The Wheel of Fate Turns [Tarot Hierarchy] Closed to Ray

[Cards of Fate]

The waves gently beat against the shore of Krosig, an island long forgotten by cartographers and historians. The sun had just begun to rise over the abandoned island as the Hierophant took his morning tea in the ruins of a small coastal village. The wind was warm and blowing out of the east with the rising sun. The wind played with his dirty blonde hair as he sat in a stone pavilion right on the beach, book in hand and one leg propped up. The maps in the Library of Khal'Jaren, the Thayne of knowledge, had been a great help to the scholar in his endeavor to find more ruins to explore. This island had been the proverbial jackpot, so far away from anything of note that it had never been discovered by any others, and in fact seemed borderline untouched. The island had vexed him in that it created more questions than it answered. For starters all of the buildings showed little sign of wear, and not a single body or mass grave had been found. The islands inhabitants had simply...vanished.

"Where is Khal'Jaren when you need him?" Vincent found himself grumbling between sips of tea. The Thayne had been appearing to him recently, whispering in his ear, guiding him in his studies. However, others could not see him, leading either Vince, or his handlers, to think he was crazy. He was however, the Hierophant of the Tarot Hierarchy, and that afforded him the right to be crazy. The secret society served the purpose of investigating and discovering remnants and artifacts dating back to the age of the Eternal Tap and making sure they did not fall into the wrong hands. The ever wise seer Leona Stevvains had deemed Vincent to be her Hierophant, she had seen his future and told him of his fate long before he had even studied a single book in Althanas. Now he was a world class scholar no less than a year into his prolonged stay in this world. He had partaken in more than his fair share of adventures during that time, and memories of home were beginning to be overwritten.

He no longer missed his apartment back in Dallas, or his beat up piece of shit car. When he thought of home the image of a library came to mind, where he had a small bedroll tucked away in the corner for long nights of studying. When thinking of family he thought of his best friend Ioder the angel, his boss Leona, and the mercenary Tobias Stalt. Life on Althanas was good, and Vincent felt needed here.

A large horn blast interrupted his thoughts. The mornings shipment was coming in bringing fresh faces and supplies to help with the investigation and it was Vincent's job to greet them. Setting his tea down he grimaced as he moved his propped up left leg off of the pedestal it was resting on and stretched it. His muscles complained as hey stretched it slightly before setting it on the ground. Gritting his teeth he braced both of his hands on the table before him and raised himself into a standing position.

"Hiero, my cane please?" he asked looking up. A nine foot tall caricature of a "man" approached him cane in hand. His golden skin glowed in the sunlight as his green robes fluttered with the breeze. His silver hair and beard framed a face with no distinguishable features aside a large hooked nose and scarlet eyes. As the "man" finally reached Vincent he knelt and handing a simple ornate cane made of mohangany with an owls head carved into the handle on the top.

"Your knee bothering you Vinnie?" the man asked in a deep baritone.

"It's getting better..." Vincent replied, "Thank you Hiero."

"No thanks are needed..." Hiero replied. "I am the Hierophant, you are the Hierophant. I am your advisor in these troubled times in your life."

"Thank you my freind..." Vincent replied as the Hierophant rose to full height. "Come, walk with me while we greet the next shipment."

"Even though you are the only one who can see me?" the Hierophant asked curiously.

"Someone special is on that ship, and I have a hunch about her..." Vincent replied cryptically as he began to walk with a slight limp as he placed a great deal of his weight on his cane.

"Ah..." The Hierophant breathed, "You've mastered the art of mimicking your boss then?"

"Questions, Hiero, Questions." Vincent replied as the both began to grin at their joke.

[Rayleigh]

The small ship skidded across the waves, bouncing like a skipping stone. A single mage stood at the helm, arms outstretched, shimmering light spilling from his fingertips. With his aid, the vessel traveled at nearly three times the speed across the choppy water, his magic filling the white sails to capacity. This delighted the crew of half a dozen men, all of whom were busy prepping the shipment for delivery. The final stop of the day was a nearly forgotten island, one which had remained in undisturbed slumber for many years Shipments to those shores had only begun recently, when a scholar from a far away land had set up camp there. One final delivery, and then the crew could return home; nearly everyone was in a fantastic mood.

The exception stood at the ship's edge, the salty wind assaulting her senses as cold water peppered her bare skin. She gripped the rough wooden railing tightly, splinters digging into her palms, knuckles as white as the fluttering sails overhead. Emerald eyes were closed tightly, though it did little to settle her rolling stomach. Her small frame rocked as the ship crested each wave, and every time it crashed back down, she found herself regretting the decision to take the trip at all.

“How are you, miss?” The low voice came from the mage, barely audible over the scream of the wind. When she finally looked to him, he was smiling. With no break in his magic, he added, “you look a bit green.” He, on the other hand, was a picture of ease. Black and silver robes fluttered about his tall, thin frame. The man’s arms moved gracefully through a practiced routine, and though he had been casting the same spell for quite some time, he demonstrated no signs of exhaustion. His blue-gray eyes danced with laughter, and when she realized he was not at all concerned with her well-being, she scowled.

"I hate mages," Ray grumbled, turning away from him. The wind tore the words from her lips the moment she released them, but she would not have been too bothered if the magic user had heard her. "I hate mages, and I hate ships."

Thankfully, the mechanic was only required to endure ten more minutes of seasickness and attention from the silver-tongued man. As the boat slowed to dock, Rayleigh bolted toward the nearest exit. The gangplank had hardly been secured when, in a graceless tangle of arms and legs, she leapt to the safety of the solid ground.

"Miss Aston?" This time, the speaker was female. The crew member offered Ray a polite nod, then pointed up the beach. "I was asked to direct you further inland. Just follow this path."

"Thank you." The stranger peeled off to attend to other things, leaving Rayleigh to traverse the uneven sands of the beach on her own. Her boots slipped awkwardly over the fine pieces of rock and shell, tossing her already trembling body back and forth, and causing her to regret making the trip for the upteenth time that day.

More than anything, Ray had hoped to impress Leona, the leader of the Tarot Hierarchy. She had recently become a member, and when Stevvains had tasked her with doing a bit of fieldwork, the Aleraran had agreed without hesitation. Unfortunately, she had not thought to ask what the job entailed, or what means of transportation would be involved. Had she known she would be sailing, perhaps she would have declined.

"Rayleigh!"

The voice stopped her dead in her tracks. The innocent recognition that washed over her was almost immediately replaced with white-hot anger, as her cheeks flushed and her emerald eyes became narrow slits. Vincent.

"Are you kidding me?" The woman cried. "Are you the one who set up this job, and called me here? You have some nerve."

The girl paused only briefly, to catch her breath, and address the enormous man who stood beside the scholar. "Sorry to interupt, but I have a bone to pick with your buddy." When the anger subsided, she would gawk at the sheer size of the stranger, and wonder where exactly he hailed from. But in the heat of the moment, all she could do was continue to drill her fellow Tarot Hierarchy member.

"How could you have sent me to that excavation site? Did you know about the demon all along? Is that why you sent me, so I would help release him?" The crazed brunette threw her arms out wide, voice cracking, as she shrilled once more, "how could you?"

Vincent was entirely unprepared for the onslaught; all he could manage to do was lean on his cane, mouth opening and closing helplessly, as his honored guest verbally assaulted him.

"I almost died, Vincent. A lot of people did die! And many more probably will, because of what I did. Because of what you made me do."

[Cards of Fate]

Vincent stopped mid step, stunned by her reaction. Her words droned on in the background as he turned to his supposedly invisible companion. All around them dock workers were walking past the trio, some gawking at the woman barking at their superior. Not a single one was paying any heed to the nine foot tall golden giant in olive robes. In fact had Rayleigh been paying any attention she would have noticed some people step through him.

“She…can see me?” The giant asked cocking his head to one side. A subtle sea breeze filled the air playing with the scholar’s hair. Dockworkers continued to walk past with barrels of mead, boxes of apples, and buckets of salted fish as they worked tirelessly to unload their cargo.

“It appears she can…” Vincent muttered rubbing his chin as he turned back to his rather grumpy guest. “Excuse me.” he paused interrupting her torrent of shouts. “Did you just say there was a demon in those ruins?” he continued incredulously. “Like what type? Was he spiky or had horns or…?”

“Yes there was a Demon!” Ray growled, “And I got sucked into accidentally freeing him because of you!” she continued stamping her foot. Her entire body tensed up as she debated whether or not to punch him for his rather lackluster reaction. “And what you do you mean I can see him? He’s nine feet tall and has a really strange skin tone!”

“Holy shit I had no clue there was Demon there, just some really old ruins that had shown signs of having magical artifacts in it that needed to be recovered. Nothing about it seemed to scream Demon when I was there the month before…” Vincent said running a hand through his blonde hair exasperated. “If I knew it was dangerous I wouldn’t have sent you there for your first mission!”

“Well you did jerk!” she spat glaring at him. Her relationship with the scholar was tenuous at best, he had been the catalyst for her adventures, a chance encounter with him and his mysterious ball of gears that had sparked a vision in her. While he had seemed rude at first, it seemed more and more like he had bad people skills. As time had gone on he had surprised her with a notebook of knowledge on the world, something she had been desperately craving.

“Vincent perhaps you should tell her that most people can’t see me before she gets confused…” the Hierophant chimed while bowing. “I am the Hierophant, the embodiment of The Hierophant Arcana from Leona’s deck of fate. I am bound to Vincent and serve as his guide through his tenure as said Arcana.”

[Rayleigh]

Silence enveloped the threesome. All around them, sound still carried on the salty ocean breeze. Long island grasses bowed gracefully, and the leaves of nearby palm trees provided an equally soothing accompaniment. The familiar clunks, creaks, and groans of a docked ship mingled with the muffled voices of those aboard it. And below all other noises, like a steady beat of a drum, the eternal lapping of the blue-green ocean provided the necessary rhythm. The three individuals who stood on the boardwalk, however, did not say a word. The scholar still gaped, floored by the realization that he was not the only one who could see the Hierophant. The mechanic's anger lines had lightened, but her jade eyes still sent daggers in Vincent's direction. And the nine-foot giant waited patiently for Rayleigh's response.

Finally, the brunette tore her deathly glare from Vincent to address the Hierophant. Her patience was growing thin, and exhaustion and the miserable ship ride were as much to blame as the scholar's past actions. Her tone was strained as she said simply, "nice to meet you." Then, "why can I see you?"

The enormous being cast a sideways glance towards Vincent, who shrugged. Returning his attention to Ray once more, he answered, "I am afraid that I do not know the answer to that, Miss Rayleigh."

"So you know nothing then?" came Ray's sharp retort. "Sounds like you know as much as Vinny does."

The intellectual's face fell at her insult, lips curling downward, gaze dropping to his boots. Ray observed this transformation without speaking. A moment passed. Finally, she heaved a heavy sigh. "Sorry. I'm just tired."

"Its alright," Vincent replied, in a voice that revealed it was not, in fact, alright. But he motioned for her to follow him nonetheless, slowly hobbling back up the rough wooden path. "Come this way. I'll show you where you can rest for a bit."

[Cards of Fate]

Her words bit like the sharp sting of the arrow that had crippled him. His eyes dropped to the boardwalk as his fingers clenched tightly around the wooden owl head the formed the handle of his cane. “It’s alright…” he muttered as he trembled slightly. It didn’t take a supernatural talent to know the truth to tell he was lying.

He turned to limp away, to guide her to her place of dwelling for the duration of her trip. His knee throbbed with each step, pain shot up his spine causing him to hiss. The hierophant’s emotionless gaze wandered from Rayleigh to Vincent as he shortened his stride to keep from overtaking the two.

“As you can see…” Vincent grumbled as he gestured with his free hand around them. “We’re in the village proper.” They left the dock and entered a roughly paved walkway. Stalks of grass poked up through cracks, patches of moss painted the pathway a small lichen rainbow. The structures seemed to resemble small huts made of stone, entrances marked with ornate lizard creatures rearing their heads. Aside from patches of moss and the occasional web of cracks along various structures, nothing seemed damaged.

“Nothing shows any sign of its age. Not a pillar has crumbled, nor a statue smashed. You would take one look at this place and think that it was one hundred years old tops. Not the thousands it is.” Scowling Vincent turned to Ray as he gestured to a building to their left. “This building will serve as you abode for the duration of your stay here.” His thoughts were scattered, too many thoughts to process at once, too many memories flooding through his mind.

“Thank you.” Ray nodded smiling slightly. She could practically feel the pain of each step Vincent took as he guided her to this point, and while he was not forgiven for sending her to deal with a demon, she was beginning to feel bad for her earlier remarks.

“I…” the scholar hissed as he glared down at his leg. “Will be at the seaside pavilion resting if you need me. Just… take the pathway to the dock and take a left, should be easy to find it from there…” he began to hobble away slowly. “You might want to unpack you things and get settled, Leona says you’re the key to our discovery here so I want you nice and rested before we begin…”

[Rayleigh]

The brunette paused mid-step, foot hovering over the stone threshold, hand placed gingerly on the door frame. "The key?" came her echo, voice hesitant as she turned back to him. "Me?" The concept baffled her. Leona had only recently inducted her into the Tarot Hierarchy, and the only job that she had completed had ended in disaster. How could she possibly be instrumental in this place?

Vincent mirrored Rayleigh's actions, slowing to a halt and turning back to her. "Well, yes," he answered, his soft-spoken words accompanied by a small shrug. "Leona told me that your abilities may be the only thing that can find us what we need here."

"But no pressure," Rayleigh interjected tartly.

The scholar shot his nine foot tall companion a look that Ray did not have the patience or energy to decode. Then he sighed. "Get some rest," Vince repeated, determining that there was no use in fighting any longer. If he had learned anything from his past interactions with Rayleigh Aston, it was that her fuse was as short and easily lit as anyone else had met. "Meet us when you're ready." And maybe not so bitchy. Without a second word or a second glance, he turned back to his slow, jagged journey down the path.

The mechanic did not wait to watch him go. Instead, she shoved back the wool blanket that had been draped across the doorway. The rudimentary curtain lacked any decorative deigns or embellishments; surely, it had been stripped from a ship's bunk, and it was quite ugly against the ornate stone walls of the hut. Ray, however, paid this little mind as she slipped into the dimly lit, one-room abode. In fact, she found that she was more thankful for the privacy that someone had thought to arrange for her.

Without wasting any time, she let her bag fall to the freshly swept floor. Its contents shifted within with the melodic sound of metal tumbling over metal, but the noise was quickly interrupted by creaking springs and Ray's low groan as she collapsed onto the small cot.

"Finally," the mousy girl mumbled to herself, pulling her legs to her chest and curling into the fetal position. "Sleep."

Though she remained there for only two hours, her slumber was deep and dreamless. When she finally approached her crippled friend at the pavilion shortly after waking, he could tell right away that the rest had served its purpose. Her freckle-splattered cheeks had regained some of their rosy color, and her jade eyes sparkled with a curiosity that exhaustion had dulled when she first arrived.

"You're looking much better," he exclaimed, smiling warmly as Rayleigh settled into the seat opposite him. Then, his smile faltering as he realized how poorly he had phrased his greeting, he hastily added "let's get down to business, shall we?"

[Cards of Fate]

The tall, bronze, Hierophant appeared seemingly out of nowhere carrying several rolls of paper and books. The scholar grinned as his assistant set them down on the table before the two before vanishing once more.

“Where did he?” Ray paused. “Do you do the questions thing like Leona?” Vincent laughed and ran a free hand through his long hair, pushing it out of his face.

“No, I hate that rule actually.” The scholar replied as he grabbed a scroll with his free hand and brought his other hand back to the table to smooth out the rolled out piece of parchment. On it was an incredibly detailed map of what Rayleigh assumed to be the island they were sitting on.

“This,” Vincent exclaimed with a grin, “Is the island of Vostr.” Whilst holding one hand on the paper the scholar reached into his pocket and produced several small stones to set on each corner of the map. “Every time I've read of this island in ancient texts, it’s referred to as the island of the immortals.”

“The island of immortals?” Rayleigh asked leaning forward. This very conversation reminded her of the first time she encountered the scholar. Buried in books with maps scattered about. “Why is it called that?”

“Because as far as my excavations and explorations have shown this island is devoid of burial grounds. Not a crypt or corpse to be seen anywhere. Hell there aren’t even animal bones on this island save the livestock we’ve slaughtered.” The scholar replied. His hand danced over the lines of the map as his sapphire eyes scanned for what he was looking for. After a moment and snapped his fingers and pointed to a symbol on the center of the island.

“This,” he muttered excitedly, “Is a very peculiar symbol. All of my studies seem to point to it meaning ‘Paradise’ or ‘the afterlife.”

“Ok so why haven’t you explored there yet?” the mechanic inquired as she followed his finger.

“Because it’s locked with…can you guess what I’m going to say?”

“It’s got a machine blocking your path.” Ray responded sinking into her chair slightly. “You need me to use my vision powers to open it don’t you?”

The scholar nodded as he folded his arms over her chest. “Yes, yes we do. However you’re more than just a key to the gate Ray. Once inside who knows what sort of ancient machines we’ll find for you to study.”

Ray perked up slightly as he mentioned machinery. “What makes you think there will be anything of value inside of it?” she asked cocking her head to the side.

“Because why would you go to all of the trouble to lock the damn thing up if you didn't have anything to protect?”

[Rayleigh]

"You have a point there," the brunette commented softly. With a soft creak from her wicker chair, Rayleigh settled back into it, folding her legs to her chest and resting her chin atop her knees. A small frown tugged at the corners of her coral lips, and it grew deeper the longer she remained lost in thought. Vincent, recognizing that his companion was still sorting through the information, respectfully gave her time to do so; the Hierophant did the same. Finally, in a voice barely above a whisper, she concluded, "I just don't know."

This was not the answer that the scholar had anticipated, nor was it the one he wanted to hear. His frown mirrored her's as he leaned closer to her. "What is there to 'not know,' Ray? I'm giving you a really unique opportunity here. We have the chance to investigate an entire island that has sat, virtually untouched, for ages." To add extra emphasis, he rapped his knuckles twice on the map before him. Every word he spoke grew more agitated, and he was struggling to contain his emotion by the end of his short speech. He had pulled a number of strings to get Rayleigh to the island. He had begged Leona to take her in, and he had sworn to take her under his wing. Even after he had stuck his neck out for her, she was willing to dismiss him with a simple 'I don't know?' "Honestly, I thought that this was what you wanted. I'm giving you knowledge. I'm giving you an adventure."

The mechanic did not miss a beat. "The last time you gave me an adventure, Vincent, I freed a devil."

"That," the scholar exclaimed, his pale face growing a warm red, "was not my fault."

Tense silence descended upon the small party. Vince's blue eyes bore into Ray's jade ones, and neither gaze wavered for an impossibly long time. Finally, she looked down a her hands; with a soft hiss, he exhaled the breath he had been holding. "Regardless," the mousy woman murmured, "it messed me up pretty bad."

"Well, what if told you that wouldn't happen again?" The small cloud of frustration hovering over the intellectual had not yet dispersed, and he delivered his question with more force than intended. It jerked Rayleigh's gaze back to him, and within those eyes danced a fear more severe than he had dreamed. The sight made him run an uncertain hand through his hair. In a softer, gentler voice, he asked, "what if I made sure you stayed safe?"

Her skepticism was clear on her face and in her tone when she answered him. "How can you make a promise like that?"

Vincent briefly considered her question. Recognizing he did not have an adequate answer, he simply spoke his mind. "It scared you pretty badly, didn't it?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

Vincent sighed, dispelling the last of his anger with the rush of air. Rayleigh was a pain in his ass, but he could not deny that she witnessed something truly horrific. "I'll stay close to you, okay? And the minute things get hairy, we'll leave."

His offer lingered between them until the green-eyed girl finally nodded. "Plus," she added with the smallest trace of a crooked smile, "we've got Casper the Friendly Ghost to beat up anything we run into."

Vincent groaned inwardly, immediately regretting the pop-culture references he had shared with her during their initial meeting. He would have preferred to leave that comment be, but the Hierophant, who had remained silent throughout the entire exchange, donned a quizzical expression.

"I do not understand that reference," the enormous man confessed in a comically timid voice.

"Its not important," countered the blonde, waving his hand in dismissal.

[Cards of Fate]

The two managed their way through the town with renewed vigor, each finding a bit more strength in the others resolve. Rayleigh had managed to table her fear for now, and Vincent was having a better time of moving about on his injured knee. Once they reached the outskirts of the harbor burg the found themselves treading on a tentative road, recently reclaimed by the towering verdant grass on either side of them.

“This entire place is bizarre…” Vincent mused as the sauntered down the road. “Not so much as a mouse wandering about.”

“How the hell does that work” Rayleigh asked glancing around at the amber waves of grain.

“No idea.” Vincent quipped back. “This whole god damn island is a bunch of stupid ass questions.”

“That Leona woman would hate it here.” The mechanic muttered. “Too many questions.” Vincent nodded in agreement and the two went on in silence for the rest of the walk save a few passing remarks. Finally they reached the center of the island, a massive hill bearing a large tower upon it’s crest.

“This is where we get stuck…” Vincent muttered motioning his hand at the empty wall before them. “There isn’t a fucking door.” Ray approached the well tentatively and laid a bare hand upon it, feeling for any catches or signs of a means of entry. After a moment she backed away and sighed.

“I have no clue.” She confessed shaking her head. “It’s like there isn’t anything there, but all of these statues seem to signify something of importance for this road…” she mused.

“Could the statues be the answer?” Vincent asked as he turned his sapphire gaze to the ornate lizard statues. “Surely there’s an entrance somewhere around here?”

[Rayleigh]

Without hesitation, the scholar began to run his hands along the rough surface of the statue. Fingers found their way into every nook, feeling blindly for a switch or button. "There must be something hidden," he growled, reaching far underneath the lizard's stone stomach, his body contorting as far as his bum knee would allow. He held his breath as he stretched his arm, and when he straightened up again, he expelled the air in a hard sigh of frustration and pain. "Nothing." Vincent turned to Rayleigh to determine if she fared any better, but his face quickly twisted in concern.

"Ray," he began sharply, "what are you doing?" The girl stood a few paces off, arms crossed tightly across her chest, eyes betraying some of the uncertainty that the set determination on her face hid. When she did not answer, the blonde tried again. "Come on, stop messing around."

"I'm not messing around," Rayleigh replied flatly. With a shrug, she added, "I'm just not going to touch anything."

The exasperated groan that escaped Vincent's lips closely resembled that of a father growing tired of his teenage daughter's antics. "But you said-"

"I said I'd go with you. But I'm keeping my hands to myself."

"You're kidding me, right?" Vincent shook his head, his hands wandering along the lizard's back as he continued. "You honestly intend to go through this entire temple without touching anything? What about all of that 'you're the key to unlocking this mystery' stuff? You were all for it not too long ago."

"Yeah, well now I'm here, and I don't feel like risking it." The brunette frowned. "What if I have a vision?"

"Gods forbid," Vincent hissed, twisting himself over the statue's long neck, "you find a way to get us into thing, and save us both the trouble of groping these statues any further."

That was enough to leave the woman speechless. She studied her companion for a moment longer, watching him struggle to reach the far tip of the lizard's elongated tail. Then she sighed. Moving to the second of the stone guardians, she reached out a shaking hand, and rested it gently atop the lizard's head. She drew a long breath, closing her eyes, and preparing for... nothing.

"Anything?" Vincent called out hopefully, now wedged between the lizard's two front legs.

"No." There was no splitting pain between her eyes, no fog, and no hooded figures. There was no disembodied voice murmuring her name from some alternate dimension, and no ghosts of a time long before her birth. "No vision." Now her long, thin fingers roamed the lizard's head with renewed vigor, confident that, at that moment, it was just a simple stone structure. It was only seconds later that her thumb fell upon the long tongue, and with a loud click, it curled under the statue's chin.

The sound was enough to bring Vincent to her side, his pale cheeks flushed with exertion. "What was it?" He asked excitedly. Then, noticing the new position of the lizard's tongue, he shook his head. "Seriously? The one thing I didn't try."

A tense silence fell between them, each breathless with anticipation. Vincent gripped his cane until his knuckles grew white, the Hierophant drifted back and forth, and Rayleigh's hands clenched into fists at her side, three pairs of eyes watching the wall for some sign of life. A minute passed, and then another.

Vincent finally put voice to the thoughts that they all shared. "Maybe we hit the wrong sw-"

The ground beneath them began to tremble. Inadvertently, the group moved closer together, each pressing against the other for balance and safety. Before their eyes, the earth that met the stone wall began to sink. The booming melody of gears turning and metal creaking filled the air, each note accompanied by another movement on the ground. It took less than thirty seconds all together, but when the song died away, it left behind a narrow staircase that led deep below the wall.

[Cards of Fate]

Rayleigh turned to Vincent and scowled “Are we really going to go underground?” Her voice quivered slightly as her knees shook ever so slightly. A more discerning eye would sense her fear, Vince was too busy staring at the stairs before them.

“Holy shit.” He muttered. “THESE STAIRS MUST BE THE MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY IN ALL OF ALTHANAS!” his voice boomed through the island as he barreled down towards the opening. “I don’t even see any gears!”

“Okay, you can just completely ignore my objections and run straight into the…” she trailed off as she reached the top of the stairs and found the scholar nowhere to be found. “How the fuck…he shouldn’t be able to move that fast with his knee…”

Huffing slightly she descended the stairs, straining her eyes to make out any details of the hall before her. At the bottom she found a long dimly lit hallway with the scholar crouched at the other end. As she closed the gap between them, equal parts scared and furious at Vincent, she watched her partner retrieve an orb from his robes and suddenly the entire hallway burst into light.

Stunned, she paused for a moment and took in the view. On either side of them the walls were coated in ancient runes engraved in what appeared to be silver. Tentatively the mechanic reached out and traced a simple word on the wall, unsure of its language or meaning. A spark leaped from the wall to her finger and suddenly the walls began to shimmer slightly before igniting into a golden glow. The entire hallway took to life bathing the two in a gentle glow.

Rayleigh’s jaw dropped as she turned to glance at Vincent who wore a similar expression. “It’s…beautiful.” The two murmured before turning to look at eachother.

“This…” Vincent trailed off, “…is why I work for the Hierarchy.”

[Rayleigh]

"So you're telling me," the brunette began with a soft, crooked smile, "that not all of your adventures are dangerous? Some of them are actually quite pretty?"

Don't speak too soon. This one has only just started. Vincent bit back the retort that threatened to spill out, choosing instead to go on fostering this new ease that Rayleigh was experiencing. The last thing he wanted to do was get her riled up again, and reminding her that they still had a ways to go would do just that. "That's exactly what I'm saying," he finally replied, a broad grin masking the lingering doubt. How could he possibly shatter the trance the young explorer found herself in, the shimmering light cast by the runes dancing like wildfire in her wide, emerald eyes?

"Let's get going then," Ray called over her shoulder, already moving away from her companion. A bit of light, and some reassurance, was all the fuel that the girl needed. He watched her go for a moment, praying to any god willing to listen that he was not dooming her yet again.

She waited until he fell into step beside her to ask her question. "Where do you think this leads anyway?"

Vincent drew a few deep breaths before answering, still winded from hobbling after her. "Your guess is as good as mine." He shook his head. "I didn't uncover any sort of literature on what was in the temple itself, just where it was located."

They walked in silence, and though their path was well lit, there was very little to see. The walls held no decorative markings, save for the runes that guided them, and there were no doors or passages veering from the main hallway. It was not long, however, before Rayleigh made an observation.

"I think we're walking up." She turned to Vincent. "Do you feel the slope? I didn't feel that before."

"I do, yeah. Maybe we're moving up into the actual temple now?" Suddenly, Vincent stopped. "Ray," he hissed urgently, reaching a hand out for her. "Stop. Did you hear that?"

She was a few paces ahead of him when she turned back. "Hear what?"

"That clicking sound."

They stood in silence, each holding their breath, listening intently.

"I didn't hear anything," Rayleigh admitted finally.

"Nor did I," came the Hierophant's echo.

"I swear, I-" Vincent's words were cut short by a mechanical sound, like the yawn of ancient gears coming to life. The tunnel began to tremble beneath their feet, sending both humans stumbling. Rayleigh's arm windmilled madly, trying to find something steady to latch onto, but it was Vincent's hand that finally found her own. With a hard yank, the man pulled her small body toward his, and with his other arm, he held her flush with the wall.

Mere inches from her face, a sphere made entirely of sleek granite barreled past. The force and speed with which it moved blew Ray's hair back from her face, and kicked up specks of dirt and rock that peppered her skin. Vincent did not release her until they heard an enormous crash from the way in which they had come.

The Hierophant materialized in the tunnel beside them. "It has destroyed the stairs to the surface," he reported solemnly. But for Vincent and Rayleigh, who did not have the luxury of being spirited away at the first sign of danger, it took slightly longer to recover.

"That was some Indiana Jones shit," Vincent coughed, reaching up to wipe the grime from his eyes.

The reference was lost on the girl. "What happened?"

"You tripped a tripwire. That's where the clicking noise came from."

"I didn't even feel it." A heavy silence fell between the threesome. Rayleigh was clearly struggling to come to terms with what had just transpired, and neither Vincent, nor his ghostly counterpart, wished to rush the process. Finally, she whispered, "you saved my life."

"All in a day's work," came the man's reply as he gave a sweeping bow, doing all he could to hide the way his own legs trembled.

Rayleigh shook her head. "Really," she insisted. "I owe you one."

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar shuddered slightly. The boulder hadn’t left much time for him to react, so he simply acted on instinct. Now Ms Ashton was in his arms, and he’d become a hero on sheer instinct. His legs began to tremble slightly as she spoke. He had promised that these ruins would be safe, yet they had already narrowly avoided disaster. He could feel her breath on his neck as she spoke, and suddenly the scholar was very aware of the lack of space between them/
“Don’t mention it.” Vincent replied flustered as he took a couple of quick steps away, leaning onto the wall. His gaze quickly darted ahead to check for more traps. He absently wandered forward as Rayleigh took a moment to catch her breath.

“You moved so fast…” she muttered in disbelief. Something other than fear began to cross her mind as she leaned against the wall. Her gaze dropped to the floor where she found a smashed and splintered cane at her feet. A hiss escaped her lips.

“Vincent!” She exclaimed as her eyes snapped back to her companion. “Your…cane…” she frowned slightly as she found the scholar standing five feet from her. “It’s…broken.” Vincent quickly turned back to his partner and gritted his teeth slightly. Perhaps it was time for the truth to come out.

“Ray…” Vincent replied trembling slightly. He had no idea how she would react to his deception. “I….recovered from that injury months ago. I just use it as a…cover. Something to make people feel less threatened about me.” Rayleigh paused for a moment, stunned by his revelation, but also still recovering from near brush with death.

“What…?” She asked cocking her head to one side. Her eyes traveled from the smashed cane to her companion once more before taking a deep breath. “Normally I’d be angry you lied to me…” she exhaled and closed her eyes. “…but seeing as I now owe you my life I think we can let this little breach of trust slide…”

“Plus….” The scholar began, “Now we can move through here at a decent pace.” The two paused for an uncomfortably long time before they began once more.

“So…”Rayleigh began as she glanced nervously at the hall before them, scanning for traps with every step. “What do you think we’re going to find here?” Vincent chewed his lip for a moment before speaking.

“No idea.”

[Rayleigh]

Though his answer left her entirely unsatisfied, she allowed silence to fall between them once more rather than pushing him further. Truthfully, she was just as unsure of what it was that they were walking into; to criticize Vincent for his uncertainty would be both unfair and hypocritical.

So they walked without speaking, each focused on nothing else but the sprawling tunnel that lay before them. Without his cane, the scholar was able to cover quite a bit more ground than before. It was the sensation of Vincent keeping pace at her side that finally spurred her into conversation.

"You know," she began slowly, "you didn't have to use your cane with me."

"Hmm?" His response, though simple, was far from distracted or disinterested. Instead, Vince meant to prompt her into explaining herself further, as her words surprised him. When the brunette turned to face him, he was already staring back expectantly.

"I'm just saying that you don't have any reason to fake an injury like that. I don't think you have a threatening bone in your body, even when you're in perfect health."

"Thanks a lot," Vincent replied glumly, dropping his gaze back to the pebble-littered ground. Their footsteps, impossibly loud in the small space, were the only sound until Rayleigh spoke again.

"I'm kidding." Biting at her thumb nail, a dirty nervous habit that she struggled to kick, she searched for the words. "Look. I just can't think of a reason why you would need to lie to me about it. And I guess it isn't even the fact that you lied that bugs me. I just can't figure out why. I feel like we've always been pretty real with each other. You don't have to prove anything to me, okay?" Faltering again, she simply finished with, "so just don't do it again."

Vincent, mixed parts satisfied with getting off the hook and surprised by her sudden declaration, merely nodded.

While the pair had been locked in conversation, they had hardly noticed the narrow tunnel beginning to widen. As a result, they were both startled to find themselves at the entrance to an enormous cavern. The jagged, stone ceiling towered one hundred feet above where they stood, and they could hardly make out the opposite end of the space. A blue haze filled the entire area, and as Rayleigh looked closer, she realized that it was hundreds of cyan crystals that provided the light. Veins of color crawled up the walls, protruded from the ground, and dangled from high above them.

But it was not the crystals that held Ray's attention. As she took her first hesitant steps into the cave, she gave a sharp squeal of delighted surprise. Scattered about the crystals, various different pieces of technology rest in undisturbed slumber. They all appeared to be digging tools of some sort, with sharp metal pieces and a variety of knobs and levers. Though she kept her hands pressed to her chest, cautious not to touch anything, the mechanic immediately scooted to the nearest piece to begin a more thorough investigation.

[Cards of Fate]

Vincent paused for a moment and let the mechanic have her fun. Her eyes lit with glee with every new piece of machinery she seemed to discover, musing aloud their purpose each time. The scholar noted how tightly she clutched her hands to her chest, how she must long to delve elbow deep into the gears of each new discovery to understand how they work.
"Your ability is incredibly draining isn't it?" Vincent's words hung heavily in the silence. "So much so that you're afraid of it." The mechanic paused and turned her gaze to him silently, the traces of a scowl forming on her face. "I know the feeling..." the scholar met her gaze.
"How could you poss-" her words were cut off by a shower of blue sparks as the scholar vanished and reappeared next to her, crossing a ten foot gap in a mere instant with a light crack. His eyes shimmered bright teal for a second as he let out a light sigh. The two sat for what felt like forever, each silently contemplating what had just happened. Finally Rayleigh broke the silence. "...How?" The scholar grinned for a moment before answering.

"I was messing with this gear..." he said fishing out the relic that had brought them to this excavation. "Trying to recharge it manually with energy from the Tap. I thought I'd succeeded and attempted to use it to create a machine that could teleport me throughout the land instantly, a boon for the type of work I do. It...backfired though." The scholar shuddered. "When I tried to start up the machine it exploded, releasing incredible amounts of magic energy into the room..." he paused once more, struggling to find the words.
"I could have died, instead I found myself lying uninjured in a ruined lab, scorch marks all around me. I seemed to have absorbed all of that energy, and with it I can teleport some distances. At first it was on accident, and it felt like my entire body was on fire whenever I did it. But I needed to figure out a way to master it, so I did. I got up every morning before anyone else was contemplating being awake and I practiced and practiced..." his voice trailed off. "I faced my fear and my pain to make myself stronger."

He returned the gear into his jacket, but when he withdrew his hand he bore a set of leather gloves. "I thought of you when I found these. They're originally used by Salvarian witch hunters to nullify magic, but I figured that maybe it would help keep you from triggering your visions unless you were ready." The mechanic eyed the pure white gloves with awe.

"These must have cost a fortune..." she muttered taking and sliding her hands inside to feel the soft fur lining.

"Hardly a hit in my budget at all." the scholar replied. "But lets see if they work eh? Maybe we can figure out how to recreate these machines!|

[Rayleigh]

"Sure," she answered, though her mind was miles away. The woman studied Vincent's gift for a moment, a heavy silence filling the cavern. She felt his gaze boring into her, but she waited to collect her thoughts before turning to him. When she did, her brow was knitted in concern.

Immediately, her companion misinterpreted her expression. "You don't like the gloves," he muttered, shaking his head. He had not even bothered to relay his comment in question form, simply assuming the worst, as if he had feared it all along. "It was stupid, but I saw them, and I thought of you, but-"

"Vincent." She interrupted him with a sharp word and her now-gloved hand, extended, palm-forward. "I like the gloves."

His face melted in relief, but only before confusion hardened it once more. "Then what's wrong?"

"I..." Rayleigh's voice trailed, and she held her breath for a few seconds. Then, she expelled it in a small sigh. "I don't know. It's just a lot. A lot to take in."

The blonde's head tilted. "What do you mean?" he asked slowly, narrowing his gaze as if it would reveal answers to her cryptic comments.

"What happened to you," she answered. "With your gear." Her jaw worked as she turned away from him, gazing first at the shimmering crystals, and then at the digging equipment that wait in still silence. "And what happened to me." There was no need to say more, as she had already confided in Vincent what had happened the last time she had ventured underground. When simply touching a wire had brought her visions of a fiery hell, and flipping a switch had freed the demon trapped there. "I don't understand it."

"Oh." Vince looked to his shoes, which scuffled uncomfortably against the stone-littered floor. She was really opening up to him, a gesture that he knew demanded the utmost care and compassion. Yet he found himself wondering exactly how that was to be accomplished. How could he comfort her? "Hey," he began slowly, reaching an awkward, hesitant hand toward her shoulder. "It's okay, Ray. It's just magic."

That, he realized immediately, had been the wrong thing to say. He jerked his hand back, as if burned by the fire that suddenly flared within the brunette's eyes. "Just magic?" she croaked, the small woman's voice filling the very large space. "Just magic?" Shellshocked, the scholar's mouth opened and closed helplessly. However, as he was unable to put voice to his mounting confusion, Rayleigh continued. "How can you just be so relaxed about it all? How can you stand there, and say that it is just magic? Magic is a terrible, awful thing."

"No it isn't," her partner finally managed. "Magic is incredible."

"Incredibly dangerous," she snapped back. "My father hated magic, and now I can see why." As the initial anger began to wane, the mechanic pressed two fingers to her temple. "Do you know why I work with machines?" He shook his head, and she replied, "because they're simple. They make sense. If something isn't working, I can fix it. Everything has a fix, and everything has an answer. There are no exceptions. But magic? Magic isn't like machines. Magic doesn't follow any law. Magic hurts people. And now I've seen magic corrupt technology twice now. I don't like that, Vince."

[Cards of Fate]

Silence filled the air for a moment. The young mechanics eyes glared at the scholar as he took a couple steps back. Her outburst shocked him, her confession equal to his in faking a handicap. The two stood there with their hearts exposed for a moment. Their eyes met, and for what felt like in eternity Vincent debated retreating. This was too much for him, too many unknown variables, no way for him to know how she would react. He brushed his hair out of his face and huffed.

“You have a fair point.” his hands dropped to his side in defeat, “But that’s why we’re here.” he chewed his lip nervously as he began to chose his next words carefully. “People have been abusing magic for ages, and we need to put it to a stop. These very machines could be weapons of mass destruction, but we need to find out.”

“We?” Ray asked bewildered. “What do I have to do with any of this? We only met once by complete chance Vince! Now you’re talking like-”

“Like our fates are intertwined?” Vince interrupted. “Rayleigh...I work for the GODDESS of FATE. Nothing in my life will ever be just a coincidence.” The two stared at each other for a moment. “When we first met...you told me you wanted to have an adventure. I messed up in the past, but if we work together we can make that happen.”

“Vince, stop writing off that mission! Messed up is buying the wrong type of gears for a machine! Sending someone to a deathtap is-” Rayleigh scowled.

“Unforgivable I know…” Vince frowned. “I had no way of knowing what sort of danger I was sending you into!” he clenched his fists, his face scrunched up. “I’m sorry, I’m trying to do everything I can to make this right!” The scholar huffed and turned around walking away. He needed space to think, this was too much for him all at one time. He was barely paying attention to the wire strung haphazardly between two obscure pylons.

His boot caught the nearly invisible wire and sent him tumbling to the ground. Suddenly a klaxon began to blare, filling the ancient ruins with sirens.

“Shit!” Vincent spat scrambling to his feet. “We gotta go!”

[Rayleigh]

The words she meant to say immediately died on her lips. Besides, even if she had said them, they would have been drowned out by the sirens that shrieked around them. Her first instinct was to turn back the way that they had come, but the moment she lunged for the entrance, Vincent's hand found her wrist and yanked her backward. "Can't go that way," he shouted over the alarm. "Entrance closed. Remember?" Her stomach churned as she realized that he was right. The massive door had closed behind them, and no smaller tunnels had branched off of the main route. They were between a rock and a hard place, in a more literal way than Rayleigh would care to admit.

His grip tightened. "Smell that?" And after pausing long enough to inhale deeply, she did.

"Smoke?" she mouthed, and Vincent nodded. Together, the pair turned to find an entire portion of the cavern now alive with vibrant oranges, yellows, and reds. The flames licked at the base of the wall, where the light illuminated a slick, damp texture that she had missed before. Horrified, she began to put the pieces together in her mind. The cavern walls appeared to be lathered in some sort of accelerant, and the trip wire had set it ablaze. It was another booby trap, that much was certain. But this time, their luck may have run out.

They had to move. Either the flames would seal their fate, or the smoke would do it, but they were doomed if they remained in one place. Already, she could feel the air growing thicker with smoke and heat; a small gasp of fear escaped her as she hurried to fill her lungs with the last of the untainted oxygen.

The thought drew her gaze to the ceiling. Rather than collecting and hovering directly above them, Ray noticed that the smoke appeared to be moving toward one of the unexplored parts of the cavern. With the hand that Vince held onto, the brunette pointed. “An opening,” she cried out. If the smoke was moving, that was a good indicator that an emergency exit had been installed, and there was still hope for the Tarot pair to reach the surface.

Together, they stumbled toward the opposite side of the cave, struggling to dodge the digging equipment and crystal clusters that cluttered their escape route. Twice, the pair nearly toppled, but pure adrenaline, and their partner's tight hold, kept them on their feet. When they finally reached their destination, they were met by a welcome sight. A very rudimentary elevator lay in wait, and though it was merely a series of chains, gears, a six by six foot platform, and an old gasoline-powered engine, Rayleigh thought that it was the most beautiful thing that she had ever seen.

"Get in," she commanded over the sirens that continued to screech in the cavern and in her head. "I'll turn it on."

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar was surprised by the presence of an elevator, but more surprised when he found Rayleigh clutching the control panel with her bare hands. Her green eyes rolled back and breifly she flashed back in time, her eyelids fluttering. After a moment she snapped back to reality, forcing the bile that was rising in her throat back down. She quickly began to let her fingers dance over the ancient machinery, urging it to life. The lift stirred for a moment and slowly began to rise.

The mechanic stumbled, her balance lost from her dive into the past. Vincent’s eyes widened. “RAY!” he roared. The platform began to rise, Rayleigh fell to her knees sputtering and coughing. Vincent closed his eyes and blinked into a flash of light, appearing behind his companion and scooped her up. He growled and stormed forward, tossing the limp psychic onto the platform and grabbing hold of it with both hands just as it was about to leave his reach.

Grunting, he hauled himself onto the platform and coughed wickedly. Smoke was chasing them up the lift, as they went from the open chamber of the excavation site to a closed elevator shaft. Soon smoke was trailing up at their feet and Vince lifted the no unconscious mechanic into his arms.

In his haste two things didn’t occur to Vincent. Firstly, the Hierophant was nowhere to be found. Secondly, Rayleigh was not breathing. Finally the lift approached a large hatch that slid open as the approached. Bright light greeted the scholar’s stinging eyes, and as they entered the clear air he couldn’t help but laugh. They were a mile at most from the camp, on an ancient mosaic he had spent the last three weeks studying and tracing. He took several steps forward and set the mechanic down, taking a deep breath of fresh air.

It was at this moments Vincent noticed that his companion’s chest was not rising.

“SHIT.” The word shot out his lips as he immediately set the mechanic down and began to panic. His hands immediately danced to her neck to check for a pulse.

Nothing.

The scatterbrained scholar took a deep breath and forced all panic to leave his body. He had been a boyscout back on earth, and CPR certified. He propped the mechanics chin up and made sure her airway was clear before pinching her nose clear and took a deep breath.

“This is not how I wanted my first kiss to go…” he mused as he pressed his lips to hers and began to blow. He watched her chest rise and fall. He backed up, took another breath, and then administered another rescue breath. Afterwords he paused, checked for her pulse and breath, and then began to administer chest compressions.

“Come on...COME ON! You can’t die yet! There’s too much of the world left for you to see…”

[Rayleigh]

"Vincent."

But the scholar, consumed entirely by the care he was giving to Rayleigh, did not hear the voice behind him. Twice more, the Hierophant called out. It was not until Vince felt a heaviness on his shoulder that he finally paused. Slowly, he twisted to face the ghost, whose return gaze was laced with pity.

"Stop, Vincent," the Hierophant continued. Though he could not take physical form, years of experience had allowed him to channel the energy he possessed. This time, he recreated the comforting gesture of a hand on Vincent's shoulder, which tightened as he spoke again. "She's gone."

The strangled response came through clenched teeth. "She can't be."

"I'm sorry."

Vincent sat back. His face, tanned by the hours in the island's hot sun, was nearly as white as the spectre's beside him. "How?" He mouthed. "How?"

Smoke continued to spill from hole in the earth that the Tarot members had just emerged from. Siren's continued to cry out. But Vincent hardly noticed. Rayleigh's emerald eyes, once filled with eagerness and excitement, were wide and unseeing. The sight churned his stomach.

How did this happen? Only moments ago, they had been locked in one of the petty arguments that had been so common in their friendship. She had been so full of emotion then. She had always been that way, for as long as he had known her. But now... This was not Vince's first encounter with death, but it had never felt like this before. "How can I fix this?"

"You can't." The Hierophant eased himself to the ground beside the trembling human. "Listen to me, Vincent. Continue administering the chest compressions once I'm gone."

This was enough to stir a reaction from the man. Blinking back the tears that burned at the back of his eyes, he stammered, "where are you going?"

There was no response. Instead, the spirit rested a single hand, palm-down, on Rayleigh's motionless chest. As Vincent's watched, the Hierophant began to grow even more transparent. In only a matter of seconds, he was gone entirely.

Now Vincent was nearly hysterical. "No," he muttered, shaking his head. "No, please, wait." His own breathing was sporadic as he continued to press on Rayleigh's chest, each thrust pulling a choked sob from him.

He did not see the way that her eyes clouded over before the life returned to them. And he did not stop the compressions until he felt her sitting up. Her arms snaked around his neck, pulling her closer. Her voice was soft with exhaustion and strained by the smoke, but he understood every word when she whispered, "I'm okay."

[Philomel]

Thread Name: The Wheel of Fate Turns (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?28667-The-Wheel-of-Fate-Turns-Tarot-Hierarchy-Closed-to-Ray&p=259359#post259359)
No Judgement

Rewards:

Cards of Fate receives:
(http://www.althanas.com/world/member.php?17720-Cards-of-Fate)
1175 EXP
130 GP

Rayleigh receives: (http://www.althanas.com/world/member.php?17734-Rayleigh)
1025 EXP
110 GP

[Lye]

EXP & GP Added.