Fate and Freedom XV: The Lake of Eternity

After the blue Akumagoka had set down in one of the landing zones on the edges of the city (Akumagokas seemed to be the only mode of transport, seeing the city was slap bang in the middle of a small ocean).After the hunters had introduced themselves to Tamari, the party moved onward. Barely acknowledgeing the multitudes of citizens around them, the enite crowd rushed forward down a straight wide path, houses and shops and such on either side, all of which were greyish (they were made of stone) and decorated with both dark and light blue banner in most cases, hurrying to get to what Tamari said was the Citadel. At last the forest of buildings ended and a wide, circular town square came into view, a wide, temple-like structure in the middle, up some wide stairs. It was covered in ivory and nacre, giving it a beautiful sheen and polish. it looked so old, and yet not a single part of it seemed to have been affected by the ravages of time, and not a part of it's skin was tarnished. It was tall wide, and a pair of statues that were carved in the shape of what the group assumed to be Tsunamikawa, the water Wyrm, had been placed either side of the entrance. It was utterly amazing to behold.

The mass of hunters rushed up the stairs, eager to get Gale, Tsubaki and Mizu seen to. They barged in through the wide gates, walking as briskly as they could (running was not allowed inside the Citadel). The hall was liined with more, smaller vdersions of the Tsunamikawa statues ourside, this time. The statues perched majestically, water sprouting from their mouths and into ornate basins below.

"We use water not just as our drink and fertilizer; we also utilize it for decorum, pretty much everywhere in the city. It is, after all, the most abundant of the materials we possess," Tamari huffed; talking while running (they might as well ahve benn running, at the pace they were "walking") was a difficult task, even for the fit. As soon as they reached the next mahogany door, the eothe side of which were to narrower halls that lead to the Justice sector and the Horticulturesector of the Citadel, according to Tamari's rather rushed, verbal guide, Tamari burst it open and ran to the edge of the jagged, undecorated stone ground before them.

The "room" was more like a cave. it was large and circular, and the groaund past the ivory stairs was bare and undecorated. There were several guards all dressed in Lagiacrus armour and weilding heavy, yet nimble-looking spears, which they held upright in coordination with thaier stiff, dutiful poses, like guards should be, not even moving to observe the new occupants of the room (Tamari seemed to be in charge around here anyway). Where the bare stone floor stopped, there was a large lake, lit by ethereal phosphoresence, the sky blue patches of water slithering around like eels. But the hunters knew that there were no eels here. This was the lake itself was luminous.

This was the fabled Lake of Eternity.

Altair, Gigas, Skylar, Mizu, Makoto, Shinji, Jinsoku, Gale, Rakurai, Arashi, Helyna and Nina gathered around the edeg of the lake. Every one knelt down, but Nina remained standing, preferring not to dirty her clothes.

"Alright. Lay them both down here," Tamari instructed. Mizu carefully laid his girlfriend down on the stone floor, and his sone did the same with Tsubaki.

"Okay. Nina has been here before and will no doubt teleport you to your quarters. Take your armour off and frshen up, and we will meet back here later tonight. The hour grows late, and I must perfrom the prayers before we initaine the healing," Tamari said, her voice melifluous and soothing to the troubled would-be rebels. In that same instant, Nina opened anothe white gateway. each stepped through, one by one, tired and eager to spend time with thier closest friends of the group. Mizu kissed Gale on the forhead before leaving her to the caring hands of Tamari.

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