Private Ilmea's Lament Coast to Coast

[Siondhe]

Kyra pulled the jacket closer around her as the wind brushed alongside the coastline again. She was happy that she'd purchased the purple overcoat, the piece keeping out the worst of the cold as she made her way along the roadway leading towards her destination. She'd been lucky enough to receive the work itself, convincing the apprehensive lawkeeper that she was more or less up to the task - although, as she'd been travelling she wondered if she'd oversold her capabilities.

There'd been rumours around the last village she'd travelled through, that the lighthouse along the coastline had been haunted by...something. Some referred to it as a Banshee, others simply called it a spirit or ghost. None could entirely agree on what it wanted, why it was here, or what it did - but everything that had been spoke made Kyra wonder if there wasn't more to the story.

She'd only been in Terrasphere for a few weeks - playing it whenever she had the chance - but she'd come to learn that not everything should be taken at face value. When she'd seen the ways in which the locals had cursed the spirit in the tower, as it had been called whenever they were referencing it, Kyra couldn't help but feel a similarity to it. Their tones, their words, their actions, everything reminded her of how they had treated her - and for some reason, she began to wonder if there really was a ghost haunting the tower, or if a real-worlder like herself had simply taken refuge there, away from the Landers that made the lives of Starcalled miserable.

Maybe they're one of those individuals who got stuck in the game.

Her words seemed to get whisked away with the wind, barely audible even to her fox ears. She pulled her jacket in close again as the crash of the wind struck her, forcing the warmth from her again and leaving her shaking. Beneath the jacket her tail tucked tighter around her left leg, trying to keep some measure of comfort in the harsh conditions.

It's so cold here...this wind is brutal. I hope the tower's here somewhere...

She'd been walking for a while now, and no matter how many times she turned a corner, she'd not spied any lighthouses along the edge of the coastline. The few individuals who had seemed content with her involvement had assured her, however, that this road led directly towards the lighthouse itself. They'd even gone so far as to confirm that it wouldn't appear until she was almost there, as if hidden from sight until she passed through a veil.

I'm sure it's there...I mean, they could've lied, but...I don't think they would've, not this time. Not with how fearful they were.

It was little comfort as she continued walking, continued making her way along the cold wind that wrapped the coastline. She huddled into her coat, keeping her eyes forwards and remembering that she was doing this for a good reason, a good cause. A little bit of suffering to help someone else...it's worth it. It's worth it.

---

Kyra pushes along the cold coastline, trying to locate something that may not even exist, all for the purpose of helping another...​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

The one-eyed fool walks across the coastline with only that torn cloak drapped around her shoulders and the clank of chainmail and steel tagging along, with the latter having gone quiet against the coast's open seas. The bitter cold and grim tales of Ilmea's Lament are far more welcoming than a sword or axehead to the face, or worse, given the tenacity of Falderen patrols in search of Starcalled or magia. What little her left ear could pick up was compensated by the right, as the silence deafens any thoughts and works as a filler of it's own. She couldn't deny however, that this itch on the back of her mind keeps her from fully dropping her guard. This much quiet is often an omen of what's to come.

Thankfully, instant calls for backup are not one of the things Terrasphere has available for the masses. She could rest easy knowing the chances of another patrol coming infront of her is very unlikely, specially around the coastline. She squinted, eye turned into a sharp thin line as she watched a single silhouette come in her direction, much as the elf did the same. The chances for someone else to be walking around here had to be slim. No one walks around here with no purpose.

As soon as she could get a better view of the pointy eared furry woman, Fiora halted on her tracks, rubbing her sore nose a little. The distance still was large enough, and yelling just wouldn't quite cut it, so instead she let her voice resonate telephatically through Mind Send over to this stranger in purple:

{ Not so many people walk around the coastline without a reason. Are you lost? Wounded..? } Neutral in tone, willing to give the benefit of the doubt and remain impartial-

For all she cares this could be a new player that somehow walked all the way here. If new Starcalled had found their way to places like Norfova, there's no reason for them to end in an objectively less dangerous zone.

@Strange Fox Girl

 

[Siondhe]

The wind had picked up, ever so slightly as Kyra had continued her trudge along the coastline. It hampered her hearing, making it impossible for her fox ears to pick up anything beyond the howling. The sound it caused hurt, a dull pain that seemed to ache more than anything else, but caused distraction towards her other senses. Through pure bad luck, the wind had been behind her, taking away any chance of smelling something coming towards her; so when the voice spoke, it caused Kyra to jump, her arms snapping out into a ready stance, her kusarigamas poised and waiting for the threat she was sure would leap out. She squinted into the distance, finally noticing the figure standing a distance away.

She's closer than I'd like...close enough I can see those scars... Kyra was shocked the Elfen woman had managed to sneak up on her, or at least that they'd gotten as close as they had. She'd come to rely on her heightened senses in this world, her hearing and smell more than the others. Each had it's benefits and strengths, but as she was finding out they also had their weaknesses.

She saw no immediate threat in the Elfen character, although they were clearly capable of handling themselves from the way that they held their stance. Lowering her weapons, trying to appear at least somewhat less frightened, Kyra moved closer to a point where her voice would be able to carry on the wind for the other to hear.

Neither lost, nor wounded! I'm...in search of something. A lighthouse, said to be haunted by...a figure unknown. I've been tasked by some locals to clear it out. You wouldn't happen to know of such a building, at the end of this pathway?

Her tone was both strong, and filled with a tinge of fear - fear that she may have entered a dangerous situation. The warnings of death and despair entered her mind momentarily, before being driven away. There was only so much she could do, and for the moment that meant she needed to see if this individual was friend, or foe - she could plan her next steps from there.

I would appreciate any guidance, although I cannot provide any renumeration for such actions...only my heartfelt thanks in these trying times.

She waited to see how the other would respond. She'd come across no others along this pathway, and this woman had clearly been heading back towards the settled areas that Kyra had just come from - meaning that she was coming from somewhere.

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

A strong reaction from the fox, but one she would expect from someone with their senses dulled. It was hard to see, hard to hear, hard to smell. Everything about the coastline felt cursed, designed to disorient it's wanderers.

Fiora hummed, grateful to see the fox lower her kamas, listening with newfound curiosity as she frowned, sinking herself in thought for a moment. "You are on the right track. I didn't think much of it, but it's just down this path. You can't miss it." She pointed right behind her with her right thumb. "Well if this really is a ghost what you dealing with, I'd say guidance is the least of your issues right now. They are pretty rare to find around Arcia. But if that's all, so long as I get to keep anything worthwhile that isn't part of your request, I'll go." Making her terms clear from the beginning. She wasn't going to risk her neck for charity, but neither get in this foxfolk's way.

"I hope you have a few tricks up your sleeve, a weapon alone can't cut through a ghost. But that's a problem for later." Stretching her right hand out for the Fox to shake, Fiora felt the tension loosen from her shoulders, at least for now that this beastfolk's 'jumpiness' concluded. "Name's Fiora-" Stone-faced even on introductions. But names were always important, specially if they are about to cross into ghostly territory.

"-So, you said this lighthouse is haunted. Do the townfolk got any proof of that, or is this all speculation?" She lifted one brow, letting skepticism take over her. These tales could be hearsay for all they know, and yet there has to be -some- kind of rumour for them to ask a third party to involve themselves.

@Strange Fox Girl

 

[Siondhe]

Fiora. Kyra stared at the offered hand for a few breaths, before deciding there was little harm in accepting it. She was hesitant, slow to move, but her grip was firm - not painful by any means, but firm enough to show there was strength behind it. Nowhere near as much as this one has though... Something about the way the woman spoke, her mannerisms and attitudes, and her general carelessness in motion made Kyra feel like this was no Lander.

Proof? They barely offered me the...quest, if you could call it that. There's no way they'd be offering proof...but they're willing to pay. Pittances, but it will at least keep me fed and warm until the next village. Assuming, of course, that I figure out what's out there.

Her eyes shifted from the green-haired figure to the coast beyond, a slight expression of concern as she realised what the figure had said. Weapons will be no help...that means I would need something more magical, I guess...perhaps this is a bit beyond my skill.

She turned back to look at the figure, considering her chances for a few moments before deciding she had nothing to lose by asking.

You wouldn't happen to have any experience in ghost hunting...would you? I know it's presumptuous to ask, but...I could use the help, if you've any to offer.

She bit her bottom lip before adding to her original comment, realising just how much she was asking of the other individual.

It won't be for free, of course...I can't promise riches by any means, but I can at least offer half of whatever I'm going to be receiving...and I think once I get back, I'll be making sure the compensation is at least fair.

There was a slight tinge of frustration in her words at the end of her sentence as her mind went back to the villagers that had agreed to let her head out on this quest. She had no doubt they intended to pay almost nothing for the services they'd contracted - something that Kyra was now set to change, once she returned. I'm a person too, whether they like it or not...and I'm tired of being treated as anything less than that.

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

A lot can be learned from a handshake. Obviously they weren't going to squeeze the life out of eachother, but it was enough to get a feeling of her temporary ally. Overly-cautious despite having strength behind her grip, enough to be felt past her gauntlets. "You have to be a player to be tackling this problem on your own. Landers don't tend to have magic to solve this kind of requests, and you won't find those that do living the everyday of a commoner." The ones that do get to pick are either Players, or Landers who wouldn't be living in a town around Ilmea's Lament.

Fiora blinked, noticing just how the Fox had begun to show concern over their endeavour, and even begun to speak of compensation for her efforts. Something was bothering her, that much she could tell with how the beastfolk's face contorted with all but a smile thus far.

A smirk gave her away, as the elf sighed a chuckle out, baring her fangs to the fox in the process. "Not enough experience to call myself a ghost buster. But, so long as you keep your wits to yourself, we'll be alright. Don't think too hard." She reassured, as the last they wanted is to give an opening for this accursed land to slip through and toy with their minds.

"Like I said, I don't care for what they offered you, I want a cut of whatever we find in that that lighthouse." She crossed her arms against her chest, the smile wiped off her features once business talk resumed. "If the pay is this miserable, then you won't even make it half the way to the next town if you share it with me."

@Strange Fox Girl

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra almost couldn't believe her ears - it was uncommon to hear of someone willing to only take whatever was found in a locale, unless it was assured that there would be something of worth there. Which means either they know the locale, and there's something of worth there...or they're so far beyond the common coinage of villages, that they just do this for fun now... She felt a tinge of jealousy at the thought before she managed to shove it aside. There was no point in getting jealous at someone who had clearly been around the game longer than Kyra had, they would obviously have more experience - and therefore less need of the starting finances that a newcomer would require.

Consider it a deal then...anything we find there of worth is yours to keep. If we find anything.

She nodded towards the direction the other had been coming from, stepping to the side and forward slightly as she prepared herself against the wind once more. It had died down just slight enough for them to stand where they had been - protected, slightly, by a copse of trees nearby - but as Kyra stepped forward and out of the meagre shelter, she felt the wind slam into her again.

Huddling into her jacket ever so slightly, she mumbled to herself in annoyance as the wind slammed into her senses once more.

If nothing else...it'll be nice to be out of this gods damned wind!

She called out as she made her way forwards, imagining what it would be like to be warm and unbattered once more. She could almost picture the tower looming into view ahead of them, it's walls providing comfort and protection from the coast's roaring wind. She didn't look back as she continued, trusting that the other would either be following, or leaving her alone - a dangerous thing if she'd considered it at the time, but something about the green-haired woman's attitude had made Kyra think that they were no threat to her.

It could only get worse if it started to rain...

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

"A cut of what catches my attention. I won't be taking all the goods we find, if there's any at all. You seem to need them more than I do." She shrugged lightly, a vague feeling that this fox really had a need for the coin moreso than she did. Being this well-spoken and aware of their own light purse meant they were counting every single gold piece. "Come on, we don't wanna stick outside for long."

Once they turned back to whence she came, it truly hit her just how harsh the winds were to one. Being on it's side allowed her to simply let it guide her forth, yet fighting -against- it made every step heavier, the gush of air forcing her to squint as she pressed onwards.

"Almost feels like it doesn't want us to go there!" She raised her voice, using her forearm to cover her face from the incoming assault from mother nature itself, who became a bitch to anyone who wanted to head over to the Lighthouse, making sure to keep up the pace behind the fox, if only to not lose sight of her, yet her focus faltered as the trees themselves were all but steady, with their leaves clinging to their branches, and some whispering away in an instant.

Gritting her teeth, Fiora begun to push harder until she could be side by side with the beastfolk, if only to reassure her a shiv won't go straight through her back . "Don't tempt fate too hard, it feels like the trees are going to come down on us at any second. if this keeps up." Her voice cut off as she lowered her arm a little, enough to get a glimpse of a silhouette far on the distance, obscured by the trees and completely out of reach yet.

"There! See it?" It was hard to miss it once they kept going and could get a clear view. It ressembled a lighthouse at the very least, given it's easier to pinpoint a structure of this size than a person, and yet she didn't get the luxury of confirmation. It almost felt like something was playing tricks on her vision, for some strange reason. "Still want to go through with this? Not too late to back out, Starfox!" There was no shame on turning their backs and leaving, but if there was any chance they would get in a dangerous situation, Fiora wanted to be sure she could count on the fox.

@Still Strange Fox Girl

 

[Siondhe]

The wind had picked up as they came around the final corner. What little shelter had been given from the open waters was gone as they stepped into view of what was likely a lighthouse, but to the near-blinded-by-wind pair, it seemed as little more than a tall structure in the distance barely visible.

Kyra could hear the words of the other, the question about whether she was sure she wanted to press forwards or not, but as she turned to answer, another thought popped into her head. The trees. Wind is natural. Perhaps... Instead of giving any response to the question, Kyra instead brought her hands up before her in a ball shape, the space between them mere centimetres apart as she twisted them in a soft back and forth motion, as if spinning a ball between her palms.

Of wind and rain, tree and branch...shelter from this gust and give comfort to those within.

In an instant, the wind died down - not gone, but far from the roaring, tearing assault that they had been embraced within mere seconds ago. Kyra couldn't help but smile in both shock and awe as the spell took hold and surrounded them. There was no visible outline - none that the other would see, at least, but in Kyra's sight there was a feeling to the border.

Stay close! Er...sorry, stay close. The barrier only extends a half metre on all sides...it's the best I could do.

She waved towards the tower in a gesture of continuing onwards. The sphere around them limited the wind, but it didn't stop it entirely, and Kyra could feel it playing with her tail fur ever so gently. Around them the gusts continued to rip into the coastline, tearing tree limb from tree and sending it tumbling away.

Should've done this sooner...sorry, I'm still learning some things...

She mumbled as she stepped forwards, moving just fast enough that the other would be able to keep pace without any worry or concern. Her eyes shifted between her newfound ally and the tower ahead, wondering still why they were helping her.

I...guess it would beneficial to mention that I've not really...er...used my skills much...?

Her face had flushed with the admission. She had a basic understanding of how the spellweaving and weaponry she carried worked, but she'd never had the necessity to use much of it beyond toying with it in her experiments of what she could do. The sphere around here was, by and far, a first time effort - and she was truly surprised that she'd managed it at all.

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

Fiora noticed how the fox girl moved her lips about, yet none of it made any sense with how the wind blasted her ear into complete deafness. Yet it was but an instant that everything felt far more quiet than before, flickering her ear a little as to confirm she could hear again.

She blinked at the mention of a barrier, taking one step closer to the fox, as she had no clue how big it could really be. Thankfully she wouldn't have to hunch her back just to fit in on this invisible bubble. "I figured you might be saving your energy for later since magic like this can be exhausting. But it's not a bad idea-" She addressed, her concerns going elsewhere, specifically to the path in-between themselves and what they believed to be the Lighthouse itself. "-Not with this weather." Suspicion in her voice. Perhaps there was more truth than it seemed on the superstitions from the Landers, but if so, this Fox was just scammed into doing a job for a terribly low price...

"I'd say that conflict is the best teacher, but a ghost..?" She smirked, amusement dripping from her features as she rised her gauntler above the Fox to give her two (2) headpats. "Well, we'll soon find out if you are a quick learner, Fox." Perhaps a bit of confidence is all she needed, but Fiora retracted from making false promises until they encountered they gauged the situation. Whose to say if even she can hurt these ghosts..?

If all goes south, at least stone and wood isn't immune to her fists and they can flee to live another day.

Even as they closed in the Lighthouse seemed smaller than it ought to be. The winds gave no purchase to it's true shape, as if it were but a mirage, a blur in their vision that should by all means ought to be larger.

And it became truer with every step they took in it's direction, as if it would stretch with every mouthful of wind that was denied entrance into Kyra's barrier, making it a little more obvious of it's edges merely by judging the way air flowed around them.

"In my humble opinion, this weather? This Lighthouse? It's a giant red flag, fox. Try to keep me infront of you once things get ugly." She was built like a brick wall afterall, the least she could do is act like one for her partner.

Specially if Fox here is still learning her true potential. What better way to do so than having someone tank the hits for you..?

@Strange Fox

 

[Siondhe]

250 / 250

Pierce Weapons

Beast Arts

Illusion Magic

Nature Magic

There was no doubt in Kyra's mind that the other was holding reservations. Perhaps it was about Kyra's lack of skill, or maybe it was about the danger they were about to head into. If this person is worried...maybe I should be too? Whether she should've or not, however, was lost upon her. The frustration at the treatment she'd been receiving driving her onwards - likely stupidly, but onwards nonetheless.

It's the biggest red flag I've seen in this world yet...and I'll make sure to do that. My skills are...well, more designed around supportive measures, I guess.

She kept a tone of confidence in her voice even though she wasn't feeling it. She'd barely practiced with her spellweaving, let alone her combative skills. Sure, she had a number of magical capabilities at her fingertips - but she wasn't even sure she entirely knew how to call upon them, or what they could do. Through fire and flames are we born and raised.

The lighthouse grew suddenly before them, rising and towering into the sky in front of them as if it had suddenly shifted place. If Kyra hadn't had her eyes locked onto it, she would've sworn they'd travelled several hundred metres without her noticing, and yet...she'd seen it far away one second, and in a blink it towards before the two of them.

That's not unnerving...not in the least. Not even slightly.

She glanced over at her travelling partner, wondering how they would've reacted to the sudden shift. They'd seemed confident this entire time, and somehow Kyra figured this wouldn't change that appearance - they were likely well versed in the world of TerraSphere, used to whatever chaos it threw towards them.

Shall we...head inside?

She waved towards the wooden door that stood closed to the world, the only entrance that Kyra could see from their current vantage point. If nothing else, she wanted to be out of the rain and wind - as much as her sphere of protection was limiting the effects, it still leaked through and onto her, creating cold and damp conditions that she'd prefer not to remain in if she had a choice in the matter. Although, who's to say the inside is any better?

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

The contradictions between 'I guess' and how confidently the Fox said almost gave her a headache, the only thing keeping that had to be how she knew what sort of role she could fill in, giving her a glimmer of hope that things wouldn't go terribly wrong. "Just focus on accuracy over speed. So long as the spell comes out right, you did your job." She replied, largely unconcerned as her gut says her partner wouldn't back off from a fight. And probably wouldn't be a possibility once they stepped into the realms of spookiness, so it's a fight or fight situation regardless of how the white fox feels at the heat of the moment.

It wasn't until the lighthouse assaulted them in the blink of an eye that she tightened her brows into a frown, her hand tightening around the hilt of her blade at the sudden movement. More so out of instinct, given it's not like a steel toothpick can stop a giant building coming their way.

"A little too on the nose, but it at least confirms we didn't make it all this way for nothing." She nodded. Even if the outcome would have been better to actually be nothing, now they were facing a lighthouse the size she couldn't quite measure from down here. Not like they had the luxury of time once Fox suggested to make it in. "This isn't the unnerving part though..." She said, stepping forth and out of the invisible sphere, giving the creaking door a firm push, holding it open for her partner to go through first, and closing it behind once they both were inside.

Despite foresight, the dread she felt was unfathomable once she cranked her head upwards, as if an anvil had fallen on her shoulders and forced itself to be carried all the way through the endless spiraling stairs that lead to the top of the Lighthouse. "...That is." She sighed off, half-hoping that whatever made them blink the distance between the entrance and themselves would do so again to reach the top.

A hand wrapped on the metal railing, helping her pull herself up the first few steps. "Five gold says we ain't having a relaxing, boring climb to the top." She already felt exhausted even before they started, if only because the prospect of climbing stairs was so against any idea she had of spending their little 'quest'. "But if I have to guess, the top is going to be way more spacious than it should, and we gonna find out why."

@Sussy Fox Girl

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra stepped into the lighthouse, her eyes following her companion's gaze upwards as they noted the steel staircase leading towards the higher levels. Even from here, she could spot sections that levelled off and lead to other floors - likely rooms that could be considered living areas, if they could be called that. The spiral disappeared into the dark, and Kyra felt a moment of discomfort as she realised they'd likely have to make their way to the top. A suspicion that the other individual confirmed almost immediately.

We could...explore down here a bit first, if you don't want to climb the stairs right away. Maybe there'll be some sort of...clues, or something down here?

Her hand waved to the small area just beyond the stairs - a circular room that contained little more than a collection of boxes, and a side closet that was likely used for washing purposes. Or, at least, Kyra hoped that's what it was.

Unless you really have a desire to climb...in which case...

She didn't wait for the other to respond, pushing past and up the staircase. Her boots rung with every step, causing Kyra to wince in response. Now that they were out of the rain and wind, here hearing had come back tenfold over, and every sound seemed to assail her head. Maybe extraordinary hearing wasn't such a good idea.

She stopped suddenly as her ears perked up, the sound echoing faintly even for her enhanced hearing. Almost belatedly, she waved a hand behind her to signal for Fiora to come to a stop. Nodded up the stairs, she whispered back to the other, without taking her eyes off the stairwell leading upwards.

Did you hear that...? It almost sounded like...crying? Whimpering? It's...faint...

She took a half step forwards, shifting her weight slightly as she tried to keep her boots from making any further sounds on the steps themselves. Her ears twitched as she tried to pick up more of the sounds, barely able to hear it from her current position.

I'm going to get a bit closer...

Without another word she shifted her other foot upwards, moving a few steps up to the next floor and coming to a stop. Something off to her right had moved - like a shadow dashing down the hallway and into the darkness that lay beyond.

Hello?

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

She stopped at Starfox's words, eyeing down back to her partner, then to the area she suggested looking at. Hesitation followed, one she couldn't act upon as the fox didn't give her even a second to think about it and begun to climb the stairs. "Wait-" A hand signaled for her to stop, and so she did, but not without carefully approaching her partner should anything really come out to surprise them both.

"I don't." Having pointy, long ears didn't meant they heard any better, and less so with a mangled one. Yet she trusted on the Fox's own. "But this does sound like classic ghost movie stu-" Not even able to finish that thought, Fiora unsheathed her blade half-way through the scabbard as she felt movement heading down a hallway.

Her gaze lingered for a little longer, tension escaping through a sigh as she let the sword rest. "Alright, you win, let's go check downstairs first. We play it slow, sweep the whole place floor by floor until we get to the top." She nodded, the fox's idea seemed far smarter than just rushing to the top. Maybe they find their wheeping ghost here and not at the very end of the lighthouse like she assumed. "That way we also don't miss any clues, and maybe we find enough gold to buy you a meal for your next trip." She smirked, tilting her head towards the bottom floor as she begun to step back down.

Giving a good luck from here at the open ended circular room it almost looked like it was meant for storage, and there didn't seem to be anything off as far as her eye could get from here. The contents of the boxes, however, were a different story, enough for her to want to pry them open and check, breaking the distance between herself and the side closet with caution.

Soon, her ears flickered as a loud ring echoed through the Lighthouse, almost as deafening as the winds from the outside world at first, yet it settled down to a shadow of it's former self, growing fainter and fainter, but never actually leaving. A clock, a grandfather's specifically, banging away as if it were midnight already.

"You got better ears, please tell me you know where it's coming from." The puzzling part for her was how no matter where she turned to look at, there was no clock around them, and yet it sounded like it were right next to them. "Give me a break..." The irritating noise almost made her want to tear her ears off, settling for scratching the right one instead and pressing on to try and open the lid of one of the boxes.

@Starfox

 

[Siondhe]

Nothing had answered her call. At least, nothing beyond Fiora's own response to it, and the sudden urge to head back down the stairs. Kyra considered making a light joke of it - questioning the woman's courage would be fun - but realised that, in the moment, it probably wouldn't be all that funny. Especially seeing as Fiora was clearly a hardened veteran of this world, which meant that her fear was likely warranted. The fact that she's afraid should make me afraid...so why aren't I? She pushed it off as likely just being pure newcomer stupidity. She didn't know enough about this world to fear it - yet.

Alright...back down we go.

Fiora was already gone by the time Kyra responded, clearly in a rush to be anywhere but wherever that shadowy figure had gone. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of the big tough warrioress running back down the stairs like a dog with a tail between it's legs. The smile faded, however, as she reached the last step and the ringing began.

Her head pounded with each strike, and she felt her hands reach up to cover her ears, wincing even as she did so. She barely heard the question from Fiora, and it was a few moments before Kyra could even considered answering it, let alone pinpointing where the noise was coming from.

It's...it's up there...beyond where we stopped. I can't...I can't get anything more specific....than that though.

She'd managed to get the words out between clenched teeth in between the strikes of whatever large clock was causing the noise. She could hear the sounds piercing through her hands, and knew that she'd had a headache from it later on - a joy she would get to carry forward from this world. Wait...there's a voice...

She perked up as the clock-strikes came to an end, replaced by a whisper of a voice, as if someone was speaking on the wind. She couldn't make out the words, not due to the quiet that seemed to echo around them, but rather due to the words not making any sense in her mind.

wyneli ayr xiyie rayrlc moarac xiysas wynaynn aur wayanier

Her eyes turned to glance at Fiora, an almost curious and hesitant appearance to her manner. When she spoke, it came out quietly, with a hint of reservation to the words themselves.

Do you...do you understand that?

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

Lucky for them, splitting for a moment didn't quite doom them to lose sight of eachother as it tends to go with ghost stories. Unfortunately, their heads were split by a clock the elf couldn't find with gaze alone, which made greater the drive to smash it to pieces.

"Right, then we know what we doing next." She called out, dropping the lid of the box only to reveal a stack of candles. Way too many candles even if the apocalypse were to drop and candles would go low in supply. Yet strange enough all of them seemed intact, as if not a day had passed since they were put inside their container.

The clock stopping gave a second of relief, her arms freezing from picking up the next cage as a voice rang in her ears. Either this ghost speaks in riddles, backwards, or way too fast, because only gibberish came through as far as she could tell. "No. Doesn't sound like any language I know of, but it's not Runia." Having dealt with magia commands and 'handwriting', it was obvious this wasn't a robo-spectre coming after them.

To her surprise (or lack of by now), the rest of the boxes also had candles. Picking one up didn't clear the confusion from her face, and a close examination revealed little of their function beyond what one would expect. "Unless Landers invented scented candles, this is a little overkill." She flipped it once before throwing it towards her partner for her to catch. "Maybe they'll make sense later, and if not, at least you got something to fill your inventory with." She shrugged, steering towards the staircase once again, this time waiting for Starfox to catch up to her.

"Come, let's go see what the commotion is about." Golden eye quickly darting over to the corridor their shadowy friend had run off too. She peeked over her shoulder once they started to get closer to their destination, paying attention to the fox's demeanour. At least she wasn't on edge, and her hesitance turned out to be healthy in a situation like this. "I rather not call you Fox the whole way up so, mind giving me any? Fake or real, don't matter to me so long as you answer to it." Specially if things got heated up, where they couldn't just call eachother "green elf" and "white fox"

@Starfox

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra's attention was split between considering the words, the fact that Fiora had mentioned some language known as 'Runia' - she'd come back to that later, for sure - and the candles. She'd almost missed the toss that the Elfen woman had made, catching the candle in a fumbled manner as she gave a glance over the ordinary piece. There was little to it, beyond what one would expect to find when looking at a candle - wax, wick and stem.

Maybe someone's afraid of the dark...? Severely afraid of the dark...?

She gave a shrug before pocketing the piece. As Fiora had mentioned, there'd be time to figure out the mystery of the candles later, assuming there was a later. She'd no sooner made a step towards the other crates, when Fiora had turned around and pushed back towards the stairs, clearly determined to retrace the pathway that they had already started. Resigned to follow the other, Kyra turned and began making her way up the stairs, stopping when they came to the initial corridor.

Wasn't this hallway long- Her attention was pulled away when Fiora pointed out that Kyra had entirely forgotten to introduce herself, asking what she should call the fox-woman. A slight blush came over her face as her embarrassment at the situation bloomed, and she hastily responded.

Oh! I definitely thought I'd...Kyra. Kyra Varyth. But just Kyra is fine. My apologies, I must've gotten caught up with everything...I usually do that much sooner.

Her ears had dropped slightly as she admonished herself internally, but the feeling didn't last long. She turned back to the hallway, her tail swishing slightly as her brow furrowed in consideration. Something didn't feel right about the whole thing, and she found herself taking a half-step into the hallway as she called out to Fiora.

Wasn't this hallway longer before...?

A small brush of wind, barely more than the touch of a soft breeze, pulled past her - into the depths of the hallway from behind her. Kyra shivered as the feeling passed over her - like a hand brushing across my cheek - something entirely wrong about it.

What the...

The voice spoke out softly as Kyra's words dropped off, as if picking up a conversation that it had been having for quite some time. Her ears pricked up, trying to locate the origination of the words without success.

...come from afar, unwelcome...why have...here?...where do you...going? Away...away...

There was no anger, or any real danger in the tone of the voice. In fact, to Kyra's ears, it almost sounded - sad? Lonely? As if it's asking for comfort...? Whatever it was, Kyra wasn't getting a feeling of any sort of threat from it. Her eyes glanced back towards the Elfen woman, a slight smile on her face as she nodded down the hallway. Even in the darkness that consumed the hallway, Kyra could see the outline of three or four doorways, each leading into rooms that were out of her sight.

Should we...go see?

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

She pursed her lips, staring at the candle as the fox gave her two-cents about them, even if they could do little but shoot guesses for now. "I wouldn't want to work in a Lighthouse isolated from the world in Ilmea's Lament if I was afraid of the dark." She joked, and yet not everyone always had a choice when it comes to their jobs. -Someone- has to be in this Lighthouse afterall. "But then, they didn't give you names, so chances are this is abandoned." Which only made the candles all the more suspicious, given they didn't look all that degraded.

Realizing enough time was wasted on candles, Fiora pressed onwards, only to finally get the Fox's name once they go down the no-return point of a tenebrous hallway. "Don't worry too much. I figured you just wanted to keep it to yourself. People are like that around here." Her shoulders lumped together in a half-shrug. In her attempts to shook off Kyra's apologies, Fiora had missed entirely the way the corridor had seemingly changed before their eyes until it was pointed out. "Depth perception isn't my forté for obvious reasons, but..."

A frown set in as she came to a full halt as soon as an unknown breeze threatened them, the breeze only a tickle that put her in alert, given the lack of feeling on it's voice, which made it all the more frustrating for Fiora to read. "We are getting closer." No other way to see it as now their ghostly host decided to speak in a discernable tongue to them.

As she locked eye with Kyra, the fox girl apparently unconcerned by the ghostly interaction, contradicted that lackadaisical attitude with a question. The darkness begun to reveal they all were of different designs, with some having darker shades of wood, and some lighter, not once repeating, and yet strangely 'uniform' even while being all unique in their own right.

"Should we?" She deflected it back at Kyra, with fake curiosity as she already knew the answer to begin with. It was a matter of 'which' door to pick. "I know our ghost here ain't fond of us, but you ain't a ghost buster until you bust one." She didn't hesitate to push over to the left-most door, holding onto the knob with her right hand while the left rised onto a closed fist to signal Kyra to hold position, at least until they could confirm this next area was as 'safe' as the last.

@Kyra Varyth

 

[Siondhe]

The words hadn't seemed threatening to Kyra, but she could see how the other could assume as such. Maybe I'm still too naïve for this world. She shook herself slightly, as if a cold breeze had passed over her, before returning her attention to the present moment. Fiora had moved forwards down the hallway to the first door on the left, hand held up as if to motion Kyra to halt, and her right position indicating she was preparing to head in.

Kyra gave a quick nod, stepping up behind Fiora and sliding in against the wall. Her pair of kusarigama appeared in her hands, pulled silently from the hooks upon her thighs that held them in place. She pulled them in close, letting the chains dangle - and the darts on the ends swing slightly - before nodding again to Fiora in signal to open the door itself.

She wasn't entirely sure what they'd find inside, but Kyra knew for the moment at least, she was ready to do what needed to be done against whatever they would find within. Ghost or no ghost, she was prepared to follow Fiora through the door way itself - and perhaps further, given the chance. Naïve, maybe. But not a coward.

Ready...

Kyra whispered, but her voice sounded far too loud against the now-quiet hallway that they stood in. She waited as Fiora opened the door, stepping to the side only after the other had stepped inwards - and stopping as she noticed that it was nothing more than an empty office of some sort. A desk, strewn with paperwork and otherwise cluttered in a hazardous mess, stood against a wall to the left side, the chair sitting where it had obviously been left by the last attendant. A candelabrum stood against the opposite wall, the holders empty of anything at the current time, but signs of wax that had been almost entirely cleaned off still visible. No window allowed a view to the outside, and somehow the room felt more prison than anything else.

Underwhelming...but I think that's a good thing?

She took a step back out into the hallway, looking in each direction as she did so. She half expected to see a figure dashing down the length towards her, but nothing moved. No sign of life - or lack of life - within the area. With nothing more to go on, she moved over to the next door, calling back to Fiora as she went.

Well, maybe the whole ghost-thing isn't as accura-

Her words came to an abrupt stop as she opened the door, only to find the swaying body hanging from the ceiling, it's form obviously lifeless - but recently deceased, from the colour that still held to the skin.

Fiora...Fiora!

---

@Fiora Di Angelo​

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

Once Kyra gave her the go-ahead, Fiora pushed the door open and storming in, almost as if they were half-assing an operation to breach into a suspect's home right now.

The inside, however turned to be much more mundane, as nothing seemed out of the ordinary to what they have found so far. The strangest out of the bunch had to be the lack of candles, a connection she quickly made with the candles they've found thus, hardly a coincidence.

Her ears perked, eye glancing from over her shoulder at Kyra as she expressed her disappointment on the cozy little room. "It's not. The fact we walked through a long corridor into a set of rooms already goes against the Lighthouse's design." She begun to trace her steps back, taking her sweet time as to make sure not to miss any details.

Kyra's yelling made her snap back to the hallway, rushing through the door fully alarmed as she turned to the side, where the Fox stood just infront of a hanging corpse yet to decompose. "Got me worried for a sec'." She had grown self-aware enough at death, the macabre sight one in a thousand in Terrasphere at this point. As unfortunate as it is, at least Kyra didn't have a scratch in her, putting her shoulders at ease.

"Try to cut them loose, they deserve that much decency." Truly, she cared more about warming up Kyra's muscles. They could do nothing for the dead, but they could do something about the next thing coming to them that isn't a corpse...

The room as she inspected it seemed to be almost an exact replica of the office, only the uncanny would strike in unexpected ways- The documents were neatly piled up, the chandeliers had their candles, and the perceptive eye could tell the room was almost deteriorated, abandoned for what must have amount to a month, as even the paper on the walls begun to peel off, moist and mold accumulating at every corner.

A door stands firm against the right side of the room however, and that's the one thing that sets off Fiora, waving over to Kyra and pointing right at it. "Don't open that door. We'll leave it for last if the others ain't as interesting." Furrowed brows grimaced at the idea. Every room thus far led them to a dead end within this Lighthouse.

The corpse, on the other hand, didn't seem to have much worth in plain sight, other than the strange keyring holding a set of keys made out of wax, which clearly fits on the rather obvious wax keyhole that the door in this room had.

Yet the keyring itself already exuded a dreadful sensation to whoever noticed it. Holding onto it would only make this worsen, as if the item was attuned to 'something' within the Lighthouse.

@Kyra Varyth