Date night

[Anastasia]

Antenora's smiling, "I've become," she announces, in a voice that is hers and so much more. "Nothing but regrets left behind are here now."

And in an instant, the two of you are back in Sylica.

"To save a single soul is a worthwhile life's goal," Antenora says, still holding your hand. "We accomplished a miracle today, Alicia."

[Ebiris]

"It just shows that anything is possible, isn't it?" she agrees, still riding high on their triumph.

[Anastasia]

"Anything." Antenora turns to you as you feel it. Her divine will, grown and blossomed by this miraculous event. Magic and power flow together as inseparable twins around her, responding to Antenora and Antenora alone.

Antenora's sheet is updated with the changes. Go look.

[Ebiris]

They both now have an AC of 69.

Nice.

"Would that we had time to properly celebrate. Still though, lets round up Syala, Latha, Jessica, and Marie to share the good news before I send Jessica to recon that Abyssal lake for us," she says as they go to get with their inner circle.

[Anastasia]

It's not hard to do that at all.

"So Eblis has been taken?" Syala asks once the tale is told, sitting back at Jessica's kitchen table, the group gathered there. A simple, quick meal is laid out - breads, baked goods and juices. "That's a relief, not to mention how much it'll aid the war effort in Fire."

"Better than that, all those souls freed," Latha says, "I'm proud of both of you for how far you've come. More than words can say."

Jessica comes back with the last of the food and puts it down, then joins you, "Do you think he'll follow through?" she asks, "It took more than a few words for Antenora to be remade. It was only a beginning."

"The most important beginning," Antenora says, holding Marie's hand. "I may not trust Eblis, but I do trust Zaphkiel not to waste this opportunity. Not for what it cost and how I doubt a chance like that will ever come again. No. I think I was the perfect weapon to challenge Eblis and pierce through eons of rage, hate and self justifications. Something his nature wouldn't allow him to look past, something he could hate but not dismiss."

Syala has a pastry fly to her hand and has a bite before, "I'd say the same about Queen Morwel if she were in that position. Even then, if he's never seen again, it's still a win for all of Creation. Aaaaah. Let's see Asmodeus try and portray that as part of his plan."

To that Antenora smiles widely, "What an amazing day."

[Ebiris]

"Yes, it burned me every time I went there and couldn't do anything for all the souls he was tormenting," Alicia nods to Latha as they go over all of it. "At least it paid off in the end. I don't know where in Celestia he'll be and how he'll be atoning, but I'll trust his intentions and Zaphkiel's judgement now that the first step has been made."

"It all turned out pretty well, Antenora's right about her situation making her the perfect fit for it. If you read it in a story you'd see the plot development a mile off," Marie pipes up as she leans against Antenora's side.

[Anastasia]

"All thanks to one moment of defeating long odds and doing the near impossible," Syala says, smiling now, "So often those moments where the odds are supposed to defeated end with the odds bearing out. I've seen too many funerals of brave heroes who failed to beat the odds." Not even that dims her smile, "But for once, for one beautiful time, we beat those odds."

Latha raises her glass, "Cheers to that." The clink of glasses before she goes on, "How often does Creation turn on those moments where the unlikely leads to a miracle? Let alone something that happens in the Beyond having such titanic an impact, something beyond those of Creation to protect and cause a miracle?"

There's some pause at that before Jessica pauses from nibbling on an airy chocolate confection to add, "I don't know, but it's good enough that it's happened once."

A lull there, enjoyment until...

Antenora smiles at Marie, "Also, dearest Marie, I've gained so much. One of those..." she trails off a moment, "Is the ability to see through any lie, no matter how chaotic."

[Ebiris]

Marie gasps and recoils from Antenora. "They're not lies, they're creative embellishments!" she insists quickly. "Your life will be much poorer without them, too!"

"It's alright Marie, we all knew you never invented magic missile," Alicia says in a disinterested tone, biting into an eclair afterwards.

Marie's face reddens before she manages, "Well I certainly redefined it, I don't think anyone can argue that!"

[Anastasia]

Antenora merely says, "You did improve it," she admits that much. "Besides, I love you just the way you are, Marie."

[Ebiris]

"I love you too, and you can use your new ability to verify that!" Marie beams back at Antenora, recovering.

"Anyway," Alicia wipes her fingers on a napkin after finishing her eclair, "I'd like to relax and celebrate more, but we do still have a war on. Jessica, can you go and look into the Abyssal Lake on Earth? The Dao have a fortress there that Valar's asked us to attack, I want to get fresh information on its defences before we commit."

[Anastasia]

For the moment, Antenora and Marie only seem to have eyes for each other. As they have their fun?

Jessica finishes off her treat and rises, "The Abyssal Lake? What can you tell me about it?"

"It's a wasteland of water," Latha speaks up, "I've heard of it, a friend lost companions to it and never recovered them or the bodies. The waters are befouled from Ooze."

[Ebiris]

"It's a great lake on the border of Ooze," Alicia picks up from Latha. "Toxic except for the centre where the Dao have purified it and built palaces of stone from which they extract precious metals from the water. There haven't been any previous successful attacks on it, the environment is too hostile for the natives to handle."

[Anastasia]

"Water, I need the proper spells," Jessica considers, "Any other inhibitors to stealth or dangers, sister?"

[Ebiris]

"Valar didn't have much I'm afraid, that's why I wanted to send you in first so we have a clearer picture of what's all there," Alicia admits. "Between the water and toxic fumes there's the usual issue of being better hidden at a distance but your body displacing the gas or liquid makes you stand out to someone sharp-eyed."

[Anastasia]

"I'll do what I can," Jessica agrees, "Is any level of dimensional locking known of or accounted for?"