Silent Knife, Moonless Night (open)

The stars shone brightly on the night of the new moon in the Mayan civilization. Aside from the stars, the only light was from the torches of the group who were gathered around the steps of the round temple that was used for observing astronomy. At the top of the steps was a few people and an altar. The man had just finished addressing the small group below, and now turned to the young woman who stood next to him. He led her forward and helped her to lie down on the stone altar.

He took a moment to arrange the girl's hair around her and prepare the altar; setting out the vessels that would be used, and then intoned a prayer to the goddess Euphrania and did a few pre-sacrificial rituals before picking up the sacrificial knife. He took the girl's right arm and held so that it was straight out from her body.
"My goddess, Euphrania! Please, accept this offering." He exclaimed. "She is given for your service, and we pray that you find her to your satisfaction." With those words, he drew the knife down her arm, making sure not to cut the artery, letting the blood pour into a gold chalice that was positioned just under the cut.

The girl winced a little and let out a soft whimper when she was cut, her arm tensing slightly, but otherwise she kept quiet and didn't struggle. The man let it bleed until the chalice was about three-fourths filled, then tied a strip of cloth around the wound. Then, hearing the small group below chanting the name of their goddess, he picked up the chalice containing the blood and turned to the idol that held the spirit of the goddess Euphrania. Ceremoniously, he poured the blood over the idol while intoning a chant. As the blood dripped off of the brass idol, the man carefully took a jeweled pendant from around its neck and held it up. The ruby in the setting glowed dimly as the blood seemed to soak into it. He took the pendant and laid it on the girl's forehead, then bound the cord around her head, so that the pendant would stay.

The girl's eyes widened as her whole body tensed, then she let out a long scream.  As it died away, another person's voice issued from her mouth.
"This offering will not suffice. She is too weak, and will not serve my purposes!" The goddess proclaimed. "I must have a stronger vessel." She demanded. "I need.. more.. bloo..." She began, trailing off into silence as the voice faded away, losing its hold on the control over the body. After Euphrania had lost control of the girl's body, the girl was left seemingly empty, her body shaking slightly, her eyes rolled back in her head, weakened from the experience.

The man bowed his head and spoke a prayer, asking apology to the goddess for the sacrifice not being good enough, then took the sacrificial knife in his hand again. He raised it up with it lying across his hands.
"The goddess has spoken! This offering does not suffice." He then gripped the knife by the handle and quickly drew it across the victim's throat, and she went still as the blood poured from the cut. The ruby in the pendant bound to her forehead began to glow brighter as the being that resided there absorbed the life from the human.

The group of followers below began to chant the goddess' name excitedly as the sacrifice was killed, The man stood before them and spoke loudly, vowing to the goddess that he would find the perfect vessel for her to inhabit, then reverently took the pendant from the girl's forehead and placed it back on the idol. The idol was carefully placed into an ornate gold box, and carried reverently as the man descended  the steps. The group gradually dispersed, and soon the observatory temple was deserted, save for the slain girl still on the altar, which would be discovered the following morning...


(This opening post is to set the scene for the RP. I will be using Emma for this story. If you can find a way into the times of the Ancient Mayan civilization, feel free to join! )

The Doctor watched over the TARDIS like its caretaker, eyes strict in their movement and placement on the controls as his time machine floated through the time vortex. When lights and sounds roared from the scanner, The Doctor grinned and went to work, dashing, bolting around the controls like a boy in a toy shop. Yanking down the main lever, The Doctor looked up at the scanner then looked back over his shoulder, "Emma!!" he called, "I've got just the place to go!". Looking back at the scanner, The Doctor looked over the readings quickly as the sound of the TARDIS materializing echoed through the control room.

"Hopefully this will end better than the last time i was here" The Doctor mumbled to himself before jumping over to the staircase, eagerly looking over it for his companion. "700 AD South America awaits Emma! Come on!" He called out to her once more before turning back to the controls. Glancing down, The Doctor looked down at his brown blue pinstriped suit, frowning as he noticed cuts and dirt from the past adventures massing around his favorite outfit. Groaning, he dashed over to the opposite side of the control room, running his hand over the wall until finding the button he was looking for. With the press of one of the round circles on the wall, a section opened up revealing several different colored suits and converse for him to chose from.

Smiling widely, The Doctor quickly placed his used up brown suit into a small slot to his left and turned his attention to the blue suit in front of him. Within a minute, he had swapped his shoes for the red converse, matching the red tie that complimented his blue suit. Dusting it off and looking at it for a moment in the mirror, The Doctor nodded, "Yeah" he mumbled before pushing the small button and hiding the secret clothes section once more. Turning back to the door, The Doctor snagged his trench coat and put it on, glancing back to the staircase as he reached for the door, "Emma! Little bit of allons-y!".

Emma ventured out from the depths of the Tardis as the Doctor finished with his wardrobe change and called to her again. She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail and wore a long sleeved shirt, as usual, but with a light dusting of flour on her front.
""Where'd you say we are?" She asked, having not heard him completely when he said. She'd been in the Tardis' kitchen for a while, and had only just been heading toward the Console room when she heard him calling her name, so she'd hurried up a little to hear what he was saying, only catching the last bit.

After he would have answered, she thought for a moment on that. 700 AD. That would be around one thousand three hundred or so years ago, if she was right on her math. And South America? She tried to think what might be in South America. She was drawing a blank, aside from Brazil and Chile and others like those that she couldn't think of the names of. She wondered what was here in this time period to be of interest, but figured the Doctor had it all figured out and knew what they were doing here, so she didn't question it.

As she followed the Doctor out of the Tardis, she held out her hand to offer a couple of chocolate chip cookies to him, still warm from the oven.
""Do you like cookies?" She asked with a smile. "Found a kitchen in the Tardis, I hope it's ok if I used some of the ingredients in there.." She mentioned. Obviously, she'd checked that everything was fresh and still good to use, but she wanted to check that it was alright to use the stuff. Thinking back, she probably should have checked that before she did so, but hopefully it was ok.

The Doctor smirked, glancing back over his shoulder to Emma as she spoke about baking cookies in the oven, "Then you probably made the wrong cookies because there's no ingredients for cookies in that kitchen" he commented, "Well...come to think of it i've never used the kitchen in the TARDIS before. Sort of just...ate while i was out and about. Nev-". The Doctor's ramble was cut short quickly and rather suddenly by the appearance a blade directed to his neck. "Stop! Intruder! An outsider here to take our riches!" The man proclaimed, his tribal outfit the most prominent physical aspect on him apart from the war paint covering his face.

The Doctor raised his hands to his side, "Oh not this again" he mumbled aggravatingly, "I am...a....merchant who travels from many lands. Selling...cheese...and this is my...companion. She helps me make the cheese". The man, completely baffled by The Doctor's words, gazed at him and Emma for a moment before gesturing to the temple behind him, "Move. You and your...friend will speak with my chief. Good sacrifices you will make" he hissed. The Doctor nodded, moving as instructed and urging Emma to do the same as he made his way to the temple.

Once he knew Emma was beside him and the guard steering them to the temple, The Doctor leaned over, "Watch where you're going here Emma" he told her, "I've been here before...with my granddaughter...not much has changed from looking at their hospitality i can tell you that much. It'l be the second time they've tried to toss me in a pot for some queen or God".

Emma frowned a little at the Doctor's reply. She was about to reply that it was obvious he hadn't ever used the kitchen because he didn't even know that it was actually fully stocked with fresh supplies, and that she wasn't actually stupid enough to make cookies without checking that she was using the right supplies. But she didn't get a chance to reply, because they were suddenly surrounded by rather hostile looking people. Emma looked around at them and rolled her eyes slightly at the Doctor's cover story.
"Yeah, cheese and cookies." She said, quietly holding up the cookies still in her hand, and bit her lip lightly.
"I know nothing of these words you speak.. come.. the chief awaits you." The man replied, making them go along with them.

Emma walked along with the Doctor, getting a bit nervous.
"Sacrifice?" She whispered to him, not liking the sound of that. Before long they had been taken to where the chief lived, and the man who had captured them spoke to the chief briefly to let him know where he found them and such.
"What enemy of ours sent you here to spy on us?" He demanded.
"We're not spies.." Emma said, frowning a little. "We're.. um, merchants. Bringing goodies.." She held up the cookies in her hands, hoping they'd believe it. "See?"
"You do not look like us, you are outsiders, who sent you?"

Emma glanced at the Doctor, unsure what to tell them, but before they had a chance to say anything, a messenger came before the chief bowing before giving him the message. "There has been another sacrifice to the false goddess.." The man told the chief quietly.
The Chief sighed slightly "Great. Where is it this time?" He asked. Emma listened quietly as the messenger told the chief which temple the remains had been found in. She glanced at the Doctor, thinking. The Chief looked at the man again.
"We can discuss it later, take the prisoners to cages maybe they will be talkative after a few hours there."
"Wait.." Emma spoke up. "You have a problem.. we can help." She told him seriously. "Killings, right? Sounds like you have a serial killer on your hands.. I'm an investigator, and this happens to be my specialty." She smiled a little, hoping the chief might accept her offer to help.

"You are an outsider, until you tell us where you are from I will not trust you." he waved his hand dismissively.
"We told you, we're travelers. But, I suppose if you'd rather deal with it on your own, that's your own decision." She shrugged. "I hope no one else dies while you try and catch the killer." She glanced at the Doctor, then back at him. "But at least you'll know where to find is, if you do decide you want help.."
"Mhm.." The chief replied, mostly ignoring her now. Emma sighed softly at her lack of success, not quite sure what else to say. She wondered if maybe the Doctor could come up with something they might accept.

(OOC: Is it alright for me to join? You may delete my post if it's too late. I don't want to impose or anything.)

Silently, he descended the steps to his now hidden vessel and his boots rang out on the temple floor as he moved from the entrance hallway outside to the outside. The sun was shining brightly high in the sapphire sky, which made him shield his eyes just to get a good look at the terrain below the temple grounds. He inhaled deeply and smirked deviously when he detected the scent of rotting flesh floating across the gentle breeze that blew his hair sideways over his face. He slipped his hands into his pockets and casually followed his nose to the location where the odor was the strongest.

Another slain victim, he thought as he stared at the empty spot where the remains of the victim should have been. You have to give these guys credit. They go the whole nine yards with their killings. Looking out over the ground below again, he caught sight of several men carrying the body of a young girl away from the temple. The discovery had been recent then. He pulled out his cellular device and sent a quick text message rather than going back inside. Then, he began studying the area where the body had been. The only remnants of the murder were the scent and the victim's blood that hadn't been used in the sacrifice ritual.

"Captain Artemis," came the silky tones of his newest team recruit as she stopped behind him, "You asked to see me?" "Yes," he replied, turning to face her. "The sacrifice we provided for our contact was not strong enough to fulfill the ritual requirements. He will need another victim, one we must procure. You will accompany me to the village and track down a suitable sacrifice. Gather the weapons and meet me at the village entrance." She nodded her understanding and quickly turned to complete the task, leaving Artemis to stare after her.

He began descending the steps, knowing that his ship would be safely hidden and undetected thanks to the cloaking technology he had recently acquired from his new recruit. He could tell that she was fighting the influence every minute, but she had no choice but to obey his every command. She was necessary for this operation, at any rate. He had big plans though it seemed to his contact that he was just highly invested in finding a suitable host for the releasing of the goddess.

The Doctor silently listened to Emma and the chief banter back and forth for a moment, his mind starting to formulate statements to make to the chief as his conversation with Emma came to a close. Reaching into his pocket, The Doctor flipped out the psychic paper and handed it to the chief, "We come from Culhuacan, here to offer knowledge of harvest in exchange for knowledge of this..sacrifice occurrences going on" he told him. As the chief reviewed the psychic paper, The Doctor leaned over to Emma, "To him it looks like a clay tablet. I know you're probably thinking about that" he whispered.

The chief turned his attention back to The Doctor and Emma as he handed the psychic paper back to its owner, "Then why does your friend say these odd things? Foreign words like that of the men with the boats" he addressed, "Oh..yeah..sorry she's a bit dazed and confused. We have been traveling lone distances and many lands. Hunger and thirst has gotten to her mind." The Doctor quickly replied, "Would it be too much to ask for some food? If you have any that is".

Emma bit her lip and kept quiet while the Doctor spoke to the chief, saying that she was dazed and confused. She gave a tiny, faint smile and decided to be quiet and let the Doctor talk here, deciding to play along. She didn't know much about these people and felt a little frustrated with herself for not knowing what she needed to say to convince the chief to let them help. She took a deep breath and tried not to let it get to her. At least the Doctor did convince him not to lock them up, and to hear them out. That was something, at least.

She watched as the chief ordered one of his men to bring them food, and then turned to her.
"You, woman, must tell me about this magic you do to find people." She blinked, somewhat surprised that he called it magic, and glanced briefly at the Doctor before turning back to the chief.
"Well, it.. to explain it the best I can, I study.." She paused, not sure if studying behavior of people, particularly criminals, would be very understandable to him. She tried to think of a simpler way to put it. She thought of psychics who claimed to be able to find out things just from touching a piece of clothing or whatever. "I study the art of um, divination." She told him, figuring that would be more acceptable to him than the truth.

"I have never heard of such magics...you must be a powerful shaman indeed." The chief looked impressed. Emma was surprised but hid it. She had thought that would have been a common thing for these people. She nodded a little in reply.
"Yes. I am." She replied, keeping a straight posture with her head held high, faking confidence. "And I offer my assistance in putting a stop to the.. sacrifices to the false god..or goddess."
"Then I give you my blessings in finding these monsters." The chief replied. Emma refrained from smiling triumphantly, and nodded in a professional sort of way.
"I'll need to visit the sites where the killings happened, and I'll need to know everything I can about the people who were killed." She explained. "If I could talk to those who found the bodies of the victims, that would be helpful.." She added. The chief readily agreed, and Emma thanked him for his cooperation.

She found a small notepad in her pocket and a short pencil, taking notes as the messenger from earlier told her what he knew about the latest vic. She was young, about in her late teens they said. A very pretty girl, but they had not yet found her family so they knew very little about her. The man said that the girl had a slash on her throat, and a gash on her arm. She had not been tied or restrained when she was found upon an alter. He said that she was found in the observatory temple.
"Has anyone cleaned up yet?" Emma asked, hoping the answer was no.
"She was discovered less than an hour ago, I don't think they would have it cleaned up by now." He replied.
"I'd like to see it before they clean up, please?" She asked him, then glanced at the Doctor and hoped he was ok with that.

(sorry about taking so long to update this RP. I've been busy, and also was waiting for a while to give others a chance to join, but i don't think they will so i'm moving it forward now )

Artemis surveyed the village grounds as he waited patiently for his "recruit" to make her appearance. He had made his way to the entrance without her while she gathered the weapons necessary for potentially snatching another victim for his contact. The villagers were on their guard, that much was obvious. They had taken what appeared to be every precaution against one of their own being taken again. Understandable. He had taken the most recent victim straight from her home in the middle of the night and used common drugs to rob her of her fear. All in all, that capture had been a little sloppy on his part, but he could make up for it this time. There were still plenty of villagers left to pray on.

He crossed his arms over his chest, watching the villagers intently. They couldn't see him, but he could see them all clearly as they passed by the entrance. Venturing a little closer, he caught sight of a young woman carrying a basket full of herbs and wearing the traditional garments of a healer. A smirk crept into his features as he watched her enter one of the homes. Healers were known for their desensitization towards many things. She might make a suitable host for the goddess, at least until Artemis put his true plan into action. For the moment, he had to stay true to his word.

"Her?" inquired his obedient minion as she stepped up beside him, her entire being made invisible by the long coat that hung from her shoulders. Visibly, she was only carrying the usual supplies and weaponry that she normally kept on her person though Artemis knew full well she had more equipment hidden in other various locations.

He nodded, noticing she had come from within the village rather from the temple. She must have scouted ahead to the palace before circling back to the village. "Yes, her. Run a sweep before you grab her. Make sure she's acceptable." He paused briefly. "Any news?"

Her eyes remained blank and lifeless as she answered him, "A few of the palace guards have noted the arrival of two strangers from a distant land. They've secured an immediate audience with the chief and were detained from a large, blue box. They will be examining the sacrificial site."

Artemis blinked. He hadn't been expecting anything like that to happen. "Blue box?" he echoed, stroking the fuzz on his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm...we need to be quick. Go now before they come."
As she turned to leave, Artemis's voice stopped her before she entered the village. "Oh, and Ryarya, make an impression."

She looked back at him blankly but nodded in obedience as she moved forward, unseen by the world around her. Not even two minutes after she entered the village, and the terrified screams of the villagers erupted into the otherwise silent air. The flames roared and smoke rose into the sky as the ground beneath his feet shook a little.

Artemis grinned darkly as he watched the scene of terror and destruction unfold before him. Ryarya had told him of her first adventure with the Doctor, and at the mention of his time machine, Artemis began to wonder. Perhaps they didn't need a new sacrifice from the village. Perhaps all they needed was bait and a bittersweet reunion. He chuckled at the thought as he waited for Ryarya to return with their hostage. It never took her more than a few minutes.

The Doctor smirked and silently watched and listened to Emma handle the situation like a professional, her job training paying for itself in full. When Emma had finally turned to him for confirmation, The Doctor nearly looked past it, his mind still in survey mode. "Oh?! Me? Sorry, yeah sure." He exclaimed, nodding and turning his attention to the chief, "So...where exactly was she found?".

The chief lowered his head and shook it slightly, trying to hold down his food at the thought of the dead woman. "At the foot of the temple is where you will find her body...those who found her should be there. You and your shaman have my blessing to speak with my people" He finally answered, swallowing what food he had in his mouth first before he spoke. Gesturing to the door, the chief waved the two guards to open the door and allow The Doctor and Emma passage through it. Nodding as a form of thank you, The Doctor stood up and began to make his way out, "So..which way oh powerful shaman?" he joked.

The messenger who had come to bring the news to the chief stepped forward and bowed slightly before asking them to come with him. He led the way through the city to the place where the body had been found. As she followed, Emma thought about various questions she needed to ask, writing them down on her notepad so she wouldn't forget to ask.
"How many victims has there been?" She asked quietly as she walked. The man replied that there had been eight victims so far, counting the girl from last night. Emma frowned and wrote that down, thinking.

"How long has this been going on? When was each victim found? The more exact answer you can give, the better.." The messenger thought back carefully before answering.
"The first one was found.. six months ago, I believe. Toward the middle of the month."
"And the next one?" She asked. He frowned.
"Around the same time, a month later." Emma thought for a bit.
"And the next one?" She asked, trying to figure out if there was a specific pattern. Maybe one vic per month? But his answer dashed that idea away.
"The very next day." He replied.

Emma glanced at the Doctor, wondering if he might have any ideas, before turning back to the messenger.
"So what about the next victims?" He thought about it for a moment.
"The next month, around the same time, there was one. And the next month, two. It's been that way up until now.."
"How many months?" She asked, frowning. He counted up.
"This makes the sixth month.." Emma wrote some notes down and added up.
"So, one victim, then two, then one, then two, then one, and one more this month.." She frowned, seeing a definite pattern there. "They're probably going to try taking another victim to kill tonight.. we'll need to stop this killer fast before they disappear for another month." She said, a bit worried by this. Could they catch the killer that fast?

The messenger nodded a little and stopped at the foot of the temple observatory.
"Here you will find the tragic scene." He said. "I wish to go no further, if you don't mind." He looked a little unsettled and took a step back. Emma guessed maybe the guy was a bit squeamish, or maybe superstitious about the temple or false god/goddess or something.
"That's alright, will there be others there to answer our questions?" She asked. He nodded and pointed up the steps.
"They can answer all your questions, I should think." He replied.
"Thank you." She smiled a little in thanks, then started up the steps toward the crime scene, wishing she could get some crime scene tape and block it off.

Upon reaching the top of the steps, Emma found a few people. One guy in fancy looking clothes seemed to be mostly in charge, and she suspected he may be a priest of the temple or something. There were a couple of other people that may have been servants, and another guy in a headdress and stuff was examining the body. Emma took a look around the area and saw an alter built near the edge of the steps, with the dead girl lying unrestrained on it. Emma could see from a quick glance that the girl had her throat sliced at the jugular, as well as another long cut down her inner arm. She could see blood on the ground around the alter, and blood splatter from the throat wound. Upon closer inspection, she noticed a round void in the pool of dried blood around the alter, as if there had been something there and had been removed.

Emma bit her lip and looked around a bit.
"Will they believe us about having the chief's permission to help?" She asked the Doctor softly. She thought they should have gotten something from the chief to tell them that the chief had given his blessing. But then she remembered that the Doctor had that paper thingy that he could use to deceive people and stuff. Maybe that would help, if these guys questioned them about it.

"No!" screamed the girl Artemis had chosen to be the latest victim for the sacrificial ritual as she was jerked along up the back steps of the observatory temple by him. "Please! You cannot!"

He was growing weary of her desperate pleas to be released. Truth be told, he wanted to at this point, but he had been hatching a new plan ever since Ryarya had mentioned the gossip surrounding the arrival of the Time Lord and his companion. According to her story, both had strong mental capacities, even if they didn't know it. His contact was very specific in his orders. Each victim had to have a strong mind. Ryarya was the only minion he had enlisted with enough strength to detect that.

Putting his newest plan into action wasn't going to be easy. He couldn't just take one of them without checking them first. He would need to use Ryarya again though he doubted the villagers would put up much of a fight if it came down to combat with her. Most of the villagers and palace guards had witnessed her potential for destruction. Some even went as far as saying that she was a spawn of their evil gods. Laughable really. These "uncivilized" people were like mere bugs to him. He couldn't wait to get out of this wretched time period.

The girl continued to scream for help until a sudden thud and a slight drag on Artemis's grip made him turn around. Ryarya had knocked the girl unconscious with a swift hit to the pressure point on the back of her neck. His expression must have been a questioning one because she simply looked at him and said, "She was attracting attention."

He thought for a moment, releasing the unconscious girl's arm. "That attention may be exactly what we need," he stated darkly, his eyes rising to meet hers. "I've been thinking of a new plan, one that involves your time traveling friends...if you think you can manage it."

Ryarya nodded without hesitation. "A distraction, sir?"

"Clever girl," he chuckled as he knelt to pick up their hostage and began ascending the steps again. "Something like that. Don the garments of this time period, but keep one or two things on you. Some villagers in this area have seen you and will have no trouble outing you out of fear." He used his head to gesture to far side of the temple. "Keep a watchful eye on the crime scene from a distance. I want to know exactly what your friends are up to and how far they've come. With any luck, they won't have too much information to go on yet."

She tilted her head slightly to the side. "Don't underestimate the Doctor," she replied stiffly. "He is a clever man, and Emma is no different. She has investigative training and with the Doctor alongside her, they can gain much intelligence from the chief and his people. We must be discreet."

"And we will...for now. I just need to know what they're up to. Stay as hidden as possible without your cloaking technology. Watch your friends and report back to me before sundown. Hopefully, we'll be able to keep our usual pattern."

Ryarya nodded as they reached the top where she could enter the temple from the back and make her way around to the front where the crime scene had taken place. There were a few protruding ledges and wall for her to use as hiding places for the time being. She helped Artemis into the ship with their hostage then headed through the temple again. Before the ship's doors closed, she paused and called back loud enough for her employer to hear. "And they aren't my friends."

The Doctor knelt down, eyeing the crime scene carefully, more importantly the alter where she was sacrificed and the amount of blood that was covering the alter. Lowering himself to floor level, The Doctor closed one eye and looked up and around to the body before popping up with a sniff and sigh of relief, "Well...i can say from the looks of things it appears to be an ordinary ritual" he commented. "But somethings not right..." He continued, squatting down at the edge of the carving on the floor, "See that?" he asked, pointing to the dry spot in the center, "Something was placed there but is frequently moved. A momentum? I don't know..idol maybe? Something important because if it wasn't they'd just leave it there. Let everyone see it. So why do they move it?".

The Doctor looked up, his eyes immediately catching that of a nearby shaman; his status prominently displayed by the amount of clothes and items he wore. "We do not answer to strangers" He growled, "Oh but we have approval from your chief. Big king man said we can ask you all we want..don't trust me ask a guard. Or...instead of wasting time you can help us figure this out before someone else is missing. What goes in the middle?" The Doctor replied and asked. The man looked uneasy, his eyes darting around as if making sure nobody was close enough to hear what he was wanting to tell The Doctor and Emma. "Okay...it's an idol" The Shaman finally replied, walking up to The Doctor to make sure his words were not heard easily by guards passing by, "A sacred statue that arrived with the goddess and her followers...they take it and the medallion it holds away after every sacrifice. They say if the sacrifice is worthy..the idol will glow like the sun and explode like a volcano..bringing riches and food to the land around it. Along with the goddess taking the body of the sacrificed of course".

The Doctor slowly stood up, his hand reaching inside of his pocket and pulling out a key to the TARDIS. Taping the key twice resulted in an echoing sound of an alarm chirp off in the distance. The shaman glared at The Doctor, baffled at his actions and the object that he quickly tucked back away, "Sorry..forgot to...park the elephant me and my college road in on. But how do they chose who to kill?" The Doctor asked. The Shaman stuttered, "Wha...what sorry?", "How do they chose who to kill? Hhmm? Is it random selection? Whoever draws a shorter stick or something?" The Doctor reiterated, "No, no..the chosen one is given to us by the goddess. When the day of the sacrifice comes, the chosen one shows up at the door of my home..not a very nice way to wake up in the morning but i get used to it. The guards take the chosen one and me and the circle clean up this mess to begin the sacrifice at night.".

Nodding, The Doctor placed his hand around Emma's shoulder, "Right, let me just..clarify things with my friend here" he told the chief, turning away from him and walking with Emma a few feet away from the man. "In case you were wondering i wasn't really parking our elephant..i was putting the TARDIS' invisibility mode. Something tells me there's a lot more going on than just superstition and religion...and i have a feeling it has something to do with whatever that idol and medallion are".

Emma went closer and examined the area around the altar while she listened to the Doctor talk with the other guy. She looked at the place where the idol had been, but then she looked nearer to the altar and noticed a circular void in the thicker part of the pool of blood. She frowned, studying the scene a bit.
"Something to hold the blood.. cup perhaps?" She commented under her breath, thoughtfully. She examined the wound on the girl's arm, guessing that the cut on her arm was meant to make her bleed, but not kill her. she looked upward at the high, vaulted ceiling, but didn't see anything noteworthy there. It was too high to have any blood splatter on it. She looked around the floor, however, and could see some there. "Looks like the COD was the cut to the throat.." She wrote a few notes for later reference, and frowned. "But no restraint marks.." She frowned. "The girl didn't put up much of a struggle.. maybe she was drugged?" She wished there was a way to do an autopsy, but this was in ancient times, so she didn't think there would be any way of finding out if there were any drugs in her system.

The Doctor's questioning of the shaman guy attracted her attention, and she listened a bit more closely. The story he told about the idol supposedly exploding with riches and food for the lands sounded.. rather fishy. The guy acted like he truly believed it.. but was intimidated. Emma was a bit surprised by the Doctor's Tardis car alarm thing, and raised an eyebrow slightly at that. She tried not to focus too hard on that, and listened as the shaman explained how the sacrifices 'arrived'. That sounded.. odd. She looked the man over thoughtfully, but before she could make any comment, she was pulled off to the side by the Doctor.

"Oh, really? And here I thought you'd arranged for us to have elephant rides.." She replied a little bit sarcastically, but smiled to show she was only joking. She nodded a bit at the rest of what he said. "Yeah. And that guy.. he's not behind this. I think he might be a small part of it, but in the way of being bullied into it, so to speak.. There's another person who's running the show." She frowned, thinking over things. "First of all, someone's abducting the victims.. but why leave them at his door? Why involve him at all?" She bit her lip as she thought. "Do you think that idol thing he mentioned is anything more than just..an idol?" She wondered thoughtfully.


(ooc; sorry about the long wait.. been really busy with stuff)

"I don't know" The Doctor sniffed, shrugging his shoulders as he peered over Emma's shoulder in a daze, "Hard to say without actually seeing what it looks like". Returning his line of sight, and attention, back to Emma, The Doctor continued, "But let's think Emma...back on Earth this wouldn't be that much different. Okay we don't have spaceships and other things doing this but....the mind of a killer..that instinct. Instead of leaving it to chance they plant distractions and false leads for the police.....make everyone think it's someone else or even disguise their true intentions".

Stopping, The Doctor glanced over his shoulder as two priests past by them, making sure they did not hear what himself and Emma were conversing about. "Obviously you have a leg up here with your training. Plus...your getting a long with the natives a bit better. We need to do some recon..gather up data and find out what this medallion is. I can't do much until we have at least that...from there we can go from a motive to possible suspects".

Ryarya pressed her shoulder against the corner edge of the temple, stretching out her senses to listen on the conversation being held between Emma and the Doctor. Most of it was inaudible from this distance, even to her. She could still make out bits and pieces, however, and it wasn't difficult for her to link all the connections together. Gently, she tapped a button on the earpiece she was required to wear so that Artemis could keep tabs on the mission in progress. She closed her eyes to heighten her hearing enough so that the communicator could also hear what she was.

Hearing the shaman's voice caused her to groan low in her throat. That man was incapable of keeping his trap shut. The only reason he was even helping was because he had been frightened into submission, or so she had heard from some others that Artemis had been using for this mission. She had never met the man personally or delivered any of the previous sacrifices to him, but she knew enough. He was the type to save his own hide. Sooner or later, he could become a potential liability, especially considering it wouldn't take the Doctor and Emma long to piece together a plan.

After their first adventure, she had done some digging on Emma. She knew all about her training in the FBI. Solving murders was a specialty for her by the documentation. She also had a good memory, good enough to remember every detail of everything that had occurred on that adventure. Perhaps...?

"Quite an ingenious plan you have there," Artemis's voice cut through her thoughts. It was something she detested when she was concentrating, but she didn't dare speak up. She had almost forgotten he could also read her brainwaves through the communicator. "I wouldn't want to place you in a difficult position though. Are you sure you can handle it?"

She tapped her temple to illustrate her point. "I'm a professional, thank you. All those pesky, useless memories are tucked away where they belong. She won't be interrupting us this time."

"That's what I like to hear!" he replied cheerfully. "It seems they'll be making some rounds about the area. For once, I'll let you take the reins. Tell me what you need me to do, Lady Black."

Emma nodded a little in reply to what the Doctor was saying, and thought over it for a little while.  Thinking like the killer was what she was good at, and she had already learned a little bit about the killer even though she didn't know who it was yet.  She thought over all the bits of info she had so far, just making sure in her mind that what she was thinking fit in with what the facts said.  The Doctor was right about her having an advantage with her training, and she smiled a little to herself as she remembered some things her grandpa had taught her.

"I already know a few things about him." She said quietly. "He has a dominant type personality, but he's also charming and good at convincing others to do what he wants. Probably good looking, too, otherwise it would be hard for him to charm people. He's most likely well dressed, as well." She paused before adding, "He'll be very convincing when he tries to recruit others, and he's probably easily able to talk others into following him and going along with this sacrifice thing. However, he's also not afraid to use physical force if the charming act doesn't work. He may have a temper, and will be strongly driven by some personal goal, which would be his motive. He probably has a lot of people doing his bidding, either because they're fooled by his charm, or intimidated by him."

She thought a bit more. "He knows what he's doing, so he's old enough to have some experience, but based on the jump from one victim the first month, to two victims the second month.. he doesn't seem to have much patience, so.. I'd make a guess that he's probably in his mid to late twenties.. old enough to have plenty of experience, maybe even training? but young enough to still be rash and want to rush things. He's probably in good physical condition, to be able to abduct the unwilling victims and intimidate others, like the shaman.." She then paused and considered the victims. "He'd need someplace to hide the victims before it's time to kill them... which means he probably lives alone or has someplace isolated where he can keep the victim without being discovered.. but also close enough that he can bring her to the temple at the appointed time.."

She wasn't sure how to go about finding out what the medallion is, but she had a feeling that if they found the unsub, they would find the medallion.  The main thing that confused her about it all was the killing pattern.  Why did they only kill at a certain time each month? And why only one or two at a time? The pattern didn't make much sense. And was it a specific pattern for a reason, or was it just that the unsub thought he could get by with two kills in a row on certain months, but not on the other, alternating months?

She bit her lip and thought for a moment, pulling out her phone. Then, remembering that her cell phone's calendar didn't go back more than about a decade, she sighed and put it away again.
"Doctor, what year did you say we're in, again?" She asked the Doctor.  "I wonder.. what's significant about those dates that the girls were killed on?" She thought for a bit about months.  "Hm.. full moon, maybe? Werewolf?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "But..no. It wouldn't be so well organized.. if it was a werewolf, the kills would likely be random and very.. messy, wouldn't they?" She bit her lip and thought for a bit, glancing up at the sky. It was looking dusky already, approaching sunset, which concerned her. The killer might have already captured his next intended victim, so they would need to hurry with finding this guy. However, if there were people here at the temple, would the killer go somewhere else to do the sacrifice? Or would he just abandon the plan to do another sacrifice tonight? What would happen if the killer didn't get his way.. if his pattern was interrupted?

Still, she thought the idea of the full moon could be a possibility, maybe it had something to do with the killing pattern? She frowned slightly and looked all around the horizon.
"Where is the moon, anyway?" She wondered quietly, not seeing it anywhere. She wasn't sure which direction she was facing, however, so maybe the temple was hiding her view of it?  And what was this 'idol' about? Maybe there was some sort of religious ritual thing that someone was using.. maybe it required the sacrifice to be done at a certain time.. like at the full moon. That was the most traditional one, right? But, unless it was being hidden, there didn't seem to be any moon, and it should be in the sky by now, even if it was low on the horizon..

The Doctor listened intently to Emma's analysis of the culprit to the crimes based solely on the evidence they were able to obtain and witness accounts; which wasn't much. Smirking when Emma finally concluded, The Doctor nodded his head, "Oh Emma" he started, "You're brilliant. But your missing something important here..and it's the questions your not asking. The real question...is do these people realize what they're doing? I mean sure they think they are pleasing a God...but it's attracted the attention of this killer. My guess is that it isn't a God..but something much more down to Earth per say".

Looking around once more, The Doctor continued, "How about this. Let's play to both our strengths..yours is people and grabbing information out of words alone. A decoder...and these people are encrypted with lies and secrets....i'll see if i can find this medallion and we'l meet at the TARDIS". Turning back to Emma, The Doctor tapped his forehead, "The power of the mind Emma..don't underestimate it" he told her before rushing off after the shaman that they had just recently spoken to. "Excuse me! Hello!" The Doctor called, only stopping when he got the mans attention, "Sorry. Where did you say the medallion and idol are stored?" he asked, "I...didn't" the man replied. The Doctor rolled his eyes, "Well if you could guess...where do you think it would be? I mean you know this entire village inside and out...right?", the shaman lowered his gaze and shook his head, "There were rumors of a hidden room. A room beneath this very temple..only a select few can enter".

The Doctor grinned, "Ok, thanks. That's all i needed to know", the Shaman stood there completely baffled, watching The Doctor saunter down the hallway towards the stairs leading down to ground level. Shaking his head, the shaman looked away once The Doctor was out of sight, "The goddess only knows what i've done....please let this work" he mumbled under his breath, forcing a smile as a fellow priest past by him.

Artemis had to laugh at the new developments. This was too rich to pass up! Admittedly, he was uncertain of allowing Ryarya to assume command over his minions for the time being, but she seemed to have a good enough strategy. He had learned quite a lot of valuable information after their brief discussion. He had taken the liberty of pulling up the ship's virtual database of known species and individuals. Considering that the ship was stolen in the first place, he had an extensive collection of known people and aliens to choose from.

The first one he had looked up was the Doctor. Ryarya hadn't given him much information other than he was a Time Lord. Not much information was available, but he merely brushed it off as the Time Lords were essentially and extinct species. Next was Emma. She had quite an impressive resume for so young a person. What was the most intriguing to him was her psychological profile and an eyewitness account, being from Ryarya, about Emma's mental strength. Artemis had originally planned on using the Doctor for his little experiment, but now...

He pressed a button on the control panel in front of him, connecting him to Ryarya's earpiece on a secure channel. "I've just gone over Emma's profiles here. I'm assuming she's rather observant. How do you want to go about this?"

"I'm not," Ryarya said lightly in reply. "You are,...at least, to start with. I'll be nearby, but Emma knows me well enough. She'll be able to spot the difference."

"Ah, I see." He nodded and gently placed an earpiece of his own into his left ear as he stood up. "I'll bring you the 'cure' and then we'll get this show on the road."

The channel buzzed softly in his ear to indicate she had signed off, and he did the same. Making his way down to the medical lab on the ship's first bottom floor, he found a large, empty syringe sitting on a cart by the door. He slipped the contents of a tiny glass vile into it then placed it in his inside jacket pocket. He gave the traditional orders to the guards down then and stopped just outside a wide Plexiglas window. He tapped the glass gently, and smirked when he received no response from the sole occupant inside.

"Must be difficult for you to see all this unfold from your little prison," he cooed in mock sympathy. "Don't worry, my little pet, you'll wake up soon." He turned to the guard by the door to the room. "Keep up with her injections and make sure her vitals stay strong."

Without waiting for a response, he made his way out of the lab and down to the loading bay where he disembarked. True to form, Ryarya was waiting for him at the entrance to the temple. Something seemed to be agitating her.

"What's happened?" Artemis questioned her, inclining his head.

"The Doctor," she said, not bothering to look back at him. "He's gone looking for the medallion while Emma is to question villagers."

"We'll be quick then. The ship's cloaking device should keep it out of reach of prying minds like his. And, even if he were to enter, our comrades would gladly show him the way out." He paused. "You have the medallion still, don't you?"

She nodded, pulling out the medallion by the string she kept it attached to around her neck. "He won't find it so long as I have it. Let us go now before he comes to close. It makes me nervous to know that he might find her."

The two set off towards the village once again. Before they reached the gate that now lay in broken tatters thanks to Ryarya's earlier attack, Ryarya slipped away to find a good spot to keep watch on Artemis from. It wouldn't take Emma long to reach the village, and he knew how to put on a good act. He had a few tricks up his sleeve. The villagers were still in a panic, so he made his way over to the family of the recently snatched "victim" and began a theatrical performance of a concerned stranger who was investigating the scene and trying to help. He even had the perfect costume outfitted for the event. To others, it would appear to be traditional Mayan garments, but he was still wearing his usual clothes. Thanks to Ryarya's technology, he was able to pull off quite a show. Now all he had to do was keep up the charade and wait.

Emma tilted her head slightly as the Doctor told her she wasn't asking the right questions. Before she could comment on it, he had suggested that they split up, her talk to the villagers while he went looking for the medallion.
"Alright, that would work." She agreed. She could talk to various people, gather more information and see if she could find out if anyone knew of any people who would fit in with her profile of the man behind this operation. She might be able to talk to some more of those under his control, and find out more about him, and about how the 'minions' were kept under his control.  

As she watched the Doctor take off to begin his investigation, Emma took a look around and then walked down the steps of the temple, her feet moving fast to bring her down to the bottom swiftly, while her mind was deep in thought. She vaguely wondered what the Doctor meant by not underestimating the power of the mind, but  she soon focused on other things, like where to begin her own search.  An apothecary, perhaps. If the unsub was using drugs to make the victim cooperate without struggling, then he may be getting what he needs from a 'pharmacist', A.K.A. apothecary, in this time period.  She took a look around and then set off into the village to find the apothecary place.

After talking to the apothecary, Emma had not found anything out. She frowned a little to herself and tried to think of where else she might be able to check for info.  Something caught her attention, however, and she ventured a little closer.  Someone was making quite a show about expressing condolences to the grieving family of a victim, from the looks of it.  Emma stood on the edge of the small crowd that had gathered, listening and watching the man.  One thing she noticed about him was that he didn't appear to be one of the natives. Sure, he seemed to be dressed like them, but his skin said otherwise.  The natives had darkish skin, and this guy had the color skin like a white man with a slight tan.  

The more she watched the man, the more suspicious she became.  She took a few notes on her notepad about this, making note of how the man acted and how he looked. After finishing her notes, she watched the possibly suspect from a slight distance, positioning herself where she could watch him discreetly without being too easily noticed. She was debating about following him after he left, but she wasn't too sure if that was the best plan. Maybe if she met up with the Doctor soon, they could both follow him.. unless of course the Doctor had another plan in mind. Still, she was getting a strong sense of unease about this man, and while she reminded herself not to label the guy and rule out any other suspects. She didn't want to be narrow minded and get 'tunnel vision' about the case..

The Doctor kept low, his head titled down and his body stretched out in a bent over position as he maneuvered through the seemingly endless tunnels underneath the temple. With the help of his trusty screwdriver and deduction, The Doctor was able to find the hidden door leading him where he was right now. Facing a maze and no idea where to go. Flicking his sonic screwdriver out, he scanned the surrounding stone walls and released an aggravated sigh at the results, "Nothing" he mumbled, "Of course..nothing but stones. How do you expect to get a reading? Come on Doctor...think".

Touching the tip of his front teeth, The Doctor thought deeply before continuing his journey and choosing the right option. Boiling it down to a I don't like the left mental process, The Doctor mentally prayed his choice payed off as he helplessly strode down the path set in front of him. Then suddenly there was life. Sound began to become more prominent as he continued through the maze; echoes of machines cranking and buttons beeping. The temperature began to slowly increase as audible shots of steam rose up in the distance; stopping, The Doctor looked at the ceiling above him. "But where's the heat escaping too?" The Doctor asked himself out loud, bursting into a run, The Doctor finished the remaining maze and was immediately welcomed into a open room.

Machines lined the walls, steam escaping from exhaust pipes as turbines and cranks moved and ran on the highest settings they could possibly go. In the center of the room stood the idol, placed in the center of where all wires from the machines converged, the object shined like the sun. Slowly, The Doctor sauntered up to the stone carved object, the center engraved the frame of the medallion. Running his hand over the idol, The Doctor immediately pulled it back, "Heat..." he hissed, his mind quickly beginning to bounce of ideas and the images around him. "Yes!...No!..hold on, hold on. Yes...of course!" The Doctors eyes widened as a light sparked in his mind but his attention quickly averted to the priests walking into the underground room via a different hidden entrance.

Bolting behind a nearby generator, The Doctor watched from afar as three priests and the shaman approached the idol and slowly began to pick it up and carry it out of the room. Just as they were about to exit, The Doctor jumped out, "Oi!" he proclaimed, holding out his screwdriver, "Stop right there!....If you don't want to become ashes i highly recommend you do exactly..as i say"; The Doctor arched his eyebrow.

Artemis was rather enjoying his own performance with the locals. They seemed to be eating out of the palm of his hand with every word. The family that he was pretending to console, though he knew exactly where their daughter went, seemed to be clinging to every bit of confidence they could find. Lucky for Artemis, part of his training growing up centered on successful interactions with the locals. His part of town wasn't the liveliest and you always had to watch your back. He had picked up his charm from then on. It wasn't tough to follow through on.

"Why don't you tell me what happened?" he said smoothly, gently squeezing the mother's shoulders as she wept uncontrollably.

"My baby, she is gone!" she answered through sobs. "The goddess has taken her to be sacrificed! Our home...she destroy our home and village! Green eyes...hands that produce fire and smoke...the earth shook...a-and...my baby is gone!"

Artemis cast a long look around, acting as though he were surveying the surrounding parts of the destroyed village. He spotted Emma not too far away, but kept his eyes on the village. He had to hand it to Ryarya. When he told her to make an impression, she did. The village, to put it simply, was in ruins thanks to her. Cracks ran through the grounds, revealing open parts of the earth between the raised edges. Smoke still steamed towards the sky from the charred remains of the village houses. Anything that had been set out was thrown askew or uprooted from a massive force of wind. Not a whole lot was left. It took all he had not to smile a little at her work. She had done well.

He turned his attention back to the family, asking them questions about what their daughter looked like and if they had any enemies that may want to do away with her. He also questioned them on the "goddess" that had destroyed the village. It seemed that they had their own rumors circulating about Ryarya. Some were rather entertaining. He knew that she was nearby, and would hear the conversation, just waiting for the right moment to pounce.

Meanwhile, in the underground passage, three of Artemis's men were leading the shaman down to where the idol was being kept. It was the safest location they could find for it that would still connect to the ship's interior upstairs. They were, of course, native to the time period and not in their right state of mind thanks to a little tampering, but their were obedient. They escorted the shaman down the tunnels silently and only spoke when they reached the interior to the hidden room.

Soft whispers echoed throughout the room near where the idol sat on its pedestal connected to the ship's energy ports. Most were inaudible, but the words, "I'm so sorry," and "Help me," could be made out every now and then. The priests led the shaman up to the idol and began unplugging it from the ports.

"You know what you must do," the one priest said to the shaman.

The priests did not seem surprised when the Doctor popped out of his hiding place and pointed his weapon at them. In fact, they seemed like they were expecting it.

"Welcome, Doctor," said the first, bowing. "We've been expecting you."

"You are to witness the rise of the goddess," said the second. "Please follow us."

Emma watched the man that she was sure was the unsub. She was trying to think how she could prove that he was the unsub, without going after him solo and putting herself in danger. While she thought on this, she let her gaze stray around the village. She noticed it looked like there had been a bomb to go off here, and she wondered what could have happened. She frowned as she looked around, then she got the attention of a nearby villager.
"Exuse me.. hello. I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wondering, what happened to the village? I seem to have missed something.." She asked, keeping a polite tone. The villager turned to her with wide eyes. She could tell they were both surprised that she didn't already know, and also frightened by the things going on.
"The goddess of destruction has visited upon our village, how do you not know this?" He replied nervously. "She appeared from within a cloak of air and used her powers to bring destruction and death! The ground shook, and fire came and burned our homes, and she carries a weapon that spouts fire and lightning.." The poor man seemed distraught, and gave the best description he could. Emma immediately thought that it seemed like something that came from another era, such as the future, or perhaps another planet entirely. She frowned as she listened, trying to think of what this could be.

"I'm sorry about the damage to your village." She said sympathetically. "What happened then?" She asked.
The man pointed toward the family being 'consoled' by the unsub.
"She stole their daughter and then disappeared into nothing!" He said, frowning. Emma frowned as well, thinking over this.
"Thank you.." she said quietly to the villager, and let him go on his way while she thought over this information. She subtly watched the unsub, waiting for him to move so she could follow at a distance. It may not be the most tactically sound thing to do, but she didn't have any backup except the Doctor, and had no idea where he was. She hung around where she could watch without being easily seen, and thought over a few ideas about what the 'goddess' might be.


(ooc; Hi, sorry about the long absence. Been busy, then had started on a reply, computer decided to restart when i wasn't looking, so i lost it, then was busy, and finally found the time to write it so yeah..)

ooc; bump.. are you still interested in this one, guys?