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.

[windofthephoenixtemple]

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

[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.

[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.

[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?

[orb]

[goldeneyeball]

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

Knock yourself out.

[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?

[thoreal]

[Really, bro?]

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

[windofthephoenixtemple]

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

[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.

[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?

[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.

[shiromadoushi]

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

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.]

[knowsmorethanyou]

I know there's trading going on now. If we weren't getting coffee beans from somewhere more tropical than this, we'd have nothing left to smith because it would all be imbedded in whoever tried to talk to the blacksmith.

And from what I've heard, traders are gone for at least a month. What I wouldn't give for an airplane right around now.

We should have one of the people who still lives in the castle go exploring for relevant books.

[consultmybooks]

There's a girl named Alayne that does. We, um, we met in the library for a bit of work before the battle. In terms of this place, she seems to be considered a princess. Can't imagine they'd let her go anywhere else.

...and, um, while I can't offer an airplane, I can conditionally offer a man who can teleport. Provided he's at least had a look at where he's going.

[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.

[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.

[shiromadoushi]

I think they tend to think that no matter who's around... they seemed pretty convinced we were going to fix it all before she arrived....

There's at least a land over the sea and one past the mountains away from the thorns, or at least that was what the map I found showed. And the Giant Kingdom up in the sky...

[[he pauses, blinking]] I wonder if we could see it all from up there? There have to be some spots were you can look down...

[consultmybooks]

Giant Kingdom?!

[This is news to Giles, if the startled look on his face is any indication. But, after the shock fades...his expression becomes thoughtful once more.] Well, um, maybe not the kingdom over the sea, but...I can't imagine there's a lot we couldn't see, from up there. At least in terms of locations, and, um, geography.

[shiromadoushi]

Aaaa-- I forgot, you weren't here when the beanstalk when up... [[so sheepish]] It's pretty odd, they're like... mm.... old fashioned modern? Retro? I guess you could call it. Not at all like here.

The giantess seemed nice enough... if we can find another way up, I'm sure they wouldn't mind letting us look.b

[consultmybooks]

Hm...

[Well, this is certainly new information. Encouraging information, as well. A shame the place seems to be short of beanstalks at the moment.]

Do you know, um, about how high up it was? [The greater the distance, the more exhausting it is to Helios.] Good lord, I can't remember the last time I've been around anything even approached modern, old fashioned or otherwise.