Private Ilmea's Lament Coast to Coast

[Siondhe]

Her shock had dissipated only to the point of which she turned with both shock and confusion towards Fiora as the other mentioned cutting down the body. At first, she'd been about to argue, but as Kyra watched the other, she realised it was a matter of respect and importance, rather than desolation of the corpse itself. She...cares? It seemed odd somehow to Kyra, that there was a softness in the woman she'd only recently met. It reminded her, however, how little she knew about her new companion - and how making assumptions was inappropriate in such a manner.

Without a word, she stepped forward and slashed out at the rope holding up the individual, using the dart at the end of the chain to cut through where rope met ceiling. She was careful to remain out of the way, knowing enough about the deceased to realise that once the rope was cut, it would crumble to the ground with a heavy weight behind it.

The thud was soft against the otherwise quiet air, which only made Kyra more nervous. It seemed as though it was either muffled, or the deceased wasn't quite the pile of bones and flesh it seemed to be. She didn't look up from it as she spoke, her voice level and void of any emotion at the suggestion she made.

Should we...open it up? Perhaps there's something inside that can tell us the cause...of all this. Or at least give us some insight into...I don't know, something? I mean, who hangs themselves in the middle of an office in a weird lighthouse? That seems...unnatural, doesn't it?

Her experience in this world may have been limited, as much as her experience with solving crimes and hunting down ghosts may have been, but she had an odd feeling that it was considered out of the ordinary regardless of the other situations that were in play.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noted the door that Fiora had mentioned, her curiosity trumped by the excessive fear she felt growing within herself. She hadn't needed the warning to avoid the door, and she almost argued against the idea of opening it later - if the need ever came up. Hopefully it doesn't come up, I'd prefer not to find what's in the closet.

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

It took her completely by surprise to hear the fox suggest tearing open a corpse, quizzical at how Kyra seemingly found the best course of action to be just that. Either her good eye was lost, or she misjudged the first impressions throughfuly; It simply didn't seem like something someone like her would do. It served as a reminder: No one is sane in Terrasphere.

She weighed their options for a moment. It was either doing this or opening more doors, even if the chances of finding anything remotely useful within were practically null, but by the time that could even be brought up, she already had pulled the knife strapped on her waist. Quietly agreeing on the task, Fiora dropped on one knee and pressed the steel tip against the rugged shirt of their patient, slicing it off and exposing their torso. Just as pale as their face, and nothing seemingly out of the ordinary beyond the marks left on it's neck from the rope's merciless grip.

What caught her attention first was the surge of magic that seemed to be coming from -within-. The second, and most in-line with Kyra's reasoning, was the mangled scar going all the way to it's belly. it was too perfect to be the work of a beast, and lacked the ramification lightning would cause. Giving a glance back to the Fox was the biggest flag she could wave, a last warning before finally thrusting the blade in.

While she couldn't mimic surgical precision, ending up acting more like a butcher in this case. The stoicness only a practitioner could have was, if anything, her saving grace. It would be cringe-inducing to do this outside of the game. Being an elf had it's benefits, as twisted as they were.

The first thing to notice was the lack of blood. Not a droplet stained the blade, and even if the insides were all intact, deteriorated as they were, it looked like every liquid simply got... Flushed. The ribcage had a hole on it's center, fracturing it in two separate pieces were an object was lodged deep inside.

An object that, as of now, confirmed the body was not just a body. It seemed like a metal stick, a hilt so to speak, and every fiber in her body told her to be cautious, as magic was laced all over the object itself. Fiora stood up and pointed her knife right back at the body and this mysterious object.

"Pull it out." Sheathing the knife, Fiora snapped her fingers and let a flame linger on the palm of her hand, the fire dancing around, amorphous until it begun to shape into a strange letter, a rune more precisely. "I'll shield you should it be cursed, can't risk it if you aren't good enough with your magical masteries yet." Afterall, keeping spirits locked away is one of her specialties.

Spoiler: If Kyra pulls it out.

The object offers some resistance. It's quite difficult to say how much, because the more one tugs on it, the more metal starts to come out, and it becomes evident very quickly that it should not fit into a body, not without protruding in an awfully obvious manner.

Each pull brings along the unease that someone is watching, that to even grasp onto this shaft of sorts is part of what brought this Lander to end itself. Whispers begin to grow louder and louder, a tingle across the skin reminds her she can sweat within this game. Or was it her imagination?

The thing almost begun to push against the Fox's grasp as if a kid wanting to stay curled inside it's bedsheets, and yet it finally gave in, the eccentric hilt revealed to be a dark obsidian and amethyst, the chain coloured on the latter wrapped tightly around it. The end, however, begun to push sideways instead, and with a little more effort it would come out clean, revealing exactly what it is...

"Either it's hiding it's presence from me, or it's just not cursed enough to hurt you." Fiora pointed out as she glanced at the weapon itself. Almost a magical catalyst on it's own right. The rune on her hand begun to fizzle and die off once it proved to be safe to handle, at least for now. It looking vaguely familiar in her eye, didn't make her any less wary of it in the first place. "Can you feel it? It has some sort of connection with the lighthouse." She frowned, as it's something she couldn't quite put a finger on yet, but just by looking at it it's clearly the case.

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra nodded as Fiora pulled out the knife and glanced back at her, as if asking if she was sure she wanted to proceed with the process. It was far from the first time Kyra had seen an autopsy - perhaps a human autopsy, but she'd seen plenty of animals during her time as a veterinary technician in the real world. She watched as Fiora began her work, more reminiscent of a butcher tearing into a pig. She considered commenting on the work, but kept her mouth shut and waited patiently, cringing to herself as she watched.

She glanced over at the corpse as Fiora stepped back, noticing the dark rod of metal inside, and she felt her eyebrows rise in surprise and confusion, ever so slightly. She glanced back and forth between the corpse and Fiora, her mouth opening slowly as she tried to figure out her question.

Is...is that normal...?

She already knew the answer long before Fiora could say anything, and as the other suggested grabbing it, Kyra found herself hesitating. There was no disgust in the idea, no concern over the action itself, but rather a hesitation in the concern regarding the mention of a curse. Would...that be truly bad? In this world? How long would such a thing last...? It reminded her of how little she knew about TerraSphere, and how much she still had to experience and overcome.

Steeling herself as best as she could, she reached in with a controlled hand - an image of experience obvious in movement and appearance - and began to pull the metal piece out. Seconds passed, and Kyra began to wonder what she was pulling on, what could possibly be inside of this thing. She wiggled it about as she pulled, remembering the times that she had helped farm animals give birth.

It's just...like on the farms...

She whispered the words, oddly loud against the otherwise quiet environment. As she gave the final twists, the piece came into sight. Kyra found herself staring at it for a time in silence, a mixture of confusion and wonder at the weapon in her hand - for there was no doubt it was a weapon.

It...it feels like...me?

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

Nothing but a glance served as an answer for Kyra. Fiora could forgive her for it this time around, given she seemed to be a new player, but the situation itself clearly screams 'Not Normal' from every angle she sees it from.

By now it had to be clear, but if anything this should be proof enough for the fox.

"Strange farm you work at." She crossed her arms against her chestplate, watching intently as her partner begun to appraise the scythe itself. Far from a standard weapon, but the design didn't give the idea this was merely a farmer's tool either, and whatever magic it carried only seemed to validate her assessment of it, yet it was the least of her worries, as the elf took a step closer to Kyra, golden eye lingering over her features for a while. Focusing hard enough to peel the face off her partner, metaphorically speaking, in an attempt to look beneath the surface.

"Don't," Truth be said, she couldn't get a grasp on what's inside the scythe, yet the magic was palpable even at this distance, and it left a sour taste in her mouth akin to cinders and steel. "At least not until we get out of here and confirm it's not merely a tool to possess you." Fiora nodded towards the exit as she begun to make her way back given there was rooms still to be checked. "Let's go farm girl. We got work to do."

The Scythe begun to pull on Kyra's grasp, like a dog yanking from it's leash to guide it's owner elsewhere, or in this case, aim itself towards the door with the wax keyhole. A mere suggestion, at least, given it had no power to break free nor did it feel like that, yet it just as much made it clear that it yearns for something.

Something right behind that door.

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra looked up at the Elfen woman as they commented on the farmwork, staring at the woman for a few seconds before realising how confusing it must've been to hear Kyra's own statement. Giggling slightly, she decided to at least clear up any confusion the other may be having - considering how little they knew about one another, anyways.

I work as a vet tech...it's not unusual to have our hands inside animals. For...well, medical reasons.

She gave a shrug, before turning back at the sudden pull of the scythe. She didn't ignore Fiora's warning - there was something off-putting about it to Kyra, regardless of the fact that it seemed to call to her. At the same time, however, she couldn't ignore the way it did pull. The way it seemed to try and draw her attention towards...

...it wants us to go through the door.

Even as she said it aloud, she knew it was a bad idea. She knew that there was danger to be found beyond it - that every sense in her body was screaming against it. It was through those screaming senses that she felt herself rise to her feet, make the few steps to the door, and place her hand upon the handle. A quick glance back towards Fiora, more to make sure the Elfen was still there than anything else, before she pulled open the door.

Huh...

The single word echoed back to Kyra, as she stared at a large, winding staircase. One which led back down, but which she very clearly remembered not being present on the main floor that they had been on mere moments ago. She leaned in through the door slightly, glancing down into the darkness before confirming she couldn't see anything of value.

Well...it's not like we have anything to fear yet, do we?

She didn't wait for an answer, instead heading into the stairwell and making her way down the steps. The scythe in her hand was gripped tightly, somehow both comforting and uncomfortable as she made her way into the darkness - a beacon which both called to whatever was to come, as well as a part of her that felt homely.

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

The parallels were clear. Sure, the human body and a cow's is plenty different, but some things tend to overlap, such as pulling scythes out of their bodies. "So you do this often, huh..?" She nodded towards the fox's newfound weapon, as to imply what her thoughts kept private.

Fiora walked over to Kyra, eyeing both the accursed weapon and the door itself, the restraint in Kyra's voice a shared sentiment between them, as nothing good could come from following a spirit's whims, if that's what this is. "Oh I'm sure it does..." Sarcasm kept at a minimum as she stood against the wall right next to the door frame, waiting for her partner to 'breach' and step in.

The pause and echo of their voice, however, made her drop any tactic as the room turned out not to be one, but a stairway to hell, given it only went deeper. "Ladies first." She stretched a hand out towards it, lackadaisical moreso than playful about it, closing the door right behind them as darkness would practically engulf them.

Then a flame bursted from her fingers, the red and orange from her flames clashing against the purple hue of the scythe that illuminated just a little infront of them, but not enough to get a better view beneath. Even with a lightsource, it felt like the ceiling could never be seen, and the walls never existed to begin with. Every step brings an echo, yet quick enough she realized there was more to it than mere noise from their footsteps.

Something lurked beneath shadow's veil, as the whispers from the Scythe grew stronger- Or rather, the ones that didn't belong to it, as a hundred voices circled the duo. Either fascination or jealousy is what shielded them right now, given the weapon gave no room for them to touch the pair. Moreso it's wielder than their partner.

"The only thing I fear is for this cat and mouse game to never end. But perhaps it wants to kill us via exhaustion," Fiora rolled her eye, lifting her hand a little higher than earlier to keep their 'torch' up. "If so, It's working, nothing like infinite stairs to do so."

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

The Elfen woman held her humour, Kyra had to admit. Almost to a fault, if she were being entirely truthful - not that it was problematic by any means. Kyra had learnt, in her profession, that one needed to maintain a level of humour in order to survive. It was often a coping mechanism that kept the mind from breaking under stress, or the continuous situations it was having to push through.

Her eyes glanced down the stairway as the woman proffered her the chance to take the lead. Kyra hesitated for a single second, before realising how that might look to the other. Throwing on a confident smile - one which was very clearly forced and lacking any real confidence at all - she turned back to the Elfen and nodded towards the stairway.

Well, if you're scared...then just follow me. You can hold my hand if you need some help.

Kyra's tail flicked slightly as they made their way down the stairs, the small light that Fiora had summoned providing a small glow that barely lit up the step before them. Still, it helped keep either of them from tumbling down the stairway itself, which Kyra figured was likely a good thing.

The stairs felt like they had gone on forever, although in reality it was only a few moments before they touched the end, the steps giving out to surface. The area was dark, but against the darkness Kyra could tell that they had come to a long corridor, one which seemed to stretch on for several metres before ending in a wall. She gave a single glance at Fiora, before leading the two of them across to the wall itself, finding a wooden door in it's centre that was slightly ajar. As they came to a stop before it, Kyra slowly recognised that a glow of purple seemed to leak out from the small crack.

Shall we...?

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

"Please, with how confident you seem, I figured you would do for a great frontliner right now." Humoured sincerity made a joke out of her words. Of course, both of them could tell Kyra was far from a bastion of confidence right now, despite the attempt being all she needed to wield in her case, as Fiora tagged along with a tense arm, close enough to intervene should something crawl out from the shadows and aim for the Fox.

Once they reached the end, their first step proved to cause no cracks nor screeches, as wood was replaced with stone and the ground felt wet, their boots splashing invisible liquid as nothing could be -seen- but heard. Even the light they used to light their path could not find the beginning or end of their shoes. Something had shrouded their legs, leaving them difficult to find despite sensations being heightened by this absence in sight.

'Dead end..?'

Was her first thought as they both met eyes at the sudden wall in their path. Thankfully, the Fox acted swiftly to lead them both past and onto their true destination: A crooked wooden door with a little gap leaving suspicious lights coming through. Fiora hummed, her expression turned into a scowl as she pushed through to stand in-between Kyra and the door.

Fiora nodded. "Let's get this over with." resolute, she stopped with a hand hovering over the knob as she awaited for Kyra to steel herself before giving it a twist and slamming the door open...

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra managed to force a grin on her face as Fiora joked - or at least she hoped she was joking - about the small fox-girl taking the frontlines. Her hands gripped her kusarigama tighter as she glanced at the door, before shaking her head and responding in an obviously subdued voice compared to how she'd sounded earlier.

As much as I'd be pleased to...I'm not exactly frontline material...

She held her breath as Fiora reached outwards and grabbed the handle, slamming the door open and revealing the room beyond. Kyra felt her breath hiss out as the room came into view; a simple circular stone-wall, about six metres across, with a small table off to the left, surrounded by chairs, and a bed off to the right that appeared unused for quite some time.

The room itself appeared dustless, as though someone - or something - had been keeping it maintained. Unused for certain, but maintained nonetheless. Kyra's quick glance over it gave her the impression that it was far from abandoned, in contrast to the rest of the lighthouse that they had seen thus far. Glow. It had caught her attention as soon as she'd entered, but she'd refused to look at the cause of it until now.

The glow came from a figure standing in the centre of the room, an ethereal form that very clearly was anything but a living form from this world. Kyra came to a stop a few steps behind Fiora, her nerves taking hold as she felt a rigid cold pass up her spine, causing her to shiver in response. Even as she was considered what they should be doing, how they should be reacting, whether it was friendly or hostile, the thing seemed to speak - it's mouth moving, but the sound somehow coming as if from far away.

Why...why have you come...why have you come to...my home...

Kyra found herself silent, unable to respond, as the fear welled up inside her. She wanted to call out, to assure it they meant no harm, and yet somehow, she found herself locked in place. Unable to move, unable to respond, the cold washing over her as the form swelled slightly in her vision, pressing in against her with an aura that seemed to threaten to swallow her whole. Her eyes wide, she took a half-step backwards, as if preparing to run...

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

A closed fist rested on her side as she prepared a nasty jab for whatever could be waiting past the door. "I'll take the punches, don't worry." Fiora reassured, putting her weight behind the door to slam it open then flow back to her sword's hilt as she aimed to unsheath it in one single move.

The blade partially left it's scabbard before it came to a halt as the room was revealed to be nearly empty beyond the few essentials present, her first thoughts being that of a bedroom. As far as her eye could see, it was the fairest of the rooms, despite that not amounting to much overall.

Yet the quick eyeing didn't go further than on the figure standing within said room, the most unnatural of the bunch, and the only reason why her instincts told her to keep her weapon ready. A hand reached out behind her, if only to confirm Kyra's whereabouts - The frustratingly small room made it difficult for a fight to break out without the fox being exposed to crossfire.

The ugly contour of animosity on her features didn't recess even as the ghost didn't want to draw first blood thus far, her ear fluttering as her partner already backed off a little.

"Are you the one making a mess out of the Lighthouse?" Her flat voice followed a spell, a flame lighting across her sword's sheath, coating weapon and scabbard alike on choleric fires as she took a guarded step backwards, if only to gain one foot of distance between the ghost and themselves.

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

Mess...lighthouse...mess...desecration...ones who come to defile...my home! They come! They come! They come!

The thing seemed to suddenly launch into a hysterical fit, the arms raising towards the sky, as if reaching out for something, all while it began to scream in response to Fiora's question - a scream which seemed to pierce Kyra's ears with such force she was sure it would destroy her eardrums.

I...I don't think it's happy!

Kyra called out from behind Fiora as the screeching lulled for a moment, the thing seemingly glancing around for a threat. To Kyra's eyes, it somehow seemed lost, and...almost afraid, as if it were searching for danger to itself. She watched, cautiously, considering it like she would a trapped animal. Slowly, cautiously, she stepped to the side, revealing herself from behind Fiora - and causing the spirit's eyes to lash onto her almost instantly. She felt herself reel into herself slightly at the attention, but forced herself to speak - even if her words came haltingly.

Did...did someone come here to...to harm you? Did some...did people make the mess? Did...did they...hurt you?

Her questions seemed to reach the spirit, and Kyra watched as it pulled back in what seemed to be an expression of horror or fear, as if the fox-girl had lashed out and slapped the thing. For a breath, it was entirely quiet, but when it spoke it was with a measure of sorrow that seemed to reach Kyra.

Harm...hurt...they did so much...so much pain...so much horror...so much destruction...I feel...still feel...my skin! My bones! I feel it!

Whatever more the spirit wanted to say was lost in the sudden shrieking that it unleashed, the sound similar to an animal screaming in pain. Kyra's ears flattened atop her head as she glanced over at towards Fiora with a worried expression. Something wasn't right, and it wasn't just that the spirit shouldn't exist - there was something more here, something that Kyra couldn't quite figure out yet. Without letting a sound out, she calmed mouthed the words to the other woman; What should we do?

Notice

The Spirit Has Become Ecstatic
The spirit creature has become ecstatic and irrational, make a check to see if you're able to calm it!
Make a presence check and review the results below!

Spoiler: Results

Success! | Failure!

• You have managed to calm the spirit through your very presence alone! On a roll result of 50 or more, the spirit appears to calm enough to remain stationary and communicative.
• The spirit has lost control and become aggressive! On a roll result of 49 or less, the spirit loses control of itself - your presence does nothing to calm it as it becomes enraged and dangerous! Use the below statblock as the creature becomes threatening!
  
  [box2][CENTER][banner=#cf4051][size=5][B]<Lost Spirit>[/B][/size] [fa]fas fa-shield-halved[/fa] [B]DC 100 [/B][fa]fas fa-axe[/fa] [B]RETAL 65[/B][/CENTER][/banner][IMG]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1177303790471356426/1182770113691258970/Ghostly_Figure.jpg?ex=6585e781&is=65737281&hm=95d091cc338c31e893df3ec216e9173f40d5ac8b11644e371c106359620589c5&[/IMG] [CENTER][enemyhp=400]400[/enemyhp][/CENTER] [box][I][B]Already Dead.[/B] [/I]The first time the <Lost Spirit> is reduced to 200 or less HP it immediately recovers 2d100.[/box][/box2]
  

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

She opted not to answer Kyra, if only to keep them from agitating the spirit any further with remarks it could hear. The verbal lash out made her stand her ground in preparation to what would be an encounter with this apparition, her grasp tightening around the handle. Her laser focused stare ended up breaking once the fox stood next to her, that mere slip of a second to glance at her making her heart skip a beat, expecting the worst to come their way as soon as eye contact was broken.

Fortunately this was no animal on attack mode, yet it's attention span shot over to her partner. She hated how tense the situation had grown, the distance being too short for anyone to react at a first strike, and yet Fiora knew making the first move if only to better ensure Kyra's safety would be a self-fulfilling prophecy for their doom.

Answers brought more questions, her eye darting from the shrieking ghost over to Kyra with a pained expression as their ears were assaulted with otherworldly soprano frequencies. It's evident that there was more than met the eye happening.

The ceiling..?

Whatever haunted this spirit clearly came from elsewhere. Before time could run any shorter, her hands spread forth, grasping invisible forces through thin air as fire begun to crawl out of her fingers and onto the space between both palms, her fingers toying with it as if it had strings to twist and re-shape the flame itself, until it became but a shadow of it's former self.

Thin lines like cobwebs begun to form beneath the ground the ghost occupied, as runes were traced one after another, leaving a burnt mark on the wood yet not spreading any further as it's purpose was made clear:

As soon as it completed itself, a burst of mana was shot to the ceiling, turning it blueish for a few moments before it returned back to normal once she had created a barrier to block out this third party's influence.

"Kyra, ask... Who is coming, who defiled this... Place." The spell took more from her than she wished for, a loud gasp and her stance finally broke as the spell came full circle. Panting, as if she had run a marathon and only now came back to check on the Fox, Fiora straightened herself, locking eyes with her as she nodded towards the ghost.

Maybe this was not the culprit, but the victim, and that only complicated matters more if there were more than one ghost to deal with...

---

Rolls

Expertise Check
1d100 (42) + 25 = 67

Presence | Fiora Di Angelo | Coast

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra nodded even as the awe and shock spread through her, responding to Fiora's direction faster than she would've imagined she could do. The sudden lash of weaving, the spell encompassing the spirit, had taken Kyra by surprise - but the spirit itself seemed entirely unconcerned, as if aware it would not be hurt, yet.

Who is coming...? Who hurt you? Tell us, and maybe we can help you!

Kyra's voice held little in the way of confidence, but it also didn't fluctuate with fear as she expected. Instead, it came out hesitant, but unwavering, a sign that she was still in control of herself for the moment at least. The spirit seemed to turn it's eyes towards Kyra as the fox-girl spoke, seeming to bore into her as it refocused upon her.

If...if you tell us...maybe we can help...maybe we can do something about it...I mean...we could try...you never know...maybe we can make them go away...

She stumbled over her words as the spirit stared, her confidence wavering entirely as she felt the entire pressure of the glare. She had already looked down towards the ground, her gaze dropping immediately as she realised she was uncomfortable looking at it. Breaths seemed to pass as the silence continued, and Kyra was beginning to wonder if she'd said something wrong, if she'd done something wrong, when it finally spoke again.

Help...you would help...me? I haven't...had help...forever...alone...alone in this...world...

Kyra's ear twitched slightly as she waited, curious to see what the spirit would say. Perhaps it would accept her offer, would let them try and help.

I accept...drive them out! The top...look for the top...below the light...find them...drive them out!

The figure suddenly collapsed in on itself, disappearing in a sudden shift from glowing light to pure darkness, and leaving the two alone in the room. Kyra waited, watching for a few seconds for the thing to reappear somewhere else, to charge them or scream again, but it became clear that they were alone now.

Turning to look at Fiora, she gave a weak smile as she tried to jest, her words hollow and empty of any humour - but filled with a level of fear that bespoke to just how scared she truly was.

So...that went well, right? I mean...we're alive, and not...spirit food?

She felt herself waver suddenly, reaching out and placing a hand against the doorframe to hold herself upright. She hadn't realised how much energy she'd been putting into not running away, not trying to escape. Maybe I'm not cut out for this...

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

There was hesitation from both parties. Kyra's confidence crumbled as the spirit's gaze lingers on, an armored hand lifting to try and comfort the fox, pausing short of her shoulder before pulling it back to her side. Fiora kept herself from exhaling a sigh, even if the sentiment still resonated in her mind. It was best to let Kyra learn from the experience than to intervene and rob her from the possibility of growth.

Despite how shaky her voice was, how fleeting it's tone, how weakened she looked, the fox held herself against the supernatural enough for the spectre to finally speak. It's ways shocking her, as for once the dead were not cryptic about their wishes. She would be rolling both eyes as they had confirmation now that the top of the lighthouse as she had guessed, if she wasn't down to one...

As the exchange ended and their purpose got made clear, a flick from her fingers snuffed the life off the rune, becoming nothing more than an occult-looking carving on the ground, her eye never once losing sight of it as she anticipated as much as Kyra did for an ambush, only to be hit by anti-climatic (and rather opportune) disappointment.

"It's always at the top..." A pinch of resentment aimed at herself for letting some apparition misguide them, yet what's done is done, and what's important isn't rushing the job, but the opportunities this granted, as by the time she turned back to the entrance and the long, pitch-black climb that awaited them, Kyra opted to take a breather.

As she made her way closer, Fiora stretched out a hand to pat Kyra on her shoulder, giving it a light, reassuring squeeze. "We got what we needed without a fight. You did well." Her tone grew flat, focusing on her natural traits to trigger Painbearing, her eye twitching once as she allowed some of Kyra's fear to work as coals for her own powers, freeing her of some but not all of the burden it caused. "It can be a lot for a newcomer, specially one as empathetic as you." She explained with a mixture of approval and pity - A quality that could be a blessing and a curse, the lack of made it much easier to handle the stress Terrasphere could cause.

'it's just a game' was a faulty yet effective method of absolving oneself.

"Let's hurry up, if I'm not wrong we are almost past-lunch. Once we make it out, drinks are on me." Another pat combo on Kyra's shoulder before pushing through the doorframe, letting her hand rest idle on Last Hope's pommel.

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra smiled hesitantly towards Fiora as the other tried to comfort her, the hand on her shoulder seeming to ease away some of the fear and discomfort she'd been feeling. She still felt a little shaky, but her legs had regrown their strength enough to allow her to step forwards. Looking upwards, she mused her thoughts aloud, admitting to Fiora's original claim.

Yeah...I had a feeling as well...but maybe like other games, it doesn't come out until you've activated it? I wonder if we would've found...whatever is waiting up there for us, if we hadn't come here first? The good old, point A to point B and not more than Point C first, method.

She waved a hand as she spoke, as if pointing to each location as she mentioned the various points. She'd always hated that in games - the restrictions of linear movement that didn't allow you to go anywhere but where you needed to go. She'd been spoiled with her various open world games, and she'd been thinking that TerraSphere would, perhaps, be another of those.

Well...I would say that we're done down here, at least. Should we head up to the tops of the tower? Maybe we'll find something more interesting.

She waited only a few seconds for a response, before making her way back to the staircase. The stone steps wound upwards, the pathway similar to Kyra as she made her way back up them; differing only in the ways that the turned opposite of when they'd originally come down. The climb felt shorter, as if it was only half the time required to traverse the stairway, and Kyra found herself musing about the ways in which distances could feel different even if they were the same - that was until she stepped out of the doorway and into the room at the top of the stairs.

What the-

She looked around in confusion, the original room where they'd found the staircase gone, replaced instead by what appeared to be the very first floor of the lighthouse; the door opening out behind a box of crates that Kyra was sure she'd looked at during their first review of the floor. She quickly glanced back inside the doorway, confirming that the stairs went no further upwards.

Weren't we...a floor up...before?

She looked to Fiora in confusion, shaking her head as she came to the conclusion that the tower had somehow changed during their period in the subfloor. She couldn't help but wonder what else might be different, and whether their original exploration had just been made pointless.

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

Fiora quickly rised a hand up to stop Kyra as soon as she begun to gesture her point across. "Terrasphere is not a game, and it doesn't follow videogame logic either." She crossed her arms, voice gone dry as the elf continued after a short, thoughtful pause. "Don't think about it for now, you will come to that conclusion on your own." It was a matter of when and not if. A line Fiora wouldn't cross, as Kyra had no need to be bombarded with unecessary information right now where it could get them both killed.

With little need for extra motivation by now, Fiora begun to move towards the staircase as Kyra suggested to reach the top. "Agreed." If they didn't find it at the top, then there had to be something interesting on the way there.

The climb was alarmingly short, the doorway revealed not past a few seconds, as either a trick of the mind or the lighthouse's. Kyra's confusion about the room made a groan resonated through her throat as she kept her mouth shut, stepping in to get a better clue on what the fox saw- The very bottom of the Lighthouse, they were one step below still. Glancing up to the ceiling, where it became pitch black and spiraled upwards to where their destination was at, Fiora sighed. "No time to check all the floors then. If it keeps changing like this, it might get worse than just getting us back to the start."

She nodded towards the now metallic staircase. "Unless it's necessary, we are not straying from the staircase, but just in case..." She clicked her tongue, pressing the palm of her hand against the wall closest to the stairs, fire searing a scorched palm mark onto it. "Leave a mark every now and then. If it changes again, then we hope these stick around and guide our way up."

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra watched the scorch mark appear on the wall, nodding at the directions. It made sense to leave marks upon the wall every so often, a sign of their passing - something that could be used to confirm whether they'd already made their way through the area, if it were to change again. Hopefully it doesn't disappear. She almost made the comment aloud, before realising that Fiora had likely already considered that possibility, and chosen not to voice it.

Straight to the top then...?

It was the only suggestion Kyra had, considering their situation. As Fiora had stated, there was no time, not point, in checking all the floors on the way up if the tower was simply going to change every time they encountered something.

You said not to think of this as a video game...how should I think of it then? This world is...well, I mean, it's fantastically real, but it's still just a computer system, is it not? Rules within rules, things that can occur, and things that can't. At what point do we stop considering it a game?

She mused aloud as she made her way towards the metal staircase, placing her foot upon the first step as she looked back at Fiora and voiced her question. She waited just long enough to get an answer before waving a hand in front of them to let Fiora take the lead. As much as Kyra wanted to complete the quest they'd been given - or rather the quest that they had taken up together - she was also smart enough to know that she was out of her depths, and not capable of leading them properly.

---

The top of the stairs ended in another room. Rounded, it had three hallways that led deeper into the tower, each one dark and as unappealing as the others around it. Kyra glanced down each one before making her way back to the top of the stairs with Fiora, shaking her head and shrugging.

Alright...any ideas?

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

"Yes." There was no other way but up eitherway, least they wanted to play cat & mouse with the Lighthouse itself. They would stop for a different matter however, as Kyra's thoughts were voiced outloud, a finger pointed upwards and wiggled once at the fox, gesturing at the question itself. "That is exactly what I meant. If you want an answer, wait until we are out of here first. Until then, pretend you are the girl who doesn't want to die." Delivered with evident finality, Fiora took the lead once Kyra signaled her to, climbing the monotone staircase as it spiraled upwards, with the only break from it being whenever they stepped into solid wood that lead to the next row, a pause that lasts shortly before the echoing steel resumed.

By now she had lost count how many times they had marked the Lighthouse, but when it felt like her brain would melt from impatience, they ended up reaching a room, a far cry from the true top. No lights, no windows, no ocean in sight, a sigh breaking through as this became a possible dead end yet again.

"Just one." Fiora replied, as this had to be her last hail mary to save themselves the trouble of climbing all the way back up. "If you feel confident, try and do the same, just don't waste too much mana." Without adding more suspense to her claims, her hand bursted into flames yet again, pressing it against the floor as the fire spread into three thin lines, one for each hallway, illuminating it as they slithered across the ground, in hopes of colliding with a source of magic that could point them to the right direction.

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

The hallways were alight with fire as Fiora tried her trick, and Kyra found her eyes blinking in response to the sudden brightness - perhaps not a blinding light, but a change from the otherwise darker shades she had been staring into moments before Fiora had attempted to lighten the way.

The outer hallways extended for a few steps before curving inwards towards the central hallway, linking up with it in an obvious manner as they disappeared from sight. Kyra stepped forward and noticed the entryways in the central hallway, confirming the connection of the outer two. She glanced back at Fiora with a slight shrug, waving a hand down the hall.

I guess it didn't really matter in the end...illusion of choice?

She waited for Fiora to step forward and lead the way down the hallway once more, falling in behind the Elfen. Kyra kept a small amount of distance between the two - close enough that she could see the form before her in the otherwise dark area, but not so close as to run into her if they came to a sudden stop.

As they continued forward, Kyra could hear something growing out of the darkness, a small tinking sound that reminded her of a tiny hammer on glass.

Do you hear that...?

Her question came after a few moments of the noise plinking in the distance, once Kyra figured the more mundane Elfen ears would be able to pick it up. She'd begun to slow her pace, something she only noticed when she'd glanced at Fiora's form for confirmation - realising suddenly that it seemed further away, and less solid, than it had been moments ago.

Hey...is that light?

Kyra suddenly noticed that she could see the form of Fiora - not perfectly, still somewhat more of an outline than anything, but visible still even with the sudden increase in distance. Even from behind the Elfen woman, Kyra had noticed a change in the darkness - an almost lessening that seemed to be shifting with every step; obvious now only due to the attention Kyra was giving to their surroundings.

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

The way all three paths connected seemed to be merely a trick for them to buy into. Or perhaps just whoever was behind it toying with them. Regardless, the light would soon die as their path forward was lit (in a metaphorical sense) and they had only to pick which side they fancied the most, with the center being the one Fiora favoured - Illusion of choice at it's finest.

Making sure to keep a fair distance with Kyra, her eye constantly glanced over her shoulder to make sure the fox is always in view. With each time she looked behind, the front only seemed to grow darker and darker, and the light footsteps from her partner slower and slower. The ring of glass and something else colliding onto it caught her attention, with Kyra being the first to mention it, and finally piecing together why she opted to lag behind. Fiora had to give credit to these ears of hers, as they clearly were better than her own.

Despite the comparison being unfair, two ears are better than one and a half-

"Stick close, I can't get a good look at what's around us. Be ready for anything." She replied, slowing down to a crawl as she unsheathed her blade. Golden iris focused up ahead as the pitch, abyssal blackness begun to subside. Shapes could be seen more clearly within the corridor, the walls and thec colour of choice coating the otherwise inexpressive bricks with some muted vibrancy.

The light begun to grow more intense, and so did this hammering noise, no longer distant, and yet it seemed like the end of a tunnel that never came to fruition, a blueballing sensation that left them both heading straight into a flashbang, their whole world turning pitch white in the process.

"Kyra..?" She called, temporary blindness and intense silence combined to pull them both apart. The only thing that guided them now... Was a hammer, drowning all other noises beyond the moans of many souls like the one they encountered before, and the echoing rumble of the scythe that hungered for said spirits.

@Kyra Varyth