mogget_cat | To the Old Kingdom

(From here.)

The door he gallantly opened for her opened out into gently lapping waters, lit from overhead by a multitude of stars uncountable. So many together, they give off a glow stronger than the light of the full moon, singing softly of promised rest for those below. The insubstantial spirits of the dead rise from the waters, some quickly, eager for their eternal rest, and some slowly, fighting the pull even as they rise, foot by foot.

The two of them step down slightly into the water that only rises to their ankles, and Yrael closes the door behind them.

"As you can see," Yrael smiles. "I have been practicing even when not at the Milliways lake."

Despite the fact that the waters of Death aren't exactly the same as other water.

Current Mood: amused

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"Well, you're worth staring at in most cases" she pointed out. And it was true, he was an interest catching person...

The waters stopped and something screamed, bubbly and water logged as a shadow attempted to dart past the pair and through the opened gate. It never surfaced, just floated painfully away as the rest of the shadows checked their forward movement.

The others get to watch their peer be carried off by the swift current, into the Third Precinct where it is sure to be caught by the wave and thrown far, far into Death if not to the Ninth Precinct, itself.

He takes on an air of mock-belligerent surprise. "What? Only most cases?" he says as they step through the Gate and away from the now-considerably more wary Dead creatures. The First Precinct is lighter, its waters shallower and its current no more than moderately treacherous.

"Well, I wouldn't suggest the staring for most one you're in a bad mood" she pointed out "Or shining enough to melt eyeballs or something"

As for the shadow? It wouldn't certainly hit the ninth...perhaps even seek it...for there were worse things than Stars.

She let her feet sink back into teh water once past the gate and looked around "Well, this seems almost tame compare dto most of the precincts. I guess we're almost out huh?"

"Well, perhaps. Death says I look best when I am in my true form."

And Yrael concurs.

"Yes, this is the last one. I am not exactly sure where we will come out, but..." he shrugs, "we shall find out."

"You do" she agreed as well, more than content to admit that fact "But you'd lose fan club members at a phenomenal rate" she teased, poking him in the ribs.

"We don't know where we're coming out? That could be interesting..." just in case she swallowed her flame away. No need to scare the natives.

"That would be sad, but the true shame would be if my fan club's loyalty were so weak as to be overcome by minor setbacks such as blindness or third degree burns." He grins over his shoulder at her as they walk, the wash of warmth that is their passing into Life flowing over them.

They seem to be in some sort of a well-kept and landscaped garden, with stone walls enclosing it and giving brown vines something to cling to. All the vegetation is bare of leaves or dead, in the late fall day. The air is chill, though a welcome warmth after the deep chill of Death. The sky is mostly full of clouds spotted with the forms of seagulls. Everywhere there is the smell of the sea. Yrael looks around, smiling.

"Ahh. Not too far off the mark. This is one of the castle gardens."

The sea...she knew that smell. She'd breathed it for a few years, living in a Lighthouse...and she'd loved it then as well. She just drew in deep, hungry lungfuls for a few moments.

She she'd finally had enough of savory the crisp air she looked around. She'd...never understood gardens. Decorative gardens anyway. Parks were at least closer to reality...but she smiled anyway "Well, true, they could follow the sounds of your voice anywhere..." she teased, nodding to the garden gate.

"Shall we be sneaky?"

"I believe we shall," he starts over towards it, his bare feet silent even on the dry grass. "We'll head down to the treasury, which, if I recall correctly, can be reached by way of a windy path from the gardens."

He glances up as he walks. "It is..." The day is overcast, so it's hard to tell. "...noonish, so most would be at lunch, right about now."

She follows, her own feet bare because, among other things, shoes she tended to forget...she may not be able to approach his level of silent, but she can certainly be quiet.

"Will we have to crawl through a dungeon?" she asked curiously. Treasury evoked those kinds of images in her head. Long stone corridors, gold in piles...

The paths certainly were winding, and it seemed that the gardens had their own spots of wilderness where gardeners seemed to forget...thorny branches of a wildly dormant rose bush caught in her hair a moment, but that didn't stop her for long.

"Not crawl, probably. Walk, more likely. Walk quietly. And the dungeons themselves are on the other side of the castle from the treasury, I think."

They reach the gate and Yrael peers out. "Clear. That door over there goes to one of the servant passages. They're mostly separate from the passages used by the royal family, so we have less to worry about from guards and the like."

"And if we do come across someone we act loike servan's sor?" she chuckled, eying the door. Servants wearing sapphire silk and white...

But hey, it took all types.

She didn't run, no, she sauntered easily to the door and rattled the handle. A moment longer and the door clicked open easily on well oiled hinges. After all, servants didn't like to be caught sneaking into the royal gardens eh?

He laughs, quietly. "Not with that accent, we don't. We mostly hope we are not found."

He peers into the corridor, softly lit by glowing Charter Marks set into the walls and floors.

"Aha. I know where we are. The servant quarters should be down to the left. We could find some livery there so we at least would be dressed like servants, and may fool any who we might meet, or we could go straight to the treasury and just hope not to run into anyone."

He knows which he'd rather do. He had to be a servant long enough that now, the idea of dressing like one doesn't sit well with him.

And she's...attuned to him. Not as she was others, not linked, no, but she could read body language and tone of voice when she cared to. And this was an adventure anyway.

"Bet we could fool anyone we meet without the clothes" she noted "Heck, you could talk them in circles..." she teased lightly, closing the door behind them with a soft click.

"Besides, you never know where they've been, servants..."

She makes him laugh again. "True enough, on all points. The treasury is down this way."

"We shall be unannounced dignitaries from Ancellstierre, perhaps, or from the far north, west of the Clayr Glacier, who seem to have lost their way in the many corridors of the castle?" He turns to grin at her as he steps past, looking around the first corner to make sure the hall is clear before they proceed.

She followed readily enough, hand trustingly in his "Ah, we're going to have to give them a better story than that. Something that gets whispered about long after we're gone..."

"Hmmm, you're a Prince from Andage or someplace, and I'm a body guard? You're in danger, and we had to flee the country. It's so dire that our communications with the royalty here thought it best we not be seen entering?"

"Our country is overrun by barbarians, I the only remaining heir of the royal family. Assassins sent against me, and we come to plea for sanctuary and aid. In secret."

"How very dramatic, it all sounds. Let us hope that those we meet are not Charter Mages, as they would be able, eventually, to tell what I am. The only Mages around would be the royal family and the palace guards, though. There may be some nearer the treasury, but there are rarely any in the castle corridors themselves."

Usually, he'd just kill any Charter Mage he came across, right around the time they realized what he is. But the royal guards are under the King's protection, and that means it would be more than some small trouble to kill them.

He peers around a corner, waiting for a couple of servants to pass out of sight before they continue on.

"Raiders from the wastelands beyond, Ice Runners tired of migrating across the tundra. Ours is small kingdom, beyond the wastes, across the mountains and glaciers. We've been sneaking for months, moving with caravans to throw off pursuers" she chuckled.

"We lost someone though, your other guard perhaps? So we're getting a little travel worn and desperate, prone to make mistakes in direction in tunnels..."

Rachel...had no experience with charter mages really. Just Yrael...it was almost amusing to contemplate what they'd make of her...something so irreversibly of Life traveling with Yrael.

"Exactly," he says, smirking. "Remember, my faithful guard, I entrust my life to your care."

Despite his lack of Life.

"This way." He heads down a Charter Mark-lit staircase, listening for sounds that might mean someone is coming.

He will admit, if not out loud, that he's never had so much fun sneaking into the palace coffers, before. It's a lot better, having someone along with you.

"A faithful guard should perhaps walk first, lest there be danger ahead...unless we fear what's at our back more?" she laughed, taking on an almost sideways gait to keep a battle trained eye on the rear.

She managed to keep glancing up past him too...and wouldn't you know, she was in almost perfect position to pull him to the side in case of assassins! She even seemed more predatory, a cat like slink in her step and a dangerous air about her...

That was Rachel alright.

"Yes, Lord" It was teasing, though the tone of voice was that of a grim, weary guard.

"We have travelled here with peril at our very heels," the lord says, weary but resolute.

"But it was you, faithful guard, who got us lost in this confounded corridors," Yrael grins cheekily at her, "so I shall go first."

Ah, the best part of making it up as you go along.

"Well, I'm better if I can get some height, Lord" she sighed, a sound of failure and repentance for such. "These cursed corridors are too enclosed. I miss the halls of home..."

"It was you who led us astray in the swamps though, Lord, and I who had to nurse you when you caught the fever..." ah, the tired bantering of long time companions...

"It is sad, what the barbarians did to our lofty Great Hall, with its tall windows of colored glass that turned the air inside into all the colors of sunset," the prince's voice is wistful as they turn from the staircase down a corridor to the right. "The thought that we should see it again restored..."

It's what keeps him going.

"You were no better off in those swamps than I, remember." He says, then pauses. There are voices coming, servants, talking of the midwinter feast coming up. Yrael steps forward to a small door in the wall. "In here," he says, opening it.

"It will be" she stated, firm and resolute. She'd believe nothing else. They'd see the flame washed halls again. They would.

"True, but I didn't have the luxury of complaining now did I? You called me a vicious snake for making you walk despite the illness...I won't forget that you know" she poked him gently in the ribs as she scooted into the room.

He shuts the door behind them, and listens quietly as the servants pass, still talking about all the food they're going to have to prepare.

"Actualy, faithful guard," he says as they step back into the now-clear corridor. "I was trying to point out the vicious snake that happened to be right near your leg at that moment, while we walked through the swamp. It must have been unclear, as I was so ill at the time."

"Sure you were, Highness. Just like you were trying to warn me about the strawberry tart after that?"

Take that as you would.

"Maybe we should stay for dinner" she noted, after the servants had passed "They said fish in there didn't they?"