bermuda triangle ♔ hopelessly weighed down by your eyes of steel

[cigam]

WHO || David, Charming, Emma, Gold, Hook, Francesca, Risa, Zatanna Zatara, Giovanni Zatara [closed]
WHAT || Following the compass to find Zatanna's mother
WHERE || The Devil's Triangle
WHEN || April 23rd [backdated]
HOW || Actionspam

It's been a long journey at sea, as the Knights, Zatanna, and her father followed the enchanted compass' guidance from Europe, across the Atlantic Ocean. Risa stands on the bow of the boat, a shawl wrapped around herself as she stares out into the gathering gloom, frowning.

"The Devil's Triangle," she announces, out of nowhere. "That's our destination, isn't it."

Comments

[unhand]

I suppose the only question is: is it worth it?

[Cause Hook's certainly not invested enough to spill his own blood. Not that he's one of those magi people anyway.]

[cigam]

[ zatanna's expression seems to steel itself as she steps closer to the doors again. ] It's worth anything. [ zatara looks a little uncomfortable with his daughter's statement, but doesn't protest as she pulls up her sleeve and holds her forearm up. ] Deelb. [ a small cut appears abruptly on her skin, opening just enough for a few drops of blood to seep out. she reaches out and wipes it on the stones in front of them - and the entire door begins to glow with a pulsing red.

zatara slides forward, placing a hand on her shoulder to draw her back as a low rumbling sound issues from within the doors. there's the sound of mechanical unlocking, and then slowly, slowly, the doors split open.

what lies before them looks like something out of a surrealist painting. there's a broad street that cuts through a glorious city, all blues and green, with sharp architecture that rises up in wave-like curves to a point. Some of the buildings gleam, darkly iridescent, a thousand hues at once. but not a soul walks the streets of the metropolis. it looks, for all intents and purposes, like some kind of ghost town.

zatanna pulls away from her father, taking a few dazed steps inside. she whispers mournfully: ] Mother...

[generaldavideus]

[David watches carefully as he follows her inside, his fingers itching for his sword again. His spidey sense is in overdrive (wisdom: nat. 20). Something is very, very wrong and he's also getting the sense that maybe they aren't as alone as they think.]

Zatanna, wait.

[his hand reaches out for her arm to pull her back.]

Something's wrong.

[beyond the obvious, anyway. And he's definitely reaching for his sword, drawing it out of his sheath.]

[cigam]

[ she cuts him a scathing look ] Of course there is. My mother's in there and she needs help.

[generaldavideus]

No, something more than that.

[he takes a few steps closer and drops his voice.]

Someone is watching us.

[undealt]

[Gold takes this opportunity to start a detect magic spell, focusing on the area around them. (con 12)]

[layonhands]

[ the response is overwhelming: they are literally surrounded by magical auras, as if the city were entirely built out of various spells woven together. powerful spells, at that. risa reaches up a hand to the little sun symbol hanging around her neck and twists it nervously in her fingers ] There's nothing... evil here, unless it's well masked.

[uncurse]

They've got enough power for a barrier like that and to be spying on us, I'd say masking it well ranks easier than that.

[ says the woman who knows next to zero much about magic. ]

[amazingzatara]

They very well may be the most powerful magic users to walk this earth. I would put nothing past them. But there is no way to avoid their gaze, at this juncture. If we insist on trespassing, we simply don't have the magic to counteract them.

[undealt]

Then I suppose we should just mind our manners and hope for the best. For now. [He turns to Zantana.] Which way, dear?

[cigam]

It's this way. [ with no further hesitation, zatanna follows the compass straight down the main thoroughfare, and zatara moves to follow close behind, removing his gloves to stuff in his pocket as he warily watches to either side. she makes a beeline towards what looks like a raised dais in the city center. ]

[unhand]

[Hook hesitates for a moment. Just a moment, but he still can't deny that he does not fancy the idea of going into a place so clearly crawling with magic. But he also doesn't let that stop him for long. He follows the two magicians in, looking wary.]

[generaldavideus]

[David is right there with him, moving forward with his sword still in hand. This was such a bad fucking idea, but that may just be his magic bias showing.]

[uncurse]

[ yeah emma's trying not to be too worried about that because luckily she has OTHER THINGS to counteract them. she pulls the gun from her belt and secures both hands on it, finger off the trigger as they enter, moving cautiously and glancing around (spot 26). ]

[uncease]

[Charming joins the armed and dangerous crew with his longsword out and gripped firmly in his hand. He stays near Emma by instinct but is too distracted by the overwhelming urge to keep her safe to really notice anything... anywhere (spot 3)]

[cigam]

[ it's emma who notices something off, even as zatanna reaches the steps and climbs up them. the more she stares at the buildings to either side of them, it more it seems difficult to pinpoint what she's looking at - sort of like trying to look at a star that shows up more clearly in ones peripheral vision. ]

[undealt]

[Gold stays with Zatanna and Zatara, preferring to stay close to the other two magicians, though when Zantanna makes that beeline, he continues at a door leisurely pace, which permits him to get a better look around and catch what Emma sees... Or doesn't see. (spot 22)

He falls back a pace to match his steps with Emma's, lowering his voice.] Did you notice that as well?

[uncurse]

What do you think? Is now a good time to say "I've got a bad feeling about this"?

[ emma's eyes stay up on the buildings as she answers gold through a tight jaw. something weird is going on here, and she can't say if it's just a high concentration of magic or something similar in the area, or if they're already being screwed with. ]

[uncease]

[Charming turns to the both of them, but directs his question to Emma.]

Notice what? [Emma please fill in your clueless father.]

[unhand]

[Hook's spot check of 5 means he's hanging out with Charming in camp oblivious.]

Notice something, Swan?

[He doesn't really care about Gold noticing it too.]

[uncurse]

The buildings. It's like they're ... out of focus, or something.

[uncease]

[Well now that she points it out...

Yeah he is not okay with any of this. He turns a sharper glance to Gold.]

I thought you were some sort of magic expert?

[undealt]

And it's my expert opinion that the buildings are out of focus. [Deadpan.] It's likely an illusion of some kind.

[cigam]

[ The malignant cackling sound that cracks the air following gold's comment seems to resound all around them, bouncing off the towers and nearly deafening them.

"Very astute, indeed," booms the voice, dripping sarcasm. "I see we truly have a powerful sorcerer in our midst. To speak truly, I expected you to keep better company, Zatara."

It's hard to say which of the magicians are being addressed, but both of them turn to look at the center of the dais, as all around them, giant iron walls shoot up, trapping them all within the square where it rests.

On the platform, a green flame appears, and then blazes, fading away to reveal the form of an incredibly tall man in green and gold robes, sporting a heavy golden chain at his throat, and a small golden headpiece in his black hair. His pointed beard makes him look like a sinister villain out of a cartoon - and it probably doesn't help that appearance when he steeples his fingers and says: "Zatanna Zatara, at last. There's someone here we're dying for you to meet."

With a snap, another burst of flame comes and goes - and in its wake is a lovely blonde woman, supported on either side by a hooded guard, each carrying one side of her chains. While her coloring is quite different from Zatanna's, a 16+ spot check can easily recognize that they have the same eyes. The woman is dressed in a long blue gown, an ornate silver crown on her head and a red cape hanging from her shoulders. However, there's nothing noble in her bearing: her shoulders are slumped, her head bowed, her eyes all but dead as they stare sorrowfully out at the gathered group. Her wrists are manacled together, and no less than three separate chains bind her arms - another set locking her ankles together.

"I don't suppose introductions are even necessary," sneers the sorcerer, as John stares open-mouthed and Zatanna moves forward, anger clouding her face. ] Mother! [ it's her father who reaches out to grab her arm and snatch her back from doing anything too hasty ] What have you done to her?!

[generaldavideus]

[David doesn't bother looking for her eyes - he trusts that Zatanna can identify her own mother but that doesn't mean he trusts that this isn't some kind of an illusion. Magic can make you believe anything it wants you to, given the right incentive, so he simply tightens his grip on his sword before moving a step closer to the Zataras.]

Is this the part where we get the unabridged version of the evil plan? Or are you going to just cackle us to death?