Ame Damnee Temple of Reverence [Daemon's Cradle Retrieval]

Aeriseth
Outside the Temple


At first, Lady Death was admittedly a bit shocked that her son had actually started to give her some back-talk. And admittedly a bit pissed-off as well. She really wasn't used to people disobeying her. Well, maybe Lillith was, but Lillith was dead now. This was Aeriseth, and she puffed out her chest indignantly, leveling an equally rancorous stare towards him. "Big talk for such a little runt. Kid, I've been alive for a thousand years more than you. If childish insults like that could get under my skin, I wouldn't be the leader of the city your ungrateful ass takes shelter in." She responded, putting her hand over her mouth in a mocking yawn. She narrowed her eyes at his back as he ran off, just like the kid always did. That burst of energy caught her by surprise, though, and she stumbled back a little, but no more than a few inches.

Surprisingly, when everyone might have thought she was about to blow up, she smiled. It was a smile that held some amount of... Pride. The little wretch is growing a backbone now, eh? It's about damn time! She thought, seeming to become a bit giddy. This is what she'd been aiming for all along. She wanted to raise a son who was strong and could stand up to others... And it seemed to her like he was right on that path. "Not half-bad, that energy burst. Could use some work, but it's definitely an improvement..." The woman muttered idly to herself, her grin growing even wider as she contemplated it. It was truly a phenomenon how she could go from livid bitch to giggly bimbo in about 10 seconds flat.

Some of the guards started to run after him, but the lady held her hand up, laughing a little bit. "No, no, no need for that! If he wants to run off into Oblitus like the naive boy he is, let him! The best way to learn is from one's mistakes, after all." Smoothing her dress out, she started sauntering towards the temple, but stopped to face Eddie, Lila, and Mina. "Well, if you three would like, there's always room to join the party, hm? Oh, and Alex, dear, I do apologize for snapping at you. It was rather rude of me." She smiled at him in a sickly sweet way, before entering the already wide-open doors of the temple and taking slow, concentrated steps down the halls. Aeriseth wasn't going to just take Galizur's word. She'd have to see for herself whether the artifact truly was missing or not. Before she came across that, though, she would likely spot the massive hole in the floor, leading straight to the wasteland. Of course she was hiding it, but, she wanted to go after her son, too. He'd never survive in the wild on his own.
 
~Alexander- Temple of Reverence, near Aeriseth~
Alexander chose to stay silent throughout the whole ordeal, if the artifact was truly missing then they really had no time for their mother and son squabble, but he kept his tongue until he watched the wretched boy run off into the Temple. Glancing over at Aeriseth, he watched as her mood shifted rather quickly, already used to her behavior after so many years. He soon lost interest in the situation when Aeriseth spoke to the three, who were still there for some reason, talk to them and only responded with a nod to Aeriseth as he followed after her into the temple.

With a sigh, he had hoped the boy held some truth to his words, bad as it may sound. He did not enjoy his time being wasted like this, especially in a situation such as this. He glanced his eyes over at the three as he went in, recognizing two of them from the golem attack earlier, the other seeming to be a dancer or entertainer of sorts. Not paying them anymore mind, he caught up to Aeriseth. "So are you going to let him stay out there?" he asked, his tone flat.

~Lila Nender-Temple of Reverence, Outside~
Lila watched in awe as Galizur mouthed to Lady Aeriseth before running off into the Temple. She watched with worried eyes before haring Aeriseth, talking about letting him go ahead into the Oblitus. He going to get to the Oblitus through the Temple?, she thought, looking through the now open doors of the Temple. When Aeriseth talked about them coming along, a surge of excitement ran through her as she tugged on Eddie's hand lightly, looking at him. "Sounds quite exciting, huh? Should we go as well?"
@Aman, @jrusso20, @Meliodas, @Monster the Vamelfaer
 
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Mina
Temple of Reverence
Outside
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Mina froze in her steps when Lady Aeriseth showed up seemingly out of the blue, and watched the argument with wide eyes. It was all she could do to keep her mouth from dropping open when Galizur back-talked to her. They were family, sure, but for goodness sakes, the woman was an Envoy! Which was why she was even more surprised that Aeriseth didn't turn the kid into a pulp and simply let him run off. Apparently Lady Aeriseth is insane. Why did I not know that before? Mina wondered to herself.

The dancer was jerked out of her stupor when Aeriseth addressed her and the other two bystanders. Upon being invited to search for the Daemon's Cradle, Mina's mouth finally did drop open. What? Me? Why...? The girl's face scrunched up in confusion. Normally she had to force her way into important events, so a formal invitation to partake in perhaps the most important crisis of the century was something new. In a daze, she started moving toward the temple again.

You really shouldn't do this, the voice of reason told her. Traveling into Oblitus with two Envoys to search for the most powerful artifact known to man, with no combat experience of your own to speak of? That's excessive even for you.

Mina told the voice of reason to shut up.
 
Eddie Toorn - Temple Exterior

The entire argument had caught him completely off guard. Without his wings to steady himself and Lila, who's hand he was still holding, that shockwave would've surely knocked them both flat. As Lady Aeriseth, Sir Alexander, and that bizarre dancer girl began to head into the temple, Eddie stood there and ran a hand through his hair. He needed a moment to process, not only did he get none of the answers he wanted, these passed events only raised more questions.

If it weren't for Lila tugging on his arm, excitement written all over her face, he would've said screw it and gone home, the sun was rising and he hadn't slept at all, his mind was a nervous wreck, but this girl's enthusiasm was infectious, and besides, a party like this gave them ample time to get to know Lady Aeriseth better, which had been his original plan all along yesterday. Not only would he be fulfilling that plan, he'd gained a lover whom he was very fond of. Thinking about it that way, Eddie couldn't help but smile at Lila.

"You read my mind. But I'm not babysitting, if that brat and that insane dancer get themselves killed its their own fault." He said as he picked Lila up in his arms. With a quick kiss to her lips, he flew them off into the temple, trying to catch up to this very intriguing search party.
 
Aeriseth
Wandering the Temple


As Alex caught up to her, she simply gave him an amused look, walking by his side slowly. "Why not?" She responded, obviously not thinking the matter as serious as it might have been. "He claims that he can do it, and he's not a little kid anymore. If he comes back alive, all the better we can be assured he's not so pathetic." Yet, she knew there were flaws in her own little plan of action, for Galizur was more important than just being her son. She absolutely could not let him die, for reasons that not even her fellow Envoy was aware of. Her face became a bit grim at these thoughts, and her pace quickened subconsciously. He probably would only think her mad if she told him the truth. It was best that they find him soon, before one of those creatures in Oblitus did first.

Brightening up, she noticed that the rest of the group had come to join them and smiled. "Welcome, everyone! It's a lovely temple, isn't it?" She winked at Mina in particular, as if suggesting that the woman herself was rather lovely as well. "But, I digress. We are here on serious matters so-" She stopped dead in her tracks, putting an arm out to halt Alexander as well. There, clearer than day, was an enormous, gaping aperture lying directly before them. It looked as if a powerful being had created it... Like it had taken quite some time to construct. Aeriseth stepped around it slowly, examining the width and size of it. She couldn't even see the bottom - only darkness... Had Galizur gone through here? Looking back up, she went further in the room only for her fears to be confirmed - the stone was indeed missing. The pedestal it had been resting on was barren and empty. Nothing but silence greeted them in this dull space.

For a few moments she merely stood, staring at that pedestal without a traces of emotion betraying her apathetic front. Then she spun around to face Alexander, closing her eyes and exhaling briefly. "Well... This is rather unfortunate. Any thoughts on the matter? Any of you?" She asked the group, gesturing to the scene. "If you've nothing to say, it looks like we'll be following along in the enemy's trail. A larger group would be nice, but we don't have much time to spare. Assuming this happened during the golem attack..." She muttered. That would undoubtedly be a good time to strike, when all of the city's residents, including the leaders, were preoccupied... There was one person who was suspiciously absent during the battle, she thought... She sent the other Envoy a look. Anariel.
 
~Alexander-Temple of Reverence~
He sighed as he watched Aeriseth, listening to her words. She put to much faith in the boy to survive the wild of the Oblitus but before he could voice his thoughts, he was stopped by her out-stretched arm and her aburpt cut-off of her words. Following her gaze towards what laid before them, he quirked an eyebrow at the oddity, wondering who could have taken the time to create such a thing. He didn't look at it for long as Aeri stepped further into the room, making his gaze rise. Upon looking up, his eyes immediately landed on the bare pedestal, confirming the boy's words and his...hopes.

Straightening up right away, he glanced at Aeriseth who turned to the rest of the group with her words, turning to face them as well. He pinched the bridge of his nose as she spoke, seriously wishing he could go back to the paperwork or even the festivities of the festival than this. How could one day have such a turn of events so suddenly? "We have no choice but to follow the enemy's trail, given the current situation." He glanced over at Aeriseth, meeting her gaze. He instantly understood as he shook his head. That damned Ethereal.

~Lila Nender- Temple of Reverence~

Lila grinned at Eddie's comment about babysitting as she eyed the dancer with a shake of her head, hoping the girl could hold in a fight if it came down to it. It would be a shame for someone pretty like her to become injured or worse, but alas she had chose to come so it was of her free will to join this party despite the unknown. As if Lila had any place to talk though, she was, after all, in the same boat. She had no prior knowledge of the Oblitus or anything beyond Abaddon, but she also felt excitement at the fact that she would be able to finally see beyond the city limits.

Her excitement was ebbed by Aeriseth's words as the severity of the situation weighed on her mind, as she spotted the area where she assumed once held the Cradle from Aeriseth's gesture. "So the prick was right then." she muttered quietly, frowning a bit at who they could even begin to suspect to be the thief. It was a ironic twist of events, a handy thief joining the search to help find the person who did the heist she only dreamed of ever doing. With a sigh and lack of knowledge, she stayed silent as Aeriseth spoke.​
 
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Mina
Temple of Reverence
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Mina pursed her lips when she overheard the red-headed angel's "babysitting" comment. Insane, eh, maybe, but the fact that those two thought she couldn't take care of herself got under her skin. Well, they'd learn soon enough. Mina hadn't exactly had life handed to her on a silver platter. At least, not after she left New Eden.

Choosing to ignore the slight, the dancer let her eyes wander around the temple until Aeriseth commented on how pretty it was. Mina blinked when the Envoy winked at her. Was she... Oh. The dancer felt a slight blush rise to her cheeks as she went back to observing the temple, hoping no one had noticed. When the Envoys stopped, Mina slowed her steps as well as she peered around them to see what they were looking at.

"Oh! Well that was unexpected," she said, staring at the hole with wide eyes. She continued to peer into the aperture as she skirted right along its edge, until the pedestal for the Daemon's Cradle came into view. Mina wasn't really shocked to find it missing; she'd been quick to believe Galizur's tale. No, what really bothered her was that hole...

The moment Aeriseth asked if anyone had any thoughts on the matter, Mina was more than happy to open the flood gates. "So people think an Ethereal stole it then, huh? That doesn't make sense, why would an Ethereal dig a giant hole in the ground just to get to the Cradle? They've got wings; she could have just flown right out with it and no one would be the wiser. Unless the giant hole in the ground was a red herring to make us think the Ethereal didn't do it, but that seems like a lot of trouble to go through just for the sake of misdirection. Then again, maybe the Ethereal was the red herring and whoever dug that giant hole is the real culprit... Overall, something just doesn't add up."

The words spilled out faster than Mina could stop them, such as they usually did when she wrapped her head around an interesting puzzle. However, this time she instantly regretted them. Most people might consider what she just did to be disrespectful, and Mina held her breath at the thought.
 
Eddie Toorn - Temple of Reverence

Seeing the giant hole that lay behind the pedestal where the Cradle was supposed to be housed, Eddie was momentarily shocked. Whatever managed to do this had to be a being of exceptional power, and that power would only increase depending on how far the tunnel goes. When the dancer opened her mouth, Eddie was initially annoyed, but her words held sound logic, and had the con artist in his brain thinking. He didn't know where she heard the rumor that Anariel may have taken it, but she would have been a perfect red herring.

"She has a point. Anariel may be brazen in her actions, but she's not stupid, stealing the cradle would have meant war as much as if either of you stole Aditi's plume, and neither city wants war. However, pinning the blame on her would've been perfect for a caper who actually desires war between the two. Regardless there isn't enough evidence to make a clear call, so it looks like the only lead we have is to follow the trail and see where we end up."
 
-Alexander-Temple, heading towards the Oblitus~
Alexander looked between Eddie and Mina as they gave their ideas, nodding in agreement. "You two are right and as much as I would love to stand around and discuss who exactly could have taken it but we should starting going while the trail is still fresh, and talk this out on the way." Alexander nodded toward the three and Aeri before he flew towards the Oblitus.
 
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Mina
Temple of Reverence
----------------------------
Mina followed the Envoy without hesitating, although she was dismayed when she looked down and realized that she was still barefoot, as she usually was on the days that she danced. That might cause some problems later, but nothing that she couldn't overcome. Ignoring it, she climbed into the tunnel after Alexander.

"But who would have it out for both Abaddon and New Eden?" she vocalized. "And who would have enough knowledge and power to do something like this? I thought Abaddon and New Eden were the only powerful entities in Terrestria. If there's something else out there... In Oblitus no less. They'll certainly be a force to be reckoned with."
 
Eddie Toorn - Entering the tunnel

As Alexander and Mina made their way down the tunnel, Eddie looked over to Lila, she nodded at him and he proceeded to fly her down to the bottom of the tunnel. It seemed to be pitch black in the tunnel so Eddie lit up his left hand to act as a torch. Mina's questions brought Eddie's mind back to the old days, when he was just a kid with black wings in New Eden. His father always seemed to tell him stories of the world that surrounded them, it felt like Eddie's dad knew everything. It was then that he remembered the story his dad told him of Abraham the third envoy.

"Well, my dad always told me that there had been conflict between the envoys." He said as he looked over to Alexander. "You and Lady Aeriseth wanted peace, while Abraham, the third envoy, wanted war. When you two wouldn't acquiesce to his desire, he left. It's possible he could be involved somehow. Maybe this was his attempt to create the war he'd always wanted."
 
~Alexander-Temple, The Tunnel~
Alexander could only shake his head at the thought as he listened to the story that Eddie shared. He had known Abraham a long time and even if they had different viewpoints, right? As much as he wanted to believe his old friend didn't play apart in this, he couldn't help but think that Eddie was right. "He just might. Looking for him may be the best start we have at this point in time." Alexander had not a clue as where to even begin to search for Abraham, hoping that Abraham's speculated place in this wasn't true.

~Lila Nender-Temple, The Tunnel~

Looking back and forth between everyone, she listened to the conversation, again having no feedback. Well, it was rather she didn't offer feedback. There was no point in her case, as she had a nothing useful to input. Opting to glance at the members of the search party, Lila noticed right away Mina's lack of shoes and sighed for a moment. Straight from the gate, the girl was unprepared for whatever they were going to walk into. Slightly moving her feet, she kicked her shoes off, making them land neat Mina. "Wear those, doll. You'll need them more than I do." she said, her voice holding concern for the girl.
 
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Mina
Temple of Reverence
The Tunnel
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Mina looked back in confusion at the other woman as she offered up her shoes. Her initial reaction was to take it as an insult, though the concern in her voice stopped her. "Oh, don't worry about it. I go barefoot all the time," she said lightly. "It would take quite a bit to break through these callouses," she assured. "Probably wouldn't fit anyway. Actually, come to think of it, I don't think I ever introduced myself. You'd think when I'm about to go gallivanting into a creepy tunnel with a bunch of strangers that would be the first thing on the agenda." Mina laughed at her own joke before continuing, "I'm Mina, ribbon dancer extrordinairre! No doubt you've seen me in the Town Square. Huh, that rhymed. Maybe I should quit my day job and become a poet, eh?" She glanced back at the other two with a cheeky smile.

They had gotten off on the wrong foot. No good making enemies of your allies, Mina reasoned. Maybe she could break the ice.
 
Eddie Toorn - Tunnel to Oblitus

Eddie's face lit up with recognition, he thought that he recognized the dancer from numerous performances in the town square, he'd always found her a rather attractive prospect for a business partner if he ever wished to evolve his art beyond the music, "I knew I recognized you from somewhere. It's a pleasure, I'm Edward Toorn, you might know me as Eddie the Black, famous flute player. I'd kiss your hand, but mine is currently occupied." He said indicating towards his lit up hand.

His small talk with Mina was interrupted by light being emitted from a hole in the tunnel. "I think that might be the exit up ahead." Eddie extinguished his flame and helped fly the two girls without wings out of the tunnel and into what he would discover, was the desert of pain.
 
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