Keeping to the shadowy spots of every trail she took, the vampire called Xeed made for Truce at a quick pace.

She'd heard rumors in town before setting out - something about a particularly long rainfall happening. At the very least, the cloudiness would make it more comfortable for her - assuming that was still the case on her arrival.

In the meantime she was mostly on autopilot - her head racing with what to do, what to say, should the one she seeks finally be found there.

Could it be that you are already gone, I wonder? Mortal as you are, I have to remember that possibility...I was willing to share eternity with you. But I would never force that on you...and still, you chose to cut it short. That was your choice. I did not respect it, and perhaps I should have. But I am here now, and I don't know if you are. Please...

She stopped for a moment to rest her already-stinging legs, having been on a ceaseless pace for a few hours already, resting her back against a particularly well-shaded tree.

...Please just be there, if only for me to know. I'll leave you be after that.

With a bit of pain, it dawned on her that in truth - Laplace's well-being was ultimately no longer her business. She was, in truth, intruding.

Yet it would seem even for vampires, the heart is a fickle thing.

...and to be honest, I would like to see if your project was successful. I wonder what your perfect child looks like.

Speaking of children who are, unfortunately, exceedingly far from 'perfect,' a luminous column of cylindrical light beams down from the sky directly in front of a set of benches directly before the fountain of Truce, and when it fades, it leaves behind a somewhat-confused young teenager in light armor that bears a relatively-regal and ostensibly-knightly flair to it, almost like it was custom-designed just for him and adorned with red accents and a flowing half-cloak clasped around his shoulders. He also appears to be wearing a blue strip of cloth wrapped around the upper portion of his face, acting as a blindfold of sorts, which makes the 'looking around' he then does a touch out-of-place.

In short order, a frown falls upon his expression when he also happens to realize that he's getting wet at a slow but consistent pace. "Oh," he said aloud, glancing over his shoulder at no specific spot behind him. "Not that I could've, but I guess it would've helped to know what the weather was going to be like up here. I didn't exactly plan for this." It didn't bother him so much, though, really; rain wasn't a big deal. He'd been through a whole hell of a lot worse.

A whimsical-sounding female voice issues outward from somewhere upon Ambience's body in turn, disembodied and somewhat echoed, but still clear at the same time. "Somewhat regretful that my position is such, too," she said, rather wistfully. "Maybe we'll get lucky and there will be thunder to go along with it."

While the rain continued, the sky was far from choked with clouds - the sun shined down as usual, the light drizzling contrasting with it in an oddly comfortable way.

The same could not be said for the skies to the west - grey and roiling, the occasional flash of lightning alongside a gentle, distant peal of thunder. A few townsfolk were in the fountain plaza, some occasionally shooting nervous looks in that direction. Only a few had even paid mind to the young man's sudden entrance. This was the spot for that, and all.

...occasionally, something feels wrong to those sensitive to such movements. Just for a moment, they might catch a glimpse of familiar, fishlike figures drifting through the air to that same stormy west in a dreamlike trance.

Meanwhile, Xeed continues her trek towards the town. Thanks to her supplies and focus, she's managed to cover quite a bit of ground, but the short journey's expedited pace is gradually wearing her down.

I'm definitely going to need some fresh from the tap when I arrive. I'm sure the stock is fine enough, I'll just need to be careful. Might as well go for the seduction angle, it certainly works often enough.

Taking a sip from one of the blood bags she brought with her, her pace sped back up. These bursts of reinvigoration were helpful, but risked exhausting her faster than anything.

Ambience seems to take roughly half a minute, then, assessing the surroundings and the current situation, seemingly ignoring the local voice's commentary. The fact that her suggestion was responded to by rumbles of thunder looming off to the west was a little unsettling, but possibly not unexpected. At the same time, the source of what he actually came here for doesn't appear to be making itself apparent at this time, whether in the form of Sunflash or anything related. Feeling the presences of the local cityfolk around him does kind of add an edge of anxiety to his situation, though, given that he wasn't wholly excited about coming back to Truce so soon in the first place.

He offers a sigh after a short period of standing there in place, small drips of water collecting in the spiked confines of his hair and running along the edges thereof. "Part of me just wants to say 'screw it' and go back to the Monastery," he said, once more aloud. His 'gaze' seems to be focused mostly westward, where the weather seems worse; the nature of the worsening problem, however, is lost on him, as the Undine presence is not something he can detect at the moment. "I didn't expect to fall into Sunflash's lap or anything, but some indication would've been nice."

"You say that now," the echoed female voice lightly chastises, "but for all the whining, you didn't have to come out this way. And, for once, I didn't egg you into doing it, either. Rather than get all indignant about it, mayhaps some of the local wildlife may have seen him?" One could almost see the grin on whatever her face looked like with that comment. "The worst that could happen is you end up a little more soaked and with no less than what you started with." Her tone is obnoxiously cheerful, like she was finding amusement in this whole situation."

Things for Zen had been pretty quiet since the incident with Alyss' herd. She had been spending most of her time servaying the area around Truce, watching over her new centaur friend and tending to the new guardian of the glade she had helped to create for Alyss' home.

But now something was going on that didn't seem natural at all, the constant rain, the rumors, and the distant rolling thunder was evidence enough of that. She had tried to do a fly by check on the area to the west but the rain prevented her from going very far by air.

Which was why she was now stepping out of a general store with her pack laiden with travel supplies. This was going to have to be a good old fashioned by foot scouting mission. Anything to keep her mind off her most recent communication with her boss.

Alyss had come along for the trip, to the store, but Zen wasn't sure if a trip to the tower was something that the centaur would actually want to do. She made her way over to Alyss just as a flash of light caught her attention over by the fountain. Seemed there was a new arrival.

"I've gotten everything I need for the trip west, are you absolutely certain you want to come along? I could be dangerous." She asked her companion quietly, as she adjusted her hood against the steady rain.

"You are under no obligation to help me on my scouting runs you know."

Alyss, for her part, has no such covering, and despite being well-and-thoroughly saturated from being out in the rain for a considerable length of time, it seems to bother her none. Her normally-wild and curly white hair is flattened and plastered against all sides of her face except a window in the front, as small rivulets run down to her chin and drip off to the already-wet street below. "Alyss go," she said with some adamance. "Not good if stairs, but can. Slow, careful, small steps. Hardest thing centaur learn when little." She casts a side glance back toward the northwest. "Alyss stay glen, what do? Something happen Zen, not come back? Not want. Alyss go, help."

She seemed to have been a veritable sentinel while waiting for Zen to finish her shopping, given that she had no interest (or possibly even physical capacity) to go inside the store herself, and the notion of a new arrival nearby either didn't faze her or wasn't noticed; accusations of being oblivious weren't exactly an uncommon thing for her.

"'Wildlife'?" Ambience echoed, himself also finding a little bit of amusement in the phrasing. "Really? Is that how you and the other Sinistrals see us?" His second sight did pick up some abnormal Mana Signatures in the area, and the significant expanse of his detection had even noted something fairly-significant up in Rabite Forest, but from where he was in Truce, it wasn't immediately-apparent as to what it was. "But that's not terrible advice, actually. I guess I could give that a shot. Heck, at least I don't look like a bum traveler looking for work anymore."

"Ha," the female voice offered, almost more of a scoff than a laugh. "You can put on all the fancy clothes you want, but a lost child is still a lost child."


Zen unslung one strap of her pack so she could swing it around partly in front of herself. She had managed to get it ordered a few days prior and as luck would have it, it was ready. She pulled out what looked like a large swath of oilskin cloth, but as she unfurled it, it turned out to be a poncho big enough for a centaur.

"It is raining harder closer toward the Tower we are going to investigate. So I thought you could use this. I realize you are a bit wet already, but we can stop under an overhang and towel you off a bit." She said quietly as she extended her gift to Alyss.

Her attention kept drifting over to the new arrival by the fountain. Zen tended to be a helpful sort, but she couldn't really tell if the individual was new to the Cleft, or had simply come from elsewhere. They didn't seem overly confused, so she was leaning toward the latter. What she did notice was they weren't prepared for the rain.

"Give me one moment, Alyss." She pulled another item out of her bag. She herself hadn't had need of it, rain was part of living in the woods as she had most of her life. But the new arrival could probably make better use of it. Umbrellas were just sort of a quaint little thing she had purchased on a lark.

Zen made her way over to the stranger, but her tendency to be a rather shy individual meant that by the time she had approached the teen, she wasn't really wanting to talk. Yeah, a bard that didn't want to talk, that lived in the words, used a bow and snuck around...There was a reason that the people back at The Between teased her about being a ranger instead.

She had intended to just hand over the umbrella and take off, but if there was one thing that tended to override her shyness, it was politeness. It would be rude to just stand there with them umbrella and wait for him to take it. Not only that but he was wearing a blindfold. He might not even notice she was offering something if she didn't speak.

"E-excuse me...You should have an umbrella. This rain won't stop any time soon, sir."

Alyss took the poncho but absolutely did not know what to do with it, and the look on her face makes this super obvious. So instead of doing anything with it, she simply carries it around as not only does she not give Zen a moment, but clip-clops her way over to the two while continuing to be rained on without personal regard. Being inquisitive had as many perks as it did demerits, with the latter one generally coming in the way of lost tact, such as right now. "Blue-hair not see, blind?" she asked, open and innocent. "Not good, trip, break face. Ouch."

The teenager didn't exactly seem startled at the approach and offer, but definitely did look confused over the fact that it had happened. He looks up toward Zen, then down at the shape of the offered hand as best he could see it before reaching out and finding the umbrella there to accept. "Oh hey, I appreciate that," he said, taking just a second to unwrap it and snap it open with an unintentional-yet-very-apparent flourish. Some flairs were just always there, it seemed. "Are you from around here, then? I just came in from the south and am looking for someone, but wasn't expecting rain. It looks a bit worse off toward Rocket Town, too." The way he's looking at Zen makes it pretty clear that he can see her, but the degree and manner of which aren't immediately apparent.

When the other four-legged creature comes traipsing over, this actually gets a (hidden) eyebrow raise from him, the expression of someone who has seen something before and is having a hard time believing they are seeing it again. Was it... Twilight? Or Rarity? The shape was familiar, but without his sight, he couldn't really recall anything specific. But then as soon as the voice comes out asking about his shortcomings, the tension fades, and he realizes it is neither. "Oh, uh," he offered. "No, I'm okay. I can see well enough in other ways. I haven't broken anything yet that hasn't been put back together, so I think I'm still doing alright." The tone of that comment is intended to be humorous, but to others who didn't know his situation or how he came back, it might not've been as funny. Oh well.

"I'm...from out of town, sort of." She says quietly as her hand returned to her side once the umbrella had been taken.

"The rain has been going for some time now, seems to be focused over a place called Booster Tower. My friend and I are actually about to go look into things, since I'd also heard that there have been some adventureers that have gone missing in that direction." She seemed to be a little more confidant when speaking about work it seemed.

The young man was in armour, so it was likely that he had some training, but she felt to give the warning anyway. "Probably best to steer clear of that area until the problem has been resolved."

Zen also made note that she would need to talk to Alyss about being rudely forward about some things. She knew the equine woman wasn't used to the social niceties that most would consider standard, but she didn't want to do it right in front of other people either. Even if she used Sylvan to mask it, it seemed like something best discussed in more detail when it was just the two of them.

"Oh, okay," Alyss said, sounding rather relieved that no face-breaking was of a concern, but continues right on into it, since Zen was kind enough not to chastise her on the spot. "How see? Eyes covered." To emphasize this, she puts her own hands over her own eyes. "Alyss not see! All dark!" She lowered her hands slightly, but only so that they lay upon either cheek. "Magic?"

So, there's a couple of takeaways from this that really gets Ambience's goat. The biggest one, arguably, is that, fucking somehow or another, Ambience has managed to stumble into another problem. This one may at least not be Cleftwide in the scope of its danger (that he knows of, anyway), but the fact that he just wanted to come and see what was going on with a friend and happened to stumble upon another likely-not-small issue encompassing a portion of the Cleft of Dimensions was... not sitting well with him. How did this keep happening? Was he a magnet that was just attracted to these things? The absurdity of this whole thing was just a hair away from absolute comedy, at this point. The 'not taking this well' expression on his face is very apparent for a moment, but he somehow manages to recompose himself before too long. Maybe he could just... let someone else deal with it, this time. Nobody said he had to get involved, right? That wasn't what this was about. He didn't have to make it his problem. Let the kind woman and her arguably-horse-shaped friend deal with it this time.

But, of course, what if it came back to bite him in the ass later? What if they failed? What if they died? This wouldn't have been such a big deal if not for that little line the woman had snuck in about adventurers not coming back. That implied danger, and probably a lot of it. Uggh, this fucking place, man. The Cleft really just did not know when to let up, sometimes.

Despite her intent to stay silent in the presence of new company, Zen's explanation was just too much in the span of everything going on right now. Ambience might not have thought it was funny, but she wasn't Ambience; the sound of heavily-stifled giggling comes out in the same disembodied manner centered around Ambience, followed by a peal of extremely-amused laughter, like she just thought that Zen's explanation was just the absolute-most hilarious thing she'd ever heard. This laughter goes on for a few seconds before cutting away rather quickly, in the same sense of someone who realized they probably just did something they weren't supposed to. This is followed up rather quickly by a simple, "Oh. Whoops."

His spiritual accomplice outing herself doesn't do anything to settle Ambience's nerves, but rather than address, explain, or cover it up, he just... keeps right on going. Rather than address Zen's suggestion right away, he instead turns to the horse-shape and her further inquiry about his sight. Her demeanor seemed rather childish, but the flow of her mana showed that she was simply curious and unaware. She couldn't be faulted for that, really. "It is a kind of magic, yeah," he offered as an explanation. "I can see peoples' shapes, and that's good enough." He avoided getting too heavy into the details, because that really wasn't a 'here and now' sort of thing, anyway.

Not wanting to leave her hanging, Ambience does return his attention to Zen, immediately following. "I guess it's too much to ask if you've seen a Hylian around here recently, huh?" he asked. "Brownish hair with maybe a bit of red to it, biggest feature would probably be a metal gauntlet in place of his right forearm and hand?" He grimaced slightly, then added, "I'm not in the business of trying to stick my nose into other peoples' problems, but if something happens to Truce because something's going nuts at that Tower, I'm going to feel pretty shitty about having taken a backseat. But I'm kind of hoping to have an idea where this friend of mine ended up, at least." The curse isn't hesitated on, like he didn't seem to care much what his company was at the moment or how fragile their ears may or may not've been.

Zen frowned ever so slightly. "I'm actually not familiar with what a Hylian may be, I'm afraid. But as far as someone with a gauntlet? I'm afraid I've not met anyone that fits that description. I'm sorry."

Meanwhile as she spoke, Zen had taken the oilskin poncho from Alyss and started to put it on her equin friend, since she didn't seem to know how to do so herself.

"You don't need to feel compelled to assist, sir. I'm confidant that my friend and I can take care of things. Whatever it may be." It was evident by Zen's soft but confidant tone of voice that her words were coming from a place of experience, not arrogance, though it was possible for one to be mistaken for the other. "It is my hope to return things back to normal and find the missing adventurers in short order."

If she had heard the giggling and guffaw from the disembodied voice around the young man she didn't seem to take visible notice of it since the young man himself seemed to write it off, with the exception of his expression of discomfort. Zen had decided to politely disregard that particular aspect of the encounter for the time being. There was always the chance it was some sort of unseen familiar after all.

Panting and staggering, Xeed arrives at the city gates. Undead she may be, but the body still has limits - even if some of the reactions to stress were mere habits by this point.

Steadying herself at a stone arch, she just barely avoids dropping to one knee.

Not yet...I just need a quick top-up. Then it'll be fine...

Letting her body relax and loosen, she slowly pulls herself together and looks ahead into the unfamiliar town.

Rainy day, as I'd heard. Pleasant, though. Even the sun isn't so exposed at this point as to harm me...I was worried at first, but the clouds seem moody. At any rate...

She took note of the fountain up ahead.

...Water can help at least a bit. Even if it won't make me recover, it will help me rest. And where there is water...there is stock.

Now walking at a calm pace towards the fountain, she sticks to the shadier parts of the street just to be safe. Here red eyes slightly aglow, the thirst starting to get to her.

Alyss, actually, seems utter delighted that she's being encloaked with the shroud that Zen had acquired for her, and the way that it drapes over her equine form reassures her that she, herself, wouldn't probably not have been able to put it on by herself. So pleased with this, she is, that she forgets herself temporarily. "Zen-koshu ju iresmoyukra! Roven sa na jovikura miv sa ju'ano aruso'ka ju molanteril wimnata, aan ilminjustari miv sa keosmin'ti ju shisri'naro aan'i!" This is said as, of course, her soaked self continues to still drip water from pretty much every square inch of her centaur self, despite the poncho being in place to prevent further aquatic acquisition. "Miv sa o'akin!" The happiness obtained from such a simple gesture seems to have caused her to temporarily forget about the poor blind teenager and his spikey blue hair, too.

The seemingly-more-confident woman at least sounded like she knew what she was doing. Was it good enough to just leave it at that? Would his conscience at least be willing to leave him alone if he did step out of this one and just leave it as someone else's problem, for a change?

He was about to find out.

"I still have to find Mollianne and make sure she's still okay, too," he said offhandedly, obviously more to himself than the company he was in. He gave his head a small shake. "Alright," he conceded, holding his umbrella at a slight angle that implied he was really not used to holding one at all. It did keep the rain off of him, though. "I'll leave you with a favor, then, if you don't mind. Besides the hair color and the gauntlet, the person I'm looking for goes by 'Sunflash' and he has pointed ears, too. I can't.. really describe him any other way, and if you're not familiar with Hylians, I think that's about as good as I can make it." The fact that he can't see Zen's physical features makes this ironically difficult, because if he could, a simple 'he is from the same general race you are' would make this a whole lot easier. "Anyway, the gauntlet is really pretty much the giveaway. If you see anyone like that, could you tell him that 'Ambience' was looking for him? That would help me out a lot."

Zen nodded, the motion causing water to sheet off her hood. "If I find such a person, I will pass along your message. Is there a location they should be told to find you?"

The description she was given of a Hylian amused her slightly. Perhaps it was just a different name for her own kind. She still had a great deal of local terminology to learn despite how much time she had put in thus far.

She was about to say something else when movement caught the corner of her eye. There were plenty of people still moving about the square so at first she wasn't certain why this one particular person had caught her attention. Their arrival was understate, no flash of light like the young man before her, but for some reason something in her lizard brain had told her to pay attention.

Her gaze shifted to look in the direction of the new arrival, though she tried to make it look like her attention was maintained on those in her immediate presence. She didn't have any means of outright detecting if someone had bad intentions, and she wasn't even sure if such a spell would work in this world, so she simply settled on frequently glancing at the figure that seemed to be doing what it could to not stand out, which is likely the exact reason she had noticed them.

Zen was a scout, a trained observer. One of her primary tasks was to notice things, but without any further information, she said nothing to the others present.

Xeed nonchalantly brushed the silvery hair out of her eyes as she strode forward, her gaze calmly but cautiously shifting about at the various strangers as she did.

Coming up to the fountain, she sat at the rim with one leg crossed over the other, withdrawing an empty bottle from a small bag at her waist, previously underneath her cloak. There were more bottles inside - mostly empty, and most tinged red.

This cleaner one was brought to the water's surface as she let it fill. She was as still as stone during this process, before seemingly snapping out of something and, after taking a drink from it and corking the bottle, put it back where it came from.

Still sitting. she looked around at those nearby the fountain. Practically out of habit, a small smile formed at the sight of the happy centaur nearby, one of her fangs poking through.

Good to see another melting pot, here. Quieter than I'd expect in spite of the reputation, as well. And...

She looked around again. Her eyes were distinctly more like a cat eyeing birds than the guarded, tired gaze from moments ago.

...Plenty of lovely treats to choose from, if needed.

personal though they were, had been answered adequately. So she stands there and just looks cute in her oversized poncho, as the drizzle continues to bead across her backside and slip right off, her face still framed by the wet hair remaining stuck against it.

The new presence doesn't go unnoticed by him, either, but since he doesn't need to see it to know it's there, he doesn't give it much of an afterthought. Truce was, in its very nature, the place for people to meet, whether they themselves even realized that or not. Heck, his situation right that moment was absolute proof! He considers Zen's returned question for a moment. "Actually, yeah," he said. "Just tell him to 'keep doing that explosion thing from earlier' and I'll track him down eventually." He offers a faint smirk. "I know the description probably sounds weird to you, but he'll know what I'm talking about, I'm sure."

A nagging concern wouldn't quite leave him along regarding the storm situated in the west, though. But he'd decided that it wasn't his problem, and he needed to hold himself to that. He couldn't solve the world's issues; if he tried to be everything to everyone, he'd likely end up being nothing to nobody, by the end. And, at his core, he couldn't really help out a whole lot, either, given his curr--

And then he stops. Like, cold. It's at that very moment that he suddenly realizes something, and his 'gaze' goes from Zen to Alyss, and then down to the satchel still slung around her neck (and likely encompassed by the poncho at this point). There was a very faint but very familiar signal coming from that satchel, and the recognition left him in silence for a good several moments as it registered; she had one of the pearls that he was currently carrying two of, and that Sunflash still had the other. How did..?

The sinking realization that he might not actually have been able to just up and leave like he wanted to was very, very painful, and this was quite clearly written all over his face.

That acknowledgement holds for only the briefest of moments before he somehow manages to pull himself free of it, and gives his head a shake. No, it was fine. He could deal with it later. This wasn't his problem right now, and he wasn't going to find excuses to make it his problem. He could just... "Oh, and just... one last thing," he added quickly, speaking to Alyss this time. "I know this is going to sound even weirder than the whole 'explosion' thing I just described, but if you're carrying what looks like a little white jewel, can you make sure nothing happens to it? I can't... really explain it right now, but it's very important. Just make sure it gets taken care of as best you can, okay?" The distress is still pretty evident, but matched with equal insistence, at least.

Zen's expression made it clear she had no idea what Ambiance was talking about when it came to "explosions" and "white jewels" but she nodded once again.

"I will pass on the message should we come across someone that matches your description." she said quietly, her voice caring a hint of the distraction she was feeling, especially seeing as how the suspicious individual was now at the fountain that she and the others were standing near. There was something about the predatory manner in the way the woman moved that made Zen think of a cat freezing between advancing on prey. No, cat didn't seem quite right, perhaps a snake.

She peeled her gaze away from the woman and looked back at Ambiance and Alyss. "And if we do happen to meet your friend and send him your way, we will be sure to send them with an update on the situation here, as well." She could tell the young man seemed tense about the situation, so she hoped keeping him in the loop would ease his mind.

It was about that point she realized she hadn't made proper introductions. "I'm Zen, pleasure to have met you Mister Ambiance, this is my companion Alyss."

Xeed listens carefully to the conversations, though she didn't seem to commit them much to memory as any bits that would have been relevant to her passed before her arrival.

The young man is interesting. Something's off about him in multiple ways...the elf might have picked up on me. Perhaps she'll do? Ah, but I'd hate to undo the cheer on her adorable companion.

She did not even attempt to hide that she was paying rapt attention to those around her, her relaxed pose making her confidence evident.

Somewhat thoughtlessly, she picked up one of her bottles and took a drink -either not noticing or not caring it was one of her blood flasks rather than water.

Alyss seems a bit perplexed at being addressed, and even more so when the teenager mentions the jewel that she is, in fact, carrying. How did he know about that? It wasn't enough to take her out of her good mood, but it did ignite a spark of curiosity. Either way, his request wasn't too difficult, since it was important to her, too. She already planned on taking good care of it. "Alyss promise," she said, without even questioning how he knew she possessed what he'd described. Some things were just not big deals. "Alyss find shiny gem, Jules leave. Alyss not break, not get stolen. Present for Alyss, but find Jules, ask." She spared Zen a brief glance, then returned her attention to Ambience. "Look for, spirits say 'Holyland'. Maybe find soon, after make sky sunny again. Pry-or-it-ees, first." She sounds out this word, sounding pleased that it might've come out right.

Oh, it's a struggle. Hoo boy, is it a struggle. All of that information just comes crashing down on Ambience to the point where it takes every single drop of self restraint not just drop a 'what the fuck' bomb on top of everything and everyone present right now. The name, specifically, stuck out; even though Haut had mentioned it, it didn't register that he knew who 'Jules' was until right then. Was this the same person? From the Holyland? Was THAT who they sent to look for him, that Haut had mentioned? What connection did she have with him? Ambience's only memories of Jules was a brief period in which the guy called him a brat once and then stormed off when his mom had scolded him. Of all the people sent to try and find him, why him?

It... it didn't matter. No, actually, it mattered a fucking lot, but right now, it had to not matter. He couldn't handle all of this and everything else still on his plate. It was going to have to be another situation to address on another day. Hopefully the girl could just... not break the jewel in the meantime, and he'd return later to maybe see if he could talk her into giving it up. This was way to many 'what' and 'why' to hold over a person, and he was going to just... backstep right on out of it for now, before he ended up ruining someone else's day by shoehorning himself into obviously-already-ongoing business. "Okay... yeah," he said after a moment. "Please be sure to do that. I will..." He hesitates, grimacing. "I have more questions to ask, but now's not a good time. I'll come find you again at a later time, okay?" He makes a point to look between both of them as he said this. "But for now, just... be careful, okay? You guys might be more important than I realized, and I'd like a chance to sit down and talk more when you don't have... weather to stop."

In the back of his mind, elsewhere, the woman's presence behind him upon the fountain basin was becoming a bit more obvious, too. The intent, specifically, is what was throwing him off. She also seemed rather tired, he guessed, but it was another thing he would have to decide whether or not he should engage in or just leave be. He could always just ask her, like a normal person. In the meantime, he offered the other two a nod, still holding his umbrella. "I'll take my leave, then, for now."

Zen was confused. Why would he think she and Alyss might important all of a sudden? Alyss maybe, but Zen had no reason to be included in that. He clearly thought Alyss' pearl was significant in some way. Something to look into at a later time perhaps.

"Of course. Do be safe, yourself, Mister Ambiance." She stole another sidelong glance toward the woman sitting on the fountain before turning her gaze up to her friend. "Alyss, was there anything you needed from the glade before we headed out?"

The woman was making her anxious, she was trying her best not to speculate too much on her reason for why she was looking around like a predator, but it was difficult. Part of Zen just wanted to go back to her own forest and return to the peaceful life she'd had before all of this craziness..She muttered something to herself in celestial that was more or less drowned out by the rain.

The woman winced - the rain deafened the divine words, but not enough that she didn't pick up the language itself. Still, it wasn't an attack on her - she'd be feeling much more than discomfort otherwise.

She shifted her legs, her body language much more relaxed now.

Her eyes shifted over the group around her lazily. While the swift trip here had taken much out of her, she had exactly what she needed and was now practically at the doorstep of her destination.

She held the communication device Kaira gave her as her thoughts wandered.

I'll contact her after I've looked around a bit. I'm too thirsty...no, hungry, to get to it now. It's just a matter of seeing who is the best mark.

Then she refocused her gaze on the duo in particular.

Though...they might know something. It might be better to ask, should it be appropriate.

Alyss smiles openly, droplets of water still occasionally hitting her face because the hood of her poncho isn't quite as far over her head as it should be. "Alyss be careful, promise," she said to Ambience, and then half-turned to Zen at the mention of the glad, which actually sets her mind turning in the wake of the conversation she'd just been a part of. "Oh, uhm, maybe idea. If danger, maybe not take jewel? Not want break, anything happen. Maybe hide in glade? Make safe, come back after. Zen-koshu think?"

Ambience watched the two of them for a moment, as it sounded like they were getting set to depart. This was well and good, but didn't help him because he was only going to leave with way more questions than he came in, and zero answers to any of them, let alone the ones he had beforehand. Should he leave too? Should he find an inn room and hole up for a day to see if Sunflash came back around? Should he skip over to Viorar in the interim and see if he can find Mollianne or the Sword that he'd left behind? There was no small number of things he could and maybe even should do, but he had no idea what order was best, and if any of them would trip up the others. He really just wanted to go back to the Monastery and sit down while everyone and everything around just... did their thing, without him being involved in any way. And what about the woman behind him? Was she going to jump on them as soon as he left? Were they in danger and it was going to become another liability that he had to feel guilty about for not taking part in trying to prevent?

And then Alyss' question comes up, and that ends up being exactly the stroke of luck he was looking for. He speaks up, then. "Actually," he said, trying to sound calm and not overly-hopeful or insistent, "if you don't have a problem with it, I can look after it for you. I am planning to see the both of you again for a talk about some things, anyway, and I could bring it back when you're safe and sound." The fact that he'd already established how important it was could've made his request go either way, he realized; either they'd think he was trying to rip them off and steal or, or they'd recognize how important it was and trust him to take care of it. He didn't know which way this coinflip was going to land, but it was worth a shot.

Zen had been about to reply to Alyss when the young man spoke up. Unfortunately, Deacon's tendency for paranoia had rubbed off on her a little over the years she had been serving as a Planeswalker. They'd only just met the boy and he was offering to take care of something that was both precious to Alyss and seemingly valuable to him.

"I think it best the guardian watch over it." She realized that Ambiance probably had no idea what she was talking about, and that was partly why she had said it in that manner. Alyss of course would know Zen was referring to the newly grown and spite inhabited tree in the glade but anyone outisde of the two of them and Vashka wouldn't know what the heck she was talking about.

Of course it wouldn't be that easy. Oh well. Just another problem for another day. While he understood where it came from and that it was warranted, given that nobody should expect to trust strangers right out of the blue, the distrust still frustrated him enough to where he didn't really feel like making any of this his business anymore, including the woman with the possibly-uncouth intent behind him. He wasn't Truce's guardian. He really felt like kind of an asshole in that moment because the first thing that came to mind was to tell them that he hoped they didn't come back so that the proposed return meeting he made would be one less thing he'd have to worry about, but it was a fleeting thought and, really, just a measure of the frustration at the situation and nothing more. Again, it wasn't their fault; it was just an unfortunate circumstance.

But either way, he had other things to do and other places to be. In his head, he pictured his next destination, gathering the little details about the location as the source framed itself within his mind's eye and became clear; during the process of this, he carefully and calmly closed the umbrella and refolded it, tying it back up and setting it down on the bench nearby. Faint particles of light began to manifest around him, growing brighter over the course of a couple of seconds. "As well, then. Best of luck to you both," was what he came out with, maintaining a fairly straight expression as a column of light spontaneously expanded around him, shooting off into the sky; as it faded, he was gone as well.

Alyss looks like she wants to add her own two cents after Zen's suggestion, but the miniscule light show catches her attention in a 'Ooh, those are pretty!' sort of way, and as she watches Ambience beam himself out, her eyes grow wide, gazing up into the sky where the light disappears off into (and welcoming more rain into her face, in the process). She's silent for a moment, then grins real big. "Alyss like big lights!" she exclaimed, looking back down after a moment to Zen. "Fae lights little, but pretty. Ambience lights big, also pretty!"

Xeed was visibly surprised, perhaps startled, by the young man's sudden vanishing. She let slip a thought aloud, though only as a murmur.

"Teleportation...that was no mere warp spell."

She leaned back again in relaxation. These two were out as targets. They were too valuable as potential leads, and she likely couldn't bring herself to go after the cheerful centaur besides.

No, she didn't have any reason to view either of them in the same way she viewed her so-called stock.

...I wonder if I should ask, or simply let them take point and follow as unseen as I can. It seems some dangerous stuff is going on where we're all headed, after all...I'm confident enough, but not certain. And there's the chance they'd need bailing out, anyway. Though...

Her eyes fixed in a cold stare at the wood elf before her.

...I get the distinct impression that's unlikely.

Zen watched the light show and the young man's departure with a bit of an apologetic tint to her expression. She didn't like being suspicious. Had they met before she'd left Unicorn Run she may have had a different outlook about the pearl. But he was gone now, that was the end of that.

She suddenly gave a little shiver, like someone was staring holes into her, and a quick side glance revealed the suspicious woman was staring directly at her.

Now, Zen may have been a seasoned scout, wayfarer, survivalist, ranger, whatever you cared to label her with, but she was also a non-confrontational sort. Instead of going over and asking the woman directly, she would much prefer to simply get away from her.

She turned to Alyss, "Lets get back to the glade, hide your pearl and then be under way. But let us be quick." She hoped that simply leaving at speed would be enough of a deterrent to the predator at the fountain. Zen herself however quick she was for an elf, was not as fast as a centaur, at least not in her natural form.

By this point Alyss was accustomed to Zen's shifting, as it happened on nearly a daily basis for scouting purposes. The swirling of luminescent illusory vines spiraled up around her and when they dispursed there was a large white elk standing in her place. She would have preferred a deer but as small as they were even deer couldn't keep up with the longer legs of a centaur. She gave Alyss a little nudge before taking off toward the glade at full speed, her anxious heart pounding a little as the feeling of being watched drove her to run as fast as she could go.

So, Alyss is not the most 'aware' of creatures, nor is she the most spontaneous. Still somewhat distracted by the lightshow that had just taken place, she does at least happen to look up and see Zen's transformation, but the previous comment about leaving, and being quick about it, apparently fell on deaf ears, despite the follow-up nudging. She does see Zen take off and turns partwise around to follow without really knowing why (even though she was the one who made the suggestion of hiding the pearl in the first place). In so doing, though, she notices the lone umbrella left on the bench from Ambience's departure. This causes her to stop and consider, which also then makes her realize that there is a lone woman nearby who is getting rained on. In her compassionate centaur brain, she easily puts two and two together and comes up with the most brilliant idea.

Taking the umbrella from the bench, Alyss shuffle-clops over to the tired-but-intent-but-also-thoughtful-looking woman, and offers the umbrella to her. "Rain outside," she explained, as if the woman wasn't already aware. "Umbrella, stay dry? Not need, have coat!" This last comment is spoken very much in a 'and I am all the cuter for it, too!' sort of way. Needless to say, Zen is not followed.

The smile the woman had before on seeing the friendly centaur returns and broadens as she takes the umbrella.

"My, how kind of you. Thank you, sincerely."

She rises from her seat, giving the umbrella a gentle spin as it rests on her shoulder.

"I was thinking about changing form myself and flying, as it's a shorter distance to where I'm headed than where I came from...but this would make for a lovely walk instead."

Her gaze shifts to the West, towards the tower as she says that.

It doesn't take Zen very long at all to realize that Alyss was not indeed following her and the big white elk practically skidded to a halt. From where she was, she could still see the fountain, and as a result of that, could see Alyss speaking to the predatory woman.

A lump of anxiety and concern for her friend formed in her throat before she started running back. There was no way she was going to let her friend come to harm. And the fact that there was now a giant elk charging forward probably would have freaked out a normal person. She didn't expect to be seen as intimidating by the woman Alyss was speaking to, but intimidation was never her strong suit to start with.

Alyss also greatly enjoys being appreciated, and it shows in the glow on her face over the umbrella being accepted and utilized. This also means that she's paying attention to the woman, and actively follows her eyes toward the west, and the storm therein, and also recognizes it being the location she's also supposedly going. "Fang-girl also check tower?" she asked, with clear lack of tact (or maybe there was never any to begin with). "Big storm, lots rain. Alyss, Zen go look, too. Rain lots, not help. Yakru wet." She switches her attention to the woman. "Go too? More peo--"

Her suggestion is cut short as the elk suddenly comes charging in, and, somehow, she's temporarily forgotten that it was Zen-changed-form. Her eyes widen in surprise, but being half-horse, she's not exactly frightened, either. Maybe just startled. She's silent for several moments as the gears struggle to turn, but then it eventually clicks. "Oh! Zen-koshu! Where go?" All of this said in the most innocent way possible, of course.

The woman gives a flat "Ah, she's back." as the elk comes charging in, expecting this to happen at some point as her friend didn't accompany her.

With an amused smirk, she answers the centaur.

"Yes, though - I very much have business there. I'm not new to danger, but am new to this area - I may be relaxed here, but...in truth, I'm tired and...hungry, shall we say. So I'm a bit on guard about going without much information."

She casually spun the umbrella again, appreciating the freedom of movement it was allowing her.

The moment she was back with her friend she shifted back out of her elk form and protectively moved to stand between the strange woman and Alyss. Her scowl was hidden by her hood but she was certainly scowling. Not a very potent scowl but it was there.

"Alyss, we need to be going, we need to tend to matters." She said quietly in as soft and gentle a voice as always. "I'm sorry Miss, but we are in a bit of a hurry." she directed her latter statement to the predatory woman, her tone carrying just a hint of nervousness, but remained polite.

Alyss tilts her head, not really understanding Zen's sudden temperament, or the need to be as quick as she wanted to be. If anything, Alyss saw Zen as being the rude one in this situation. "Fang-girl say also going west," Alyss tried to explain, despite being interjected and then blocked off by the Wood Elf's insistence. "Maybe help, all go? More people, more hands, more help. Make sense." She looked over Zen, which was not difficult, back to the woman. "But can't fight weather, empty stomach. Maybe rest, eat, go tomorrow, group?" The whole 'haste' premise of the trip is seemingly lost on her. "Rain one more day, not matter. Ground still wet, stay wet little longer, why matter?"

Zen frowned a little to herself "It isn't just the rain that is the problem. There are people who have gone missing, and if we dally, that could mean bad things for them, Alyss." She glanced back over her shoulder at Alyss apologetically.

"We really shouldn't delay. It is possible people may get hurt if we do."

"Indeed? I need to be on my way there as fast as possible as well, you see."

There was something cold about the woman's eyes, making it clear she's going to the tower in question no matter what.

"I will of course be going there whether I am joined by others or not. At worst, I will have to get a quick pick-me-up in town first, which I dare say won't take very long, by the looks of this place. But as your companion was saying - more on the job would make sense, yes?"

The coldness was gone, replaced by a tilted head and a playful smirk - yet her stare was no less intense.

Zen lowered her gaze to a puddle on the ground by her feet, watching the ripples caused by the raindrops as the impacted the ground. She didn't trust this woman. She didn't want to be traveling with her, but if she was going that way regardless it was probably best to have her where she could see her.

Finally she lifted her head again, her contemplation done for the moment and looked back at Alyss again. "Alyss, how about you go hide your pearl with the Guardian while I get our new friend something to eat. That way no time is lost." Zen had no clue the woman before her was a vampire of any flavour. But that was for future Zen to worry about.

The centaur mare seems conflicted between two sets of differing opinions from two different sides. But at the fore of everything else, now that she was reminded of it, she didn't actually want anything to happen to the jewel, either. "Okay, Alyss agree," she said. She made a glance between the two of them, apparently trying to observe what it is that has Zen's guard up so high, but she just doesn't see it. Intense stares or not, the woman was not unlike a child in stature compared to her own frame; what did she have to be afraid of? If anything, the woman was actually kind of adorable in her own way. But oh well. "Alyss go, hide pearl. Try hurry. All go tower, then!" She beams happily, then promptly turns and hurried off toward the west, en route back to Rabite Forest.

Xeed watches Alyss trot off with another amused grin.

"...What a happy creature she is. Very good."

She looks back up to Zen. "Now, then. As we'll be companions even for only a short while..."

She offers her unoccupied hand to her, pointed nails dripping with the light rain still.

"I'm called Xeed. Charmed."

Zen watched as Alyss headed off and felt a measure of relief now that the centaur was clear of the situation. She then turned her attention back to the other woman, taking a moment to look at the proffered hand.

There was an entire second of mental debate that occured in Zen's head. Shake the hand, risk being attacked, or decline, come off as incredibly rude and make things more tense than they may need to be. Ultimately her penchant for wanting to be polite won out. Surely the woman wouldn't attack in the middle of the square in the day. Right?

She reached out and clasped Xeed's hand with her own and gave it a single shake before she spoke. "Zen. I apologize if I came off as rude." she said quietly as she attempted to withdraw her hand. "You put off a rather unsettling aura. It has me on edge." She rather hoped the woman would offer some sort of explanation, but Zen couldn't help but keep her guard up.


Xeed's hand was, as often is for her kind, cold as ice. The rain only magnified that.

With a fanged smirk, she released Zen's hand when she felt her pulling back.

"But of course - it comes with the territory, I'm afraid. But, no worries - for what my word is worth: I promise I have no intent nor plans to harm either of you."

Though that is indeed dependent on your own actions towards me, in the end. I have no worries about the centaur as she seems to wear her heart on her non-existent sleeve, but this one is...more rational, shall we say.

"And what territory might that be, exactly?" She had taken note of the woman's fangs, but there were plenty of creatures that had fangs. Demons, devils, tabaxi, teiflings, vampires. But she couldn't quite nail down what she thought this woman was without more information.

It was at least good to hear in words that she intended no harm. How much Zen believed those words was still up for debate, but it was a starting point.

"I'm pleased to hear that no harm is intended." Because if you were to harm Alyss I have a lot of arrows and the skill to fire them quickly., she thought to herself.

"Why is it you need to go to the tower, exactly?"

"Undead. Vampire, specifically." She said this in a dry, matter of fact sense. She was more comfortable revealing that now that she knew her type weren't all that uncommon in this realm.

"As to the tower...I've been hearing a lot of interesting rumors. Those, combined with word from a trusted informant, lead me to believe I will at least find a clue as to the whereabouts of someone I am quite desperate to find here. She may even be within that tower, in which case she is either in danger, or..."

She looks to the stormy skies in the distance, over the tower in question.

"...or, she's in some way responsible for this. If it's even her, and if she's even alive."

Now that she knew what she was dealing with, Zen seemed to relax just a little. She understood what it was like to try desperately to find someone important to them. She was a little puzzled as to why a vampire was walking around during the day however.

"Are you the sort to feed on the unwilling?" She certainly didn't want to tell Xeed to go get herself a bite to eat and then be the reason some poor innocent bystander got jumped and drained to death.

"Or do you seek out those willing?"

"Honestly? I'm not picky. A few of my meals have tried to mug me, which was convenient. Other times I just chat up some pretty young thing and have my fill - with her permission, of course."

The shameless, matter-of-fact tone she said all this with made clear that this was the routine for her - something she didn't think much of, though there was a particular note of spite in the way she spoke of the attempted muggings.

"I generally do not take more than I need unless we're talking about those that brought it on themselves. They're usually bleeding out before I bite, anyway. Reflexes, and all that."

She decided to leave the bit about how she often doesn't stop at blood in regards to prey who have died from said retaliation, out of politeness.

"I think I understand." she said quietly as she returned her gaze to the ground. "Then I suppose you should go seek a willing donor. We'll be leaving as soon as Alyss returns. I'll wait here."

The notion of someone drinking blood to survive was still an unsettling one to Zen, but if she had learned anything from her time with the Planeswalkers it was that sometimes shades of grey were necessary. That didn't mean she had to be comfortable with it, however.

Taking a bow with a smile, Xeed's gaze had noticeably softened.

"My thanks! Then I shall return shortly. I'll be sure to find someone...enthusiastic."

With that, she turned and headed to what looked to be the city's tavern, a notable spring in her step.

I can very much get used this, I think. Plenty of willing treats and foolish aggressors to top it all off...and plenty of interesting beings to meet. Though...I really do need to focus. That tower...something is without a doubt waiting for me there.

She didn't waste any time - it wasn't long before she was working her charms on someone who caught her eye in the tavern, resulting in a quick but pleasant conversation. It seems she won't be keeping her party waiting for long.

Alyss, in fact, does not 'hurry back' as she specifically stated she would. Granted the trip to the northwestern edge of Rabite Forest from Truce was not a super quick jaunt to most people, she is a centaur, and the act of dropping off a gem and coming right back for someone with four hooves shouldn't have really been that big of a task. But regardless, she doesn't return. At least, not yet. Given what kind of person she's been known to be at this point, distractions are plentiful, so maybe this isn't too surprising.

Before too long, Xeed could be seen emerging from a secluded part of town, back near the tavern she'd been seen entering, yet not leaving. Another woman's arm was around her shoulders, staggering with each step with a sleepy look to her, and a cloth pressed to her neck. Xeed herself was walking slowly, supporting the lady in question as she guided her step by step back to the place they met.

"Thank you again. I can't tell you how much you've helped me. I'll be sure to drop by once my business is done and see how you're doing. Please just take it easy and rest 'til then, yes?"

The lady gave a dreamlike "Mmm-hmmm..." but it wasn't clear if she fully registered what was being said.

Delicious, this one. Kind-hearted, too. That always does seem to taste the best, let alone have the best effect.

...That said, I'd better make sure she's doubly safe before I carry on.

Guiding the woman to the front desk, she inquired about a room for the lady - one night was generally all it took to recover from her bites when they weren't severe - and paid for it in full. Bidding the sleepy woman farewell, she set off for the fountain plaza again, hoping she wasn't holding the other two up.

Zen on the other hand spent the whole time sitting on the edge of the fountain in the rain, waiting quietly and patiently. The rain didn't bother her per se, but it did need to be stopped. Otherwise the environment in the effected area could suffer.

She wasn't overly alarmed when Alyss didn't make it back in the time anyone who could stay focused would. She assumed her companion would probably get distracted, it didn't really stop her from being at least a little concerned however.

Zen sat there idly fiddling with a mossy green agate ring she wore on one hand. It had been enchanted to take her back to Unicorn Run in case of an emergency, but she was actually afraid to test it. Not so much because she was worried it wouldn't work, but because she was afraid it would. What if she got teleported away and couldn't get back to the Cleft?

She let out a small sigh as the constant drips of water fell from the edge of her hood. In that moment a brief wave of melancholy washed over her. Must have been the combination of the weather and the stress, she decided, and gave her head a shake.

"Everything will work out." She muttered under ehr breath in elven and continued to wait for the other two to arrive.

Xeed arrived at the fountain looking well refreshed, her new umbrella resting on her shoulder as she strides up to Zen.

"Ah, good. I'm not late. I take it that ball of sunshine has yet to grace our drizzly grounds again?"

She took a seat at the fountain and got comfortable, not knowing how long the wait might be.

She'd prefer to get a move on - but moments of peace, especially before going into danger, were valuable. It was important to take them as they came and treasure them for what they are...

'Yet let not the call of Belphegor distract you from such urgent needs,' was it? You certainly picked up a lot from those studies, even if they hadn't been of much use to your craft in the end.

A bit more time passes, and then Alyss decides to make her reappearance. As possibly expected, she trots on up with minimal concern written on her face, as if the whole 'we need to hurry' thing was just cast aside to the wind. While she's still wearing her poncho, the hood of it is pulled down to show that there is a crown of flowers, however saturated they may be from the rain, gracing the top of her head. Whatever she'd been doing does not look like it was relegated to just hiding a gemstone and coming back, and the happy smile on her face seems to indicate this far more prominently than anything else. "Alyss back!" she exclaims chipperly. "Guardian say words, Alyss listen. Big important. Also flowers, not important, but Guardian make, put on Alyss head. Rude, not accept gift, right?"

"I'm certain that if the Guardian had something to say that it would be important." she said, affirming Alyss' words supportively. "But I do wish you had come back a little faster." Her tone wasn't a chastising one, but an honest one.

"We do need to get under way. MIss Xeed do you need a mount to keep up with us? Or are you fast enough on foot?" Zen had fought only one vampire in her time as a Planeswalker, and it hadn't been unusually quick, but she was aware there were different flavours of vampirism. She climbed to her feet, readying herself to cast her polymorph spell once agian.

"In rain, no. But I've a trick of my own that should make this work."

Looking to Alyss for a moment, she added as she got up: "That guardian of yours made you a lovely gift, it would seem. Now, then..."

Closing the umbrella and drawing it close to her with her other belongings, she closed her eyes.

Her body seemed to slowly disperse into mist, alongside the objects in her hands.

It was mere moments before the mist began to take shape itself, condensing to a smaller form - when it had cleared, a black and white striped bat with shining red eyes fluttered in the air before the two of them. A tiny yet clear voice could be heard.

"It's not all that good in a fight, but this form should keep up with you just fine."

Alyss tries to hide it, but the slip of her bright grin makes it a little apparent that Zen's comment got to her a little more than maybe it should've. She didn't even ask what it was the Guardian said. Maybe it was just important to her; oh well. She'd deal with that later, if she could remember it then. Xeed's remark, though, puts that grin right back up on her face, and then the subsequent transformation into that cute little bat ends up being too much. "Ah!" she squeaked, closing the distance in between her at the tiny bat-Xeed and simultaneously losing herself again in the process. "Shirov sa yakru fijo'shu! Gamdo desharka molanteril vivori'naro hutira aan'i!?"

The monochrome bat that was Xeed flits about Alyss's head, not understanding her words but hearing the clear excitement in it all - even reveling in it. Something about her made putting on such theatrics extra satisfying.

"I'm not terribly familiar with your language, but this is one of the forms I can take. There's others, of course - but this one is a favorite."

Zen watched the two for a moment and was about to translate, but Xeed replied to Alyss' question without knowing it was posed.

"If you get too waterlogged to fly, you can always land on one of us. I've tried flying to the tower myself, but the rains simply got too heavy for me to maintain flight. Hence why I planned for a trip by land. Is everyone ready to depart?" She wasn't used to "leading" a group. Normally when she was in a team prior to this she would be the one stealthing and letting the other more outspoken members of the party do the talking.

Maybe she could just fall into that role again and let Xeed take the wheel. Zen herself was always better at support...But she didn't trust Xeed yet. She wasn't disliking the woman now that they had chatted a little and she understood the woman's situation a little better, but trust was a long way off.

Still all smiles, Alyss cranes her head and neck around as best she can to follow Xeed's flighty self, but stops when Zen confirms their readiness to depart. "Alyss ready!" she cheerfully states. "Xeed rest Alyss when tired. Lots room. Alyss big!" She claps her hands together. "Go tower, stop weather, make sunny again. Then find blind-blue-hair, show Guardian, talk, find Jules. Plan!" She looks pretty pumped up, considering she has no actual idea what is or isn't going to happen. How do you 'stop' weather from happening? She certainly doesn't know. But it should all work itself out.

"Mhmhm, sounds like a plan. I'm ready as well. Though it will likely only be for a short time, I expect I'll enjoy this little trip of ours."

Xeed's bat-form prepared itself for the flight, hovering in the air next to Alyss, ready to take off.

I do hope this ends well. I would rather us part on triumphant, happy terms...but we'll have to see.

With everyone's confirmation that they were ready, Zen once again polymorphed and turned westward. The draw back of polymorph is that you aren't able to speak, unless of course the creature you change into can do so. But the journey shouldn't be too long, considering the speeds they would be moving at. But it meant that any conversation that would happen between Xeed and Alyss was something she wouldn't be able to participate in, unless it was a simple yes or no she could shake or nod her head to.

Since she was forced to travel in silence, she tried to keep her mind focused on what could be waiting up ahead. If it was someone Xeed was looking for, perhaps another vampire? It would probably be a good idea to take some of the heads off of some of her arrows so that they could be used as long range stakes if need be, since Xeed didn't seem to know if the person she was looking for was the cause of the problem or not. Ultimately they would just have to wait to find out, but it wouldn't hurt to be prepared.