Centoriel

[Graybeard]

Now what? Sister Rose thought as she watched the dragon.

According to everything she'd read -- and she had the security clearances to be able to read some things that were very definitely not in the public domain -- dragons, particularly red, fire-breathing dragons, were purely creatures of legend and imagination. The most reliable (and classified) scholarly texts seemed to think that the fire-breathing-dragon myths were a combination of racial memory -- of what was not clear, maybe some of the weird but definitely not fire-breathing beasts that inhabited the Anuban swamps -- and powerful but non-magical dwarven weapons. The spider-thing might qualify as dwarven; it would be interesting to check it out, if they lived that long. However, there didn't appear to be anything imaginary about the smoking path of destruction where this not-so-legendary dragon had breathed fire just moments before, and as a result, the "lived that long" part of the proposition seemed in serious doubt.

She and Brother Miguel were just about to put the Barrier back up (for all the good it would do) when there was a sudden blurring of reality, and the massive body of the dragon was replaced by a considerably smaller, clearly human or humanoid form standing on the crater rim. There was too much haze and smoke to tell much of who it was; in fact, male or female seemed to be unclear. But what was standing there certainly didn't look dragon-like.

I've seen this person before, Rose thought, as the smoke began to clear around the figure.

[Viking-Sensei]

(OOC: Too... good... not... to... do... if you need me to retcon this out, I've got a great idea... if not, let it ride!)

The smoke curled around and thinned... revealing a petite woman with suspiciously purple hair. She was covered in soot and her clothing was torn, but she didn't looke like she had any other physical damage dealt to her. As she saw the party, she waved and started running for them.

"Hi! Doctor Argus! Remember me? It's Kureji! You won't believe where I've been!"

[Graybeard]

Brother Miguel, who hadn't been part of the earlier developments near the Temple of the Divine Dwarf in Kiyoka, looked puzzled, but Sister Rose could remember now where she'd seen this strange person. The restaurant with that "Shade" character. And somebody said that she's a Mesuinu ... with all that that entails. Not the most perceptive socially; hasn't she noticed that Argus is reclining on a bench with his mouth hanging open and snores coming out? Yet obviously ultra-powerful, magically ... Caution is required here.

"Thanks for your help with that spider-thing," Rose said neutrally. "Your friend Dr. Cleiviein exhausted himself casting spells at it. He might be asleep for a while." Or not. He still looked to be unconscious, but somehow his face had contorted in fright. Had he heard the girl's voice in his sleep? "Excuse me for a minute, I have some healing to do, then let's talk."

She and Miguel bent to work on Lillith's ankle as she thought, hoo boy ... a Mesuinu and a possible Errant in the same place. This is scarier than the spider-golem was...

[Drannin]

Argus was having a very bad nightmare. He was dreaming that he was unconscious and helpless, and that a Mesuinu female was addressing him by name. Not just any Mesuinu. Kureji Mesuinu, the hyperactive teenage psychopath. Argus' dreamscapes do not bear mentioning. Kureji Mesuinu, quite simply, was enough to terrify anyone even passing familiar with her.

About this moment, Harker came walking up, stunned and confused. He looked at Argus. "Thanks fer th'save, Boss. You okay? Good." Dazedly the beaver took in the situation. Looked at Kureji in confusion. "Who're you?"

"I'm Kureji Mesuinu!" was the bright reply. She started to say more, but Harker was already running away screaming. He remembered the Mesuinus too.

(OOC: Sheer brilliance, Viking. Sheer brilliance.)

[Sareth]

[OOC]Eeeeeeeexcellent twist![/OOC]

Laying where she had been settled by Argus, Lillith moaned softly in her unconscious state. The pain of her ankle was still effecting her, even in her condition. But what was more, something felt off, wrong... It was a presence that distorted the natural so strongly it could be felt even by her addled mind.

With a sudden start she jerked upright, inexplicably shouting "They're fleeing!" However, before anyone had a chance to react, even Sister Rose, who was half bent over the unorthodox splint, she then curled up, clutching her ankle, and in a fashion that would have been comical in less austere a place, began muttering "Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow..."

[Graybeard]

"There, there, just relax, I'll help it feel better," Sister Rose said as she tried to get Lillith settled down (and to buy a little time in deciding how to interact with Kureji). This was exactly the kind of spell that didn't normally work well during Departure, tapping directly into the power of Luminosita as it did. However, she and Brother Miguel were competent enough mages in their own right (of course they were; that was why they were doing what they did), and she had no trouble marshaling mana to flow into the woman's leg, putting bones a-right, repairing severed tendons, and so on.

Something occurred to her; two things, actually. First, she was probably better suited for this particular healing mission than Miguel, having had some ... experience ... with half elves and their inexplicable magic resistance. That shouldn't be a factor here, since Lillith's injuries were traumatic rather than associated with half-elf-ness, but she would still have the advantage in treating those injuries. Second...

"You know, Col -- Bernie and company really should know about this," she told Miguel as she took a break to recharge her energies. "I'll take care of this ankle. Can you get back to the wagon and launch a parrot? Remember that we're supposed to treat our findings on this place as ... well." He'd surely remember the "Luminosita's Secret" classification; you could get in a lot of trouble in Veracia by ignoring that.

Miguel indeed got the message, and based on the way everyone was reacting to this Kureji person, he was more than happy to follow Rose's recommendation. "I'll be back in twenty minutes or so," he said, and started picking his way around the chasm, leaving Rose to her work, and to the peculiar newcomer.

[Sareth]

After Sister Rose did her work, Lillith carefully cracked away the clay that had encased her ankle. Freed, she rolled it expiramentally, then took a few cautious steps. Everything seemed to be in working order. Better than working order, if anything.

"Thank you," she said quietly to Sister Rose, who had just sent Brother Miguel off to complete some task or other. While she didn't like the idea of being indebted to a Luminosita freak, a stubborn honesty insisted she acknowledge her gratitude.

Satisfied her ankle was fully healed, she closed her eyes and rested a hand against the wall. Her senses reached out, sensing, tasting. She gasped. The spirits, who had previously been agitated, had fled. The place felt as quiet as a tomb. "Something's not right here." She opened her eyes, looking around nervously. "What's going on?"

[Graybeard]

Satisfied both that Lillith's ankle was functional again and that neither the spider-thing nor the dragon-girl posed an immediate threat, Sister Rose paused to study the ruin where they'd sought shelter.

It wasn't much to look at, a stone building about twenty feet square, gray and faded both inside and outside. No furnishings remained, of course; anything of value had undoubtedly been hauled away years ago, whether Centoriel (or so she believed this place to be) had been deserted and shunned or not. The benches where Lillith and Argus (now showing signs of coming around, still with a look of horror on his face) had collapsed in unconsciousness seemed to be part of the structure itself, although they were curiously soft and springy. Rock mattresses? Rose thought. Magically altered to make the rock soft enough for someone to sleep on? Looks like it. Argus is the inorganic-matter expert; when he's functional again, maybe he can look at it.

The roof above seemed intact and conventional, with several small skylights covered with some kind of nearly transparent material -- might as well call it glass in the absence of evidence for something else. On the other hand, the layout of the windows, some still with glass in them, was ... curious. Nothing really looked like it was designed for a view, although in fact, the countryside here was scenic, in a bleak and rugged kind of way. Rose and Brother Miguel had cast their Visage spells through the largest window in the place, perhaps three feet square and looking out toward the pit -- actually, probably toward the ridge beyond, since the pit likely hadn't been there, or at least not open, when this building was occupied. Argus had been standing in a doorway next to the large window to do his spellcasting; a few shreds of a wooden door were visible outside. No other window was as large as a man's torso, and several on the side facing away from the pit, toward the other buildings, were as much as four or five feet tall, but only inches wide, and angled oddly.

Those are gun ports and arrow slits, Rose realized. This stone building was a blockhouse, made to repel attackers -- but attackers coming from the rest of the ruins, rather than aiming against them. Very odd; just what was this place? She resolved to come back to the question, as Argus regained consciousness and Miguel returned from launching the parrot.

[Drannin]

Argus moaned, still exhausted. Getting old; a spell like that shouldn't have been that hard on me. Time to kick the booze. Still, it seemed to have worked. There was no spider machine spewing death at him. But then there was that dragon...

Argus looked around the building in near panic. "No need to worry," Rose, commented, "It seems that the dragon was actually a visitor of sorts." Rose's expression and tone were both very, very dry. Confused, Argus followed her gaze...

Kureji Mesuinu. In the flesh. Right in front of him. She was smiling. A smiling Mesuinu. That was an omen to send seers into terrified convulsions. Worse, it was a friendly smile. The last time he had seen a friendly smile from a Mesuinu was when Saiko... No. Not remembering that. Ever.

"Ah... been a while," he said lamely. Off in the distance, he heard Harker screaming. The bastard had left him behind. Not that Argus could really blame him. "So, what happened?" The question was general, addressed to multiple people. Unconsciousness put a real crimp in information gathering.

[Graybeard]

Rose decided to take this question at face value, since she was wondering about some things itself. "The battle first. We guessed, and thank Luminosita that we were right, that that spider-thing was running on stored magical energy rather than tapping into what was around it. We of the Church have a very basic little Conjuration spell called Luminosita's Visage, for use during certain religious festivals --" not sure the Orthodox people would put it so lightly, but oh well -- "that creates a portrait of the same thing that appears rather more ... substantially ... when Luminosita is Summoned. We surmised that if we could get that thing to fire on the Visage a few times, it'd run down its batteries, while at the same time, replenishing the mana supply in the area."

"Rose keeps saying 'we'," Brother Miguel confessed with a sheepish smile. "In fact, she's the one that thought of it. I just helped with the spell. Anyway, she was right. Whatever that thing was, it was dumb, and it just kept firing away at the Visage until it got weakened to where we -- you -- could deal with it."

"Right," Rose confirmed. "As for just what we were fighting, I have no idea. I'm pretty sure that thing wasn't one of ours; even back before the wars, Veracia never had that kind of magical capability. So just where did it come from? Beats me. Miguel and I should probably do some fact finding on that, if it doesn't interfere with searching for Father Egbert."

She turned to Kureji. "As for our dragon visitor, you're better off asking the dragon. Just what brings you here?"

[OOC to V-S: Happy Birthday! If you can tear yourself away from the celebrating -- or being that it's your 30th, mourning -- can you take a turn here? Hard to make progress until Kureji contributes to the plot.]