AChapter 6
The party have enterred the mist shrouded canal system that covers the Eastern side of the Rabanastre Royal Palace Compound. The heavy fog closes in around the party, damp and sticky, the heat of the day is barely cut, the humidity if anything just goes up higher and higher as they walk into the fog and after about five minutes find the edge of the first canal.
Lee keeps a brick pace as he leads the way, not quite a run, but definitely more than a walk, striking a balance between moving quickly and conserving energy in light of not knowing exactly how far he has to go to get to a rise that will take him up above the fog again. Carrying
Ainsley on his shoulders seems to tax him hardly at all, either, managing that task fairly well, while trying to manage the conflicting task of getting enough breath while breathing in as little of the fog as possible, having to trust that the damp cloth wrapped over his face is helping in some way. Without taking his eyes off the footing before him as he jogs along, "Ains, see anythin' o'interest up there?"
Marduke is hurrying his way along keeping pace with Lee and making sure he stays in sight. Eyes watching the ground and the Mists ahead, offering a mutter under his breath, "Near suicide this is." Then a soft chuckle, somehow amused by the whole situation. A glance at the canel and rushes over a bit, "Which way does it flow?" Asking as he attempts to figure that out himself, "And everybdoy ok so far far?"
"Woah--" Ainsley squints into the mist as they head into it, the heat cutting through her ability to think for a moment. The strange sticky sensation gets her to grimace into the cloth that she had wrapped around her face. She pants lightly, and her feathers ruffle up. She clings somewhat to Lee, tail tightening around him. "I'll try. I've never actually been in mist this thick. I've read about it, but..." She looks around, trying to scout for anything that might help the group, flow of the water or other indications of where to go.
"Stay close," Silmeria says, her voice muffled by the kitten-print knit scarf tied about her lower face. "We may be okay now, but the last thing we'd want is for is to get *separated* in this..." A faint shudder worms its way down the Esper's spine, and she reaches out to snag hold of the sleeve of Ainsley's robe. "....Just in case," she murmurs to the scholar.
The Mist sits there not moving at all, it is un-natural and weird but it is just a solid fog bank that is almost thick enough to cut hanging motionless in the air! It's almost impossible to see anything, it is barely possible to detect the edge of the canal directly in front of them.
Marduke is standing there looking at the cannals, or at least he thought he was. Blinking a moment he glances back over his shoulder, 'Hey I can't tell which way is... err Lee? Ainsley!" Then as a after thought, "Silmeria!?!?" Starting to panic he steps back almost into the canal most likely and stops. "Ok ok... try to stay calm..." Taking a deep breath and closes his eyes and starting to chant and then falling to his knees as something fails, "Ok screw this!" Pushing he is starting to run off in random direction B!
Ainsley looks out into the mist, and frowns as she completely fails to find anything. She tilts her head, confused at the oddities here... And then glances off distractedly. She hasn't heard anyone but Lee and Silmeria. "Can't see a damn thing out here," she says, grimacing at all of the fog. "Don't see any monsters, but... I doubt I'd see it even if I tried."
"I can't make out all *that* much," Silmeria murmurs through her mask, "but I *can* see the other wall if I look hard enough... So if it branches off at all on that side, I'll give a shout, okay?" The Esper keeps one hand on the wall on their side, fingers lightly trailing over the slick, old stone, what can be seen of her expression uneasy at the very least.
Lee nods to Ainsley, then to Silmeria, "Much obliged, Silmeria. This canal isn't too wide, either... 'Bout six feet, maybe, shouldn't be 'ard t'cross." He turns his head to Marduke, "Oi, Mar-" Or, he thought he was turning his head to Marduke, but Marduke isn't where he should be, which has Lee looking about for him, "Oh, bugger..." And seems to catch sight of Marduke rather quickly, and not too far away, despite the thick mist, "Hang on a sec." Ainsley still on his shoulders, he hastens over towards Marduke, and, thankfully, the direction Marduke picks takes him towards Lee, allowing the young man to snag one of the summoner's arms to stop him! And, suddenly, the world is back in focus for Marduke, sight and sound returning to him as Lee pulls Marduke to a halt, "Whoa there, trigger, dashin' off'd be ill-advised, t'say tha least!
The party have been in the mist for what... less then two or three minutes now and things are already going swimmingly! They best be getting a move on and try to find those gates. Kal bobs down until his body is level with Lee's shoulders and frowns, "This stuff feels.... different... worse then normal..... sticky." he wipes a paw along his arms and shivers, "Lets go.. I think we go right?"
The party have been in the mist for what... less then two or three minutes now and things are already going swimmingly! They best be getting a move on and try to find those gates. The stuff feels.... different... worse then just moments before..... sticky and cloying. You page, "Right is heading arond to the south side, after the discussion outside of the mist you think you need to go left to circle around to the north side and find those lock gates!" to Silmeria and Lee.
And then there's a flinch from Ainsley, and her eyes go wide. And then suddenly she's trying to scramble /away/ from Lee, panicked and trying to run away, falling over herself and probably off of his shoulders in the process. She's pretty intent on heading toward the canal, and her sudden panic certainly shows no rational explanation for it. Ainsley vanishes from Lee's shoulders into the mist of the canal with a almost silent "PLOMPF"
Marduke is running as he is grabbed. A reaction as he brings his staff and attempts to smack Lee across the face with it! Lucky the man isn't that strong or really trained in it yet and it won't hurt much! Marduke offering a blink as he peers, "Lee?!? What in the..." Shaking his head, "There... it is like there is a hostile prescence in the mist. Wait... where is Ainsley!?" Peering up over at Lee's shoulder, "Find her and we need to get moving, run if we have to, right then." Blinking and just noticing Kal
"Ainsley? Ainsley!" As the scholar scrambles from Lee's shoulders, Silmeria's eyes grow wide. "Oh no... she went into the canal! Lee, keep hold of Marduke, I'm going after her!" And without waiting for confirmation, Silmeria drops her pack at her feet, hurrying to the edge of the canal and dropping down without a moment's hesitation, calling Ainsley's name as she vanishes into the Mist.
Lee immediately notices as Ainsley dismounts, and with much haste, from his shoulders, distracted from Marduke by enough that the swung staff actually connects, giving him a smart rap. Hissing slightly and rubbing the sore spot where head met wood, Lee is already looking around trying to spot the now-wayward scholar, his tongue turning slightly sharp for just a moment, "Missin'? Really, y'don't say." The sharpness is gone as fast as it came, though, "Well, wouldn't surprise me, thick as it is... No tellin' what-all's lurkin' about 'ere." Silmeria chasing off after Ainsley does surprise him, though, and he pauses what would have eventually been a search to watch her drop out of view, pack left behind. He ponders a moment, then nods, "Well, we're stayin' 'here, looks like, Marduke." Taking off his own pack, he starts searching through it, "'Appen t'ave any rope? Way things're goin', we're likely gonna need ta tie ourselves t'gether or somethin'..."
Ainsley's fall is stopped when she lands in the comforting arms of a tall, handsome man, he holds her close to his chest and smiles. "You are safe my Lady Conduit, come let us abscond to the Chambers of Queen Ashe together." Savourn, Lead of the Knights of Restoration then gives Ainsley a rather passionate kiss as he steps backward. Silmeria just has time to see Ainsley pass out in the mans arm when the foot of a viera slams into her skull and cracks her mid-fall into the side of the Canal. The esper slumps and the last thing she sees in a daze of mist and pain is the Knights of Restoration retreating and a voice, a whisper from Ainsley, "To the Queen's Chamber.. quickly before one of them thinks to......."
Meanwhile up above its peaceful, the mist is all around them and Marduke and Lee are not affected by the whirling mist that clings to their bodies and holds them tight. Rope is easily found in one of their packs and they are tied together in no time at all! You page, "ALl is well and everything is nice!" to Lee.
Silence. Ainsley was doing something important. She had to free her soul, and... she got tricked? She feels like she's being moved around. She hears the whispers, which are the only thing she can really comprehend in her lack of consciousness. The limp lizard doesn't realize she got kissed. In her mind, the whispers hum for a while as she tries to grab ahold of her senses. She's a smart creature. Even without the willpower to stay conscious, she knows the difference. And she's /pissed/. Filled with absolutely petulant rage. ("SHUT. UUUUUP.") People's ears would be ringing, if they could hear that. ("I will not be yours! I would leap on Silmeria's sword, if it was the only alternative, and then I would bite Hades until he let me out, just so I could immolate every last one of your cultists until my soul withered to dust!! MY SOUL DOES NOT BELONG TO YOU!! WAKE UP, AINSLEEEY.") Regardless of this inner screaming, she is... pretty unconscious.
Jumping into the canals, on a normal day, in a normal city, is extremely ill-advised. On this day and in this place, however, it's a move that proves to be nearly suicidal. As Silmeria's head cracks into the stonework of the waterway, what parts of her mind that can still think in a straight line occupy themselves by reflecting on this, as she struggles weakly, still trying to stand. "Nng... let.... go y... Betra....." is all she can manage to croak, eyes unfocused and hands reaching weakly toward Savourn.
Lee finishes tying himself to Marduke, with about 12 feet of rope between them. Checking the knot of the section about his own waist, a knot that has a piece to pull in case a quick release is required, he looks to Marduke, and smiles, "Well, that oughta help some, keep us all from wanderin' off in all sorts an' sundry directions. Jus' need ta get th'other two back 'ere, get them tied off proper..."
Marduke frowns a bit as they find the rope and get it tied off. "Something isn't right..." He offers and glances to Lee and then the canal, "Somebody..." Moving over towards the edge and grabbing the edge he vaults himself down so he would be landing on his feet and holding onto the edge. "Hurry up Lee, one of them is hurt!" Glad there is twelve feet there and starting to look for whoever he heard hit their head in the canal.
Ainsley's defiance is disrupting whatever instructions the whisperer is trying to give to Savourn but the lizard girl is still unconcious and in their company! What makes it worse is that when Marduke lands he finds a badly beaten Silmeria, no Ainsley and lots of mist swirling and dancing around them. Shadowed and Dark and hard to see through.... Lee is also easily able to join the pair and he too sees the same thing, lots of mist... swirling clouds of shadows and no Ainsley... the lizard girl is gone and Silmeria is badly wounded.... things are not looking good for our intrepid friends!
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