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"Oh, the code is easy enough. Mr. Gilfax used to write in it to test my skills in cracking puzzles, so although I've forgotten some of it, I think I can still read enough of the for it to make sense." Karin said, her eyes already trained on the next page.

Aura shook her head and thought of where it might be. Nothing seemed to come up. I hope I don't jinx this, but it seems our kidnappers have laid off the assault. Maybe this would be a good time to look around some more?

She shook her head to clear the thought--she was not exactly entitled to suggesting anything, she did not think, particularly after her most recent failure.

Finally, she set her toolkit on the table and took a snack off the platter Elias had brought. After finishing the snack, she asked Elisa "Wake me up when something happens?" She then promptly curled up in the corner and fell into a dreamless sleep.

((I was reading the first few pages of the RP and just realized that my hope for Lee x Alex is now relatively implausible for a number of reasons. LoL!))

"The lull before the storm is always the most dangerous time. Be careful." Karin cautioned, before returning to the book.

"Should I go with them?" Elias asked, making to stand up. "I'm sure they can protect themselves, but...just in case?"

He stood, realized Alex still had his cane-weapon and made to go after them when something clicked. He turned and asked Karin, "Did you say the book was called 'Adventures of the Atlantis Crew'? Because...the cruise I took was called Atlantis Memory...could that just be a coincedence?"

((@Illusion--do you want to make up a few excerpts from the diary? Or do you want me to? Either way is fine with me ^_^ ))

~Tris

((nice...))
Mark walked with Alex through some of the rooms. "So how have you been?" He asked cautiously.

Alex knew what he meant to ask, and that he was ashamed of his actions. "I've been lonely. And cold." She told him.

June 15, 1994
We docked at Greece and the captain said we could visit Athens if we wanted to because the "Atlantis" would be there for a while. Athens was gorgeous, I could not get enough of the elegant structures and the statues that were in the temples. The ancient Greeks must have been brilliant architects, perhaps even better than my brother. Oh dear, if my brother should ever find out I said this, I will be in trouble so don't tell anyone ok Diary? Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, was so magnificent with her helmet and shield and all the other carved things. I didn't know that the helmet had a face carved on it, I think it looks like a Spartan warrior face. Sparta has something to do with war doesn't it? Such a nice symbol carved on Athena's head, considering she is also the Goddess of War. Karin stared at the section about Athena, it could be the answer to two of the lines on one of the riddles Mr. Gilfax had left.

((oo))

Elisa resigned herself to munching on snacks and flipping through the the contact book and staring at the photos.

After many minutes of quiet searching, she leapt up, nearly spilling a glass of juice onto Lee's lap. She apologised quickly and hurried to Karin's side.

"This guy," she said, pointing at a smiling old man. The name underneath identified him as Ryan Gilfax. "He's that guy I said who gave Grandfather my daggers. He's grandmother's second brother, the one we lost contact with. Her eldest brother was an architect, and this one was a police officer and one of the founders of the Spy Academy...according to this profile anyway..."

Elisa trailed off for a moment, thinking of an old memory. "He liked cheesecake," she finally said. "Yes. I liked jumping on his bed. It would swing around because it was held up with chains and not really set on the ground. He never slept on it anyways...he preferred the couch. So Elias and I built models on his bed.

"And then he left. One day he just left and never came back. No phone number, no address, nothing. Grandfather sent dozens of people out to find him and never could. A few years ago, police proclaimed him dead after a freak accident in which someone that looked remarkably like him died. But Elias swore he saw the guy at the funeral. Either way, he's all but vanished off the face of the planet. This was all after my mom and dad died, of course. Cars are incredibly unsafe."

She reached forward and took a biscuit off the plate. She quieted, nibbling contently.
---------------------

It was a short trip for Elias to the back door of the mansion that led out to a spacious and beautiful garden decorated by not only greenery and a sparkling fountain but also by the busts of deceased family. Strange markings had been painted or carved into the ground or grass around the pedestals these busts sat on, symbolising eternal peace and happiness.

Elias tried the back door and found it locked. Not surprised, he dug into his pocket, pulled out the master key and stuck it in the keyhole. He let himself out, closed the door, and stuck the key back in his pocket.

He nodded at the busts he passed and even conversed with some of them: "Hullo Great-Uncle Ryan,
"Good afternoon, Great-Aunt Cassidy. Lovely weather, isn't it?...Yes, I just returned a few days ago....yes, America is beautiful, but I do prefer home....hahah!
"Uncle Caleb! Did I or did I not win that last chess game?"

It was a very odd sight, but he made his way like this, exchanging pleasantries with the busts. Some he paused at longer than others, and some he didn't talk to at all, only giving them a respectful inclination of the head. The busts of his parents he stopped at for a few seconds but did not acknowledge them in any way before continuing onwards. In this strange, nonchalant fashion he made his way to the fountain, where the emblem of the Gilfax family line was engraved in marble and adorned with a single blood-red garnet.

He leapt onto a small rock just barely under the water and made his way to the fountain, where he began climbing up and around the marble fountain. The fountain was the shape of two crossed battle axes and a short floating sword in the middle. The entire fountain was only slightly shorter than a one-story house and stood an imposing structure in the garden, though from another perspective, the mansion dominated it. The back of the garden faded into a maze of hedges and trees, and beyond that were the same tall hedges that prevented anyone from leaving or entering the estate.

"Elijah. You've come." a voice said and a shadow that did not belong stirred next to the peach tree.

"I said I would." Elias replied, continuing to climb without giving further note to the person. "Could you move away from the tree? It was my great-aunt's favourite tree and she doesn't like people touching it without her permission."

The figure sneered but did not move from the tree. Elias glanced at the bust of Cassidy in the shade of the tree, next to where the figure stood, before returning to climbing.

"What do you want me here for anyway? Why are you doing this?"

"You know why. We need...that."

"They're guests though! Half of those people don't even know about it!"

"They were at the wrong place at the wrong time then."

Elias had reached the top of the statue and as balanced precariously between the blade of one marble axe and the hilt of the sword. His back was turned to the figure and he turned to face him presently.

"Another thing--I told you to let Aura go."

"Whom?"

"Aurasine Windrose. My sister's best friend?"

"She got herself into this mess. We would have let her leave. All she had to do was climb the hedge."

"You have snipers around the whole place instructed to kill anyone who tries!" Elias retorted. His companion was now staring at the bust next to the tree and making faces at it. Elias noted this and brushed off the top of the sword hilt quickly. He inserted a the same silver key he had used to get out into a hidden keyhole and input a command into the miniature keypad that appeared. Nothing happened, but Elias returned his key to his pocket, making the panel concealing the keypad shut quickly and silently.

"They had orders," he companion said finally, his back still turned. "She would have been spared. Not anymore though. She's involved now."

Elias was silent as he began his descent. He lingered for a moment and collected a small object from the back of the sword, where a tiny panel had opened. The small thing he concealed cleverly, where it could not be detected. Once the object was removed, the panel closed again and the statue was still a statue, solid and simple.

"Fine." Elias swung down slowly and carefully. "What's my job?"

"Nothing. Keep them away from the basement, attic, and Lord Ryan's old room. Not that they'd be inclined to visit any of them. Be careful. Don't reveal too much if you can help it. We kept that other boy silent by threatening his little friend and we can hurt someone dear to you too."

Elias laughed and nearly slipped off an axe. "Mark? You threatened to kill Alex if they said anything?"

"Yea. Once we find them I'm going to personally slaughter her, I tell you. He goes off and cuts the wire so we don't have video or audio anywhere."

"Can't you fix it?"

"Nah. We can't get into the study--unless you give me your key?"

"Over my sister's dead body," he retorted.

The figure raised an eyebrow. "We can arrange that..."

Elias landed on the base of the fountain, laughing darkly. "I'd like to see you try."

His companion squired but capitulated. "Can't waste beauty like that," he sighed. "What about her friend?"

"Aura? She's my sister's best friend. If you have to use that as a threat, you must be desperate. I don't care too much about her myself."

"You love your sister too much--it'll be the death of you. Keep an eye on the spy girl, Karin. She's figuring too much out. Does she know about it?"

"Beats me. You do know I got back here a week ago, yes? I know nothing about any of them. I barely know half their names. You should have picked Elisa for this."

"Except little Ellasyn would never consent to working with me or Rebecca." He sighed.

"What does Rebecca have to do with this?"

"Oh she set up the whole thing. She's the Lord's favourite--ahh I probably shouldn't have told you that. Forget it."

"Sure." Elias said and turned to go back in.

"Whatever. Watch yourself, Elijah Gilfax. Lord Ryan would not be pleased if this operation failed." The anonymous figure wandered off, pulling a mask over his head.

Elias turned to the bust of his Great-Aunt and murmured an apology of some sorts and something about the Isle of the Blest before returning into the house and back to the place where everyone else was. He saw Mark and Alex were still gone, Aura was still asleep, and Elisa was talking to Karin. He smiled in greeting and sat down. "What'd I miss?"

((...overkill? Sorry -.- If I accidentally broke an unsaid rule...or am god-modding, please tell me and I'll edit! smile

Also, could I introduce a new character? (Not the guy Elias is talking to; Castele-- who wrote most of the post--was going to kill him at the end of the post but I thought that was too mean and edited out his death.) The new character would be another member of the Gilfax family--not another grandchild of Mr. Gilfax though. Just somehow distantly related. ))
~Castele and Lyra (alternately writing)