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"all around the mulberry bush"

It was a box, not paticularly huge...the tune was a familiar one. The colors jarred with the surrounding area. It had obviously just been set up.

"the monkey chased the weeeeasel"

A little crank slipped it's way in an unending spiral.

"monkey thought twas all in fun..."

And suddenly...there was a gap, like a record jumping. Before it started again.

"all around the mulberry bush"

The box simply fell to another side seeming to rotate, snatching the rapier out of her hand if she wasn't careful, but not doing any damage to the blade other then making it comically stand on it's end, horizontal along the box.

Again the song started...there was a pause, and again the same.

"Monkey thought twas all in fun-"

...

...

"all around the mulberry-"

What an oddity! There was another lid under the first! This was getting ridiculous, chaotic, completely insane. And yet still the crank turned, the song continued eerily to a point, and then stopped at that point, before continueing.

This next door had a frown on it, as if it were the wrong answer to a question. It was sealed somewhat magically in nature, so if Flare tried again, she'd meet with a lot of resistance.

Obvously now, though, her rapier was freed.

!!!

A series of clunks was heard, all going off at once, and colors suddenly exploded from the box in a shower of confettii.

Once all the decorations were gone, some thing sat at the end of the spring that had popped out, lying comfortably in the top circular hoop and swaying a bit from being released.

"Greetings greetings and ever so many salutations for the one who's found and cracked MY box."

It was obviously a recording, the small doll had no moving mouth. And yet it seemed to pick itself up and bow to the lady. No more then about six inches high, it was dressed in patches and had a cap with a feather in it, it looked vaugly like a sea captain that had fallen into a paint factory.

"Spiral and cogs go tick tock, something about a few locks.

My owner, the very esteemed personage there is to know, waits impatiently for one or many to witness his show.

Though you may already be caught in it all, try not to fall.

The path leads to the murky, Durem city, if you're late it would be...oh such a pity."

A blink of a second, and the whole box was gone, leaving only the now very lifeless clockwork puppet. Obviously it's mechanics had worn down.

Soccer ball still in tow, Rage began her run through the port. The whole place smelled like fish... it was terrible. She wanted to get as far away as fast as possible.

This was a serious case of deja vu. Rage had already been here... but, she'd have to keep going. She paused for a while to figure out where to go next.

Now covered up to her knees in some sort of primordial ooze from the land bridge between the Port and Ferry, Kira dragged her scaly self up onto the dock, Alex and Vahn safe aboard her back. Where to now, Little One? she telepathed to Vahn, trying to shake some mud from between her talons.