Zekic

As you swim up, you become aware that the shape of the reef itself is odd. Until it clicks, there are two intertwining lines. One is dotted with coloured decagons, the other not. They are obviously leading to something. Each ends a a small hollow in the coral reef into which you cannot see.

Zekic swims into the hollow at the end of the line with the coloured decagons.

And finds a key.

OOC: Sorry Malchick.

IC: Ben pondered a moment on the question, tapping a finger to the rim of his glasses. His best guess was only speculation, "I think I could find my way to it, but I don't belive I've ever seen it before. I only have a guess." He thought for a moment more before he realized that Sylvian (sp?) was standing only a few feet behind him. He craned his neck to look back at her and ask a question of his own, "any ideas?"

Apprentices

Sylvian shrugs.

"I've wandered through your old challenge grounds. They used to be tests for identifying plants, animals, minerals and geographic features. When they stopped the challenges they grew very overgrown. I can take you there if you want to go. But I've never sensed anything strange there."

She thinks for a moment. "I know where water, air and fire are too. I can take you to water and air but not to fire!"

Jeri shrugs.

"We don't even know what we are looking for," he says sulkily. "I think wizardmaster Telador could have told us a bit more."

He nibbles on a fingernail as he thinks about the choices.

"Fire sounds too dangerous," he says. "And maybe water too. Let's try air...unless you think we should have a quick look at earth anyway."

He turns to Sylvian. "How did you find all those places? Could you find the challenge of light too?"

Sylvian laughs. "Light is illusion, there is nothing to 'find'. I'll take you to Air if you wish. You will need to be able to fly to do most of it."

Malchik grimaces. "No good for me then!"

"I can't fly," Jeri says sulkily. "I don't think any of us can. If light is an illusion, then why don't we have a look there?"

A key... Zekic thinks. Is this it?. He swims out of the room and proceeds to the next.

"I'm with Jeri," Ben adds in, "I think I am better suited to the ground anyway." He looks to the others for their approval of the decision.

OOC: Been out for a few days, sorry about the short post.. I'll work on it.. I'm a bit tired after my post in ROTUD, sorry again.

Zekic

The wizard's voice says - 'There's a decagon to collect too. You don't want to have to come back, do you?'

Apprentices

Sylvian says. "I cannot take you to an illusion. Go to the Tower of Light and find it for yourselves. I can take you to Earth, Air and Water."

Malchik looks at the others. "Someone choose. If you want light, Jeri, I'm game but I don't know how we'll find an illusion at our level!"

Jeri shrugs. "Ask Windham or Traxis to choose....aren't they meant to be in charge?" he says sulkily, making it very obvious that he does not think much of their leadership.

"But I'm getting sick of sitting around here. Malchik, maybe we can detect an illusion if we combine our powers? Ben, Sylvian - how about you? Would you help us find the challenge of Light?"

"If we can't all fly, then I say light as well." Windham says as he looks at the others, the tone implying it is natural to be able to fly. "Illusion is simply the art of misdirection. We need to look for the thing that isn't but is, though it might be what it actually is, but then it wouldn't be what it thought it was....or something like that." He pauses.

"Tell me, can light or illusion actually change the physicality of things? If so, and the challenge grounds are a real place, then access should be easy, just hidden. Once we're there, however, we probably won't be able to believe anything that we see. We might want to use the other senses as much as possible, perhaps even have one of us blindfolded?" He looks at the others for any response.

Sylvian says. "I'll wait for Zekic. Tell him where you've gone."

Malchik gets up and heads for the door prodding Traxis in passing. "He's obviously got his mind on higher things."

The six apprentices teleport down to the door of the tower of Time. As with all towers now, it is unguarded. The hall is empty. The great door is open. Dusk has fallen and the towers glow eerily. The golden tower of Light is easy to see. So far in their forays they have escaped detection. There is no reason to doubt that they will reach Light unnoticed as they have done before.

Before they set off each tries to use their skills to detect changes in the atmosphere. They find none.

Malchik murmurs. "Anyone want to take additional precautions? We don't know what Zekic and Telador might have stirred up."

Jeri looks at Malchik, frowning.

"What did you have in mind? I could change all our sashes, like I did before, if that's what you mean - but I don't think I could make us all invisible."

"Don't know, I'm assuming that the precautions would be taken inside, as I am assuming that the 'restrictions' on using magic are lifted once inside the tests. Do we know if the other disciplines will work in the other tests? I mean, I know I can be effective in the time trials, but how effective is my magic in the light?" Windham says, trying to gird against disappointment from things not working the way the apprentices are used to.

The apprentices make their way to the tower of Light undetected. They do however observe that there is a lot of activity around the schools of Air and the Mind. It is the first time any activity has occurred since the Rogue Wizardmaster took control.

Malchik suggests that Jeri might change his sash to a suitable colour and ask what is going on.

"You'll give us a map, if we take you to El Rhun...Are they good.. maps?" Sammi looks to Kyrykki, and whispers quietly, "Do we even need a map?"

OOC: sorry..

Dagamar frowns at Sammi. "I'll give you a map of El Rhun - a very good map - if you take me to Arakan. He's hiding in the desert with all the other sentry mages. You are going there?"

Jeri makes a face, clearly not enamoured with the suggestion.

"Why doesn't Traxis go?" he asks. "He's a mind apprentice, isn't he?"

Traxis shrugs and does as requested. A few moments later he returns.

"They are trying to find an intruder. They think he is in the tower of Water but he keeps appearing and disappearing. It must be Zekic! But what is he doing in Water?"

OOC> locked until I return from my holiday 12/7