Dreamscapes or Nightmares

[baby1111007]

Rin was welcomed into Bladehall by Lily herself, the priestess was clad in ceremonial robes, midnight blue shot through with threads of periwinkle and pale gold. Her hair, normally so tidy was left to hang down to her waist in a mass of red curls. Her blue eyes were highlighted with blue and gold paint, intricate runes creating a mask on her face.

The girl was led through the library, a moment's glance showing the rug before the fireplace had been rolled up to leave the floor bare. Runes formed a circle large enough for the two females to recline in comfortably, the calk drawn symbols seeming to glitter. Two braziers waited nearby, unlit but filled with incense. Within the circle, comfortable cushions awaited.

But Rin was led first into the bedroom where a hot bath awaited, the scent of herbs and flowers filling the room. Lily smiled as she placed a plain white robe and towels at hand. "Cleanse yourself, relax, and join us when you are ready." She gave the girl some privacy, going back into the library to prepare and await the other guest.

[Bogudar]

Bogudar arrived well ahead of the time. Partially in case anything else needed to be discussed beforehand, and partially not to awake the sleeping guest with his restlessness.

He was not feeling well, even after generous intake of Mae's restoratives. The attack on Lendose was not something pleasant, and even though it illuminated some worrisome areas of deficiencies in his defensive capabilities, he needed time to recuperate.

Unfamiliar snoring through the night did not help much with that.

The coming ritual, as well as the presence of the unbidden guest, also meant that he did not get to reinforce the workings on his own body as much as he would have liked to. Still, he presumed that there was a degree of danger to introducing the echoes of such magics within the distance of what the priestess described as being performed.

His affliction was, hopefully, temporary. He did not feel it polite to endanger the ritual simply for the sake of personal convenience, particularly since his own presence was rather marginal. And, frankly, quite self-serving.

He walked up to the door to the Bladehall clad in his usual assortment. He had gotten used to the weight of the coat of plates overlying the mithral mail well enough he considered it his casual garb now, and the assurance of protection it offered was certainly a welcome thought. His shield and bow sheath were slung on the back under the gray cloak. The rapier hung from his left hip, counterbalanced by the small quiver on his right thigh, with a large satchel supported by a cross-wise strap across his body directly above it. He had decided to bring his scroll collection.

Just in case.

He needed the satchel, anyway.

The small sketchbook within was highly unlikely to be used... but he preferred to be prepared.

The door knocker reverberated against the wood to announce his presence.

[Elrith]

Rin discarded her clothes and slowly lowered herself into the hot water. The difference in temperature warmed her to the core, but it could not get rid of the nervousness which slithered palpable, just under her skin. She tried to think of calming things:

The time she spent with her family, how her brother Noboru always looked after her since the death of their father. He had not been overbearing in restricting her freedom. No, in fact he had supported her. Noboru allowed her to come here for this moment. To help these people. He had even given up one of his treasured swords in order to do so.

Rin's eyes drifted over to the sword propped up against the wall, bringing back a flood of even more memories. Their father saw to it that all the children in the Kaneko clan knew how to defend themselves, even the girls. So she had spent countless hours practicing. Swinging over and over till it felt like her arms were about to fall off or catch on fire. Rin had hated the daily practice, but now that father had passed away she had grown to miss it. The practice reminded her of everything that father had done for them. She would have to be more diligent in honoring his memory. It was one of her duties after all.

Just as one of her duties was to act on her visions. She was meant to help these people. Not sit idly by while something terrible happened. She could not be selfish. The moon was expecting her to move. She was destined to answer its call.

With new found resolve, Rin stood abruptly. Water droplets ran down the contours of her body, breaking free when meeting a shapely curve. She was ready. Exiting the bath and grabbing a towel the Anjiran girl was soon dry and dressed in the provided robe.

She opened the door and walked out to the library in search of Lily.

[Necrosphere]

Orion opens the door, ushering Bogudar inside with a nod
"Welcome to Bladeshall" he says, closing the door behind his guest.
"Please, follow me" he says, leading the smaller man
into the library.
"The ladies will be ready... soon, I guess..." He shrugs, the movement creating a tinkling sound
as the plates of his armor resettle.
"Fancy a tea while we wait?"

[Bogudar]

"Fancy a tea while we wait?"

Bogudar glanced around the shelves, appreciatively. A quick shake of head followed the question as he set his satchel down by a chair,

"Ah... no, thank you. But if you wouldn't mind..."

He gestured toward the trove of knowledge, his fingers set just... so.

The wait was likely to prove shorter than he would actually like.

[Necrosphere]

With a small grin Orion nods at his library
"Stay away from the far shelves" he points "They bite"

[Elrith]

Rin stepped out of the bedroom into a long hallway.

Was this here before? Surely the annex to the library was just a few rooms away. Somehow this hallway does look vaguely familiar.

Looking for the annex that connected to the library, she turned to try and get her bearings . Instead of a connecting room only a slightly furnished wall remained.

Maybe we came through one of these doors, Rin thought, trying the nearest one in response. It was locked. So was the next, and the one after that as well.

This doesn't make any sense! We couldn't have come from the far side of the hall. Did Lily lock the doors to give me more privacy? To test this assumption she rasped her knuckles against the door closest to the bedroom.

"Lily?"

Only an eerie silence greeted her. It was not ominous, but the kind she had sometimes experienced when the mind had detached itself from the senses.

"LILY?!" Her knocking grew louder, the blows against the door strong enough to make it shudder.

The sound of silence. Not even an echo returned from the hallway. Fearing the worst Rin rushed towards the room with the bathing tub.

It's impossible that the Lord of Night could be here. Lily had assured me they had taken every precautionary measure to secure this place. So why? Why am I not awake?!

She rounded the corner and reached for her sword. It was gone, but in its place remained a single periwinkle rose, with a silver stem large enough to match the length of her missing blade. She froze.

Gifts in dreams should never be accepted lightly. It was something her elder grandparents had told her over and over as a child. Even the most benign gifts could lead to disaster in the world between that of spirits and the living.

Interruption. The sound of splashing water. A deft turn to face the tub.

It was falling, upwards. Droplets of water coalescing on the ceiling. Faster and faster they streamed, flowing forth with the rage of a mighty river. A lake covered the ceiling now and the washing tub was completely void of any liquid.

Rin stared into the pool that now hovered over her head. The surface suddenly fluxed with a great ripple from the epicenter of the room. Then the water settled into a mirror reflecting what could be called an endless void, except for the countless distant pinpricks of white light, too numerous to count. Realizing that this was some special moment, or perhaps drawn by some supernatural force, she retrieved the rose and stood in the empty tub.

As if in answer to her the moon appeared on the ceiling. Rising majestically to greet her and covering the inferior lights with it's massive presence. It would have been a serene feeling, but something was wrong. She looked down at her feet.

This is where I am in the real world. This is...

Gazing back up at the ceiling the moon hung mere inches from her face. The glossy surface of the scrying pool had been growing downwards this whole time. It was close enough to touch her lips now. Breathing became difficult. Shadows began to ripple through her vision covering everywhere she looked.

I'm still in the tub. I'm...

The scrying pool pressed closer and closer. She had no choice but to flatten herself in the tub, even as her mind grew weak and the need to sleep within her slumber sung its siren call.

I'm going to drown...Someone wake me up! her mind screamed with all its might.

Would anyone notice in time?

私は月の下に溺れるだろうか？

[baby1111007]

lily had busied herself in the library, lighting the incense, making sure her own protective circle was properly set. She glanced up only briefly when Orion escorted Bogudar in, nodding politely but too focused on preparations to be a proper hostess. But Orion had it in hand leaving her free to tend to her work.

A strange prickling sensation began to form on the back of her neck, the waves of darkness over taking her, the familiar sensation now panicking her. Dear, goddess...not now...I cannot...drowning...drowning...silvery...cannot breathe...cannot breathe. Her eyes went vacant, the blue gaze unfocused as she stood suddenly and walked to the bedchambers. Lily...or what was inhibiting her body...showed no sense of decorum, no sense of care for the other woman's modesty.

The door was thrown open on the bathing Rin, the loud crack of wood on wood heard by the two men as Lily moved in a trance to the bath, her arm plunging beneath the water and finding the girl's trashing limbs and seizing. A naked Rin was pulled from the water, soaking the vacant eyed priestess as they both collapsed to the ground.

[Necrosphere]

Knowing the signs of Lilliannes torpors, and their cause and effects, Orion barks an order to Bogudar, although in the current situation it seems to make no sense
"Prepare your defences"
Moving with speedy caution he enters the room where Lillianne holds the naked Rin, his eyes scanning the room and his magic bursting to life, banishing the shadows of the room with it's iridescence.
"Lets get her into the prepared area, Lilli, she is under already, we need to act"

[Bogudar]

"Prepare your defences"

At Orion words, Bogudar placed the book in hand on one of the tables. Picking up his satchel, he followed, at a somewhat slower pace.

He paused at he door, taking in the scene. The naked form of the Anjiran, and the listless way she hung in Lillianne's hold. The priestess herself, her bearing so unlike the usual composed impression of timidity. Orion's flaring magic, the man himself clearly expecting even more trouble at a moment's notice.

“Ah... being no expert, please consider this merely a question of curiosity. Would it not be wiser to attempt to eliminate whatever influence took hold of Rin-sama before proceeding with the ritual?”

An obvious question to him, but clearly not one that was of concern to the more skilled magic-shaper among them. He was curious as to the reply. He would have certainly attempted to neutralize any outside inputs before attempting something as complex as the ritual appeared to be. Particularly if there was a chance of a hostile touch in the magic.

He wondered if the difference in approach was not perhaps caused by divergence in the ability to shape magic between himself and Orion from pure power perspective. Presumably he himself would not be bothered to engage in a magical tug of war with an unknown entity if he had not learned so long ago just how insubstantial his magic-working was without extensive preparation...

In the meantime, he shifted his senses, attempting to gather some more information from the raging conflux of magic filling the room.

[Necrosphere]

Orion grinned at the other mans words, despite the gravity of the situation.
"The Ritual is already underway... It began as soon as Rin entered the halls. The bath was a way to lure her into a receptive state... Which happened in a rather drastic fashion"
more runes flash and flare as Orion expands his magicks to encompass the group, wards of mental sanctity, protection against malign forces and others that are prepatory for a physical attack, should it happen.
Moving to Lillianne, he lays Rin in the posistion they originally had planned for her, her limp body now being fed divine magicks that Lillianne had spent many hours preparing
"What is next, love?" he asks of the priestess, hoping that she has recovered enough to even give him some clue...

[Elrith]

Suddenly it felt as if the world was inverted. She was no longer being crushed by the mirror like waters. Opening her eyes she saw the scrying pool had returned to its original position near the ceiling.

A deep gasp. She was alive. Someone had found her in time.

Why have I not woken up yet? Has it started already?

Feeling a presence nearby Rin turns to the door and calls out, "Lilly, are you there?"

[baby1111007]

She surfaces from the dazed state, seeing Orion laying Rin in the protective circle. She herself rose on unsteady legs, not liking how quickly things spun out of control. She wondered just what the girl had been hiding and how badly things might go, but she did not have time to ponder. She looked at her mate, cut her hand with the blade and drew the crescent moon on his forehead. "This will allow you to enter the circle if you feel you must pull us out."

She then stepped in and closed her arms around Rin.

Darkness...then....light.

A doorway in front of her. A voice calling. "Lilly are you there?" She stepped through the doorway of the girl's mind to answer softly. "I am here, Rin"

The two men see the runes glow with the ghostly blue white hue, the braziers of incense flaring to life, notes of Lily's favorite freesia mixing with various herbs. The two females in the circle look to be in deep slumber.

[Necrosphere]

Motioning to Bogudar to join him in keeping watch, Orion stalks the library impatiently, uncertain of what is to come.

[Bogudar]

Following Orion as he carries Rin into the library, he then settles, leaning against one of the walls. Keeping his distance from the circle and its protections, he opens his senses to magic suffusing the room.

This is precisely the reason he asked to be present, and he studies the subtle interaction of the patterns with great interest.

Given the reaction of both of the hosts, his opportunity to do so without distractions might be quite limited.