A New Spring's Dawning

[Olvelsper]

"Fine. All of you should rest up as well."

[Dracos]

(For finishing at work)
------------

And so the victorious duo ("Trio," Viki complained) rested in Baron for a number of days.  These days were relaxing, as Jan's early discovery of the white mage massage parlor and convenient sympathy points lead to many days spent on his chest, his back carefully getting massaged by young ladies with an odd ability to miss his flirting.  Leets found himself saying goodbye to the wandering magician Felix who left him with a strange set of scarfs as a farewell gift, beginning his studies of the red arts as he called them.  He was certain they would be a hit down the road.

Mary, meanwhile, vanished one day.  Unlike Felix, he didn't leave a note, heading off after breakfast quietly.  His last words were "There's something far over that horizon.  And it has a drink I haven't tried yet and an ass I haven't kicked."

The remaining vigiliant duo carried on though, refreshed and relaxed as they gathered at the docks, a week hence.  A group of burly knights joining them, and even sharing some heavy fur coats they'd made for the journey northward.  The ship "Dawn's Outing" stood proudly before them at the docks, the captain finishing some final words to the crew as they stood ready to board.

[Olvelsper]

"And when I had just gotten used to being in the desert too." Jan sighed. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "So, how long do you think this voyage will last?" He asked Leets.

[Shukuen]

"Days. Weeks. It's not like we aren't used to long trips," retorted Leets, patting his ever growing collection of nicknacks. It felt a little odd with two bags to carry, but at least he was able to adjust his belongings before they burst their seems.

"Besides, with everyone else leaving, maybe we'll get lucky on this trip."

[Dracos]

"Lucky?" Viki, for some reason, didn't seem to have brought anything to carry outside of her outfit she had on.

She also seemed not to be preparing for the heavy cold either.  Strange girl.

[Shukuen]

Perhaps it had something to do with her unique method of travel. In any case, Leets didn't give her oddity much thought. "Dunno. Maybe something to help out with the next Tower we have to tackle," replied Leets. "I don't honestly look forward to another giant scorpion crippling us again." He frowned, rubbing his arms to ward off the chill as he reminisced of their recent success and rewards.

...speaking of rewards... expecting a fairly long trip, Leets decided he was long overdue in checking exactly what kind of loot they made out with at the Tower. Digging into his new bag, he pulled out one of the papers that were inside.

[Dracos]

At a glance, they seemed to be someone's journal entries.  A travel journal it seemed, by the way it was dated.  He could read it if he wished.

[Shukuen]

Curiosity tugged at him. A travel journal... in the tower itself? Maybe it was from another adventurer, he mused, though if its owner had dropped it, then it probably wouldn't be much help. Still, he skimmed over it, trying to see what kind of person it was that wrote it. A poor sap that got dragged into the wrong place or a failed hero.

[Dracos]

The boat started off, the sailors working around them.

"January 1921, Chesepeak, Russia"

"It's been darn cold since we got here.  But I think the digging is going well.  Much as I expected, there are old records here of time before modern man, history alive and well deep within these mountains."

---
OOC: Place yourselves.  I can keep going over the trip if you'd like :)

[Shukuen]

Leets' brows rose in surprise at the familiar name. Is this from my world? Or someplace similar? he wondered. It was just one coincidence, and it wasn't like it hasn't happened before, but it still made a connection to him. He continued reading, ready to move to another page when this was done. Maybe the trip won't be so long after all?

[Dracos]

OOC: Apologies for taking so very long.
IC:
Continuing to read, the trip seemed all too quick as the weeks past on.

----

"March 1923, In the Atlantic"

"Following our research, we seek the lost city of Atlantis.  I have cause to believe that it exists and indeed is hidden behind a some kind of supernatural field of distortion.  Bringing with us the statue of Io, it is my hope we will be able to pierce this barrier and find the island that has been lost to man for generations."

---

"March 1924, Discovery"

"In the center of the island, there appears to be a large tower, its entrances well defended...or they would be had not age taken their toll on the mechanisms.  It is amazing to conceive that they had this level of technology so long ago.  Electric doors!  In castles!  It truly boggles the mind."

----


"April 1921, Chesepeak, Russia"

"Though the winds of winter have began to quiet, spring does not truly come to this barren corner of the north.  My butler, Jeeves has taken sick, which has slowed progress.  The natives have been kind enough, though it appears they view us as strange for doing research in these frigid mountains."

---

"March 1924, Eureka!"

"We've found it!  By the heavens we've found it!  The crew is half dead, two of our ships gone, but we have preserved!  The architecture here is beautiful, likely from the same period as the underground chambers we discovered a few years ago in Russia."

---

"March 1924, Final Message..."

"It took some doing..but we pried through the tower...  It was like our very essence was being torn apart though.  People aging...changing before our eyes.  Our crew shrank from fifteen to five in the first minutes inside this dreadful place.  This..."  An ink stain trails off here, with the parchment nearby burned.

---

"Febuary 1924, Still on the Atlantic"

"It is has been a tough journey for our men, the road has been long and still we have not found Atlantis.  If I was home, I would be celebrating my son's 8th birthday today.  I hope he is doing well, as it has been a long time since I last saw him.  I'll be back soon, son...  Then we can travel together.  Happy Birthday, Leets."

[Olvelsper]

"Do you want to get anything for the trip, Viki?" Jan asked the girl, having recovered with the time they had spent.  It was nearly the day to leave, and he had noticed the lack of preparation on her part.

[Shukuen]

The documents proved to be interesting as Leets rearranged them in chronological order, forming a coherent story. Some details seemed relevant to their quest as the coincidences seemed too close to ignore.

Seeing the date and the journalist's own words only hammered in how old the the towers were. Did this mean the towers existed in the other worlds or did the explorers not realize they were transplanted off their world? If they existed in other worlds, then just how long have they been creating the Wasteland with bits taken from other worlds? The Statue of Io seemed out of place from what they knew of the towers though. Perhaps it carried a Starstone of its own? He wondered if there was a sketch in the journal.

It was when he reached the last page when he felt his senses go numb. With trembling hands, he reread the final document, mind racing at the inked scrawl on the yellowed page. Intellectually, he knew the dates were off by several decades, but this was one coincidence he couldn't simply pass off.

[Dracos]

OOC: Olguin, I started the ship travel...that said, you can ask the same question on the ship if you'd like for exciting viki antics! :)

[Dracos]

It'd been quiet the last few days, the air getting colder as they went further and further north.  Leets had been busy most of the trip digging through the stuff they'd brought back from the tower.  Viki?  She'd been a handful.  Sometimes there, sometimes not.  Something about losing a hand of cards to yomi resulted in various beef dishes being brought to Jan.  Her explanation involved cows, twisted space, and giving Jan a bit of a headache.

But it was  peaceful now, looking out over the cold waters, seeing the swimming fish alongside them.  There had been some dolphins a few days ago, but they were gone now.  Strange how those walruses seemed to be gathering around them though.  There was almost twice as  many now as there.... was that spears they were holding?  Walruses don't hold spears.