IA: A Teacher for Laynie

[Rystil Arden]

"Okey dokey! Are we almost there yet?"

 

[Bront]

"I think so, shouldn't be too much farther." Vanitri says, as he looks around the area a bit.

 

[Rystil Arden]

*The area around them looks much like the rest of the ruins, although there seem to be fewer stones missing the farther they get from the New City. After a brief rest they continue onward, Laynie skipping a bit with her new energy after the rest, tossing her ball around.*

*As they continue, they reach a portion of the ruins that is reasonably well-preserved, missing very few stones and subject to little of the decay evidenced in the surrounding area. Every so often, soft ethereal sounds seem to echo eldritch whispers from amidst the buildings. Distracted by one of the sounds, Laynie glances over her shoulder and misses a catch on her ball, which bounces along the cobblestones and rolls into one of the buildings to the side of the street.*

"My ball!" Laynie cries out, heading into the shadows of the building in chase.

 

[Bront]

"Laynie!" Vanitri says, running after the little girl.

 

[Rystil Arden]

*Vanitri follows Laynie into the darkened building, where she is chasing her rolling ball down a corridor. It bounces off a wall and down a stone spiral staircase, with Laynie close behind, but she has to take the stairs slowly because of her short legs, so the ball tumbles just out of sight into the darkness. As the stairway turns, the light from the entrance is slowly occluded.*

"Mr. Vanitri, do you have some light?"

 

[Bront]

Vanitri pulls out a hooded lantern and lights it. "Here, take my hand, and don't go running off. It could be dangerous down there."

Vanitri leads Laynie down the stairs slowly, looking for the ball.

 

[Rystil Arden]

*Vanitri and Laynie head down the stairs slowly, the light of the lantern illuminating just ahead. Eventually, they reach a large chamber in the basement which holds empty shelves and bookcases, with a few empty candleholders around the room, and a small statuette shaped like a serpent or dragon carved into the back wall. The extra floorspace implies that it may have once held more, but if so, it has been looted since then. With no exit, the ball must be in here somewhere.*

 

[Bront]

"Well, let's get looking." Vanitri says, as he starts to meticiously search the place.

 

[Rystil Arden]

*Vanitri and Laynie search through the room, enshrouded in the glimmering light of the hooded lantern. Vanitri looks around the perimeter, passing by an empty candelholder and the serpent statuette, and continuing on. Laynie looks in the middle first and then gets bored and searches the sides too. As Vanitri spots the ball leaning against an overturned shelf in the middle of the room, Laynie cries out in surprise:*

"Hey, look!"

*She's standing just in front of the serpent statue, and its eyes are glowing faintly. Ever so slowly, the back panel of the wall revolves around, revealing a secret corridor that is clear of cobwebs, extending onward into the darkness.*

 

[Bront]

"Interesting... Follow me, and stay close ok?" Vanitri says, as he steps forward carefully beyond the door, looking around for anything dangerous.