The Eye of Anubis: Book Five

[The Whistler]

"We were going to the roof, to check on the grandfather storm and to see whether we are being followed. If you wish to come, feel free."

"Excellent! Such was one of our goals as well. Just a moment!"

Beckoning to his two companions, the gunsmith starts puffing across the courtyard toward the Mordentishwoman and the facilitator, flashing a bit of a smile at Ishaq just before setting off.

"On the arcane...we will talk."

[Kaitou Kage]

Kuzan watched as Lia left and Sam followed and raised his eyebrow. "There goes trouble on four legs," he muttered wryly. He yawned and climbed to his feet, rummaging around for something to eat. Despite the bacon, he was still a little hungry and doing something to occupy his mind helped him forget it'd been a couple of days since sleeping.

"How's it going?" he asked, finding some cured meat and sitting down by Dieter, "Anything exciting going on?"

[NeoTiamat]

The Upper Courtyard, Level Five, Keep
May 26th, 761, 12:59 PM; Day 70 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"If you wish to accompany me, feel free to do so," Lia replies, perhaps a trifle coolly. "You have proven to be a most capable guardian in Ravnika, after all. It has never been my experience, however, that company is a sure guarantee against danger, quite the contrary. Recent experiences have driven this fact home."

"Subtle as a brick to the head." Maleagant murmurred under his breath, his tone more amused than anything else. The Borcan gave a flamboyant bow. "Well, I can hardly let you wander off and get killed by a collapsing ceiling, now can I? You might get killed by a falling beam."

"Or by a sudden slip off the ramparts."

"Or by having the floor collapse underneath you."

"Or by getting bitten by a lethal scorpion."

"Or by getting lost and starving to death."

"Or...."

"Shall I go on?" Samael grinned cheerily, sending a wave to Otto and the others as they approached. "Recent experience...?"

"For pity's sake," Lia grumbles under her breath, barely loud enough for Maleagant to hear. "One bout of heatstroke and I am a babe in arms again?"

"Ah, but Mademouselle, your grace, charm, and naturally loveable personality just calls forth the gallantry in all men. We are drawn to you as a bear is to honey." The Borcan seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. "Lead on, Miss Mournswaithe!"

The Library, Level Six, Keep
May 26th, 761, 12:59 PM; Day 70 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"I....I...." Remy stammered, staring at the scattered pages in absolute and abject horror and shock, though more the latter, you thought. "There was an eye! A great big red eye, right on the page! And it was looking at me! It blinked!"

"My... if I'd known that heat triggers stupidity, I'd have had Maleagant pack more salve." Professor Marchand-Renier said acidly. "Now get yourself together."

"And so.... Hullo, what's with the screaming and screeching and gnashing of teeth?" Samael, Otto, Lia, Tomas, and Ishaq came up the stairway, watching the spectacle of a graduate student and a ruined book.

"Good afternoon Miss Mournswaithe, Mr. Maleagant, Eisenwald, Schultheiss, Rafiq. Nothing important. Just day-to-day incompetence." Marchand-Renier commented dryly, before returning to his scholastic searching. Remy looked a combination of embarassed and furious as he rose to his feet.

The Barrack, Level Four, Keep
May 26th, 761, 12:59 PM; Day 70 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"You mean besides betting on what Loup brings back?" Dieter asked, grinning. The dog's pack-rat habits were legendary. "Nothing really. Getting a bit bored sitting around, but I suppose that's life."

Before the conversation could continue some more, the two youths overheard a brief argument between Harris and Devereux. Or something that would've been an argument had Devereux had a backbone in his body and Harris a mean bone in his body.

"....look, Sir, at least take someone with you if you insist on going out." Harris was saying, looming over the small academic, but it was a friendly, good-natured loom. "You heard Mr. Maleagant, it's dangerous to be alone."

"Er... alright.... I hate to be a bother...." Devereux stumbled over his words even worse than usual, it seemed, though the academic was dressed in the most spectacular bright purple coat you ever had seen in your life. "Just wanted to....uh.... look around.... during the day...."

[steveflam]

"I....I...." Remy stammered, staring at the scattered pages in absolute and abject horror and shock, though more the latter, you thought. "There was an eye! A great big red eye, right on the page! And it was looking at me! It blinked!"

Ishaq whispers to Otto "Yes Effendi, I can see we should speak of arcane magic" with a smug look on his face.

Ishaq looks around the decrepit library. He did of course know how to read. It's just that he spent most of his time in physical and not mental endeavours. There were quite a few people here now. I guess the academics couldn't have found a better place to investigate. After having scanned the library completely he sees that there is no other exit. "Might we look elsewhere for the exit to the top of the keep, Effendi?" Ishaq asks Otto.

[yalenusveler]

"Good afternoon Miss Mournswaithe, Mr. Maleagant, Eisenwald, Schultheiss, Rafiq. Nothing important. Just day-to-day incompetence." Marchand-Renier commented dryly, before returning to his scholastic searching.

"Only on your part, Sebastian" Andre said, falling out of an attack position, at least physically, if not verbally, heading over to offer Remy a hand up.

"We're in a Keep known by rumor at least to be haunted. We've seen already signs of violence beyond the known history, and in such a manner as to suggest that the unnatural had a hand in it." Andre continued "We need to get Devereux, because gods help us, I fear he's going to be one of the most useful amongst us, and for gods sake, don't let him wander off alone."

He finally turned to Remy, and offered what, for Andre, was a friendly smile. "Don't worry. I believe you saw what you saw. As soon as your nerves are steady, we've got copies here of Al-Badriyyah’s Chronicles of Diamabel, Suleiman’s Herbology, and The Comparative Compendium of Grammar and Translation of the Akiri and Pharazian Tongues. If you wouldn't mind adding them to the ledgers later."

He then turned towards Tomas "Remy can show you how to carry them without risking damage. They're the most valuable tomes here I found. And the most potentially useful, especially the last one."

Finally Andre turned to Lia "If you've one prepared, a detect undead might be most prudent right now...it probably already left, but it could be waiting and laughing." Andre's expression soured.

"One would think, Sebastian, that with everything that happened, you'd be more accepting of the unusual. I mean honestly, the Lamordians who've joined us are more open minded." He said, finally turning his gaze back to the other professor in the room.

[NeoTiamat]

The Library, Level Six, Keep
May 26th, 761, 1:05 PM; Day 70 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"One would think, Sebastian, that with everything that happened, you'd be more accepting of the unusual. I mean honestly, the Lamordians who've joined us are more open minded." He said, finally turning his gaze back to the other professor in the room.

Prof. Marchand-Renier didn't even bother to dignify Andre's first insult with an answer. He gave the other professor a very Richemuloise sniff, the kind that said that hyphenated name notwithstanding, Sebastian Marchand-Renier was born to one of the most aristocratic families in the Core.

"I find that turning to the supernatural as a first resort is at best overenthusiasm and at worst sloppy thinking. The natural explanation is usually the correct one, and turning to magic and ghosts the sign of a mind incapable of finding a logical explanation." The Richemuloise professor took a look at Otto and Tomas, and raised an eyebrow. "And Andre? When the Lamordians in question are a wolf-man and a detector of evil rooms, I would say your case needs work."

[yalenusveler]

"And Andre? When the Lamordians in question are a wolf-man and a detector of evil rooms, I would say your case needs work."

"Both of whom have contributed several times to saving the lives of innocent people, not to mention the members of the expedition." It..was probably slightly telling that Andre made a distinction between the expedition, and innocents. "When you've done what exactly, so far? Oh wait, all of absolutely nothing. Except be more disagreeable than me, and berate one of the top students the university has."

"Never mind, that when one lives in a world where magic and the supernatural are valid observed phenomena, reproducible under laboratory conditions, one must therefore include them in the list of "natural" explanations, and your willingness to rule them out immediately shows a dangerous lack of insight." Andre continued, as he picked up the pages of the scattered book.

[Kaitou Kage]

Kuzan watched the little exchange between Harris and Devereux with an amused expression. After things settled, he glanced at Dieter.

"I hope he doesn't pick us to escort him," the priest muttered quietly to his friend.

[NeoTiamat]

The Library, Level Six, Keep
May 26th, 761, 1:09 PM; Day 70 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"Both of whom have contributed several times to saving the lives of innocent people, not to mention the members of the expedition." It..was probably slightly telling that Andre made a distinction between the expedition, and innocents. "When you've done what exactly, so far? Oh wait, all of absolutely nothing. Except be more disagreeable than me, and berate one of the top students the university has."

"Your listening skills have atrophied, it seems. I point out that when it comes to being exemplars of Lamordian rationality, Mr. Schultheiss and Mr. Eisenwald are not the best candidates, whatever their other recommendations." Marchand-Renier smiled, and it was not a nice smile. "And the last I recall you doing usefully was saying bad words about a necromancer and having your back opened up by a skeleton."

"Never mind, that when one lives in a world where magic and the supernatural are valid observed phenomena, reproducible under laboratory conditions, one must therefore include them in the list of "natural" explanations, and your willingness to rule them out immediately shows a dangerous lack of insight."

"I see. Very well then, the next time I spill my coffee, I shall most assuredly blame the eldritch forces of the bean, rather than any clumsiness on my part." Professor Marchand-Renier said dryly.

[Nathan of the FoS]

"Oh, come now, gentlemen," Charles says in a tone of mild and friendly rebuke. "It'll be a long trip to Har'Akir if we can't do better than this. For my own part, if I had seen an eye wink at me in one of these books, I dare say I would have reacted much as M'sieur Lessard did."

Charles holds up a racily illustrated volume of romantic poems to a particularly...striking...picture and continues, "Unless it was this one, I suppose. That I might suppose rather more intriguing than dismaying."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Upper Courtyard, Level Five.

Subtle as a brick to the head." Maleagant murmured under his breath, his tone more amused than anything else.

"Yes, well," Lia replies, her tone unruffled. "We can not all be veterans of the Borcan courts and their intrigues, now can we? Nor can - or desire - we all to be like Cavendish." She inclines her head as she listens to the list of potential dangers mentioned by Maleagant, then snorts.

"... a sudden slip off the ramparts ... by having the floor collapse underneath you ..."

"I can fly," Lia notes calmly.

"... by getting bitten by a lethal scorpion ..."

"That is rarely instantly lethal, I can fly back down to the main hall and I fully trust Kuzan to be able to save me," Lia notes.

" ... by getting lost and starving to death."

"Please," Lia says, rolling her eyes. "If I get too lost and can not find you all again, I have Grimmric. Or, if worst comes to worst, I could blast a hole in one of the walls and make my way outside. If nothing else, you would all be attracted to the noise I can make."

"Recent experience...?"

"We were together in Firaz, were we not?" Lia reminds Maleagant. "And yet we were all played like puppets, assaulted by undead and now have a death penalty hanging over our heads. Company is no proof against peril, though it can provide some safety."

"For pity's sake," Lia grumbles under her breath. "One bout of heatstroke and I am a babe in arms again?"

"Ah, but Mademouselle, your grace, charm, and naturally loveable personality just calls forth the gallantry in all men. We are drawn to you as a bear is to honey." The Borcan seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. "Lead on, Miss Mournswaithe!"

"Oh, I am quite aware that I am arrogant, look dowdy if not frightful and have an unpleasant disposition," Lia replies, her tone still calm. "My redeeming factors do not lie in my ability to charm, but in my intellect and the fruits of that intellect. If you wish to protect the potential I bring in the areas of protection, aid and destruction, that is fine with me. You do not have to like me, so long as you grant me my due of respect, sir."

Lia does continue up the stairs, slightly haltingly due to her cane. Perhaps it is only that which prevents her from rushing ahead of Maleagant, rather than walking at his side.
_____________________________________________________________

Level six: Keep Library:

Lia silently watches the argument between the two professors, her eyes flicking to and fro between them as the insults fly. Her eyes narrow, for once not in an expression of anger, but rather in sly amusement. She starts slightly when Andre addresses her:

"If you've one prepared, a detect undead might be most prudent right now...it probably already left, but it could be waiting and laughing." Andre's expression soured.

"If you wish," Lia agrees readily enough. "Though ... If I do set that spell off, might it not be better to do so at our base camp, to make sure that area is secure? I -?"

At this point, she catches sight of what Charles is holding up and utters a muffled squeak. Rapidly turning her back on the diplomat's son, hands clapped her to her face, Lia shrieks: "Idiot! What have my eyes ever done to you? Do not blithely show me such things!"

[yalenusveler]

"Yes Charles...that's.." Andre looked away from the book, continuing to gather pages. "Inappropriate. Of course, it could be worse. There's that Rokuma woodcut with the octopu... I'm just going to drop this topic now." Andre said, hurrying to continue gathering up the destroyed volume.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Of course, it could be worse. There's that Rokuma woodcut with the octopu... I'm just going to drop this topic now." Andre said, hurrying to continue gathering up the destroyed volume.

"Octopus?" Lia repeats, confused. "What could be ...?" Her voice falters, and for a moment, Lia just stands there, blinking. The next moment, she hisses with disgust. "It never ceases to amaze me," she growls, "how far people will debase themselves in the pursuit of their darkest desires."

[Nathan of the FoS]

"Idiot! What have my eyes ever done to you? Do not blithely show me such things!"

"Oh, quite right. My apologies, M'selle," Charles says, in a conciliatory tone. "The smoking-room stories are only to begin once the ladies have excused themselves, of course." Closing the book, he adds it to the pile of "keepers" on the table. "What a shame to quarrel, though, when there are so many beauties waiting to be discovered here!"

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"What a shame to quarrel, though, when there are so many beauties waiting to be discovered here!"

"I would prefer perusing these books after making certain this keep is not about to be inundated in a sandstorm, or stormed by an army of confessors foaming at the mouths for our fleshless skulls," Lia hisses, then proceeds to the next stairway. "If anyone else is coming, kindly do so."