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Bella's not sure where she has wandered. She thought she was about to walk into a shop, but this appears to be an unattended bar. With none of the windows associated with the shop she thought she was entering. It could be an elaborate psychic assault of some kind, but it doesn't feel very... assault-y... and she was in the middle of a town and doesn't think any humans want to sic their 'mon on her. It's strange. She approaches the bar, looking around warily, hand hovering near her belt.
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just-a-shadow
"I don't think there's anything that works the same as shadow walking," says Shadow.
"I can barely scry," says Earth. "Unless the thing you want to find happens to be a plant. I definitely can't do fast transport like Shadow can."
"I can scry like nothing else, but I can't go somewhere near-instantly by magic once I find it," says Shine. "I think only Shadow has something like the shadow places... everyone else has to pass through the physical space in between where they're starting and where they're going somehow or other."
"I can barely scry," says Earth. "Unless the thing you want to find happens to be a plant. I definitely can't do fast transport like Shadow can."
"I can scry like nothing else, but I can't go somewhere near-instantly by magic once I find it," says Shine. "I think only Shadow has something like the shadow places... everyone else has to pass through the physical space in between where they're starting and where they're going somehow or other."
from_scratch
"Okay. So ideally we don't want it generally known that shadow-walking is instrumental to the process."
just-a-shadow
"People will probably guess," says Shadow.
"Unless we get together a big group of free Airs and Air hybrids, and have them swoop down out of the sky with Promise and grab amulets," says Earth. "Enough of them together and it'll be hard for anyone to get caught; and if it's Air, well, Air is the best at flying and the second-best at scrying. It's the closest we could get to shadow walking without a Shadow. It'll make it less obvious that we're using shadow walking some of the time if most of the time we ostentatiously don't."
"Unless we get together a big group of free Airs and Air hybrids, and have them swoop down out of the sky with Promise and grab amulets," says Earth. "Enough of them together and it'll be hard for anyone to get caught; and if it's Air, well, Air is the best at flying and the second-best at scrying. It's the closest we could get to shadow walking without a Shadow. It'll make it less obvious that we're using shadow walking some of the time if most of the time we ostentatiously don't."
from_scratch
"I feel like it's worth mentioning that somebody is going to have to be holding the door at all times, and it's not in a deserted or fortified location."
just-a-shadow
"I could illusion it so it looks like it's still closed," muses Shine. "And Air can make things invisible. I bet at least one of the ones you already rescued knows how. So that takes care of casually getting found out at the door end..."
"But not people trying to walk through the door while you're holding it," murmurs Shadow.
"But not people trying to walk through the door while you're holding it," murmurs Shadow.
from_scratch
"If somebody turns me invisible I can guard the door. The most nonviolent method is probably drugging anyone who investigates, nice and gentle, night-night, and then shoving them out of the building again. But I can't see invisible things, so if invisible people start poking around..."
"Air can detect invisible people, too," says Shine. "I think it's harder than making them invisible in the first place, but maybe we've got somebody out there who can do it. Want me to go check?"
from_scratch
"Yeah. Then me and an Air can repel anybody who shows up, and if they have amulets on them - can we just steal those? If I break the chains and they fall off and somebody picks them up and gives 'em to Kisonde?"
"Yes," says Earth. "Bound elementals can't pick up amulets, even someone else's amulet, but I think free ones can. And if not, well, you and Kisonde and Promise aren't elementals."
from_scratch
"Okay then. We're in good shape at least to start out, I think, although I'd like to have at least a few elementals besides the one holding the door sharing guard duty with me at any given time in case something I can't or wouldn't know how to notice starts happening."
Shine comes back, leading an elemental with wings made of swirling grey-and-black dust.
"This is Dust," she announces. "Air/Stone hybrid. She can do all the invisibility things."
"I can go collect volunteers," says Earth. "Should I? Or do you think me and Dust and Shine will be enough to keep you company while Shadow and Promise go rescue that Fire?"
"This is Dust," she announces. "Air/Stone hybrid. She can do all the invisibility things."
"I can go collect volunteers," says Earth. "Should I? Or do you think me and Dust and Shine will be enough to keep you company while Shadow and Promise go rescue that Fire?"
from_scratch
"Hi, Dust. This'll probably do for the time being, I doubt if anyone's even noticed Kisonde and the university elementals missing if the time pause thing works like Bar said."
"Then..."
Earth opens the door.
Shine stands in the doorway for a moment, then steps back.
"Who or what am I supposed to be making invisible?" inquires Dust.
Earth opens the door.
Shine stands in the doorway for a moment, then steps back.
"Who or what am I supposed to be making invisible?" inquires Dust.
just-a-shadow
"Me, I think," says Shadow. "And Promise if it won't do anything to whatever you do with people's names."
imeanforever
"It won't make a bit of difference. He has to hear me, seeing me is optional."
just-a-shadow
Dust nods. She looks at Shadow, who fades into translucency, then absence. Then she looks at Promise, who does the same.
While Promise is mid-fade, Shadow touches her hand. "I have to be touching you to shadow-walk you," he murmurs.
"You are now invisible in air," says Dust. "I'm very good, so smoke and mist and airborne dust will go right through you without a problem, but if someone dumps liquids or solids on you or throws you in a pond you'll make a visible you-shaped space in it."
While Promise is mid-fade, Shadow touches her hand. "I have to be touching you to shadow-walk you," he murmurs.
"You are now invisible in air," says Dust. "I'm very good, so smoke and mist and airborne dust will go right through you without a problem, but if someone dumps liquids or solids on you or throws you in a pond you'll make a visible you-shaped space in it."
just-a-shadow
Shadow leads Promise out the door and a step or two to the side, into the shadow of the building. Darkness collects briefly around them.
"Humans find the shadow places really weird," he says. "You might not see anything, but if you do, you can close your eyes if it bothers you."
Then he takes her hand and steps from shadow into darkness. There is a sensation of movement. Time passes. Not a lot of it, but some.
"Humans find the shadow places really weird," he says. "You might not see anything, but if you do, you can close your eyes if it bothers you."
Then he takes her hand and steps from shadow into darkness. There is a sensation of movement. Time passes. Not a lot of it, but some.
imeanforever
Promise finds it weird, but not enough to close her eyes against.
just-a-shadow
"Caharas," Shadow reminds her. "That's his name."
Then they emerge into ordinary shadow again.
Caharas is presumably the man in front of them, holding a Fire amulet and a whip. Shadow's friend is presumably the one lying on the floor, crying and covered in fire.
Then they emerge into ordinary shadow again.
Caharas is presumably the man in front of them, holding a Fire amulet and a whip. Shadow's friend is presumably the one lying on the floor, crying and covered in fire.
imeanforever
"Drop the whip," Promise tells him. "Be silent. Give me the amulet."
just-a-shadow
...Caharas drops the whip and holds out the amulet to the invisible voice. He is confused and alarmed!
Fire is also confused, but much happier about it. Shadow darts forward to take his hand and pull him into the shadow.
Fire is also confused, but much happier about it. Shadow darts forward to take his hand and pull him into the shadow.
imeanforever
And Promise takes the amulet.
"In fifteen minutes you may speak again," she tells the man.
She squeezes Shadow's hand.
"In fifteen minutes you may speak again," she tells the man.
She squeezes Shadow's hand.
just-a-shadow
Darkness engulfs them.
They emerge again beside the open door.
Shadow pulls Fire and Promise through into Milliways.
"There you are," says Dust.
Earth closes the door.
Shadow and Promise fade back into visibility.
Fire hugs Shadow hard enough to lift him right off the ground.
Kisonde nervously holds out her hand to Promise for the amulet.
They emerge again beside the open door.
Shadow pulls Fire and Promise through into Milliways.
"There you are," says Dust.
Earth closes the door.
Shadow and Promise fade back into visibility.
Fire hugs Shadow hard enough to lift him right off the ground.
Kisonde nervously holds out her hand to Promise for the amulet.
imeanforever
And Promise hands it over. She doesn't think she'll have to give an instruction this time.