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In Search of the Spell

Theo takes a deep breath and begins to focus on the spell they wanted. In her mind, she created it as a distinct thing, one thing in a universe of thousands that were similar. This was the one spell that would do, however, and it was...

She began to walk toward it.

Theo realizes as she pictures the spell, she gets a mental image of path how to get there, steps through the Ether, world walking some distance, a power of the Glimmering: an understanding of choices. At each of the key points of the path, Theo can describe for Marcus enough that he can open a gate to that point in the path. There through a series of steps, via Marcus's gate, finally they arrive on the edge of a ruin city in a gray twilight under a broken moon. Somewhere inside the city, Theo can sense it.

There are lights in the city, here and there, both Theo and Marcus are under the impression that someone is looking for it as well.

"Great," Theo mutters. "Looks like we're not the first ones here." She lifts one of her guns from its holster and holds it competently in her right hand.

Marcus glances curiously at Theo's weapon but says nothing. He gives a quick flick of his wrist and the circlet of silver that was there quickly and silently transforms into a staff.

"That may be, but lets make sure we're first to find the spell." Marcus replies with a nod.

"Which way, now?" he asks.

Theo, concentrating her power of the Glimmering can sense her 'desire' off to the right side, underground. She gets an image of what looks like underground shopping mall.

"Right and down," Theo says, moving in that direction. Suddenly she shoots Marcus a mischievous glance. "You got any money on you, handsome?"

Marcus falls into step beside Theo.

"A few silver maybe. Why?" Marcus asks, lifting a curious eyebrow.

"Because the place we're going looks like a good place to shop," she says, and then laughs.

With care Theo and Marcus make their way right and down towards the general area of the Underground Mall. Its getting harder and harder to avoid the other groups of searchers.

Theo frowns. She used to be a treasure hunter, and she knows all about rivals, and eliminating them, but her concern, which she shares with Marcus, is that taking out a group of searchers might slow them down so that another group could get there ahead of them.

"Let's go on eluding them as long as we can. If... when... we run into another group, we'll handle that then," she says.

Marcus nods his agreement and continues to rely on Theo's lead to get to the spell. In the meantime, he is keeping alert for things like, but not limited to, an ambush.

Oliver, who had taken to the air after they arrived, calls to Marcus a bit later as Theo and Marcus are moving pass the ruins of what must have been a very tall build,~Marcus there is a group of men-things one block to your left. There is an entrance underground about a block ahead.~

~Thank you my friend.~ Marcus replies.

Then to Theo Marcus says, "There's a group off to our left that may be trouble. But Oliver says there is an underground entrance about a block ahead."

"That's too close," Theo says, moving a little left. "We'll have to shut them down as we don't want them right behind us."

"Agreed." Marcus replies. He moves off to the left as well, his staff at the ready.

As they are moving to the left there is a 'poofing-wooshing' noise to the left where Oliver said there was a group of searchers. Then a flare of light as if fire was burning in that direction. Followed quickly by a mixtured of surprised and fear snorts/screams.

Theo stops moving and turns to regard Marcus, her eyebrows raised. "Did you...?"

Marcus shakes his head. "No." he replies, holding his staff ready.

Theo shrugs. Her guns are still in her hands, and she walks cautiously forward.

Marcus also steps forward cautiously, holding his staff ready.

Feral shrugs, watching. He can't hear them, yet, but it's obvious they're concerned about something. Then another spell, similar to the first, letting his voice be heard through the scrying spell, and - hopefully - letting him hear the two as well.

"Greetings, cousins. In case you're wondering, I caged off your attackers, though one or two look like they're working on getting rid of it. We've never met, so don't be surprised if you don't recognise the voice."

Marcus glances at Theo, an eyebrow raised. "Who are you and what do you want?" Marcus asks the air in general.

"Thank you!" Theo adds.

Feral pauses long enough to reinforce the wall of flame, then responds. "You're welcome. I'm Feral, of Alexandria. I was looking for you two, though not by name. I've found that the late unlamented idiot who destroyed Amber left some toys in various reflections. Mine got two, though most got one. Each of yours are the only ones left that still have them."

There is a host of frustrated snarls and screams from the crew that are encircled. The two that were gesturing making some very disgusted noises as they have to restart their spells.

Marcus, seeming a little impatient, replies, "Alright. We could possibly help you with the "toys" you mentioned, but we're in the middle of something right now."

Marcus turns to Theo and tilts his head in the direction of the entrance underground.

"Excuse me," Theo says, and shoots one.

The creature that Theo fired blows apart in a rather spectacure spray of pieces. Which raises yet more howls and screams from those that remain.

Marcus blinks a couple of times and shakes his head slightly to relieve the ringing in his ears.

Feral's voice comes across slightly amused. "Well, anything I can help with? Or would you rather I just par fry the creatures hanging round the perimeter?"

"You know, that would be fabulous," Theo replies to the voice. "Then we can go underground... We'll see you in a few, cousin..."

She turns back to Marcus. "I guess you want to go down?"

Feral begins closing the ring of fire around the creatures, thickening it as he does so, to keep them from being able to merely leap across it. "Take care, cousins."

The creatures in the ring of fire are not amused by the closing ring, and in fact a few of them take running leaps to try and clear the flames. Two of them fail and scream as they are engulged in flames and then run for a short period of time a-flame before they collaspe into burning heaps. One of them actually manages to clear the flames for the most part and takes off running away from Theo and Marcus.

Marcus gives Theo an unapologetic glance. "I was under the impression that this was a time sensitive endeavor. I don't believe we have time to play catch up with long lost relatives, if indeed he was such. He could very well have been an agent of the enemy." He sighs heavily.

"Yes. Let's get to that spell first." Marcus finally answers Theo's question.

Theo and Marcus easily make it to the underground entrance, and other then a musty smell -- the way down is clear. Oliver calls to Marcus, ~Marcus, there are no other groups besides you and the one that is now burning within ten blocks.~

Heading down is not hard, a few light sticks or a quick light spell makes it easy to walk down the stairs. There is a few steel doors that require some muscling to open but other then that, no problems. Finally they found themselves on a wide landing. Beyond the broken railing a drop of two floors and from what little they can see from their light there are shops to the left and right and more on the floor below them. Both Marcus truth sense and Theo's Glimmering senses, senses something waiting -- below to the left.

"Let's have a look, shall we?" Theo says, a glimmer in her eye as she moves left with catlike grace, guns still in her hands.

Marcus nods. He lays himself flat on the landing and cautiously peers over the edge, using his Fey True Sight, looks to the left below them.

Looking to the left and down below, Marcus can see an odd, aura glowing from one of the shops below. Its impossible to tell what the aura is beyond magic. There is nothing living below except for the stray rat or two.

Theo remains upright, keeping a look out as he searches for whatever they sensed.

Marcus stands again and turns to Theo. "I could be wrong, but I believe this is what we're looking for." he says.

"Then let's go," Theo replies, smiling. She looks around for a way down there.

Marcus nods and he too looks for a way down.

Off to the left and right the ledge they stand on leads onward to the shop on this level, just at the edge of their light on both sides appears to be bridges around the drop -- likely to the other side. Theo looking around with her knowledge of more futuristic buildings, notices what is likely a door with an emergency stairway likely leading down to the next level.

Marcus will wait to hear from Theo. Maybe she has an idea.

"Let's take the stairs," Theo says, moving toward the door. "If we end up having to fight, I'd rather do it on two good ankles."

"Agreed." Marcus replies with a nod and falls into step with Theo once again.

Going down the stairs isn't hard, forcing the door open at the bottom is a bit of a challenge but its lock had never been designed to deal with the strength that both Marcus and Theo have. Once out and into the lower level of the mall, both of them can feel an odd waiting in the air. As they approach the shop where both their senses say the spell is, that waiting feeling gets worse. At the edge of the shop, they can see enough inside to see what looks like an art gallery, paints on the wall, pottery etc. The glow is going from about ten feet inside beyond a low partition. There are no signs of life in the shop or nearby. Only that feeling of waiting. It could be from the actual spell or maybe something attached to the spell.

Marcus turns to Theo. "The Orb warns that not all is as it seems and sometimes the truth can not be believed." he pauses for a second looking toward the shop.

"Ready?" he asks.

"As I'll ever be," Theo says, taking a deep breath and nodding. "Let's dance." She moves forward cautiously, holding her awareness of the Glimmering in case it can help her sense danger here...

Marcus steps inside, following the pull of his True Fey Sense. He is likewise ready to call on the protection of The Orb if the need arise.

Sure enough the shop is some kind of art gallery, as the various pieces on the walls and shelves would attest. Carefully working their way into the shop enough to look over/around the partition that their unique perceptions tell them hold what they seek.

There sitting on a shelf, glowing by their perceptions, is a carved wooden box all done in shades of purple. Whether the spell is the box or what is inside it is impossible to tell just by looking at it.

Marcus steps forward and carefully reaches out to lift the lid of the glowing box.

"Here goes nothing," he remarks.

Inside the box is a selection of silver and gold tiles with words on them.

Marcus looks to Theo with a "who would have thought" expression on his face.

"And all we have to do is destroy them?" he asks no one in particular.

"I don't think... it's going to be that simple," Theo says. "Dump them out, let's see if we can sense where the power is coming from - the box, the tiles, one particular tile?"

Marcus complies, spreading them out over the floor, separating them as much as possible.

Spreading the tiles out, reveals Theo idea a good one. Three of the gold tiles and three of the silver tiles are glowing. The others are not. Additionally, the box is glowing.

As far as Marcus and Theo can tell, they are solid silver and gold. And yes the box is made of wood. Nothing they have ever seen before the shades of purple (due to wood grain) appear to be natural. Do note as you examine the box there appears to be very delicately carved into it six tile shaped area -- one on each side.

"I don't think we should put it together. Do you?" Marcus says quietly.

"Hard to say," Theo considers.

All the tiles have words on them, but 6 tiles that glow -- the words on them are hard to read. They shift and change every so often. Her training and logic implies that it would be easier to destroy when its not together but something about the tiles and the box just nags at her as wrong .. she is missing something.

Theo makes a face and turns to look at Marcus. "Something's wrong," she says. "We need to... find something or do something..."

She looks around the room for something else that seems out of place - another receptacle holding a final tile, perhaps, or anything, really, that might be part of the spell.

Every time Theo glances around, the Glimmering tugs her eyes back to the box, .. the box is the key -- something there, maybe there is a hidden compartment.

Marcus, who has been studying the items, answers distractedly. "Maybe if we put the pieces in their slots, it will unlock what we're looking for," and Marcus moves to begin picking up the tiles.

"Let me look around a little first," Theo says, and she picks up the box and begins to examine it more closely, trying to find secret compartments or see if any parts of the box slide around, or move, or whatever.

"All right," Marcus replies. He stands waiting, holding the gold and silver tiles as Theo examines the box.

With careful examination, it is clear there is a secret compartment: the box is not as deep inside as it should be. As for parts sliding around, the Glimmering doesn't show sliding but it definitely moves somehow. Marcus gets a subtle image of a rose opening up.

"Okay," Theo sighed. "I've got nothing better. Let's put tiles in slots."

"I have a hunch." Marcus said and began matching up the sets of lines.

Laying out the tiles showed that the number of lines on them increased by two each time. So the first one had two lines, then next was four, six and so on.

Marcus began to plug the tiles into the box.

As the last tile was placed, the box glowed brighter for a moment, then as Marcus had seen, the box unfolded and inside was a large tile and on it words they could read. Reading the first line was enough to weaken them. Both of them instinctively knew that to read further would kill them.

Marcus immediately averted his eyes and called on his deities, "Mother Tree, Creation Three, Orb of Power, protect us from this vile magic as we seek to do your will. Guide us in the destruction of this force of evil."

Theo took the Glimmering into her mind and likewise focused on how it might be possible to destroy the spell.

Both of them got back impressions from their respective Powers.

For Theo, the Glimmering showed her making an impression of 'Choices' as if there were many ways to 'destroy it.' It all depended on the cost she was willing to pay, with the price being anything from a terrible feeling of loss to a sense of understanding. The images associated with her choices flickered by almost too fast to really make sense. She might need to refine what kind of cost was associated with her destroying it.

For Marcus, the Orb was silent but it showed him an image of pitching the spell tile into the Abyss. Marcus got the impression that there were other ways but this one was the one the Orb liked. And with Marcus' experience of the Orb over the last few months, he had learned that the Orb had its own agenda.

Theo focused on the option that would cause her only understanding. With her narrowing of focus, the Glimmering replied back, showing the words being read backwards. For example if it was .. 'Let not be .. ' she should say 'Be not let'.

Theo turned her attention back to the tablet and began to read the words backwards, starting at the bottom.

Marcus was thoughtful until Theo began to read. "Wait! What are you doing?!" he shouted and put his hand on her arm.

Theo shrugged off his hold and continued to read the words backwards. She didn't know what would happen if she stopped to explain.

Marcus is pretty sure this is not the way. He is going to attempt to knock the tablet from Theo's hands.

Theo is about two thirds the way through by the time Marcus attempts to knock the tablet from her hands. As he touches her, he sees a host of entities 'looking' at him and her, the Unicorn, the Servant, a firey man, a glittering spinning twisting thing, three spheres of gold, silver and multicolor/yet not the Three Fey gods, other things. As she reads each word, he sees some Dark being that exists being unmade or changed -- hard to say which.

Marcus concentrates on The Orb and Seker. ~Can you see this?~ he asks.

Marcus reaches out and touches Theo's arm. "~Theo! ~" he shouts both mentally and out loud. "~This isn't the way! You must stop!~"

Theo tries to pull free again, ignoring Marcus. She wants to respond telepathically but is afraid of diverting her attention.

Marcus is pretty much expecting her reaction. He will attempt to take the tablet out of Theo's hands.

If he succeeds, he will immediately create a gate to the Abyss and throw the tablet in as the Orb suggested.

Marcus manages to grab the spell tile out of Theo hands, he was just that much stronger then she was, but Theo with her desire to complete had managed to memorize the last few words.

Marcus had already decided to pitch the tile into the Abyss via a gate so the gate opened with his intent and the spell tile disappeared through the gate just as Theo finishes the last of the words.

There is an odd ripple through the 'Ether', a backwash of power so great that it literally picks the two of them up and tosses them a good distance away.

Marcus went crashing into one of the displays and though the wall, to end up in a messy heap in what felt like a pile of sharp glass and pottery shards in the darkened store. Theo had been pitched out the front of the store through one of the plate glass windows and ended up sliding a good 20 feet across the mall marble floor then tumbled over a low planter/bench thing amid a flying spray of broken glass. As luck would have it Marcus's armor managed to block the worst of the shards he was hit with and the planter/bench thing took the worst of the plate glass. Both of them had a host of cuts some deep some not. All around them, in the underground mall the sound of shattering glass and falling ceiling tiles can be heard. The floors shakes and ripples. And more louder rumbling can be heard above them .. around them.

"Theo!" Marcus calls out. "Theo, are you alright?"

Theo was swearing loudly as she pulled herself to her feet. She was bleeding from the glass and the left side of her body felt like a giant bruise, but she called back, "Yes! Now let's get the hell out of here!"

Even as Marcus heard Theo's curses, he had opened a gate to Britannia.

"This way. Quickly!" he responds and is ready to shut the gate as soon as they are through.

Theo kept swearing, but focused her endurance on running hell for leather for the Gateway.

The two of them all but tumble through the Gateway to Britiannia and it snaps closed. Even as they appeared several Fey healers gate into the room they had appeared into. Alyanili herself comes in on the arm of a Fey Paladin, still very pregnant.

Alyanili says softly reachs out for him,"Marcus ..my love."

"Lady Theo, this is my wife, my life mate, Lady Alyanili." Marcus makes introductions as the healers begin their work.

"Hi," Theo smiles. "Please call me Theo... 'Lady,' isn't technically my due anyway..."

Alyanili smiles at Theo, "As you wish, Theo. I have arranged for chambers for you to rest onces the healers have finished. I do hope you both were successful."

The Fey healers begin to carefully remove the shards of glass and pottery on/in them, healing and they go. Another Fey has comes in with goblets filled with something that shimmers and smells fruity for them to do.

Marcus looks to Theo and winces slightly as one of the healers removes a particularly jagged piece of glass. "I'm not sure," he answers then takes the drink being offered.

Theo shrugs. "Well... you seemed relatively sure that what you did would work, and it certainly did something. As for my actions, while they seemed odd to you, I trust the Power I created, the Glimmering, to show me true choices, and I took the one that seemed best."

"It makes sense." Marcus nods. "If you don't mind, I'll contact the Fey Deities and see what they have to say on the matter."

At Marcus's words, he gets a sense of ... satisfication from the Fey Deities as if his choice was a good one as well. That both their choices were very good choices.

"The Three are satisfied." Marcus reports, looking very relieved.

"Good," Theo laughs. "As if they might not be."

"Well Theo," Marcus smiles that winning smile once more. "Is there anything we can do for you here while you recover?" he asks.

The Fey healers finish up removing the last of the glass and other debris and heals the last of the damage. Other Fey have come in with fresh clothing and murmur that chambers have been prepared for Theo if she wishes to use them.

Aliyanili had sat next to Marcus as the healers tended him. One hand resting on her swollen belly, "You are welcome to stay here, Theo, if you wish."

.... Theo took out the trump and concentrated on it, on the lines of Merikara's face... her sister's face...

Sunlight glittered on the narrow cobra crown of the Thebian Queen, on the wide collar that drapped across her collarbones and shoulders and off the blue waters of the lily pond behind her. Her curiosity vanished as she saw who was calling. "Theo!" she exclaims warmly. "What a pleasure."

Merikara smiles. "What has transpired since you left my lands?"

"We went in search of the spell... and we found it. We gained entry to the place it was kept with help from a relative named Feral... after that we had to discover how to destroy the thing... I chose to unmake it by reading it backwards, and Marcus threw it into the Abyss... That pretty much destroyed the place we had been."

"Indeed," she observes with a raised eyebrow. "You two have been busy. We have been discussing an idea Corwin of Argent and I had of a council of Reflections of a sorts. A representative of each Reflection coming to one designated location to discuss things to all our benefit. What do you think?"

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