FINAL INVESTIGATION

[strangerpeople]

FINAL INVESTIGATION

[It is time.

The chill which had come from the now-open, unnumbered room has now begun to seep into the rest of the Depths. It seems to call to the Titled, beckoning them to come forward and to face whatever is now beyond that door.

Fie and Rubedo were right - that room was, indeed, the exit to the Depths. And at the end of the staircase is a door, which the Skeleton Key can very easily open. A few seconds later, the door at the top of the stairs opens.

And the city within the cave below is revealed to them, as they stand on a platform high above the ground.



The ruin still looks as new as it did the day it was built. The air here is cold mountain air, though the only light seems to come from one massive building carved into the very rock of the cave. There is nothing coming from the mouth of the cave save for snow.

On the door they just came through is a single parchment of paper which reads "LEINALZIND OUTER DISTRICT." Each building, they will find, is labelled similarly. Which means there is only one conclusion.

Welcome to the city of Leinalzind, Titled. And good luck, teams.

You will need it.]

Comments

[strangerpeople]

...hello?

[Well now, wasn't expecting to hear that, right?]

[socialhacktivist]

[Someone's in there!]

H-hello... um...

[It's fine, Futaba. Just like talking to anyone else...]

Sorry if I... disturbed you. Do... you live here?

[strangerpeople]

[Except they're in a coffin. No big deal.]

Live...here? No, I was...taken.

[The voice is feminine at least but she sounds bad.]

[socialhacktivist]

Taken? Like... kidnapped?

[Bad as in hurt or bad as in 'she should be afraid she's going to get shanked'? It's an important distinction.]

[strangerpeople]

[Well, if she will take notice of the coffin, it's showing that blood is being drained from it. So define 'bad hurt'.]

Yes.

[socialhacktivist]

[Oh god. Well that's--]

Can you get out of there?

[If not it looks like she might have to break this thing down.]

[strangerpeople]

I...no. There...there should be a latch to get me out...

[lightnen]

I think I could help you guys out with getting her out.

[ Guess who was done his area and came to see how the others were doing. Not that he ever expected something like this, his hands folded behind his head rather casually. ]

[strangerpeople]

...Look, whoever wants to get me out, just...please do it before I lose consciousness?

[lightnen]

On it.

[ He's going to find the latch and flip it in the hopes that it would be enough to open the coffin and get the girl out from inside there. ]

[strangerpeople]

[And out she goes!

Quick catch her before she falls flat on her face, please.]

[socialhacktivist]

[Futaba reaches out to catch her quick and support her.]

Gotcha!

[strangerpeople]

Thanks...

[She sounds weak, but she is grateful, by her tone.]

Look, once we're in the clear, I'm going to need some blood, if no one minds, but right now, let's...let's get out of here...before anything bad happens.

[lightnen]

[ Killua gives Futaba a look before turning his gaze time the girl shortly. ]

Sounds like a good idea. If you need any... as long as you aren't gonna take a lot then I probably could offer myself up?

[socialhacktivist]

Uh... Sure. Don't worry about it. You can have mine.

[She has to help somehow and pull her weight. But first...]

Here-- Hold my arm.

[Let's go somewhere safer.]

[strangerpeople]

Thank you. Both of you. I won't take much, I've just been drained for...I don't how long.

[Yes let's. Though she does look confused as they start to leave.]

Did...is my spouse nearby?

[socialhacktivist]

I didn't see anyone else here anyway... What's their name?

[strangerpeople]

You...probably know them as Alexis, Ruler of the Empire.

I'm...honestly surprised they aren't here themselves. That's not like them to not get personally involved in something this...big.

[socialhacktivist]

No, I'm sorry I haven't met them. But if we get out of this room we might be able to help you find them.

[This place was big-- maybe someone else saw them while they were looking around.]

[lightnen]

A-Alexis?!

[ Killua stops short, eyes wide with disbelief because well. He knows exactly who this person was and why it was a surprise to hear that name from this woman at a time like this. ]

I know who you're talking about! The Dragonborn... They're your spouse?!

[strangerpeople]

[!]

Are they all right!? Where are they!?

[socialhacktivist]

You met them?

[Well that's convenient. That makes deciding what to do easy.]

...Killua, can you take us there?

[lightnen]

[ The sudden onslaught of questions from both this woman and Futaba just has him blinking a few times before just nodding to answer most of their questions. ]

Yeah. They're alright. I can take you guys there to see them.

[ He turns on his heel to head in the direction of how they got in there. Only stopping once to look toward Futaba. ]

You know The Intercessor? That's Alexis.

[strangerpeople]

I'm so glad they're all right...this...this whole situation has been just...awful...to say the least.

[socialhacktivist]

But... the Ruler of the Empire?

[That was the part that threw her off. But then again--]

I guess it would be crazy to think there are two people here with the name Alexis since there really aren't many-- so. Yeah. That makes sense. I'm sure they'll be happy to see you're alright.