Take Back the Crown

Recognizing the gaze that crossed the man's face, and then hearing him declare to keep his curiosity alive, actually made his cheeks, as well as his ears, flash a few shades brighter. Countless times he had figured most to consider that trait rather irritating, so to hear somebody insist otherwise, fully made him feel like a bashful child again. "I'll keep that in mind, I would hate to let my days be full of boredom after all the excitement of this trip." He chuckled before quieting again, continuing to watch as the elders tampered back and forth with the device. He then noticed a group of the others at the feet of the sphinx, almost itching to go see what was happening, but not wanting to be rude if it shouldn't concern him. Instead, he excused himself from the two, still wanting to find a reason to hide after all, and made a bee line for a friendly face. "well, that depends on who's opinion it is...." he muttered to himself before approaching Valeiah with a slightly too enthusiastic wave. "I noticed you dodged the riddles." He whispered with a half-smirk.


@GlytchMeister@Lo Alyssa@Danika
 
Nameen blinked at the honey cube held out to her, a silent gesture of thanks.  The elf then walked wordlessly away after she accepted it, leaving Nameen wondering where her encouraging words had come from.  It seemed helping others was much easier than facing her own internal dilemma.  


She placed the sweet cube on her tongue, turning to examine the markings decorating the walls.  She placed her palm on the cool surface.  The magic that flowed through the stone hummed under her skin, like the heartbeat of some great beast.  


Tilting her head, Nameen drew her hand away and placed it gingerly over her blinded eye.  What am I supposed to do? 


Letting her hand fall, Nameen's eye flickered over towards the Sphinx once again, tempted to inquire of her everything she desperately wanted to know.  What kept her from asking however was one thought.  


She'll answer me in riddles, I'll leave here more confused than ever.  Also, something about the all knowing creature just made Nameen want to crawl into her shell.  


Turning away frustrated, Nameen stalked back into the entrance chamber to wait for their departure. 
 
            "Nah," Ashlar laughed, "I'm sure as time passes they'll come to accept us. But that is what it will take... time. People are very untrustworthy these days." He wrapped his arm around her in a friendly way, rubbing her with his thumb, "It meant a lot to me." He said with an exhale, "It has been too long since anyone has come to my aid or thought well enough of me to see past my flaws... I truly appreciate it Aggie."


            His smile faded and his ears flattened against his head as he heard footsteps behind them. He turned his head to see Nameen; the scarred sword wielder. "Has the Sphinx bored you so?" He asked her jokingly.





            Lucas listened and watched intently as the farmiliar demonstrated. When he handed the gleaming sword back to him, Lucas adjusted the way he held it before taking a stance and trying it himself. With a few swings in, his lips curled into a smile. "It feels much more comfortable and sturdy at least!" He said, glancing from his sword gripping hand and then back at Dorian. He sheathed it and gave a small nod, "Thank you for the advice."





            "Well, I suggest you speak with her soon because I intend to leave as soon as possible." She chuckled at Nick before sitting herself down with a sigh, "We have taken the time to celebrate. But there are still five more stones to locate, and something tells me this journey will only get harder as time goes on. Kvacht may now perceive us as a real threat, his retribution will be swift." She would have continued, but noticed Oceana approach from the side. Svetlana stood to meet her, "Ah, young elf. Is there something you need?" She said, knowing the elf probably did not come over for idle chat.





            The Sphinx's gaze softened ever so slightly at the question, "You will be glad to here that my answer for this question is quite straightforward." She offered a smile before continuing, "There are no accidents. All that is, was always meant to be. Fate does not make mistakes when it comes to the destinies of the lives and the worlds around us... if you are here, it has always been because you were meant to be. Most of your company may believe that they joined this quest out of their free will, and while that is true, there is something far greater that has brought you all together- and those you will meet on the road, all of those that will leave, and all of those that will die. You have a long journey ahead of you, young sylph. Take heart that you were always meant to be apart of it."



 
​
 
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Bo listened quietly as Phaedra asked her question, his gaze softening as she asked it. It was a very vulnerable question to ask, but a part of him was glad she asked the sphinx. Even though he'd suspected that that question had been lingering in her mind for quite some time (her lifetime, really), he knew that it would always help to hear the truth again and again from other people. A small smile grew on his face at the sphinx's answer, and he looked to Phaedra for her response. He put a hand reassuringly onger shoulder, and nodded. He wanted to say something, but he held his tongue. He wanted to let the sphinx's words sink in.


@TeeKay @Lo Alyssa
 

As the Sphinx spoke, Phaedra's gaze slowly made its way down to her dusty boots, gently hovering above the ground. She felt a mix of emotions: relief for not being laughed out of the desert, embarrassment for asking, comfort from the Sphinx's wisdom, and a bitter hollowness in her heart. If she did belong and she was meant to be here, why didn't everyone act like it? Though the Sphinx said that her answer was quite straightforward, it was still a puzzle that Phaedra had to work out. Still, overall, the message resonated with her. It would just take time to sink in.
​


'Take heart that you were always meant to be a part of it.'
​


 
​


"Thank you."
​


Her odd-colored eyes raised to meet the Sphinx once again, this time with the hint of a smile, sad and small, though a small measure of relief was visible. As Bo placed his hand on her shoulder, Phaedra's smile broadened slightly. She made a friend and a handful of good acquaintances by this point. She needed to remind herself of this.
​


"I can't take anymore of your time than I have. After this is over - if I'm still alive - I will come see you again. Hopefully, a pleasurable visit, rather than strictly business."
​


 
​


With that, she turned to leave and join the others. Perhaps Bo would ask a question as well, or perhaps he would follow her - Phaedra didn't think to ask, her mind buzzing with activity. Retrieving the sunstone was well and good and probably the best thing to happen that entire day, week, year, but the inner peace that she was on her way to achieving was invaluable.
​


 
​

 
Oceana sat next to the elder of their group, her question already answered by Svetlana's actions. 


They would be staying at least for a while.


So she decided she would just sit near and pass the time.


"It's nae anything in particular, perhaps I simply wish to keep your company." She murmured with a smirk, the gladness of retrieving the first stone still wafting through the chamber.


@Lo Alyssa
 
"I'm not smart enough to solve riddles. I would've gotten myself killed." Valeiah snorted at Foxrun's comment. "That would be a waste of time. Walk all this way to be slashed up because of my stupidity."


@GalacticRam 
 
Nameen had walked out of the Sphinx's chamber with the intention of being alone, a plan which quickly failed upon her seeing Ashlar and Aggie speaking softly in the entrance hall.  She veered to the side, hoping to scoot around them unnoticed, but such was not the case.  


Nameen halted, mildly surprised at Ashlar's light tone, considering how she'd snapped at him after the canyon incident.  


"I need to find the answers to my questions on my own," she stated plainly.  


@Lo Alyssa @Tater
 
"That would not be a very fun way to go." He agreed, yet he couldn't keep his smile held back as he went on "you know, she knows everything. Literally. And she still let it slide. I'm in awe." He then glanced around as others seemed to settle down. "As much as this pyramid is amazing, I hope we make our way soon. We have to go back for the caravans before we can move on. And I'm very bored of seeing the sand." He stated with a slight sigh 


@Danika
 
            "Good reasoning." Ashlar said with lifted eyebrows at her response, "It seems you and I think similarly. That is also the reason I did not consult with her, though the opportunity to speak with a Sphinx was very tempting." He got to his feet and extended a hand to Aggie, "Shall we wait by the horses? I have a feeling we'll be leaving soon."



 
​


            The Sphinx gave the two a nod before they turned to leave. She glanced around the room, her head turning slowly and smoothly like that of an owl. Her golden eyes spotted Svetlana near a corner and she promptly did something she had not done in ages-


            She stood up.


            Her large pearly wings flitted ever so gently as she picked up her heavy weight. Without a sound, she took a graceful step off of her resting place, her tail hardly sweeping the dusty ground. She turned and elegantly strode towards the small group accumulated around the witch. Svetlana had just got done saying, "Unexpected." In response to the elf's approach. But soon her head was tilted in the beasts direction.


            "Also unexpected." She uttered again as she looked up to meet the Sphinx's gaze, "When was the last time you used your legs?" She asked jokingly.


            "You know, I have quite forgotten. Too long, that is for sure." She said with a toothy grin, but the smile vanished from her face as she continued to a more serious topic, "Elder one, you have five more stones to go. As much as I enjoy all of your company, time is of the essence, let us not waste it. I will personally send you and your group back to your original starting point to save you some of that precious time." She said, turning yet again to lead the group out of the pyramid. Knowing the others would have heard the Sphinx's resonant voice, Svetlana followed without a word, merely glancing at the others to make sure they were following as well. The Sphinx closed her eyes in gladness as her skin finally met the warm rays of the sun, she exhaled slowly, breathing the clear dry air. But the moment was brief.


            She slowly stood up on her hind legs, but then brought her paws down to the sand forcefully, puffing sand into the air. A spark cracked out of the ground where she had struck, the sand instantly catching fire. The fire formed a large and perfect ring, leaving a scorched black circle in its place as the fire dissipated.The charred sand sizzled, wisps of smoke were quickly carried away in the wind. The Sphinx stood up and raised her head to look down at the group before her.


            Svetlana nodded to the creature, knowing what magic she had in mind. She took a horse by the reigns and stepped inside of the circle, there was plenty more room for the rest of her companions. Following her example, the others grabbed supplies or a horse and took their place inside the ring. After which, the majority looked up at the Sphinx, awaiting her next move.


            When the last one entered the ring, she smiled at them, "Although some of you did not have the opportunity to speak with me, trust me when I say that all your questions, in time, will be answered. I wish that you could stay here for the night; explore and relax. There will come a day when you can, but it is not this day. You have a long and hard journey ahead of you, time is hard to come by, and should be spent wisely- not here." She bowed slightly to them, "Thank you for the company and the entertainment, I shall not soon forget it. Should you need me, I will answer your call." She directed the end of that statement towards the princess, who looked on confusedly as she did not specify how. The Sphinx looked to the sky, the was sun already well past its apex, "I will depart from you with a warning." She said, returning her soul piercing gaze to the group, her stare mystically meeting all of their eyes at once, "You will see death and suffering before the end. Betrayals, losses, deceit, partings, and conflict all await you. Should your company fall? It will not be at Kvacht's hand, but at your own... But do not let these hardships discourage you. For I can see that you will succeed in your goal, albeit unexpectedly, all sacrifices made will pave the road to a brighter future. Be wary, on guard, and ever vigilant, my friends. May the Dayar be with you... I know they will be." She added cryptically.


            With that, she lifted herself from the ground, her wings stretching out from either side of her. With heavy beats she flapped them, kicking up sand and dust in a furious wind. As she continued the rhythmic pattern, the sand enveloped them in a cyclone, her figure slowly disappearing from view as the veil of dust thickened. A clear ring filled the air, and wind seemed to push up from beneath them, surprisingly not spooking the horses. Distorted voices and sounds could be heard as the tempest seemed to diverge.


            There was a loud clash, and the sand departed. The group hadn't moved at all, nor did it feel like they had been transported somewhere. Yet, before them was a group of frightened dwarves who must have fallen to the ground in surprise at the sudden intrusion.


            They were back at the dwarven encampment.


            "I just fixed that too." One of the dwarves complained staring at the floor. Svetlana look under her feet to see she was standing on a table- er, what was left of it. The wooden masterpiece was now split in twain and scattered in pieces. "Oh, I am quite sorry about that." The witch apologized, politely stepping off. She must have teleported us here on purpose, just for a laugh without a doubt, she thought to herself.


            "You just love dramatic entrances, don't you Svetlana?" A mildly annoyed but relieved voice sounded to their right. It was Sverrir who was standing in the doorway with his tattooed arms crossed.


            "No. It is just payback for catching Bo and I in a net." Yaroslav interjected with a smile towards the old man who merely muttered and waved his hand in dismissal.


@ everyone
​


(sorry for doing a skip, I know some people wanted more Spinx interaction but the roleplay has been slow and I needed to keep it moving forward. We may meet her again if we get far enough in the plot).
​
 
Garrett, Dorian and Kacel'la all reacted calmly to the Sphinx's magic.


However when they reappeared, Kacel’la couldn't help but let out a quiet laugh at the faces of the dwarves around the group, Dorian smirked in amusement and Garrett fought back a smile, because laughing seemed rather rude.


"You call this dramatic?" Kacel'la joked at the remark Sverrir had thrown to Svetlana. "I think dramatic requires something more creative."


"For the love of all you hold dear, please never show us what you mean with dramatic." Dorian mumbled just barely loud enough for the elf to hear.


@Lo Alyssa
 
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Nick heaved a heavy sigh before grumbling,  "Of course.  I'd forgotten about this.  The curse of the academic in an adventure... Just when the learning gets good, you have to leave."  He looked down and noted his foot had landed in a bowl of soup.  "...Yyyup.  So that's how today is gonna go, huh?  Awesome."  He looked around at the startled dwarves, glancing at the dwarf whose soup he had just stepped in.  "Uh... Hi.  How are ya?  Is there a place I can buy at least some basic alchemy supplies in town by any chance?"  He leaned toward Svetlana, whispering, "I promise I'll be quick, but I am sort of... Out... Of pretty much everything..."


@Lo Alyssa
 
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Oceana remembered a whirlwind of sand just before everything went black and her head smashed into the corner of something.


She groaned as her consciousness returned, her head throbbing heavily.


Curses! Curses! Useless, acute senses! She mentally berated.


She sat up, gingerly, to observe two broken wood furniture legs, two identical broken plates, four of her bare feet...


She clenched her eyes at an unexpectedly harsh throb. Upon opening them, everything was back to normal.


Except the smashed table beneath her bottom, and everyone else's feet.


An annoyed Sverrir stood by, bickering with Svetlana.


"Many apologizes..." she murmured to the dwarves surrounding them, trying her best to look unfazed as she got up off the ground and dusted herself off.


There were still splinters of wood in her long, ebony hair, sticking out every which way, making her look like a deranged porcupine.


She didn't notice, blaming the weird feeling she had on the effects of teleportation magic.


@/ anyone...?
 
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It honestly wasn't too surprising to himself that such an ancient being would produce such an effortless task such as teleporting the entire lot of them in one moment with some massive magic. And he was more than grateful. The dull sand dunes that they had passed to get to the pyramid were something he didn't really wish to see any longer than necessary. 


He blinked, however, completely taken off guard that they were standing in what seemed to be left of dinner, and the table...And as he glanced around he noticed the tanned elf picking herself up. He winced slightly at how...unsettled she was, even if she tried to hide it. "Sensory overload?" He didn't really aim it at her like a question, given it was pretty obvious that was exactly what it was. "Uh, don't get mad, but," he reached out and plucked a sliver of the wood from her hair "there's quite a few of these."


@OlKaJa77
 
Oceana looked up at the fae man and tilted her head, a silent inquiry at why he was looking at her so strangely.


"...there's quite a few of these." He said, holding out a sliver of wood that he had retrieved from her inky tresses.


"Gak!" The elf muttered, feeling around in her hair. She pulled free a couple more chips of wood.


Her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment and looked up through her mused fringe at Foxrun.


"Could you... help me? I cannae... the rest of them are still..."


She ducked her head further, ashamed that she, a grown woman, would need assistance to clean her hair of the offending splinters.


@GalacticRam
 
It took him a moment to actually respond, now this was the true surprise. Yet he played it off as if it didn't have an affect on his demeanor. He knew how much pride she carried after all, so with a shrug, yet the smallest hint of a grin, he nodded. "Yeah. That doesn't seem like a fun thing to deal with." He admitted while picking for the rest of the intruders "luckily you don't have curly hair. I imagine this task would be much more of a challenge."


@OlKaJa77
 
Oceana rolled her shoulders uncomfortably, and tried to relax despite the fact that there was a someone who was practically a stranger touching her hair.


"Yes well." She said stiffly "There arenae many elves with curly hair. It's simply uncommon." 


The huntress sighed wistfully.


"Although I cannae say any of them would look any less beautiful with varied appearances."


A small smile graced tattoed lips. Aquamarine eyes misted over with memories.


"Actually, once there was this woman walking in our forest. I had to stay quiet and my cousin tried to drag me away but I... she was so pretty! I felt I had to say something but it was against the rules because she was a hu-"


Oceana froze.


She almost couldn't believe what she just said. She was stock still, a statue of silent self-mortification.


Humans don't care. Humans destroy. Humans are neglectful. They lie and steal and cheat andkillandbetrayandloveandgrieveand wish and save... 


A hiss of annoyance escaped the huntress' lips and she fought a sudden sick feeling in her stomach. Still, she let Foxrun touch her hair.


@GalacticRam
 
At the very sight of the large circle, Bo anticipated a great display of magic on the Sphinx's part, and he was not disappointed. The whirlwind of sand amazingly, didn't get in his eyes, but instead, seemed to transport them miles away - back to where they began, with the dwarves. He held his horse, Santo, close, even though she seemed pretty at peace with the incredible magic occurring around them (maybe the Sphinx talked to the animals, for all he knew, that was entirely possible). As the sand and dust cleared, he laughed at the dwarves's expressions, rather uncontrollably at first, but then he saw the broken table and spoiled meals beneath the feet and bodies of half their crew. Then the laughter subsided, but not without much effort on his part, as the dwarves's reactions were still hilarious. (His entire life, he always secretly dreamt of causing someone to do a spit-take, and while not everyone may have noticed, he noticed a dwarf mid-sip spit out a good amount of water onto the dwarf in front of him. Hence, the uncontrollable laughter, and why it was so hard for him to hold back his laughter and mask the smile that fought at his face.)


Yaroslav's comment made him snort, and give up on trying to stay serious entirely. Welcoming the wide smile to his lips, he gave a sincere apology to Sverrir, but also played along with Yaroslav. "You know we're terribly sorry about the table, but Yaroslav's right. We had to get you guys back somehow for how you surprised us the first time."


@Lo Alyssa 
 
He found himself smiling through her story, faltering briefly when things seemed to take an unexpected twist. He felt sorrow for the elf, she struggled daily between trusting them and wanting nothing to do with them. "You're brave, Oceana. And strong." He stated simply, and left it at that, continuing to comb his fingers through the strands. He wanted nothing more than to ask questions of course, not to pry, just to know more about the culture she seemed to treasure. However, he didn't want to tread on such a sensitive subject and make things worse at the same time, which he seemed to do more often than not with her. He waited to allow her to make the choice on where this conversation went. 


@OlKaJa77
 
Nick stood on tiptoe to look over his horse (the poor dwarves were probably not very happy about the horses being indoors...) at the armored elf before digging through his saddlebags until he found the item he was looking for - a collapsible reflector telescope he had made specifically to be compatible with his goggles.  Really need to reorganize these, I've got my scientific equipment packed in with my toothbrush... It wasn't a very powerful telescope, but it was better than nothing out in the middle of nowhere.  He pulled out a circular mirror and silently held it out to the elf - if nothing else, she could focus on the front while the Fae - dangit I forgot his name... Or did I ever learn it... Jeeze, too many damn people all at once - worked on the back of her head.


Nick didn't say anything, knowing he would probably end up putting his foot in his mouth somehow, and barely even made eye contact... But he fervently hoped this small gesture would help.  He wasn't overfond of people constantly hating him without actually really knowing him.


He didn't like it when people knew him and hated him, but it was at least someone easier to tolerate.


@OlKaJa77
 
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Oceana started, looking over her shoulder just slightly.


She scoffed a laugh, sure that Foxrun was playing a joke. She turned back forward, feeling a twinge of guilt at the pleasure of having someone touch her hair. Tugging on a stray lock she hummed, a slow haunting tune, allowing Foxrun to do what he wished with her hair.


@GalacticRam


Then a strange object was being held out to her by the strangely garbed Alchemist man. She simply stared at it and kept humming.


A mirror? she pondered, Whatever for?


The huntress was unfamiliar with human preening rituals and truly did not know why the peculiar man was offering her such a thing. 


She was truly curious, however.


"Nae to offend..." she began, the tune trailing off in the lilt of her accent, "...but what exactly does one do with this?"


She voiced the question while staring into the reflective surface. It caught a corner of her face; a bright, sea-green eye standing out about her tanned skin. 


She quickly turned it away.


@GlytchMeister
 
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(It's just a mirror from the telescope, not the whole thing)



After an unfortunately long moment... Or perhaps it just felt long, Nick noticed the elf's baffled look.  With a flick, he oriented the mirror so she could see her face and hair.  "Um.  It's so you can help get the splinters out... Y'know... Two people workin' at the same task, uh, gets it done quicker."  He spoke quietly, almost mumbling.  "It lets you see yourself?"  He breathed a sigh, feeling rather nervous.  Last time he interacted with her, she pointed an arrow at him.  "Look I'm just trying to be nice here, we got off on a bad foot..."  He looked at the Fae with a pleading expression.  "Help?  I get the distinct impression I'm botching this."


@GalacticRam


@OlKaJa77
 
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Oceana snapped her gaze away from the mirror, feeling discomfort well in her stomach with every second she looked at her reflection. 


"I know what it does!" She muttered with some ire. "I simply had nae known there were still splinters to be removed." Raising an eyebrow, she shrugged.


"I was content on letting Foxrun assist me but I suppose it would not be unexpected if he was simply tying knots in my hair vengefully." 


@GalacticRam


Deft fingers lifted the mirror, carefully tilted to only reflect the elf's hair and a slice of her tattooed forehead.


She began plucking splinters she could now see, although the mirror effect was a bit confusing.


"I cannae say I'm appreciative of these human mirrors." 


The huntress' eyes narrowed.


"There is a certain...discomfort... felt when seeing my own face."


@GlytchMeister


(yeah I was confused at first but I got it now. She also just hates mirrors)
 
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"Help?" He let out a laugh, a tad bit louder than he intended, especially at her response. Out of every possible person, he was sure he was low on the list of people to know what to say to this hot headed huntress, seeing as he usually said the exact opposite things to calm her down usually. "I'm not tying knots in it per say." He then muttered, seeing as he had aimlessly weaved a small section into a thin braid. "And I'm lucky she hasn't cut my fingers off yet." He chuckled slightly but immediately stopped when she spoke up again. "Discomfort? Why do you say that?" Although she couldn't see from where he was, his face furrowed into a mix of concern as well as confusion. 


@GlytchMeister@OlKaJa77
 
Nick grimaced and flinched slightly when the elf's voice was not initially pleased, but he recovered.  "Heh... I can't claim to fully understand the depth of your... discomfort, but I can at least relate to some extent... This face-" Nick gestured at himself, "-is not the one I was born with... Similar, but not quite.  Humans use mirrors a lot to examine ourselves when grooming, so it is rather disconcerting.  Imagine... Hmm.  Imagine one of your hands suddenly looking different from the other.  As if it belonged to another person.  It's... Jarring.  It takes some gettin' used to."  Nick stepped back, both out of a sense of self-preservation when the elf narrowed her eyes and respect and courtesy, recognizing she might be feeling vulnerable.


Internally, Nick was groaning and resisting the urge to clap a hand to his face.  Of bloody course.  I offer a mirror and what happens?  She doesn't like seeing her own face.  Great.  Just wonderful.  Whatever will I do next?  Accidentally start a blood feud by offering someone my leftovers?


@OlKaJa77


Oh, crap, the Fae just asked about the face thing, why did he just ask about the face thing, why couldn't he just leave it alone, I wasn't gonna poke that with a stick... Please don't break my mirror on his face, please don't break my mirror on his face!


"Ah, heh... Uh... *ahem*... Of course... If that's not something you wanna talk about, it's alright.  No need to dig up the past, now..."  Nick shot a very pointed look at the Fae, "Right?"


@GalacticRam


Ok, if this goes south, it was not my fault.  Better make a tactical retreat before she decides to murder someone, crapcrapcrapcrap...


Nick cleared his throat a little awkwardly and looked down.  "Just... Bring it back when you're done with it.  I'm... Gonna go... Over here now...  Uh, should probably get our horses outside before one of 'em poops..."  As he retreated, Nick accidentally stepped into the same bowl of soup with his other foot.  "Oh, bloody hell..."
 
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