AChapter 1

It is a hot day in the city, the Caravanery is bustling with merchant's trains arriving and preparing to depart but outside a small, modest stable things are quiet, a small patch of calm in the storm. It is here that Kal'Tano is hanging out by the cart and chocobo the lizard scholar has arranged for her trip to the ruined city of Rabanastre. He arrived first to take delivery of the cart and finalise payment for Ainsley as a favour and now he is just lounging on the back of the chocobo idly petting its head and waiting. The imp is as always dressed in his flowing rambling cascade of scarves and nothing else, the ice-blue spike hidden in the fluff of his tail exposed as he sketches patterns with it in the air.

When Ainsley arrives, she had somehow bamboozled someone into carrying a few bags for her on the way. She smiles at the person, but doesn't leave him without a payment for his trouble when they arrive, and sends the poor hume on his way. Then she lets out a sight, consolidating the various supplies between the packs. Two torches to a person, some rope for each person, some food... A bag of marbles for herself, a flask of water for Silmeria or Lee to hold. Silmeria and Lee will find they've got a bit more weight than everyone else, with Ainsley having arranged the heavier foodstuffs with them for the trip, though the packs aren't huge, since they're not planning on spending too long there. They're probably going to be there for a while, and they can't count entirely on the hospitality of Imps that she's never met before. She gives a curious look over at Kal. "Hey, Kal!" she calls over at him, waving at him. "Thanks!" she says, cheerily, because of him helping her out with the cart thing.

A small silver skull winks and flashes in the early-afternoon-sun, dangling from the hilt of the Gunblade secured beneath Silmeria'spack as she approaches the meeting point. Smiling and bowing her head first to Kal, in thanks for his aid at securing transportation, she draws in a breath. "So! We're ready to leave, then?" As Ainsley apportions out her share of the supplies, she unslings her pack, rearranging her own store of necessities to accomodate.

Lee arrives just a handful of minutes later, whistling a tune under his breath as he approaches Ainsley, Silmeria, Kal, and the wagon. In his typical cloak and hat, he seems to carry no pack beneath it, having only a couple waterskins of his own in his possession as he lifts an arm from beneath his cloak to tug his hat's brim to one and all, "'Allo 'allo Ains, everyone! Fine day innit?" He pauses by the pack that Ainsley has arranged for him, looking it over briefly before nodding, commenting to himself, "Yeah, that won't be no trouble a'tall."

Tap, tap, tap, the tapping of a wood on pavement can be heard long before the summoner himself walks into view. Marduke is making his way along and as normal for him he is packed light. The normal assortment of ethers and tonics on one side and a couple of scroll casses and water skin on the others, never know what you might need. A smile and a wave is offered to the group, "Sorry was running a bit late, had to track down a couple of things. Been thinking on that riddle Ainsley but havn't been able to link it to anything, just going to have to keep our wits about us really." A glance to the others, "Ready to headout whenever." A side glance to Kal, "Brought a offering, it would be rather poor manners for me to visit Rabanaster without paying proper respects to the Queens Temple there now." Winking to the imp.

Kal stretches and nods to Ainsley and grins, "My pleasure, not like I'm doing anything else with my Gil right now beyond pampering Thaylorn shamelessly." he perks his ears and grins, "Lady Psychopomp good day to you, gosh this will be fun if you are along." he beams at and sits up, letting his tail trail off to one side and picks up the reigns of the Chocobo, "I'm all ready for us to get going soon as ahhh here is Mr Lee! Hello mr tall dark and be-hatted, looking sharp." He then eyes Marduke and his muzzle splits into a grin. "If you want to leave an offering for my Queen in my Lord Rael's temple then you are welcome to do so. We have a tiny shrine to ice like we have a shrine to all the elements but they are dedicated to the Imp himself!" He perks his ears and looks around, "Well if everyone is here it's two days to Rabanastre by Chocobo cart." ) [Spoofed By: Silvante]

Ainsley glances at all of those who have arrived, flashing them smiles and bows as they show up. Lee, though, gets a nice firm hug from her, showing her affection shamelessly. She soon climbs up onto the cart, however, putting her pack up there. She pulls out that notepad to get a look at that information she got from the seer, waving everyone to the cart. "Up, up. Yeah this is everyone, Kal!" she tells the Imp, excited, and perhaps a little anxious, to be getting back on her journey to save her soul from that Lucavi.

Lee grins at Kal's greeting, "Well, 'course I'm lookin' sharp, mate. Sharp's m'preferred mode o'dress an' fashion." Once hugged and having given a tip of his hat to Marduke as the summoner arrives, he takes up his assigned pack and hops into the wagon with Ainsley, "Two days? Longer than I thought it'd be... Then again, not really used t'travellin' by wagon, really." In a page-pose to you, Lee needs to double-check whether he recorded some of the unique specifics of PC Vampires somewhere. That is one of the peculiarities of them, balancing the lack of effect they get from healing magics and potions.

Marduke chuckles and holds up a finger and waggles it to Kal, "It is only proper, this is where I took my first pilgramage. Wouldn't seem right to pay some sort of respects to the temple now. Still not sure what possessed me to start there." Chuckling but mostly to himself. A glance to Lee with a smirk, "There are not any commercial air ships out that way, it is called ruins ya know." Teasing lightly as he moves to find himself a spot, "Still this is a pretty common trip for travelers and generally isn't to eventful. The real challenge will be when we get there."

"Boo it's easy! You fly up, you go over, you avoid the forbidden zone and land in the outer courtyard of the main palace building." He flicks his ears and shakes the reigns starting to move the cart out into the flow of traffic assuming everyone else will follow. "Of course you lot haven't reached the evolutionary heights of Imps yet and developed natural flight so I guess we'll have to go in via the under-level. Past the old Mog-Net building and get up to the upper precinct through one of the access staircases." he tilts his head to one side and grins as he looks forward over the head of the bird he is riding, "There is a great little Inn we can stay in tonight though but what I really want to know Ainsley any little tidbits of knowledge or words of wisdom you want to impart. Things we can help solve or information we need to know I suspect we aren't going to find what you want in the temple to the Imp.""

"I've actually told this to everyone else, but, err..." Ainsley reads the notebook, tilting her head and giving an uncertain frown at it. She looks over to Lee, then Silmeria, then Marduke, and then over to Kal, and recites the line off the page, "'Beware the Silent Corridor, Watch the Chill... when water dries out and footsteps no longer echo, beware the hidden darkness that bars the way.' Supposedly that's what we'll be running into on our way to find what I need." She reaches up to rub the back of her neck. "Beyond that... Well, it's Rabanastre. A ruin. We should take care not to disturb any unstable structures, and watch our steps and our heads."

"Good advice, all," Silmeria says, nodding. "Luckily, we'll have less to worry about than most, I think. It's the treasure hunters and glory-seekers that tend to do something *completely* ill-advised and come to grief. Even so," she says, nodding to Ainsley's notepad, "naturally it seems we'll have our own worries to be going on with." Having fallen into step by one side of the cart, the Esper seems more than comfortable traveling by foot, given the sedate pace of the cart. "I'm not certain if we'll be stopping by your people's temple, Master Kal... so if we give it a miss, would you give my respects to your King?"

"We seek." offers Marduke slowly, "The Compass Rose, located in Queen Ashe's childhood bedroom. It is the key we need to track down the first of three items needed." eyes looking around, "The words Ainsley offers is a fortelling from a seer. One that makes practical sense for a item such as this to have not been found. Possible it is spiritual in nature and sounds more like a way to hide the path then it is to guard it. What better way is there to make treasure seekers they have explored everything, a hidden path, or a guarded one they can't get past?" A soft chuckle there, "For the value of what we seek, I would not be surprised the spirits had a hand in arranging such challenges. Watch the Chill, when water dries out and footsteps no longer echo. My opinion, that is the place we need to find, to find the way others have missed. Beware the hidden darkness, very likely a trap or a guardian yet still. To many unknowns, and all of them challenges im I am sure. Yet Kal, I am not sure if the palace is where we should be going. I did a little history reading and well the Queen when she was a child had her city taken over by the empire. So the real question, the room as a young child, or perhaps someplace else that is hidden if she finished growing up elsewhere. Either way I suspect our best starting point is the palace." Shrugging his shoulders, "Just my thoughts on the matter really."

"King! We don't have a King we have a Progenitor!" he says that word in a deep booming voice, like a glacier scraping agianst rock then laughs warmly, "He likes being called that, he's not our King, he is our leader, our boss, the source of all that is imp!" He then grows sober and considers Ainsley's words. "Where.. exactly do you want to go? I assume you have a goal in mind Ainsley, all I know is you want to go to Rabanastre not exactly..." he trails off as Marduke speaks and his ears perk in the summoner's direction as they trundle out of the city and turn off across the Giza plains. "Queen Ashe was married when Rabanastre fell, I would assume she grew up in the palace... so if it is the home of the Last Queen you seek... well I suggest the palace but well there are parts of the palace we have not explored. I will take you to the main palace and from there we will see what we can learn no?""

Ainsley frowns gently at Kal's loud exclamation about Rael. She doesn't seem to show much more than that toward it, though she pulls a piece of food from her bag to distract herself, nibbling away. It is meal time, after all. She's real hungry, and it's going to be a long trip. Marduke's words have rendered her silent, for the time being. Since they're already going, she looks out at the plains they're going to gross. Her eyes lid. She's more anxious now that they're actually moving, and she seems distracted by her thoughts. She won't be very fun for conversation during the trip.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Master Kal," Silmeria says, chuckling at the grand display. "Then I shall be certain to pay my respects to your *Progenitor,*" the word, given special emphasis and gravitas, just teetering on the point of silliness, "myself. So. The Royal Palace it is, then."

Lee's been quiet so far as well, reclined in the wagon's bed amongst the provisions, hands laced behind his head and hat low to cover his face, and an ankle over one knee. He might almost be sleeping, if the deliberate bouncing of the suspended foot didn't indicate clearly otherwise. "Sounds like we'll be explorin', at th' least. Peekin' in dusty corners can be it's own kinda fun, an' what better place than a palace. Hear rumors of all kinds o'secret passages an' such like in palaces an' castles an' what-not." His grin can almost be heard, "I. Can't. Wait."

Marduke nods as he leans back a bit, "Indeed, the words were old royal palace from your progenitor." Marduke offers to Silmeria with a ever so slighty hint of teasing in it. "So we have our starting point, we shall explore after that point and be as best prepared as we can for when the time comes." He offers with a touch of a soft sigh. Then turns to watch the scenary as it passes by, offering off to Lee, "Unexplored places with who knows what kind of fiends lurking in the corners. That is still just the easy part, I am sure you will have your fun."

Kal is quiet for a bit, just riding the Chocobo, guiding the cart along the track then he speaks up, "We only claimed the central part of the palace, there are three other wings." He fell quiet for a moment, "I'll tell you more about them tonight when we are at the inn I am going to pick up the pace." He shakes the reigns and starts to speed up their journey, "We'll never get anywhere at this rate." ) [Spoofed By: Silvante]

Ainsley still doesn't seem particularly interested in talking as they get going. She glances over to Lee and smiles, laughing lightly at his excitement about the secret passages. Otherwise she's silent, just listening to the sound of the cart and the rapid footsteps of the chocobo.

Silmeria vaults into the cart as Kal announces he intends to speed up, settling herself into a spare corner. "Well then... let's certainly not keep you and your birds," she says to the driver. A quick glance is spared to Marduke, an eyebrow raised. "Whistling past the graveyard is all well and good," she says to Marduke, in tone of gentle chiding, "but the Lord of the Dead hasn't so... robust... a sense of humor as the Progenitor of the Imps, mind."

Lee hmms and quips at Silmeria's chiding comment as the wagon picks up speed, "Dunno, seemed an a'right fella t'me, really... Can't speak on Imps, though, only ever really been around one in somethin' more'n just in-passin'." He peeks out from under his hat in Ainsley's direction, hmmming a bit, "Y'seem awflully quiet, Ains... Y'not worryin', are ya? Or may'ap got somethin' on yer mind?"

Marduke just offers Silmeria a friendly smile but doesn't offer any more comments. Just glances back out to the scenary watching it go by. Becoming lost in his own thoughts for the time being.

Ainsley turns her head, and lids her eyes. She smiles more lightly at Lee. "Of course I'm worrying, dummy," she says, with a surprising amount of warmth and affection, despite the words. "There's a lot to worry about." She looks back out over the plains, and returns to her thoughts, seemingly.

The day is uneventful beyond a brief encounter with some of the local Chocobo herders, that evening Kal makes good on his promise and as the sun is setting brings the Chocobo and the card to a halt outside of a rather nice look inn. It is a compound of stone and wood and tiled roofs at the side of a conjunction of herd trails and the major north/south caravan route through the plains. Off in the distance the rocky highlands where the ruins Rabanastre sit can just about be seen. The inn itself is well run and soon enough the cart is parked, the gear and supplies stowed in Lee and Marduke's room. Baths are avaliable for all who want them and Kal has organised a shared room for Ainsley and Silmeria it seems he is known by the portly human who runs the place and is a welcome guest. He suggests everyone freshen up and then meet in the common room for dinner and he can tell them what he knows about the palace.

Much to Ainsley's discontent, she is /not/ given the same room as Lee. Well that sucks! She doesn't complain, exactly, but she seems grumpy about it for a bit when she finds out. She doesn't bother with a bath, too busy with her own notes and her thoughts, though she does make sure at least to look somewhat presentable for dinner, when she arrives. It's kind of hard for a lizard-'kin with dark scales to look unkempt, compared to a hume, besides some of her feathers looking a little askew. She's still silent, unless someone tries to initiate conversation with her, she just keeps to herself for the most part. Not cold or aloof, just reserved.

Silmeria does take advantage of the offer of a bath, and the opportunity to change into robes of similar cut and style, but of light linen, against the ongoing heat of the season and the lack of need for tough clothing in a lovely inn. Hair still damp, she descends into the common room, to await dinner and the planning to come.

Lee accepts the room arrangements with little more than a disappointed *tsk*, for his part, before moving on to tasks that need doing to help stow the supplies with his typical cheer. By the time the meeting time arrives, he makes his way down to the common room, dressed the same as always, and takes a seat beside Ainsley at the table before setting his hat down on the table in front of him, kicking his feet up in a spare chair and leaning his own back on it's rear legs, "Evenin' all. So, what's fer dinner, then?"

Marduke makes his way about in a almost lazy maner, cleaning up bathing and all that. Relaxing and honestly just enjoying the trip so far and easy going. A light off tune and rythem humming escaping from him as he makes his way into the common room and finds a seat, and leans back with a book. Flipping it open he just starts to read until food and conversations start for the time being. A glance up as Lee speaks and shrugs his shoulders, "Not sure, but I am sure it will come in time." A soft yawn as he puts the book aside.

Dinner is served in a small private booth, the other patrons in the tavern sat at tables dotting the rooms are the type you'd expect. Travellers, merchants, the odd tribes-person and even a couple of priests on their way to the temple of Alexander in Emberstrand. Dinner is a nice affair, rich chocobo stew with fresh vegetables and Kal has prepared some interesting concoction of fruit juice and ice, it's more slush then liquid and rather cool against the evenings humidity. As dinner is winding down the ice imp sits himself on the edge of the table and leans back, the dim light catching in the white ice crystals around his glass' rim as he holds it up. "So.. would you like me to tell you about the Royal Palace in Rabanastre?" He looks around as everyone answers him and smiles gently and tips his glass causing the slushed ice inside to pour out... it falls in a long stream that curls around him and then out, those who can sense it can feel the imp working the mana of the world, condensing the humidity out of the air, freezing it into more ice to supply the endless stream floating from his tilted martini glass. It flows around him as he bobs up out of his chair and slowly forms a small dome above the table, encircling the group of travellers, glowing with an etherial light that deepens then flickers into a starlight sky. The night's breeze blows over the tower top, the table now seemingly perched atop an ancient tower at the centre of a glorious city. The stars seem to reflect from the ancient buildings below but Kal turns from the city behind and gestures, a spray of ice chips drifting down to illuminate the domed building below. "This... is the central building of the Royal Palace, where the Imps now have their temple, the outher rooms are ruined and long since lost to the world but the core chambers and the main three domes and the towers are intact." He turns and another cluster of buildings illuminate, "That.. is the canal wing, we have left it alone." A cluster of man made canals can be seen, clustered domed buildings, tall spires and over-grown gardens all illuminated under the glistening starlight, as cold and silent as ice. "Gardens, out buildings, private residences.... the canals are full of mist now." He turns and points to the north and another sector of the city slowly wakes up... a narrow keep of ancient stone, surrounded by walls, fluted buttresses "The original Keep, from when this city was first founded in the distant ages past. It is just a shell of what it once was, before the folly it was a garrison to the troops of Rabanastre, gutted when the Empire conquered the city and its restoration was halted by the Folly and finally..." he turns, swaying, a faint tune seeming to swell in the air as the starlight swells and grows. The illusion is seemless, the cool night air of a Rabanastrian night flows over the table, ruffling the feather's on Ainsley's head, tugging at robes and cloaks... a narrow rectangular wing of stone, tall arched windows and fluted towers, a confection of unspoilt glass, of chimneys and tiles. "The Forbidden Zone.... a section of the palace seemingly untouched by time... hidden from the sight of mortals." He sways in mid air and lands on the edge of the table looking down at the pristine glowing windows his long tail blowing in the wind. "And that..." He murmurs, the sparkling star-light vision spread out below us.

Ainsley looks at the artistic display made by Kal, perhaps not appreciating it as much as the others, not at first. But she's not saying a word to interrupt, pausing even in the last bites of her food as she observes it. She sees the final sight, and stares at it, eyes lidded. She lets out a shiver, pulling her cloak tighter around her form; she can't take the cold very well, at least not in this case. Being a lizard-kin probably makes colder areas unpleasant for her.

The display brings a smile to Silmeria's lips, of appreciation and some small amount of indulgence; why would an Imp do something, after all, if he could not make it a grand and glorious spectacle? "It was a lovely place," she murmurs, "once, long ago.... I wonder though, Master Kal... This Forbidden Zone? What part of the original Palace does it encompass? Or, has no one been able to determine?"

Lee lets his feet drop to the floor and sits up as Kal puts on quite the show, only mildly curious until the vista becomes clear, crimson eyes suddenly sharp and focused as he takes in the details of the city stretched out below in all directions, and paying close attention to Kal's descriptions of various areas and landmarks. While still studying the lay of streets and buildings, he adds, after Silmeria's questions, "An' why's it "forbidden"? Things aren't usually thus wi'out reason, after all..."

Marduke leans forward as he watches his face going impassive. Eyes scanning as he considers and landing on the last section as he considers it for a long time. "Lost in time? Interesting. Yet something just nags at me as that being off for what we seek. There." He points towards the Canals section, "That strikes me more as where we should be looking. Private residences, where water once flowed freely but now dried up." Shaking his head, "A hunch."

The imp smiles at Ainsley and moves to wrap his tail about her shoulders like a stole to ward off the chill of his illusion. To Silmeria as she speaks, "It is the Otomize wing, built by the Queen who re-organized the palace and built the main structures and expanded out of the original keep." He settles down near Ainsley and looks at Lee and smiles, "Very few people know what part of the palace it encompasses other then those set to keep watch. Lord Rael forbid entrance to it to all when the imps settled here, a gift he called it to one he owed a great debt to, that all owed a debt to." He turns to face Lee. We hide it from mortals with our magics usually but... I am allowed to show this to you at this time..." he tilts his head listening to Marduke, "Possible, i've never been to that part of the palace myself."

Ainsley makes a surprised face when Kal wraps his tail around her, even if it's just a brief kindness. She looks over at Lee self-consciously, and smiles lightly at Kal, making no comment toward it except in the awkward body language she displays toward the gesture. Instead she says, "The clue we were given was more for my side of it, which seemed less about the Compass Rose, and more about where a crypt might be; underground, like a hidden entrance through one of the canals Marduke mentioned," motioning at him, "But if they're full of mist, that would make them very hazardous..." She spends some time and thought on this, rubbing at the feathers on her head.

"If that's the case," SIlmeria muses, "then our best bet is likely to start at the Canals. It'll be dangerous, certainly... but all the clues seem to point there, and while the Forbidden Zone interests me, I'll not break Lord Rael's oath without a much greater need than 'perhaps.'" Folding her hands together, a finger rises to tap at her lips. "Is there anything about the Canals, Master Kal, in specific that we should probably know before diving headlong into them?"

Lee seems to be fully engrossed in memorizing as much as he can of the city layout, particularly the canals area since that's where the others seem to be focusing their intentions on more, while nodding quietly in agreement with Silmeria. He glances up long enough to take his drink in hand and get a look at everyone else at the table, doing a small double-take at the sight of Ainsley with Kal's tail about her shoulders, the young man blinking once before chuckling with a faint smile and turning his attention back to the landscape, sipping his drink.

Marduke stares at the imp for a long long moment. Eyes just going a bit wide as he processes this new information, "Could it really be that simple? Truly be that simple?" He offers leaning back in his seat and offering a loud barking laugh. "Amazing!" He offers and starts to calm down after a few more laughs, "Simply amazing. Brilliant to." He points to the Canals again with a grin, "We start there, we will find the compas there." He then points to the forbiden zone, "And we will find the mirror there. From what Kal just told me, the Queen herself built that wing. A wing for one very specific purpose, to hide things away until they are needed. The Otomize Wing, Queen Ashe's Resting place. The compas rose will unveil the way, it is possibly that it is a entrance. We start with the canals." A glance over to Ainsley, "A danger we must face." Then glances to Kal "Thanks for that final piece to the puzzle Kal. It all adds up, and I am pretty sure I am on the right track here." Sitting back down fully and growing a bit more somber, "Queen Ashe, is the one we all owe a great dept to. A dept I hope to myself someday make a lasting dept, one that has no risk of being undone." Reaching for his drink and taking a sip, then humpfs. "We need some wine!" For one the summoner wanting something other then tea!?

The imp looks at Aisnely and smiles at her, "Very hazardous..." he looks over at the canals, "All I really know is they are old, as old as the keep, the canals held the main library though that vanished when the city was abandoned, the smaller buildings are residences for members of the royal family so it could be possible Queen Ashe had a room there when she was little?" He tilts his head and glances at Marduke and frowns, "That is at theory for sure Marduke but the Queen Otomize built the wing, not Queen Ashe... at least that is what I have been told." he shrugs and holds the image steady, letting Lee examine it, it is a crisscrossing network, about 30 canals and 17 odd individual islands, the largest ones are all gardens and small gazeebos it seems in the star light, maybe 4 of them and the others are all smaller taken up by singular buildings and small grounds. Looking around at the images surrounding them the sighs softly raising one hand to call his illusion to an end. It shatters.. the tableau of buildings dissolving into a gently cascade of ice that flows down and settles onto the imps fur leaving him glistening as he withdraws his tail from Ainsley and settles back into his chair. "That is all I really know about the palace, if you do find some hidden path into the Forbidden Zone then I will wait for your return outside of it. But first... we need to survive the canals," he frowns and shakes his head, ice crystals falling down around him, "You could try and re-flood them? If you can find the water-works and see why there is no water in them that might help? I don't know."

Ainsley lets out a soft sigh at the word 'survive.' She shakes her head, not wanting to let her imagination get ahead of itself, and at mention of wine, she gives a look of displeasure, and hops out of her seat. "I'll pass on the wine," she tells everyone, "I'd like to give some thought on this before I go to sleep..." She starts to walk off, cracking a big yawn as she goes.

"Actually yes please," Silmeria says, in agreement with Marduke. "Very well... it seems we have the beginnings of a plan. This is good. Sleep well, Ainsley, and I hope it 8will* be a decent sleep. We'll all need to be very much alert when we chance upon the ruins..." Settling back in her chair, she toys with a fork, considering what they've seen, and what might be to come.

Lee blinks as Kal brings the illusion to an end, crimson irises contracting catlike against the sudden change in light an instant before he closes his eyes, normal once again when he opens them a few seconds later with a smile. He sips his drink, sufficing with that and silently passing on the offer of wine as well. He looks towards Ainsley as she stands to leave, "Want me t'bring y'anything later, Ains? Afore Silmeria heads up 'erself, that is, whenever that ends up bein'." He looks at Silmeria, "No doubt before too long, I'd imagine, if rest be a priority?" Marduke shakes his head, "I understand that Kal, but it isn't a matter of who made it. It is a matter of why Lord Rael would have it protected. It is a theory for sure, but everything fits."

A glance to Kal with a smile, "Ask yourself this, you were given permission to show us this now, why? That in itself is one of the strongest pieces, and then owe a great dept to. With what we seek, who is releated to this city, and all things added only one person comes to mind to whome we owe a great dept." Leaning back and crossing his arms with a thoughtful hmmm, "Clue that are impossible to add up otherwise without the right direction. As I said, brilliant. "

Sipping his drink for a moment thoughtfully. "Sleep well Ainsley." Glancing to her with a friendly smile before looking to his food. "We will be finding our answers tomarrow, and all to soon the troubles to get them and what they will bring. Re-flooding the canals has merit, but we will need to find the waterworks. Something to keep a eye out for. We can only start at point A." A glance to Lee as he blinks, and blinks again, "You know sometimes I still don't understand half of what you say." Smirking to the man then glancing around the table, "Yet for now, I am going to eat my food, then go over my books and prepare myself as best I can for tomarrow. It will be difficult enough as it is." A glance to the departing Ainsley, his voice dropping a bit, "We still have a long ways to go."

As Ainsley stands up and starts to walk off a figure moves out of the booth next to theirs and stands in her way catching her hand and lifting the back of it to his lips before she can react or snatch it clear, "Why in such a rush my Lady Conduit?" Savourn, leader of the Knights of Restoration smiles at those he has met before and gives the ice imp a frown, his platinum blonde hair straight cut this time, hanging down to just past his shoulders, he is wearing high-collared silver over-coat with rather fancy sholder-pads and large turned back sleeves over his black tunic and that gun of his is holstered at his hip as before. Lee must have seen him coming, he's the only one out of his chair and in any position to do anything but the man just smiles and keeps a light hold on the Lizard-Kin's hand. "So nice to see you all again and to make a new-acquaintance of yours Lady Ainsley, this must be Kal'Tano Znke'erta, rumour has it you are the best of friends with our lady Conduit." he releases Ainsley's hand and bows regally to Kal, the imp is just looking on in bafflement. Savourn looks across the group with a disarming smile. "I heard mention of wine please allow me to buy the first bottle so we may talk... your fascinating ice shield was the talk of the room, few people get to see an Imp perform his tricks. Thankfully for me whispered words held in secret are what Lady Shemhazzi excels at sharing and we'd not want to make a scene in front of all these.... innocent travellers would we now?" He meets everyones eyes as he says that last bit ending with Lee and holding his gazes with the man.

A rather comical reptillian squeak pops out of Ainsley's mouth as her hand is snatched and grabbed... and she stares as if she had just been infected with The Crazy Virus or something when she feels herself kissed, all her feathers sticking straight up, pupils shrinking, muscles tensed, and red washing into her face. When her hand is released, she wipes it off on her clothing, and glares at Savourn so hard that she might pop a blood vessel of she's not careful. She doesn't go back to her seat. The only comment she has is, "Your coat is ugly, and your hair still pisses me off."

Silmeria eases herself out of her chair, standing and folding her arms, fixing the knight with a cool, disdainful look. "Master Kal," she says quietly, "meet our party's personal tick; a man dedicated to breaking one of the Damned Thirteen from her prison. Sadly, we simply can't seem to dislodge him, no matter what we do, and I fear i've lost my taste for wine, this night."

Lee's indeed out of his seat, mood abruptly switched from amiable to simmering anger at the mere sight of Savourn, and his eyes flick quickly around the room before focusing fully on the man, gloved hands clenched at his sides and eyes narrowed in a dark scowl at the interloper, an expression that only darkens as the Knight takes unwelcome liberty by catching and kissing Ainsley's hand. The second Savourn releases Ainsley, his own hand is on her shoulder, gently pulling her back and away from the man, taking position protectively over the scholar, responding to Savourn through gritted teeth, voice low, "I'd almost find th'fuss of a scene worth it, but given y'got a couple cronies scattered about th'room with some convenient an' easily murdered 'ostages..." A discrete gesture towards each said silver-coated individuals, for the benefit of the rest of the group, one chatting up one of the tavern's young waitresses, the other conversing with some priests of Alexander at a table across the room, "A bastard tactic I'd expect from someone like you."

Marduke sips his drink for a moment, glancing over to Ainsley startled for a moment. Eyes landing on the man who grabbed her calming down rather quickly. "Ahh I was wondering when you were going to show up again. I wish I could say I am surprised really." Shaking his slowly as he puts down his drink, "Though as for wine, I will have to pass. I already have a sour taste in my mouth." Turning to watch the man thoughtfully, "You know we have no interest in listening to you." A glance to the people Lee points out and sighs softly, "I see, the sign of the weak." Glancing back to the man, "Well go ahead and speak, you do seem full of hot air."

Kal frowns at the man and bobs up into the air, hanging next to Silmeria, "So I see.... well how... inconvienient to meet you." His body glitters, ice forming in tiny packets of razor sharp spikes all around him but he restrains from doing anything, he just radiates cold. Savourn just gives Lee his best smile, "As I said, we wouldn't want a scene, would be most messy and the tails of the... wild blood drinking winged lizard who wrecked the Tranquility and murdered some humble priests of Alexander and ravaged some virgins would have Paladins all over it. Nasty business no, best avoided, especially for you no? See I'm doing you a kindness we'd not want that sort of thing to happen." He gives Lee his best smile and focusses on Silmeria, "And the little Esper, ready to go running for Daddy's skirts or are you going to fix your biggest mistake yourself? I wonder are you carrying them here on you now or have you left them with just the fencing instructor watching over them?" He then runs his eyes over Marduke and chuckles, "Ah hot air? Not as much as fills your sails 'summoner' Marduke, the rumours that float around about you and your "Lady" friends tsk tsk, that's grounds to get yourself stripped of your powers you know. Such a naughty boy you are...." He then turns his gaze back to Ainsley and smiles warmly, "I am just here to give you... a friendly warning my Lady Conduit, the great Whisperer grows... impatient with you... I am here to let you know that we will be coming for you soon, so put your business in order, make your goodbyes to your imps and your dead chum and your faux boyfriend and pack a bag." He smiled at the group, "I suspect your little bodyguard group won't be able to stop us when the Whisperer says it is time." ) [Spoofed By: Silvante]

Ainsley looks surprised when she's pulled away by Lee, and smiles at the protective nature he has to her. But she looks around quietly, when the others are indicated. Her eyes lid. Her mouth drops into a frown. She slowly turns her gaze around the room, taking stock of the situation as best she can manage. She doesn't seem very intent on speaking, though, apparently cowed by the methods Savourn has employed. Instead, she just tells him, "No."

Silmeria's eyebrow rises, as Savourn's baiting attempt falls upon her, and receives the taunt in stony silence. "Your suspicions are in error, Sir Tick," she says quietly. "As you've done us the courtesy of a warning, let me offer you the same; you and yours have broken rules in this ploy. Rules that assure that what we do you you will be only the beginning of a long eternity of regret. Ask yourself, Knight of the Bloated Vermin, what might happen to you, should you fall under the eye of the Spirit of the Dead? Ask yourself how *patient* Death can be, and how much the accounting of you and yours can *cost,* when the dust settles and you breathe your last across your own spilt blood?"

Savourn listens to Silmeria's speech and smiles, he then throws his head back and laughs, it is a warm laugh and he steps close to Silmeria, somehow he is past Lee and Ainsley and leaning in close to whisper in her ear. Whatever he says to her in response leaves her a white colour but still standing tall and resolute just a bit wide eyed. He then steps back, moving to his place in front of Lee and Kal and waits on the others to say anything they wish to say. "What makes you think /he/ has any say over me when I die, what makes you think my spirit is bound to your false lords order? I am the Leader of the Restoration, my soul is tied to the truth... think on it little dead girl. Question is he truly the Lord of Death or did the victors write the history to suit themselves."

Lee blinks at Savourn, then gives a lopsided grin at him, one which doesn't quite reach his eyes, "A kindness? Guess y'are, at that; you've never seen me on my worst day, son... So if that's the worst you can think of, th'scariest tale about me you can invent, then yeah, that'd be a kindness, 'cause yer a far sight from th'worst I've ever done." He arches an eyebrow as Savourn turns his verbal barbs to first Silmeria, then Marduke, looking bemused for a second, "Either yer so insecure 'bout yer masculinity that y'need ta try an' slam down everyone around ya, or yer so delusionally over-confident that yer completely incapable o'takin' anyone seriously." He pauses for a second, "Dun' matter which, either one'll eventually get y'killed." His scowl then returns, tone darkening again, "An' I can guaran-damn-tee ya takin' Ains'll hasten ya t'that end, whether th'good lady's Lord," he gestures to Silmeria, "is watchin' or not." Then, Savourn is past him and Ainsley somehow, leaving Lee looking just a little confused, "What in th' blazin' fires o'-" And before he can finish, there's Savourn again, Lee giving him an intense look through narrowed eyes, "Gotta say, I -really- dun like you, son..."

Marduke just raises his eyebrows a moment in confusion, clear confusion, "Huh?" Is all he offers and shakes his head, "I honestly do not know what your talking about. Still the best you can come up with on me? I admit I am a bit disapointed, figured you would consider me more then a nusance, as well." shrugging his shoulders. A glance to Silmeria with a hint of a frown. Then shrugs his shoulders and just stays silent, watching and considering. His mind clearly calculating something.

Savourn smiles at Lee, "Ah you call me son, the gruff elder figure.. such... enchanting delight. Tell me Master Lee how far back do your memories run? I somehow doubt you got to watch Raithwell on his throne, or when he gut the Sun-Cyst? I was... it was when I saw through the lies he peddled that I found the truth hidden in the whispers." He regards the group and steps back and his two companions excuse themselves from their companions to come and stand by his side. One of them is tall and elegant, a viera with long refined aristocratic features dressed in a similar uniform to his but with a pleated black skirt and a large heavy rod of wood hanging from her belt. The other gentle-man is taller then them both with shimmering silver hair and ancient eyes, a symbol in his fore-head glistening gently and the sword at his side reflects rainbows from the pearl on its hilt. He bows even as the Viera offers a light curtsey as Savourn speaks once more, "We have done the courteous thing and given you all fair warning, until we meet again Lady Conduit." He bows and there is a moment... not even the blink of an eye just a pause between one second and the neck and they are gone....

"..." Ainsley stares at the place that Savourn used to be, frowning very hard at what she had heard. The Sun-Cyst? Her brow furrows. She discovers she had been clenching one of her hands so hard that she nearly made herself bleed. She examines the palm of her hand, starting to simmer down... "While he does not take us seriously, we should take him very seriously. He has methods and abilities that have caught us by surprise not once, but twice," she says, gently, with that cold, neutral tone of voice of a trained scholar, "It is likely he has not taken me by force because I have to choose to go with him in order for them to get any use out of me." She traces along the indentation she made on her palm with her other hand, grimacing at the sensation. "... what will they do, if they believe I will never go with them...?" she speculates, as if she already had an idea and wanted the others to think about it. "Because if I'm only going to be a danger to them..." She trails off, then turns and hugs Lee as hard as she can, shivering. She's absolutely terrified.

"What they will *attempt,*" Silmeria says softly, shaking in place... be it from fear or rage, it's difficult to tell by the pale cast to her tanned skin, "is to destroy us, take you, Ainsley, and force you to assent, taking as long as they can." Drawing herself up, she summons a black-handled scythe from the middle of nowhere, thumping its butt against the floor of the inn. "That, however, *will not happen.*"

Lee frowns at Savourn's parting shot, muttering to himself after the Knight and his companions vanish, "Goes far 'nuff back fer my likin'... Dun even know when that other stuff..." He looks at Ainsley, "Ains, that stuff he mentioned, how long ago'd that stuff 'appen, anyway?" Before he's even gotten an answer, he's glowering at the spot where Savourn stood, "'The courteous thing' my ass... See how courteous he finds my claws next time I see 'im." Then he's hugged quite suddenly, catching him by surprise, though he's quick to wrap a reassuring arm around Ainsley's shoulder, toning down his grumbling for her benefit. The thump from Silmeria's scythe draws his attention, and he grins a little, "Silmeria's right, Ains. They'll certainly try, but they won't succeed."

Marduke standing up and nods, "I am taking him serious, he is taking us serious to. It is hard to tell, but his making light is him trying to throw us off balance. Don't let him get to you." The summoner offers as he smiles faintly, "For now I am off to bed. See you in the morning." Offering a bow as he turns to step his way off towards his room. The summoner clearly having a lot on his mind.

Kal's fur flickers, the blue all but lost in the swirling patterns of frost covering him, "They will not take you... the Nations will not permit it Ainsley... to try and free one of the thirteen.... this is... " He shakes his head, "When it was just her tied to you... but... an actual group... well... I suspect you'll be sick of imps by the end of this Ainsley but we won't let them have you... the battle lines are drawn. The thirteen will always be opposed by the order and their servants stand with them." He lands and shakes out his fur completly, "Right 'I'll go shift the rooms, I think the big suite up top where we can all be nearby is required in case the bastards try anything and tomorrow... Rabanastre."

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