'You're welcome!'

'So, are we all ready to go? Kaylee, do you want to dowse or should I?'

'I might prefer if you did?  You've been doing this a bit longer than me.'

'Okay! That makes sense.'

Lianne baubles her soul gem, and starts looking for witches.

Eventually they come into range of one.

'I can try to determine how strong this one is, or show you how.'

'Why don't you show me how, then confirm whether I'm right or not?'

'Well, it's hard to convey how strong a signal at how great a distance corresponds to how strong a witch; to some extent it just takes practice and intuition.  But the thing to do is figure out what direction the signal is in, which you can usually feel through your magic sense and confirm by moving around, and then move perpendicular to that direction to see how quickly the direction changes - just like discerning distance visually using parallax.  Once you're good at it, you can tell just by moving around normally as you approach it, without having to do it deliberately.  I think you'd need to be closer to this witch to tell much about it.'

'Okay! Thanks.'

She starts to follow Kyubey's advice, first trying to identify the witch's direction then moving a bit closer to try and get a better feel for it, before walking perpendicular to her previous path.

'See how at this distance you can feel the direction changing?  This strength, at this distance, doesn't indicate a terribly powerful witch.'

'Yeah, now that you mention it, this feels - less - than the one I fought with the group. A lot less.'

'We should start heading toward it.  I can accompany you into the barrier as well, if you want.'

'I think I'd like that.  Lianne?'

'I'd like that too. C'mon, let's go.'

It's only a short way to the witch, from where they were.  The barrier shimmers.

Kaylee spends a moment transforming, and then flicks a pair of Bowie knives into existence.

Lianne transforms as well, before drawing her sword and then nodding to Kaylee. "Since I'm a short range fighter, want me to go in first?"

"Sure."

Lianne takes a deep breath and steps through the barrier.

It's like stepping out onto the windowsill of a skyscraper: a sudden gust of wind nearly blows her off the narrow wooden ledge to which the portal led.  Behind her, an oversized clock face; in the distance, a skyline made of enormous grandfather clocks.  The air is filled with polyrhythmic ticking.  The ground, if there is ground, is shrouded in thick fog; the distant sky is made of clockwork.

There are more clock towers, nearer-by than the skyline, but sparser.

Any sign of familiars?

There seems to be something moving around on the nearest clock tower.  Quite a number of somethings actually.

And which direction to the witch's center?

Towards the skyline, it looks like.

"Looks like we'll have to jump... Ready?"

"Ready."