TiltattheTempleTilt at the TempleA large room. Tens of meters wide, and running ahead for several times that length, this is clearly a place of worship, given the banks of pews, the devotional icons in niches on the wall, and the large statue of a four armed nude female at the front of the room, dominating it from all points in the room. Screens and alcoves break up the space, and there do appear to be doorways and other exits at various points on either side. All of this, and the pilgrims clearing out of the way may be beside the point, however and not much of interest. Near to the entrance stand two women that Meriel will recognize as Noys and Krysta. Two clubs, apparently thrown at them, lay at the feet of Noys and Krysta. Two simian looking bipeds, presumably the throwers of the clubs, are approaching them, growling. A third of these bipeds, still carrying his club is quite nearby to the recent arrivals in the alcove not far away from this scene. In fact,the simian turns back toward the mirror as Meriel, Priya and Ostegos step through. Meriel gives a squeal of sheer pleasure. "Oh my starfish - it worked! Did you see? It worked! We came straight through like slipping on a current or riding an ebb tide - shells and sharks, it worked!" (Priya) "It did. Very nice." Then she sees the simian, and manoeuvres the knife suggestively. "And now I get to kill something too," she says happily. "Isn't this just perfect?" Priya frowned. "Look away." Ostegos makes a sound of assent. "We'd better." he says to Meriel as he averts his gaze. Priya recast the spell she had used earlier, deflecting attention and then paused briefly to discern if the spell anchored on Ostegos was still working, or if something else had attracted the guards attention. The guard looked ready to advance on Meriel, and as the spell seemingly takes effect, stops his attack. He turns, puzzled, but does not immediately move away. She moved out of the alcove, eying the crowd for ideas. "The less turmoil we cause, the more likely Tamora will welcome us back," she pointed out, "and as interesting as things are, I believe we would both like a social visit with the woman, yes?" She glanced at Meriel from the corner of her eye and began walking toward Krysta and Noys purposefully, but not swiftly. "From what you have seen," she glanced at Meriel again, "is there a disguise that would give us authority?" "Don't be fooled." Ostegos says quietly to Meriel. "When necessary, her highness can be nearly as sanguinary as you seem to be." He looks backward at the simian guard who still stands puzzled in the alcove. In the meantime, the other two simians, without clubs, continue to advance on Krysta and Noys. They seem unaware of Priya, Meriel and Ostegos entirely. "Only Tamora herself," says Meriel. "She seems to control the currents around here." "Ah... but I do not think she does." Priya shook her head. "She said she would not assist us here at the temple because she did not want to undercut her position, and she said she is still newly woken. I do not think her place here is cemented, or as entrenched as she would like and there remain those who can make her life difficult." "So, if we knew who to impersonate, we could deflect the guards, get close enough to the royals and be off with them as easily as the Princes." "If we are going to impersonate someone, it should be done quickly. The brown haired woman looks ready to draw her sword." Ostegos observes quietly. Indeed, Krysta has her hand on and ready to draw her sword, even as the dark haired woman called Noys is reaching for something. Its clear to Meriel especially, and Priya to a lesser stance, that the pair are preparing to fight. "Priya!" Ostegos says suddenly. "Couldn't you disguise Meriel as one of those simians, perhaps with a nicer uniform? They respond to women in charge here. And Meriel can convincingly brandish her blade, bully those other two, and take the royals into custody!" "A simian?" echoes Meriel, her nose wrinkling in distaste. "Must I?" "It's only their seeming." Priya assured. "Unless you have another suggestion?" The Simians and the rest of the temple are still under the influence of the spell Priya has set. However, Krysta and Noys are now within melee range of the two opponents. Krysta now draws her sword, with a cool motion. She says a single word to the opposition, in a voice edged with steel, a word that stops them briefly and buys her and Noys a moment or two more. "Don't." "If we are going to do something, my idea or another, now is the time." Ostegos observes. Meriel heaves a deep, dark sigh that would squid ink Shadow (where one available). "Very well then. Do it." Without another word, Priya took to the task, weaving the illusion quickly. "Done." She said to Meriel, saying close enough to apply a little mental pressure if the guards didn't wish to be fooled, and to intervene if the Royals didn't cooperate. Two things happen as Priya's spell work falls over Meriel. Meriel herself does not see a change in her appearance. To her eyes, she looks precisely the same as she did a moment ago. It is clear, though, that a change has taken place, and that she is now visible, when her sudden appearance near to Krysta, Noys and the two simians startles Krysta's swordplay. Her drawn sword swings in the direction of her new opponent. "She's clearly an officer of some sort." Noys says in a low voice, looking at Meriel-Simian In this moment, though, one of the simians tries to take advantage of Krysta's distraction at seeing Meriel-Simian and moves into attack, charging on all fours toward Krysta and Noys. "Well," says Meriel. "Time to test it, I imagine." She takes a deep breath, stiffens her spine and then strides forward in a fairly convincing imitation of an officer. Hopefully the fact that she's modelling herself on a Rebman officer will pass comparatively unnoticed. But there's the whiplash of authority in her voice as she barks out, "Halt!" Priya reached out a hand, adding arcane force to Meriel's verbal command, aiming to catch the guard before he forced Krysta to reveal herself by engaging him. The two Simians turn their heads at the sound of cold, clear command from Meriel. The one furthest from Krysta and Noys pulls himself up short, and makes something like a bow of acquiescence. The other, whom Krysta is ready to draw on, turns his head. However, his momentum seems ready to carry him barreling into Krysta despite his own wishes, and Meriel's command. His motion stops short, however, at the arcane force-hand that Priya employs, in the nick of time. To outside witnesses, who have backed away, or looked to be elsewhere at the sound of Meriel's voice, it looks like she is responsible for bringing him up short. "Spellcaster and an officer." Noys murmurs to Krysta. Krysta nods and looks at Meriel as well. The stopped simian turns to regard Meriel with a mixture of fear, submission, confusion, and a little resentment. Large yellowish eyes regard Meriel as he stammers in his speech. "Milady. These do not belong here. They smell of unbelievers!" he insists. "The War Angel will want them questioned!" All eyes for the moment are now on Meriel. "They do not belong." Priya whispered near Meriel's ear with absolute certainty. "They will be coming with me, removed from holy ground, and they will be questioned." There was a note of grim satisfaction in Priya's voice. As if she were looking forward to that. Meriel's eyes glint, although she does not acknowledge hearing Priya's words. But then she barks out (in the guttural tones of a calling gorilla): "They do not belong. They will be coming with me, removed from holy ground, and they will be questioned." Even the note of grim satisfaction was there - Meriel, it seemed, was a wicked mimic. The two simians buy Meriel's words and semblance completely. The closest one gives a look to Krysta and Noys a look of satisfaction of its own, and it glares back at the pair. Krysta's hand goes to her sword and there is a slight shake of her head. The dark haired Noys leans in and looks at Meriel as she whispers into Krysta's ears. Although it would normally be inaudible, both Meriel and Priya can catch a few pieces of words. "leader...archy...time." The room goes silent as Krysta regards Meriel. And then Krysta releases her hand from the sword hilt...barely. "We will follow you." she says to Meriel. "Lead on." "Lead on. I hope to remove us as soon as we are clear of the temple." Priya whispered, circling Meriel. "I will assure our friends that they need do nothing hostile between now and then." Nothing more than a shadow, Priya stayed with Meriel step for step and fell in with Krysta and Noys. "Thank you." Her voice is a soft, good-natured murmur, just off to one side of Noys. "Your cousins wait by the water's edge. Be patient and you will be delivered." Noys gives a quite shallow, subtle nod at the sound. Krysta is still noticeably alert and on edge. Walking with Ostegos, Priya wasn't sure if the Amberites would see through the spell or not, but she glanced their way in case and then kept her focus on the people around them. Meriel marches on, her features set into a suitably simian expression of stern authority. It is, perhaps, fortunate that her experience of life above the water has not as yet introduced here to the experience of capering, for there is certainly more than a smidgeon of glee in the way she swings those rather long arms as they leave the temple. Fortunately for Meriel, the exit to the Temple is easy to spot, given that many of the pilgrims scattered out of the Temple in their effort to get away from the altercation between the Amberites and the simian soldiers. And so with Priya and Ostegos still following in a unnoticed fashion, Meriel can lead Krysta and Noys, as she announced to the Temple at large, to the exit, and off of holy ground. The two simians look uncertain. They begin restoring order to the people still in the Temple with guttural, barked commands and sharp gestures. Meriel gives them an approving nod. The exit to the Temple leads to a two-tiered plaza dominated by a large fountain. And as counterpoint, the large, monolithic looking temple looms up behind Priya, Meriel, Ostegos and the pair of Amberites as they exit onto this open space. The plaza is not empty of beings. However, most are staying away from the entrance, or are pilgrims formerly within the temple and moving away from its entrance. And into view of the cleared space, a troop of five of the same type of Simians as Meriel has been disguised as, appear, and march across the large stone plaza toward the entrance. They stop at a distance, salute Meriel smartly, and then resume their bipedal/quadrupedal gait as they approach. Meriel returns their salute, not quite so smart (a hint of the officer who doesn't have to take such pains as subordinates by vtrtue of ineffable authority.) The troop doesn't do anything but take Meriel's gesture in stride as they continue. Priya focused, looking for trips and traps, readying the spell that would place them near to where she'd left Castor, Martin and Pollux. When she felt certain they were safe, she cast. The troop comes closer and closer as Priya focuses on the sorcery needed to carry the group away. They approach near enough to see their eyes, and a growling word from the leader of the five. "Tesserarius Farhon here, Milady." he begins. He doesn't get a chance to say more to Meriel, as Priya finishes her spell at last. The release of the spell breaks the hold on the unnotice spell on her and Ostegos. It also ends the glamour on Meriel. All of this causes a growling gasp from the Tesserarius and his men as he sees everyone, and as they are. There is a flash of the eyes and movement of the head from Krysta and Noys as well. The simians start to charge... The plaza in front of the Temple dissolves before Meriel's eyes, and Priya's as well... And then the scene reforms, as smooth as the ocean on a windless day. The river bank, in the same spot where Meriel and Priya met in the first place. And here, Castor kneels over his twin. A few feet away, Martin stands like a sentinel. He turns as Meriel, Priya, Krysta, Noys and Ostegos materialize nearby. Martin relaxes his stance. "I thought you were going to have to fight your way out of that Plaza, Meriel" he grins. "Thought Priya's spells failed." "Where's Dulce?" he asks Krysta and Noys. "Trumped her out before your friends got to us." Noys says. She looks at Meriel and Priya and Ostegos. "Introductions would be welcome, unless there is a high priority in leaving immediately." "Is there?" Krysta asks quietly. "Failed...." Priya gives Martin a look that threatens to singe the man to a nice crispy finish and then faces the city, turning all her senses to search for signs of pursuit. Martin blinks his eyes, and loses his jocular smile, at least in Meriel's eyes. Priya's eyes look back at the large city. There is no sign of alarm from this distance. Meriel is indulging in stretching her webbed fingers. "Oh, it does feel nice to be me again ... " "You're always you." Martin says with a grin. Meriel glances at Priya. "I'd like to find out more about this place ... we might do better if there were fewer of us here, though." "I agree." Priya nods, but her gaze remains on the city. "As a smaller footprint, you think?" Castor says. "I assume that you are suggesting that you two remain, and the menfolk head home." "What do you expect from Rebmans?" Martin looks at Meriel and Priya. "You *are* suggesting the rest of us depart and leave the two of you alone to poke around here, aren't you?" "At the moment, I am suggesting nothing. Meriel and I can as easily return another day as remain now." Priya's gaze shifted, touching on each member of the group before settling on Noys. "My name is Priya. This is Ostegos, and Meriel." Priya gestured toward each, making the introductions the other woman had requested, and then turned to Castor. "Since he was walking with assistance, I trust he can be safely moved?" "Yes, I believe he would do better in an Infirmary or the like." Castor says. "He's been through a nasty experience. He raises his eyes and glares at the city before returning to look at Priya and Meriel. "For the moment, I think we *should* go." "Where would we go if we did go?" asked Meriel, interested. "I don't know if I can come back here, although if Priya says I can, I expect I can." "Back to Amber, Rebma, or at the very least, a bolt-hole in Shadow." Martin says with a grin, to Meriel. "Oh! You already know Castor, and his brother Pollux." Martin adds to Priya. He gestures to the two women from the temple. "This is Krysta, and Noys. You missed meeting Dulcinea." The former gives a nod. Noys for her part manages a smile. "Thanks to the both of you for avoiding unnecessary bloodshed." she says. "It would have been a messy escape without your help." "You are welcome." Priya favors the Princess with a thin smile as she joins Castor. "I prefer to avoid mess when possible. Most probably why I was given the post I have." Meriel, perhaps wisely, forbears to comment. "Post." Noys repeats Priya's word. She regards Priya. "I recall hearing of a Priya, the daughter of Moire's Court Sorcerer. The same?" she asks. Castor doesn't answer for Priya but he just smiles and looks at her. Ostegos crosses his arms. Priya gave a slow nod. "The same." "Will the Trump work from here or should we travel first?" Priya regarded Pollux, putting options together in her head. Krysta looks at Noys. "We trumped Dulcinea out of here to Amber." she says. "We did." Noys agrees "It was a tough call, though. Tons of interference. Trumping all of us together all the way to Amber would be much harder." "We could." Martin offers. "Trump to a closer location, together. One of my bolt holes. Or we trump all the way to Amber in smaller batches." "If you have Trump of a closer location, or we could Walk a short distance and try from there." Priya pointed out, but retired to the edge of the group, comfortable leaving it to the Royals to figure out. Meriel is listening to the technicalities with the absorption of a graduate student awarded a place on a prestigious research team and clearly making a sterling effort to listen and profit by the Nobel luminaries she is surrounded by. "We?" Noys says inquiringly to Priya even as she starts to withdraw. "She's familiar with our family's trait." Martin says quickly. "Benefits of a Classical Esoteric Rebman education." Castor gives a nod. He speaks softly to Pollux, who gives a nod at something after a few moments. "We're in favor of Walking." he says to the group at large. Less of a footprint in departing this place." "Easier to track us though." Martin counters. "If you know the trick.I still think we should Trump. Meriel, you'll just love the place I have in mind..." Meriel brightens. "Is it lush?" she demands. "This has been interesting, but not lush." Krysta and Noys speak quietly. Finally, Noys speaks before Martin can finish. "Walking would be guaranteed to get us out of this place. Once we're out of this shadow, we can decide at leisure how and where to go." "I think we have a majority. We Walk." she adds. "Unless the Rebmans and friend object?" "I do not object." Priya watches to see if Castor and Pollux need help, keeps some attention on the city in the distance and waits patiently for one of the Amberites to lead. There still seems to be activity. And perhaps the starting of marshalling of some sort of response. There is a ship, a dhow like boat, that has started moving up the river toward the shore where the group stands. "I would go with what Martin says," says Meriel loyally - and then she gives a little sigh. "Only ... we're outvoted anyway." Martin sighs. "We are. And yes, my hidey hole is definitely lush, as well as interesting. You'll love the islands of Lambda Serpentis, Meriel. High Technology as well as.." Castor glances at the ship, looks at Martin and gives a discreet cough. Martin shoots Castor a look. "Anyway, who wants to do the driving?" he says as he looks at Castor, Noys and Krysta. "You do it. I'll be keeping an eye on my brother." Castor says. He looks at Noys and Krysta. "Fine." Krysta says with a nod. Noys smiles. "Let's just get going." Noys and Krysta move to the rear of the group, Castor, with Pollux, come up alongside Priya and Ostegos. "I wanted to thank you again." Castor says quietly to Priya. "Yes." Pollux gives a nod. "So you're an old friend of my brother that he forgot to tell me about?" he asks Priya. "Newly acquainted. I would find it odd if I went for long, unremarked upon." Priya looked mildily amused for a moment, as if enjoying some private joke, but then her attention turned to Martin. Martin motions for Meriel to join him in front, and he starts walking along the shore. "Not as fast as Trumps or that stuff you do with Mirrors." Martin says to Meriel. "Still...this is tougher than it should be..." Beads of sweat soon appear on the forehead of the grandson of Moire as he takes step after step in leading the group. Meriel soon falls silent, simply watching Martin as he walks, a worried little crease in the middle of her forehead. "Is it possible to block your Pattern. Or are some Shadows naturally resistant?" She was mostly asking the twins beside her, but didn't worry if her voice carried to one of the others. She tried to judge the effort it was taking Martin to move them from place, to place, relative to how it felt to her coming the other direction. "Well..." Castor answers as Martin is engrossed in his effort. "The Pattern doesn't work well in and around Amber. Or extremely Real places. Those places are, as you say, Priya, naturally resistant. Other powers might work more or less better, but shadowshifting into and out of a Real place takes effort. Sometimes a lot of it." To Priya, the trip away from the shadow of the War Angel is definitely slower and harder than her trip to bring them there. "Hmm...." I consider. "Is it possible for a place to become increasingly resistant in a short amount of time. In the length of your visit, for instance?" "The presence of Real people does firm up shadow." Castor replies. "However, even with several Real people, it is not the function of a day, or even a month." "Can it be done deliberately? Or can travel be deliberately blocked?" "Well, yes, and yes." Castor responds. "It was a tactic during the throne war before the invasion by Chaos." "So it is not something that requires Pattern, but another power that is Pattern's peer? "Power with suzerainty over reality." Castor confirms. "Be it Pattern or something on its level." "With an active Power, an attention to the cause, how long does it take to block a Shadow from passage?" Pollux manages to make a laugh. "My brother and I are not the premier experts." he says. "Yes" Castor says. "Now, if you want your ear talked off on the subject, if you can stand the arrogance, our cousin Lorius is an expert on such things." "She could ask Shannon." Pollux says. "Less practical experience." Castor says. He turns back to Priya. "Yes, you'll want to meet Lorius." "I am due to have tea with his mother when we return. Perhaps that will surfice." I nod, accepting that I have reached the end of this conversation and will wait until one of the suggested Royals is available. Given the scope of things that may be discussed over dainty, innocent seeming sandwiches, hypothetical conversations on Pattern might be considered small talk. And slowly, very slowly, the shore slowly changes. The sky color changes to a more standard blue, the faint galaxy previously in the sky disappearing and the sun taking on a yellow-white color. The river remains, quiet and deserted. Meriel looks around with real pleasure at the changes. "This looks lovely!" she says. "Martin, if you need to pause for a while, would you mind if I went for a swim?" It's a hint as much as a question. "I could take over for a while..." Noys begins to offer. Martin shakes his head. "No, a break would be good. The worst of the resistance in getting out of that shadow is past. Here on, things should be easier. And its simpler to have one person do the shifting. Or trumping, or what we decide." "The river should be somewhat estuarine in nature now." Martin says to Meriel. "Slightly salty, good buoyancy. I may join you in a few minutes." With that, Krysta speaks quietly to Noys, and the two go off to the side to speak in private. Meriel nods at Martin. Then she is shrugging easily out of her clothes, life a fish slipping the net, and then sliding herself into the blessed water, a little yip! of pleasure as she feels its embrace. Martin stands at the shore for a minute or two with the countenance of a benevolent, generous uncle. He glances at Noys, still in serious conversation with Krysta. He gives a glance to Priya, the Twins and Ostegos. He then gives a smile. "All water, water break." Martin says. Clothes come off in a far more ragged fashion than the smooth Meriel. Still he has none by the time he , too immerses himself in the water. "Rebmans." Castor comments to Priya, with an amused tone of his voice. Priya stood facing the water for a moment. "Indeed." Then she was walking toward the river with only a brief pause to unfasten her dress. She left it draped neatly over a small shrub, her undergarments folded in a tidy fashion on a rock a few steps further, and then she walked down into the water. She dove when the water lapped at her hips, her feet the last sign of her before she vanished. Princess Fiona would have to wait a few more minutes once they returned. "Brother."Castor says to Pollux. "These Rebmans explain much about Random's marriage to one. Vialle." "And Therans." Ostegos murmurs as he walks to the water's edge but does not enter. Meriel, first in the water, dives deep, exploring as much as enjoying. The River is significant here, she feels - and she can learn more of the place from the water than she ever can from the land. The murk of the water slowly resolves itself to Meriel's eyes as she explores the body of water. As her eyes adjust, Meriel can see that the river looks much like Martin had described. It's an estuarine river, with some salt water fish swimming upriver past her one more, and a group of freshwater salmon the next. The latter swim past Priya, too, as she enters the water fully. It is Meriel, though, who first sees it resolve out of the gloom. The river doesn't seem that deep, and yet it stands there on the river bottom, like an echo of Atlantis...or perhaps Rebma itself. A single, perfect, tall crystal tower. Backlinks |
