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The morning after the parties arrival in the Palace of Rabanastre now repurposed into the Shrine of the Imps. The night before was spent visiting the various shrines, learning, experiencing, mingling with the imps who currently reside here. For Ainsley, Marduke and Lee at least they had a nice time, met some imps, suffered some pranks.. well ok Kal pranked the pants off Marduke whilst Ainsley had a fun time with a bright orange imp in the library and Lee turned into a DRAGON in Andromeda's shrine to Time and Space which caused a bit of a stir! Silmeria spent the night in the Abyss with her father, it was a quiet, peaceful time a chance to recharge her battieries, to commune with the sphere she serves and to reaffirm the fact that her father is most pleased with her progress thus far.

Emerging from the Shrine of Death, Silmeria pauses at the entrance to run her hands through her hair and draw in a deep, satisfied breath.  Turning to offer a cheerful wave to the shrine's tenders, she picks her way towards the rooms the others had been staying in, visibly refreshed and filled with renewed purpose for her visit.  By the time she turns the corner near the rest of the party's hall, the Esper seems to be humming a soft, cheerful tune.

Marduke has had a most interesting night, and a good nights rest.  Yet he is up early and is already making his way around checking on things and making sure they have everything they need to make the trip, at least hoping they have everything.  Glancing up he offers a smile to Silmeria, "Your in a oddly good mood.  Still welcome back, we should be ready soon."
Lee emerges from where he slept through the night, after making sure Ainsley is awake as well, yawning and stretching and running gloved hands through his shaggy and unkempt black hair, "Mornin', all, mornin'...  What's fer breakfast?"  Redundant question, sure, but he doesn't seem to expect an answer given the circumstances.  Instead, he falls in to helping to make sure his and Ainsley's gear and kit is ready for the day's tasks and travels.

Ainsley made sure to get a sleep in, after she made some notes from the book she managed to get information from. Once it starts getting to be daylight, she's probably the last one awake... She rubs at the back of her neck, looking around as if by habit, checking with a certain paranoia for any sort pranks, maybe, or otherwise. She would've insisted on sleeping where Lee decided to settle down for the night, just for the sense of safety that would give her. She steps up to the rest of the group, yaaaawning loudly, and staring blearily into the air, vaguely in Marduke's direction. She nods in vague agreement with Lee's question, rubbing at her tummy.

Kal bobs down into Lee's field of vision and grins widely, "Well I figured breakfast would be served in the dinning hall" he points down the corridor, "We have a sort of communual breakfast after all." he grins gently and jigs from side to side idly in mid air. "And then after breakfast we are off to wherever Ainsley found out whilst she was communing with Chaos last night." he grins widely, watching Silmeria to see how she reacts to that. 

"Oh certainly," Silmeria replies to Marduke, beaming in the Summoner's direction.  "It's *always* nice to visit the Abyss and talk to Father, if only in spirit."  While most might find her views on the Realm of the Dead unsettling, it's clear that Kal's comment causes the Esper to skip a mental track or three.  "...Wait, what," she says, head snapping toward Ainsley, eyes wide and worried.  "...With *whom?*"

Marduke ahhs and nods to Silmeria, he is a summoner after all and doesn't seem all that off set by the idea.  Though he wouldn't mind sitting on the hills talking to dragons somedays himself.  He peers over to Kal, then glances to Ainsley and offers a smile, "Oh?  Find out something useful I take it. Can't wait to hear, but filling my stomach is a good idea to.  Shall we?"  Clueless, a bit.

Lee blinks at Kal, half-way through the process of digging out food from his pack for himself and Ainsley, looking surprised, "Wot, y'mean there actually -is- gonna be breakfast?  Huh, fancy that."  And he goes to putting the trail food right back where he got it from.  The bit about Chaos goes right over his head, though, and Silmeria's reaction gets a curious eyebrow-arch from him, the pale young man missing the significance of Kal's name-drop.  He makes no comment, though, instead nodding in agreement with Marduke, "Aye, I'm fair famished, m'self."

Ainsley immediately rolls her eyes, obviously not thinking it's a funny trick, "An Imp -named- Chaos," she clarifies for Silmeria's sanity and comfort, sounding tired and impatient. "He's the Knowledge imp that lives here, tends to the library as far as I can tell." She shows Kal the most displeased look she can possibly manage. "Considering that some people may react to it by /killing me/, can you refrain from making really ill-thought jokes like that, please?" She doesn't bother waiting for an answer, turning to go find where they're organizing this communal breakfast. Or just walk off, because she looks grumpy and tired.

Kal rolls his eyes and smirks, "Man Ainsley you are a grumpy morning person!" he grins softly and bobs down the corridor, "Come on this way for breakfast!" The dinning room is HUGE, it must have been a palace function room at one point. Now there is a large round table in the middle of the room... it is quite low down though, the legs swawn off for Imps and the chairs too! The crowd wave at the visitors though and KAl leads you all over to apile of cushions set up. "Help yourself to anytning you want." 

"....Oh," is all Silmeria says in answer to Ainsley's clarification, loosing a quiet sigh of relief.  "That... *was* a pretty, um... I don't want to say poor joke, Master Kal?  But it *could* have been sort of... sticky...  But at any rate," she says, shrugging her concern off like a loose cloak, moving to join the party, "breakfast *does* sound lovely."
Marduke leans over to Silmeria, "It was pretty bad, even I caught it was a joke.  Though he did get me pretty good last night."  Shrugging his shoulders and following along to the food.  Findign himself a seat and grabbing food the man just consumes it clearly rather hungry.

Lee follows after Ainsley, coming up alongside her and resting a hand on her shoulder, kneading soothingly, "Come on, luv, some food'll do ya good, I'd wager.  May'ap they'll 'ave sweets, too.  Y'know, fruit pastries, whipped cream, an' tha sort."  Making sure Ainsley wanders in the direction of the breakfast, he takes a seat at the table once there, giving the spot next to him to the scholar, and helps himself to a fair amount of food, more than might be expected for a man of his slender stature.  After a few moments of eating, he asks Kal, "So, will y'be accompanying us on our next leg, or will y'be waitin' here fer our return?"

Kal just grins, "But the look on Silmeria's face! But ok ok I'll be good!" he swoops over to his cousins and starts telling them all about it! Which for an imp counts as being good... at least amongst themselves! Breakfast is hearty and healthy and soon enough he is back to answer Lee with a grin as they are partway through the meal. "I'll be coming out with you to the canals, I can go that far but well when you find the entrance I won't go any further"

"I'm sure that's won't be a problem," Silmeria says, spreading a pat of butter on a muffin and tilting her head toward the imp.  "Um... By any chance, you wouldn't happen to be able to say why?"

Marduke blinks and blinks again over towards Silmeria, "it is the forbidden zone we would be entering.  The Lord of Imps has forbidden imps from entering."  His voice soft, "Still we have to find the place first before we worry about that.  Food is excellent."  Working to finish up, "Got a long day ahead of us."

Lee just nods to Kal's answer, working on his plate of food as Silmeria pursues that thread of conversation, finishing and leaning back after a time, nodding, "Aye, long... day."  A brief bit of sour expression at that, but it passes quickly as he adds, "But, nothin' for et, I s'pose.  Like I said last night, I don' fancy wandering such a place after dark, where possible."  He looks to Ainsley, "So, speakin' of, what-all *did* y'find out from those books an' such last night, Ains?  What're we lookin' for?"

"It is in the canals, on its own islands," Ainsley explains, reaching up to rub at the feathers atop her head. She's eating only a modest meal now, in contrast to all the food she was bound to have stuffed her face with last night. "The compass rose is a pattern representing the cardinal directions, north, south, east, west, etcetera, set into the floor of Queen Ashe's bedroom."

Kal looks at Marduke "You are indeed right, it is the Tomb of Queen Ashe, we agreed to protect it and in exchange we got permission to make this our temple and centre of culture on Terra for those of us spending our time this side of the veil." He tilts his head and regards Ainsley, "The Canals are full of mist and fiend however... those islands are not safe.... you'll have to decide how bet to approach it. I can only help so far" 

Silmeria bobs her head, brushing the crumbs from her hands onto her plate.  "I fully understand, Master Kal.  Even if it weren't forbidden, I'd be loath to ask you to risk your safety on our behalf, anyhow."  Falling silent for a moment, she tilts her head Ainsley's way, eyebrows rising.  "That's helpful, at least; now we know what to look for when we make it through the canals..."

Marduke nods slowly at that, "indeed, and it will be a fight I am sure, between fiends and people who need to have their mouths sewn shut."  Shaking his head, 'though I have a few hunches.  Only thing we can do now is head our way there."  Pushing his plate away ands tanding up, "Whenever everybody is ready."

Lee spends a moment or three in deep thought, pondering, then adds, "I know I saw a few tall buildings in th'area, when we got that little aerial view o'tha city a day'r so ago.  Four or five, or thereabouts.  But th'mist was too thick t'see tha canal layout, so unless our kind hosts 'ave an old map layin' about somewhere, we'll be trekin' blind."  Getting to his feet, he offers Ainsley a hand, "Long shot, but...  You 'appen to see any maps in that library, Ains?"

"No," Ainsley says, tiredly, "There are no maps." She reaches to grab Lee's hand, pulling herself up to her feet. She seems very lightweight, which is natural for her short stature. She looks out to the others, and tells them with a serious tone, "That is entirely on purpose. This is all a test down to the very last step, and it's not going to be so easy. We are going to be going in blind, so we'll have to navigate on our own skills." She streeeetches her arms out over her head. "Let's go, then. No more dilly-dallying."

Kal floats up and leads the way out of the dinning room toward an external door then slows down and looks back at Marduke, Ainsley and the others... "I did... suggest a solution, when I showed you the palace that night at the inn.... you know.. before we got here... but well I can't remind you now that'd be against the rules."

"And it would be wrong to break the rules," Silmeria says, nodding, even as her eyes flicker frantically back and forth, as the Esper tries to drudge up the memory of the map.  "Especially this early in the test.  So, best not to say anything about it right now, wouldn't you agree?"  
Kal is favored with a radiant smile, as she follows in the Imp's wake toward their next trial.
Marduke nods slowly at that, "indeed it is, blind in middle of the mists."  He offers and hmms a moment, "Our fist step should be finding the waterworks, getting them running and moving the water again.  Should lessen the Mists and make finding our way around a lot easier.  That is something Kal suggested if you remember."  Peering at Kal and chuckling softly, "Always a test I see.  Well lets go, I got everything on me."

Lee follows Ainsley and Kal, nodding to the imp, then the summoner, "Yeah, get th'water flowin', I remember.  But whether our first target is an island or the water source, we're still goin' blind at th'outset as t'a route t'either."  He collects his own pack in passing, putting hat and cloak on over it, "Guess I'm ready as I'm likely t'be.  Only thing I can say is, water flows downhill.  Even if it ain't by much, the works'll be higher than th'rest o'tha canals, so I s'pose that's somethin'..."

Ainsley turns to start following after Kal, letting her tail sway and twitch to her gait. She has made sure to get her supplies, whatever survived their watery adventure on the way to the temple. She isn't offering much input beyond what she's already said. Instead, she opts to simply hum a gentle, girlish song to herself, to help ease her stress. She spares a light glance to Lee, distracted by something he had said.

Kal leads the way down the ancient, weed choked steps, away from the central core of the palace and toward the gardens. They are wild, over-grown but in a natural way, an untended manner not dangerous. What is dangerous is the wall of mist that rolls around the bottom of the long lawns. The imp stop and looks at it and then at the party, "The Canals.... the first one is about ten yards into the mit." ) [Spoofed By: Silvante]

The butt of Silmeria's ebony-handled scythe thunks against the brickwork, as her eyes scan the Mist-choked lawns, a small furrow forming between her eyebrows.  "...We'll want to run, then," she says softly, closing her eyes for a moment.  "None of us are Viera, thank Hades, but I'd be much happier if any of us braved the Mists as little as we can possibly manage..."  Reaching back with her free hand, she casually undoes the strap holding her Gunblade firmly in place, ready to draw it as well at a moment's notice.  "...Does anyone have any last-minute business?"

Marduke kneels down to peer at the Mists as he considers, "Dangerous is the Mists, yet it is also life.  A study to keep it in balance, or at the very least keep things from doing what was done four hundred years ago from happening again.'  Mostly to himself as he watches a moment, "Chlaal might be able to give us some direction and protection in these, but im thinking it may be wiser to conserve the energy.  Lee, from what I recall there were about four islands that stood out as having houses on them.  The rest were like gardens and such.  You studied the map in more detail then I did, recall any direction that looks like it might of been a inlet for the canals?"  Standing up and noding to Silmeria, and then glancing to the others.

Lee frowns, "Running, in poor visibility...  With the chance o'stumblin' over deadly critters along th'way...  Yeah, this'll be all kinds o'fun."  He pulls his pack off, fishing out a small water skin, and takes the sash he'd used before to wrap his head out from under his cloak, using water to dampen a section of it before wrapping the damp section over his mouth and nose like a highwayman's mask.  He pulls another cloth out, dampening it and offering it to Ainsley for similar use, "Runnin' or not, we'll still be breathin' that mess, so th'fewer chances taken, th'better, sez I."  At Marduke's question, he pauses to think for a moment, then nods, "Aye...  We're on the west end o'tha canals, east o'tha Palace. Th' city moat borders th'other three sides o'tha canals, and circles around th'other side o'tha palace.  There's a wall what separates th'canals from th'moat.  Like as not, that moat outside th'wall's where tha canals'll get their water from, which means sluice gates in th'wall, an' tha nearest'd piece o'tha wall, that'd be either north or south of us.  We get to an' follow th' wall, chances are we'll find a gate t'open, I'm guessin'."

Ainsley takes the cloth that's proffered to her, and wraps it around her mouth, instantly knowing what Lee's intention is. She isn't offering much on input. When Silmeria suggests running, she gives an incredulous look in that direction, and then tugs at Lee's hand, shooting a look of concern up at him. Ains is not a physically-inclined creature, so Lee will probably be able to guess what's worrying her.

Kal just bobs there, "Could be... the moat around the palace island. you saw it when you arrived, the river the bridge crosses to reach the palace. It is full and running, one of the largest water sources this side of Emberstrand but well... if there are gates I hope you can open them... mist is... nasty. Not just for the fiends but for what it could do to you all..." ) 
Silmeria bobs her head, pulling a bit of unfinished knitting out of her hobby bag, hurriedly wetting it down and tying it around her face.  It's difficult to look truly serious, when one is talking through a red scarf with black kitten faces, but the Esper does her best.  "Let's hurry, then."

Marduke hmms a moment and nods, "The side towards the original keep would be our best bet.  Probably try to control the water flows from inside the main walls.  Lets hurry."  Having prepared a piece of cloth himself, "Though I am not sure this actually does any good."  Putting it on, "Lee you lead the way then if you would, north."  Turning to follow, pausing a moment as he stares at Silmeria a clear impression of a very amused grin but no laughter.  Then turning to follow after Lee.

Lee nods, "North it is, then."  Slipping his pack back on under his cloak, he glances curiously to Ainsley as she tugs on his hand, then ahhs and nods, thinking for a moment before crouching and offering Ainsley a hand up to ride on his shoulders, "You'll be in th' crow's nest, luv, so keep a weather eye fer threats, eh?"  Once she's situated, he stands again, not having much trouble carrying the scholar this way, and starts off north, stopping at the edge of the mist.  Looking back at Silmeria and Marduke, "Here we go..."  That said, he leans into a quick joggin pace into the mist!

Ainsley has found a place on Lee's shoulders! This leaves her open so that she can cast spells on the fly, if she needs to, and she won't be too tired to move by the time they're done running! Scholars and their lack of stamina. She also wraps her long tail around Lee's middle, to make sure she has a proper grip on him.


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