View source for Chapter BI2-1


The temple of Hades in Embertrand is a quiet, sedate building og grey granite and black marble that sits around the far side of the Temple upon which the Cathedral of Alexander resides. Shadowed by the city walls and the hill it sits at the end of a quiet, shady cul-de sac were Autumnal Trees blanket the roads in drifts of crisp brown and gold, red and yeloow leaves.

Bandaged, moving stiffly, but still relatively upbeat, Silmeria seems to have decided to use her downtime to relax; by sweeping the granite walkway leading toward the temple.  Humming under her breath, she sways-- with minor hitches here and there as a bruise is tugged on-- in time with the music, by all appearances very much enjoying her break from administering to the dead.

Red.  That's a color that probably doesn't fit overly well into the Temple of Hades, but a person wearing a great deal of that color is in the process of striding up the way towards the temple.  Jenna Blackthorne, ex-Forsaken, and her ragged dress uniform move with purpose, gun and sword in hip and holster, and she bears an inoccuous looking book under her arm.  She's whistling tunelessly as she approaches, but upon catching sight of the woman busy with her chores, changes course.  "Silmeria," she greets, coming to a halt and adopting a pleasant smile.  "Keeping busy, I see... are you alright?  You look rather bruised."

"Poor timing," Silmeria says, looking up from her broom and bobbing her head in greeting.  "I was in the Slums, when... well.  When it happened.  But that's neither here nor there at the moment... something I can help you with, Jenna?"

"Oh.  I... Well."  Jenna scratches the back of her head, suddenly feeling a bit awkward.  "Well, damn good thing you're okay, then.  I imagine you were pretty busy there, being a disciple of Hades and all."  She pauses, and uhhs softly.  "Well... yes, I do need some help.  How much do you know about Ultimecia?"

As Jenna says the name "Ultimecia" several nearby people freeze, accolytes who aren't exactly in ear-shot but were clearly eavesdropping. They bow to Silmeria and Jenna and back away. The name itself seems to cause a reaction, the shady temple fore-court seems to grow... dimmer, darker... a cloud moving over it a it to hide it further and an icy cold wind seems to blow from within the temple.

The broom pauses, and a slow, deep sigh escapes Silmeria's slightly puffy lips.  "...I know we're probably going to need privacy for this... Also tea.  Come inside, will you?"

The broom freezes in place, the Esper's eyes closing, lips moving through a silent, rapid prayer.  "...If you know enough to ask that name," she says, taking hold of Jenna's elbow, "then you probably ought to know by now that saying some things out in the open is the best way to bring trouble down on *everything's* head.  So.  Let's not speak of this here."  She with that, she starts gently, but quite firmly, guiding Jenna into the granite mustaba.

Jenna glances back and forth, watching people slip away, and perks an eyebrow upwards as she's taken by the elbow and pulled towards the temple.  "...Right," she drawls.  "Yeah, I've not spoken about that to anyone yet, and... that was quite the interesting effect.  Once was enough."  She brushes her fingertips through her hair, and waits to be brought to somewhere more secluded.

Secluded is the word for it; wordlessly, Jenna is guided down thick, muffled hallways, past silent priests and mausoleums, farther underground than one would expect a temple to be... and finally, past a row of identical doors, one opened seemingly at random.  Inside is Nothing more than a bed, a desk, a bulging backpack, and a Gunblade; this is, apparently, where Silmeria calls home.

Jenna keeps silent as she's guided along, and other than making a mental note of hte route, keeps her eyes more or less to herself; this does appear to be living quarters afterall, and it's really none of her business what people keep in their rooms.  Once the door is closed, the burmecian shifts the book she carries out from under her arm to hold in front of her.  "As near as I can tell, this is her diary," she explains, not waiting to be prompted.  "I got my hands on it while I was helping Raziel and his bunch go after a couple of coins." 

".....Oh dear," Silmeria says, taking hold of the book, running a hand over the front cover.  "Yes, I know about the Stellazzio journeys, Jenna... Two of my friends are at the heart of it, in fact.  And I... well.  Suddenly I rather wish we were someplace less...... populated."

As Silmeria touches the book it reacts, magic flares along the leather cover, the metal clasps arch with static and it jumps out of the hands of both women to land on the floor where it steams and crackles with lightning before falling still.

"I don't trust any of them," Jenna replies airily.  "But they shouldn't take that personal.  There are exactly two people I do trust, and you are one of them."  The burmecian offers up the book, holding it out for Silmeria to examine, if she should so wish.  "Swiped it off her person when she came flyin' past me," she explains.  "I was trying to get a coin she'd managed to snatch, but had to settle.  But hey."  She shrugs, "I figured she might know something about death curses, so I was happy.  Y'never know."  Then as Silmeria touches it, and it reacts rather... dramatically, Jenna's eyes shift to observe the thing where it lies on the floor.  "...That's... never happened before.  You alright?"

Silmeria doesn't respond to Jenna's question, staring at the book as it falls.  "...Pick it up," she says, shouldering past Jenna to grab her overstuffed backpack.  "Find a corner in her and wedge it in.  *Make sure it's* covered up,*" she stresses as she slips what looks to be at least sixty pounds of gear onto her shoulders.  Next, the Gunblade is taken up, given a quick once-over.  "We'll have to move quick."

The door to Silmeria's room opens even as the esper is grabbing her stuff and a tall, narrow faced man stands there, his robes are black and plain and with the hood up he looks quite alarming. "Silmeria.... what was that? The Iron Gong does tremble as if there is a tremor in the ground.... the air is thick and un-easy.... and it comes from here?" he glances at Jenna as if seeking something about her.

Jenna spends a full three seconds chewing this over in her mind, before she scoops up the book, and goes to stuff it down into the center of Silmeria's pack.  She shuffles things around a bit, until she has the tome good and properly covered, then latches the pack tightly shut around it.  "...Done," she replies, before she draws her pistol, and pops the chamber out.  She gives it a quick spin, making sure all the bullets are neatly in place, before snapping the chamber back in place and holstering the weapon once more.  "Ready," she states, just as the door opens.  She glances back and forth between the priest and Silmeria, and... yes, that's a question for the Esper to answer.

"There is about to be a very large problem," Silmeria says to the acolyte.  "She's coming.  To *me.*  It seems we have something of hers... so, it's best that we get on the move as quickly as possible.  I'll not traumatize the new initiates any further, thank you."  The cylinder of her Gunblade is popped out and peered down, the concussion charge removed to examine, then replaced.  "We probably want to leave town."

The Priest hesitates for a moment then nods and turns, "Follow, it is best you leave via the water-way, with the town in chaos and the bridge down... yes I think it would be best if you left via the aqueduct. You can get outside of the city that way...." he looks back, "What is it you have? I may be able to guide you toward someone to seek if I know what it is you have."
Penny has connected.

"What we have is a lot of trouble, apparently," Jenna replies.  Apparently any further explaination will be left to her compatriot, as she draws her sword for inspection.  She turns it over, looking at both sides before thumbing the edge, and putting it back in the scabbard.  "Ready to move.  Can we expect any resistance in the aqueduct?  Sometimes those places get to be 'inhabited'."

"Her history," is all Silmeria says.  "Should we still have it when we return, we'll likely want to make copies."  Closing her eyes a moment, she shakes her head, turning to the priest.  "I'm sorry we're not being terribly forthcoming.  But, the less you know, the less I have to worry about happening should she follow our trail directly, understand?"  With a small, worried smile, she rests her hands on the priest's shoulders.  "All will be well.  Don't forget that."  With that, she turns, and begins to lead Jenna toward the acqueducts at a hurried pace.

The priest nods and leads the pair down to the basement and shifts the girll aside leading from the cistern to the tunnels himself. "Good luck... and may Hades guide your path through life and not to his throne." he bows and watches the ladies leave then replaces the grill....

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Go on to [[Chapter |BI2-2|Stelazzio Quest Chapter BI2-2]]

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