Open Exploration: The Old Capital.

[thequestgiver]

Where: The Old Capital
When: RD6, all day
What: The Hero of the Mountains has come and gone from the Old Capital, just passing our heroes on the way. Time to explore the city in her aftermath?



On the surface, the Old Capital looks much like Schwanheim, only without the two rivers flanking the castle. It's much smaller, the houses father apart and older looking that the more crowded capital, and far more ordered. It has the feel of a city that was planned out. The castle stands in the center, simple, yet impressive, navy blue banners flapping from the the towers that grace each corner, acting as gateway to the 4 wide streets that slice through the circular town like the spokes of a wheel, dividing it into sections. One quarter is the market and craftsman district, the road leading to the castle lined with stalls and merchants with goods on blankets, side streets winding down towards the less sightly businesses. Flanking it on both ends are two housing districts, the smaller homes closer to the market, getting larger as they head for the 4th district, full of large mansions and an impressive church.

There's a large clock tower in the market district that matches the one back in Schwanheim, and a bulletin board much the same.

The clock is stopped, the board blank, and there is an eerie feeling as if something is just... missing. A lack of bird song. A lack of breeze. An odd feeling of stillness, almost as if one were walking through a ghost town even though there are still people about their daily chores as if nothing's wrong.

Comments

[knowsmorethanyou]

She considered. It would be patently obvious where they were coming from when she opened the door. On the other hand, being invisible could cause confusion, and confusion was always in her best interest.

"That would probably be for the best," she answered, not adding to be prepared for a fight. Because if he wasn't, then telling him to be wouldn't actually help when it came down to it.

[sorcerous]

A wave of his hand; he casts the room to appear empty, as though the two of them were never there. And he nods at her, to open the door.

He wishes, for a moment, that Sif had come with them. She would be very useful in a fight. And he does not know this woman's capabilities. He does not know how to fight around her.

But, in this, they are more explorers than fighters anyhow.

[knowsmorethanyou]

She debated a moment, between flinging the doors open and cracking them slowly, and decided on the first. The doors were flung open, and she darted to the side.

[thequestgiver]

The creek of the hinges echoed loudly through the mostly empty throne room, a thin layer of dust wafting up from the sudden motion, a solitary bird screeching as it flew away.

The throne room had once been a grand hall, tall ceilings held up by ornately carved pillars that still were hung with tattered and faded banners, once polished stone floor smoothed out a path towards the throne that had been left behind. Looking as if it had grown up out of the floor, it must have been too heavy and large to move, so had been left as it was, plush cushions faded, yet clean, and the entire ornate sculpture dust free, as if tended by the swarms of foot prints that paraded paths through the room.

In the center, not far from the throne itself, lay a prone figure, hidden in grey robes.

[sorcerous]

Loki approaches carefully, obliquely, stepping around the figure rather than approaching direct. Sends a glance to his companion, to see if she has any knowledge of this.

Perhaps it's that hero that the rumors spoke of?

If the figure makes no move, Loki will kneel by him and brush the robes away, as soft as a puff of breeze.

[knowsmorethanyou]

Aralu moved closer to the figure as well, as curious as Loki to know who it was.

She gasped. "Shin?" she whispered, dropping to his side and feeling for a pulse.

[yumemi_no_ou]

It was a young face, male, with dark straight hair that spilled over his face. There was a pulse, and very slow breath, but no other signs from the unconscious young man.

[sorcerous]

Loki touches the pulse. His eyes flick suspiciously to his companion.

"And who," he says, "is Shin?"

[knowsmorethanyou]

"Shin is...." How to put this. "Something like a little brother. From home." How the hell had he gotten there? She mussed his hair. "Wake up, dream king."

[yumemi_no_ou]

There was no answer or motion from the young man, but to anyone sensitive to it, a sudden presence that hadn't been there before seemed to emerge from the prone form before a heavy, tired feeling reached out to the pair, inviting them into sleep.

[sorcerous]

A sleep spell? Really?

Likely it was a trap, like the last one. Loki considers succumbing, anyhow, just because he might learn something interesting.

"Is there any reason he would be an enemy?" he asks.

[knowsmorethanyou]

Aralu laughed at the suggestion. "Enemy? Even if someone tried to make him one, I can keep him in line."

She settled herself, pulling Shin to half rest in her lap, and allowed herself to fall into sleep.

[yumemi_no_ou]

There's one more questioning tug of sleep in Loki's direction, which will fade if he ignores it.

The moment Aralu [and Loki if he so chooses] drifts off, she [and Loki] find themselves in a mostly blank space, the same young man who was unconscious awake now, dressed in modern clothes and looking rather concerned and almost nervous before he gives a sigh of relief, half floating over to the redhead.

"I thought that was you. Thank god..." he sighed again. "Aralu, what's going on? The Dreaming... where are we?"

[sorcerous]

He relents to it. There's no other way to satisfy his curiosity. He only hopes Sif doesn't come in and find them both asleep. She would be cross with him, risking himself this way.

"Nowhere, it seems," Loki murmurs, leaving Aralu to answer.

[knowsmorethanyou]

"We," Aralu answers, darting a glance to Loki before speaking to make sure he isn't going to interrupt her, "Are in a ruined castle, in a country that seems to be suffering from a bad case of the Middle Ages." Never mind the thorns for now.

[yumemi_no_ou]

Hazel eyes darted over to look at Loki at the murmur before looking back to Aralu, an eyebrow raising. "...How far from home?" he asked, before looking back over at Loki with an air of almost distraction. "You.." he hesitated a moment. "You're different. Who are you?"

[sorcerous]

"Loki," said Loki, "God of Mischief, and let's stay on the topic at hand, shall we? Were you responsible for the restoration of the castle?"

[knowsmorethanyou]

"Far enough that we can't get back," Aralu answered before turning to Loki. "And he only did it if it was a projected dream. That's all the magic he has." She considered. "Or at least all the magic he had back home."

[yumemi_no_ou]

Shin blinked, head tilting just a touch at Loki's reply before turning back to Aralu. "Friend of yours?" he asked, tone a touch dry before shaking his head slightly. "And I don't know what you're even talking about. I can't do anything like that. Even a projected dream..." he trailed off, running a hand through his bangs. "Would that even work? It'd be like projecting myself but bigger, right?"

[sorcerous]

"So you're in the middle of the 'magically repaired' castle, and yet you're entirely ignorant as to the cause, the means, and the purpose."

Loki is somewhat doubtful.

[knowsmorethanyou]

Were it not-- well-- Shin, Aralu would completely share those doubts.

"Most people, when they get here, appear in Schwanheim. You being here is... unusual."

[yumemi_no_ou]

There was a ripple as the formless white of the dream shifted to be the throne room. "Magically repaired, huh?" Shin asked, tone dry again before he sighed, again running his hand through his bangs. "Look, not to be a pain, but I have no idea what you're talking about, where that place is or anything. I was just talking with Gij less than ten minutes ago when I wound up ripped out of that dream into this one, so I really don't know what's going on anywhere so I don't think 'unusual' really covers it..."

Again, he ran his hand through his hair. "Sorry, I just... I can't feel any Dreamers, Aralu," he explained, tone edged with distress. "So I'm really not in the mood for playing 20 questions about things, okay?"

[sorcerous]

A wave of his hand. "Then wake us up, and let's all be going. There is more to investigate."

[knowsmorethanyou]

Aralu nodded agreement. "And since we don't know what we're up against, I don't want to be here longer than necessary."

[yumemi_no_ou]

Shin nodded, the dream and himself seeming to dissolve.

Moments after, a somewhat ghostly apparition of the young man appeared in the throne room, looking around it with a touch of a frown.

His body, however, remained asleep.