"I'm flying!"

Larianne is balanced precariously on the wings of the Black Dragon figurehead, her arms outstretched as though she too could fly. She could easily fall off, except for Tanaka's arms around her waist bracing her.

"This is so romantic!" she exclaims. "Don't you think it would make a wonderful scene for a theater production?'

Tanaka leans his cheek against hers. "Nah. No one would ever believe it."

But he kisses her anyway, and then ruffles her hair.

Larianne snorts, but he only responds by lifting her down onto the deck as the ship banks and slowly descends to the grounds inside the walls of Wilkschloss.

The ship called Doris dropped into her moorings on the roof first, so the escort ships are setting down slightly later one at a time. Izzy and Pugsy are already to the wide stone steps to the front door of the castle, where Djoni is waiting to usher everyone inside.

Clytie, on the other hand, seems enchanted by everything around her. She happily examines a hand lantern sitting on a barrel near the courtyard fountain and laughs merrily at the fireflies inside. Her laughter rings out like bells.

"Merciful mugwort, what IS that cacophanous sound?" says a coldly elegant voice.

Everyone turns in the direction of the voice, expecting to see another ship, but there is none. A child in white and her entourage have seemingly materialized from the shadows.

Djoni appears unruffled, although his knuckles turn white as he clenches a fist. "Greetings, Lysandra. What brings you here? Surely not the Vernal Ball."

"Of course not, you silly rude boy!" the child snaps. "I can't imagine anything more dreadful than celebrating Spring of all seasons, by dressing in some outlandish get-up like that foghorn-creature over there." She makes a dismissive gesture at Clytie.

"I thought my dress was pretty," Clytie murmurs, drooping her head.

"It's very pretty." Junu's deep voice cuts through, "And so is the sweet lady wearing it, although I expect you don't understand sweetness."

"Oh, my," the child fixes her gaze upon Junu. "Great-nephew, you DO keep some delicious friends. But I would advise this one to be careful, since he obviously has no idea who or what I am, or what I can do."

Djoni answers in a tight voice. "Everyone, this is my great-great aunt, Lysandra, Regen of Drakhall, the other High Noble house of Falcor."

"His great-great aunt?" Pugsy whispers to Izzy. "She's a child."

"No, she's not," Clytie fills her in with confidence. "I can tell. She's at least a hundred years older than I am."

"You do realize I can hear you?" Followed by her guards, the child moves closer to Clytie, and reaches one hand toward her cheek, revealing long and sharp fingernails.

"Aunt, please!" cries Djoni.

But before she can connect with Clytie's skin, the sound of a flute floats through the air, its notes bringing spring, life, and joy and spreading it wider and wider. It lightens the mood for everyone except the child, who recoils as though she's been burned.

Junu puts down his flute. "I know exactly what you are. Heubhyeolgwi, we call you in my homeland. I take you do not care for music?"

The child smiles ruefully. "You win this round, Kolto, as we call you in my homeland. I am not quite myself," she adds. "I have lost several friends to ghostfires lately, and it has not improved my mood. Does this have anything to do with Wilkschloss, nephew?"

"None at all," Djoni assures her. "And we also suffer from murder and mayhem. I suggest we all go in, and discuss this in more comfortable surroundings."

As the group follows him, Clytie's hand tucked into Junu's, Lucien gestures to a side corridor just past the main entrance.

"Mes amis," he says to you. "That door calls to me, but I must follow if there is to be a discussion. Could you examine it for me? I have a feeling, a very strong one, that it will lead us to learn exactly what is going on."

You follow his advice and stroll slowly down a long hallway. It's devoid of guards or servants save for six wolf carvings on the wall.

As you pass the first, a growly voice emanates from the carving's mouth: There are four digits.

The second carving yields: The digits read from left to right, and there are no duplicates.

The third says: The first digit is not 7 or 8.

The fourth adds: There are no zeros at all.

The fifth explains: All digits multiplied equal 420.

The last speaks: The first digit times the second is 14.

You come to the door at the end and find a notated grid:

A plaque above the grid is engraved:

"Give me face and form, and feed the correct digits into my mouth in order, and you may enter in and learn my secrets."

(OOC: This is a dual puzzle challenge. Solve the nonogram and the lock problem. All questions and discoussion should be in the OOC thread for this chapter. Please SMAIL your answers to me by 11:59 pm, Sunday, July 2.)

Frieda was first troubled by the creepy corridor, then by the speaking images and their cryptic clues. She thought of a potion that she could use that would blast the lock apart, but decided to let the rest of her team try to work out the clues.

Krios struck the cords of his mandolin which he had conjured out of thin air minutes ago. He hummed a plain little melody, then launched into a carrying song about their newest adventure.

“Shadows parted, sent forth a child yet is she one? or magic wild?“

Myra smiled, she knew Krios´ habit of turning every episode into song and rhyme. With high, clear voice, she tried to continue the story as the young mage looked at her, inviting.

“Lysandra they say, that´s her name, sounds really nice but of ill fame!"

The young alchemist's eyes darted around, looking for the next singer-to-be.

"Six wolf carvings found on the wall A strange puzzle Ends the dark hall Our little team are not perplexed What adventures Will happen next" Lyra looks around, sheepishly, "Okay, so I'm not the greatest lyricist!"

Akalia looked down at Gunther as she tried to think before stuttering a verse. “We have arrived in a world so grand To help the people Of this strange land” The elf looked for the next singer.

"On the Aero-Wolf, a ship so royal we called the baron a killer disloyal," Videnicse sang in a light, pretty voice, slightly off tune.

"Not sure what, now, we all will find. We left our own world far behind," Gish added. She just said it, she didn't try to sing it; but she whistled a few notes afterward, in a manner an elf would find hard to reproduce.

Valera looked over at Lilith and shook her head and sighed. The pirate really wasn't one for song and she refused to join in due to her stubbornness. Instead of joining in, Val pulled out a flask she had in her pocket and raised it in toast to her team's verses. Jasper at the sight of the captain's flask pulled out his own and raised it as well in toast, whereas his master cheered on her colleagues.

The team came together for one last bit of relaxation before the real adventure got underway. It seemed as if there was something dangerous lurking right around the corner for all the protectors.

Witchy goes out to the deck to welcome the morning. As Elvis comes down from the sky to greet her, she notices a slimy hard shell creature looking up at her. 'Oh No' she thinks, 'Not another creature to follow me around. Well, at least this one will fit in my pocket.'~ Looking into the distance, Witchy whispers, "Oh look, she tells Squeek and Elvis, there's Wilkschloss Castle"

Suddenly interrupting Witchy's peaceful morning, Tea_Roll, Lovecraft and TerrenaAnimula are standing before her looking stressed. She instantly knows what is happening with the three of them.

"YOU have to zap us back to Subeta!" Tea grabs a hold of her and starts shaking her.

"Just temporarily," Terrena adds trying to pull Tea off of Witchy.

"We just need to go back to start and organize our # Anticake protesters to march against NO FRESH CAKE!" Lovecraft confirms exactly what Witchy already guessed.

"Really you three?" springjoy says joining them. "You can't let it go can you?"

"I just don't understand why you won't let there be Fresh cake," Kaiidth adds in. "Cake is for everyone!" Spring agrees.

The three of them turn to them and stare in disbelief and varying degrees of horror.

"Has anyone seen Reaper yet today?" springjoy asks trying to change the subject and distract them.

"I sold her to GreenRowan," Lovecraft says. "The price was right."

"You did not," Reaper stumbles up. "I just had a drink to many and slept a little longer."

"Um...you do realize you have a drink in your hand now?" Terrena acknowledges a glance to Reaper's right hand.

"How else do you expect me to start my day?" Reaper replies taking a sip with a face that clearly says the question was absolutely crazy.

"SO WITCHY!!!" Tea is bouncing in front of her. "WE HAVE TO GO BACK!"

Witchy blinks slowly and considers the request. She is kinda shocked they would ask her after all she doesn't have the greatest aim and tends to get things lost all the time.

Witchy nods her head, "I understand that you don't want cake. Especially since the FOOD EXTRAVAGANZA has started :( and WE ARE MISSING IT!!"

"And I'm really sorry, BUT...." at this, Tea, Terrena, and Lovecraft frown at witchy, "BUT! THIS Is A 420 Puzzle!!" she says with a huge grin on her face, holding up her little red purse containing her fixens, "YOU MUST SOLVE THIS PUZZLE before I send you back to start the anti-cake movement."

turns to and mumbles, "I wonder if Tea, Cat, and Love, remember that Witchy is PRO FRESH cake?"

Suddenly, yells out "MY BRAIN DID A GOOD THING!" Kaiidth grins at Reaper, and says, MINE Too!

Lovecraft frowns at them, and says, "LOOK I've been busy! There are forces at work around here, that you have NO idea about! Just Look at that Grid!"

TerrenaAnimula and Witchy look at the wall blank face. Witchy squints and puts on her glasses then puts her face right up to the wall, "I don't see anything" she says. Terrena says "I don't understand LC, that grid makes no sense." Turning to Witchy, she says "Basically the gist is the numbers are the consecutive blocks colored in in each row and column. But I really don't understand these things."

Lovecraft agains frowns at the pair, "Seriously..." she huffs, and turns to put in the digits, "hidden "

Tea, with a huge grin on her face, says "Witchy, You take Terrena and LC back to get everything ready for the anti-cake march, I'LL Take care of THIS grid!" Kaiidth and Springjoy look at each other, and at the same time, says "I think I'm sick to my stomach, maybe we should go back too."

Witchy looks at Tea_Roll and grins, "OK! You work on the puzzle Tea, and I'll take care of the Cake problem!" starts waving her pipe around, sparkles fill the air, the other girls start getting transparent, Tea is laughing hysterically and starts rolling around the castle floor.

Grinning and giggling at Tea as she runs into a wall, Witchy says, "Don't Worry! I'm ALL FOR [USER=FRESH]CAKE!"

LoveCraft gives Witchy a huge Frown, and growls, "WITCHY!" because she has a feeling that Witchy is NOT going to send her back to the Festival and Anti-Cake group.

lovecraft is usually right

Witchy looks at Tea, as she tries to stand back up, and says "Tea, I'm going to leave Ripper here with you, and go back and get some CAKE FOREVER , before the truck runs out of it! Ripper will send me a signal when you're ready for me to get you for the march. Twinkles surrounding her, witchy disappears

Tea, still trying to stand up properly, frowns at the disappearing twinkles and looks down at the snail, "Ripper?" Looking up into the ceiling, Tea yells at Witchy, "HEY!! DON'T GIVE CAKE!" Then goes back to rolling on the floor, "WHeeeeeeee"

The girls, so distracted by the festival, and anti-cake march, never did get back to the castle to finish the puzzle. Tea. getting so caught up in rolling around the corridors forgot what she was suppose to do.

The Fallen Angels look over the puzzle and immediately go to work. Atrueheart throws her hands up in disgust and says "Y'all know I can't do these types of puzzles! Numbers hate me!"

Calie pats Atrueheart on the shoulder and states "That's what you have us for True! We know your myriad of talents lie elsewhere."

Kestra giggles "We got this True! Don't worry about it!" Jinx nods her head scribbling furiously while Hethlic holds his head. "Makes my head hurt!" he exclaims.

Ava points out a key piece of the puzzle and Jinx marks it on the graph. "Don't worry True, I consulted Laurie on this and she's on the ball as usual. This is gonna be a piece of cake."

"Well the least I can do is get y'all refreshments while you work on it!" states Atrueheart as she heads over to the counter and orders up several pitchers and some donuts. Returning to the table she sees her Angels working furiously to complete the puzzle. Without even raising their heads they all grab a glass and down them and then attack the donuts while scribbling furiously. Atrueheart pulls out her lute and strums softly while waiting on her Fallen Angels to finish up.

Calie and Kestra are arguing a point but then Ava points out the correct direction. Grinning Calie states "Good thing we're a team or we'd all be sunk!" Finally after a few hours they all sit back and Atrueheart pours them another glass of ale which they drink gratefully. "Done and Done!" Jinx says.

Hethlic scratches his head in bewilderment and mumbles "I don't understand how we came up with two answers to the lock problem!" Kestra walks him through it one more time. "... and that's how we get two answers! Both will work!" Hethlic just shakes his head again and grabs another donut.

"Great! Y'all did it again Angels!" Atrueheart exclaims enthusiastically. "I'll just get these answers to Djoni and find out what our next assignment will be." She walks away in search of Djoni while the others scarf down the rest of the donuts and Ava looks around for more food. "Hey, a growing Ranger needs a lot of sustenance!" she explains as the rest of the Angels just laugh and Calie leaves the table in search of more food.