Ruby stood and adjusted herself, returning the hem of her dress and the pleated cuffs of her doublet to their rightful, elegant positions. As she stood the sae reminded her all too eagerly that she had partaken in perhaps a little too much late afternoon mirth. She giggled.

“My dear, you didn’t think I was going to make you walk all that way?”

Lilith rolled her eyes but smiled warmly as she plucked at the delicate strings of magic that anchored the table and sake set. It began to dissipate when she too made to stand, whisked away on a gentle, lavender scented breeze. Phantasmal cherry blossoms tumbled in it’s wake, and then just like that the peninsula was a barren, civilisation-less rock once more.

“Not all the way at least,” the assassin corrected. “I can take us as far as Scara Brae herself, then from there we travel up the coast by boat. I’ve arranged for passage with the Knights of Brae flagship, the Liliana, but if your own ships moored there we can take that. There’s no need to bring your other ladies onboard this, it’s not for the faint of heart.” For Lilith to say that of all people gave Philomel all she needed to know about how much risk was involved in their hair brained scheme.

“Are you coming with us, deary?” Ruby shouted at Delath, who grumbled along to his own sad, glum tune for a few moments before his glistening eyes turned their attention to the diminutive grey-haired woman who seemingly had just appeared before him. He grumbled louder.

“So obnoxious…”

“I beg your pa-”

Ruby stopped mid-sentence at the sight of Philomel raising her hand gently. It was a universal and ladylike gesture for ‘don’t waste your time’. She rested her hands on her hips.

“Charming.”

“You get used to him,” the faun quipped. “Okay…happy Philomel is ready Philomel.” She nestled Veridian’s neck as he curled around her feet, venerable eyes glancing between assassin and matriarch as though he didn’t quite trust them, not yet. “How do we do this…thing.” She made namby pamby hand gestures, not quite sure how to describe the strange sensation Lilith’s portal instilled.

“It’s like a door and a hangover all at once.” Lilith clashed the bangles on her wrists together and a spherical portal appeared around her. Just like that she was gone, and the mercurial orb beckoned the remnants to enter. Ruby did so without flinching, usually tipsy enough for the effects of the Aria to wash over her like a bacon sandwich treating a headache. Philomel, Veridian, and Delath remained, and ahead, a journey of discovery.