On my Way, Don't Know Where I'm Going

Diomedes hums to himself as he walks down the driveway and toward the nearest street or road to Flora's house.A tune of his own design, and the words flow to him naturally.

"Well I'm on my way."

"I don't where I'm going"

"I'm on my way"

"I'm taking my time, I don't know where..."*

Diomedes walks maybe a quarter of a mile away from Flora's house before he finally pulls out the trump cards he does have. Standing on the side of the road, away from any traffic, he pulls out Random's trump and begins to lay his will upon it.

Diomedes concentrates on the trump card of his Uncle. The orange and red of Random's costume glint in the sunlight, then move and ripple as the light changes ...and Diomedes makes contact.

"Hey..." says Random. He's relaxing whilst sitting out on some kind of wooden porch that shows savanna-like country in the background. The yellow sun is shining brightly and there's heat haze in the far distance. Random lifts up his sunglasses a little less than nonchalantly and peers at Diomedes.

"Hey..." says Random. He's relaxing whilst sitting out on some kind of wooden porch that shows savanna-like country in the background. The yellow sun is shining brightly and there's heat haze in the far distance. Random lifts up his sunglasses a little less than nonchalantly and peers at Diomedes.

Diomedes blinks involuntarily from the summer sun streaming through into the vision.

"Hey, it is you! Great!" Random's enthusiasm for the contact picks up considerably, which possibly spells trouble in Diomedes' mind.

There are a bunch of tall, empty glasses on the table in front of him and his current glass is still frosted with a little umbrella floating in the clear blue liquid that half fills it. Diomedes has the feeling that Random has been here quite some time.

"You got my message," Random states and looks at his wrist-watch, "about time, though that's due to the, uh, nature of my problem.

"I had no opportunity to safely call before this." Diomedes replies, but then quiets as Random continues.

"Look, I'll come straight to the point. I need your help, like a spell to keep her off my back long enough to get back to Amber and walk the Pattern. Again," he rolls his eyes. No-one is fond of walking the Pattern unless there really is no alternative, which means that Random is more than likely in much more trouble than he's letting on.

"Just until I can get rid of whatever heebie-jeebies she's put on me and preferably before all this current crap hits the fan. So, are you in?" he asks.

Diomedes holds up his other hand in protest.

"Wait, wait a minute, Random."

Random raises his eyebrows with a half serious look of appeal.

"I don't understand what you are talking about. Who is on your back and who do you need protection from that you need to walk the Pattern to defend against it?" Diomedes replies.

"I'm on the side of the road near Aunt Flora's estate in shadow." Diomedes says. "Stop getting drunk, come on through and you can tell me what's really going on."

Diomedes smiles slightly. " I've never invented a sobriety spell, but I might, just to get you to make some sense."

Random laughs. "Me?" He looks at his glass and all the other empty ones on the table. "Drunk on this stuff? You've got to be kidding me. It'd take a darn sight more than this stuff to get me drunk. When this is over, I see that I'm going to have to take you out for some real drinking."

Diomedes raises his eyebrows but doesn't say anything.

He pauses. "But its a good thought, and I'd be interested in something like that for a future occasion.. but my current need is more pressing."

"Come on through to me, and I'll give you the current low down of my adventures. But I'm not coming through to Flora's Shadow. Not with everything else that has been going on over there. Right now I'm avoiding all my siblings and calling you."

Now Diomedes looks completely surprised. Involuntarily, his free hand, no longer held up like a stop sign, has its index finger crooked and pointed back at his chest.

Random frowns to himself and continues in a quiet serious tone. "I believe I am under attack from an agency out of Rebma. An arcane attack, which is why I thought to call you specifically. I'll happily give you the details you need, but I'd feel more comfortable if you came here first."

"Rebma." Diomedes seems puzzled by this even as he says the word, and then he looks around briefly at the Westchester scenery around him. "That explains the gender of the pronoun you used. I was half wondering if you were going to pit me against Aunt Fiona. All right, I'll come through."

Diomedes readies his hand and pulls himself through once Random offers a hand for him to grasp.

Random does so.

Diomedes blinks his eyes again as he steps out onto the wooden porch. He steps into the shade and blinks his eyes a couple of times to get used to the strong sunlight, before finding a chair that faces Random, and sitting down.

"Something cold and not very potent would be very welcome." Diomedes says with a smile to his Uncle. "You'll need my head clear and free of heatstroke if I'm to help you."

"Not a problem here," Random grumbles a little. Diomedes can see that apart from himself and Random, this place appears to be completely deserted and definitely self-service.

Random knows exactly what to grab for Diomedes. It ends up being a straight cold amber liquid in a smaller glass decorated with the logo "Lit Beer."

Diomedes looks at the glass curiously, takes a pull of it, and nods, satisfied. He continues to sip it as Random speaks.

He continues with his own drink. "So," he says getting settled, "this is the deal. Something has happened to my Shadow-shifting abilities. I don't know how but I do know that every time I try and shift through Shadow, I end up walking into a trouble and the common factor is always water. I didn't have to be a rocket scientist to put it all together. I'm driving and suddenly the bridge over the river is out. Oh, and I walked right on to a ship in the middle of being attacked by a kraken. I could go on. It ranges from storms, to sinking ships, oh, and let's not forget the drink of water that tried to drown me."

Diomedes leans forward, intently, eyes bright.

Random makes it sound almost funny, but he's not laughing.

"I need some kind of protection so I can get back to Amber through Shadow, then walk the Pattern to get rid of whatever kind of voodoo has been put on me. This can't have just happened, somebody had to do it to me. And before you ask, I don't know exactly who, but I'm damn sure it was ordered by Moire." He pauses for a moment and mutters a few obscenities under his breath. "Don't ask why. I really don't want to talk about it."

"I begin to see." Random is a good enough poker player to know that Diomedes is suspecting more than he is letting on from the way he describes it.

For a second, Diomedes could swear Random's expression borders on remorseful or even sad. But then it's gone, and his usual expression is back.

Diomedes actually knows more than what Random is saying and more than what he guesses that Random thinks he knows, because this reminds Diomedes of a conversation he had with his own Dad a while back.

His Father had just come back from a visit to Llewella and he was telling Diomedes about the trip when Random came up amongst other topics. It seems that Random got a girl from Rebma pregnant about eighty or so years ago. Her name was Morganthe. There was a child too, a son called Martin, but his mother committed suicide not long after he was born and Martin vanished. Brand thought it possible that Martin might have walked the Rebman Pattern but wasn't sure. From that time, Rebma has treated Random as an enemy on a personal level. This is general gossip in Amber too, but not with the names and it's never been confirmed by either Amber or Rebma through official channels.

"So, what do you think? Can you help me?" Random asks.

Diomedes relaxes and smiles and puts down the mostly finished bottle and spreads his hands.

"In a way, Uncle, you have put yourself in the best possible hands, esoterically speaking." he says confidently. "Not only am I less fearsome to approach than Dad, or Aunt Fiona, but, you see, Random, every sorcerer has an element they are most comfortable with."

Diomedes pauses a beat.

"And mine IS water."

He pauses again before continuing.

Diomedes earns the distinction of seeing surprise register on his Uncle's face.

Diomedes smiles only briefly, and then continues.

"And what's more, Random, I have actually learned a bit of my craft in Rebma. The effects that you describe, too, sounds like things that..." Diomedes seems ready to give a name here, but after a moment, continues "one of my fellow students was very good at. It would be a coincidence if *she* is Moire's agent in this matter, so don't worry about that right now."

Diomedes takes another pull on the bottle before speaking again. "So, what do I get in exchange for helping you?"

"D@mn," Random sighs, "I hate it when kids grow up..."

He shakes his head and starts family negotiations in earnest. "That depends on what you want. Look at me," he spreads his hands wide, "I'm no more and no less than you see here. There's no faction or side trying to buy me out. But I do have a good sword-arm to offer to an endeavor or two, not to mention a whole host of incredibly bad jokes for every occasion..."

He stops to gauge Diomedes reaction and to see what his counter may be.

Diomedes pauses a moment and then smiles.

"Some day, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a service for me. An endeavor. A favor, if you will, Uncle." Diomedes says. "You see, in helping you, I will be almost certainly be bound to accompany you all the way back to the Pattern in Amber. I probably could dispel or mitigate it here and now and we part our seperate ways, but the curse could return and be reapplied as you journey back to Amber, especially if my suspicions are correct as to the agent of your aquaphobia."

Random sighs and starts swearing under his breath again. That's not good news.

"Time and Tide, I'll just bet *she's* involved." Diomedes adds, under his breath before speaking louder to Random.

There's an unspoken question from Random. Diomedes knows it's been duly noted for later.

"So, a service, in exchange for dispelling or mitigating the effects of the curse, and accompanying you back to Amber and its Pattern in order to see you properly cleansed of it."

When Diomedes says 'service' Random visibly winces.

"Deal?" Diomedes drinks the remainder of the bottle of Lit Beer and regards his Uncle speculatively.

Random downs the rest of his glass to cover up his gritted teeth. He doesn't care to be in this kind of position as Diomedes knows, but Random's ire is directed more towards the person responsible than Diomedes, who's just playing the family game, and playing it well.

"You got me," Random says,"but I'd prefer it be you than the b1tch-queen from hell. Alright. I owe you one favor, in kind." He pauses to make certain that Diomedes has heard and agreed.

Diomedes gives an agreeing nod.

"OK, kid. You got yourself a deal." And not being a man to beat around the bush:

"So where do we start?" he asks.

Diomedes pushes the chair back slightly and stands up. "There are well known and studied procedures for this sort of thing." he says. "Our first step is to detect and diagnose the exact mechanism and attachment that the curse has on you. We'll put you in a magic circle, and with that as containment I'll bring up the curse and get a good look at it, so that I know precisely what I'm going to wrestle with."

"I need a few things, we may want to walk in shadow to obtain them. White, pure chalk. A clean, wooden floor; I am hoping that we don't need to escalate to an inscribed metal floor. We also need a grounding agent for the circle. Salt is usually traditional, but since this is presumably of Rebman origin, salt would be a very bad idea. Iron filings would be far more effective."

"I'm ready when you are to start walking, since I am guessing that its not probable that such items are available here." Diomedes finishes.

In reply, Random gets up from the table and begins to lead the way out. Parked outside the deserted bar in the dusty outback is a fairly beaten up yellow convertible with the top ripped off it.

Diomedes follows Random out.

Random walks round it to the passenger side. "You know what you're looking for, you can drive." He throws the car keys to Diomedes.

Diomedes catches them in his right hand and gives a nod. "Good enough." he says,

Random opens the passenger door. It creaks a bit as he sits down. Diomedes does likewise, and sees that on his side, there's a long low scratch deep into the metal that runs the full length of the car.

However, inside is much better. It's obviously a fairly new and fast car that's been through quite a bit of stress lately (a definite understatement), but nothing that can't be resolved as they start to shift Shadow.

Diomedes eyes scan the interior of the car and look at the controls for a moment. Finally, exuding more confidence he really feels about using such a thing, he cranks the engine and begins working the three pedals. It takes a few moments for him to relearn a manual transmission land automobile, but it comes back quickly to Diomedes.

As they pull away from the bar in the middle of nowhere, Random pulls out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. "Cigarette?" he asks companionably.

"I actually don't." Diomedes says with a grin. "Water, not fire, remember."

"So, have you been keeping an eye on what's happening in Amber?" Random asks. "Seeing as we'll both be going there after you help me out." He pauses and makes a rare admission. "Walking the Pattern is risky enough at the best of times. I just want to get there before I end up having to swear fealty to a *brother* to do it," Random says with feeling and shakes his head.

Then he starts unabashedly to fish for information. "I've been a bit out of touch lately with your side of the family. I haven't seen or heard from your Dad in a long time. Is he in Amber?"

"Dad. Dad is part of my trouble, Random." Diomedes says as he begins to alter the landscape. His first goal is to get somewhat out of the dry and dusty landscape. Perhaps not as marine and humid as he would like, but the dry and dusty savannah starts to give way to the chapparal sort of terrain one would find, in Aunt Flora's shadow, outside of Los Angeles. More vegetation appears, and the air becomes less dessicated.

Such places prove not difficult to find, only the sky is a much more cobalt without the smog. Grass is replaced by shrubs and bushes and evergreen oaks. Interspaced occasionally are mirrored pylons structures, standing approxmately ten feet high, every three or four miles apart.

"I received what I thought was a sending from him, while I was off investigating something unusual in shadow. At that point, Miho and I had split. I had...a sense that he was under some sort of imprisonment. And before that, he's been...isolated from Aunt Fiona and Uncle Bleys for some time." Diomedes continues. "No, he is not in Amber and I don't know where he is. If he is in danger, or imprisoned, help in freeing him may be the chip I cash in for doing this for you." Diomedes admits.

Random nods and takes another drag on his cigarette while he thinks. "Your Dad has a good claim on the throne," he says finally. "Not the best. But with everything that's going on, it'd be logical to take him out of the game about now. Tell you what, you want to cash in the favor I owe you to help you find your Dad and you'll find I'm game enough. You never know, you might actually do me a favor in the process. I could use a feather or two in my cap about now."

"We'll see about it." Diomedes says neutrally, in a slightly guarded tone. "The situation in Amber could very well alter such plans and ideas beyond recognition."

Diomedes continues to drive, shifting and changing the landscape gradually and carefully. He ups the local mana level, not so much as to make the curse on Random overly powerful, but enough that his own rituals and spells will not be unduly taxed. Whimsically, he imagines white chalk cliffs on an unseen and unvisited seacoast, that will ensure that chalk is in ready supply. Too, Diomedes imagines iron mines in the drier, high mountains to the north. Iron fillings will not be a problem to find.

The pylons have disappeared, replaced by the very rare microwave transmitter tower. They can faintly smell the the sea, as it abruptly creeps up on them, but Diomedes carefully keeps their distance from it. As near as he can tell he's encountering no strange resistance, the sea probably came back in when he was adjusting something else, like the humidity. Likewise, Random seems relatively comfortable and unharrassed, even with the gradually increasing mana. So far so good...

Diomedes will see his white chalk cliffs, but when he looks away and then back again, he'll notice that the image of some beautiful nude goddess figure has been carved into the side of one of them. Random notices it, but only turns to look away inland. After a few moments an idea seems to seize his uncle, and he reaches into the glove box and finds a pair of sunglasses there for himself.

"Subconscious, has to be." Diomedes says to himself at one point.

It could all be coincidence as far as Diomedes can discern while driving. In any case the place of his desire lies elsewhere.

More details slowly emerge. A moderately sized town of 5,000 people or so, somewhat in from the desert that any viewer would take them having driven in from. Its not as dry as the savannah of Random's bar, but not as humid as the seacoast a hundred miles to the west. Plenty of wooden buildings, including and especially a hotel with wooden floors and large suites, and a general store that would carry basic magical paraphenalia for someone wanting to do a spell or two.

Diomedes smiles in satisfaction as a sign for the town of Rancho Las Tortas indicates that the shifting is over, and it is only a couple of kilometers before they reach the town itself.

"One day." Diomedes says to Random. "We'll have to talk about the methodology of shadow shifting. Undoubtedly, every one in the family does it a different way, but it all works in the end."

"Just as long as we get there," Random replies. "I've never thought that closely about how we do it. But you're right. We all have our own way."

After they cover some more distance and carry on a decent enough conversation, they pull into town. Diomedes locates the shop he needs, ironically next to a 'chemist' shoppe where Random slips into buy some more cigarettes. The girl in the paraphenalia shop is dark skinned like Obi, and she has troubling tearing her eyes away from Diomedes until he specifies what he needs. The son of Brand suspects that she must not see many people like him. She sorts out various materials out of glass containers while he waits, and when she finishes he'll notice that she's unconciously smoothing the sides of her t-shirt and fussing with her hair.

Diomedes is amicable and smiling, taking the fliration from the clerk casually and easily and responding casually. Diomedes briefly wonders, in a flash of imagination, of just what she might look like, nude, displayed on the white sheets of a bed in flagrante delicio with him...

The mood changes a second later. "You ready?" Random calls as he steps just inside the doorway. The young woman fixes his Uncle with a hard glare which only softens only a little as she hands the bag of goods off to Diomedes. "Don't be calling any modus around here if you're smart. The Regulators won't take kindly to it."

"Thank you." Diomedes nods his help. "I will take your advice.

"You're lucky I keep my eyes on the prize, Uncle." Diomedes says with a grin to his uncle. "I wouldn't have minded a dalliance with her, and unless my eyes are as blind as Tiresias, she wouldn't have minded either."

Random shrugs. "I guess I'm lucky that you're not Corwin then, or we'd both be screwed."

Diomedes smiles. "I've never met him, remember. But if his daughter is a tenth of her father, I can understand what you mean."

The pair drive to the Hotel, which is surrounded by a high stone wall and gate, and a bell hangs in a steeple above it. "Great, Hotel California, just what I need," Random mutters looking the place over.

Diomedes furrows his eyebrows and shrugs.

They check in and are shown to a room that suits their needs.

"Let's do this," Random says grinding his cigarette in an ashtray and grabbing a stool in order to sit in the center of the room. He waves at Diomedes. "Start with the voodoo.."

"Voodoo is a different thing." Diomedes corrects Random, but not too sharply. "I didn't reach for that sort of shadow. Dad and Theia have long warned me that such places are very dangerous. Shadow Gods are not to be trifled with, even by the likes of us."

"Anyway, this initial effort is going to be simple, even if it looks complicated to someone not initiated in the Art." Diomedes explains as he takes up a piece of the chalk. He continues to talk as he works, giving Random something to concentrate on, and because Diomedes is well practiced with such rituals to be able to do so.

Random nods seriously, paying attention and letting Diomedes be about his craft.

"I'm drawing a magic circle. I used to need a compass and straightedge, but I can do a decent circle without them now." Diomedes continues as he draws a very simple circle six feet in diameter. Once the circle is closed, Diomedes proceeds around the circle in reverse, adding Greek characters and other symbols along its outline, on both the inside and the outside of the boundary of the circle. Slowly he proceeds, spelling out the words to focus his own abilities at divining spells, and to protect against influences other than his from outside the circle.

Once the perimeter of the circle is completely bounded by the signs, Diomedes fetches the vial of the iron fillings. "This stuff is to ground the circle, and its occupant, you. Like using rubber gloves when handling electricity." Diomedes spreads iron fillings along the entire perimeter of the circle, providing a visible layer that mostly obscures the chalk line underneath.

Random nods again. Diomedes will get the impression that in this venue that he is the expert, and Random is letting him have his due. Something perhaps his other uncles wouldn't grant him quite so graciously. He is a quiet and expectant patient.

"There, now you are protected and grounded." Diomedes says in satisfaction as he walks around the circle and its occupant once more, giving his own work a critical eye. "This will do nicely."

Diomedes then walks to where he can face Random and closes his eyes. He begins constructing a small, simple spell, to detect magical influences upon the occupant of the circle, using the power of the circle to focus and enhance his abilities, and use the circle's natural properties and the iron filings to avoid any nasty side effects from the exposure of the curse to his sight. He makes the influences visible to himself as well as Random, in color: fields, lines and tangled skeins.

Once the spell is complete, he casts it. "And now we will see." Diomedes says, his eyes meeting his Uncle's, and then looks at the results...

Diomedes sees it first, but he realizes that this can not be just sorcery.. if it is sorcery in the strictest sense at all.

There's nothing like a lattice or grid of external energy surrounding his uncle, and yet Diomedes sees it perfectly well. There are no lines of force, no hovering primordial symbols, no overlay of translucent rainbow colors. Instead it's like a bruise, purple and black, and the sensations that come with it are not pleasant. It looks and feels greasy and sick, with a heavy brackish odor that is nearly overpoweringly nauseating. It's a stain, and Diomedes finds instead of an equation, a horror story. All that's missing here is a ghost.

Diomedes first furrows his eyebrows in surprise, and then starts to look somewhat alarmed by what his spell has revealed. He puts a hand to his nose from the odor and chokes briefly on what is emanating, psychically.

Random starts to look down at himself with some alarm. If he wishes, Diomedes can elect to shield his uncle from seeing it any more, after this initial glance.

Diomedes decides to do so, raising a hand and banishing the visual sight of it from anyone but the caster, that is to say, him.

A disturbing aspect to this is that Random evidently isn't 'feeling' anything. He's evidently been unaware of this dark line drawn across his soul all this time. Diomedes has the option of sparing him a little longer while he continues his investigation, or letting Random see the whole truth right at this very moment.

Diomedes decides to hold off Random seeing it for the moment. He meets Random's eyes, and with utter seriousness gives a slight shake of the head but he says no more and turns to study the affliction.

Furthermore this 'spell', if that what it is, more organic than anything Diomedes is accustomed to, but that is not to say that he is out of his depth completely. This is definitely a curse in the strictest sense of the word, and likening it to a blood curse is not unreasonable. There are powerful emotions tied up with this thing. Passion, rage, and things more personal. Loneliness, humiliation, fear and shame. Self-hatred.

Diomedes shudders, even from the other side of the circle. The emotions and emotional attachments threaten to overwhelm him. Even with it, to sense the full nature of Random's affliction is difficult. Sweat pours from Diomedes' brow.

Diomedes is safe.The rule of Iron holds. Waves crash and are rebuffed by the cliffs of his preparations. The curse does not emanate power, rather it seems to fester within Random. Nevertheless, perhaps the circles were a good idea. His father would have said that a peculiar thing like this might have peculiar attributes. It might not do to stare directly into this abyss and have it stare back.

In the end though, this examination is not enough. Diomedes will have to get closer, and Random is going to have to lower his mental guard and let his nephew take a closer look.

Random swallows, evidently feeling a little nervous. "So what's the prognosis Doc?"

Diomedes finally looks up at Random.

"If I were in a joking mood, I would say at this point that you've gotten my services for a bargain." Diomedes begins, in a deadly serious tone.

"You're in trouble, Uncle. I won't sugarcoat it, and I will show it to you. I don't know how psychically aware you are but even behind the circle, its offensive and odious to me."

Random frowns, more deeply than is his usual wont.

Carefully, Diomedes allows Random to see the nasty bruise of the Curse upon him.

Random looks down at himself and jumps to his feet. He lets loose with a string of invectives that make Diomedes blush. Somehow, the words seem fitting for the curse. For a moment, it seems he might walk out of the circle, but he doesn't.

"See? It was not what I was expecting in the least. I was expecting some sort of maintained enchantment that was somehow surviving your trip through Shadow." Diomedes begins. "Instead, you've been inflicted with something nastier, more primal."

Diomedes pauses and then adds. "Its more Personal, too. I need to know more, Random about what happened in Rebma, and you are going to have to trust me and lower your mental guards and let me do it. And I am going to tell you why you should. Cards on the table, Uncle."

Diomedes looks at Random levelly. "Even from what I see right now, what is attached to your very soul is personal and permanent enough that it is possible that even if you walk away from this and somehow get to Amber and walk the Pattern without me helping you further, it might not erase something like this. Or, the attempt might kill you because of this hanging on you."

"So the right thing for you to do is to tell me everything that happened in Rebma, lower your mental guards and allow me to get a closer look at this thing. I am not looking to do this for kicks or to gain some secrets and hold over you. There is some risk to me in delving into your psyche and confronting this Curse. Its odious and fetid even from the far side of this Circle. Coming into closer contact with it will be at the least unpleasant, and at worst, dangerous. But I promised I would help you, and I will. You have to let me."

"Your choice, Random." Diomedes says. "What happened in Rebma that someone would have the anger and psychic turmoil to inflict this on you? The emotions tied up with this thing are coming off of the affliction in waves."

Random pauses for a moment then he shrugs and sits back down. "It's a matter of record in Rebma. They hate my guts. It started," he says, "with a woman. It always does, really. I liked Rebma. It was Amber without actually being Amber. All the good stuff and no family to ruin it.

Diomedes begins his psychic probe as his uncle speaks, finding that Random tenatively lowers it a little, enough for Diomedes to start to get a better sense f the curse, even as Random lowers his guard in speech as well. Diomedes' attention splits between Random's words and the sensory input of engaging Random's curse head on.

"She was beautiful. Man, she was radiant," Random's eyes have taken on the look of someone who is seeing a memory and describing it. Incidentally, the curse fades just a smidgen, hardly at all, and yet the fact it does at all is significant. "You should have seen her."

The image of Diomedes slowly walking into an ocean from a white sand beach, the waters the psyche of Random's mind is temporarily replaced by a female vision from Diomedes own past in Rebma. Outwardly, to Random, he smiles.

"I'll just bet she was." Diomedes says, willing the psychic perceptions back to the forefront, continuing to enter the waters, immersing himself, seeking the curse itself within Random. He continues until the waters reach his chin, and then further, trusting that he can breathe, see and sense in these psychic waters. For, of course, he has long since learned how to do so. He keeps walking deeper into the ocean of Random's psychic soul.

He stops and searches for a cigarette then realizes he left them outside the circle. "Well, we had a dalliance. Nothing more, nothing less. I had a great time and when we were finished, I left. You know how it goes.

"Well, the next thing I know, I've got a summons following me through Shadow. I take it to get it off my back and what do you know...she killed herself."

Blood. Death. Suddenly the ocean of Random's mind responds at Random's evocation. Blood spreads out, tendrils of redness dissipating as it expands in the psychic image. Diomedes, outwardly, briefly coughs in surprise.

He pauses here. "Why, I don't know. Why anyone would ever kill themselves is beyond me, though I know it happens. It's just not in our nature like it is for Shadows. I do know she had kid and that it was my kid before she killed herself. That's what the summons was about.

The image of the blood continues, and the fact that the blood continues to do so, that it is part of Random is abundantly clear. Diomedes narrows his eyes at the blood in the water.

"See, here's the punchline and get ready for it because it's a good one. Her name was Morganthe."

The image of the ocean temporarily banishes and Diomedes' perceptions come fully back to Random sitting in the chair. His surprise is palpable.

"The Princess?" Diomedes says in surprise. He blinks his eyes and rubs them, and then nods as Random continues to speak.

"The daughter of the Queen of Rebma. See, by their law, I'm responsible for her death and they wanted me to return and do my duty to the kid."

Diomedes returns to his vision of being immersed in Ocean, Random's words coming as audio again as he explores the ocean of Random's psyche and soul. Now, deep enough to do so, he can see the curse itself, here, not just the surface level effects he saw before. To Diomedes, it seems amorphous, hard to envision, but it is an alive thing, like a jellyfish and the ink cloud of a cephalopod wrapped up in one. Something now very at home in the waters of Random's soul.

He shrugs again. This time, Diomedes sees the curse grow thicker, more putrid. "They have some kind of paternity laws that I never really looked into much. Who would? Really, it kinda seemed pointless after she was dead anyway. I figured her family would look after him."

Random might feel Diomedes' reaction here reflected into the waters since he is connected to him. Disappointment?

But there's something in Random's speech here that doesn't quite read correctly for Diomedes. It's not because Random is lying but Diomedes is connected in a much deeper way than normal. Random seems unaware that he just turned 'the kid' into a 'him.' Could it be behind this facade of not being bothered, that Random is actually bothered by it quite a bit, but not wanting or not capable of putting it into words. After all, paternity and taking responsibility for family is not exactly a strong point of Amber Royals, or even Amber nobility - witness the large numbers of illegitimate children out there. A good example of this would be Dina's own Dante family.

"I see." Diomedes says, monotonically, still looking at the curse in the ocean's waters. The jellyfish is huge, a blight upon the ocean, an unnatural thing that does not belong here. Diomedes continues to approach it, slowly and carefully.

Now afforded a better view of the curse, Diomedes at last understands why it seems so powerful. As a supernatural being of a sorts in his own right, Random is able to survive and function while so blighted. After all, he is not a mortal man. At rest, Random seems to just block it out. However, in his descriptions of what has been happening, and seeing how the curse is situated over Random's soul, Diomedes has a good guess what is happening when Random moves through Shadow.

The Pattern is extremely sensitive to mood and state of mind, to the point of several cautionary tales about walking Shadow while drunk or stoned. Shifting through Shadow is a serious exercise in concentration and mental discipline. Into that, this 'bane' is leaking its malevolent will into Random's subsconcious, and he in turn, is transferring that to the Pattern- which then acts upon it.

When Random least expects it and can least afford to ward it off instinctively, the curse is literally getting him to do it to himself. Which makes it seem very powerful. The reality is that the curse is a lightning rod grounded to him, and the Pattern is the Storm.

But what is to be done about it?

Diomedes studies the curse for a few more moments, maneuvering around it.Briefly, Diomedes wishes one of his relations were here to help him with this abomination that lingers on Random's soul. Dad, Theia, Rosalind, Jack...or even Miho, familiar with the ocean and unflinching, would be welcome right about now. But like many incidents in the past, Diomedes has only himself to rely upon.

The poison it spreads into the waters of Random's soul burns on Diomedes' lip like sulfur from unclean water. The acridity of the jellyfish and its ink stings at Diomedes' eyes, and Random might even see, in the real world, Diomedes beat back tears.

*I can't master you. I shouldn't even try.* Diomedes speaks into the soul, toward the curse. *I can sense the pain and the anguish from which you are born. I will help cure it* Diomedes speaks into the soul, toward the Curse. He then gives a Rebman Underwater bow to it.

Finally, Diomedes pulls himself out of Random's psyche completely. For all that it was psychic and psychological, there is a distinct tang of the sea in the air now, as if Random and Diomedes were standing on that seacoast with the white chalk cliffs.

"Give me a second." Diomedes gasps slightly as he takes a step back from the circle where Random still sits. "It was an intense experience." Diomedes rubs his eyes slightly and regards Random.

"Between what I have seen, and what you have said." Diomedes says. "I think I understand what has happened. And you basically have two choices at this point, Uncle." Diomedes continues.

"The first is that you get used to staying in this shadow, and never leave it again. I'm sure that when I drove us to this shadow, I created some place for gambling, perhaps a city in the desert to the Northeast. If you try to shift shadow, Random, this curse on your soul will manifest itself. Its integrally part of your soul, now. The person who put this on you, Moire at a guess, took a piece of herself to do it.

The eyebrows go up.

And since there is a tie of blood to the reason: your son, it is triply powerful and effective, and their fates are tied to you.

He frowns at this bad news.

They are suffering, too, Random. But, like I say, you have a choice to stop shadowshifting and stay here. I figure you'd have a few years before this thing sickens your soul so completely that you'd notice additional effects other than the ones you already have."

Random seems much cheered at this news. From the look on his face, he seems to be considering if he can simply outlast them.

Diomedes regards Random levelly. "The other choice, and the right one,

*another slight wince*

is that I shadow shift us not back to Amber and its Pattern, but to Rebma. We face the music and face our pasts in Rebma, and get Moire to remove the curse by offering retribution. I've experience in Rebma, I can be your advocate and counsel and act as mediator."

Random's jaw drops open. He's clearly insensed at the very idea and is about to argue, but Diomedes will not be put off his stride and he continues:

"There are no other choices." Diomedes adds. "The *only* way to lift this curse is to make sincere retribution, not by power word, spell or Pattern walk. Not even Moire could undo her curse if she wanted, if you don't set things right." Diomedes adds. "It has a life of its own."

Random puts his head on his hands as he sits within the circle, and almost becomes the proverbial 'thinking man' pose.

"No," he says finally, but the note of finality is indeed missing. "I can't accept it. Not now. I go to Rebma and they are going to put me away for a very long time indeed, if not do worse. However, it is possible, depending on what *you* did," he pauses to look across at Diomedes, "that if we went in together, you might get some kind of reprieve for bringing me in. There's no reason why we should both have to suffer.

Diomedes gives a slight inclination of his head, invitation for Random to continue speaking.

"But not yet. I need some time to think on it. Maybe there's another option that neither of sees just yet. I'm not saying you're wrong. In fact, I'm convinced. I've seen this curse in action and I can see what it's doing to me. But I'm not about to go belly up in Rebman waters, not without a decent fight."

He pauses then and Diomedes sees an idea occurring to his uncle. It obviously satisfies what he's been saying because he suddenly starts to look at lot happier.

"Tell you what - I don't know what you've done and sometime between now and finding ourselves in Rebma I'll be asking *you* to share too, it's only fair - but everything I said to you before we started still holds true. I've still got a solid sword-arm and my quick wit," he grins, almost back to the usual Random, "and even you say that I've got a few years yet before this thing catches up with me. You've got your spells and the Shadow-shifting, not to mention a reputation for not being half-bad with that sword of yours.

Diomedes smiles slightly and doesn't contradict his Uncle.

"So what say I make good on the favor I owe you. *Before* I hand myself over for the b!tch-queen to do her worst. After all, if I end up in a dungeon for a century or two, or worse," he blanches a bit as his active imagination conjures up what a woman might pass as judgment on a man in his situation, "I won't be able to make good on that favor I owe you. And cure or not, you've held up your end and I owe you one.

"Why don't we go and find your Dad," he shrugs. "It gives me time to think this stuff over, and we get to stir the pot in Amber a bit, before we - well, before we whatever.

"If we've got to go out, let's go out as Princes of Amber. In a blaze of glory first!

"And I don't mean to die in the attempt, either," he adds then winces at the very bad pun he actually didn't intend.

"Then...then, I grant you, maybe we'll contemplate our worse natures for a while. I can deal with that. Maybe. OK, probably." He still doesn't seem happy about this, but then who would?

"What say you, Nephew?" He uses the formal honorary title conjuring up all the pride that the Amber family holds so dear.

Diomedes steps back from the circle and regards Random. The studious, studying look that he gives Random is evocative of the study and concentration endemic to the Clarissans, regarding Random, and clearly, his offer as well.

"I promised your curse that I would help alleviate it, as a way to avoid it from poisoning me when I went into contact with it." Diomedes says. "So what I say we do is the following." Diomedes raises his hands and begins ticking off his left fingers with his right index finger.

"We drive west to the coast. I don't know about you, but the edge of the desert is not my element, pretty young things aside, and doing sorcery closer to the sea is my preference. Now that I know what sort of curse you have, Uncle, I am sure that if we drive without shadow shifting to the coast, the waters will not bother you, since its wrapped up with your ability to travel. I brought us here to this shadow anyway."

"I'll do some arcane scrying for Dad. I have an idea of what state he is in, and I could use your psychic input,since while he is my father, he is your brother and that is an important tie as well. We can get an idea of where Dad is, and, just like the rest of the cousins went looking for Corwin, we go looking for Dad. I will do the shadow shifting of course, to avoid having your curse bite the both of us. But your help in finding and helping Dad would be very welcome indeed, Uncle Random."

"Afterwards, win, lose or draw, you and I will then go to Rebma and face our respective tunes. Agreed?" Diomedes regards Random.

"Good plan," Random remarks. "I like it right up until the last part!" Now it's his turn to hold up his hand for a moment before Diomedes can interrupt. "Really, you gotta let me think about the last part. I certainly can't stay like this and I certainly have no wish to take that big of a risk on the Pattern and die, so...I guess I've been got. But forgive me if it's going to take a while before I can bring myself to say it all so easily.

"Will that answer do?" he asks. "It may not be the one you're looking for, but it's an honest one and it's as far as I can go right now."

"It will do, if that's all you can pledge." Diomedes finally agrees with a nod.

Random gets down off his stool. "Your idea for finding your Dad sounds good. I'm certainly game to find him. Can I just walk through this circle?" he asks, "or does it have to be "taken down" first?"

"Let me discharge it." Diomedes says. "While its not so powerful as to cause you any trouble, its an extremely bad habit and very lax to do sorcery by anything other than to the nines." Diomedes says.

Diomedes spends a few minutes discharging the magic circle, sweeping up the iron filings and depositing them into a nearby toilet. When he returns, he breaks the circle of chalk and gestures for Random to exit the now discharged and defanged magic circle.

"I am going to need a little bit of a respite after this effort anyway." Diomedes says. "So let's go someplace far more pleasant."

Random is all for getting away somewhere more pleasant. No argument from him here. "I wasn't thrilled about sleeping here anyway."

After obtaining a map from the local store, and resisting the temptation to look in on the pretty arcane shop clerk, Diomedes gets into the car with Random, offering him the keys. "We'll want to go here, just south of the Chalk Cliffs." Diomedes indicates on the laminated map. "Costa Buena."

Random takes his turn at driving along with a little music to liven it up a little. His fingers tap lightly on the steering wheel in rhythm. Beyond that, there's no surprises just very pleasant travel.

Diomedes relaxes, and even naps a little as Diomedes and Random travel west, the cooling moderation of the cool ocean current changing the hot, dry conditions to something far more familiar and pleasant to Diomedes. Finally, Random's driving brings them to a town slightly larger than Rancho Las Tortas, and to a mission-style hotel that sits on the town's edge, not far from the rocky beach that reminds Diomedes very much of Epirus.

"We should give it a day or two before I begin the scrying." Diomedes says to his Uncle. "We'll enjoy the town and relax. Go explore the town Uncle." Diomedes says with a grin. As for Diomedes, he mostly sticks to the hotel room, complete with a lovely view of the coast, except for meals.

Random does indeed take the chance to explore over the next few days. Whatever he gets up to, he doesn't share but comes and goes at his own schedule while Diomedes is busy.

Once Diomedes feels ready and up for it, he'll begin the scrying, with a purchased white porcelain basin. Diomedes has gone and purchased purified spring water, probably from a paraphenalia shop so that he is assured of the quality, along with the basin.

With Random sitting on the opposite side of the table, Diomedes begins mentally invoking what he knows of Brand and what he suspects is his fate as he begins weaving the scrying spell. Imprisonment, binding, isolation. The image of seeing his father beneath the ice in Evan's Mill will be a key image that he uses in this process. Diomedes urges Random to open up his mind slightly and join in, and to think of his own impressions of his brother as he stares at the bowl of water.

Random puts his cigarette out and moves the ashtray off of the table. With a quick nod to Diomedes, he furrows his brows and starts to concentrate.

Diomedes' spell work, with the bowl of water, is designed to take these impressions of his Dad and his current knowledge to bring forth images of the locale where the subject of the scrying, in this case, Dad, is currently located.

Tapping into the essence of Water, that cracks Stone to form One True Spring- a secret hidden even by mighty Kolvir whose bowels are riddled by the one element that can not be denied- Diomedes casts his mind out across time and space. He murmurs supplications to local spirits and concentrates on a series of sigils and designs that were originally drawn by a hand that was something other than human. He utters the name of a half dozen divinities and bids them to honor ancient promises in Enochian. Finally with a small knife of silver, he slices his finger and uses a drop of his own water to call to the one closest to himself.

Random peers intently at the bowl, but Diomedes catches him peeking up at his face at least once.

Diomedes' face is calm, cool, collected and serious. This is HIS specialty, his work and Random can see that Diomedes takes this scrying with grave weight indeed.

The water in the bowl clouds for a second.. there is the faint image of a mountain range...

..and then the whole thing fades away.

Random is the first to ask, "Is that it?"

Diomedes looks up at Random with forehead furrowed in confusion, disappointment and anger. "I failed..."

Yet Diomedes can barely say more than a word or two before something stirs on the surface. Random lowers his head again, watching the plane of water in the bowl at an angle.

Surprised, Diomedes looks down at the bowl.

The water doesn't exactly bubble, but it is doing something peculiar. In places it seems to heave upward and sink downwards, and then it relaxes for a second, and in the rocking motion of release- the surface strains again. After about five seconds they both realize that some shape is trying to form on the surface of the water itself.

Then with almost tangible strain and effort, the outline of a face rises above the surface of the water. That it is the silhouette of Brand leaves little doubt. It gives a silent and open mouthed cry before it crashes back into the bowl with a slosh.

Diomedes blinks in surprise, and recognition.

For an instant there seems to be not enough energy for anything else to happen, but then Random reaches out and picks the basin up and right off the table.

"Hey!" Diomedes begins to say, reaching for the basin.

He'll cut off any protest from Diomedes. "No! Look!" He nods at the table surface even as he moves the basin away. "Look at it from an angle!"

When Diomedes lowers his head, he sees that the water that sloshed out of the bowl and on to the table is now moving. It seperates into tiny tiny beads and spreads thin across part of the table. Then, as if an invisible finger were writing on a steamy window, a message starts to form in the Thari alphabet...

T..R..U..M..

And then it stops.

"Trump. Once again, it comes back to Trumps." Diomedes says, looking at the watery letters on the table. He motions for Random to put the basin back down.

"I should have learned how to create them." Diomedes says, in an unmistakable tone of self reproach. "I should have followed my father's and Aunt Fiona's advice. I shouldn't have been fired up to walk the Pattern and go exploring in shadow with my newly certified arcane abilities. I should have stayed and learned how to draw and paint trumps, first, like they told me I should. No wonder Rosalind thinks I am a callow fool. I *am*. I was young and stupid, Uncle Random, and now my father is paying the price."

Diomedes slams a fist on the table in frustration and anger, not caring when the basin jars and spills more of its discolored water onto the table in the process.

The moment of pure anger and frustration jolts the self-reproach in his system, and as the discolored water hits the table, Diomedes has an epiphany.

This isn't his spell.

His spell created the opening, but since the water started heaving and bubbling that was not the spell. It was what was coming through the magical opening he created with the spell. And what's coming through is

- trump energy! With a life all of its own.

Diomedes' anger dissipates as a drop of ink dissipates in the wide sea as realization starts to rise.

Diomedes might not know how to create trumps but he can sense the power being used and this is the power of trump. He has managed somehow to create a temporary conduit.

The magic is over, and yet it created the channel. The trump energy is very, very faint but it's truly there. It's not Diomedes' or Random's power, either. No wonder he didn't see it at first! He was quite rightly distraught about his Father, but the recognition he first felt was more than just seeing his Father's face. There's a fleeting sense of his Father's presence too! Diomedes broke through...something.

"Trump," Random says in a mystified voice, completing the word the water is spelling out. "But you tried that before, right, and it didn't work..."

Diomedes holds up a finger to quiet Random, with all the imperious stare that he can manage out of his bloodline. And then after 30 seconds of this, his eyes grow bright.

Random looks a bit taken aback at this but then shrugs and holds his peace.

"My spell cracked through, just a bit, through whatever is holding Dad. He IS imprisoned, and he's started a trump connection, through my scrying. It's faint, but its there. We need to boost it. You, and I."

"Whoa!" Random wasn't expecting that explanation! Diomedes gets the sense of just how fast Random can move when he wants to as he abruptly scoots back in his chair.

Diomedes raises an eyebrow in surprise at Random's snakebit reaction.

"That's not your spell?! I thought that was you. You mean, that's...that's a trump..that's Brand doing that...that's not possible." Random is well and truly shocked and actually looks a little scared at the arcane power that's being shown to him here.

"It's Dad's. I know it. I've given him the opening for him to try something from his end. Father and Son working together. But he needs more help for this to work." Diomedes looks at Random levelly and continues.

"Get out a trump of Dad and concentrate on it." Diomedes says to Brand. "I need you to do that while I concentrate on one, too. In the presence of this conduit, here, we might just make this work, and get a hold of him, and either bring him through, or get a better sense of where he is to get *to* him."

No matter whether or not Random listens to him, Diomedes pulls out his trump of Brand. He closes his eyes briefly, reaching his mind to connect to, to use, to bridge the channel in an arcane manner. All he needs is the tiniest rivulet of connection before Diomedes, with that achieved, begins concentrating on the trump card with everything he can bring to bear, with the conduit, and hopefully Random's concentration, providing the necessary extra power and connectivity.

It's a little weird, which is perhaps not surprising considering the conditions under which this is happening. The trump contact does not take on the visual of his Father in whatever location he is to be found. Instead, the card remains firmly two-dimensional but his Father's head on the card turns to him and starts to speak.

"Diomedes." Then his face blurs. "Help me." Then Diomedes gets a stronger sense of the connection and his Father's presence. But it's weak. The whole thing is very weak. The face on the card rearranges itself again and Diomedes can undoubtedly really see his Father's face. He looks like hell and he seems to be chained or tied up to something. "Help me," he says again.

"Dad!" Diomedes exclaims. Sweat pours off of his brow and the strain of engaging a spell through Dad's connection, trump and arcane, suddenly gives the entire room a distinct and unmistakable smell of seawater, as if the entire room has been plunged underneath the ocean.

"I can't bring you through," he says and Diomedes plainly sees the chains that mean his Father cannot come through to him, either. "I'm too weak. You'll have to go the long way around."

Diomedes nods, cursing mentally under his breath those who would do this to his father.

"Look very closely," his Father tells him. "Remember every feature. I may only be able to show you once. Come armed too..."

"Yes Dad" Diomedes says obediently, staring.

Then Diomedes sees a landscape laid out before him over his Father's shoulder, out a window, out a battlement. It's far from Amber, somewhere where the Shadows go mad. Farther than Diomedes has ever been before. Stark shifting colors. Fiery. Day without a sun in the sky. Rocks that glided like sailboats across the land. His Father there in some kind of tower...with a thing coiled around its base that catches Diomedes eye. A watch thing made of glass, or crystal...or ice. Hard to guess its size but large, definitely big.

Diomedes is shocked by the strange landscape in which Dad is imprisoned, but the strange details are filed away in his mind as a tableau to be recreated, a land to be found, a destination to be sought. A guardian to be defeated.

Then it's gone. There's no transition. There's no passing out of mind or time to say good-bye. No spell anymore and no more trump energy. Diomedes is left staring at his Father's cold trump card with Random staring at him. Diomedes sees Random holding his own card of Brand in his fingers, but cannot say whether he was in the contact or not.

"Did you see it?" Diomedes asks. "How much did you see of what happened?" he asks Random. Before his uncle answers, Diomedes slumps back into the chair, drained by the experience. The scent of the ocean starts to slowly dissipate as the spell and trump work fades away into the aether.

Random nods. "I saw it but I don't believe it. That was a weird contact, like it was the card talking to me before I saw the place where they have him." He puts Brand's trump card on the table very gingerly. "How exactly did that work again?" he asks, nodding at the trump card then Diomedes. He seems to be fast recovering from his shock as curiousity gets the better of him.

"Here," Random says, getting up and pouring a glass of whatever alcohol lies closest at hand and then pouring one for himself. "Get a shot of that down you. It'll help.

Diomedes nods, takes the glass of the clear alcoholic liquid and drinks it, relatively quickly and puts it on the table. "Tequila." Diomedes says.

"You saw it too?" He pauses for Diomedes reaction.

"Yes" Diomedes says. "I saw and felt it all. Dad's talents are stronger than even I imagined. He combined Artistry with Sorcery to help make that happen. Of course if we hadn't been on the other end, it wouldn't have worked. It took all three of us. Whoever put him there powerfully barred the world he is in, but we had enough to make that brief contact."

Diomedes looks thoughtful as Random resumes speaking. "I don't think it's impossible to get him out, not for the two of us working together. I saw several weak points in the setup that we could take advantage of once we get there."

"You're still in, then?" Diomedes asks. "I wondered, after getting a look at that guardian if you were going to bail out. Neither of us are exactly Gerard or Uncle Benedict. Heck, I'm not even Drake the Adventurer."

"True," Random agrees, "we're not. But I'm not turning my back on my brother, or you. Most of my siblings think I'm a weakling and a bluff. Now you're going to find out. I'm going to see this through."

Diomedes gives a nod at Random's fortitude.

"But, maybe." Diomedes resumes speaking. "between blade and spell we can get past that...thing and into where Dad is chained up."

"Exactly. That guardian-thing was bright and the light was kinda odd, so we may want to pick up some things to deal with that as well the thing itself." Random stands up. "You can rest while I round up what I can here. Whatever I don't find here, we'll pick up on the way."

He pauses to see what Diomedes has to say.

"Sunglasses." Diomedes agrees. "My instinct says that guns won't work in such a strange shadow, but a pair of pistols wouldn't hurt. Provisions. And anything else you judge necessary, Uncle. While you get stuff, *I* am going to rack some spells. I may not be an aeromancer, but I think we might need to fly our way through, with that setup. Trust me, I have an idea that you might appreciate."

"Add in a big meal and a good night's sleep and we'll leave at dawn." Diomedes finishes.

Random goes out and brings back some dark polaroid goggles for them both and a gun for himself.

The next morning sees Diomedes and Random equipped according to mainly Random's specifications, Diomedes' spells racked, and meal and sleep all taken care of. Diomedes walks with Random down to the harbor, trusting that the power of a scion of Amber will see him to have the right sort of credit card to rent a sailboat, a small one suspiciously and perhaps subconsciously similar to Widow's Wave. Her name is The Blue Dolphin.

His uncle stares at the bobbing boat on the placid sea for a long moment. He rubs his chin absently and then carefully steps on board. "This is takin' a lot of trust on my part, I hope you know."

"We have to trust each other for this to work." Diomedes confirms.

Diomedes casts off with Random and starts the shadow shifting before the boat is halfway out of the bay. Keeping on the water is Diomedes' comfort level, and so he works hard to maintain the ocean for the moment and works on other variables for the time being.

Diomedes pushes the sun in the sky as the obvious change to make first. To make the sun turn into perpetual day will require going far into shadow, and Diomedes has prepared for this. A moderate wind behind pushes The Blue Dolphin further and further, as blue sky and yellow sun change colors to brighter, unusual ones never seen anywhere near Amber, until they begin to reach places where there are no night, where the sun is a diffuse light across the entire sky.

"Almost time for sunglasses." Diomedes quips to Random. "How are you holding up?"

"Not the best time I've ever had, but I'll manage," Random replies. "Before we get all the way there, we better discuss what's the plan?"

"That shadow is especially designed to make it difficult to reach the Tower. You saw the floating rocks as well as the guardian." Diomedes says. "We need to sail as close as we can to that shadow, and then we are going to switch to flying; I'll enchant Dolphin to make that happen. We'll fly in, or glide, if powered arcane flight is not possible. I would guess the rocks will try and stop us in the approach, we'll have to manage as best we can."

"Then, we deal with the glass guardian with blade and spell, and find a way inside the Tower."

"Unless you have a better idea or three?" Diomedes asks Random.

Random pauses to shake out another of a seemingly endless supply of cigarettes, not bothering to offer his nephew one after having spent this much time together. He cocks his head a little as he gives Diomedes a calculating look. "No, I'd take an aerial approach too. It's the only vector that doesn't appear to be accounted for."

Diomedes smiles slightly at this.

He backs off his scrutiny of Diomedes then and shakes his head. "This place is a hard left turn of any place I've *ever* been before. Trumps don't work. There's no discernable source of daylight. And the landscape is tailored to act as a security system. Seems kind of a bit much to be a shadow's handiwork. Strikes me like Family." He takes a good draw on his cigarette. "Seems a little obvious to be Eric though," he mutters very quietly. "Your Dad was one of your Grandfather's pets, but with Dad gone, sorry to say, the rest of us wouldn't elect him to Student Council. Begs the question of why do this to Brand, when you may not have to? You got watch how aggressive you look with Gerard around."

"I have some disturbing intimations, Uncle." Diomedes responds somberly.

"Like what?" Random asks with interest. "Go ahead, I'm already disturbed. I'd also like to be as well-informed as possible for this. Your hunches have already paid off on this trip, let's hear these."

"Well." Diomedes begins. "Its difficult to give you my suspicions without giving you a lot of background material, and betray too much. But it has been said that my father, as of late, has been speaking with...forces, to the displeasure of my Aunt Fiona in particular. I gathered that these forces were of no little power, or else Theia would not have mentioned them. And my father had been out of contact with all of us for some time, until our business in trying to contact him."

"Forces?" Random asks himself, trying to work it out.

"*They* may be his jailors." Diomedes finishes.

"Under different circumstances I'd have attributed it to Eric's younger brother." Random frowns. "Corwin redefined sneaky. That's why no one liked him, either."

"Err.. does," Random amends absently. "Does like him. Anyway, that theory might be shot to hell too now."

Diomedes smiles slightly.

"Well whoever it is, bad luck for them," Random says with a menacing smile. - Show quoted text -

"Two questions and I'm good to go, Kid. First," he gestures at the Blue Dolphin. "Your hocus pocus can really make this thing fly like an airship?"

"Second, does anyone know if Benedict's alive?"

"To answer the first question, unless the magical environment there is completely inimical to my abilities, the answer is a unqualified yes." Diomedes responds confidently.

"Its an approximation to say that there are four classical elements, fire, earth, air and water." Diomedes says. "And I don't want to bore you, and I'm not the teacher Fiona, or Dad, or the Academy Professors were...but sorcerers have affinities for elements. You already have seen that Water is my primary element."

"Air is my second." Diomedes continues. "After all, nothing is worse for a sailboat than to be caught in the doldrums, unable to budge upon the ocean. Earth is my third element, and Fire is my weakest. In fact, my weakness with fire was such that Dad and Theia thought for a while that I was a Squib...someone who has a parent with magical ability, but has none themselves. But that's another story..." Diomedes waves his hand.

"Your second question is easier to answer, and can be answered in the affirmative." Diomedes says. "I believe that Obi reached him by trump not long ago."

Random nods to Diomedes' answer then points to the sky and sea ahead of them. The light is almost right, but it's coming at a price. There's a storm ahead. Diomedes has been pushing against it for sometime as they have talked. The good news is that he doesn't sense this is anything to do with Random's curse, but more that in order to get to where they are headed, they are going to have to lose the sea at this point and go airborne. Lightning forks near them and Random jumps then swears loudly.

"Ready to fly, Uncle?" Diomedes asks. "The ensorcellment is at the ready. I can feel the bindings of the spell waiting to be unleashed, the afrits waiting to be summoned and carry us aloft and through shadow. With this storm, I favor a bold approach to lose the sea, and take to the air now, Uncle."

Assuming Random does not stop him, Diomedes goes for a sudden series of shifts, until the ocean before them changes into a miles-wide waterfall, plunging into empty space. As the ship sails toward this precipice, Diomedes works tirelessly, trusting Random to hold the ship on course as he does so.

"Air Elementals and Afrits. By the Winds of Aeolus, by the breezes that blow in the tropics, by the blizzards that blow in the Boreal Regions, and by the hurricanes that blow across the Equator, hear me. Receive my breath as gift and promise of mutual service. Hear the syllables of those words which bind you to lift this craft."

And then, as the ship draws ever nearer toward the Waterfall, Diomedes speaks once again in Enochian, his eyes half closed as he faces the precipice, to unleash the spell that will allow the ship to not fall off the water's edge, but to fly into the space beyond.

As they fly off the water's edge, Random adjust the sails. There's a moment of dipping and diving, then sure enough he catches the current with a grunt of effort. But a few Shadows more and the currents change. The storm is with them. They'll have to go through it to reach their destination.

The water beneath them changes to desert and Diomedes continues to shift. There's a buckling beneath them as a large rock hits them out of nowhere. Looking below as they ascend higher and higher, Diomedes catches the fact that they have the flying rocks now as well as the sky. Surely they are close.

Random has to fight now to keep the sails and their little sky-boat on track. This time, the air currents slam against the hull of the boat, making Diomedes gasp and grab on to the rail to help steady himself.

Diomedes grits his teeth and holds on as tightly as he can to the Dolphin.

"Sorry," Random murmurs through gritted teeth. "It's getting tricky." But Diomedes can see that with one final nudge, they have reached the tower in the distance. A cable in one of the sails snaps and Random swears as they pitch forward and lurch downwards.

"That did it," he says to Diomedes, "do what you can. We're going down. Goggles," he says, throwing a pair to Diomedes.

Diomedes snaps the goggles on and looks carefully at the scene before them.

Diomedes can see, fortunately, soft sand coming up to greet them at an alarming rate, along with flying boulders at different altitudes that somehow Random is flying them between. They hit it with a shudder. Prepared as he is, Diomedes is still catapulted forward, out of their boat into the sand.

Diomedes rolls with the impact, trying to come up to his feet as rapidly as possible.

Just as he looks upwards once again, out of the sand he sees one of the huge flying boulders coming at him with alarming speed - beyond it in the distance is the tower with the gleam of the guardian clearly seen.

"It's coming to smash us!" Diomedes warns Random. "But I have an idea. We'll get on board it and try and change its flight to bring us to the tower."

Diomedes attempts to sidestep the incoming boulder so that he will just be out of the path of the deadly missile, and then, if he sees foot and hand holds, will leap to grasp its side and, assuming he manages the feat, attempt to climb toward the top.

---

*Unbeknownst to Diomedes, in a couple of short years, a song with this part of the lyrics will reach #22 on the music charts in Flora's shadow, by one Paul Simon, entitled "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard"