Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo.

Their reunion at Jasumin was brief. A short exchange of words, a review of their preparations, and then the transport that would take them miles across the world to the island duchy. In the time before their moment of departure, Ardea had spent the evening walking the length and breadth of the Hanging Gardens by herself. She stood off at a distance, watching as the crowds slowly dwindled until there were none. She remained behind, sitting alone looking out at the horizon as the stars were washed away by the break of dawn. Here she was so close to the truth that she felt something within her shaking. Was it fear? Was it joy? Or perhaps…was it uncertainty? In the months she had spent after her awakening in the bogged moors of Perditi, she had a tangible lead that could reveal who she was. Everything she had been told by others, everything she thought she knew and believed would be tested against the plumb line of what the monastery held. If what the seer said was true, this would change everything.

Before Lucina and Caius, she had met a man who said he knew her. She had no memories of anyone at that time, only vague sensations and clouded familiarity. Though his words were convincing and his demeanor fitting, Ardea could not help but wonder if his sentiments were genuine. To be frank, since regaining consciousness she was never truly sure of anything. She had no basis of comparison, no lingering attachments. The consideration and attention that man gave was the same as any other stranger who approached her. She felt nothing. Should she have felt pangs of guilt when she could not reciprocate the level of emotion given? Her existence was like a feather caught up in the wind, ever drifting, ever unstable. It was all too easy to latch onto a preconceived identity that resonated with one's being. But somehow it felt wrong. She wanted to know the truth–the whole unaltered truth, even if she were to regret it afterwards. Otherwise the questions she had lingering inside would never rest.

With the portal readied, upon entry she activated a series of glyphs to fortify defense and to conjure winds to soften a fall. From the golden glade of the lakeside shore she entered the cooler, marine climate of Egjora. Sea spray and temperate evergreen forest intermingled in the air as the faint cry of seabirds passed overhead. The atmosphere felt different from the surroundings alone, but she was sure this region would have snow. With no knowledge of how large the exact island was, she felt there was no need to be hasty in searching. "From Caius' vision I assume the monastery would be in a fairly remote location. Perhaps speaking to long-time residents with access to extensive geographical knowledge would aid us in pinpointing it." That would mean they would need to start in the duchy's city, where everyone's personal interests could be found there.  

After they had met at the beautiful gardens, the jewelry maker decided to ensure that they had plenty of supplies for the oncoming journey. He had found a small village nearby that provided plenty of supplies in exchange for silver. A merchant had demanded for a necklace he had made earlier instead of coin. Since the merchant insisted, and there wasn't anybody else around with lanterns, Caius agreed. At the end of the day the jewelry maker was fully prepared. Blankets, overcoats, mining tools, boots, warm trousers, gloves, a net, ink, quills, rope, tailoring kit, a whetstone, jewelry, raw materials, torches, matches, lanterns, cloaks, a canteen, bags, dried food, plenty of water, a basic medical kit, a compass, a grappling hook, and a pillow. The bulging backpack could barely keep together. After he tied up the bag with rope it worked a little better. He was as prepared as he could be. 

The bright red sky indicated an early rising. As he stepped out of the village inn, he could only wonder what they would find in Egjora. A couple of villagers stared at his outfit. For the jewelry maker had dressed for winter instead of spring. He had heard that Egjora was a cold place where snow never ended. That was why he had chosen a deep green shirt with a white tunic underneath. A black overcoat hung around his shoulders. The boots he had were black while his trousers colors copied the greens of his shirt. His hands were hidden inside the coal black gloves. The thought of his long hair whipping around in the wind did not appeal to him. So, the jewelry maker had tied up his hair in a low bun. Hoping that this would be enough, he set out for the lake.

Caius made his way to the lake and spotted the stiff Ardea quickly. She stood alone, patiently waiting for the rest of them. Her mind appeared to be elsewhere. There was so much that she had left to discover about herself. If what she said was true, she knew next to nothing. Caius couldn't grasp what that would be like. Imagination within his mind guessed that she would feel sad, curious, or constantly lost. Yet he would not know for certain unless she told him. Trying to put himself in other's shoes was easy but he needed to know what wearing those shoes was like first. 

The lake was beautiful. Flat as any mirror, it lay without a ripple in the silver-blue. Wind did not touch the timeless perfection of the water and the plants surrounding it. Golds and oranges tangled itself within the flowers and grass surrounding the lake. In the distance, a giant of a bridge zig-zagged across the massive lake. Its wooden timbers held firm despite the water surrounding it. The color of a bright yellow marigold caught Caius' eyes. He bent over and cupped his hand underneath the soft petals. His lips parted slightly as though he was about to say something. He didn't say anything. Beauty wrapped itself around the lake or must have been born there.

Soon everyone was there. Caius ripped himself away from admiring the lake and focused on the task at hand. The portal would be opened soon. He prepared a magical spell for himself that would bring him to safety once he entered the portal. Slight bits of concern ran through his mind, as he was not the most powerful in his casting abilities. The jewelry maker traveled through the portal and cast his spell on the other side. He had cast safe passage which would teleport him to the ground. It teleported him a few inches above the ground instead. He fell face first into the ground with a smack. Mostly unharmed, he stood up and observed his surroundings. 

"I suppose then we would have to find a mapmaker?" Caius suggested rubbing his face where he had hit the ground. 

[OOC: Animal form: Reindeer]

Ill Omen

In the morning after her forced escapade into the land of blind and bland romance, Lucina returned home with little to show for her sisters’ efforts. Nea and Elizabeth were ultimately disappointed to hear her talk more about the food at the party rather than the people, but they did appreciate learning some new recipes to add to their own. The idea of Lucina going on an adventure was also intriguing them; and, for that very reason, they gave her a new task of storytelling: one to be fulfilled after they helped her change into something more suitable.

That day was the beginning of deer season, but not in the hunting sense. Lucia’s tanuki form gave way to her deer form around midnight, granting her the antlers and shorter tail that came with such a transformation. She was taken out of her fancy ballroom gown from the night before to accommodate the change, and then given new clothes appropriate for Egjora’s colder climate. Her favorite, black blindfold was used to replace the elegant mask she had worn up until that point, and her dress was replaced by a sweater-shirt combo along with some very warm pants. All of her jewelry was also removed to make way for the forest green and black ensemble and her little deer tail was given a place to stick out in the back before she was allowed to leave.

Yes, unlike Caius and Ardea, my daughter did not pack anything for the journey ahead but the clothes on her back. This was a day trip for her; not some grand adventure slotted for weeks of her time. In fact, Lucy was quite the odd sight when she did appear on the shores of the Beryl Lake: levitating without any luggage while her companions below her were practically fitted out for the Odyssey. She couldn’t see that, obviously, but she was so ready to get started that she probably wouldn’t have paid attention to it even if she could.

“There you two are,” she shouted blissfully once she manifested overhead, having searched for their scents for quite a while beforehand! “Well, we’re late, so let’s go!” By late, the young genie meant, ‘I’m too excited to float still, so let’s get this show on the road.’ She actually opened the portal directly underneath her companions without warning, and then rushed into it herself before closing the tunnel behind her. Everyone ended up in Egjora right quick because of that, alright; but they also ended up near the tree tops on the edge of an abandoned lumber yard instead of on the ground inside the city limits.

Ardea was the most graceful at handling this rather sudden transportation, managing to land on her feet. Caius, on the other hand, went face first into the ground whilst Lucina spun in the air over his head.

“Hehe, that’s always fun,” the recklessly free spirit chuckled from on high whilst the others figured out their next steps for the Egjoran morning. The trip had only just started, and she was already having fun – at least until she caught a whiff of the area they had touched down in. “Ugh! Why does it smell like burnt hair and soot here?”

Although she had never been to the place where her sister Nea was unofficially adopted, Lucy had coincidentally brought two strangers to the same location. The remnants of the bomb I had set off in order to assist in Captain Stalhadt’s lie were still there, along with the horrid smells that sequence of events had brought together. The tools around their party of three were charred, and large scorch marks ran along the nearby earth. The trees themselves were also blackened and snapped, specifically in a circular pattern around an obvious detonation point. The whole place was condemned: a remnant of the past and an ill omen for the day ahead.

The words Lucina had said days before made more sense now that they were all together. Indeed, her form was now more like a deer and her ears and tail had changed shape. The excitement of their arrival was soon cut by the charred odors of ash and something less pleasant. If it weren't for Lucina, Ardea would have never guessed the other burnt smell had been hair. There were clear signs of a powerful blast, shown in the blackened earth and destruction of nearby timber. However the soot had long went cold, meaning whatever had transpired in this place was over. "The damage isn't severe. It appears this location was burnt intentionally, as if by design. If a place like this was built here, then a settlement must not be far off. The paths here are not as defined, so this area likely was not in use often." There were faint remnants of magic, stronger when one walked closer towards the center of the blast. However her gilt teardrop necklace did not respond, leading her to ascertain that this place held no importance regarding her past.

"This path here is the clearest present. There would be a high chance of us finding someone with better knowledge of the land." With a hand she motioned with the implied intent of following to where it led. It was very overgrown, low shrubs and brambles crawling over the cleared dirt. The trees were at least a few decades old judging by their height and thickness of their boughs. Every now and then the lone hoot of a bird or chitter of some woodland creature broke the still silence of the duchy countryside. After their walk, the road widened and wound its way to a small hamlet tucked away in a valley within the mountains and the woods. Log cabins and sod houses were all they had, their largest building being a weathered old longhouse. There were few people about and hounds lazing outside on the ground, looking up at the sight and smell of strangers. Some chickens picked their way across the trodden road, adding to the image of being far away from the bustling seaport.

An elderly woman in a thick shawl gasped and dropped her basket when she saw the three, scooping it up and hurrying into a house. The other people eyed them warily, most sidling away into their dwellings or peering out from behind shuttered windows. An old bearded man carving away at a wooden stub stopped his whittling to look up, then tightened his hand on his knife as his other went to grip an old medallion of some sort. It was like they had seen death itself. Ardea, not recognizing the uneasiness in the atmosphere upon their arrival, saw him as a prime candidate to inquire on their current whereabouts–to the man's dismay. Before the three had even set foot on Egjoran soil, the explosion at the abandoned lumberyard had seeded rumors among the folk, believing the sudden disaster to be the work of beings dark and unholy. Ardea's imposing appearance coupled with Lucina's floating presence kindled said superstitions into a full-blown panic.

The man responded with a shaky wheeze, followed by the muttering of some mantra to preserve his sanity. "B-back! Not a step closer! What d'ye want with us??" The raven haired woman asked point-blank to the quivering man clutching his charm as if it were his very own life. "Sir, are you aware of any abandoned monasteries or convents present within the area?" The old man proceeded to enter a brief coughing fit before his head calmed down enough to understand what this strange woman was saying.

The world around them appeared to have been burnt and mostly destroyed. Horrible smells mixed together in the air to create one of the most unpleasant scents one could possibly imagine. Lucina knew this place. That much was clear. Otherwise she wouldn't have taken them here. Caius wondered if she knew that this place was going to look so horrid or if she had no idea. He reached into his back and pulled out a fan made up of petals. The petals of the fan were sturdy and seemed to be fresh, as though they would not wilt away. Caius also noticed that her form had become more deer-like. It was odd but he didn't pay it too much mind. Her appearance was her own choice. Nobody had a right to judge her for it. 

"It looks like it might have been an explosion." He guessed quietly, "Maybe."

Ardea pointed out that there could be people nearby. She also spotted the path right away. Caius wondered if she had been here before too. Or perhaps she was just extremely observant. The path seemed overgrown. Bushes and weeds attempt to overtake the road. It might have been years since somebody had come this way. As they walked down the road, Caius listened quietly to the world surrounding them. The road twisted its way to a small hamlet hidden in a valley among mountains and the forest. At the sight of people, the jewelry maker kept his eyes down to the path. He had never met them before, all of these people were unfamiliar. Their homes consisted of log cabins and sod houses. A chicken came near the path. Caius looked up at the chicken and couldn't help but smile at that animal. It was adorable. He resisted the urge to cuddle the fluffy chicken. 

Caius was oblivious to the fear of the people of the town. He didn't really pay attention to them. His thoughts were focused on the fluffy chicken still. Eventually he did notice an old man in front of them who seemed to be filled with fear. Pity filled Caius eyes as he saw the man. The stranger seemed to be calming down but was unnerved. The explosion must have happened recently. Caius had a look of sympathy and softness on his face.

"Hello." He said with a soft voice, "I'm sorry that we are intruding on your village. We only want to know where abandoned monasteries are. Then we will be out of your hair. Oh, and out of curiosity, do you know what happened back there? It seems there might have been an explosion or something."

Cauis figured he might as well say it. There was no point in dancing around the issue. These people were scared because of the explosion. And since his group and him just came from that area, that was really their problem now. 

Superstition

Beyond the confines of that condemned lumberyard that Lucina found herself in post-teleportation lay the countryside of Egjora, albeit a part of it that would have easily qualified as prime real estate in other areas of the world. The paths around the site were mostly unused, but in one direction – the opposite that Ardea and company eventually took – the main city loomed in the distance. There were no houses between the two areas, however, and therefore one would not have seen the capital of the duchy unless they purposefully ventured out through the unmarked tree-line. Suffice to say, Ardea and Caius did not, and Lucina, having no eyesight of her own, was not in a position to pick any different path.

Not that her two companions would have had any interest in the capital anyway. Their focus had been entirely taken up by my explosive work as well as the presence of more well-travelled path leading further into the mountains. Ardea led the way on that front, as was appropriate for the person who was the main reason everyone had come to the island kingdom as a group. Caius followed her lead shortly thereafter, and Lucina too once she recovered from the horrible smells of the area.

Click click click

The floating girl was probably the loudest of the trio during their trek through the forest, clicking her tongue in order to create a mental map of the area. Her echo-location allowed her to avoid the tree branches as they went, and also notice the village before anyone else did. It probably would have grated on any extra sensitive nerves in the area with how often she did it and how long that persisted, but at least she stopped as soon as the clucking of a nearby chicken began.

Caius and Ardea walked into that apprehensive village with completely contrasted strides, both of them accosting an older man on his doorstep as their first act in town. For whatever reason, the latter thought he was the perfect person to ask about their quest, and Caius, being his timid self, followed the leader.

Lucina was, surprisingly, the only one who did not take part in that conversation. In fact, while the interrogation was ongoing, she instead got herself into trouble. The chicken that both Ardea and Caius had spotted was swiftly scooped up behind their backs, and angry clucking followed as soon as she began rubbing her face all along the bird’s down.

“Soft pillow bird,” she lazily muttered as whispers of throwing out “demon eggs” came from a nearby household. The old man, shaken from his fear a bit by this unusual sight (more by the fact that the chicken hadn’t been immediately devoured than anything else), managed to stop stuttering as soon as it occurred; but only long enough to assume the motives of his guests.

“Why? To banish the ghost following ye?” By ghost, he meant Lucy herself, now figuring she was an annoying phantom rather than a dangerous poltergeist. In truth, he was more annoyed than scared now, and that was evident in his follow-up phrasing. “If it’ll make ye leave us in peace, then I’ll tell ya what ye want.” Releasing his medallion and putting down his hobby on a nearby table, the old man looked at nothing in particular and then began spinning his own tale. “There used to be a monastery up further into the mountains,” he said pointing in that direction, “My old man, bless his soul, would go up there monthly to exchange supplies with the monks. Sacra Rosa was the name of the place, but we haven’t been up there in years. Feels like just yesterday some guards from the main city went up that way, however. They came back down lookin’more than a touch spooked. Cordoned off the road and left with their tails between their legs, though some recruits were left as spies.” Just then, a rather young looking guardsman walked by, but one who was too dumbfounded by the floating apparition cuddling a chicken to say anything. The old man gave him a suspicious eye and then went back to his story. “That was… probably about three years ago? We heard tales of monsters, but never saw nothin’ till a couple nights ago. Dead ones, the skinny type, came down the mountain. Killed one of the recruits that had been left behind. The others drove off the rest, but e’eryone’s right fearful that they’ll be back. And we were already startled by that explosion down at the ol’ lumber mill a few fortnights past.” Pointing aggressively at Caius, the codger finally raised his voice in emphasis. “Knew that white fox woman was trouble the moment I laid eyes on her. She comes walkin’ through town one day, and the same day boom! Then, soon as the fires are eruptin' and the guardsmen are runnin', she suddenly appears in the middle of the road! Just standin’ there, watchin’! Would have confronted her right then, but there was somethin’ fearful in those eyes. My old man was a soldier, fought in some right bloody wars and had friends over from time to time. I know what the eyes of a killer look like from them, but that woman? She looked like she’d seen more death than all of ‘em put together.”

Lucina released the chicken to the guardsman at that moment, not making any additional peeps here or there. For the moment, she was giving the townspeople a wide berth, because, even without eyes, the superstition of that village was plain as day. She also thought – rightfully so - that mentioning how this white fox might have been her mother was not something that would have helped matters much at all.

In response to the man assuming they were here on account of an exorcism, Ardea stared back with her expressionless face. The man's words made no sense, as there were no spirits following them. The possibility that it was Lucina that they were referring to never connected, which in hindsight was probably best as it prevented the delay of their investigation. The old man was able to speak now, giving them exactly what they sought. A location, a name, and a little more on what had happened since the last time she had been within its walls. "Three years…I see." She had been wandering aimless and lost for at least that same amount of time. Three years ago she knew who she was, then suddenly she lost everything. Sacra Rosa, Sister Ligeia, it was slowly returning bit by bit. But still there were too many holes, too many portions incomplete. The man recounted sightings of the undead roaming the area, however something she didn't understand was the mention of a 'white fox woman'. Apparently this person was responsible for the devastation of the lumberyard; could they have been responsible for the dead rising as well? 

What was clear was that the undead had killed those who had gone too close to the monastery. If they had threatened the village here, the old man would have said so. It was a logical conclusion that this was related to the closing of Sacra Rosa, perhaps the very reason. When the man had nothing important left to tell, Ardea was ready to see the condemned place in person. "Thank you for your assistance. I no longer have any business here, so I will take my leave." With an almost mechanical nod, her long dark hair swept behind her as she turned on her heel. Looking back at her companions, she made her intentions clear. "There are clear signs of necromancy from the man's report. I suspect the one responsible is within Sacra Rosa, and I intend to seek them out. I feel a compelling sense of urgency, as you might call it." After so many years the truth was finally within her grasp. She couldn't and wouldn't let this one chance slip away from her. With unfeeling eyes, she gazed upon the cloudy sky. "…Three years. Not only did I lose myself, but I too lost my sense of time as well. It feels as if…a long night has finally come to an end." A long, dreamless night finally broken by the arriving dawn. 

It was another long walk past the trees, and the village disappeared as they ventured further. The stillness in the air was different than before. Stagnant, stifling, like a sealed room that had been untouched by the sun and wind for ages. There were no signs of the undead as the old man had spoke of, nor any signs of the conflict between the Egjoran guard and the risen deceased. Here even the birds and insects were silent. Even to the earth itself this place was condemned. There was no snow as it had long passed the season of frost. The trees were green and coming into their Ignius foliage. The sky was dim up above, clouds obscuring the sun's light into a dull grey. The path was growing increasingly more difficult to see as the overgrowth here had gone wild. Unlike the lumberyard's lack of use, this place was essentially cut off from time.

When she saw the stone spires rise above the branches, she felt it. A great, terrible power radiating from within. It was stronger than the remnants of the explosion by many times over, pulsing like the flicker of a roaring blaze. Above the monastery's doors was a stained-glass window bearing a white rose encircled in gold. To the untrained eye the gilt design appeared a mere stylistic decoration, however Ardea recognized it as an alchemy circle. Slowly she approached the weathered dust-covered doors. "So this was how they closed them, by sealing the doors with alchemical array of glyphs." Raising her voice she spoke to Caius and Lucina: "I will now dispel the seal. If what the old man says is true, once the doors are open we must always be on our guard." Channeling her arcane power, the runic seal was made manifest. It was no ordinary seal–not only was it on the doors, but there were lines radiating away from the circle of glyphs that encompassed the entirety of Sacra Rosa itself! Whoever placed this had intended to put the whole monastery under arcane lock and key in such a way that no one without the right knowledge would be able to remove it. 

"Abstergo!"  Her voice echoed as the seal binding the doors started to unravel. With a boom and a shudder, the magic that held them shut for so long was released in a brilliant flash and thunder! Like a sleeping giant drawn out of its slumber, Sacra Rosa was unchained and open. And with the seal now undone, the things that had been contained within the arcane bonds were beginning to stir…

In hindsight, failing to mention yours truly also served the purpose of expediency for Lucina and her “friends.” Ardea was quick to take the information granted to her by the village elder, mentioning “necromancy” before powering on toward the summit. Lucina willingly followed in tow, wordlessly prancing about in the air as the occasional lark landed on her antlers during the journey. And because they wasted no time pursuing the lead given to them, the party arrived at the ruins of Santa Rosa well before nightfall.

Unfortunately, however, the final individuals who came to that summit on the day of reckoning had ultimately reduced themselves from three to two in number. Caius had gotten lost along the way, perhaps distracted by the tales of the white fox he had heard in the village. Neither Ardea nor Lucina could quite place where he had strayed; only that he was no longer with them by the time the monastery came into view.

“Caius is gone,” my daughter suddenly remarked when she breached the barrier of lifelessness surrounding the ominous cathedral. “Guess he got lost!” Her companion’s follow-up words went largely unanswered; because, while you could warn Lucina all you wanted, you’d never be able to tell if she listened. The floating woman just lay in the air like she was completely disinterested, unfazed by the swell of magic surrounding her. The only time she deigned to speak again was when Ardea finally dispelled the barrier, at which point she noted the summons that were beginning to emerge.

“So are we supposed to feel something? Because all I feel is a bunch of skeletons coming toward us after you removed their master’s cage.” It wasn’t just skeletons, either. The whole monastery seemed to crawl with life seconds after the vocalization of “Abstergo”; and, while neither party member immediately saw the presence of an undead minion in the moments that followed, the shambling bones from beyond the doors were certainly audible enough. Even the building’s architecture showed its displeasure at being woken up, sprouting fleshy boils on the stones of the towers overhead like a freshly borne measles patient.

The reaction of the entire monastery upon the lifting of the alchemical circle was unspeakable. At once the buttresses and arches of marble were beginning to be infested by a sickening blight both unnatural and unhealthy. Lucina brought to her attention that Caius had disappeared somewhere along the way, though right now his absence would be best for the artisan's own well-being. Necromancy she had felt and seen, though it was the fleshy aberrations emerging from the stonework that were her primary concern. They seemed to radiate a different kind of power, one that when Ardea focused on it too long began to feel a intense bout of nausea and cold sweat but couldn't know why. To her remaining companion's question, she answered. "Their responsiveness is surprisingly quick for undead. As soon as the doors are open, we'll be swarmed." However that wasn't deterring her resolve. Whatever the old monastery had kept inside for years–she would blast it aside the same.

With a powerful blast of air, the doors were forced open with violent swings. A small handful of lightly armored skeletons were caught in them, smashing against the wall then falling apart into piles of bones. "Ignis!" The spellsword shouted, a wave of fire following her incantation. Her swath of flame carved out a wide fan through the incoming undead squadrons giving the two women time to advance before meeting the next group of bone soldiers. More of them kept coming, though strangely they weren't taking advantage of the monastery's main doors now wide open to leave the grounds. And even stranger was the fact that several of those wielding weapons were explicitly moving around Ardea in an attempt to flank Lucina. "Die, hellspawn!" Spoke the guttural echo of an undead captain whose left side of his face had completely lost all its flesh. Arcane light shone from his eye sockets as he charged at the levitating woman. Another quick sweep of the hands and Ardea had another glyph prepared to cast. As Lucina was blindfolded, she assumed she couldn't see that they were almost fully encircled by a small standing army. "Tempestas!"

Gale-force winds ripped through the ranks taking down the shieldbearers, exposing several lines of undead archers already in position and ready to fire. The bony arms moved with chilling synchronization once their cover fell as dozens of arrows were being primed at them both. It was in that split second which Ardea first experienced panic. She had to move, to draw a protection glyph immediately! "Scutu–" Her fingers were fast but only a fraction too slow as the rain of projectiles were loosed just as she was in the middle of her incantation. The ethereal form of a shield came forth to block the brunt of it, however one sharpshooter of a skeleton managed to slip an arrow past the arcane armament's cover…straight towards Lucina.