Chapter 4 - 11th of Rebirth's Decline - [Orb]

[consultmybooks]

[The orb shows Giles, sitting in one of the fields on the outskirts of Schwanheim, but he's not looking back at the orb, nor showing any sign of his surroundings.

No, instead, he's looking at the mirror he found around his neck, when he woke up before the battle. It's hovering in the air, spinning very slowly, and shadows flicker across its silvered surface. But they're clearly very interesting shadows - Giles doesn't take his eyes off the mirror, even as he addresses the orb.

The only other notable feature of the scene is that Giles is wearing gloves, and occasionally and completely subconsciously tugs on the edge of them, as though reassuring himself that they're still on his hands.]

Um, apparently there is another kingdom, across the thorns. Or, um, there was. We have no way of knowing if it's still there, simply because...well, we have no way of knowing what's happening beyond the thorns.

But I thought, well, if we could get back in touch...

[He draws in his breath sharply, as though troubled by a grim thought. The mirror slowly stops spinning, and then falls to the ground with a soft chiming. Giles curses softly under his breath and picks it up, polishing its bright surface industriously with a sleeve.]

...apparently, um, whatever I am now, it involves the capacity to scry. I'm not sure what the extent of this new talent is, yet, but I thought I'd try and find out. Perhaps, um, if I can get good enough, myself and, and whoever else has this ability, we might be able to combine our talents and, and contact the rest of the world. For assistance, or for information...well, there's no way to know.

This, um, this might seem a silly question, but do any of you mind if I look in on you from here? Knwoing the name of who or, or what I want to see, that seems to help me get a lock on it. As such, I thought I'd ask your permission first, before I went snooping around on whatever you were doing.

Comments

[thoreal]

[A curious thought, to think of a mortal man watching him through magic instead of the other way round. Still, Thor nods.] You may scry away, sir Conjurer.

[And then, quickly:] Only right now.

[consultmybooks]

I thought it might be useful in case of emergencies and, um, well...there do seem to be a remarkable frequency of emergencies, in this particular kingdom. But, no, I assure you that I wouldn't use this ability outside times of trouble. Not sure there's a point, actually, since it doesn't seem as though anyone can actually report back when I do, and I seem to be the only one with an unfortunate tendency to get tossed all over the place.

Still. Um, I know I've seen you around, especially with...recent events, with the Hero. But I'm not sure I ever got your name. That would help, um, if you didn't mind sharing.

[thoreal]

[Really, bro?]

I am Thor Odinson, Prince of Asgard. Or is it Knight of Schwanheim, now?

[consultmybooks]

[Really. Memory loss. It scrambled up a lot. And Giles is bad at asking for introductions in any case.

So, if Giles ever knew Thor's name before, it's pretty clear by the way he just...stares, for several seconds, that he's forgotten it since.]

...of course you are.

[His inability to look Sif in the eye for longer than five seconds suddenly seems like a good thing, now.] As for titles, I, um, I suppose it's a case of both, really. In, in terms of...well, hang on.

[He looks away from the orb and back at the hovering mirror. Giles frowns in concentration, settling deeply into thought. Slowly, the shadows in the orb resolve themselves into colors, pictures...it's a blurred image, like a photo taken of a moving target, not really properly identifiable. Thor, however, will probably get a brief feeling of being watched.

Giles holds the effort for a few seconds, before letting out his breath in a sigh and holding out his hand for the mirror to drop into. He looks back at Thor.]

Anything?

[windofthephoenixtemple]

I don't think I mind much if you look in from time to time. As long as it's not often.

[consultmybooks]

I don't really see the point in using it too often, actually, unless someone's gone missing. I've found a few people already, but they didn't even seem aware of me.

[It's probably only because he's so focused on the mirror that he doesn't notice any cause of Fuu's embarrassment. If he did, Giles would share it wholeheartedly. The few people he'd found already had been his best friend and his girlfriend, and that had been because they'd given him enough to panic about over the last few days that he wasn't enjoying having them out of his sight.]

So, um, the orbs are still it, as far as communication goes. But I thought I'd practice this now, before the next trial arose. Do you mind telling me your name?

[windofthephoenixtemple]

I'm sorry, I forget to mention my name. it's Hououji, Fuu Hououji

[consultmybooks]

Fuu Hououji. Um, right. That...that should be enough.

[Giles doesn't sound terribly certain, though, as he looks back at the floating mirror. He takes in a breath, closes his eyes, and focuses so clearly that it shows on his face.

The shadows clear up on the surface of the mirror, solidifying into slightly clearer shapes and fading away to be replaced by more recognizable colors. It's not a clear picture, not in the slightest, it looks like a bad watercolor with a blob in the middle that's meant to be Fuu...but the girl might still feel a sensation, a prickling on the back of her neck, of being watched.]

...damn. No good at all.

[bondsoflove]

I have nothing to hide.

[knowsmorethanyou]

I... was looking for things a bit closer to home, but I couldn't get much of any use out of the damn thing. I was told I was a "sage," whatever they mean by that. Back home I was a researcher, so I've been sticking to that.

[consultmybooks]

Oh, really? [Giles looks quite pleased, and a bit relieved, at this news.] Well, um, isn't that coincidence - I, I was actually something of a researcher myself, back home, a-and everyone's been calling me a "sage" around town, and, and they seem to be the ones who'd know.

Up until very recently, however, I'd been a ghost, and so...well, research hadn't been an option for me, I'm afraid.

[knowsmorethanyou]

I've been looking through the castle's library, but it's crap for anything that's helpful. Fifty copies of "How to Succeed in Royalty Without Trying" and another dozen "The King's Guide to Win Friends and Influence People" but nothing on proper history or even anything on the countries we trade with.

I know we trade with other countries! I've helped get together exports and open shipments of imports! And there's nothing about them in the castle! Unless the advisers have their own library of helpful things that they won't show me.

[consultmybooks]

I wouldn't put it past them to have done so, in this place.

But, um, sorry - if you wouldn't mind clarifying, do you mean you've found past trading records or, um, that you've found evidence that trading is still taking place? If it's the former, um, I'd say a trip out with them is in order.

[orb]

[goldeneyeball]

_{[Heeey, it's JW's favorite not-a-ghost!]}

Knock yourself out.

Re: [orb]

[consultmybooks]

[And it's Giles' favorite strange hermit man.

He nods, stares thoughtfully at JW for a second or so with the air of one trying to memorize a particularly difficult passage out of a book, and then he looks back at the mirror.

Slowly, it stops spinning, to hover in the air at an angle that both Giles and JW can see whatever it's trying to show. The shadows stop swimming across its surfaces, and fade into colors, and the colors take on shapes. It's not a clear picture, not by any stretch of the imagination, but the general shape of things is a rough match for wherever JW is at the current moment.

And JW, for his part, will probably get the feeling that he's being watched.]

Anything? [Just by the tone of his voice, Giles is still concentrating most of his efforts on maintaining even this hazy look at elsewhere.]

[orb]

[goldeneyeball]

<sub>[As he watches, he feels the little hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He recognizes those lumpy shapes in the mirror. The fire place. His cauldron. The work tables covered in cages of chittering squirrels because there were no guinea pigs in the land of Once Upon a Whatever.]

[He couldn't help but look over his shoulder.]</sub>

I think you got it...

Re: [orb]

[consultmybooks]

Really?

[Giles brightens a bit, ending the spell and holding out his hand to snatch the mirror out of the air.] Well, um, practice makes perfect, I suppose.

[...a puzzled expression comes over Giles' face, after a second, and he tilts his head as though trying to recall something.]

...a bit hard to remember whatever it was I saw. But, um, I suppose that will clear up, once I can start getting a clearer picture.

[shiromadoushi]

I don't mind if you try for me! [[a warm smile]]

And I wonder if there's anyway to maybe get around the thorns, since I'm pretty sure this world isn't flat, and the thorns can't be everywhere... maybe if we can find someplace else that's also fighting it, we could maybe combine forces with them?

[consultmybooks]

I confess, um, that was my initial hope when I came up with this idea. Attacking from multiple fronts is, um, always more effective than sticking to just the one, of course. Especially when that one is...as admittedly disadvantaged as ours' is.

I'd heard rumors of other kingdoms at the party. If they're still out there...well, we should be able to get ahold of them.

[shiromadoushi]

Do we know how anyone here gets in contact with them?

[consultmybooks]

I'm afraid I don't. But, um, however it's been happening, the other kingdoms out there seem to be either unwilling, unable, or, um, or unaware of our current predicament.Of course, up until very recently, the general opinion seemed to be that the, the Hero was going to sort everything out.

Trade might still be continuing somehow.

[folklorist]

[ Oh good lord have you been watching him too? ]

It-it seems like you're getting the hang of it.

[consultmybooks]

Hardly. [Which is to say no, he hasn't been looking in on Helios, but that's largely by virtue of the fact that he's not good enough to look in on Helios. Doesn't mean he hasn't been making frequent attempts.]

I can manage to see colors, now, at least. [Giles isn't paying Helios complete attention, because he's still obviously focused in on the mirror and trying to get it to communicate with him.] I, I suppose that's, um, an improvement, at the least.

[folklorist]

O-Oh. That's, ah, that's good. You're making amazing progress then! [ He sounds hopeful and optimistic and overall supportive of the other. ]

It takes time especially if you've never done it. I-I'm sure you'll get the hang of it the more you work at it. You're not unaware of these sorts of things after all. [ Helios smiles on his end pausing to think for a moment. ] I'll just, ah, l-leave you to it then.

[ He's probably interrupting as is. ]

[consultmybooks]

You don't have to. [Giles shakes his head as though to clear it, breaking the spell and letting the mirror fall.] I, um, I could probably use a rest. [He keeps his eyes closed for a few seconds, even as he tilts his head towards the orb. One thing he is coming to find is that, while he's learning how to scry, the effort plays merry hell with his eyes.]

I know I'm probably the last person to say this, but, um...best not to overexert myself, yes?