Condemned... (To be continued)

[g!rl_k.s.a.]

"So how long is this analysis going to take if you have a good estimate?" Maya asked as she hid behind Firago. "I have a few ideas on what it might be."

[Elemental Ninja]

Ignuss stepped back from the puddle, "If the chemical is based off an element I can remove that part of the chemical, However this cave has a strange aura to it I might not be able to use magic."

[g!rl_k.s.a.]

"How does it have a strange aura? Is the cave's aura trying to corrupt you and prevent you from using magic?" Maya asked. She looked back and forth from everybody.

[Yoshiken]

Hansen was already way ahead of them in getting away from the puddle after the cave began to shake. In fact, he had sprinted back to the opening of the mine without looking back. He wasn't about to let himself get buried alive. After he reached the entrance, he looked over his shoulder to see that no one had followed him.

"Hey guys!" Hansen yelled in the direction of the cave. "I don't think dying will help us get closer to knowing what this substance is! I suggest we talk in a safer spot!"

He wasn't expecting them to listen immediately though. He decided to investigate the immediate area, looking for the cause of the tremors. He didn't stray far from the cave entrance however, so that he could hear and help the rest of the group in case they hit any troubling scenarios.

[g!rl_k.s.a.]

"Well when you put it that way then I do not wanna be in here when it comes down, so health and happiness." she ran from the cave to where Hansen was and hid behind him, which would look kind of foolish.

[Teal]

Soon the rumbling got more violent. Pieces of the ceiling became loose and plunged into the corrosive puddle. The resulting splash got more parts of the cave wet and made them melt effectively making it unstable.

Firago: "We need to get out of here the whole place is gonna cave in!" He started to run out toward the entrance but he dropped his red gun. "Ack! No!" He went back for it and tripped. "I HATE MY BAD LUCK!" A rock fell and broke against his head. "Grrrr!"

The entire area began to collapse and it appeared that Firago's fate was sealed. Just then a figure came running as if out of no where. It stopped and picked up a fumbling Firago carrying him out before the mine caved in.

Firago: "Let me go! I don't need help from you! In fact who are you supposed to be?"

The figure turned out to be a black yoshi. He was wearing a brown vest, an old-western hat, a leather whip on his left side, and a revolver in a holster on his right side. He had a striking image of a stereotypical cowboy.

"Names dun matter in this world anymore...What were you doing in that mine? You ain't trying to grave rob from Old Town are ya?"

The sky had become thick with clouds. It looked like it was going to rain soon.

[Elemental Ninja]

Ignuss began sprinting from the cave when a huge rock crushed his left foot, "Gah! Don't worry about me just get yourselves out of here!" Ignuss attempted to push the boulder off but it was too heavy, "Guess I failed Ninjo I'm sorry." "Oh your not done yet!" came a booming voice as a Black yoshi swept in and brought Ignuss out of the cave and set him down.

[g!rl_k.s.a.]

Maya looked to the Yoshi that was a cowboy then looked back to Firago. "No. We weren't trying to rob the cave. We were trying to see if we could find out more about the virus that turned people into stones." Maya looked over at the cowboy. "How is it that you are not petrified?"

[Zyph]

As soon as the rumbling became more violent at a certain point, he immediately reverts his sights to normal, turns around, and sprints towards outside of the cave without saying another word. Along the way he saw Firago tripped down and soon later a black Yoshi pass by carrying Firago and later Ignuss.

Erlosung was a bit behind, but at the last few seconds, decided to manipulate the internal electrical powers he has within, amplified his leg muscles, sprinted faster and jumped out through the cave mouth right before it caved in, somersaulting and later a midair barrel roll, and then finally landed right next to the newcomer Yoshi with style.

He then just resumes looking at the rods a bit, then puts them down. He then looked at the black Yoshi, gave the Yoshi a short stare, and then at the sky.

"The chemicals in that puddle has been analyzed, though however... I'm not liking those clouds... Possible acidic rain..."

[Teal]

"A pair of black yoshis both appear out of nowhere and 'saved' the ones who tripped trying to escape from the cave in...very suspicious," Firago said.

The cowboy yoshi looked at everyone in the group and heard Maya's question. "That's a question I'd like an answer for too. I wish the virus would petrify me because I have no point in living on now. You callin me suspicious? I'd say you are all the suspicious ones and I don't know who the heck this fella is! Is he with you too?" He points at the ninja-esque yoshi.

"Whatever." Firago said while looking up at the clouds. "I'll ask your names later. I agree with incognito here let's find some shelter and discuss how we can get through the mine in its current state."

Firago started walking down the hill back into town followed by the cowboy. He examined each of the buildings which almost all of them are half-destroyed. It started sprinkling.

A drop fell on the back of Firago's head. It was indeed acid rain and it caused a minor stinging sensation. "I think this one will do, it's better than nothing." He rubbed the back of his head from the discomfort and opens the door of a medium-sized building which appears to have the least damage.

If someone stopped to examine to rain drops they would find out that it has the same properties of the chemical puddle.

[g!rl_k.s.a.]

"Well we are trying to find a cure for this, so we can hope that we can reverse it, but right now it doesn't look good." Maya nodded her head. "But thanks for pulling him out of there." Maya said to the cowboy Yoshi. "You a rancher?"

[Elemental Ninja]

Ninjo carried Ignuss inside the building and set him down when Ignuss exclaimed, "Sensei?! You're alive!" "Very much so but those magikoopas almost had me, and I must say we can't continue your Taijutsu training in this state. However, we can continue your Bōryaku and others." "Yes sensei." "Now to you who don't know me I am Ninjoshi Hiroto. Grand Master of Ninjutsu. Pleased to have your acquaintance."

[g!rl_k.s.a.]

"Hello its nice to meet you. I'm glad that we have more heroes." Maya said. But she was more preoccupied with the handsome cowboy Yoshi. "I'm sure that we might be able to get a cure. We just have to look for it."

[Zyph]

Erlosung just followed after Firago as fast as possible, trying not to be exposed to the acid rain for too long. Once inside, he analyzes the acid rain and finds it is the same chemical from earlier. Immediately he takes a neutralizing chemical, dampen a cloth with the chemical and wiped the acid rain droplets off him, drying afterward with a different cloth, preventing any further damage on his chemical-resistant attire.

He then looked at the others, particularly the two newcomer black yoshis. One of them hasn't told their name but the other's name is Ninjoshi Hiroto.

"Hello... So two more...?"

He looked at the cowboy for a while, then at Ninjo.

"A ninja of a high level... hmm... interesting."

Erlosung then just contented himself by just analyzing Ninjo and his potentials silently and discreetly, his lenses shifted a slight bit.

[g!rl_k.s.a.]

Maya looked at the cowboy and smiled at him. "Would you like to help us try to look for a cure for the petrification progress?" she said, examining him.

[Teal]

Firago and the cowboy went into the building. Firago was in deep thought.

"Nah I'm no rancher," The cowboy coldly said. "I used to be a bounty hunter but as you can see...there's no point in claiming rewards now. I can care less about finding a cure for this virus but since I've got nothin better to do..." The cowboy was indifferent toward Maya.

"A ninja? And you two know each other? Excellent!" Firago said. "We need to be stealthy for our mission we could use some help from a ninja. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The cowboy sat down in a corner and brought out an old harmonica. He starts playing a slow surreal prison-like tune.

It smelled dusty in the old building, old pieces of tumbleweed rest on the ground. There were old horseshoes nailed to the wall and there were spots with evidence there used to be one there. There was a usable stairway leading up. On the ground near the back of the building was a destroyed bullhorn that evidently fell from its mount crashing onto the floor.

"We need to find some way into the mine...how the heck will we pull that off?" Firago said to the group.

[g!rl_k.s.a.]

"Maybe there is a secret entrance somewhere around here we can go into?" Maya asked. She looked at the cowboy and felt sad for him. "I'm sure that you'll have something to live for."

[Elemental Ninja]

Ignuss then spoke up, "Me and my Sensei can help clear a way through the earth, but that was a huge crash." "Well with some properly performed Chi-Mon we could get through that... but Ignuss you haven't gotten that far in training yet have you?" "No Sensei." "Very well. Then we'll use Shinobi-iri. Sui-ren could be used to enter as well."
(For those who have no Idea what I'm saying.)

[g!rl_k.s.a.]

"Well just as long as we can get in there without dying, we'll be fine. Anyway, does anybody know what kinda of chemicals the puddle was?"

[Zyph]

"The chemical in the puddle... From what I can see, it's build up consists of *says what the chemicals consist of* ... and that was what is in that chemical puddle so far... I didn't really get to fully analyze it and may have missed some details. It appears however to be a build up of various polluted sources and perhaps even also from the various volcanic eruptions before... you know, the ones that occurred after that person's execution?

Overall, I will currently conclude it is a rather moderate corrosive acid based on the rough analysis I made... Nothing too much to worry about I would assume, least for now... Nonetheless that acid can kill with enough exposure, but least it apparently isn't toxic, or otherwise some of us would be by now suffering from effects of toxic. The chemical may be more corrosive or less corrosive than what I conclude... afterall these are just assumptions. If I really want to give deep details of what are the chemicals in that puddle, then I'd need to be in a laboratory, which we are not."

He then look at Ignuss and Ninjo.

"Hmm... so those skills of Ninjutsu...? What do I remember about Ninjutsu, though I don't necessarily practice it; only read something about it before; it was my hobby to read about various arts. Something about.. earth... entering methods... and water... respectively... I'm not sure exactly. I'm now rather interested on what exactly you will do..."

He then looks at the cowboy Yoshi.

"Hmm..."