The Princess' Dream Citadel

[wizardseason]

The Princess' Dream Citadel is a tower surrounded by waterfalls on all sides, surrounded by a spiral staircase that reaches every floor. At the top is a reflective platform below a starry moonlit sky. Within its many floors are any number of amenities that the Princess or the good-allured knights good need.

Each night, the Protector can be found on the roof, stargazing and listening to the sounds of the waterfalls around the tower.

Comments

[eutychia]

Luka's face falls at the heaviness of the Protector's reply. Nine worlds. Nine whole worlds. He retreats back into the recliner, folding his hands on his lap. If it were even possible, somehow the weight on his shoulders felt heavier after hearing those words.

"Why did she resist?" He asks, quietly. "She'd rather just call it a loss and move on?"

[roaryrory]

"Wow..."

Nine... To be honest, that heaviness is enough to hit Rory, too. She decides to deal with it later, though, if ever. She has some unrelated questions.

"So... Have you guys always been like... uh, would shapeshifters be accurate? Since you do the yearly looks?"

[disguiseself]

[She stares at the Protector, her brow furrowed, trying to read him. She wondered if he grieved for each world he lost, and wondered if, eventually, they'd be the tenth. She bites her lip, looking down as she waited for the other two to ask their questions.]

What was the plan? What... went wrong?

[wizardseason]

"The magic we prepared changed when we moved to save this world. Something else took hold of it. She believes it should remain out of our control, that we should let that bring it all to an end." He answers both Luka and Olivia, pausing to take a long breath through his pipe.

"Shapeshifters would not be inaccurate. Our appearances are fluid, changing with the ebb and flow of magic itself." He slowly exhales, filling the air around him with the cherry smoke.

[eutychia]

"'Something else'?" He repeats back, uncertain. "Do you know anything about what exactly 'it' is? Why would she surrender to it, unless she knows something more about it?"

[wizardseason]

"The world itself." He answers, leaving it in the air for a few moments before he continues.

"If it can take hold of our magic and bend it to its will, letting it run free with that magic to destroy itself is unacceptable." He takes another inhale, looking between Luka, Olivia, and Rory each for a moment.

"We have come across dangerous forces like this one, in time I am certain it will calm." He exhales through his nose this time, a cloud of the cherry smoke forming around him.

"I will not stand by to idly watch this world be engulfed in magical destruction."

[eutychia]

"Huh." Luka says, dumbfounded. "So, let me get this straight, the planet's got hold of your magic and is trying off itself for some reason? So did you guys come to this world to save it or did you guys coming here give it the tools it needed to do... that."

[roaryrory]

Rory, too, looks confused. "And, and. Why were the other worlds self-destructing? Was that just a thing that happens, or also magic? If our world's reacting badly to the magic?"

[disguiseself]

And how do you know it'll calm? I mean, you don't uh, seem sure of why it's happening in the first place, right? How long will it take...? [There's a chance the Protector doesn't know this, she realizes, but she had to ask.]

[wizardseason]

"We knew it was set to destroy itself, but we underestimated its abilities. This world is like no other. Though every world has been different, they have all had some similarities. But all had a different reason for their destruction. This one felt like one we visited before, one we saved." He shakes his head, taking another inhale.

"I have doubted, but we will make it through alive. No cost is too great to save another world. I do not know where the tunnel ends, but the light of hope is there."

[eutychia]

"That's reassuring... I guess. I'm still a little put off by knowing the planet is sentient and wants to die, though, if I'm interpreting this all correctly."

[roaryrory]

"Yeah, wow, talk about depressing..." Rory hangs her head. "What are the similarities? Between our world and that one, that you saved?"

[disguiseself]

Is there... anything we can do to help? Other than fighting the Wizard I mean, there's got to be a way to, like... heal the planet, or something, right?

[wizardseason]

The Protector folds his arms, leaving his pipe to just sort of dangle and smoke in the air in front of him. He listens to each of their inquiries, figuring out what to answer first.

"In time, it will rest. Its energy to resist rest will only last for so long. The world we saved lashed out again and again, but we contained it." He answers, calmly, before looking towards Luka to see if his expression gives anything away.

"I do not think it realizes the destruction it will bring, but it will not listen." In other words, it may not want to die but it isn't open for criticism of its actions. Who knows?

[eutychia]

"How... weird." Luka says, leaning back. "I never really thought of worlds having feelings and opinions like that. Is there some way you can communicate with it?"

[disguiseself]

Yeah, so... planets are really... alive. [All of this new information was kind of scary, and a little frustrating. But this fact in particular kind of made her want to stab every single person she ever saw litter.

She glances over at Luka and Rory, biting her lip. Despite her nervousness, she feels the very human impulse to make a silly joke to defuse the tension.]

You'd tell us if our planet was actually a giant turtle, right?

[wizardseason]

"I cannot, it does not wish to listen." He answers, holding his arm out and upturning the pipe. He waits for the ashes to fall out into the air, the wind wisping them off and away. He glances towards Olivia's question and takes it completely at face value.

"It is not a giant turtle, no."

[eutychia]

"That's... good? That it's not a giant turtle, I mean, not that it won't listen. I guess if there were any way to change its mind you'd have figured it out by now. Letting it have its way is just not an option." Luka says, indignantly.

[roaryrory]

Thank you Olivia, the mental image of their planet as a very grouchy old turtle did help to calm Rory's nerves a little. Still, it would be a hurting and self-destructive turtle, and that's sad to her.

"I really wish we could help it... but if it won't listen, I guess that's that," she sighs. "I'll do my very best to make sure the Wizard won't let it self-destruct, though!"

[disguiseself]

Is there anything else we should know? Anything else you can tell us? [Nothing about their conversation had been reassuring so far !! Give the girl some good news or a plan of action or something!]

[wizardseason]

"Perhaps it will listen when it calms." He thinks aloud, leaving the possibility hovering in the air.

"Do not trust anything the Wizard says, she is already working to turn you all against each other." He turns to face each of them, locking eyes with them one at a time until he settles on Luka.

"Trust each other." And as he says it, all three of them wake up from the dream. Sorry guys, he had to get his dramatic timing in.