Same as It Ever Was (Part 18)

Prying eyes are watching... the pool of water that lies ahead through the remaining golden threads. It remains a cool and tranquil pond, stagnant and unmoving.

As Telamon discusses a plan to dimension door the party, the sound of laughter from within, as well as the song from before, go quiet and still--like the pool of water itself.

Zeke waits somewhat impatiently for Telamon's spell to scout the way, frowning at the sound of laughter and the threads between himself and what lies ahead. "If necessssary, thisss one will proceed. Thisss one will break _all_ of the threadsss." He dislikes them now, for causing harm to Nala. For being the source of pain. Yet they had not harmed him, and he does not believe that they can in truth. The Dragonfather is with him, and his will to continue on is strong.

Aryia scowls as the laughter goes quiet. Was that from the harm here ceasing? Or was he doing something else that the group wasn't aware of. Regardless, Aryia is visibly impatient, her eyeing the walls. It's common knowledge that she has punched out a whole quarry. And it looks like she'd do it again.

Telamon focuses his will on his remote 'eyes', murmuring softly under his breath. At Zeke's declaration, Tel glances at his friend. "Not yet. Let me look a little further..." His fingers twitch slightly, and suddenly one of the eyes comes soaring back to alight on Tel's hand, glowing briefly before vanishing.

Telamon's eyes flutter open, and he blinks. "A chamber further in. And.. a door. Zeke, do you remember Ivyhold Manor, and the door that appeared there? It looks similar, but it's covered in vines and it's got 'Oasis' on it." He furrows his brow. "I really hope we're not about to have a repeat of that little outing..."

The Goblin sticks to Telamon's side, watching the eyes disappear into the darkness. A notebook is retrieved from her pouch and she begins writing as Telamon speaks of what he sees.

"I shall have to ask you about that later.", she says of his mention of Oasis and repeating a certain outing. "Is there anything we can do to prepare in case it is a repeat, Tel? Zeke?"

Rune continues to wait, her arms folded across her chest as she listens to Telamon as he uses his magical sight. "Ivyhold?" Her brows furrow, looking curious about what exactly they might be talking about. Blue eyes look towards Zeke as she gives a nod of agreement with the archmage, that they should wait for more information.

"I think Simony has the right of it. If this is similar to something that happened in our world, fill us in on what might be waiting for us. Better to be prepared." She looks back to those from this world, a worried expression on her features.

"Oasis is not too distant of a word, related to the Golden Sands and the like." Harkashan points out idly, remaining at Rune's side. His tail lazily swaying left to right, while tilting his head down a bit and looking ahead. He's in a waiting pattern, so he's trying to calm himself and do just that - wait.

Nala and Telanmo look confused. "Ivyhold?" they ask in an echo of Rune's question.

Yiara, however, looks like she knows something? "Doors appearing out of nowhere? Religiously speaking, that's usually what leads to paths to nowhere... or somewhere... important. Wonder why in a cave, though." She signs all of this with an inquisitive look. "And why covered in vines..."

Nala looks over at Telamon. "I mean... We should go check it out, right?" she says. "It's probably fine. Just a door." Probably.

Zeke glances at Telamon, looking highly disturbed for all that his expressions are hard to read due to being written on a makari face. He shakes his head at Simony. "One can not prepare for that which can not be prepared for. We fasced many thingsss within that building which were out of time. And at lassst we fasssced a creature beyond thisss natural order. If ssssuch liesss before usss we will need all partss of ourssselvesss ready."

His stomach grumbles, and Zeke, were he not a makari would probably be blushing if the embarrassment written on his features is any indication. However he then has a thought and he glances at Telamon again. "Perhapsss ass we fasced hisss memory there, we will fasssce our own memoriesss here. Twisssted versssionsss of them at leassst, asss they were there.

"Doorsss in thisss onesss experience are rarely jusssst doorsss. Particularly where they are out-of-plassce." Zeke remarks to Nala.

Telamon reaches into his haversack, and politely offers Zeke an apple. "Zeke is correct. Doors are rarely -just- doors here. But... we should investigate. If everyone will gather round, we will be skipping the wading through everyone's memories part of this adventure."

The half-sil smiles broadly. "I know, it feels like cheating, but I don't feel like dealing with that sort of thing today. Rest assured I'm not the sort who skips to the end of the book to find out how it ends."

Simony looks from Telamon to Zeke, her expression neutral. Til she grins. "No one should forget, though, that we, ourselves, are things that are outside of time, in this place at least." The Goblin clings to Telamon, looking unhappy at the thought of some form of teleportation magics being used.

"In this particular case, Telamon, I don't think anyone will complain about skipping a few chapters filled with happy and unhappy memories." Her stomach gurgles noisily as the apple is offered up to Zeke.

She looks to Rune and nods, a grin for the support. At Yiara's signing, she signs back. "It is entirely possible that someone knows we would come here. And this is their way of getting us to come to them."

"In my experience, doors in random places are there for a reason. To keep someone out, to keep someone in, or to offer some means of passage from one place to another." It sounds straight-forward, but there are complexities to these things. Rune lets out a breath, blowing a few strands of dyed hair out of her face.

To the archmage, she nods her head, "I'd appreciate skipping through it. I've already had a friend or two poke around in my head and my memories and it's not a fun place to be. So I'll take the cheat code path, thanks."

She quiets for a moment, "Someone knows we would come... or someone knows they would come, Simony. Maybe this trap is for the other ones, and we're just getting caught in it."

Aryia squints after those various points are made, raising a brow briefly at Zeke but that is allayed by Telamon. But that is quickly dashed as Telamon suggests skipping forward. She also skips forward- closer to Telamon, and drops to a crouch, ready to take off. Used to teleporting and blasting off. "I'm ready to crack some skulls!" she signs sharply. Guess the Yiara smackdown didn't sate that desire. <Handspeech/Tongues>

GAME: Telamon casts Dimension Door. Caster Level: 20 DC: 25

After some group coordination, Telamon casts the magic, and everyone is surrounded by...

The door. It is a heavy-looking mahogany thing with lots of overgrowth on it. Leaves and vines curling around the frame, and the letters 'Oasis' are chiseled carefully into the door. It appears to be entirely free-standing. It looks the same from both sides.

There's a knob on it made of gold. Waiting patiently.

Off in the distance, beyond the golden thread, there's a yawning pit with the vague shape of stairs beyond it.

Nala inspects the door, and... "I think we should open it!" she says brightly.

GAME: Rune rolls perception+10+1: (15)+41+10+1: 67

After eating the apple whole, and being transported, Zeke looks at the door thoughtfully, then Nala. Her youthful exuberance is amusing, but his age-gained wisdom suggests a more cautious approach. Furthermore there are stairs leading downward here which he can barely make out. "There are ssstairsss that may lead ssssome-where." It's interesting to see him this cautious now when he had been bulling ahead before, but putting ones own self in danger is far different than putting all at risk.

He glances at the others and then shrugs. This is supposed to be Nala's quest. It is her word that they should abide in the end. "Thisss one will open the door." he decides, and noticing that Rune has edged closer decides to at least wait long enough for her to look at it in curiosity before he opens it.

Once the teleport is complete, Telamon clears his throat. "Nala dear, remember our lessons on why caution's a -good- thing. Rune is an accomplished... ah... 'freelance security consultant'. Let her look the door over first." He covers his mouth, trying to hide the grin there.

While Rune works, he busies himself in a new way -- sending the flying eyes out to the next chamber to scout it out and look for trouble. "Best to not be surprised," he muses.

"Hold on a second." Rune puts a hand forward to ward Nala from taking immediate action. "Let me take a look, first." She taps the glasses perched upon her nose and does a circle around the door, taking close look at the handle, the vines and the...

Squint.

"No traps, so far as I can tell, physical or magical, and nothing that looks like a lock to me but there is this..." She reaches out for the doorknob, crouching down to squint at what could be mistaken for scuffed metal and overlooked easily enough. "The way forward, for the way-weary." She blinks at it, then looks up over her glasses at the others, "It's in Sylvan."

Aryia does a quick pivot on the spot as the teleport drops them, quickly scanning the room before interposing herself nearby the door as Rune works her own kind of magic. Sylvan? More fey stuff, great. Regardless, this is Nala and crew's story, so if they're going through this door, then through the door it is.

A snap, a step, and a blink, and he's elsewhere. Unlike Telamon, who had the Sensors set, Harkashan isn't sure what he's about to truly step into. So he steps forward with his blade and buckler at the ready, glancing around to get an immediate feel for the area.

Rune is quick to inspect the door, and find something a bit more. Where-as Nala is telling them they should head into the door.

"Maybe an assist from a friend?" He proposes to her.

The Goblin makes a very unhappy sound, turning away for a few moments as her stomach decides it's time to revisit the last meal. Coughing a little and then spitting, she sighs. "I wish my stomach didn't turn itself inside out every time I use the convenience of teleportation, dimension door and other such spells. Really puts a damper on things."

Sniffing, Simony nods to Rune. "Well, if they are expecting just not-you and not-Harkashan, boy howdy are they in for a surprise!" Her grin returns, only dimmed slightly by Nala's reaction. "Uh, hold on here... a door isn't always just a door. It could be a mimic.. or open into an active volcano or worse."

The Goblin frowns. "Oasis. Is it possible this is someone's name just jumbled around? Some foe one of us has fought in our time line?"

She oooohs as Rune says what, and scoots a little closer, wanting to squint at the writing. "You could almost mistake it for some random scuffing of the metal..."

Zeke opens the door.

Normally, when people open doors, they expect to be able to see what's on the other side first. Except the next blink, the next breath, that everyone takes... They are elsewhere.

A sprawling field of flowers, endless as the eyes can see, set against an azure blue sky--so blue that it almost tugs at the heartstrings. Off in the distance is the door, but an equal distance away in the opposite direction is a tree.

Rune, Harkashan, and Telamon recognize the figure at the foot of the tree. The Golden Fate, a tall fae woman whose form is draped mostly underneath a black veil, sings, a soft melody escaping her golden-painted lips, as she holds up an elegant hand to one small nest.

"O birds of time, o brothers of fate, Sleep for me, wake for me, dream for me, For you are living still, dying still, Born and not yet born, dead and not yet dead, Brothers of fate and twins of fortune, Secret heralds of hope in beautiful wings." <Sylvan>

There are two eggs in the nest. All feels peaceful and calm.

Zeke looks around, trying really to find the exit to this place. Being somewhere unknown, he simply isn't sure if there _is_ an exit, but if there is one knowing where it is, is important. Which is when he spies the woman. One who he does not recognize singing to a nest with... eggs in it.

It should be noted here that Zeke loves eggs. To eat. Adores them. They are delicious, and always safe to eat since they are self-contained things. His stomach rumbles meaningfully and he starts toward the tree, the woman, and the eggs. "Ssssaa. Peassce on your nessst." He offers politely. "Are thossse your eggssss?"

This journey just keeps getting stranger and more surreal, and for Telamon that's saying a lot. The half-elf blinks twice, his eyes getting accustomed to the bright light of day instead of the gloom of the caves. Then his gaze settles on the dark clad Golden Fate, and he takes a deep breath... absently checking his shirt to make sure there's no wrinkles.

He glances at Nala and Telanmo, offering them a reassuring smile, before shifting his gaze to Rune and Hark. "I think we're on the right track here. But... just be careful." He moves up next to Zeke, and gives the makari priest an exasperated look. "I'm going to start packing a box lunch for you, I swear. You and Simony."

The Goblin stands there blinking at the abrupt change of scenery. She shields her eyes from the sky above, too bright for her albino eyes. The veiled woman with golden lips is squinted at, Simony slowly moving forward.

"It's a Goblin thing, honestly, Telamon. When one burns the candle at both ends, well... it takes a bit of extra fuel in the furnace."

She continues moving towards the tree, giggling a little at Zeke inquiring about the eggs. "Zeke, you wouldn't want to eat Zenith and Pothy, now would you?"

Finding herself suddenly in a different place, there is a moment where Rune squints against the change of scenery and then blinks as she focuses on the form in the distance. A form that she knows, at least from another world. "That song..."

She looks to the others, "It... sounds as if she's singing about our two bird guides. Brothers of fate, twins of fortune, heralds on wings..." She explains for those who may not know the language being sung.

"This... looks like the Golden Fate. The Fey that my mother worked for. In our world, we saved her beloved from the Corpse Eater." Making sure others know that part of the story, the rogue takes a step forward.

"Your song is beautiful and haunting." She begins, "I hate to interrupt it, but we're looking for two individuals who may have come this way. Ones with ties to you and your fate. Who may very well be in grave danger."

GAME: Zeke rolls Knowledge/Nature: (20)+5: 25

The noise that comes from Aryia is hard to describe, but it is a hearty mix of a grunt and throated cough as she whips back and forth, surprised by the sudden change of scenery. Only to stagger a bit with a foot hovering over a flower. Don't step on anything. Even a blade of grass could be something.

But she does spot the figure beyond, the others noticing her. As well as those giving her deference. Aryia simply waves, glancing at the others and nodding about Rune's interpretation.

The moment shifts, and shifts again. And they are led to a place they do not know, containing a person they do. And it's quite clear what she is singing about. After all, the twin birds have been important throughout much of this, and the past. And Rune is echoing his thoughts.

The fact that there are also two eggs seems rather notable. But he wonders what's up with them. Though he does not as of yet speak the question into existence.

The Golden Fate stops singing as the group moves up to her and speaks. She regards Zeke first. Her eyes cannot be seen--her veil hangs too low--but her lips twist into amusement. "They are not my eggs, but we norns pay our respect to them," she says. "I arrived, as you mortals might say, 'just in time'."

Before the Golden Fate can answer Rune's request, the eggs crack. The norn--as she has identified herself--turns around to look at the two eggs, and she smiles gently. "Come on, now," she says. "For there is only what was and is."

Unlike regular birds, who might take a long time indeed cracking out of their shells, there emerge two very large-beaked birds. They also are not fuzzy and cute like one might expect. They're actually rather awkward and ugly-looking, pink and featherless.

"They don't have a mother bird nor father bird," the Golden Fate says with a soft sigh, looking at the group. "Poor things." She reaches into a pocket and produces very tiny little morsels of what looks to be worms, holding them out to the little newborn birds. "I did see those two. They passed through here--twice. The first to enter, the last to leave."

Zeke does recognize the type of egg that is in the nest. They are from a bird species he is familiar with. Though nominally the same species as that of Zenith and Pothy, he has to wonder if they hatched from eggs that looked remotely similar. "Sssaa. Thisss one doesss not eat ssentient creaturesss. But thessse are eggsss. Not birdsss."

He returns his attention then to the woman, but the birds are hatching from their eggs and he sighs. "Now they are birdssss." Which means that since she is feeding them that they must be the 'pets'. "Ssso the two we are looking for left? Which way did they leave?"

After all, he doesn't see an exit.

Telamon makes a mental note to compare the appearance of Pothy with these somewhat-newborn ravens. Pothy is certainly better looking, that's for sure. "Cycles. Apotheosis and Zenith. I wonder..." The half-elf muses for a moment, thinking, before apparently shelving the thought and chiming in.

"Could you perhaps direct us where our friends went? I'll be happy to get us there, but I think I'll need a destination first."

It seems unexpected, at least to Rune, to see those eggs crack and hatch before her eyes. "Is this... like a phoenix legend? To be born and re-born again and again?" She whispers as an aside, as if trying to make sense of what is going on.

The soft part of Rune's heart breaks a little for the birds who do not have any parents of their own. For all her trials with her parents, at least she had them. "What will happen to them?" She asks softly of the norn.

The prospect of immediately tracking down those likenesses of herself and Harkashan is momentarily paused as she seems confused. "Did we miss them, then? Or is this some sort of place between where we might find them following their path?" The question is more aimed at the others than the Golden Fate. For all her knowledge of things, Rune has never been that great with riddles.

Aryia blinks in surprise as the eggs hatch suddenly. She tilts her head slightly, unsure exactly what a norn was, but Rune clearly trusts this being. Watching the newborn birds idly. Thinking. First to come, last to leave... They're still here?

She turns around, peering out into the flower field and scanning. "Or could be here to leave with us..." she gestures, side eyeing the birds. <Handspeech/Tongues>

Simony gasps as the eggs crack, an broad grin on her face. "It is good that you were here for them. What will you do with them now?", she wonders of the Norn. "Will you take them under your wing?"

She giggles lightly at Zeke, "Now they are birds."

The Goblin nods to Rune. "They were born multiple times, at least, Zenith appears to have been, he has said as much. I can't speak for Pothy, but perhaps?" She looks to Telamon, "Has Pothy ever talked about something like that, or has Lana mentioned it before?" Aryia's suggestion has Simony nodding. "The lady here has simply said our friends have come and left, but... she might not mean not-Rune and not-Hark. Perhaps she means Pothy and Nith?"

The Golden Fate purses her lips for a moment, as though trying to decide how to answer the bevvy of questions laid before her. "They are here and they are not here," she says. "Sometimes, time exists in loops. People repeating the mistakes of their forebears... Gods who exist within and out of time... Stories that hinge upon a great conflict and then are made right again, with the implication that one day, there may be a great conflict again... These are loops. Cycles. Time is not a straightforward concept, and it is difficult to explain, but think of it like a strand of yarn being tied into a knot. Once tied too tightly, it is difficult to break out of it."

She looks at Rune particularly. "You are familiar with this," she says. "The most surefire way to break out of a loop is to cut it. To create an ending so that there is a firm beginning. Your counterparts are in a loop of their own without realizing it. They go into the cave. They meet the Corpse-Eater, who has cursed them to a loop, and they die."

Then the Golden Fate gestures to the birds. "Apotheosis and Zenith are in a loop of their own, you could say," she says. "There are many of them born again and again and again in time and space. Two brothers, one with a name for the beginning of the mortal alphabet--A--and one with a name for the ending of the mortal alphabet--Z. A firm beginning and end, and yet they live in every time and every place."

She looks at Rune with a small smile. "It won't be long now before He comes to take them. The Raven always collects his children."

-TBC