Light and colour and brilliance. Those were the words that made up the glory of Akashima's capital city, lost in the torrent of a festival.

As the portal faded behind them - a glorious swirl of azure on white on prussian - Philomel felt the breath expell from her lungs as she looked around. Only one time in her life had she been here, and that was in the months leading up to the birth of her daughter. Memories came back to her of her and Veridian - for it had only been them two in that time - wandering through the streets with a badly hidden swollen belly, trying to do all the tourism within two weeks. Tourism like the maginificent Great Crystal Spire that towered above them like a giant, releasing luminosity and showering all in a blissful radiance. It reflected the myriad of colours as flags swayed and behind bright stalls merchants shouted out their wares. Noise of a wild variety surrounded the group of allies and misfits, with notes of gasps and awed giggles sounding as people realised two humans, a faun, a fox, a rabbit and a frigging dragon had just stepped out of the air amidst a blue portal.

Philomel grinned up at the looming head of Delath above her and stretched her hand to gently scratch his throat. The skin there was not scaled, but rather leathery and bumpy, like a tortoise's shell or the brow ridges of a monster, with the individual segments neatly grown into one another, with the strength of many rocks. Delath let out a rumbling, satisfied grumble, his throat vibrating beneath her touch. Ths many streets of Akashiman's turned in wonder to see what exactly was making the sound.

“That palace, I remember reading about it,” Shinous suddenly said. Looking over to him, but not dropping her hand from pleasing her dragon, “It was fashioned to become a formidable fortress in times of war, but despite that it was believed to contain delicate artworks and stone masterpieces throughout its grand halls and towering walls. Lady Akashima herself was said to have a personal interest in it.”

Philomel glanced over to where he motioned. A long series of halls and gabled roofs appeared above the general residential and business buildings that lay before them. Walls were placed before it, but even they were not tall enough to cover the sheer glory that was the palace. With ornate wooden carvings and strong, stone defences it was a place of elegance and defence - the ultimate royal household.

As the true dark of night began to fall around them and the various shocked members of the public lost interest in Delath, realisation began to come to Philomel. That in fact they had stepped through from a dusky day to blackness, and actually the light she had assumed was still part of the sun was actually from the Crystal Spire itself. It gathered the light of thousands of lanterns around them, those that were set out for the festival. They hung on the ends of stalls, the arms of posts and the corners of buildings, giving a day-like brightness to the city. And from this the spire gathered up the light, then spread it out rapidly, giving all the various painted ladies, robed men and merchants a good degree of brightness to see by. Slowly Philomel lowered her hands, and looked over to Shinsou, only to see him glancing in her direction. Smiling back she nodded, conferring that she too could be lost here.

And then the peace was broken, the perfection ended. Lillith sidled up beside Shinsou, coming into full view. Realisation came into Philomel, and seemingly into Shinsou also as he turned to the geisha swiftly and spoke once more.

“So, here we are. Over to you, Lillith Kazumi.”