The quiet eve played forth, with the trio clambering up and down the width and breadth of the broken frigate, as the sky resolved and turned above them. Their mirthful and jovial voices calling out faux challenges to one another as the day fell away. Far late into the eve, the sun had dipped low on the western horizon, the celestial sky alight with dancing and flickering lights overhead of countless stars, resplendent in their glory as they cast tiny pinpricks of light across the inky black canvas of the midnight sky. So too as did the sun revolve about to slumber, did the Twins arise in their place and take their dominion over the sky above.
Bright and radiant did the first of the twins shine within the sky, a bright and flawless pale white stone that dominated the horizon, the moon of Aria would glimmer and shine within the sky, it's radiance rivaled only by that of the sun of which it now took it's stewardship from over the celestial sea above. The shimmering light from Aria cast itself across the lands below, giving the countless tired merchants and tavern dwellers their chance to manage their route through the tiered city of Ferina with the relief in having sight given unto them by the generosity of their lunar body on high.
However, Aria did not dance alone upon the midnight sky, dwelling within her deep shadow resided her kin, the pockmarked and jagged obsidian face of Pharos would move in time with it's kin, not unlike that of a shadow. The looming shade would move in lockstep with it's kin, the facade of Pheros eternally drowned by the luminous radiance of it's twin. However, strangely enough, the moon itself appeared somewhat larger, as if the more shy and cloistered of the pair was feeling bold enough to bestride the stage, it's form faintly shimmering with a dull obsidian radiance, as it turned in time and moved along it's prepared course alongside Aria.
Far below the celestial sea, the trio would have waited till the dark of night had fallen, their venture set and clear as they in tow make their trip from the depths of the broken frigate laid up in the old breakers yard. Their paths would take them winding through the dense vegetation of the coastal forest, all whilst keeping out of sight of the towering outer walls of Ferina as they snaked their way towards the southern part of the isle.
The reflection gardens of Ferina were an old and hallowed place for the people of the city, crafted in the ancient past of the city's history, they were formed to commemorate some grand event of ages past. The plaques and vine covered statues, worn by time and eaten by rain, would in hushed voice speak of some grand catastrophe that had swept the lands long before any of them was born. Grand stone murals of great waves, sweeping forth from the sea, to faded figures of bygone eras battling against the waves to weather the unending storm. All of these old memories would sadly bear little weight to the young trio as they sneak their way into the sectioned off area of the isle, having long ago found a rusted breach in the wrought iron fence that stood along the gardens perimeter. The trio would manage their way into the fenced off region, sneaking among the dense undergrowth and beneath towering canopies of vast and mighty trees that seemed to reach towards the heaven and bloat out the sun of Aria above.
The trio would creep forth, till they arrived before the central portion of the gardens, a vast lake rippling with soft waves that gently reflect the light of the moons above. The lake's edge came to rest alongside a considerable plaza of stone, several crumbling and faded stonework pieces of art, keeping a cracked and time worn vigil over the area in their silent resolve. Towering above the statues resided a sizeable pilith of cracked marble, green vines clinging to the base, upon its top, rested a vast bronze work structure, skeletal wires of brass and faded gold would loom over the statues, vast faded mirrors of pearl resting on vast tracks, the object itself resembling a complex and aging orrery. Spheres of silver white, and midnight blade would remain inert above the silent plaza and lake as faded arcane augites of countless hues would remain dull and colorless upon the surface of these ancient arcane device, the strings of silver/gold that clung to them gently swaying in the soft breeze from the north-east as they night gently moved on.
A steel hand would part the branches of the thick bush that lay between them and the plaza, as Nikolai cast his gaze out into the area, taking note of the quiet state of the area, before turning back to his companions, voice low and hushed.
"Alright, it looks clear, I ain't seeing the guards on patrol tonight, we might have lucked out and they got caught up trying to handle all the new folks that arrived in port..." He'd pause and move to unwrap a sackcloth bag that Benedict had given him, he motions to the masked boy whom was busy working to haul out an oversized tome, "...Bennie you sure you know what other things ya papa wants? I mean if we can clear out the area of say the sallow-cap mushrooms as well we could sell those to the small eatery down by the dockside."
Benedict would glance up at Nikolai, nodding in turn as he moves to pat the cover of the heavy tome, his voice low and eternally muffled "Mhmm, that would be a fortuitous boon to say the least, but we need to be careful, as if we pick dusk-cap mushrooms, we might get in trouble for making people sick...." He'd cast his own masked gaze towards Fuyumi quietly, only to find her watching the lake with a somewhat preoccupied look upon her face, he'd lean over and nudge her slightly, "Uhh Fuyumi, did you get that? We aren't trying to harvest any of the dusk-caps, as they won't do us any good..." He'd pause and tilt his head "...You alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Fuyumi would pause and keep her gaze lingering on the far side of lake among a thick patch of trees and brush, her narrowed eyes faintly radiating a dull amber hue, that reflecting the light of Aria on-high. She'd hold that look for a few moments longer, before she turns to look at Benedict and Nikolai, her face a touch paler than it had been when they left, but could not be attributed to the pale light that shone down from above?
"H-Huh? Oh, right! No dusk-caps, sorry Bennie, I thought I saw somethin' moving out there... It was sorta strange as I ain't really seen any torch light. Musta just been my nerves gettin to me..."
Nikolai would be given pause, parting the branches and leaves once more, he'd gaze out into the plaza, keen eyes watching the various shadows which whilst sparse and few, loomed deep and dark. The dense undergrowth would cast yawning shadows that stretched out and loomed deep, truly anything could have hide themselves away within these long ebony shrouds. But as Nikolai strained his hearing, he caught no tell-tale signs nor sounds of movement among the brush, just the dull and soft songs of tropical insects crooning their songs upon the warm quiet eve. His eyes giving one last look over the far side of the lake to find nothing of note, before turning back satisfied with his observations.
"Don't worry 'bout it Fuyumi, probably was just the light playin' tricks on ya, lucky for us Aria is shining brightly tonight, gives us a chance to see what we are doing..." He nods quietly, reaching into his bag to pull out a well-worn straight knife, he'd indicate out to a few clumps of faintly glowing jade light that shimmered upon the bank, the bio-luminescent dawn-thistle radiant it's soft colors in the moonlight. "...Let's grab as many as we can and get outta 'ere before the Watch Captain makes his rounds in this area, let's get a move on!"
The trio would nod their affirmation and then scatter, Benedict racing off into the underbrush, with a heavy tome and sack in one hand, and the keen and ornate blade in his other as he moves off to harvest the more difficult to identify flora that grew in the region, his cloaked form vanishing into the underbrush with the dull clatter and clank of his tomes and medicinal gear softly betraying his position the dull grey of his corvidae mask betraying him slightly, until he reaches further into the depths of the garden, vanishing from sight.
Fuyumi would move off towards a large clutch of broken stone statues at the edge of the plaza, several thick clutches of the dawn-thistle having grown up between the stone tiles cracks. She'd idly stoop down and sweep those keen nails of hers across the stems of the shimmering plants, having no need for a blade herself. Though, as they continued her harvest, her gaze would continually be drawn back towards the distant shore, her brow furrowed as she focuses on something unseen. After a few moments, she would pick up her satchel, and move back slowly, her movements retracing Benedict's path into the underbrush as she went to find her masked compatriot.
Nikolai however, would fail to notice his companions depart, remaining kneeled down alongside the lakes edge, blade in hand as he carefully cut away the dawn-thistle's stem, moving to collect the flowers in dense bundles before placing them in the sackcloth bag. Tirelessly he would work, moving to wipe the sweat from his brow as he slides forth, walking on his knees through the dense mud of the riverbank, inwardly he frets, Sa'Vass is going to kill me for getting so dirty. He'd shake his head, focusing on the task at hand, blade dancing nimbly in the dark as he harvested the plants before him.
However, he'd halt his movements as he realizes that the world about him had fallen dreadfully silent. He'd lift his head and glance around, only to find that he was the only one out in the open, his friends having vanished it seemed, he's exhale and glance back towards the titanic orrery, the wind had stilled leaving the large structure still and unmoving in the night. He'd crook his brow as he glanced about, noticing for the first time that even the insects had grown quiet for some estranged reason. A faint feeling of worry knotted his stomach, as he would get to his feet, glancing around as a light from the moon overhead dimmed ever so slightly, a brace of clouds ebbing from the east slowly moving to marr and dull the light the moon radiated so vitally but moments earlier.
He'd take a few sucking steps in the mud towards the plaza, tightening his grip on the small knife and sackcloth bag in his hand, as he called out in a low tone.
"Oi! Fuyumi! Benedict, where did ya go? This ain't a funny game guys..." He waits silently, glancing about as he realizes just how alone he was out here on the cold lakeside, he takes another sucking step "...Guys? Can we stop, let's just get what we have and go-"
His words would be cut off, his steel limb would faintly twitch, his mind feeling a dull warmth from the limb that he'd not experienced before. The once dull arcane augites that shimmered and powered the magitech of the limb would flare slightly, radiating their hues more brightly as they flickered, almost as if pulsing before falling still and silent. Nikolai would wince as his artificial arm would fall limb, his hand still clutching the knife with a staunch and ungiving grip. He'd shudder, and take a few heavy steps, his mind trying to will the arcane automata back to the waking world, only to have it lay there, unresponsive.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
He'd wince, at the sudden surprise of the decoupling, staggering about as his mind his inundated with the arcane backwash, he'd glance around as he worked to focus his vision. However as he'd cast his gaze back towards the lakes edge, he'd notice something far and away from the usual ho hum he so readily craved now.
The surface of the lake shimmered and grew placid, the faint undulations of the water ceasing entirely as the waters grew still as glass. Upon the surface of the lake, the reflection of Aria and her shaded twin Pheros would reflect with startling clarity, the luminosity of Aria growing somewhat more intense, though such was impossible as Nikolai observed that the sky overhead was nearly entirely overcast, the dull light of Aria in the sky muted and dulled by clouds. The shadows around Nikolai would deepen, looming wide and long as the shimmering reflection of the moon on the lake surface grew in intensity. The boy would raise his free hand to shield his eyes, faintly making out within the blazing heart of the moon, an outline emerging and steadily increasing in size.
The lad was sent scrambling back, as he fought to get himself free of the muddy mire of the lake's bank, moving up through the sucking mud as he heaved with all his might, managing to get a boot crashing down upon solid land. With a strained growl, he'd haul himself up and lunge forth, throwing himself into the underbrush as he scrambles about upon his stomach, peering out through a break in the dense holly bush he found himself hidden within. The mirror perfect surface of the lake would radiate the form of Aria and this figure that seemed to ebb solely from the heart of the moons form. Slowly the shape of what appeared to be a small vessel, lithe in design and flowing with clean and stark lines not unlike that of Highborn elfin design. A sleek silver sail would flutter on some unseen wind as the silhouette of this vessel would rise from the center of the lake, as if emerging from the reflective face of a mirror.
The elegant ship akin to a small and sleek dhow, would drift free from below the water surface. It's forming rising up from the water, and parting with unnatural grace with neer a drop of water upon it's silver-white form from the unbroken lake surface upon it as it's sail billows upon an unseen nor felt wind. The small dhow would emerge and drift above the world below it, bobbing on some unseen current of the arcane nearly ten feet from the ground below it. Nikolai would peer intently at the ship, a pair of lithe sweeping wings would flow below the vessel, indicating clearly it was not designed for sailing upon the sea like any traditional vessel of the day.
The silent vessel would radiate a faint soft silver glow, almost as if it eternally radiated the ambient light from the moon above. This small shimmering vessel would glide smoothly from the surface of the lake and ebb slowly upon the shore, coming to rest at the edge of the plaza, bobbing slowly in place as it rocks gingerly on waves and ebbing tides of the aether.
Nikolai would stare in dumbstruck awe at the vessel as it arrived upon the material world, having drifted from the lake! His brow narrowed sharply as he tried to wrack his brain to see if what he was seeing was entirely real or the prank of an errant mage gone wrong. However the longer he watched, the more he realized this floating vessel was indeed right there in the plaza where he and his friends had been occupying but moments before.
The luminous ark would drift silently, as it's sails would reef themselves without interaction from anyone aboard. As the vessel bobbed, a solitary figure would move within the confines of the craft, shifting about as they rummage about on the ship. After a few long moments a slight figure would slide themselves upon the edge of the vessel, dropping down as hushed as a whisper, long shimmering silver strain loops of cloth fluttering as they land upon the plaza, the details of their form muddled by a shimmering silver light that seems to spring from the center of their being.
Nikolai would peer out at the figure, pushing himself up slowly as he watches their movements, trying to make sense of what he was seeing and what exactly was unfolding before him. That was until he felt the frigid cold akin to ice water dousing his mind. The once quiet limb would violently seize and shudder as it's arcane matrices would stir back to life. The click of the myriad of gears and the faint thrum of the crystals within would startle Nikolai, causing him to give a pained gasp, as he reached over to slap his hand down upon the seizing limb, as it worked to syncopate with his mind once more. The dull clatter of his struggle with his own reawakening limb would stifled, but none too soon, the shimmering figure pausing as it moved towards the vast orrery, it's attention refocused as it watched the hedge-line that Nikolai was concealed within. Vaguely, a dull humanoid shape would flash within this wreathing corona of dull silver light, their form indistinct but not too far from that of Nikolai's own height.
After a few long moments the shimmering form would move over, it's footsteps long and purposefully as it makes it's way over to the cracked marble base of the vast construct of gold, silver and bronze. This light garbed figure would gesture wordlessly to the vast construct, which had long sat inert and slumbering, though it seemed for no longer would it sleep. The vast orbs and mirrors would wind themselves, the heavy groan of unmoved and time-locked arcane matrices and gears stirring as they start to wind and move at the silent bidding of this newly arrived figure.
The veiled lad stares in dumbstruck awe, as what he'd once assumed as an inert monument, stir to life, the vast mirrors and orbs of rare arcane augites would flare to life, their colors dancing in splashing hues as they began to move and wheel about in prearranged arcs and paths, leaving bright and shimmering contrails to mark their path. The entire mechanism would wheel about, churning in vast flurries of movement, that despite their size and ill maintained nature, would move with unerring silence, the only note of their awakening, being that of the lights they cast over the small plaza and radiated out into the dense overgrown garden beyond. The vast and dulled mirrors would lower themselves on articulated spindly bronze limbs down before the shimmering form, whom merely indicates to them in gesture, their weathered faces, flashing bursts of color and slowly resolving into faded images, blurring past at breakneck speeds.
The mirrors angled themselves towards the figure, half circling around them, as they displayed vast vistas far and distant, from smoke choked and wreathed lands, covered in rusting steel to vast incomprehensible views of the celestial seas above, churning and roiling as vast swatches of color would expand and roil in the abyss of the stars above. This figure would merely stand unmoved as it brushes it's hand aside, the mirrors altering their focus as it seemed the mirrors would reflect the very spot they were standing upon, as if seen from above the plaza itself, this mechanism some sort of divining tool or instrument long forgotten.
Another gesture from the figure would pull the images away, the view racing skyward, and rocketing far above Ferina, the might port a tiny mote of green upon an ocean canvas of blue. The image racing southward, past several dozens vessels unaware of this scrying as it races headlong towards the edge of the southern seas. The view resolving itself above a small barren isle, bereft of active habitation, with broken and ruined structures clustering it's surface. The scene would alter it's perspective, the isle sat among a small island chain, solely upon the edge of a vast and unimaginably large storm wall.
Upon the distant horizon of his unnamed isle, would the southernmost reach of it's horizon be blocked by an unceasing storm wall, churning and roiling as it stirs the seas, arcs of lightning dancing and crashing into the seas, as a churning fog ebbs as surface level. This swirling supercell, seems to reach into the distance along the southern horizon, racing far into the skies above and seeming like an impossible bulwark of heaving clouds and fog.
Nikolai's eyes would widen, for he'd heard of this place, yet never had his eyes dreamed of beholding it. He'd risk rising up slightly, poking his head slowly above the edge of the bush as he watches the figure, silently observe and review the vision laid before them. An unbidden shiver would dance up Nikolai's back, as the dancing fog that clung to the seas surface in the images bore a sickly silver-white sheen, the dancing images within his head of his dreams race to the forefront of his mind. He swallowed dryly, moving to adjust his position so as to allow him a closer view of the mirrors and their projected arcane images upon their burnished surfaces. The Fog-Tides, inwardly he shivers at the mention of such fabled and feared regions of the sea, he'd recall back upon conversations with Captain Bulgraff whom would grow stoic and pale faced when such a region was mentioned, this abhorred region of sea well known for taking ships into it's wispy embrace, only for them to neer be seen again.
The curious lad had to know more, those roiling clouds of Fog, they seemed unnaturally familiar in their nature and make, the long and dreary time spent fruitlessly seeking out information would drive the boy into action. He'd move and quietly rise up from the bush in which he had shelter. He'd slowly keep his grip upon the lightly shaking artificial limb which seemed to go wild at this untamed and ancient magic that was weaved before them, as he maneuvers himself silently towards the shelter of one of the elegant fins of the silver ship. He'd keep himself low as he takes long strides to clear the plaza, racing towards the silver ship that bobbed and ebbed at it's unseen anchorage. He'd cast a worried glance towards the figure, whom seemed far too preoccupied with the vast images that now resolved and rotated back to their current location, westward from St. Ferina towards a chain of isles south of the ancient nautical empire of Le'Garde.
Nikolai would duck down beside the sweeping fine of the vessel, careful not to touch the silver-white timbers that composed it's construction, as he feared what might result if he did. He'd slide himself forward, moving to the edge of this new hiding place as he watched the figure, and their work, trying to mull over a way to approach this figure without startling them. Truthfully, it was him that he had to convince to approach this entity, his knees buckled and quaked at the sight of it's shimmering form, it was aethereal, so unnatural and out of place within the natural world it made him sick to his stomach. His hands shook in dull fear, trembling before this unnatural entity, for all he knew it could wheel about in place and extinguish him from the material plane with but a thought. His gnawing pit of fear at this core, knew that if this entity could reawaken ancient arcane devices that even the most talented scholars of Ferina could not rouse, than would it even be wise to disturb their work?
As he thought over and actively debated if he should or shouldn't approach the entity, the vessel next to him, would dip suddenly as if the unseen current of the arcane winds it rode upon, would shutter. The vessel would dip low enough for Nikolai's shoulder to contact with the silver surface of the crafts hull, he'd feel a gentle warmth press down upon his arm as he comes into contact with the dhow. He'd feel a sudden cold chill douse his mind, unerringly familiar to that of his own arm. The vessel seemed to terrifyingly enough of it's own accord, reach forth and caress the mind of Nikolai. However, unlike his faux arcane driven limb, he'd feel something other-wordly brush against the confines of his mind, an ethereal caress with something ancient and venerable but entirely of it's own being. This shock would cause Nikolai to cry out in fear, as he wheels back and away from the vessels hull, falling down with a clatter upon the plaza's stones with a din that for the briefest moment would drown the soft hum of the orrery in full motion.
Nikolai would impact upon the ground, with a wince of pain, as he grips his side, having landed on one of the tomes that Benedict had given him. He'd shudder, feeling the cold arcane brush fade from his mind, a dull warmth replacing such as he stares fearfully at the drifting ship. Such was until he felt a dull warmth spread across his right side, a faint silver light now illuminating him, as he'd shudder, refusing to look towards its source, as he covers his face, the intensity of it's glow focused squarely upon him and him alone. The shimmering figure would draw closer to Nikolai as he lays upon the earth, trying to scramble back, only to find his body refuses his command.
This shimmering form would stoop down before Nikolai, the bright silver light about them, peeling back and resolving into a lithe and humanoid form still indistinct and unfocused, reach out towards him. A dulcet female tone ebbing with the figure was it seemingly attempts to offer her hand out to him,
"Peace be upon you! Fear not child of Man, for it is most fortuitous that I have found one of your kind on this most dreadful of nights..."