mystery-inclined but so little...time.

Time? What is time? How long has he been here? How long has it been? It makes no sense. So many questions...so few time. His eyes spot a fading portal, the contents of which appear his most trusted allies, his closest friends, and not to far from that he finds company in this paradise. Urban; fairing less then well in the realm of questions. So little time, cut down evermore. He thinks to himself with a smirk.

"What is lost will eventually be found, friend." A familiar voice calls out to Urban "But not all who wander are lost!" His hand caresses across his chest, causing a low warm light to begin to emanate from the amulet around his neck.

Basking in the light of Lathander, Rydler steps closer revealing his signature smile; warm, bright, inspiring.

"A riddle here, a riddle there; our eyes see, but our minds doth not tell."

Ybus is standing on the shore, ankle-deep in the crystalline sea. The froth of waves lapped upon his legs, kissing his cheeks with the salty air. He is wearing a shirt, but he has no pants, and in his blistered hands he holds a shovel.

"That's right, I was supposed to dig," Ybus says aloud, commencing his task with duty and obligation. He thrusts his shovel into the water and chucks a fistful of wet sand back into the ocean. Through the sun-burnt reflections on the water, Ybus can see the small divot quickly filling in from the tide.

Now Ybus is standing below deck, ankle-deep in the murky sea. The slick oily waves press against his legs as the ocean pours in from a gigantic crack in the hull. Ash and cinder from the burning timbers above sting his cheeks. In his bloodied hands he holds a shovel. He still has no pants.

"That's right, I was supposed to dig," Ybus says aloud, commencing his task with due haste and panic. He thrusts his shovel into the water and chucks the inky-black water into the hole in the hull. Through the smoke in the air, Ybus can see the space around him quickly filling in from outside.

Ybus begins to laugh.

"Dig deep boys!" Ybus cackles, returning to his task and dutifully thrusting his spear into the swarm of rats. He can't feel his legs in the tide of rot-filled rodentry, and the pus and disease splatter across his cheeks. Time and again as he clears a divot of space, another rat fill the void, but still Ybus digs, laughing all the while.

As Erden reappears from his short teleportation, he surveys the battlefield. Swarms of rats cover the floor, beginning the horrible work of consuming his companions. Erden can hear Baracus grunting and shouting from the exertion of wrestling with a god as Ybus continues his odd speech about digging.

His mind crosses back across the years to their time in the military, to his many failures as their leader, all leading up to their incarceration. The responsibility for that weighs heavily on his shoulders and he feels his knees start to buckle as things begin to look more hopeless; as he realizes that their deaths will be on his conscience.

"WITNESS" he hears Baracus shout angrily.

The resolve in his strong friend's voice makes him stand up straighter and smile grimly. The shackles of guilt fall away as he turns his mind in another direction. His friends, all so capable, continue to look to his as leader. They wouldn't do so if they didn't think him worthy.

Baracus, always living in the shadow of his father, but so strong, confident, and sure.

Ybus, so powerful and seemingly insane, but always there when he's needed.

Rydler, a good man with a sordid past, but so reliable, loyal, and clever.

Urban, so conflicted and at odds with his own religion, yet so stalwart and always seeking growth.

He realizes at that moment that he can't fail them. They had brought so much light into his world and it's his responsibility to see that it isn't extinguished. His responsibility to the past is not gone, but it's pressed down under his responsibility for the future, which is so much more important.

The air around him heats up and he seems to grow slightly taller as he growls, summoning a ball of flame into his hand. "Witness, indeed."