AChapter 20
Thr Party have reached the Necropolis, the towering city of Sephulcher, Mausoleums and tombs... gravestones, bells and the quiet rest of the dead. It is quite pleasent here beneath the morning sunshine, the tall towering city of graves is well kept. With trees and shaded walks, benches and streets that curve this way and that. It isn't all told a very bad place to be, serene and rather beautiful. Except for the massive door the party are stood in front of. The gigantic portal is open revealing a large Octaganol entrance chamber with many paths radiating away from it... That.. that is rather gloomy like and foreboding.
"All right," Silmeria says as the party reaches the portal, "before we go in... THere are things that *must* be understood." Drawing in a deep breath, she steps before the portal, turning to face the party. "This is the Path of Shale, my friends... THis is the path your soul will take, once you've finally passed on, and it is also our way into the Catacombs of the Tonberry King. Make little sound, do *nothing* to agitate the dead if you can at all help it... And once we've left the Path, *do not seek out the lanterns.* The TOnberry King exists to punish *all* for their wickedness... And I'd really rather avoid upsetting His servitors with our presence."
Azar has been enjoying the sunshine and peace offered by the monolithic city, but this giant door has Azar wary. She listens carefully while Silmeria speaks, and holds up a hand when the blonde woman finishes. "Er. It sounds awfully like we're uhm.. going somewhere else. Like, a different dimension. And uhm.. why do we have to take this particular path?"
Marduke walks along with the part to the door. Eyes glancing up the door and then into the pathways within. "I... have no clue where or which way to go." Glancing to Silmeria. "Have not studied these spirits to carefully." Nodding to her words listening carefully and making mental notes. Glancing to the others and then back to the path, staying quiet now. Ainsley is already clamming up, having no input to provide to this leg of the adventure. She was not comfortable being here in the first place, and she's even less comfortable when Silmeria gives her warnings. The lizard girl nods a couple of times, and clings to Lee's side that much closer.
Lee walks with the group through the peaceful city, seeming impressed enough by the vistas and architecture, though hardly an afficianado of such things. The sunlight isn't his favorite part, naturally, but that's just something he deals with, hence his propensity for large hats and such, and he makes excellent use of the shade as he finds it. He stops in front of the door with everyone else, tilting his hat back as much as the presence of sunlight will safely allow to get a look at it in it's entirety as he stands close by Ainsley's side, even draping an arm comfortingly around the scholar's shoulders as she sidles closer still to his side in her discomfort. His attention focusing on Silmeria as she says a few words of explanation, he takes them in and nods, "So, bit offa preview trip, then... 'Ope that dun complicate wot-all we needs ta do, both fer Ainsley an' ta cover m'debt ta Carbuncle." He doesn't elaborate, instead looking down at Ainsley, "Dun fret, luv, I'll watch out f'ya."
"Complications... well, we'll just have to deal with them as they come up," Silmeria sighs. "Just... do be careful of disturbing the spirits... I've only *just* made up for disrupting this path once, mh?" Shaking her head, she turns to Azar. "It does, because it is. We're traveling into the realm of the SPirits... The realm of one SPirit in particular, who redresses *any* harm one has visited upon another. Lady Mateus may be the SPirit of Law... but King TOnberry is the spirit of *Justice.* Remember that, my friends, and all should be relatively smooth. Mind we don't lose our way." ANd with that, she turns, drawing in a deep breath and stepping across, into the portal.
Azar trembles just a little to hear Silmeria tell it, and there is fear in her eyes, mixed with determination. "What if we don't know we've wronged someone?" The breath she draws before entering is deep and forced, as if her throat were constricted. "Is he just going to strike us down?"
Marduke sets his staff to the side of the door before they enter. Carefully removing the bells off it, very hard to walk quietly with such things on. Clasping them up so they no longer jingle and putting them in a pouch. He glances to Silmeria and nods his understanding. Then picking back up his now quiet staff he turns to start into the path. "We shall deal with that when it happens, best to tread carefully." Glancing back, then turning forward again.
"Oh no," Ainsley murmurs when Silmeria talks about King Tonberry redressing /any/ harm done to another. She has lit quite a few people on fire during her adventures, after all! She shakes her head once or twice, and then steels her heart, stepping along to follow Silmeria. "You'll be fine," she assures Azar, despite her contradictory feelings.
Lee can't bring himself to chuckle, though it looks like he wants to, and can't seem to come up with any additional quips either, or perhaps just restrains himself from uttering them out of respect for the mood, entering in-step with Ainsley, only adding, "I'm guessin' th'iea is ta be in an' gone afore 'E knows we been there."
Silmeria picks a path and starts walking down it, the walls are dotterd with plaques and signs, stone grave-markers, inscriptions, the odd stained glas window. The corridor is tall and arched and made from dressed flagstone and then a turn.. a stair... and the corridor is red brick with iron grills guarding embrasures with large coffins in them. Then another turn.. another passage... and it is Wood... with small niches filled with Candles and a name... but the Lady Esper seems to know which way to go... ) [Spoofed By: Silvante]
The Esper seems comfortable in this place, rows upon rows of corridord and memorials, gesturing the party to follow in her path. At the moment, despite the heavy pall her words cast before, she seems confident that the way is known, if not entirely clear.
Azar sticks very close to Silmeria, a hand nervously squeezing at the hilt of one of her blades. She does take the time to look around though, with the vague notion of being to find her way back. "How many times have you been through here, Blue?", she whispers to the woman ahead of her.
Marduke walks along quietly. Holding his staff so he doesn't tap it into the ground, fighting his normal walking habits the whole way. he follows fater Silmeria having confidence she knows where she is going, at least appears to have that. Eyes glancing along the decorations and designs as they go. Showing appricaition for it all, despite the morbid nature. A sharp glance over to Azar and shakes his head holding a finger up to his lips.
Ainsley reaches over and /swats/ at Azar, glaring at her. She also does a shush motion, putting her finger to her lips. After this she returns to Lee's side... and quietly observes their surroundings. The fact that it's so varied fascinates her... but she still seems uneasy, as her tail curls up and around Lee's wrist.
Lee spends some time looking at the scenery with mild interest as he follows after Silmeria, and almost chuckles as Ainsley swats at Azar before glancing down at where he finds a tail around his wrist, giving Ainsley a smile as he takes hold of her tail in return. Something else draws his attention after a moment, though, and he fishes the compass Carbuncle had given him from his pocket once more, the object now glowing softly, casting amber light, in his hand as he checks it's face to see what direction it's pointing...
Just as Lee reaches into a pocket and removes the compass they reach a crossroad, to the right the path enters a shaggy natural looking cave. Straght ahead is the direction Silmeria is taking where as as soon as the Compass is out a large amber arrow points left with a shower of sparks. It is hard to miss but very peculiar... the left hand path is just a door that is currently shut made from Lapis Lazuli...
"Once," Silmeria answers in a hushed whisper, after the rest of the party is done 'voicing' their displeasure. "...Technically twice, I suppose. But my last trip was... well. Eventful." As the compass is brought out, the Esper frowns at the direction it points, looking from door to corridor. "...That's not right..."
Azar nods, keeping quiet.. until something swats at her. She yelps, covering her mouth, and turning to glare at Ainsley. She frowns and looks back to Silmeria, "The door is new?", she whispers. "Or is it usually open?"
Marduke comes to a stop at the path, not following after Silmeria. Instead he glances over to Lee, the compass and then peers at the door. he has no clue what it is, but does not ask. At least for now. Instead he starts for the door. "Right or not right." His voice soft, "I suspect we should go this way." Reaching to open the door. "Lee what is that compas?"
Lee looks from compass to door, then shoots a glance at Silmeria and Marduke, a hint of a grin tugging at his lips as he whispers, "Right, s'not right; technic'ly, is' left, if'n y'must nitpick." Having not missed the opportunity to joke a little, he looks to the door again, eyes scanning for a handle or latch or way to open it, or hinges to see if he can tell which *way* it's supposed to open, even as Marduke reaches for it, while absently answering Marduke, "S'a li'l sumfin' I were loaned ta 'elp me find sumfin' I was asked ta retrieve as payment fer a favor." Not the clearest answer, perhaps. "A side-task, as it were, though important fer me pers'nally, an' not tha main reason fer us comin' in 'ere." He leans down to whisper a bit more quietly in Ainsley's ear, "Wot'chu think, luv?"
As Soon as Marduke touches the door-handle there is a soft chime and the doorway melts in two.. revealing a tight set of spiral stairs made from some sort of glowing blue crystal... There is no hand-rail and there is just a black void all around the stairs. But the choicew now lies before the party, take the stairs or carry on.
"Oh," Silmeria whispers, blinking. "That. Well... I suppose if we remember our way, it shouldn't be too much of an issue, and you *did* promise..." Taking one last look around, to commit the room to memory, she gestures toward the now-open door. "Let's be off, then."
Azar swallows, looking from Marduke to Silmeria and back. She takes a deep breath and follows after the blonde woman. "Is everything alright then, Blue?" <OOC> Azar says, "Sorry for short poses, Mother Nature is trying to kill me. Aka lightning. :3" Marduke watches the doorway melt at his touch. Glancing to his fingers he then peers back to Lee, offering only a nod to what he has said. Leaving it at that, as he starts down onto the stairs, not sure quiet sure how he got in front but will stay that way until they come to a turn. "Let us know if the compass gives us a new direction Lee."
The detour puts something of an uneasy look on Ainsley's face, but she doesn't offer any verbal protest. She just clings to Lee's clothing some, and tries to get a better look at the compass by standing on her tippy-toes. She looks at the door warily, frowning.
Lee helps Ainsley by lowering the compass so she can get a good look, while looking around at everyone else and nodding, whispering, "Like as not, if we don' do it now, there's no promise we'll be able t'come back and get it done later..." Giving Ainsley's tail a small squeeze where he has hold of it, he starts after Marduke, nodding, "O'course, good summ'ner, o'course."
The party start down the spiral of blue crystal stairs... they are odd... they glow with this blue light and yet the edges seem to have this black line running along them which makes it hard to see... most peculiar but so very sparkly! As they descend the stairs the spiral grows wider and they seem to hang suspended in the air all around them and out in the darkness very faintly glimmering lines of light can just about be seen....
"As much as it gets, Red," Silmeria whispers, smiling some. "As Lee said... This is something of a side errand, for Lord Carbuncle. Just in case we're edging into his domain... Just... try not to touch anything that we don't need to get. Lord Carbuncle has *very* strict rules about taking what you're not given."
Azar stays in the dead center of the stairs, not budging an inch towards the edges. "Do you do this on a regular basis, travelling into other realms? And uhm... I won't be taking anything at all, except breaths, we're allowed those yes, Blue?"
Marduke makes his way down slowly, and carefully. NOt wanting to overstep or miss a step since he is in front. In fact most of his focus in just on that, making sure he doesn't slip. He listens to everybody else and just nodes ones, "Indeed, nothing you could take is worth what you would lose. Remember that." His voice serious on that. "Lee its getting odd, the compas show anything?"
"Considering the purview that Carbuncle has," Ainsley mentions, speaking up for the first time in a long stretch, "It does not surprise me that punishments are harsh for trying to take something that is under his watch. Memories, was it? If they look like gemstones, though, I wonder the wisdom of trusting ordinary people not to touch anything. A test of willpower, I guess." And with that input done, she clams right up again, looking out into the gloom. Well, one more comment: "Walls seem to be thirty feet out. This is definitely someplace special..."
Lee continues down after Marduke, glancing from the compass to the apparent void of the space surrounding the stairs, a frown slowly growing on his pale face, nodding at Ainsley's observation, "Aye, good eyes, luv..." He even glances back at Silmeria and Azar, while his grip tightens anxiously on Ainsley's tail, "Marduke, stop. S'not gettin' odd, s'been odd from th'get-go. We don't find a way t'turn on th'lights, then we'll go on 'ere fer'ever, an'..." He looks back at Silmeria and Azar, or rather, past them, "there ain't no goin' back." He looks to the compass again, and recites, "'Tha Heart Below, Tha Key Above, tha Darkness Surrounds. Light th'Way using wot is remembered'r the stairs go ever on.'" Then, thoughtfully, "Wot is remembered..."
As Lee calls a stop the steps the party are on seem to shift and flow and meld forming a larger platform of the odd blue glowing crystal... there are more steps leading down and none leading p! Just the dark glimemring void....
"'What is remembered," Silmeria murmurs, brow furrowing as she stands on the platform, arms crossed over her belly. "Oh there was *so* much to remember about that... What *was* it? The concert?"
Azar slows and stops, looking behind to see that the stairs have vanished? "Hummm, we don't have to go back, yes?" She looks back and forth between the four obviously reminiscing, and she crouches down, crawling to the edge to peer over quietly.
As Azar crawls to the edge and peers down into the dark blue tinted darkness of the Abyss the rest of the party continue to try and work out what to do next when a faint chime seems to echo out of the Abyss from fair, fair below....
Marduke comes to a stop. Glancing up to Lee, and then peering around as the steps reform. Shaking his head slowly as he glances back to the others. "I see." Leaning into his staff, watching and waiting. There is little he can do to help at this point. A frown to Azar, "Umm I wouldn't do that miss. Spirit realms you generally want to avoid looking into the horizons. This one could be the Abyss, and that does things to the mind." Pausing a blink as he hears a faint chim, peering to the others and moving over to Azar.
Azar goes quite pale, even for someone who is as fairskinned as she. Her eyes widen, and move about, as if watching something below. Something moving closer. She screams then, cowering away from the edge of the stairs, to end up clinging to Silmeria's legs, weeping and hiding her eyes.
The scream startles Ainsley. She looks at Azar, and frowns lightly, but walks over to pat at her shoulder... "It's fine. You're okay," she says, trying to be soothing. And then she lets out a sigh, looking up to Silmeria... "Yes. The, uh... the play. I hope you remember your part." She then begins humming the opening notes to the introductory number for the play. "You too, Lee," she says, in a pause in the music.
Lee furrows his brow, wracking his brain as he tries to remember, glancing to Silmeria, "Th'play? Yeah, there was *sumfin'*, but... Dammit all, wot *was* it?" Unintentionally copying Silmeria's question as he thinks... Until Azar starts freaking out, that is, her trip to The Edge having gone unnoticed by him until now, even with Marduke's warning to her, so deep in thought over trying to remember something that seemed, frustratingly, just beyond his reach, but now giving Azar a concerned frown as Ainsley moves to comfort her a bit, "Oy, you all right there, gehl?" And then, at the answer Ainsley provides, which triggers the memory, the pale man groans, head falling back as he sends pleading eyes to the dark void overhead, as if to the heavens, "Y'mean I'mma have ta *sing*?! Oh bloody 'ell." But, what must be done is what must be done, and he takes a breath, closing his eyes to mentally rehearse his parts, and preparing. And it seems he's not exactly a stranger to performing, exactly, which makes sense given who and what his mother is, and he seems determined: if he's gonna do this, he's gonna do his level best to be just as camp as the fellow who played him on stage, it seems, for the sake of role-authenticity.
Silmeria stoops, gathering Azar up in a gentle embrace and holding carefully, as Lee begins his part of the overture. When her cue comes, her voice lifts; softly at first, for she is by no means a trained and talented dark-opera singer, but she can carry a tune serviceably enough to get her through the first few bars. While it's quite clear she would love to bring a little more peace to the mind of her red-headed friend, the best she can do for now is simply hold her, and sing of sexy death in black leather.
Marduke clearly has no clue what is really going on, or what is being done. Instead he stands there, glancing to Lee with that baffled look like Lee just went insane. He leans into his staff and looks to Ainsley and Silmeria and shakes his head slowly. "ok...." A concerned look offered to Azar last.
Azar reaches up a hand to cling to Silmeria's sleeve. First visions of something that doesn't exist, yet, or did and now does not... and then the group goes all Buffy-style in the middle of it all. She can only stare, looking to one side and then the other, with a look of confusion and curiosity on her face.
Nothing else to it. Ainsley begins to sing, and tries to do her best at it. She's not the best singer in the world, perhaps, but she's not terrible either. Her voice isn't really meant for singing, though, especially not verses meant for someone with a more normal voice. She always has that faint lizard-y quality to her voice. And she's blushing so deeply that her dark scales can't hide it. She resumes walking down the steps, in the hopes that her revelation was true.
Lee waits for his cue, and when it's time, he starts in with gusto! He's dashing! He's daring! He's a fairly serviceable middle-tenor! He serenades Ainsley in lyrical verse as best as he can remember it, following after her if needs-be as she resumes walking! And it seems he definitely feels like an idiot, spouting all the over-the-top heroic-romanticism he can recall having heard from his on-stage counterpart, if his expression (when not submerging himself as much as possible in the role) is any indication!
The song is rolling and jolly and rather filled with good feelings! This is a group of adventursome heros who shall be the bomb! Their voices carry! Their songs are magnificent and they are damn awesome! Ainsley and Marduke seem to come together, their voices in perfect harmony and pitch... the crystalline steps lengthen into a long road that glistens and glimmers through the void and a the song starts to reach an end the dark void opens up into a cold, stone cavern... the walls are damp, the gloom is high but there i a magnificent stone portal ahead of them flanked by gigantic statues of Tonberry's their lanterns providing light upon the joyfully singing quartet! There is no stopping until with a rousing rendition of the final chorus the party with Azar tugged along with them stepp off of the void and leave the crystalline path behind......
"...Well," Silmeria muses, clearing her throat after the last bars have faded, and the party is now in the Catacombs, "*that* was deeply embarrassing. And now you know, Azar, why I'd really prefer not to have to sit in front of any more musical theatre regarding our exploits..." Shaking her head, she draws in a deep breath. "...And now we are in the Catacombs. Mind your step, and if you see a lantern coming... do move quickly the other way."
Marduke comes to a stop in the singing. Having taken a moment trying to figure out what was going on. He does not seem embaressed, more amused actually. He glances to Ainsley, "May want to train that voice, you could be very good." He has had some clear performance training and then nods over to Silmeria. Going quiet as he continues to follow along.
Azar blinks and shakes her head to clear it. With an unladylike grunt, she stands and stretches. "I do not know exactly what happened there, and I shall spend many a year trying to figure out just what it was I saw, and witnessed." She gives Silmeria a squeeze on the shoulder, and a nod, "Oh, I think I will just stick by your side, and stay ahead of the lights, yes?" The red-head turns to look at the others and nods to them, "I think I can make it with my mind intact."
Ainsley frowns heavily at Marduke, and steps over to Lee, doing her best to hide her face in an attempt to hide her blushing, momentarily hugging and pressing her face against his clothing. She glances back over her shoulder, intrigued by the path they had taken. "Spirits are strange," she remarks, "Very strange. At least, though... at least it's light-hearted." She starts to smile. She can't stop blushing, rubbing at her face with both hands. "Marduke, I don't /want/ to sing in front of people, normally."
Lee takes a slow, calming breath once the recital is finished, then lets it out, pulling his hat off with one hand and aggressively scrubbing his hair with the other, "An' mum sometimes wondered why I deigned not t'follow 'er in tha "family business"... Not that I never dun' a bit o'street-music 'ere an' there fer a pocket o'coin, but that's worlds diff'rent." Putting his hat back on, he wraps an arm, and a section of his cloak, around Ainsley as she hugs against him and hides her face, ducking down to give her a brief kiss on the forehead while he fishes the compass back out once again with his other hand to check where it's pointing, mumbling to himself, "A'right, what direction..." While inspecting the compass' face, and looking around, he nods, "Aye, luv, right-strange they are, no doubt..." He glances at Marduke, then down at Ainsley, then back to Marduke, grinning and opening his mouth to say more before pausing and seeming to think better of it, but whatever thought he had has him chuckling and snickering a little, and he leans down to whisper in Ainsley's ear, unable to keep from sharing it with *her*, at least.
As the group approach the massive doors to the catacombs the gigantic, iron studded door swing open... revealing a very dark, dank... empty corridor ahead of them. Passing those doors is almost too much for most minds but not this group of heroic types! Soon enough they are walking deeper into the darkness, the light from the lanterns on thoe statues fading... it is growing dark and then with a BOOMF the doors slam shut and they are left only wth the lights they brought into the mausoleum and then... the tunnels seem to stretch on in the gloom ahead... the lanterns light never quite seeming to reach far enough.... how do they plan to find the Torque of Entropy and the lost memory of Carbuncle... the paths are many and myriad and laid out before them in the dark.
"The Catacombs touch all realms," Silmeria murmurs as the lights begin to fade, "and all know Justice." As if to punctuate her words, the grand doors *slam* shut behind them... and in the Esper's hand, the faintly blue-shining blade of her ebony-handled scythe, pulled from the nothingness it calls home. "Stay close," she whispers, "*do not separate.* Lee... does your compass know which ay we must go?"
Marduke starts as the doors slam close. He glances back and frowns a moment, then over to Silmeria. He does not voice his concerns as he shakes his head slowly and moves over closer and offers a sigh, "Indeed, a direction wuold be helpful."
Azar gives a bit of a jump, and yelps as the doors close. She claps a hand over her mouth. "Sorry... that was not expected at all." She stays very close to Silmeria, and the pale light she carries. The woman nervously grips the hilts of two of her blades, looking all around, hoping to stay ahead of any of the tonberries in service down here.
As the door slams shut behind her, Ainsley tenses... but she doesn't seem all that budged from her previous mood. Her eyes gaze about at the darkness, a gentle frown on her face. She squints into the dark, and considers methods she may have at hand for casting light. She could always make a torch of some kind, maybe? They've bound to have brought supplies that might work for a torch. She also tries to think of a way to determine which way they should go. Entropy, entropy... Decay. The decayed path, maybe? She sighs at the simplicity of her thinking.
Lee looks back over his shoulder as the door behind them closes, making sure he has a good hold on Ainsley's hand, or whatever else of her he can quickly reach, regardless of Silmeria's words of caution, before turning his attention back to the compass, frowning as the needle spins lazy circles, "Tch! Well, a direction I dun got, I'm afraid. Bloody thing's caught itself a case o' doldrums'r summat, can't make up it's mind..."
The catacombs are dank and dry now.. the floor underfoot is dirt, cold and dry and the walls compacted grave dirt... and the flickering light of the parties light sources seem to show you are all in a circular chamber... the shadows dancing and flickering with pathways and entrances into tunnels and stairs flickering in and out of sight as the shadows dance and move.... Silmeria pages, "Just to get back home, or I know where to go from here to our goal?" to you. You page, "From here to the Deadwood, Hades' Throne that is the only path you can sense" to Silmeria.
"We-e-ell," Silmeria muses, looking from doorway to doorway, brow furrowing. "That way," she says, pointing to one corridor that looks nothing different from the others, "will lead us to Father's throne... Which is lovely, and it would be nice to be home for a bit again for me... But doesn't quite help us, at the moment."
Marduke reaches out and taps Silmeria on the shoulder. Shaking his head slowly, "no, all the paths are wrong Silmeria. We need the decaying path, or the most dangerous path. I can... sense them. None of these are right. We should continue further." Sighing softly as he looks around and shakes his head.
Azar hmms and rubs at her forehead, "I don't know how, but I have a feeling of warmth and light off to the left here. I think there's a path leading off, if you'd bring a light closer?" As the others talk among each other, Ainsley looks back to check on the feeling she has, absent-mindedly grabbing at Lee's hand. She doesn't immediately move, but it's almost as if she can see something that direction. A frown shows on her face. "Stairs...?" she murmurs.
Lee frowns as the compass in his hand suddenly goes dark, the face now blank and unlit. His brow furrows, and he gives the compass a shake, a deep, rumbling growl escaping the pale, slender young man as he starts to become frustrated, "Wot th'bloody 'ell...?" He looks up to the direction indicated by Silmeria, then to Silmeria and Marduke, followed by Azar and the direction she indicates, then at the compass, grimacing, "I dun' wanna venture s'far ta say this thing's broken, 'cause that'd jus' be silly fer a thing Spirits gave us t'break, but, at th'very least, it dun' seem ta be workin' right, an' be damned if'n I know why..." He holds the compass out, "Anyone else wanna 'ave a go?" He pauses, cocking his head a bit at Ainsley, "Eh? What about stairs, luv?"
Darkness... all around, the shadows shift and flow... the path Azar has found shows stairs leading up, the path Silmeria has chosen is stone and dark and stretches off... there are indeed stairs behind Ainsley now and as for Marduke's paths they are all just dark arches leading into the gloom... it seems clear... the path the party need is not here but... how to decide which path to try?
"Here," Silmeria says, reaching out a hand for the compass. Lookng from Azar to Marduke to Ainsley, the Esper frowns deeply, nibbling on her lower lip. "Now will you stop..." She watches, as the compass' arrow spins, once, and points down a hallway. As the Esper looks up, her grateful sigh is cut off abruptly, eyes widening at a speck of light in the distance. "...Right," she whispers, urging the party into any direction they can all travel at once on, "time to move."
Marduke shakes his head slowly as he watches the compass be handed over. Another glance around and a frown, "This, losing a bit of my focus here." Sighing softly and turning to follow after Silmeria. Just going quiet and frowning the whole time.
Azar still looking down the path that beckons with shiny and food and warmth, she blinks a moment, and allows herself to be tugged along, somewhat reluctantly. Until of course there's that speck of light. Theeen she finds herself quite quickly. You know how everyone is discussing things? Yeah Ainsley has other ideas. She turns and starts walking in the direction she was looking, releasing Lee's hand. Taking the first step, but slowly, looking confused. "Hey, this looks about right," she says, absent-mindedly, to the group in general.
And as Ainsley says that well.. as Silmeria is trying to hustle everyone away and the stairs are wide enough that is just the natural direction Silmeria starts to hustle Marduke and Azar in as she moves to get them away from that approaching point of light. It's a path out, it's wide enough and it is away from that light perfect direction!
Lee hands the compass over to Silmeria, glancing in the direction of the stairs Ainsley was talking about, then pausing as he looks away again, giving the stairs a second, harder look, eyes narrowed... Then, his crimson eyes widen, and his grip on Ainsley's hand tightens quite a bit... Or, he tries to, but Ainsley pulls free before he can, and he hisses, "Ains, no!" as she takes the first step, with Silmeria and the rest, at the behest of the compass, a step behind the scholar. He spends a fraction of a second, conflicted, before reaching out to Ainsley, taking the first step himself as well, while trying to grab the scholar's shoulder and stop her progress, or get in front of her to block the way, anything to try and stop the group, voice in a harsh and urgent whisper, "Not that way, dammit!!"
It is easy enough for Lee to get in front of the group and block the path.... he is after all quite a big chap! Of course the light is still bobbing closer down the passage way and all the other doors and archways seem to have vanished... there is just dry earth... brick walls... that light approaching and the stairs with Lee blocking them and that light i getting closer and closer....
Lee's sudden intrusion brings a very, very uncertain look to Silmeria's tanned features, and when a quick check about them shows the other passages have vanished, the Esper closes her eyes for a moment. "...I'm sorry, Lee," she says softly, her voice seeming to age ten or twenty years, "but we don't have another choice, now... Just... be ready For *anything.* All of you." And with that, she continues to urge them toward the stairs.
Marduke glances back to Ainsley and opens his mouth to say something. Then shudders and turns around to find himself still going in that direction. "Grab her and carry her if you have to." He whispers and looks over to Silmeria. Attempting to move towards the stairs, still uncertain if that is even the right direction to be going.
Azar swallows noisily, and her voice cracks ever so slightly. "We've lost the proper path, haven't we?", she says with a squeaky whisper. "What's going to be at the other end of this path? You don't know?" There's a definite tremble to her legs now.
Ainsley stops and gives a bewildered look at Lee, frowning at him for startling her.. She looks around to note the other paths have disappeared, and the only way /away/ from the approaching tonberry is down, so... she continues walking, patting at Lee's butt -- but only because she can't reach his shoulder, since she's short -- as she walks by. She glances at the others, momentarily distracted by the comments passed around.
Lee, upon noticing that all the other paths have vanished, hisses out what *has* to be a very colorful profanity, though it's in a language that's likely unrecognizeable to anyone present, except perhaps Ainsley, and for him to even utter in that tongue out loud, well, that's significant. Still, when it's clear that there's no longer any choice, and with a lantern approaching closer and closer to the rear, he waves off Silmeria's apology, resigning himself to the group's chosen course, "Nothin' for it now, Silmeria, but if this goes where I 'ave tha feelin' it does, then we're possibly in fer a pretty bad time..." He blinks as his rear is patted, and looks to Ainsley, catching up to her quickly and taking her hand again, "You stay by me *no matter wot*, though, y'hear Ains?" He nods in reply to Azar, "We may've, aye; though could jus' be irony supreme that tha path we *need* ta take leads us right inta th'middle o' Shemhazzai's cage itself. Which is where I think this leads..."
Thing are not looking good for our heroes, behind them a lantern is slowly bobbing closer, approaching down that single pathway slowly whilst below if Lee's instincts are right lies the cage of the Whisperer herself..... a pathway through the curving fabric of the Catacombs to one of the worst places imaginable. Not an easy choice to make, but certainly a conundrum to give everyone pause... to face the light or rik walking this dark and very ancient path..... but as Lee says... it is certainly going to be a decrepid and decaying path...... but for now... Tune in Next time! For more adventures with or heroes! Same CoI Place! Same CoI channel!
Down the stairs go! Sheer and steep... each step three feet high, less then half a foot wide and the darkness is all pervading! The stone wall in front of their faces, the curve of the steps are impossibly sheer.... the light from their lantern barely illuminates the path, it barely illuminates their feet and each other as down and down they go! The glow of Silmeria's scythe is dimmed.... the sound of their foot steps is non-existance, the rock, what they can see of it appears to be dark shyst, a sort of sheer slate that is made up of many long coloumn all fuzed together. This is not a good path, nor is it a safe path.... it feels different from the rest of the catacomb but they have come too far to turn back into the darkness now!
"....Um...." Silmeria says, tucking her scythe close to her body, "I, um.... I don't want to alarm anyone... further, that is... but.... I.... think we're in a large, large amount of trouble." Looking back to the rest of the party, then at the walls about them and the steps beneath them. "...I've never known a path from the Catacombs to be... well... *broken.*" Lee splits his time between climbing down steps and giving Ainsley a hand doing the same, the path feeling more like a ladder than a staircase to him, and that's exactly how he's descending it: like a ladder. He nods, a frown just about ever-present since he realized where the path they ended up on is likely headed, before circumstances locked them to it, "That kinda makes sense, given th'context, I'd think, Silm..."
"Perhaps we are no longer in the catacombs. I dare suggest, we may have stepped onto a path into the void." Marduke offers his voice quiet, serious. "I suspect we may be coming..." Cutting himself off as Lee speaks with a shake of his head, a glance towards Ainsley. Then to the path ahead with a sigh, "All paths have their crossing points, as my grandfather would always say."
The lizard scholar moves with a neutral expression on her face, not offering much to their speech. She glances at Silmeria, the blank gaze offering no real insight into what she thinks. "We were in trouble since you all started helping me," she tells Silmeria, her voice hushed but not particularly urgent. She pauses briefly to glance off into the dark, letting out a sigh. "It's familiar," she says, barely above a whisper, "In a way I don't understand." She keeps going, relying on Lee to help her along. She smiles at him, softly.
Azar chuckles loudly in the gloom, doing her best to stay in the little light they have. "I knew we should have taken that left turn in Albuquerque." She shrugs at Silmeria, "We'll just have to do the best we can, yes?" She makes a face at Ainsley, a smile teasing at the corners of her mouth. "Wot, yer trying ta blames us fer all this? Oi!" The red-head's Archadian accent laid on thick and heavy as she crosses her arms in front of her chest.
The stairs end abruptly! very abruptly and in the dark is is impossible to see the end and so the party wind up staggering off the steps into a dark coal-dust layered corridor. It is dark, dim and gloomy and all but impossible to see anything..... the lantern lights barely reach half a foot.... wherever this path leads it is at an end.... or a beginning...
"Master Marduke," Silmeria whispers, voice hushed by the oppressive gloom of their surroundings, "King Tonberry *ensures* that the paths to the realms are clear, if confusing to any but Himself. For a place to fall into disrepair, He has to *want* it to remain igno--" As Ainsley speaks of the familiarity of the path, the Esper's eyes widen, an ashen tinge spreading beneath her tanned skin. "Oh, no..."
Lee's caught off-balance for a step when the descent abruptly stops, murmuring to Ainsley, "Level floor, Ains, watch yer step." He then gives Ainsley a smile of his own, and a quick kiss on the forehead, "Trouble? Nonsense... We're all 'ere with full knowin' o'tha risks." The lantern light so dim as it is, the faint glow of his crimson eyes pinpoints him even when he's not in the small circle of illumination, and those eyes turn towards Azar with a hint of amusement, "Well, most of us are, really..." The amusement is quickly quashed by the oppressive atmosphere, though, and Lee turns his eyes towards the dark path ahead, then to Silmeria, and one can almost hear his eyebrow arch, "Wot's dun occurred t'ya, Silm?"
Marduke offers quietly, "Or it could be so dangerous that nobody can come maintain it." The words from Ainsley hold no surprise from him, seeming to have already suspected as much. "Remember who picked this path my friend. Also for what we seek, both may rest hand in hand." Sighing softly as he continues along slowly, having trouble in the darkness of the place. The summoner is clearly bothered by this prospect, but it is to late to turn back. He glances back to Lee and says slowly, "We may be walking into the prison of the one possessing Ainsley."
"Pestering. Possession might be a strong word," Ainsley corrects Marduke, in a half-hearted tone. She makes sure there's no steep dropoff that she can't see before she gets comfortable with standing, and grabs for Lee's hand so that if they do run into surprises, she knows he's there. "Let's not linger." She tugs at Lee's hand, beginning to walk down the corridor with the rest. She glances over to Azar distractedly, but doesn't say anything. "You're all making assumptions. It might not be what you think it is," she says, her voice being gentle, almost trying to be soothing, though her scholarly attitude doesn't help with that.
"Heh, tough crowd. That or I shouldn't quit my day job to be a standup philosopher." She looks from Silmeria's shocked reaction to Marduke's somber one, and she then casts an eye at Ainsley. She rubs her chin and looks to Lee. "You're lucky I came along, I don't think your cheerful disposition is enough to hold this lot together. Chin up folks, if it is that bad, look at it as an opportunity to remove said pest, yes?"
It is dark, it is quiet.... it is strange, their voices seem to fall falt, the air seems to struggle to carry them and after less then thirty yards they come to a massive wall of tumbled, shattered blocks. They fill the passage, completley filling it and sitting on a rock, his hair gleaming in the darkness, his beautiful outfit perfectly pressed and arranged just so. Savourn lifts his head and gives the party his winning smile, "It is such a shame isn't it, that this pathway was blocked. Do you know who did it originally? It was Carbuncle, of all the spirits everywhere... Carbuncle, sweet, adorable carbuncle. He brought the whole thing down for over a mile... using the most deadly thing in existance for only he possessed the memory of where it was." The Knight of Restoration stands up, one hand resting lightly on his sword hilt, his beautiful blue eyes taking in each of Ainsley's companions. "I just thought you should know that my Lady, I've worked out what you are doing, where you are going but Lord Diabolos does not know every secret.... We who are seperate, the lady's servants disconnected from the wheel of life and death... we have our own secrets."
And horrified realization turns, for the span of a heartbeat, into towering fury, when Silmeria is accused of making assmptions. But before anything can be said, the anger is smoothed away... just in time for Savourn to make his entrance. The butt of her scythe thumps, noiselessly or otherwise, onto the cracked and broken floor. "Not disconnected," she notes, her voice that of quiet, steely displeasure. "Simply delayed, as your Viera friend could attest, were she not at my Lord's throne this very moment. You, Savourn... you and yours will do well to turn your backs and return to your lives. Unless you think the Betrayer, the poisoned blade of the Damned Thirteen *truly* intends to make good her honeyed promise?"
Savourn smiles at Silmeria and shakes his head, "My companion is if you where not blind to what was truly going on. Is not with your usurping lord. When we die we return to she who holds us in trust..." he grins at her, "She'll be back as will be my other companion. For the conduit is open and the Conduit is here... welcome My lady." he bows to Ainsley, this truly beautiful man giving her such a welcoming smile... how can a face that magnificent be so truly lost.
Lee chuckles a bit at Azar's critique, shrugging his shoulders, one hand in Ainsley's as the group proceeds. And then Savourn and the collapsed section of the path melt into view, and instantly, Lee is between Ainsley and the servant of Shemhazzai, as it to both shield her and hide her from Savourn's view, his crimson eyes narrowed, and a deep, rumbling growl emanating from him, loud enough to echo off the passage's walls and reverberate slightly through the floor. He says no words, but the shift in his demeanor seems to sum up his feelings for Savourn quite nicely as he concludes his reply to Silmeria with a greeting towards the scholar.
Marduke continues to walk along, "Assumptions perhaps, but Silmeria knows these best. I trust her word more then anything else, and if she is concerned so am..." cutting off as the knight of restoration comes into view. His eyes watch the man, no emotion showing on his face. Every motion, every movement taken in and studied. He makes no aggressive actions, but his stance, and the readiness of his free hand suggest he is ready to act if needed.
The lizard scholar had immediately been protected by Lee, when Savourn came into view. Ainsley's brow scrunches as she listens to the prettyboy's words, a frown growing on her face. She glares at the man silently, keeping her own face stony, for the most part. "Are you implying that you have what we need?" she asks, with significant incredulity. "Either way, I would prefer if you hugged one of King Tonberry's servants for me, and see what happens when a soul blacker than the Abyss gets skewered by a being of justice."
Azar says, "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!", laughs Azar at the top of her lungs. "I told you he'd fall for this trap! All we have to do is distract him for a minute while Carbuncle up there closes this place off. Getting Toni to run around with that lantern, and pretending to run from it must have really fooled him." A mad grin creases her face crookedly. "Hey prettyboy", Azar says, running a hand over her armored breasts, "Even with these I'm twice the man you are.""
He gives Azar a look, "You really do now how to pick them my lady, I mean come on seriously?" he shakes his head then looks at Lee, "Thi is not the place for you and I to battle for the ladies hand. It will be mine as was meant to be but... well... the Torque of Entropy lies under all of this," he gestures at the rumble, "If you remove it... well I will see you very soon. If not... well... My lady will succumb to the whispers sooner or later." he bows his head, "Lady Silmeria, charming but not as charming as your actress self on the stage and Master Marduke far from home as always... still wondering what the Rainbow Drop does I am sure. Still I am sure you lovely people will work it out someday.... good luck." and then he's gone, the corridor dimming down as his brightness departs...
"....I think," Silmeria murmurs slowly, as though testing a newly-appeared bridge to see if it'll hold her weight. "...I think... yes... That I *hate* that man." She pauses, then turns to face Azar, genuine worry of her face. "...Red... are you all right? I mean, this is *very* irregular for just about anyone, but... That was a bit... ...worrying."
Lee doesn't answer Savourn's comment, but the fact that Lee hasn't already lunged for the bishounen adversary's throat indicates he might have some awareness of the truth to at least that much of what Savourn says. He keeps his attention focused fully on Savourn, though, until the made vanishes, rolling his shoulders and trying to calm himself some, glancing back at Ainsley and giving her hand a squeeze. Nodding, he agrees with Silmeria, "If y'think about it, Silmeria, "hate" really isn't strong enough a word, though it's a start, eh? Bloody tossah..." Following Silmeria's gaze to Azar, he remains silent, watching for a second and withholding his own commentary on her worrisome behavior before turning to look at the blockage ahead again, "So, Marduke... Got any friends o'tha spiritual persuasion wot could 'elp us shift this rubble t'get wot we needs?"
Marduke starts walking foward to the rubble eyes still looking over it thoughtfully. "Hate, makes one lose focus and act rashly. He goads us and wants us to hate him." His voice soft, thoughtful. "Far from home, true words." A touch of a smile, "Yet my path is one I walk with pride. He should know this." Shaking his head and getting back on focus, "I believe he is telling the truth, the torque is under all this. He does not appear to think we can get it." A glance to Lee, "Maybe, the Mist Dragon if there are enough cracks can go through. Yet two miles is well beyond my duration and range." tapping his chin as he leans into his staff again.
When Savourn disappears, Ainsley spits on the ground, throws up her hands and rattles out a loud Giruvegan curse. Her opinion of the man does not venture far from the others. She rubs at her cheek, and walks up to where he was, at the rubble, and then starts poking around, looking for clues as to how they're supposed to advance with this mission if the path is blocked off to them. "I am of the belief," she tells the others, "That he is not worth anything but hate. But I'm not going to let his smug 'I have already won' attitude get to me." She looks over her shoulder, her brow scrunching, regarding Azar. "You can't bluff out these people." She returns to her task shortly.
Azar chuckles and sighs, letting out a long breath. The red-head looks over at Silmeria with an eyebrow raised, "For someone who's in a deep dark hole, far from home, with no light source of her own left to her, wearing cured cow-hides for protecting and bearing essentially a beaten, sharpened metal stick for a weapon... I'd say I'm doing pretty good actually. Never felt more alive." She gestures at the spot where the Knight was, and peers over at Ainsley, "Sure, can't bluff them. The posturing of you lot had the same minimal effect, didn't it? You all did what he wanted you to do, didn't you? Least I tried something original." Azar looks around her and slowly sits down, cross-legged. "So, since we're between a rock and a hard place, would someone fill me in on exactly what in hell's going on, please? This is outside of my original expectations, and YOU lot seem to know a lot more about what's going on than I do. So spare me the worried looks and smarmy replies, eh?"
The blocked tunnel lurks, taunting the party, can they find some mean to shift all that fallen shale and coal and reach their coal. Can they defy the Knights of Restoration and will they finally fill Azar in on what trouble the poor girl has walked into!
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