Fantasy The Four Courts RP [closed]

- Yael/Nahum (Unaffiliated) – Temple of Life -
Endless Thundaza
Nahum actually had no answer for that. It was a tough decision. How could he ask that of such a young child? You had to either properly take care of your own or risk it all. When your decisions affected the future of your friends and family what kind of decisions should you make? Would you give up the lives of your friends for following your gut feeling? They had done it, centuries ago when they had everything and nothing to lose at the same time. A sacrifice made selflessly because there was no other choice and no one else could do it. But he could not possibly ask that of her now could he? "Then allow me to remain close, and be careful." He whispered. "For the crown that you bear grows heavier at every passing moment within this place."

- Vincent (Ignis Court) – Vicus Elbii - Windmill House –
RikuXIII Thanny Elrandir

Vincent would feel the mouse run across from his boot, a shiver running up his spine as he bit down on his tongue. The scent of suburban decay mixed with the already accumulating heaps that surrounded the place. Dust and rotten wood mixed with long crumbling infrastructure. There was no way that this woman was still here. Not alive. Vincent was feeling absolute dread. What if they were too late? What if she had already died long ago and they had not been able to reach her in time and their single lead was gone with the wind? But, they had Pali! Members of the Umbra Court could communicate with the dead, correct?! Even if they did end up finding something...unsavory, maybe they could communicate with her spirit to ask questions. They could request for an audience via a seance and hope that her spirit was in a passive enough state to actually answer any questions. It was turning his stomach uncomfortably, but that was just a Vincent reaction to him thinking ahead. Of possible scenarios and ideas, routes that stretched out like roots from a plant where every possible choice led to an outcome. Alas, he hesitated, but he would knock again, watching the dust of the doorway dissipate. "Oh please." He whispered. Whatever ancient spirits that could hear him. Any clue. At all. If there was a dead body they could just ask Pali- aaaand someone actually answered, and Vincent must have had an expression of either at the verge of sneezing, or surprised that someone actually lived in here. Vincent's mouth opened to say anything, but he could not get the question out. Instead her cleared his throat. "Y-Yes mam. Thank you very much. Apologies for the intrusion." He spoke, making sure that he wiped away any dirt off the bottom of his boots outside before entering the household. Vincent would do as asked and remain in the parlor, removing his hat because that was just good manners, his locks showing them a bit unkempt from being under the hat as he ran a hand through them. "I am Vincent Watson, by the way. Nice to meet you."


- Arkane (Umbra Court) – Caravans: Vivifica Forest–
Scrapmaster Xion136 Nero Kunivas

Arkane was a stubborn man. He just as a stubborn as when he was a kid and the court only made it worse. He does not just give in. But he can be persuaded if he is too tired. Arkane was tired. He was pulled away, and he kept the same glare, refusing to look away from the perceived entrance for a little while longer. "A ship in harbor is safe, but that's not why ships are built. Still does not mean that I am not concerned over it sinking." He huffed. Games? He did not bring any games! His cards were purely for magic purposes. "Er, sure." He muttered, sighing a bit as he followed. No use in fighting it. "Want to play cards? Fine. Do any of us got cards? Mine are strictly for magic use. Do you have anything, Eclaire?" He scoffed. He was not about to get back into a carriage. Too much of a hassle. What could they possibly play? They did not bring entertainment since it was all business. "Wait, do we have string? We can play Cat's Cradle." He offered. He looked around, and could only find one from his flute that tied the charm to it. "We are not using the one on my hair." That was too personal. He pulled on the string and tied the two ends, before sliding it between his fingers. Once he had a hold of it he would begin to move it around. Nimble fingers already used to the work of autopsies and playing the flute making quick work of the bright red string. "And...a butterfly." He smiled, soon enough extending his hands to reveal the string having been meshed in the shape of symmetrical butterfly wings. "Bam. Mother taught me this one." He was actually rather proud he could remember after so long.

- Thea Nero - Court of Somnum - Vivifica Forest Temple -
Thanny , Scrapmaster , Stardustblade358 , Endless Thundaza , RikuXIII , Mystics Apprentice , Xion136

Thea's eye wandered towards the Umbra Maester as he spoke against the current course of action, that was to be expected, of course.
"While I would absolutely prefer to do things by how it was intended, I'm afraid there are more pressing matters working against the time we have at our disposal, Maester Lockford," Theas said to Gerik, though it was directed at everyone present.
She was sure he was not going to back down from this, even with the possibility of what was going on outside. On the other hand Aislinn looks just as determined as him, but for this path to be taken, all four of them had to agree. At this point the sound of someone slamming against her ice dome made her turn ot look at the source. Aislinn requested for the ice dome to be lowered, something that Thea didn't immediately do. They were in the middle of a ticking bomb, after all. What reason would she have to listen to the Vivifican Maestra? But the girl looked like she had something important to do, and after a few seconds that felt like minutes, she waved her hand and the ice dome disappeared.
"We are having too many interruptions, Aislinn," Thea said, "And I do not think we have enough time for those."


- Diane Corbeau - Court of Umbra - Sanctus Heights: The Streets -
Mystics Apprentice

"If you thik this is the first place we should check, then that's what we will do, Elia," Diane answered.
The walk there was pretty quiet, Diane taking the time to look at the outcome of what happen just a few days prior. Many had lost their live, their loved ones, their belongings, their ways of life, and whoever was responsible didn't care one bit. Not that the death of many people really affected Diane, not when she had taken lives before, in the name of those that had commanded her in the past, but there was something that, she realized, did affected her, and that was seeing the young girl next to her cry.
"You do not have to thank me for anything, Elia," Diane said as she stopped walking, "I can see that you love both your sister and your father very much and, even though it has been a long time, I can understand the fear of losing those you love."
Oh, she could understand that fear, alright. She had given everything up in order to help her young sister-in-law, young Alouette, and her future husband, Pietro. Only to be taken advantage of, and losing the two that mattered the most for her. She shook her head and wiped Elia's tears before offering a hug.
"However, your father is still alive, and he will get the help he needs. Miss Hasan has never failed to provide such help," Diane said, "and I am sure that your sister will be fine. That is why we must hurry up to find her."


- Incarose Vassar - Ignis Court - Vicus Elbii -
Thanny Stardustblade358 RikuXIII Mystics Apprentice

Once the door was answered and the blonde middle aged woman allowed them to go inside, Incarose took a look around the front parlor as the woman asked them to wait there.
"Thank you very much for your help," she said with a small smile, "My name is Incarose Vassar, sorry to bother you, madam."
So, this woman was the daughter of Tekkanororia. She looked very, very tired for some reason. She was about to ask if there was something they could do to help, but decided against it for the moment. Instead she would wait until they were allowed to met with Tekkanororia herself.

- Pali Noirtier, Umbra Court, outside and inside the manor in Vicus Elbii -

The Umbra mage waited patiently, but patience can only go so far. The conversation shifted from some sort of contract negotiation regarding the Outskirts, earning some curiosity from him considering the Outskirts' interesting history, but it was just that: a deal of some manner. There was nothing too shadow about that, just suspicion. And then came the talk of lobsters, and prices and stock markets and credit unions (whatever those were; he was out of the loop of most terms nowadays). What was these two? Runescape premium members? He knit his brow in a grimace, letting out a growling sigh.

When Anya spoke up, he broke his concentration just a little, cutting off sight to open his eyes and pay attention to her. The voices prattling on inside the manner still rattled his ears, but he could hear the Ignis mage vividly. His currently gruff features reset into his blasé countenance, and he opened his eyes in full, letting the shady eye inside the manor dissipate into a puff of fine smoke and vanish.

"Phoenix bearer. Trouble indeed, I'll say," he started out, turning his head sharply to the right to glare at the door angrily. "This isn't the house, unless Tekkanororia has developed a taste for rich and boring young men. If I wanted to hear about boring conversations, I would listen to my house servants' talking about their afterlife insurance plans and Roth accounts." He quelled a shiver, recalling such a conversation led by Nurelio himself, his favourite servant. If he was not so serviceable and loyal, perhaps that conversation would have made a change of command. He turned back to Anya, nodding once with a faux smile on his lips and a quiet intensity in his tired eyes. "Let's meet up with the others at the top of the hill and hope they have had more success with their search for the journals' authoress."

He would start the trot back to the others, keeping a feel out for Anya. She had powerful abilities from what his spy network had told of her, but he did not know anything particular except that and her high status as a court mage. She was infinitely helpful with the fight against the rogue dullahan, however.

Burying his hands in his coat and looking ahead, he continued speaking: "What brought you here on this mission, Miss Anya? A woman of your caliber could have done much back in your home court, though I hear that the majority of your work lies with other courts."


- Daruk Mordem, Ignis Court, within a meeting at the Temple of Life -

Ah, here they were again, stuck in a 3-1 vote, only it was Gerik instead of Aislinn that was the contesting force to the vote. Daruk looked over worriedly at his fellow male maester, seeing his regularly snarky, witty, and quiet nature be replaced by a cold and serious calm. Talking of the sworn promises upheld by all Maesters and Maestra made Daruk feel again introspective. It was true that Aislinn was out if line from the others here, but she was armed with different knowledge than what he, Daruk, had. Gerik seemed to have an equal amount of garnered knowledge as Aislinn, but different in nature. What was truth and what was not? Did he dare to step out of line with Aislinn and Thea? Which was the better course?

The banging on the outer wall tore out his concentration and shifted his attention to Vallery, the girl clearly worried about something regardless of the opaguity of the wall and sledging the ice. She was a Vivifica mage, right? He did not recognise her from their entourage, but Aislinn knew her.

"I'm of the same opinion as Maestra Thea here," he responded lowly, scratching his building facial hair. "There've been more disruptions than any other moot I've been on. Let us hear what this Vallery girl wants, then continue without prying ears."

{Gerik & Valery; The Temple of Life - Interior}
Gerik rubbed his temples as the other quibbled. He didn't care too much about what was happening outside the dome. Whatever it was, it could wait. All of this could wait. Aislinn's nonsense. The weakness of the other maesters. All of it.
"We can leave the distractions to our underlings." He said briskly, his tone growing irritated. "I apologize if I seem stuck on a topic, but I feel i am the only one who is paying attention to what is going on in the big picture...leave it up!"
The last few words were directed at Nero as he stood up. He was growing increasingly agitated in both tone and demeanor. This was something new from the normally calm and suave maester. But no one was as surprised as Gerik himself. What was this? What was affecting him like this? As he probed his own mind as to what was happening to him, three things hit him.
1. The throb of old magic buzzing through him.
2. The recognition of a name that had been repeated several times.
3. Valery.
Once the ice dome was dissolved, Valery launched herself towards the maesters. Snarling, she tackled Gerik, the duo ending up on the ground. The Vivifca Guardian was on top of the maester, her hands wrapped around his throat.
"You." The previously mute Valery hissed, through clinched teeth, hatred burning in her eyes. Despite the sudden violence and lack of air, Gerik calmly returned the glare.
"Ah." He thought in resignation. "The loose end."

Jynn Venas, Vivifica - Temple of Life

Mystics Apprentice RikuXIII Stardustblade358

The blind mage’s self loathing came to a pause when Maestra Nero lowers the ice barrier and Maester Gerik becomes increasingly frustrated. His demeanor sounded completely different than his usual cool and collected self, and knowing what the Maester is capable of, Jynn once again becomes Mabel’s bodyguard, and raises an arm in front of her. Immediately afterwards, Vallery rushes Gerik and attempts to strangle him, catching Jynn off guard. “Vallery! What are you doing?!”

–The Temple of Life–
Xion136 , Endless Thundaza , Stardustblade358 , Thanny , Nero Kunivas , Scrapmaster , @HeartOfFerria , Elrandir , RikuXIII

A single stroke along Yael's back was the sole response from Mabel, her brows contorting with concern at the display in front of her. Her shock turned to horror as she watched the Vivifica mage leap through the barrier, not to warn her mistress of something terrible happening to them from the outside. No, nothing of the sort. She was seething at Gerik, before tackling and trying to strangle him.

"Someone stop her!" Mabel screamed, holding her head in a state of panic and disbelief.

The Vivifica Maestra seemed, again, calm at this display, her emotions perhaps matching those of Gerik as she watched Vallery express her . . . feelings? toward the Umbra maester. Aislinn's eyes widened as a single word escaped Vallery's lips, causing her to rise from her seat and move closer to the commotion.

"Vallery, dear child," she murmured softly, coaxingly. She rubbed circles on Vallery's back, as though trying to soothe a small child in the middle of a tantrum. "It's okay. Let him go. He won't hurt you. I won't let him hurt you. Please, come sit with me."

She did not, however, move to pry Vallery off, but instead tried to reach the Vivifica mage with tender, loving words and the gentle stroking on her back.

Amidst all of this commotion, Aislinn failed to notice Eden or Zion standing around the table, and perhaps all of them were too distracted by the current display of violence to notice either woman.

–Vivifica Forest, Mage Caravan–
Scrapmaster , Nero Kunivas , Stardustblade358 , Xion136

"Aww, but your cards are so pretty!" Kiran huffed, reaching out towards Arkane's deck of magic cards and would've procured them if Arkane allowed it. Or, rather, wasn't swift enough to avoid it. "I am sure that we could come up with some kind of game using them."

This string game was new to the Outskirts man. He watched with curiosity as Arkane wrapped the string around his fingers in an intricate pattern, coming up with some object that Kiran couldn't quite make out. He tilted his head, to the left and then to the right, before shaking his head outright. "I don't see it. No matter the angle, I do not see a cat's cradle out of that."

When Arkane revealed that it was a butterfly, and not a cat's cradle, realization hit Kiran, causing him to smack his forehead. "Ah, of course, yes! Yes, a butterfly! I see it now."

He held out his hands, rough with callouses and scars from . . . who knew what. "Will you teach me, too, and the cat girl?" He nodded towards Eclaire, if she were still accompanying them.

–Vicus Elbii–
RikuXIII , Stardustblade358 , Thanny , Elrandir

The woman at the door wiped her hands on her dress nervously, watching as the mages and mage affiliate entered her home. "My name's Tessa," she voiced, offering Vincent her hand to shake. "Nice to meet you, Mister Watson. Can I get you anything to drink? Maybe a cup of coffee?"

The room smelled musty, a combination of old, damp books and stale frying oil. The couch was worn, but not particularly filthy, a thick layer of cobwebs coating the coffee table in front of it. The side tables alongside the couch were piled high with magazines and, more specifically, magazine cutouts. Paintbrushes, paint, and paper were strewn everywhere, and if the party glanced toward the worn, ancient hardwood floors they would find paint splatters coating them.

Footsteps could be heard from the other room, causing Tessa's head to jerk up, blonde hair shifting. "Be right back," she said. "Need to make sure my ma doesn't fumble out here unclothed, not realizing that we have visitors."

Or realizing that we have visitors, she thought darkly, but didn't put those words to voice.

Meanwhile, as Pali and Anya approached the house on the hill, they would notice the junk littering the yard, the broken guitar, and the building in an utter state of disrepair. It may have held charm and beauty at one point in time, but that time had long since past.

–Sanctus Heights: The Streets–
Elrandir

Elia sniffed, her small, thin arms wrapping around the lich tightly, accepting the embrace eagerly. "You have been so good to me, Diane. Even when everything looked bad, and you guys thought I killed all those people . . . you never doubted me, and were always kind. You have a good heart."

She would hold Diane's hand all the way to the station, whose front doors remained unlocked and open to the public. Inside the building the air was crisp and everything was sterile and orderly, as it was the very first day that Diane had entered. At the desk sat Lt. Mustang, Mastiff's affiliate, and a red-haired woman with large framed glasses that they had not met. Lt Mustang glanced up as the two approached, setting his newspaper aside and shuffling in his seat.

"Ah, Miss Corbeau," Mustang greeted warmly, giving a single nod toward Elia. "Back to continue your research, I'd presume?"

- Yael/Nahum (Unaffiliated) – Temple of Life -
Yael was too old for this. He was too old to be bothered as it seemed that Vallery just lost it. Still, Yael would quickly speak up. "Do not get in the way." He warned. She could not get caught in the crossfire. Too dangerous. Then if anything happened to the priestess, everything they had worked for would go down to hell. It seemed that this was between Vallery and the Umbra mage, however. This was between Gerik and Vallery and the maestra, not between them. If anything this just showed the unstable nature of the Vivifica court as it was, currently. "It appears to be a personal matter with the worst of timings." He huffed. If they interrupted they would just end up creating a bigger issue than letting them deal with it on their own. "Jynn stick close." Maybe. Just maybe Eden or Zion could stop it. But this was between the vivifica court members. "In this palace you are a guest, and even if you were to assert authority...I do not believe that she would listen." if anyone got too close to Mabel, however, they were getting bit.

- Vincent (Ignis Court) – Vicus Elbii - Windmill House –
Vincent would shake his head. "Thank you, miss Tessa, but I could not possibly impose." He mused. His eyes were focused on Tessa, listening to the footsteps as what he could assume was the woman of the hour. "Of course, thank you. We just wish to speak with her." He raised a hand up. "We are not here on any ill intent at all. In fact we believe that she might have some rather important information is all." By this point he was already taking out his journal, flipping through the pages to the notes he had taken. "We will be quick." The last thing he wanted was to scare the daughter away from preventing the interview. As a child one would want to protect their parent from any harm and the other way around. According to the journals the courts basically chastised her, and if the number of journals were to be any indication, this may be something that she carried with her throughout her life until it eventually just became part of her past. Not everyone liked to dig up the past, however. The city was being rebuilt, and he could only hope that Diane was finding good information on her end. They were so close, and Vincent could feel the excitement of discovery building in his chest. It was all relying on this hope that had been going on so well so far. If it was dashed? Well...that was a problem for future Vincent.

- Arkane (Umbra Court) – Caravans: Vivifica Forest–
Kiran managed to take the pack of cards, and Arkane almost smacked him hard for them. "Careful, they have spells on them!" He would hiss, pulling the cards back into his own hands and keeping them close. They were not the standard playing cards. They were sturdily made as to make sure that they lasted, but the written charms and spells were intricate and resembled nothing that could be a possible playing card. Just a misandry of letters and symbols that with a tad bit of magic they could be activated to send out a wave of devastation. In the end it appeared that Cat's Cradle had caught the attention needed, and away from the cards that he now hid. Well, it was something to pass the time. He would remove his fingers from the string, having it return to its regular state. He would hand it to Kiran, have him hold it between his fingers. "Here we go. The point of the game is to create shapes with it. Be careful you can end up making knots rather easily." He hummed. Though it did what was tasked; it distracted Arkane from the stress of worrying for Mabel. Surely everything was going fine. So he could focus on helping them learn how to play the game. "We are going to start simple. As long as its symmetrical it technically counts. Then you can create your own shapes..." He began. Turns out Arkane was rather passionate about it. It brought good memories of playing with his parents on rainy days.

- Thea Nero - Court of Somnum - Vivifica Forest Temple -
Thanny , Scrapmaster , Stardustblade358 , Endless Thundaza , RikuXIII , Mystics Apprentice , Xion136

To say that Valery's sudden attack on Gerik came as a shock to Thea was a huge understatement. She had been watching Gerik speak while her shield dissolved around them, only for this vivifican girl to rush inside and attack the Maester. Her eyes moved from such scene to her fellow Maestra trying to shoote the raging mage.
"I suggest you work faster on removing your student's hands from the Umbra Maester at once, Aislinn," Thea said with an ice cold tone as she stood from her chair, "Unless you prefer for me to take more drastic measures."
There was emphasis on the word drastic, and if Aislinn knew Thea well enough, she would take that as a sign that she would not hesitate to manipulate her student's body just like she had done to that thug a few days ago in order to move her away from Gerik.
"This is not a good look for you or your court."


- Incarose Vassar - Ignis Court - Vicus Elbii -
Thanny Stardustblade358 RikuXIII Mystics Apprentice

While Vincent spoke with Tessa, Incarose looked around the room they were in. It looked like everything in there, and perhaps all the house, was not THAT well taken care of. She could see magazines, paintbrushes and pain, cobwebs all around. What was the story here, Incarose wondered. The moment she heard some footsteps and Tessa excusing herself for a moment, she looked at Vincent.
"There's something not quite right with this place, Vincent," Incarose whispered, "I can't put my finger on it, but we should be careful. And respecful, of course"
She added that last part with a somewhat nervous smile. She neved had been to a famous, or infamous, person's home and so she didn't wanted to say something that would offend their hosts.


- Diane Corbeau - Court of Umbra - Sanctus Heights: The Streets -
Mystics Apprentice

A good heart. She had a good heart. Maybe in the past she had a good heart, but now? Now she wasn't sure if there was anything left. The girl who only wanted to spend her days in a library reading books and watching her little sister-in-law grow up had been lost to the darkness many years ago. Or maybe that's what she wanted to think in order to avoid the feelings of guilty and pain.
"Everyone deserves a chance, Elia. And I am glad that we made sure you were innocent," Diane said, "Now let's go, we have a station to visit."
Having Elia hold her hand all the way gave Diane a sense of peace? calmness? Something along those lines. Once they arrived to the station, the first person Diane noticed was Lt. Mustang, who they had met before, next to him was a red-haired woman who she did not know. Her eyes wandered to Lt. Mustang the moment he greeted them.
"Good morning, Lt. Mustang. You could say that, we are still looking around, but we came here to ask for a bit of information, if it isn't too much of a bother," Diane said calmly, "Lt. Mastiff's daughter, Elia, was wondering if her sister is currently in the station. She was worried that her sister could have been seen as a suspect after the attack that Lt. Mastiff suffered in her abode in the second floor of the tavern."

- Pali Noirtier, Umbra Court, heading to the derelict house on the hill of Vicus Elbii -

The outside of the house held much that could be desired, the state of decay wrinkling his nose worse than that of the familiar scent of shambling bodies. He wondered how it had arrived at this state, though he was no architect and gave it no great amount of thought. Even pondering back to when he enacted wishful thinking to brace up a building with living wood, given the punky wood and litter, he wondered if it was just better to start off from scratch. Just eradicate it all in favour of--

No. Stop. He saw the wheels spinning and the guitar strings rising from their resting position. Wishful thinking was getting increasingly challenging to control with as little rest as he had, worse than when the dullahan was around. With the thought of an encapsulating brick wall, he cut it all off for the moment, then allowed a brick to be removed. With that the magic would seep into him and refresh him, but only physically, not in spirit. His mood still dour, he looked back to the materials around him. There was nothing he noticed that was out of place, and no movement about him. Excellent.

"The others are nowhere to be seen," he would sigh to Anya. The other three should have been here. Were they invited in? That seemed the most likely, but he did arrive here with a sleuth with a penchant for investigating. Perhaps Vincent scarpered off with Incarose to seek clues elsewhere? Well, no time like the present, thought he, as he rat-a-tatted the door with the knob of his cane. If they were not inside, he might as well initiate conversation. If they were inside, he hoped Shiroo would behave himself.

- Daruk Mordem, Ignis Court, within a meeting at the Temple of Life -

Daruk wanted to play a proper part in this meeting, one who patiently waited for the others as they discussed what was needed. That illusion was immediately shattered when Vallery came crashing in, tackling his fellow male Maester in the process with hatred on her face. He surged to his feet and popped with fiery intensity, flames erupting from his shoulders and igniting his clothes as he glared at the girl for this unnecessary violence. If it were not for the efforts of Aislinn, he might have stormed over there and dragged the girl off, though it was uncertain whether or not she was going to listen.

It seems his reaction was not the only one. Maestra Thea Nero seemed equally perturbed, bristling, almost. This was one of the only times he had seen this lovely woman in anger, and my! was it chilling. If he was the embodiment of fire, she was the embodiment of ice, which may have held some reason for his attraction to her. This did not tarnish his thoughts of her. Instead, he was glad that, regardless of their differences, he could agree with her so closely.

"Please remove your hands off the Umbra Maester, youth," he stated fiercely, patting out the flames from one shoulder before following up with the other, "and listen to Maestra Aislinn. To do otherwise at a moot is unwise."

–The Temple of Life–
Xion136 , Endless Thundaza , Stardustblade358 , Thanny , Nero Kunivas , Scrapmaster , @HeartOfFerria , Elrandir , RikuXIII

The cool, calm exterior of Aislinn cracked when Thea threatened to use force on Vallery. Her features grew rigid, her jaw clenched. "You will not," she said slowly, a lethal calm, warmth quickly dissipating from her tone, "threaten my mages in my home. Ever. For you will be the one to regret it, not her."

Her dark eyes flickered up to meet Thea's, and there was not a threat, but a promise etched in her irises. With that, she wrapped her hands around Vallery's upper arms, attempting to pull her gently from Gerik, or use force if necessary, making soothing sounds and forming words of comfort as she did so. If Vallery released Gerik, Aislinn would proceed to wrap her arms around Vallery in an embrace, gently rocking her as if she were a child.

"It's okay. You are safe, Vallery. You are safe with me." she repeated, a mother's hum to her tone. She would look from Daruk, to Thea, and back again. "Let's go. We'll leave Gerik there, if we must. Richter, will you lead the way to the Intermundium? Elliot, please see to it that our dear maester is looked after in our absence."

It was then that she noticed the two women, Zion and Eden, standing along the outskirts of the table. She sighed. "Zion, we're going to the shadow realm Sprit Realm, would you like to come with us or look after him?" Aislinn jerked her head back at Gerik without so much as glancing his way, as if meeting his gaze would deter them from their mission, and she couldn't afford that.

Mabel remained unmoved along Jynn's side, clearly distraught by the near assassination of the Umbra maester. She would glance at Gerik uncertainly, reaching out to find Jynn's hand and give it a squeeze. She was uncertain, and the events which just transpired only furthered her uncertainty. Gerik had stood up for not opening the barrier, the only maester willing to do so. Was she accepting this too willingly? She hesitated.

"You guys go ahead," she murmured. "I'll be right behind you. I just want a word with Gerik."

"But my dear, we can't enter the Spirit Realm without you," Aislinn hummed. "You said that you would open a gate, remember?" The words were surprisingly more condescending than what normally would escape from Aislinn's lips. It seemed perhaps even her patience was running thin, or maybe it was the threat against Vallery that had ruffled her feathers. Whatever the case, it left Mabel uneasy. She glanced toward Jynn, looking into his face, waiting for him to coax her one way or the other, feeling incapable of making the decision herself.

–Vivifica Forest, Mage Caravan–
Scrapmaster , Nero Kunivas , Stardustblade358 , Xion136

"Ooh, I want to see one of your magic tricks!" Kiran insisted, but before he could press Arkane further the cards had been snatched away, burrowed in Arkane's pocket and never to see the light of day again--or at least for that particular moment. Kiran's breaths were even as he watched Arkane help him comprise a shape made from string, with the soft colored yarn wrapped around his fingers. He watched with marvel and bewilderment, eyes dancing over to Arkane.

"I have never done this before," he said. "Back home we didn't play games like these. We played cards a lot, along with a game that requires the person to utter either a truth of a question asked of them, or a task that they are dared to do. That one was a lot of fun, until"--his face darkened, eyes darting swiftly away from the necromancer--"until I was dared to eat from the cat's bowl of food and got so, so sick the next day. I didn't think Mum would ever forgive me for that one."

Kiran tilted his head, stealing a glance at the rose-haired can girl. "What about you? Do you play?"

–Vicus Elbii–
RikuXIII , Stardustblade358 , Thanny , Elrandir

At Vincent's defensive words the woman would blink, surprised. "I never thought that you were here with ill intent," she mused. "If I did I wouldn't have allowed you into my home." A deep sigh escaped Tessa, before she retreated into the other room. The mages would hear scuffling in the walls, and it wouldn't take much of a stretch in the imagination to surmise that mice--and perhaps other rodents--had made a home in the Tekkanororia establishment.

Shortly after Tessa disappeared, muffled murmurs could be heard coming from the kitchen, along with shouts and the distinct sound of glass shattering.

"I don't know what you want from me!" Tessa shouted out, her voice muffled from behind the closed door.

Eventually an eerie silence followed her words, and after what seemed to be eons, the door to the kitchen opened, and out came Tessa, her hand firmly clenching the wrist of an elderly woman who looked as if she hadn't combed her hair in weeks. Her hair was greasy at the scalp, flakes from dandruff clearly visible on the silvery strands. A bathrobe was draped over the woman's shoulders, which she seemed a bit disgruntled by as she tugged at one of the sleeves with her teeth. Tessa, not so tenderly, eased her elderly mother into one of the chairs across from the mages, the old woman looking suspiciously at each of them in turn.

"So, which one of you poisoned my soup last night, eh?!" She eventually pointed at Incarose. "I bet it was you. I never trust redheads!"

"Ma!" Tessa slapped her own forehead, clearly appalled. "Please, that is rude. You don't throw around accusations like that, and no one poisoned your chicken noodle soup. Those were onions. We've been through this. These kind people are court mages, and they just want to talk to you."

Irasbeth Tekkanororia raised an eyebrow, watching the mages with the utmost suspicion. "That's what they all say."

The rap at the door caused Tessa to give a start. "This is unusual. Normally we don't get many visitors." Tessa smoothed her hands on her dress again, a nervous gesture. "Please get to know each other. I'll see who's at the door. I'll be right back."

Pali and Anya would find the blonde woman at the door, opening it just a crack and peering at them with the utmost suspicion. "Yes?" she inquired, looking back and forth between the two.

–Sanctus Heights: The Station–
Elrandir

The lieutenant smoothed down his newspaper, and Diane would see the headlines pertaining to the Itika smuggling aboard the train on the day the mage council was to take place. He squinted, casting a solitary glance toward Elia before glancing towards Diane.

"Mmm, yes, Ariana Cabret," Lt. Mustang said slowly, as though digesting the words. He rose to his feet, gloved hands against the countertop. "I'm afraid that we cannot find her. She is indeed a suspect, but she has gone missing. We've been combing the capital for her, but no trace. When was the last time that the two of you saw her?"

Panic seemed to cling to Elia's features, violet eyes wide. She swallowed, occasionally shooting a glance at the redheaded woman before finally meeting Mustang's calm gaze. "I haven't seen her since the morning of the attack," Elia piped.

Mustang nodded, unsurprised by her confession. "I see . . . and do either of you know where she might have gone to?"

Elia shook her head frantically, looking toward Diane, wondering what the lich would make of all this.

- Yael/Nahum (Unaffiliated) – Temple of Life -
Yael would growl. Now she was left with a decision that was beyond her comprehension. She was a child that was raised to a position and now forced to make decisions with grand ramifications and for what? For her to be blamed when it all went down? He did not want her to open the spirit realm. It was dangerous. It left him with an uneasy feeling in his chest, for it was a realm that should remain as it was. Yet Aisilinn was being stubborn, and all of these events were…not helping. It was chaos. Not to mention the Maestra had the most threatening tone against her- this could not stand. He wanted to let Mabel to make her own decisions and defend herself, for autonomy was important. But he decided that it was enough. “You sneer at her with distate despite relying on her abilities. You best watch your tone and tongue, lest you remain undone.” Yael spoke outloud, jumping off Mabel’s shoulder and transforming mid fall. His human shape would form, standing on Mabels other side, blocking away any threats and giving Mabel a defense. The man straightened his back, staring at the maestra as his tail flickered. “Whatever happens between the maester and your kin is not the responsibility of the priestess. You will behave as such, maestra. You do not get to demand what you need with what you lack.”

- Vincent (Ignis Court) – Vicus Elbii - Windmill House –
Vincent nodded. He was just so tired and running on the adrenaline of the fact that they could have a solid clue! Still, the sound of the shouting across the room did startle him awake. Then came the woman of the hour. Well. Dragged in. Vincent retained his composure, his lips forming a thin line as he watched. The old woman had certainly grown rather…dissheveled. Although was it through someone else? No. It appeared that the old woman had grown paranoid with old age? There were many questions and procedures that they did not have any time for. Not at the moment. Such priorities were something else altogether. Soon enough they were left to be acquainted, and Vincent wasted no time. He took a few steps forward, giving plenty of space in between the two of them before speaking up. “It is an honor to meet you, madame. I am Vincent from the Court of Ignis. We are here to speak with you in regards to the journals you wrote years ago.” He began, opening his notes and flipping through the pages. “I know that long ago you experienced something in the Valley of Magic. Something that shook you to the core enough that you wrote it down on your journal. You encountered, what you described, were the wraiths of the First Court.” He began, being wary of the woman’s state. “You tried to warn the elders of the courts of your time, and they did not believe you.” He gripped his hands tighter on his notes, narrowing his eyes. “Well…all of these years will prove them foolish. Because we believe that these same wraiths are responsible for recent events that have culminated in Sanctus Heights.” He opened his notes to offer sight to her. “And we are not the only ones. An independent investigator also believes it, and has been investigating possible leads. A girl was possessed by one of these wraiths. There are possible vessels that can be next.” He sighed, passing a gloved hand through his hair in stress. “Tekkanororia. We believe that everything you spoke of is very much real, and will have real life consequences. I beg of you to believe us that we believe you, and request your cooperation. Would you tell us everything you know about this event? About these wraiths and everything?”

- Arkane (Umbra Court) – Caravans: Vivifica Forest–
Arkane listened, revealing the fact that they played a game of truths and dares that resulted in him eating *cat food*. Arkane could not help it. He let out a small bark of a laugh, having to quickly hide it behind his sleeve. The smile was trying to be forced down, twitching. “Cat food…you ate cat food for a children’s game.” He muttered, and he could be seen trying to hold back his laughter, shoulders bouncing. The childhood games included cats cradle, but also regular children activities such as jumping rope, hide-and-seek, and playing by the nearby stream. He cleared his throat. “That is…well. We live and learn.” He smirked. “We used to play hide-and-seek within the cemetery. It was all fun and games until one of us fell into a freshly dug grave and broke a leg.” He huffed. That was a fun thing to go through. “Did not stop us from night hunting for crabs.” His childhood was…ideal for a while. But they were just that. Good times before his powers began to show.

Jynn Venas, Vivifica - Temple of Life

Jynn was appalled as he watched Aislinn baby Vallery after her deliberate assault on Gerik. Not only that, Aislinn seemingly was not desperate enough to stop her pupil from taking the life of a fellow Maester. He narrows his eyes at the Vivifican Maestra. “But it’s alright if one of our mages assaults a guest? Even if they are a Maester? You are being too soft on her, Aislinn.” The mage remembers the time he himself almost took someone’s life, and Maestra Lillian was not soft on him like Aislinn is to Vallery.


Jynn would feel Mabel’s hand grab his, asking everyone to move ahead while she stays behind to talk to Gerik. He can sense her nervousness, but given the situation, there was not much he could do to help that. But when Aislinn starts talking to Mabel in a condescending tone, Jynn’s eyes grow fierce, so much so that his eyes literally glow blue. His patience with Aislinn has finally run short. “You. Do not. Talk to Mabel in that tone.”

He moves closer to his beloved, placing his free hand on her shoulder. Yael finally reveals himself, lecturing Aislinn on her desires. Jynn comments as well. “Do you not respect the priestess’ dignity? She was torn from her mother at a young age, forced into a life she did not choose or want. She lives under strict guidelines, for god’s sake, she is not even permitted to have attachments or close friendships. And yet you want her to make a decision that will further affect her life with haste, and have problems with her being unsure?”

- Thea Nero - Court of Somnum - Vivifica Forest Temple -
Thanny , Scrapmaster , Stardustblade358 , Endless Thundaza , RikuXIII , Mystics Apprentice , Xion136

Ah, there it was, the fury hidden behind the calm facade of the Vivifican Maestra. Her reaction was what Thea was expecting of her previous threath, so she saw no real fault in that reaction.

"I am afraid your mage has already threathened one of the Maesters," Thea said, "and as you know, that is a punishable offense."

Watching Aislinn try to pull her mage, Vallery, away from Gerik made her wonder what the deal was between them. Mabel asked to ramain behind for a moment to have a word with Gerik, but Aislinn interjected, reminding her that she was needed to open the door to the Spirit Realm.

"I think the High Priestess can have a word with Maester Lockford while the rest of us go ahead,"

There was something else behind Aislinn's words, she was not her usual calm and collected self, and she could understand that her patience was running thin. Then came Jynn's words to the Maestra. It was interesting to see his reaction in all of this.

"Soft as she might be, she is still your senior and superior in rank, and as such, you should still call her by her title of Maestra, Heir of Vivifica," she said glancing towards Jynn, then turning to Mabel, "Take your time Priestess. We will-"

The sudden revelation of Yael made Thea grasp her staff tighter, as if ready for a possible battle.

"And who might you be, Oh Shapeshifter, to tell a maester what should be done," she said, hint of distrust in her voice, "as far as everyone here is aware, you are an intruder in a very important meeting between Courts and the High Priestess."

And once more, Jynn's voice entered the conversation, making Thea's eyes wander to him once more.

"Such is the life and legacy of a High Priestess, Heir. She was born into a life that she did not choose, yet here we are in a situation where she needs to make a choice that can affect all of Regalia," she answered, "Does your inexperience as an heir makes you think others do not suffer the same as her? Or are those your feelings speaking for you? She carries a huge responsability, just like every maester and maestra here."

The Somnum Maestra's eyes lingered on Jynn, noticing his eyes and his body language.

"Your childish display of emotions against a maester does not help with our current situation, I suggest you calm down unless other measures have to be taken, " she said as she turn to Aislinn, "Aislinn, give the High Priestess the time she needs to speak with Maester Lockford. I am sure she and her two knights in shining armors will join us afterwards."


- Diane Corbeau - Court of Umbra - Sanctus Heights: The Streets -
Mystics Apprentice

"So, she is indeed a suspect. Interesting," DInae calmly said, "I'm afraid the only look I had of her was when I entered the tavern to save the Lieutenant when he was attacked by the blue haired man that we court mages are currently investigating."

The Lich could notice the panic growing on Elia's features, and so she put her hand on her back and gave her little pats to show her support.

"I'm afraid that if the officers have no clue, and neither does the sister of Miss Ariana, then I wouldn't know about her current whereabouts either," Diane answered, "Well, since our current task of asking for information about Miss Ariana did not bear any fruits, then we will need to continue with our next objective and go and look for a person that could possibly help us with the investigation."

Diane gave a glance to Elia, then looked at the red-haired woman, and lastly Lt. Mustang, giving him a little bow.

"We will excuse ourselves, Lt. Mustang. If you manage to find Miss Ariana, please send word to us. I am sure Miss Elia would like to speak with her sister after all," she said, "Come Elia, we need to look for the next contact."

With that Diane would wait for Elia and start to make their way towards the residence of the woman known as Elena.


- Incarose Vassar - Ignis Court - Vicus Elbii -
Thanny Stardustblade358 RikuXIII Mystics Apprentice

The discussion that was coming from the other side of the door made Incarose feel uneasy for some reason, as if they weren't meant to listen to that. When the door finally opened, Tessa came back, holding the wrist of an elderly woman who looked like she hadn't combed her hair in quite a while.

"U-Uh?"

That was the reaction Incarose had when the olderly woman asked who had poisoned her soup last night, also that people shouldn't trust redheads. She dared not to interrupt Vincent, as she felt that he was the more capable one to speak with Tekkanororia at the moment. Instead, she just listened carefully in order to hear and find any possible clue that the elderly woman could give them.

Jynn Venas, Vivifica - Temple of Life

Mystics Apprentice Elrandir Stardustblade358

Once again, Maestra Thea stands in his way, lecturing him. Jynn relaxes and calms down, but remains firm on his stance. “I should call her ‘Maestra’, but I won’t. I refuse to be her student after witnessing her actions. I am a student of Maestra Lillian, and I will respect and follow her teachings.”

Thea continues on, claiming that he is inexperienced and has no idea there are others in Mabel’s shoes. Jynn rolls his eyes at that claim. “As far as I’m aware, you maesters still have a lot more freedom than she does. While you may be influencing Mabel’s decisions right now, ultimately she is the one calling the shots. And those decisions are to either open a portal to a forbidden realm and receive punishment by the elders, or to declare war on a court, which she will feel responsible for. Neither of those choices are good nor easy to choose.”

Thea once again responds to Jynn’s emotions. Threatening to use measures on the thunder mage. “‘Other measures’? For what? Caring about her? Making her feel like a human being? If that is such an issue, then go ahead and perform these ‘other measures’ you speak of, and put an end to my meaningless existence. After all, I got you here, so I am of no further use to you now, and not only that, now that I have lost my sight, I have been rendered useless even further.”

Jynn gabs a chair and takes a seat, narrowing his eyes at the maestra. “Go ahead. I won’t defend myself. Since you are such a stickler for these stupid laws, this execution should be easy. I’m responsible for breaking multiple laws these past few days. As long as I still breathe, I will always fight for the priestess.” Jynn was unsure how Thea would react, but at this point, dying was a better fate than seeing Mabel suffer.

- Vlad - The Somnus Mage - Transitioning to Vicus Elbii and Windmill House -

Elrandir Mystics Apprentice Stardustblade358 Thanny

Well, the situation was rather interesting so far, Arun had run off to god knows where, kid followed the beat of his own drum and you either kept up with him or go ran over like a barreling Ignis mage on their way to the court barbecue. And he found this strange book with not only information he could not decipher...old language...he was rusty when it came to that, and even images and pictures of a continent and lands he had no idea existed!

Question was, where the heck could he bring in these books for information? surely not the elders, and most definitely none of the Maesters...considering they were off on their own escapades, leaving their courts mighty unguarded and all. Meh, didn't matter to him, Thea Nero didn't really care about him nor what he did so long as it didn't bring trouble. After all she was much more interested and distracted with her newest Protégé to care; A girl named Luka or something. This left Vlad all the more opportunities to snoop around the court and make sure things were *really* running smoothly. 'After all you can't expect Somnus to work without a nudging hand...and my hand can reach through anything'. But that was neither here nor there, this was definitely no time to be stuck in thought!

"Hm...that Vincent kid, not magical but trying his best, I can respect that, think he caught on to something with this Tekkanonoria or whatever the hell..." Vlad spoke to himself, not really caring if there was anyone near him to hear or not. Why should he care? No one really paid him any mind, thankfully. He closed his eyes for a moment and thought...a few minutes would pass as he would open then, a red glint flashing in his eyes as he smiled almost sadistically. "heh". He exclaimed, before walking over to a more secluded spot, preferably with shadows. Regardless if it had any Vlad would trace his right hand through his left arm, seeming to accumulate in a black ink-like substance as he did, before splotching it into the wall, almost covering the whole thing in a pitch black, moving, writhing shadows given life, just needed a bit of blood to bind them, and some water magic to give them a form that he could use, luckily blood had both so it was a win-win.
"A'ven't done a jump this long in a while...might be fun, might not, who knows". Vlad would exclaim as he would willingly walk into the pitch black wall, as his body would begin turning the same shape and form as the liquid covering it, as he quickly disappeared into it.

And it was time to swim through shadows to find this investigation team.

It would take a few minutes and he'd definitely be late, wouldn't catch them in any acts unless they were unbearably slow...which to be honest they probably were. But what the heck, give them a chance.

It would take several moments but he'd arrive at Windmill House, in fact in the same location as both Tekka, and the mages who she was speaking with.

What all the individuals in the room would see would be nothing short of something out of a horror book. As the nearest wall would begin flooding like water was building up behind it and was pushing against the flimsy wall, until it broke through and it wasn't water that seeped through...but a Pitch black liquid which would begin spreading around the wall, enveloping most of it and possibly any furniture or other assortments in the way. And from there a silhouette would slowly emerge out, before flopping down onto the ground like a dead body...and slowly rise back up. "'Ello gents, glad I could catch up" A voice would echo out, distorted greatly, low tone and pitch so much that it seemed demonic almost with a reverb. As the Shadows would start dissipating from the wall, leaving only this pitch black figure standing in the room. Firstly, "Excuse me" It would exclaim as it would bring two hands to it's f- wait. one of the hands was backwards...arm dislocated, grabbing it with the other arm and following a *bone crunching sound of it being put back in place*. There, all better, oh wait...his head was backwards, with both his hands Vlad grabbed his head and twisted it back into place, yet another even more agonizing bone crunch and cracking could be heard as he did so. Only his glinting red eyes could be seen in this shadow form.

He quickly dissipated the form, and showing himself in his full, unabashed splendor for all to see. "I'ave questions too. m'lady Tekkanororia." Vlad would speak, doing a flamboyant bowing gesture like you'd do to old royalty. And with that he quickly pulled out the book, and the distinct pages, that showed places that he hasn't seen before, and names and stories that he also hadn't heard before.

{Gerik & Valery; The Temple of Life - Interior}
Aislinn's coaxing didn't seem to have an affect on Valery, who kept her unblinking stare at Gerik.
"Where...is...he?" She rasped.
The Umbral maester, one hand trying to pull the Vivifica mage's hands from his throat as his off hand slipped into his coat for his dagger. He had a plan for this, but paused at his attacker's question. He? Who was she talking about? Did she remember...
He tapped Valery's hand, indicating he couldn't exactly answer with no air. Valery eyed him coldly, but slacked her grip just enough for a little bit of air for Gerik. Not a lot, but enough.
"Endem uns'aa lu'unboi rath." the maester managed, speaking quickly.
To those familiar with necromantic spells would understand words of command*. Valery seemed to seize up before letting Gerik going and taking a step back. A look of shock and horror passed over the guardian's face before it was replaced with one of fury. She bellowed a warcry before starting a charge back at her target.
"V'dri" Gerik croaked, causing Valery to collapse mid-charge on the ground, asleep.
Gerik stumbled up, messaging his throat. he glanced around the room.
"Aislinn, I suggest you have your underling here taken somewhere comfortable. She's clearly not well." He said, trying to defuse the situation.
He should try to use this as leverage, he knew that. But he just wanted that...thing gone.

*

- Pali Noirtier, Umbra Court, at the entrance to the derelict house on the hill of Vicus Elbii -

When the door opened, Pali threw his dark gaze up from the delapidated outside to his greeter. To his surprise, he caught the eyes of a younger lady than he expected. Perhaps she was a relation. They looked nothing alike to him, aside from maybe hair and eyes.

"Ah, right, the daughter," he mumbled to himself, taking up a smile he really did not put feeling into and speaking up. "I and my compatriot here were with a group of fellows--" He paused, hearing voices. Vincent and maybe Incarose was in there at least. One of the voices, Vlad, sounded a little too familiar, and he bristled at his intonations . . . and the sounds of popping. From where and when did he hear that voice? He bobbed his head on his neck and smiled a little more genuinely, seemingly mildly entertained, if not gladdened that he would not have to sniff them out. "It would seem you met them already? We were held up by some inquiries elsewhere. May we come in?"

- Daruk Mordem, Ignis Court, within a meeting at the Temple of Life -

A sea's worth of commotion swam in front of Daruk, and it was too tempting to jump into it like the sea back at home in the Ignis Court. This time, however, he did not jump into the water stark naked, much to everyone's potential relief. Instead he kept a fuming glare at Yael, the shapeshifter. Why was everyone taking this affront of snooping on the Maester's meeting so lightly, the ferret he never noticed around Mabel's neck actually a man, or perhaps a woman disguised as a man? Perhaps this was the spy people were worried about.

There was the matter of Gerik being choked out on the floor, and it took every fibre of his being to not clamp down on her shoulder and rip her away. Such would create a scene he could not recover from as a Maester, but assaulting one such as Gerik was unquestionably poor for a Vivifican to decide to do. The Umbral Maester found a way to disarm the situation by using elder magic, none of which was intelligible to him except for "V'dri." His eyes narrowed. Necromancy. He read about commands in a book that still resided on the bookshelf in his spartan quarters back at home. Gerik had some explaining to do if the girl looked alive, but not now. Not in this dire situation.

"I would not go so far to call the shapeshifter a knight in shining armour, Thea," he murmured, giving one last look at the shapeshifter with a leaden glare. "This boy has spied on us, and Mabel his carrier. Young Jynn is not worthy of our begrudgement for his emotion, as his emotion and perhaps Mabel's as well should not be reined by laws. However, both of you, and perhaps Jynn too, have violated our trust by bringing him in here. Shapeshifter mage, state your court and reason for being here, and you may yet leave."

Waves of heat wove around him, as hyperfocused as he was. He pointed a finger toward Yael, in anticipation of an answer.

–The Temple of Life–
Xion136 , Endless Thundaza , Stardustblade358 , Thanny , Nero Kunivas , Scrapmaster , @HeartOfFerria , Elrandir , RikuXIII

Everything was spiraling into chaos. Effortlessly. Vallery refused to be coaxed from strangling the Umbral maester, Thea proceeded to make threats, Daruk's feathers were ruffled, and Jynn was making a point of standing for what he believed in. Which was good; this was precisely why Aislinn had chosen him as her heir, though it did make matters difficult when his strong conviction stood between her and her goals. She let out a loud exasperated sigh, getting ready to heave Vallery away with the entirety of her strength, but it didn't get to that point. Vallery communicated with Gerik, and with a few words uttered from the ancient tongue she obliged to his command. The Vivifica Maestra, being a former Umbra mage, seemed to recognize what Gerik had done, her eyes widening as she stared at Gerik. She glided across the floor and knelt over her mage, starting to rearrange the girls' limbs in an attempt to lift her. She managed to lift her, though it took all her strength, her body trembling under her weight.

"I will be back," she said tersely. "But I do not think I'm alone when saying that I think enough nonsense has happened here for one meeting. We have come to an agreement; let us honor it." As she started to leave she turned her head toward Zion, the Vivifica maestra several inches shorter than the blonde archmagus. "Please make sure they . . . behave themselves. I am going to put Vallery in her room to rest."

She watched with the least amusement as the ferret scarf around Mabel's neck transformed into a human, one that chose to berate her. She sighed, struggling underneath Vallery's weight. "Have your opinion of me, but if you had to make the difficult decisions that I do, you would probably be saying something very different. I am doing everything that I can. I wish you would all understand this." She cast a sideways glance back at where the Umbra maester stood, the breath traveling freely in and out of his lungs now. Her eyes narrowed. She didn't know what form of a game he was playing, but she didn't like it.

If no one attempted to interrupt or dissuade her, Aislinn would leave the scene, Vallery's head tucked against her breast as she cradled, while her legs would dangle over her other arm.

Meanwhile, Mabel would bolt over to Jynn and began pulling on his arm. "No, no, no, don't say that!" she pleaded, before shooting a glance over at Thea. "Please, this must stop! Jynn is allowed to have his own opinion, as are you, and I. Fighting among ourselves isn't going to help anything."

She would then walk over to Gerik, offering him his glass of water from the table. "Maester Gerik," she offered tentatively, hesitantly. "Here, drink. Are you alright?" With a shuddered breath she would remain standing before him, feeling rather small in front of the man she, and the majority of the world, feared to some extent. "If I may . . . why do you think I should decline Aislinn's request? Why do you think I'm making a mistake? Do you think there is any other better solution than opening the rift for her?"

–Vivifica Forest, Mage Caravan–
Scrapmaster , Nero Kunivas , Stardustblade358 , Xion136

Kiran's shoulders eased slightly as he saw the amusement dawn on his master's face, and he couldn't help laughing at his own misfortune along with Arkane. The umbra mage's laughter was contagious, infecting him like the most joyful of plagues. He had teased Arkane about becoming attached to Mabel, but in truth he could not say much. He found that he was becoming attached to Arkane, finding it a personal challenge to read his expressions, to understand his displeasure and amusement. Perhaps he'd indebted himself to Arkane for more than just feeling the need to pay off the debt for his life spared--whether he quite realized it yet or not.

"Easy for you to say," he mumbled. "I'm . . . not so sure that I learned yet. After all, I got myself mixed up with ruffians and thugs, did I not? And now court mages!" He shook his head, waving his hand in front of his face. "What's next, I wonder? The First Court?"

His gaze lifted to meet Arkane's, the humor fading from his face. "Someone broke a leg?" he asked, a hint of worry in his tone. "Was it you? What happened?"

While they passed the time in this vein, long shadows of the trees began to spread over their caravan, the sky beginning to shift from orange to a twilight blue. The hour was growing late; the mages had been in the court of Vivifica for a while, with no sign of their return.

–Vicus Elbii–
RikuXIII , Stardustblade358 , Thanny , Elrandir , Scrapmaster

The old scholar watched Vincent with a suspicious eye, gnarly hands gripping the sides of her weathered armchair. She looked weary, as though trying to concentrate on visitors was taking its toll on her. At the mention of the Valley of Magic, however, a new alertness flickered in her eye.

"You've come to mock me," she rasped, taking in a shuddered breath. She closed her eyes, as though pained at the memory of that day. She listened as Vincent went on, professing that he believed her, even if the elders hadn't. She gently rocked herself, eyes closed for a moment longer. When they snapped open they fixed on Vincent with an awareness that had yet to be present, as though all clarity returned to her.

"My boy, no one has ever said those words to me before," she murmured, before jabbing a finger at the doorway where Tessa greeted the newcomer. "Even my own daughter thought I was crazy, had me seen by many shrinks and had me undergo electric shock therapy many, many times. She tried to snap the sanity in me, but I think she did just the opposite. Never been the same since then." Tekka shivered, wrapping her arms around herself and rubbing her forearms. Vincent may realize that she wore nothing under her bathrobe.

"I never thought my findings would have helped anyone," she admitted, "nor did I think anyone would believe me. You've appeased an old woman. Thank you, Vincent. I will tell you anything that you want to know, though I'm afraid that most of what I know I'd written in that journal you found. I just remember that they wanted my life force, they wanted mana, and they wanted to return . . . to restore The First Court and rule Regalia once again. They--they made it seem that they themselves were the past rulers of Regalia, but I don't know what they meant."

She paused, eyes widening in horror as darkness consumed one of the walls of the house. Her horror only intensified as Vlad made an appearance in her house, fixing his body parts, and it wasn't remedied when she found out that he was a person and not merely a shadow, or a monster of the night. She picked up a broken guitar that was at her side and sprung to her feet, and with uncanny speed for an old lady she whipped to Vlad and attempted to beat him upside the head with the broken guitar.

"Get outta my house!" Tekkanororia roared, readying her arm to swing at Vlad again.

Whether she hit or missed the first time, the sound of the string instrument clashing with a skull or wall would reverberate throughout the house, arresting Tessa's attention as she had listened to what Pali said. The blonde whipped around, unable to answer Pali as she rushed back into the house, but she did leave the door gaping open, so Pali and Anya could help themselves and enter. Tessa darted over to her mother, placing her hands on Tekkanororia's shoulders.

"No! Ma, Ma, Ma, stop it! Stop! Don't hit him!" she screamed.

Clearly, Tessa did not see the horror show in the middle of their sitting parlor.

–Sanctus Heights: The Station–
Elrandir

The lieutenant at the desk folded his hands in front of him, leaning forward to eye Diane and Elia. He listened intently to Diane's words, before nodding in agreement with her statement. "True, I figured that if anyone knew of Ariana's whereabouts, that it would be her sister." He looked at Elia intently then, the dark-haired girl's eyes shifting from the intensity of his stare. "Are you sure that you don't have any ideas, Elia? Any at all?"

She swallowed hard, shaking her head. "No," she squeaked. "She doesn't really go anywhere, besides our apartment and work. Doesn't really have friends, doesn't hang out."

"Hmm, loners are always more difficult to track down," he mused, rubbing his chin, before gaze shifting toward Diane. "Speaking of, how is my partner doing? Have you seen him since the incident?"

Elia would've started to head out with Diane and would continue to head out the door, unless Diane heard Lt. Mustang's question and decided to hang around, otherwise the two would be on the streets to their next destination of the elderly woman's house.

- Thea Nero - Court of Somnum - Vivifica Forest Temple -
Thanny , Scrapmaster , Stardustblade358 , Endless Thundaza , RikuXIII , Mystics Apprentice , Xion136

The Somun Maestra's gaze rested solely on the Vivifican Heir, calm as a still lake, still because it was actually frozen, perhaps?

"Maestra Lillian, great woman as she was, is not here, which means you either remain and keep quiet, or leave and we can continue with out meeting," Thea said to Jynn, "The High Priestess might have a bigger responsability than the four of us combined, yet we still have more responsabilities than you. There is no influence here, whether you want to believe it or not. She can either open this so called gate or leave and follow whatever the elders command. Or she can escape and never be seen again. "

Thea's eye remained with the vivifican mage, not because he could actually tell that she was looking at him, but just so she could actually see his reactions. He was doing a good job in following his own way of doing things, foolish and immature as it was. She then turned to look at Mabel while she was trying to stand between the two of them.

"You can pick whatever you wish to do, no one is is forcing you to pick either choice. You can come up with your own answer. Just remember what I've told you on this trip of ours. Every action has consequences and we must be ready to face them," Thea said to Mabel, "Whatever this reckless heir does is of no consequence to me, he has already proven he is not ready to manage a court with both his previous actions and his literal lack of vision. Nothing will be learned if he continues making the same reckless mistakes over and over."

Thea was back to being calm at this point, Mabel could be able to tell. Yet there's a saying about the calm before the storm, is it not? Thea watched Mabel approach and speak with Gerik. She was sure he was already plotting something after what just happened with the girl.


- Diane Corbeau - Court of Umbra - Sanctus Heights: The Streets -
Mystics Apprentice

"Lt. Mastiff is safe, Lt. Mustang, you don't have to worry about it," Diane answered as she was following Elia to the exit, "He is currently being treated by a former Somnum mage, I am sure you will get news sooner or later. Have a nice day."

Diane then turned around and let Elia lead the way. On the way to the elderly woman's home, Diane looked at Elia, as she had noticed her behavior on the station. She waited until they were far from the station before speaking to Elia.

"Is there something wrong, Elia?" Diane asked, "You were acting a little nervous while we were talking with Lt. Mustang. Is there something you want to talk about?"

The Lich held Elia's hand in an attempt to make her slow down to a stop.

"Were you telling him the truth about your sister?" she asked, "Or perhaps you do know of a place where she could been?"


- Incarose Vassar - Ignis Court - Vicus Elbii -
Thanny Stardustblade358 RikuXIII Mystics Apprentice Scrapmaster

Alright, maybe someone would wonder how Incarose Vassar, former mercenary turned Ignis mage, ended up in this situation. Vincent and Miss Tekkanororia were having a pleasant conversation, they were making progress! Until a stranger's voice was heard out of nowhere. And then darkness began to pour down from the wall before a slightly humanoind shadow came out, setting limbs back to their right place? That sound was terrifying to say the least.

"What the heck is going-"

Before she could actually finish what she was about to say, Vlad revealed his true form to everyone in the room, before Tessa came around and tried to make her mother stop to try and hit the newcomer mage.

"By the gods! Mister Vlad, don't do that again!" she said, putting one hand over her chest, "that display could give anyone a heart attack."

- Yael/Nahum (Unaffiliated) – Temple of Life -
Yael would scoff a bit at the fact that he was called an intruder, and yet he did not blame them. No. He would have been in the very same position many lifetimes ago. "I am a bystander that has watched long enough. For regardless of how long I have lived, standing by while the young are abused has never sat right with me. No matter how many times that happens, not all will end well. No need to fret; I have been with you since Jynn joined you. Mabel's elder may attest to this if you have doubts." He placed his hand on Jynn's back calmly, offering a rub of encouragement. "Deep breaths, Jynn. For even in a bitter taste, they speak the truth. Mabel has been placed in a position that she must decide on her own." He explained, before looking at the rest of the Maesters. "And yet I agree that such an important decision should not be made with haste, lest we rush to a terrible result. You should know best, Maestra, that forcing an issue will only go so far before it breaks. Even more of how important speaking freely can be to a court, where the next generation shall determine its future. Regardless...as the priestess says. Fighting shall not bring results." Heir or not, opinions deserved to be heard. Especially in such a tense situation as now. And most importantly? These children deserved to have their time without being badgered. He watched Mabel walk away towards Gerik, and he would keep an eye on her while keeping a back on Jynn. "Calm young one. Breathe deep and remember your training and focus on your hearing." He spoke, his tail wagging a bit as he had proceeded to give both maesters a mere glance before returning his attention to the group. "...I do not believe that this issue will be resolved in a timely manner." He admitted, straightening his back. "Too many events, and too little time. Too many decisions for a rushed choice." He gestured to the maesters. "I believe...should there be no more interruptions or events, that solving the current ones should lead to us all resting as guests within the vivifica court, and give the priestess the night to consider her decision. For opening the realm of spirits...is not a decision that can be made in such a quick-paced circumstance. And with much less thought." He suggested, as calm as ever, clawed hands forming a small fist before releasing. "And that could give you all time to interrogate me all you want~" Rest. They needed rest. And time. And for Yael? Enough time to stall and grill into the woman on why on earth would she considered to do something so dangerous and reckless.

- Vincent (Ignis Court) – Vicus Elbii - Windmill House –
Vincent's eyes widened as he listened, seeing recognition in her eyes. She remembered, and he trusted him. Yes! This is what they were after! She spoke that she knew only of so much. That she spoke the truth all of those years ago. The mention of wanting mana and return was very familiar, because it was very similar to what happened to Elia. "Then there is truth to this. The fact that there is something we are missing within history." He spoke softly. A court. Or members of a previous court. People who were powerful enough to torment the living so many years after and were comfortable enough to do so. They had a warning decades ago only for it to be ignored because truly, it sounded outrageous. But what did not in the court of mages? Where they created new magic and spells every day? Found new ways to explore and explain the world? That was part of advancement, was it not? To take the absurd and decide whether it be fact or fiction. "First Court." This was the first time he had ever heard any of it. But they had to come here and confirm it. They needed to hear it with their own ears that indeed the journals had been what they said. "We have never heard of such thing before. But what happened to Elia cannot be dismissed. Neither can your testimony. It only proves that this could have been afoot for many years." He muttered. But before he could say anything else, some rat appeared. Not a literal one. That damned Umbra mage lummox. He showed up with all of the grandour of a mage, which sent the poor old woman into a fear frenzy. Vincent stood there frozen for a few solid seconds, before pushing himself back to his feet. He did not hesitate into following the old woman. Because right as she was being pulled away from Vlad, Vincent turned around and punched the mage straight in the face. He wouldn't do any real damage, honestly. he was not a mage, and thus was not blessed with the superhuman capabilities that many had. But he had made his point. "Did you have to make an entrance?!" He asked, glaring at the man. "I do damn hope that you showed up with such a spectacle because you FOUND SOMETHING?!"

- Arkane (Umbra Court) – Caravans: Vivifica Forest–
Arkane would look away. "Yeah. It was me. Like I said. We were playing hide and seek in the cemetery and I fell into an open grave I didn't see. Fell badly and broke my leg. I do not know who feared my mother's rage more. I who was sure she would bury me in said grave from how angry she was, or the child that had to deliver the news that her only child was one foot into the grave. Quite literally." His parents were gravekeepers. Death was somewhat normal. Children growing around it did not see it bad to play in cemeteries with encouragement of Arkane and his mischief. But after that incident, it was decided that maybe it was not the best place for hide-and-seek. Maybe it was a twisted way of faith, that he would be raised comfortable around corpses before he would be forced to join a court that used them for fodder. "After that we decided the river was funner than risking it behind some gravestones." His eyes lifted to where they had entered, the sun beginning to set. Orange rays would hit his face, bright red eyes almost glowing against the sunlight. The raven hair long framing his face as cheeks gained color against the warmth. He always wore darker colors, because blood and embalming fluids were easier to hide and stained it less. The hairpin a golden hue that gave off a shimmer against the rays, the ruby flower matching his eyes. In another life or event he would have grown to be another grave keeper, or maybe even a gardener with a farm of his own as he liked the flowers so much. But faith had shaped him differently. "What is taking them so long?" He asked, sounding concerned and annoyed in a single tone as he glared at the entrance. They were supposed to be there for a discussion, he understood. But they were taking so long...would they be staying the night? Had something happened? Arkane had been well distracted for a while, but now he was getting antsy as the blue skies were turning to hues of yellow, orange and red. "They do not expect us to camp out here, do they?" Arkane was not going to be stopped from entering the court if he had to. "I am giving them a little bit more before I go in myself!"

Zion and Eden (Vivifica and Umbra) - Temple of Life

The two were stunned into silence the entire time. The entire meeting had been encased in a dome, then Vallery assaulted Derik. Now they were merely standing there for the constant back and forth - Zion keeping her flaring emotions in check, as her passion would inevitably lead to more disruption - and Eden, stoic as always. The two exchanged looks the entire time, Eden's hand tightening to keep her wife in check. The Archmagus of Light may be an all-around benevolent person, but she was passionate - she was borderline self-righteous. When she found a cause to fight for, she would fight for it with all her heart. Even if it caused trouble, her sense of right and wrong constantly led her to always choose the best path she possibly could find. In this case...it was not as black and white as she wished. This was shades of constant grey, ones that shifted between the black illegality of Itika and the whites of peaceful discussion.
Aislinn's words shook her free. Her hand relaxed in Eden's. "I will keep an eye on them." She promised her Maestra. "If anything I can make a bunch of boxes." She chuckled a bit.

Eden, though, pulled free from her wife. "I will accompany you." She told Aislinn flatly. "Even if she is your student, it is best that you are not alone. If she awoke and still was in her...frenzy state, you could come to harm." She crossed her arms, and would follow Aislinn - even if the Maestra protested. She was, after all, not of Vivifica. Even if her marriage to Zion would be seen, mostly, as a sign of good faith - it also was abundantly clear which of the two wore the pants in the relationship. And it was, in fact, not Zion. But...it was also clear why Eclaire tended to be far more selfless than many Umbra mages - she was, after all, the product of the sacrificing Eden and the absolute ray of frickin' sunshine that was Zion.

Mystics Apprentice

- Pali Noirtier, Umbra Court, at the entrance to the derelict house on the hill of Vicus Elbii -

Pali peered around the young woman's neck when he had heard an altercation within and groaned. So they were indeed here, and causing an uproarious situation. In a flight, the young woman at the door disappeared further into the house, leaving him and Anya to their own devices. Pali, not feeling desirous to be patient, flashed a grin in Anya's direction before attempting to cross the threshold. His movement seemed hesitant, but it was in fact because of the resisting push of the open air of the portal itself. He cursed his luck. It was a salted doorway.

With a few murmured words, his foot continued onto the other side, tearing through the veil that protected the house from the presence of people like himself who were not invited in. Anya likely did not have much of an issue crossing.

The inside was not much better. Instead of a ramshackle outdoors, it was a ramshackle conversation, if such a thing could exist. Guitars flew and smashed, punches were delivered, and yelling ensued. Looking about, Pali placed both hands on the knob of his cane and brought his cane down. Silence would ensue, cutting people off for three second. It would be enough time to bring the quarrel to an end.

"Cease your bickering. Vlad, control your shadows. You stepped in at a bad time." Pali slid his gaze over to Irasbeth Tekkanororia, his face holding a solemn smile. "Please continue, ma'am."

- Daruk Mordem, Ignis Court, within a meeting at the Temple of Life -

Huffing in derision, Daruk breathed in and out a few times. He felt that he remembered that youth from their travels. Wasn't he in the village beset by the earthen giants? If he was the shapeshifter, then that giant serpent thing . . . was that him? Huh. Maybe. And then there was the other two. Zion he recognised as part of Aislinn's entourage, but not the other. For all his grandeur and mystique, however, Yael the chatterbox grated on his nerves. He impatiently listened, tapping his foot, then with a frown spoke what was on his mind sequentially.

"Your suggestion comes late, ferret youth. While your idea has merit, a decision has been struck, and even if you all decide against it I will side with Aislinn in this case.

"Jynn, boy," he voiced with a crane of his neck, "you certainly have the gumption, but I will agree with Maestra Thea. It takes more than determination to be a Maester, something you will discover as an heir. My heir Henry over there"--he pointed over to Henry, feeling it time to share that bombshell of news--"will stay here to support Maester Gerik should anything befall me. I recommend you learn from him and see if you can pick up the remaining traits you need."

Taking one last look around, last resting on Thea Nero, he followed Aislinn, swayed by her words and following her hopefully to the source of Itika to round up what was needed for the trip.

Jynn Venas, Vivifica - Temple of Life

Mystics Apprentice Stardustblade358 Elrandir Thanny

Jynn did not give a reaction to Thea’s words, despite the fact that they were insulting and hurtful, almost as if she was trying to make him feel insignificant. But he did not let those words discourage him from his desire and belief. If Thea was still looking, she would find that her words had no effect on his determination. Yael starts talking, pointing out his disgust towards young people being abused and bullied by those of higher status. Jynn tries to stop the rant. “There’s no point Yeal.”

Jynn does take a few breaths upon Yael’s suggestion, before commenting on the other options the shapeshifter presented. “Unfortunately, resting here is not going to be an option. Someone has breached the Temple’s gates, and they are looking for Mabel. Not only that, Aislinn already believes we have made our decision, and angering or testing her patience will potentially lead to battle with the Vivifican mages, in which we are vastly outnumbered.” His blind, dull eyes shift to Yael. “Please believe me when I say I do not want Mabel to open a portal to the Spirit Realm…”

Jynn was rather surprised by Daruk’s response. Unlike Maestra Thea, Daruk did not appear quick to seemingly belittle the Vivifican mage. Instead, he seemed like he wanted Jynn to learn from his own heir, Henry. Jynn looks to Henry then back to Daruk. “I must enter the Spirit Realm with everyone. I want to know what we are dealing with.” But Daruk did not stay long enough to hear Jynn’s words.

{Gerik Lockford: Umbra Court; The Temple of Life - Interior}
Gerik coughed a few more times, his eyes fixed on Aislinn and Valery as they left. This situation has gotten very much out of hand. That hollow puppet had almost....
Mabel's offer for a drink broke into the umbral maester's thoughts. Now wasn't the time to focus on past mistakes. Have to salvage the here and now.
"I can give you a long list of legal reasons of why this is a bad idea, your grace." He said before taking a healthy drink.
The drink went on longer than he intended, finding it pleasantly soothing.
"My thanks." Gerik said between swings, giving Mabel a grateful smile.
He paused, hard fought lessons flooding his mind.
"I must beg your forgiveness for this familiarity...Mabel." He said in a low tone, some of the unease he felt showing in his face and tone. "But I'm not sure how else to properly explain right now. I don't doubt Aislinn means well, or thinks this is for the best. But intention does not make something good. I have done many things I intended for good that came back with horrible consequences. We face very real dangers here, and our other option is to go someplace I believe no mortal is meant to go."
He gave her a weak smile.
"Something is going on here and I can't yet determine what path forward doesn't end in disaster. If we had more time, we could devise more safeguards. But as is...I fear this is one more good intention slotted in the road to hell."
Gerik took a final drink. Despite himself, he felt very shaken. There were other conflicts in the room. Things he needed to calm down, to regain control of this situation. But she had said...
"In the end Mabel, this falls to you." He said, shaking his head. "This is what the High Priestess is for. It is a lot of weight to bear, but I...I will support your decision. All I ask is if I things go too far and I say we need to go, you will have the same trust in me."

{Valery: Vivfica Court; The Temple of Life - Carried away}
The Vivifca Warden slept in her maester's arms, but fitfully. She twitched and shuddered from her dreams. Hazy memories of her life before the lab. A face, always out of focus, hovered in her minds eye.
"Davide..." She murmured in her sleep.
Valery's parrot familiar fluttered in, landing on Aislinn's shoulder, looking over his master with what passed for concern on the bird's face.

{Anya Alighieri: Ignis Court; Vicus Elbii}
In a flash, Anya was between Tekkanororia and Vlad. One hand was reached out to clam the old woman, while the other was used to firmly push Vlad to a chair.
"It's alright. He's with us and he's mostly harmless." She said in a soothing tone.
She turned her eyes on Vlad, a flicker of flame in her eyes.
"Would you please apologize for your unannounced arrival, Vlad?"
In the back of her mind, she really hoped Vincent was taking good notices. Anya wasn't sure she was really getting what the old woman was saying, but it was giving her bad vibes.

–The Temple of Life–
Xion136 , Endless Thundaza , Stardustblade358 , Thanny , Nero Kunivas , Scrapmaster , @HeartOfFerria , Elrandir , RikuXIII

The Vivifica Maestra shifted her gaze the the umbra mage whom Zion had taken for her wife. She gave her a swift look up and down, before giving a nod. She appeared very exhausted. "Thank you, dear," Aislinn told Eden, before continuing out the door and leading Eden, and knowingly Daruk, in the direction of Vallery's room. In her arms she felt the Vivifica mage stir, her body twitching in discomfort. Whether it be mental or physical, Aislinn wasn't certain, but she did hope that the girl didn't move around too much; she was difficult for the middle-aged woman to carry.

"It's alright," Aislinn soothed, tucking Vallery's head under her chin. "You are safe."

It surprised Aislinn to hear the mute Vallery speak, much less utter a singular name. Davide. Who was Davide? She dwelled on this, mulling over the name as she heaved herself and Vallery up a flight of stairs, but her made came up with nothing. A blank slate. Whoever this person was, Aislinn did not know him.

They would wind and twist through the ancient temple, past tapestries that hung for over hundreds of years, vines overgrown and wrapping around columns that had withstood the test of time. Eventually they would traipse down a hallway and into Vallery's room, where Aislinn would enter and gently place the Vivifica mage down on the bed. Her lips were drawn into a frown, concern contorting her features.

"Would you get me a damp cloth, Eden?" Aislinn asked, placing a hand on Vallery's forehead. She did everything that she could to make the unconscious girl comfortable, partly hoping that she would awaken before she had to retreat to the others.

"Say," Aislinn asked slowly, tucking the covers over Vallery's still form. "What do you either of you know about necromancy?"

Meanwhile, back in the meeting room, things were still heated between mages. Mabel sidestepped the debate between the others, still focused on the Umbra maester. Her hazel eyes were somber as Gerik explained his position, though they widened a fraction when Gerik said that he would defer to her judgment.

"I--" she blurted, gaze flickering frantically from Gerik to the scene over her shoulder, chiefly Nero and Jynn. "This is a lot. I don't know. I agree that this is somewhere we shouldn't go, that we are violating the elders' trust, and I am failing them as high priestess. And yet"--she closed her eyes, bringing a fist to her heart--"what other choice do we really have? All-out war? Bloodshed? The demolition of an entire court? I do not think I can live with myself if I have that on my conscience, Maester Gerik. Not without at least going to this spirit realm to just see what she wants to show us. But if, if she starts to get out of hand, or does something she should not, will you help me to stop her?"

She tilted her gaze downward. "And, I'm sorry . . . . All of you. I didn't mean to, well, I had my reasons for keeping my own abilities secret all this time. It isn't something I'm meant to--"

The door creaked open, interrupting Mabel's thoughts, but it wasn't Aislinn returning from depositing Vallery. The door opened and what seemed like hundreds of ravens swooped upon the party, soaring directly at them and then flying over their heads. It obscured the doors from view, which remained open. Only if someone were paying very close attention, and was able to see through the surprise and thicket of birds, would they notice Vaike, Tibarn, and possibly Gabriel and Arno slip inside . . . .

–Vivifica Forest, Mage Caravan–
Scrapmaster , Nero Kunivas , Stardustblade358 , Xion136

"Must've been hard," Kiran started, gaze falling to the string wrapped around his hands. He couldn't move, for fear of losing the design that Arkane had so carefully helped him to create. "Being the child of gravekeepers, I mean. What a painful reminder of death, each and every day." He looked up into his master's face, carefully meeting the red eyes that both charmed and frightened him. "Are they still grave keepers, your parents?"

Eventually his gaze followed Arkane's, which was the direction in which the other mages had disappeared to. Kiran let out a sigh. "You're not going to let this go, are you?" he asked, rubbing an eye with his forearm, hands still tied up in strings. "Cat lady, looks like you're going to have to start thinking about opening a gateway to Vivifica soon."

–Vicus Elbii–
RikuXIII , Stardustblade358 , Thanny , Elrandir , Scrapmaster

Irasbeth Tekkanororia brandished her guitar like a greatclub, ready to strike again, though Anya stepped in the way and tried to dissuade her. She raised a wiry brow. "Another redhead, of course," she said, getting ready to swat at Anya instead. "Still can't trust 'em."

Old Tekka was about to strike, but Tessa held her mother firmly, preventing her from doing so. For a moment the two women struggled, their movements wild as each fought to overpower the other. "No, Ma, stop!" Tessa shouted again, her mother fighting for her freedom. Eventually the two tripped over a pile of books and a porcelain plate, the pair clattering to the floor in an unceremonious heap. Immediately they fell silent.

"Now see what you've done?" Tekkanororia snapped at her daughter, using the guitar like a cane to rise from her position on the ground. "But I want that man out of my house. He's possessed by them spirits or something." She lifted her gaze to glare at Vlad, and she couldn't help shooting Vincent a grateful smile for punching the newcomer in the face. "Please, Mister Watson. Get him out of here."

Her frantic, erratic behavior was broken when she noticed a young man standing in the doorway. Her eyes widened and she discarded the guitar to the floor, the strings echoing within the hollow of the broken instrument. She moved towards Pali in quickened strides, her expression awestruck.

"I don't believe it," Tekka whispered. "I must have certainly gone mad. Pali-Wali, is that really you, old friend?" She would stand at least a foot shorter than Pali, glancing up into his youthful face. She let out a laugh, bringing both hands to clap his cheeks. "Why, it really is you! Why you haven't aged a day! Have you come to accept my marriage proposal, after having, what, fifty years to think about it?"

–Sanctus Heights: The Streets–
Elrandir Elrandir

A great chunk of their day was already gone. The sun was already golden in the sky, and little progress had been made. Elia turned her gaze toward the horizon, watching the sun get ready to dip below the horizon of the tallest of buildings within Sanctus Heights.

"Well, I"--Elia shifted from foot-to-foot, her gaze studying the cobblestone with great interest--"she does have one friend. Joq is his name. But I don't know where he lives, or if she'd even like involve him, or anything."

She bit her lip, glancing up into the lich's face, expecting disappointment. "I'm sorry. I just thought that if I shared this with the lieutenant that he'd try to get her friend, or her, in trouble. And we all know that she's innocent. I just don't think he'd understand."

As they traveled the streets and it grew later in the evening, they had left the office district of Sanctus Heights and entered the residential one, passing homes ranging from small ranch-style homes to three-story mansions. Eventually they would wind their way through the streets and find a cluster of townhouses, well-kept and, thankfully, unaffected by the automaton attack. The address that Diane would have was a townhouse, unit B, with a perfectly white picket fence and deep burgundy shutters. The door was a matching burgundy on a stark-white house, bushes perfectly manicured out front. It was clear that either Elena paid for landscaping, or she knew a professional who maintain the property for her.