The ground once again begins to rumble but this time the commotion is coming from the wall behind the podium. Red glowing sigils dance across the walls surface and then interlink to form the shape of an archway. The area inside the archway transforms to reveal a set of double doors. "....Convenient." Remarks Anemone. Not wishing to waste any more time the party enters the doorway without ceremony.
After a few paces they look back to see a solid stone wall where the doorway had been. Experimentally, Percival takes a few steps back toward the wall- as he does, it begins to change again. Satisfied, they press on in the opposite direction. "Well that was a thing." Says Aphrodite, with her usual wry humor. "Can we just take a moment," Says Payne as the four of them travel the downward length of a vast spiral staircase. "To recognize that Miss Stheno here, took a direct hit from a Golem, got knocked through a stone wall, and shook it off like it was nothing?"
Percival replies, "Just be glad she didn't actually hit you as hard as she could." he raises his brow to accentuate the words 'actually'. "We are glad too since your life is linked to Nyxxa's with that evil bracelet." Adds Aphrodite. Payne tsks softly, "Now Now, Miss. Athantus alchemy is neither good nor evil. It all depends on your perspective." She fixes him with a frank stare. "But you are using it for evil." She says plainly.
"All perspective my dear. From my point of view I was defending my home and securing my own safety. It seems I was right to do so. All three of you are infinitely more... dangerous than I could have imagined. Miss Athantus, your battle magick is truly spectacular. May I ask you where you learned it?" Aphrodite shrugs, "The Athantus are Mageborn. Magick runs in our blood. Any one of us would make an excellent hostage, so we are trained at birth in battle sorcery."
Payne nodded thoughtfully, "As for you Miss Stheno it appears that the tales of Titania's Hero caste were not exaggerated." Anemone ignores this entirely. For a brief moment, Percival catches her eye which elicits an uncharacteristic giggle from her. Oblivious, Payne moves on to the Captain. "And Mr Grimm- Captain Grimm, I truly did not know you were a magician- and you're a Recursant nonetheless." Percival raises an eyebrow. "Recursant?" He repeats adding a question at the end.
"Why yes... As you know there are many types of Mages. Mageborn Sorceresses and Sorcerers like Miss Athantus there. 'Fucking Wizards' Like myself, who learn our craft through rigorous study and application. And then there are those that gain power through... other means." A cryptic smile plays upon the Captain's lips. "How do you know I'm not a mageborn like Aphrodite? You said it yourself, I'm a hybrid. Desmavali traditionally have loads of magick."
Payne gives him a searching look, "Call it a hunch, Mr. Grimm. To be sure- you obviously have and utilize some hereditary Magick… but you can’t tell me that’s all there is to it." The Magister looks thoughtful, “Are you students at Faemoor?” He asks. Percival blinks deadpan, “What's that?” Pain scoffs, “Don’t be tiresome Mr. Grimm. You can’t tell me you run around with Ragna Barlow’s eldest Daughter, and pilot a Faerie ship without knowing about Teyathus’s first and only extra-dimensional colony and school for the arcane arts?”
Percival shrugs, “I’ve heard of it. Never been- I know V’s parents like.. Helped fund it or something.” Payne nods. “Yes- Faemoor is the cutting edge frontier for Magickal and Alchemical studies- it is in fact where I received my title of Magister!” He says with enthusiasm and more than a little self satisfaction. “Although I hear it's even more… interesting these days. I wholeheartedly recommend you all enroll.”
The stairs end, depositing the party in the midst of a pitch black chamber. Payne mutters an incantation and lamps along the chamber's stone walls flare to life, revealing an abandoned laboratory. Countless shelves and tables are lined with tomes, glass instruments, and a plethora of various crystals. The four of them disperse to explore the room. "Feel free to take anything you like as additional payment." Payne says cheerfully. Anemone rolls her eyes, "As if we need your permission."
Anemone casts her eyes upon the curiosities on the table before her; this table hosts a variety of mirrors, all of which reflect her image back at her. A small fissure runs across her right lense, but despite that, her slightly disheveled hair, and her smeared black lipstick- one would never guess that she'd been knocked through a wall. In one such looking glass she spots Aphrodite approaching from behind.
"This is not so bad, yeah?" The Khalish girl is as always looking on the bright side. "Well no... other than being in the middle of nowhere and having not one but two bouts of mortal combat within the last 30 minutes." Anemone replies, dryly. Aphrodite tsks, "Please, you know you live for this kind of thing. I saw you back there, you were having the time of your life."
Anemone gives an abashed smile, "I suppose there's no pulling one over on you. I suppose it was enjoyable." Aphrodite giggles, "See? You are capable of having fun... It just usually involves violence. Because you're a psycho." She wraps her arms around Anemone's shoulders from behind, resting her chin on the shorter woman's shoulder. Aphrodite's narrowed gaze takes in their many reflections. "Gods were both so hot."
............................................................................
Acting on instinct Percival approaches a bookcase on one of the far walls. The tomes contained on them are an incomplete encyclopedia of the Ada Sith: the pantheon of Higher Fae who are venerated as gods and goddesses- or dismissed entirely as folklore by those who don't know any better. Those who don't know any better... the Captain frowns in annoyance upon noticing that the 'D' volume is absent. Instead his eyes are drawn to a silver bracelet, encrusted with sapphires on one of the shelves.
He retrieves the artifact while activating the sight. His eyes are once again lined with iridescent geometric lines. 'Well it's not cursed so there's that...' He continues to scan the device's subtle energies. 'ah!' The Captain's magick sight is able to pick up on an element of synthesis- a programmed cloaking spell by the looks of things. He places the bracelet in the pocket of his jacket before turning his attention to the adjacent tables, scanning them for synthesized items.
His arcane focussed eyes find a box of scrolls on one of the tables. Each of them carries the telltale iridescence of synthesys magick. Percival opens one of the scrolls to find a series of glyphs and writing as well as a rather detailed drawing of a grandfather clock. A conjuration scroll... although they wouldn't find much use for a grandfather clock. The following scrolls are equally underwhelming; a suit of armor, a wagon,.... a table.
The Captain is about to move on, but decides to look at the final scroll. He opens it to find it much like the others; glyphs, sigils, and writing populate the edges, but the picture in the center... His eyes widen in surprise and delight. 'you've gotta be kidding me- Anemone's gonna love this!' "Anemone!" He calls to her on the other side of the room. "What is it?" She asks as the two of them converge. "I have a present for you." He replies, offering her the scroll.
"Are you gifting me things you found in a sketchy abandoned lab?" She asks, eyeing the object. "Yes." Percival replies simply. Ameone's full lips widen into a rare smile before she takes the scroll and opens it. Her eyes widen as she takes in the realistic drawing of the Trebuchet in the scroll's center.
"Hey! You got me something too right?" Aphrodite cuts in, which Anemone acknowledges with a practiced roll of her eyes. "Actually- I did." Percival retrieves the silver bracelet from his belt satchel and presents it to a squealing Aphrodite. "I love it!!" She excitedly throws her arms around Percival's neck and kisses him on the cheek. "This is magick yes? I'm going to attune to it!" She slips the enchanted bracelet onto her right wrist.
At first nothing happens, but soon Aphrodite's form begins to fade until she is completely invisible. "I dont think its- oh!" Percival figures she must have tried to look at her own wrist just then. "This is so cool!" She is suddenly visible once more as she removes the bracelet. "Anemone- do yours!" She encourages. Anemone opens the scroll and traces the inscribed sigils with her finger; The characters on the paper react to her touch by glowing with bluish, white light.
There is a deafening crash as a trebuchet is spawned onto one of the tables in the center of the chamber. Although it is small for a trebuchet, barely exceeding the Captain's height, the siege engine׳s weight breaks the table in half, displacing several books and objects. A soft gasp escapes Anemone's mouth and she rounds on Percival with an intensely delighted look. "What kind of laboratory is this Payne?" The question surfaces once more, this time from Aphrodite.
"The Order of Sophia, as it was formerly known, was a conglomerate of alchemists and mages. Inventors, scholars, and sages. All of them prodigies of their fields and all joined together under the banner of the pursuit of knowledge." Payne explains with a grand sweeping gesture. "Where once we pooled our considerable resources and talent to produce modern wonders- this collective has taken a rather different turn in recent years."
Payne pulls a crystal pendulum with a long silver chain from the pocket of his vest. Holding it fully extended in front of himself he begins inspecting the books scattered on the floor adjacent to the siege engine. The device rotates in a counterclockwise oval as it is suspended above each of the books. His attention shifts suddenly to another one of the volumes. The Magister kneels over the book, the tip of his pendulum suspended directly above the front cover which reads "Practical Alchemy" in gold lettering.
"Here we are- Reveal." A thin beam of light shines from the pendulum onto the tome. As with the medium board, glowing letters move and pulse across the volume. As the lights extinguish Payne opens the book, and begins reading intently. "I take it this is what we came here for?" Says Anemone, but instead of replying Payne continues to flip through the book with his eyes darting rapidly back and forth.
"I bet those Cro'gal will be waiting for us when we leave here." Anemone says after another few minutes. "We should probably come up with some kind of plan- unless you know a secret exit Payne? Maybe the one your friends used to abandon this place. Secret lairs must have secret exits." These words go unanswered at first and Anemone makes a frustrated noise. Eventually the Magister stirs.
Payne rises to his feet, book in hand. "Miss Stheno, I believe at this point that we can agree that these gentlemen did not leave by normal means. It is likely they never made it through any doorways." His words are met with silence for a time. "I imagine that has something to do with it." He indicates a large area in the center of the room where the stone floor looks to have been scorched.
The burn looks intricate- It's a glyph. Percival approaches the area with the sight activated. He shudders involuntarily as he focuses on the anomaly. "It's some kind of teleport glyph, but It looks and feels... cold." He says. "I've never seen one like this." Payne joins the Captain by the strange glyph. "I say Mr. Grimm- that sight of yours is truly spectacular. It’s from your... ancestral magick I presume." Percival makes a noncommittal sound, "Maybe." Payne scratches at his chin.
"Keep your secrets Mr. Grimm. But if I were to guess, when your eyes are like that- it allows you to see the very makeup of spells and synthesis. It also seems to augment your combat reflexes... spectacular." Payne says. Percival's eyes don't leave the glyph but he says "Well since we're jerking each other off, I have to admit I'm intrigued by your use of the mage hand." On cue one of the translucent hands appears before them.
"Ah yes, it is a simple spell to be sure. But if you can master the subtle energies the possibilities are endless, as you've seen today Mr. Grimm. I would be more than happy to teach you when this is all over- and to provide you with a letter of recommendation to Faemoor." Percival laughs, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Tell you what, we get out of here, get Nyxxa unchained and released, and then maybe you and I can get a coffee one day."
Payne beams amicably, "Fair enough, Mr. Grimm.” Percival’s gaze sharpens. “And… If I find out you did anything inappropriate to Nyxxa- I’ll fuck you up.” Payne smiles patiently, “Mr. Grimm, I assure you I’ve done nothing of the sort. In case it escapes your notice, you and I do not- as they say… play for the same team.” He says wryly. Anemone murmurs, “I so called that,” and Percival grunts noncommittally, dropping the subject for the time being.
“By the by, I was meaning to ask you something.” Payne continues, Why did you send your reptilian friend to snoop around my property in the first place?" There is no malice in his words, only curiosity. "I didn't. Nyxxa doesn't work for us. We just check in with each other before dangerous missions… She hits her own licks, and had her own reasons for going after you." Payne is, again, looking at the Captain intently. "You came all this way for your friend, and she doesn't even work for you?"
Percival is still looking at the strange glyph, "If we don't look out for one another, no one will." He says plainly. Aphrodite scrunches her face, "I'm tired, are we done here?" she pouts. "I have what I hoped I'd find- we can be done with this place." The Magister replies, "Now then the matter of getting past those, scalies." Aphrodite huffs at his use of the slur, but this is ignored.
"Is there really no secret exit?" Asks Anemone. "If there is, I am woefully unaware of it." admits Payne. "You both worry too much,” Says Aphrodite, “Captain- you have a plan don't you?" the certainty in her voice warms Percival's heart, and admittedly swells his head a bit. There's a special hell for people who disappoint cute Magick girls. "I mean..." He says with a thoughtful expression. "I kind of have the best plan ever."
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