It was almost as if it was on cue, the arrival of the two others that had left hours before. When Nisaki was done, his map inked out with all rooms labeled, he’d just begun to check over it for a second time when they stepped in Skye’s shop with cloth bags of random goods in hand.

Melody was quick to inform them of their wonderful timing, and then ushered them into the room once again, where they settled with their items. It was a moment before Skye joined again with Tya practically at his heels. He motioned her to her seat, which she promptly took. As she sat, trying to get comfortable, she tugged at the scarf around her own neck and pulled it up in a manner that almost seemed like she was smelling it— of course that wasn’t true, since she had no sense of smell.

Nisaki pulled his map off the table he’d made it on, and spread it out on the floor before the chairs so he could explain it all.

It was simple; there were four separate sections on it, one for each floor, the dungeon included. He glossed over the dungeon, though still made note of a few things that could prove useful should they be unfortunate enough to find themselves down there. It wasn’t their job to release the captives held together in one section. To do so would be dangerous for both groups, and it would be better left to Lillia should they succeed in ridding the castle of it’s High Queen.

He began on the ground level by pointing out the castle’s lesser used entrances. The majority of the castle’s staff had either been taken to the dungeons as cattle or dismissed from service should they refuse to obey Valya’s efforts. The kitchens were often bustling before Valya turned things as she had, and now with the majority of its inhabitants being Sékan, there was little need for kitchen staff. The pantry doors were locked and barred, but Sarobie assured that that wouldn’t be something to stand in their way.

The four guard towers to the Castle’s corners were all covered and shaded. More often than not, there would be someone on look out. Their foes did not sleep, and Venat could not reach them beneath the covered walkways that connected each tower to the next. This meant that they had to time their entry and hope that routes were organized enough they could find a time to slip between them. Once inside, they figured it wouldn’t be so difficult.

The second story of the castle was irrelevant. Nisaki did note the lesser stairways up; servant’s stairs and the currently empty apartments that, should it be needed, should serve as an apt place for them to hide out in. But getting to the third floor did not allow for such easy entrances.

The High Queen’s quarters were on the second floor, as were Lillia’s, but without a need for sleep, Valya seldom spent time in them. The only place to find her would be in the library on that floor, but he doubted that as well.

The third floor was accessible by only the two grand staircases placed with symmetry on either side of the castle. The second tier landings were the entrance to the guard towers’ walkways as well. The third floor would be guarded without a doubt, and unfortunately it was also their destination, as Valya spent the majority of her time there, holed up in either the war room, or the third floor library.

Before long, they had a plan that wasn’t entirely unlike the one Tya had initially stated—they barge in to overtake the castle with their Sentient Torch in tow, prepared to reduce any foe that stood against them to ash. There were some finer details tossed in for flavor, but she was pleased with this, because in her mind it meant she was victorious. In what exactly? She wasn’t sure. She just couldn’t help but feel she was.

Disagreements caused their planning to last some time after night fell. Irritating as they were, she was admittedly pleased that they’d all thought through their plan enough to find them. Hours past, and though said disagreements occurred, the group finally settled on a plan.

Though they’d ultimately agreed with Tya’s strategy (if one could even call something so poorly thought out as ‘walk in’, a strategy), she couldn’t help but be somewhat skeptical over just how much they were putting into hope alone. They had picked some details out, but none of it seemed concrete. Then again, it seemed to be a common theme among them. They hoped they’d find the fire they needed, hoped Tya would be truly on their side and no actual threat to them despite very little questioning on it, hoped pieces would fall together with no direct lead, and now they hoped that there would be a gap in the guard, hoped they would be able to get to the third floor, hoped that they could find Valya before she could find them…

Tya knew the Ancients were prominent among the people, and that the religious often felt they would be led onto the path required of them, but she thought that relying solely on those assumptions was somewhat lazy. She’d guessed the Ancients weren’t there to just fill in the blanks, but who was she to contradict another’s faith? Perhaps it was true and the only reason she felt such a way was because she herself cared little for divinity.