Welcome to Gaia! ::

Trailed the halls, crisp click of heel that echoed briskly off dusty crag, crack of cobbled archway, and stone-worked floor. Sighed at the wonder of a workload piled high. Wry slash of frown across his face for how his current circumstances at home compounded things. How he continued to have Lieutenants and basics foisted upon him for checkups and check-ins.

Prehnite assumed the recent missions gone just slightly awry had prompted such an uptic in activity. Just because he'd obtained extra duties on top of extra duties didn't mean he couldn't find a way to meld them seamlessly into singular tasks.

Meet his goals as he met others...

Didn't know this one from a hole in the wall, but he would. Know her, vet her, send her on her way. Wonder that there was such a break in the chain that there seemed to be never enough Captains...enough Generals? To manage the middling grounds.

Quick text sent through crystal tablet - beckon and summons in one. Either she would find her way to him, or she wouldn't. He'd give her enough time to manage it though.

"Basic Vela - you're presence is required, I expect to receive you within the hour at these co-ordinates. With kind regards and haste. Captain Prehnite."

If he ever crawled forth from his niche to become a general? Except even then he imagined that he'd run across the same reoccurring issues. Fresh faces that came in, inactive, left to wallow without guidance or waived to the side.

Better he managed things as a Captain eternal. At least for the time being. Sighed and posted himself outside the great maw of doors that lead to the hall of shadows. Ignored the dimmed screams and scrape of claw from the glass beyond - how little it bothered him now - such a difference from when he was younger.

Scrolled over work on his data pad as he waited to see if she'd show......

"I did yes" appreciated the girls punctuality. Prehnites expression pulled form boredom into something other, soft not quite a smile aimed in her direction, as he was glad for her expediency in showing up. Glad for her showing up at all. "I'll make it quick -- in fact -- this little jaunt likely won't take much time at all." he didn't expect it would, not so long as he had a Senshi in tow.

Little matter that he'd been tasked lately with handling one thing or another - with taking in lower ranks and 'showing the ropes'. Incidents of the rift event over the summer that had prompted so much need - call and response to those who were clearly unprepared. Prehnite was an educator first - agent second - and educate he would.

"I'm Captain Prehnite. Due to recent....events...I've been tasked with a bit of re-education....Tell me Vela? What do you know about the rift." paused and waited patiently, gave her a moment as he looked her over with patience in his stare and stance.

"Thats--You've got to be kidding me?" really she had to have been. Prehnite had been expecting someone new, but not someone this new? How long had Vela been with them, whom had she been under before? Supposed it was his lot in life as Captain eternal to manage these things --- but...

"Well then..if thats truly the case? Think of this as less a 'reeducation' and more of an 'informing'. It's no wonder we've had a swath of things going badly down there if this arguably your first time being told anything of it. Though I've also have some shopping to do...ah..." certainly thing's he'd wanted to get done and places he'd wanted to venture towards. "...consider it learning on the go..simple steps. As missions do crop up for the place? Senshi are never to enter alone - if the screaming doors and guardians lurking beyond the glass weren't hint enough for that..." and Prehnite shrugged and shouldered open the doors behind him - let the hall yawn on wide down the tunnel of it all.

Shadows that moved beyond the thick glass walls of it - that aurated forboding and shed dark - hiss/scratch of claw and moan that held rage older than time. "You'd be surprised how many they are not hint enough for." grinned down the darkness, like he knew it as friend, before tilting emerald gaze back to the senshi who spoke like fire.

"If its too much?" and he would give her an out here - could be kind even if it would be detrimental to her learning..

"You have to understand, Vela is it? It's not you I'm disappointed with. There are protocol and such to follow when dealing with --- the induction of any of our agents." softest of sighs, and he would make the best of it at least. Would offer up the chance to fix whatever had been failed upon by others.

He asked, left it open, let her have her chance to back out. At least of this particular trip. She seemed --- resigned - if not determined. Which would do well enough for his purposes.

"Since you're sure...and most wouldn't take a Senshi down here. I believe that it's of the utmost importance for all of our agents. Our Senshi espescially? To have knowledge full and well of all aspects --- our summer mission --- and it had quite a few of them present? Could've gone of slight bit better if that had occurred." and Prehnite held his hand out for her, arm on offer because he'd not have her walk at any distance from her in these halls. He was still only a Captain after all - his years of service be damned - the domain they were going to walk into -- the halls they would pass to get their?

Those creatures only respected the one thing. Power and darkness. Generals and Half-youma of rank and file...

"This is the Hall of shadows..Do not touch the walls. Do not stray." though he smiled even as he said it. Despite the forms that seemed to stir beyond the barriers -- despite how the noise of their movement -- claws on grasp and senses alight to the presence of 'senshi' seemed to heighten. Prehnite had never had reason to dislike the rift. Even the worst of it, and he would be loath to show that sort of face to the Senshi so willing to explore it.

"The Guardians behind the glass do well to protect all. Us from the rift -- and the rift from us --- We are very much like barely tolerated house guests, if that makes sense? Though as Senshi you are...outright an enemy in their eyes? No matter the rank and file." not that he would be any more welcome - only just barely listened to - and hadn't he learned that the hard way?

“I would never preach the lie that any of it is meant to be calming. Preparedness offered with harsh truths serves everyone better than sugar coated niceties.” hummed words, spoken softer for the echo, took her in paced stride — to avoid catching the attention of the figures that stirred just at the edges of their sealed walls.

That seemed to come alive - hungry and rage filled —

That seemed to claw awake at the sensation of starseeds passing through. Shadows beyond the glass —- eyeless and gaping voids of hate….Ancient and nameless one and all.

“A little context? During the summer, we took a trip into the rift. A mission of sorts..we lost far to many to ignorance. Senshi and agent alike.” pressed the heavy door at the other end open swiftly — though what lay beyond that was barely better by any measure.

Purple lightning that streaked the sky, rift dust caught in winds that blew up and died suddenly without warning. A mild climate aside form that - for no sun or moon lived there. Only endless ceilings with gems that sparkled like would be stars when not obscured by storms that cast no rain —

The scar of the rift lay beyond the steps down from the castle proper — the calls of youma in the deep —

“Would you be surprised— that I like it here? Now, we won’t be going to far..” and he knew the path to his garden by heart — to her garden — his darling briar rose.

“…that doesn’t mean they’ll be anything less than nosy - even for me at times? I find it overwhelming. If the youma get too much…if they fail to heed me? Feel free to dust them — carefully.” And prehnite wasn’t eager to bring a hoard of hostile youma down on them, but he had dragged a Senshi into their midst and would undoubtedly attract attention.

The Senshi has power though, the ability to end where he could only command and stab, and anything lost to them would reform later…

Ascension in nod in turn - and once they were beyond the doors proper? Prehnite felt less inclined to have her on the arm as a guide. Left her close as he slipped himself free and led -- Watched warry for the shadows that shifted beyond - beings that skittered sleepily - watchfully - little dots of yellow and orange eyes that peeked from cragged rock and split earth as he motioned for her to follow - took the steps down away from the castle in stride.

"Why -- for starters -- There's rumor that things lurk in the rift that can be useful. Magically speaking? I know once before we encountered a vast graveyard - littered with bone and being alike." and how Prehnite thought wistfully of Hatsya - hissed for the guilt that wormed through his thoughts.

Plodded on with purpose in his steps.

"As for myself though - my personal enjoyment of all this? I suppose it's easier that I'm not a Senshi - this place is a bit less dangerous for me. It's quiet. Beautiful. Rife with all sorts of inhuman things -- though -- they used to be. Once upon a time." left off mention of the garden. They would see it soon enough. Would follow the path that wound down and out - and how he knew it by memory now. Every pebble and step.

Worried more for the rats that wormed about than anything larger than that. For he had his lovely Iolanthe there to keep the more unmanageable creatures out. "What about you...Vela, is it? I'd love your opinion on the place. A point of view from a Dark Senshi...I've always found the magic as fascinating as the origins. Beings from Cosmic bodies beyond.." fascinating, terrifying, strange and unexplainable to him. Yet he admired it all the same. Senshi and their kind. For all that he failed to understand them.

"Maybe you'll get a chance to demonstrate." and the smile on his face was -- other -- almost eerie with the backdrop of light beyond the ridges and streaked through the sky with shades unnatural to Earth proper.

Creatures that crept ever closer to their path....curious things...sharp eyes...watching eyes....

Awe-struck at the swath of fire that swirled to life at the Senshi’s behest. Vela of Fire - of blazes - and Prehnite found it both terrifying and beautiful in one. Let loose a startled laugh as he watched her strike.

The way the embers fanned out through the air and ate the enemies around them - scared the smaller ones and sent up a spray of dust for those few the attack caught in tow.

Who got too close with opened maws and eyes that were fever bright with hunger. “Amazing — c’mon.” bade her swiftly along as he summoned his twin trowels forth.

Deterrent to those that weren’t so easily scared off and detriment to those who that saw him as meal more than Captain - because even he had to admit he only had so much power in this realm. A place where they were guest and trespasser alike - and now? With aggression.

With purpose beyond taking a leisurely walk down a cragulous path -- towards a crystal garden that lay over a ridge -- deep in a valley.

“This — is Iolanthes den. A garden of eden that holds briar roses - beautiful crystal thorns and petals alike. An oasis of rift flora.” Prehnite grinned, breathless mirth, as the light of the single sky star and crystalline ceiling reflected off curved glass vines and sharp leaves - the place lived - was full of life - however strange.

“It’s her magic I believe, my youmas..she keeps this place pristine and growing. Tends to it under hoof and hand. I’ve been coming here since I was a lieutenant - though it likely existed long before then. It’s not polite to ask a woman’s age and so I don’t; especially not of her.” he eyed the pomegranate bush that had steadily grown and bloomed amongst the center of it all.

Would pluck vela a freshly sprung prize from it — as thanks —

“I asked her to leave me a gift of sorts.” Gently motioned for Vela to stay within reach as he stalked closer to the mouth of the cave set near within the crux of the clif-face that ran alongside the valley od it all.