A Dream of Quiet (IC)

[Scarlet Dragon]

"Me good sneaking" Dancer pauses and motions toward Onyx Wing "We could sneak, open" here Shadow Dancer seems to be fishing for a word before finally continuing with "door, let others in"

[Tavar]

"I'm not sure that would do any good, though. Getting inside the work camp isn't the problem. The issue is that after we get in, the alarm will be raised before we can get to the ship if the others can't sneak. And, again, there a methods of securing an area that we can't simply sneak through. If the Lion has put any effort into keeping this place secure, we will set of the alarms."

[Drascin]

"Well. I do have a little trick that I think can warn me when I'm about to trigger an alarm. Problem is it's not 100% reliable, and I'm not exactly stellar at stealth so chances are I'd get seen either way" Drake sighs.

"Still... Dancer's idea has merit. If when the rest of us go in the alarms are going to sound either way, having as much open way as possible would be recommended. Try to make it so that by the time the usual four-five minutes of confusion after an alarm sounds end we're already almost on target. Basically, I think that if we can't counterspell the wards, we should try to make it a lightning operation, taking advantage of the confusion and the fact it's impossible for any guard force to project and focus force fast in a place this size. Some explosions to add to the confusion and redirect attention wouldn't go amiss. I don't expect anyone brought any firedust or anything that can blow up or make a lot of noise?"

[Tavar]

A sly little smile graces Wing's face. " No, but we did bring two Lunars. One to make a diversion, the other to open a gate."

[Recaiden]

"You could both go to open the way. I am no stealthy Day, but I can certainly distract them, and I could most easily handle myself here if something goes wrong. There could even be some explosions involved."
Masque takes a few steps forward; may as well get something done while waiting for the response.
"The first wards are just ahead, before a line of glass dust on the rock. These at least we can break safely. The stronger and closer ones would almost certainly be noticed should they fail." She will walk forward, and unless Leliel volunteers or someone else calls for a stop, strike at the air with an open palm. It meets obvious resistance for a moment, then breaks through...something.

[Leliel]

"...Wait, hang on, isn't that a Labyrinth-"

(OOC:Not stopping anything, just a reaction shot just before the portal opens...I think that's the spell she's using).

[Recaiden]

"Labyrinth circle? No, that was Iron Necromancy, an easy spell." The deathknight looks back to Drake. "Tell us when your trick warns you. I knew that one was there, but I can't see the others."

The way down the slope is easy, and no notices has been taken yet of the group; people do come who are meant for the yard, from time to time.

[Leliel]

"...I meant the location...dammit..."

Gathering his breath, Raziel beckoned a rather reluctant agata for defense, and followed.

[Drascin]

"On it. Give me a second..." Drake fiddles with something in his pocket for a few seconds. He's getting the smashfists ready for quick extraction in case of need - and of course giving the impression his trick is some kind of artifact instead of a charm. "I'll go near the front then, and warn you all. If you see me doing a sudden jump back, do so too, okay?"

And with that, he takes point. Let's see how far can we get before everything implodes...

[Tavar]

Wing follows. Far enough away that he'll be able to react to what Drake sees, but close enough that he'll be able to assist if needed.

He keeps the chain stowed for the moment, as no telling what the primary occupants of this place would think of such a weapon.

[Recaiden]

"Oh no. The Endless Stair is for entering the world of spectres, and to escape, with some forewarning, where one cannot be followed. Going to the Labyrinth would have been quite the mistake."

Our heroes walk down along the sands, passing, far off to their right, a little triangular tower, grim, menacing, maybe ten meters tall. Another one is not quite directly ahead of them, and several more of the things exist off to the right. The things dot the landscape of the valley at irregular intervals, all different sizes and clearly artificial.

The closer you get, the bigger the ship seems. You're approaching the back end of it, with the front of the ship laying north-east, towards Oblivion.

After about twelve minutes of descending towards the ship and encampment, Drake develops a very mild feeling of impending doom. Something has triggered Prior Warning, you have six minutes of safety. You've covered about a third of the distance to the ship.

((This thing would be obviously noticed when it happens, so no roll even.))

[Leliel]

"THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO-

"Um...Drake? Something...wrong?"

Almost instantly the Malefactor vaults onto the agata, ready for battle.

[Drascin]

As for Drake, he walks forward, keeping his eye around with his usual low-key paranoia, scanning the area for possible escape routes.

And then the feeling of impending doom strikes. He stops and takes one hand to his pocket, fiddling with something, while he stretches the other horizontally to signal everyone to stop. He speaks a bit absently. "...okay, there's something going to happen, and I'm like 90% sure it's bad. Like five minutes or six from now. No idea what. Pretty mild for now, though. I'm not sure if it means we'd run into a trap going forward or that something's coming our way. I'd want to get out of sight just in case anyway, though"

[Recaiden]

"Are you afraid, Raziel, of the Labyrinth?"

There are not a lot of hiding places and ways to get out of sight, but a few suggest themselves. There are rock outcroppings that could hide a group, and off to the west, larger sand formations, in which people could dart between covering dunes. If you all hurried, you could make it to the nearest of the triangular towers before the Warning's time is up, but likely there would be people (or at least things) inside.

[Scarlet Dragon]

"Over there, hurry, we hide" Dancer says as he points to the rock formations.

Lowering his arm he begins to move toward them at a decent speed.

[Leliel]

"Well, I'm sane, aren't I?"

The agata and passenger take off at top speed towards the formation.

[Recaiden]

"You needn't be mad to accept the Labyrinth, only if you wish to belong there. I will have to show you, when..."

Our heroes make it to the closest outcropping of the black rocks, concealing themselves from sight among their huge shapes. Nothing much happens. There are still a few minutes before whatever you received warning of will come.

[Leliel]

"All right-this agata of mine makes me the most mobile. If anyone wants to climb up and help with flanking, you may. I doubt if I can do it myself, though."

[Tavar]

"Flank what, exactly? There's nothing out there.

And even if there was something, you're not exactly stealthy on that thing. I think it's best if we just tried to move forward: we're so far into enemy territory at this point that I think it's more likely that they'll flank us."

[Recaiden]

Something comes into sight out there. A figure has emerged from that closest triangular tower and is making their way further into the valley. The person at first moves erratically and cautiously, practically yelling the fact that they don't belong here to anyone looking, even at a distance. But just a few moments after leaving the tower they have gathered some composure and walk along no more suspiciously than any other. More interestingly, the air around them shimmers. There are plenty of places where the air shimmers from heat, but this clearly follows him (yes, it seems to be a him) as he walks along.

He pauses just paces away from the place where Drake was Warned. The shimmering intensifies, and he looks back the way he came, troubled perhaps? A few moments later he's going back along his way, towards the ship.

---

1

Far away, a gear freezes up for a moment.

[Leliel]

"He can teleport."

[Rhyvurg]

"Please be bull****ting me."

[Drascin]

Drake breathes a bit. "Thank god for early warnings. Masque, any idea who - or what - that dude was?"

He was actually looking for them. He stopped where they were just a minute ago. Drake knew they'd be found out eventually, but come on, already?

[Recaiden]

"I thought it might be Shatterer of the Way, sent here by the Lion, but...the Neverborn are blind to him. He is not a deathknight, or even a ghost. He has the magic to pass through the towers that lead to the tunnels, but no mortal has ever passed the gates of Merciless. It could be the Lunar; I don't know it's name, or an agent of the Princess. Or...someone else. I know not who it could be."

The man keeps walking away, towards the ship, paying no more attention to the place where he stopped.

[Leliel]

"Please be bull****ting me."

"No, the agata teleports, not him. Unmatched mobility."

"Still, looks like we might have avoided his notice. It was hard enough the last times we fought Exalts."

[Rhyvurg]

Pyrus keeps a tight grip on his spear, this didn't smell right.

[Drascin]

When the guy finally gets out of sight, Drake sighs. "Well, guys, we didn't come this far to just stay hidden. We have to continue. And that guy was also heading for the shipyard" He couldn't help but think that maybe that guy was here for something similar. Which would be kind of a ridiculously contrived coincidence, that out of the months this thing must have been in construction, all of them happen to come not just in the same day, but the same hour.

He hears his Sifu in his mind. Coincidences rarely are. Well then. "Come on, I'll take the front again" He doesn't sound incredibly enthusiastic, but they have to do this.

[Tavar]

"Right. Let's go."

[Recaiden]

The place nearby is empty. There is movement far away, at the middle of the ship, but no one is close to our heroes, who, walking, not teleporting, are making their way further. The agata spares a few moments to be disappointed. The ship is getting closer and closer, and off to the left a collection of low round buildings lies, equidistant, though they will not long remain so.

As they make their way along, Pyrus gets the distinct feeling that he's being watched.

Coincident, there is a barely perceptible flicker in the air all around the ship. If they hadn't been farther off and facing towards the center, it might not have been seen, but as it was, for an instant, they could clearly see a dome over the ship flash and disappear. It wasn't where the party was, but ahead, where the farway shape of the the mysterious figure walked.

With his enhanced vision, Dancer can just make out that the figure has broken into a run, trying to cover the (still fairly long) distance to the ship as quickly as can be.

[Leliel]

"Looks like he's late. The ship's probably leaving soon."