The blonde's voice rang out, clear with an edge as she questioned the ferry women-again.  "What do you mean you can't, I need to get across now.  If I can't fly, then I need you to take me on your boat."  Achelois huffed a little as she crossed her arms over her chest.  She was impatient, when was the last time that had happened?  Her thoughts were interrupted as a group of people burst out of the forest, from the path she had created.  

Ignoring them, she turned her attention back to the women.  Right now she needed to get across this body of water.  And these people were making it difficult... "What is it that you want?" So that I can end this, now.

She didn't remember closing her eyes, but opening them took significant effort. Nocturnus remained collapsed against something warm, which only made the rousing from slumber more difficult. As the dark eyelashes fluttered again, briefly revealing the deep eyes, she thought that she was home. Napping in mother's arms. She must have fallen asleep while watching mother shape the night; it was so soothing and peaceful. The child moved to push herself up, opening her mouth, her tongue and throat so dry.

"Mother, what...?" she mumbled, the voice slurred and soft, only to realize as her vision cleared that she was not home, this was not mother, this was something completely foreign.

Sailor Nocturnus tried to move, and realized now that her ability to do so was severely restricted. She could see a river and a castle, but most of what she saw was the area she hadn't yet identified as "the view over Sailor Andromeda's shoulder". Her eyes caught a glimpse of other sailor soldiers around her, and there didn't seem to be a battle immediately ongoing, so she tried not to panic.

< I... I can't really move, > she whispered via the telepathic link, sounding somewhat strained, although perhaps that made sense all things considering.

The voice that sounded nearby caused her to try to move, again, attempting to turn towards it.

Achelois...!

She burst through the forest, glad to be free of it, and paused by the river. Relief filled her as she saw Achelois further down, and began moving toward it, no longer rushed but still careful. It seemed Achelois was having some trouble negotiating with the ferry woman about getting across. To be honest, Andromeda wouldn’t mind a bit of a swim after everything that happened to her, but knowing this place, the river was probably deadly or something.

Or maybe… What was it she once read about the rivers at this place? Something about them able to erase all memories.

She heard Nocturnus stirring and waking up, calling for her mother—her heart ached even as more relief filled her now that the youngest soldier was awake.

< Sorry about that. Spiders… sticky webs. Could someone try to get rid of the webs, please? > she asked, as several of them had volunteered their weapons earlier.

Her eyes found Achelois, wondering what the problem was.

“Achelois!” she called out to get the other woman’s attention.

Callisto ran out behind Andromeda, using her shield to reflect any branches that tried to catch her on the way. Oberon and Sedna almost tumbled into the river beyond the clearing, but she had caught them before they actually fell. Callisto couldn't even see the river's bottom, which wasn't very comforting...

< We're safely out of the woods for now, we'll get you separated soon, >  Callisto said to Nocturnus, seeing her struggling against the spiderweb. She'd use her own claws to try and rip through, but they weren't as sharp as a real blade and was afraid she'd get stuck as well. 

She spotted Achelois when Andromeda called out her name, and she could see a dock with a boat, along with the Chimera and two women she didn't recognize. Well at least they knew a way across the river now, but it seemed that Achelois was having issues.

I never thought I would fear getting wet, grumbled his mind when Callisto kept him from falling in the lake, the words never reaching the people in the current group link.

He slowly stood back up, helping himself with his wings, toes barely touching the ground before he lifted himself slightly above it again.

< All my gratitude. > he said to Callisto, quickly pressing two fingers in the middle of his forehead before closing his eyes and making a swift and graceful gesture back at the other senshi.

He didn't turn toward where Achelois probably was, judging by Andromeda's eyes, but rather inspected their group. They were alive, slightly ruffled, but no wounds that needed tending. The only problem here were Nocturnus and Andromeda. And even if his spear was sharp enough, he wasn't sure he could separate them without hurting one or the other in the process.

Achelois was now half-glaring at the two women in their suspicious cloaks.  While she could tell they weren't old, there wasn't much else she could see.  She wondered if they even understood how urgent the situation was.

Hearing her name called out pulled the still glowing green eyes back to the group that had emerged from the forest.  Her slit pupils focused as she realized who had followed her.  For a moment she was filled with agitation, why were they here?  Weren't they exhausted? Why had they not returned to that Crystal place?  She took a deep breath, she was frustrated, actually she was a lot more than just frustrated.  But she didn't need to take out on them.  Especially when she saw a slightly panicked Nocturnus webbed to the back of Andromeda.  Yet this told her more than anything that maybe they really shouldn't be here.

Achelois looked around the group as they approached, her face still bearing a hard edge.  Yet as her eyes again fell on Andromeda and Nocturnus, and the shield they carried, she softened.  It was only a little but it took the edge off.  They were trying, they wanted to, needed to help.  She could understand that.  

The blonde's hair swished lightly as she turned to give the Chimera Wigglebottoms a look implying the safety of the approaching group.  She smirked slightly as she began forming energy in her hand.  "Now if this scenario plays out anything like before, then this water really is dangerous."  The energy moved from her hand and spread over the web, cutting it gently from Nocturnus and Andromeda till they were free and able to move without issue.

OOC:

Free of the web thanks to Achelois' powers, Nocturnus gently slid free of Andromeda's back, coming to stand beside the other sailor solider. There was a part of her that wanted to run up to the blonde warrior and the strange beast, longing to jump forward and hug someone she had been so worried about on their journey, but she knew it would be inappropriate this time, so she held back. The dark-haired girl compensated for her feelings by hurrying towards Achelois.

Her reflective eyes stared curiously at the group that the other woman was negotiating with. Clearly the goal was to cross this river, and she suspected that the water was filled with danger if only because that would be most inconvenient—which seemed to be a common theme.

"I will take you," one of the women said, changing her answer from before. With a welcoming gesture the dock became sturdy, more solid then ethereal, the wooden boat now within their walking ability to reach.

She had no idea what to expect from Achelois’ mood—from someone who had just been forced to kill the person they loved the most and then had that person’s essence stolen in front of her eyes. Suffice it to say Andromeda would have been pretty messed up if she had been in Achelois’ position, not that she wasn’t already messed up from the trauma she witnessed.

But then that familiar smirk, and before she knew it the webbing was gone, and she and Nocturnus were freed. “Thanks,” she smiled at the other woman, wanting to convey with her eyes that they were there for her. She wanted to hug Achelois so badly, if not for Achelois than for her own sanity, but it didn’t seem like the appropriate moment.

“At least it doesn’t look like acid,” she muttered.

Her gaze turned towards one of the unfamiliar women as she claimed she would take them, a bit surprised that she wasn’t asking for payment. For free? Just like that? If that were the case, wouldn’t Achelois be across by now? She was tempted to ask what the catch was, but decided against it.

She looked at Achelois questioningly, once again returning the mantle of decision maker to her and following her lead now that they were back together.

She wanted to deal with this alone.  She didn't want them anywhere near danger, and yet she found she couldn't turn them away.  The way Nocturnus had rushed over just to be near her, the look on Andromeda's face that she found familiar from another story, she felt just a little of the edge wear off.  Although she tried to offer them a smile as response, she could feel that it was tainted.  Even with others dear to her so near, she couldn't feel happy.  

She turned back to the cloaked women as one of them suddenly changed their mind.  She glared suspiciously, why had they suddenly sung a different tune?  Still, they really had no other choice. 
 
"All right then." She motioned to the chimera Wigglebottoms to join them on the boat, then motioned to Nocturnus to stay near her side.  A glance to Andromeda to be on guard and quick look to the others, what they chose was up to them.  She was tired and wary, and she didn't want to lose anyone else in this war.  She entered the boat, careful of the edges.

It didn't take much prompting for Nocturnus to follow Achelois' nonverbal orders. She had received plenty of experience on previous missions, and she trusted the older and wiser woman completely. The small-framed girl nodded slightly and stepped on board beside the other woman, maintaining a careful distance that avoided straying without being so close as to interfere.

The black-uniformed girl ducked slightly, still peering at the hooded figures that had just allowed her onto the boat. Who were they? It was so hard to see very much with their cloaks. Considering everything that had happened on other missions, they could so easily be allies, enemies, or neutral. Nocturnus remained inquisitive, although she tried not to seem rude, watching while keeping on her guard.

She was glad to see Achelois’ smile, even if it wasn’t as happy or carefree as usual. As they began boarding the boat, Andromeda followed suit and stepped onto the boat, watching for danger as she glanced toward the pristine lake suspiciously, then to the strangers who had offered them a ride. Was this a trap?

She was glad to have someone else watching out for Nocturnus; it allowed her to fight with less hesitation and watch out for other things. Enya’s old shield still hung heavy in her arm, and she wondered if Achelois wanted it back. She also wanted to reassure her that they would surely get Enya’s crystal where it belonged, but what were promises without the action behind them? It’d be better to follow through on it first.

The tension could be felt and Oberon feared the teamwork would greatly suffer from it. As bored and dull as he had become, a pain such as Achelois' seemed foreign. Immortality didn't allow the luxury of suffering, of feeling. It seemed like a waste of time. Then again, didn't he have all the time in the universe to waste?

He floated to the boat, careful to take the same route as the others.

Emotions were a liability that was building barriers keeping them from working as one.

But at least, friends were now reunited.

He kept a careful distance from the edges and the others, both hands firmly closed around his twin blades. It wasn't as if he could leave anymore. His wings wouldn't carry him higher than a few inches.

< My connection to Achelois broke when she left. > He stated matter-of-factly so everyone was left with the same information and nobody would try to contact her needlessly.

Would you have to establish the link as a whole in order to have her join us once more?  Sedna asked curiously. Oberon's mental link to them all proved to be very useful during their missions and it would be good to have Achelois connected to them again, it would be easier to communicate with her that way and perhaps keep her from doing something rash.

Achelois still looked tense and angry as the group approached her, but Callisto was relieved to see her softening up to Andromeda and Nocturnus. it also seemed like their boat problem was solved, though the cloaked woman changing her mind so quickly was strange.

Callisto stepped onto the dock and boarded the boat after Oberon, keeping an eye out for any other surprises. She hoped they could all fit comfortably on it without straining the wooden sea vessel, or else they'd be in trouble if it sank halfway across...

Wigglebottoms watched those approach but did not attack, as She motioned that they should not. Those were only too familiar. Those had tried to bargain with her, to kill her, and failed on both - but She did not want them to attack, so she did not. They split their attention between those and these until She motioned for her to get into the boat, and so she did, the wood hard beneath her paws and hooves, the boat tipping as she entered and sat at the far end, making way for Achelois and those. She folded her wings and sat on her rear, the smallest one slithering until she could see above the boat and keep watch on what was happening behind and around. They watched in all directions, wary of this boat and what it could mean, but accepted the presence of those, so long as they did not touch. 

Quote :

With every entry to the boat, it seemed the boat grew to accommodate them, growing ever so slightly to ensure that every body had a place to rest. As the last of them stepped aboard, the ferrywoman stepped on effortlessly, her steps seeming not to affect the balance of the boat in the slightest, though any ripples she may have caused could have easily been lost in the general shiftings of their companions. She nodded to the other on shore, and mimed pushing off against the dock, and away they went.

They followed the flow of the river for a time, the other shore impossibly far and yet close enough to touch...

< I can easily pull her mind back. > He answered to Sedna's query.

Adding one mind at a time was easier than what he always did when he brought all of their minds into his at once. Yet, he didn't add her. Achelois' voice didn't add herself to the white noise and whispers going on in his head.

If he was asked he would.

Restless, Oberon carefully landed on the boat, bare feet slowly getting acquainted with the wooden texture as his membranes scratched its surface slightly. He closed his arms around himself, blades pointing out but not a danger for anyone else - or himself - yet ready to strike if needed. He folded his wings back behind him despite how uncomfortable and unnatural it felt.

The Chimera's presence rendered him agitated.

Maybe because usually he didn't have to think of people he attacked as they weren't alive to breathe near him after a fight. And for the son of a peaceful kind, it rested uneasily on him. He looked at the opposite shore, wondering if it was an illusion, a trick of his mind or if distance worked differently in here.

Quote :

Hours after the others had landed on Sagittarius Zero Star, reinforcements arrived, driven by the information Azazel Knight had gleaned and communicated to Sailor Jupiter. Only two came from the same place - Sailor Leviathan and Shadow. The other two, Sailor Mercury and Bellatrix, while acquainted, had traveled from other fights on other planets to reach the center of the galaxy at this time.


Like the others, once they were above the outer expanse of Sagittarius Zero Star, they were grounded unceremoniously, and, just like the others, their death-defying descent was halted just in time by none other than the Crone.

Sailor Mercury 


Sailor Mercury had reassigned herself to this particular mission not on a whim, but on a hunch. When Jupiter had relayed the loss of a powerful senshi, she had connected it to the sudden shift in the Sailor War. The planet that she had been assisting to clear of dark influence had become even more entrenched in Chaos. This could not be just a coincidence, so she decided to join this particular group to make sure they were successful. If her hypothesis was correct, Saving the crystal of Sailor Enyalius could be an important step in regaining control of the war. 

She also knew exactly how it felt to be used like that, a living tool for Chaos. Being manipulated by Galaxia so long ago was an experience she would not forget, and if she could help prevent something similar from happening to another senshi, she'd do whatever it took. This battle had hurt enough good people as it was.

That didn't mean that travelling to Sagittarius Zero failed to intimidate her. It was both the birthplace of all and the galaxy's graveyard, and if Chaos had gotten loose again, it would not be a peaceful visit. Mercury kept the appearance of being calm, even as their group of four fell to the surface, though the old woman waiting for them was new to her. She was fairly used to seeing Shadow around Crystal Tokyo, but Sailor Bellatrix and Sailor Leviathan were less experienced senshi, and she wanted to appear as in control as possible to reassure them.

She wasn't given much time to question her as she spoke and handed out packages, and Mercury agreed that they were better off moving as quickly as possible anyway. She tucked the potions away even as she looked around.

There was a thick forest ahead, with no clear entryway in sight, but Mercury's hand was already going to her earring to more deeply scan the area. Nothing here was as it seemed, and she intended to uncover as much as possible as she pulled up her visor. But there was one fairly important thing she wanted to know before the Crone disappeared.

"Do you know how far ahead the group that arrived before us is?" she asked. How fast would they need to move to catch up?

One sailor soldier laughed off the abrupt landing and continued to laugh at the Crone who, to her, took all of this way too seriously. Sailor Leviathan posed cutely, much like the characters in the manga she adored and looked ahead with a beaming grin:

"Sagittarius Zero Star. I had no intention of ever coming here again in any of my lifetimes but here I am, joining the likes of all of you to save the universe itself! Pro tip, never visit old work places. It's awkward. Just remembering my former boss leaves a bad taste in my mouth!"

She laughed as though she was merely talking about a bad employer, not the most destructive sailor soldier, second in power only to Sailor Moon.

"But of course, this mission is only second to my true mission! The mission to recruit a sailor soldier team of my own! I have two confirmed members and two open positions! How lucky for you! This, my comrades, is your boot camp! Perform well and I shall personally invite you into my ranks! Don't worry, Shadow, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Bellatrix, no matter what lesser side you're on now, it's never too late to board the Team Leviathan ship!"

There was an odd gleam in Leviathan's eyes. For whatever reason, she didn't seem to be taking this mission very seriously. Was she really not afraid of this place? No, for whatever reason, she had no qualms about being there or stirring up trouble among the team members.

Sagittarius Zero Star..

Shadow had limited personal knowledge of the star, and generally had no interest in seeking out such knowledge. If it was in fact a sacred and special place to the galaxy's senshi, then it held no personal relevance to a person of his stature.

After recovering from the initial shock of the plunge towards the star's surface, he quickly began to look around himself. The three senshi and their irregular companion were now in the middle of an untamed forest - and they were not alone. 

The crone's behavior, now and before, had served to set Shadow's teeth on edge. Like their previous meeting on the aquatic planet of Leviathan, she bore some gifts - or were they some purchased favors that he vaguely remembered? She was unusually terse, seeming to forego her usual antics to deliver a direct message. It wasn't cryptic at all, but instead a validation of his initial skepticism towards the star's lack of hospitality.

Shadow couldn't shake the overarching feeling that she was a meddler, despite the fact that she was helping them with their missions in what was otherwise small and indirect methods. That bothered him more than just a little bit, especially when she had just helped them to escape terminal velocity.

When the old woman prepared to take her leave, Shadow turned to her and posed a question that had long been brewing in the corner of his mind. "Did you already know if Achelois was going to refuse my help?" Though his query was completely irrelevant towards the current matter at hand, it was also a distraction that Shadow wanted to remove before proceeding into the forest. As he awaited a response, he stole a glance at his companions to quietly evaluate their reactions and impressions.

Rather shaken from the fall,  Bellatrix straightened her posture and tightened her grip upon her golden spear.

Now it truly began.

Somehow, it reminded her of the last time she had joined a group of senshi with a great task stretched out ahead of them. A task that they had ultimately failed. Bellatrix squeezed against the warm metal of her spear until her knuckles turned white. It still hurt, to think of that, even after all this time.

But Bellatrix pushed those thoughts away. That would not happen again, she'd make sure of it. She was no longer an uncertain girl with little experience, and failure was not an option.

Heart racing with anticipation, with anxiety, with a bit of fear, Bellatrix listened to the Crone as she spoke, her words curt and to the point. It felt like this woman had a lot of knowledge, or perhaps it was power she sensed? Either way, she didn't like it - surely such a person would be of better help if she came along with the rest of them.

Bellatrix turned her attention onto her comrades instead, no longer interested in the Crone and her mysteries. Sailor Mercury and Shadow had their own valid questions to ask of the Crone, but it was Sailor Leviathan that drew Bellatrix's eyes. Loud and laughing, Leviathan simply did not seem to understand the severity of the situation they all faced.

Perhaps there was something wrong with the girl. Bellatrix sort of remembered Leviathan's antics from the last time she had seen her, but time had lessened the memories. Had Leviathan always sounded this unstable?

Bellatrix made a mental note to keep an extra eye on the girl, as she waited for the others to receive answers to their questions. Nothing would keep them from completing this mission - not even the strange humors of a strange girl.

Nocturnus looked out at the mysterious water, wondering how long it would take them to reach the other shore of the unusual river. The hooded figure conducted her ferrying tasks smoothly, skill evident in the lack of disturbance during their voyage. Sailor Nocturnus still wondered who exactly this woman could be, and why she had been arguing before with Achelois. She wasn't willing to question the change of heart out loud, but she could certainly do so in her own thoughts about the current situation.

Trust nothing. Move quickly. Do not be fooled by appearances.

The words from the Crone echoed softly in her mind, although at the time she had barely been cognizant of the old woman's presence and message. Slowly, Nocturnus reached to touch one gloved hand against the armor that covered her forearms, remembering the warmth she had initially felt when the items were first delivered. These were from Mother. The Crone had never led them astray. She would do what she could to remember and act on those words of warning.

Dark eyes strayed from the water to the beast. It remained close to Achelois, but it was definitely watching the others. Nocturnus felt slightly guilty thinking that they had fought it before, on planet Enyalius. With the way it interacted with Achelois, it seemed more of a pet than an evil creature. Reasonably the child knew that it was working for the corrupted Sailor Enyalius, and they had limited time to make decisions, but now she knew it probably wasn't actually a thing created by or tainted with Chaos. Just a creature of that planet.

Sailor Nocturnus smiled at it—after all, it had enough heads for at least one to be looking this way—and wondered if it liked Sailor Achelois somewhat close to the same way Nocturnus did. Maybe that was something they had in common.

Though at first it seemed the boat might not fit all of them, somehow by the time everyone got on there was more than enough room for everyone. Andromeda wisely kept her distance away from the Chimera, whom she had tried to kill back in Enyalius, figuring the creature probably had no love for them either. She wondered if Achelois had tamed it the way she had tamed that troll back in Zenar, or if it was something else. Back in Enyalius, the Chimera had been blocking their way and it was necessary to ‘handle’ it, as communicating with it proved useless. They had no way of knowing what alignment the creature held and they had been pressed for time. All this was to say that she didn’t regret her choices, but if the Chimera proved to not be a threat now, she would not harm it.

< Ask for her permission first, > she replied to Oberon, though perhaps unnecessarily. She didn’t know what state of mind Achelois was in or whether she wanted other people in her head right now even if it was for strategy.

She kept her eye on the opposite shore, hoping they’d reach it soon.

“Are we heading for the palace?” she asked quietly to Achelois, so that only people standing really close to them could hear. After all, they had only been following her and none of them were familiar with this place. “I don't like the fact that the spiders from Zenar are here.”

What other familiar foes might they encounter, and how? Why?

The crone talked over, or under, as far as tones go, Leviathan's antics to answer Mercury's question directly. "They arrived close to 7 hours ago; they've met up with Achelois and are working their way across the river." Then she turned to Shadow, who had asked his question at the same time Mercury had, and yet the Crone had caught it without difficulty. Her gaze was more a sneaking look with the hint of an amused smile at the tips of her lips, tension leaving her for the moment as she answered his question with a simple, straightforward, "Yes."

And disappeared.

She looks, spoke the feline, and the dragon's eyes glanced over. 
She is small, it returned. We do not fight the small.
We do not fight any anymore, the ram stated, hinting at a complaint. It is like the old days.
The old days were good, the lioness returned.
The old days were boring, the ram rebutted. 
Jussst sssssshut up! the snake said. 
They quieted, returning to their watch.

---

The ferrywoman, staring forward at the nose of the boat, where none could see, smiled sinisterly.

Seven hours ahead then, if they weren't held up by anything for too long. Mercury's visor scanned the forest as the Crone spoke, and highlighted a group of footprints in the dirt. Multiple sets of boots, along with beast paws. This must have been the path the first group took then.

She wasn't able to get out a thank you before the old woman disappeared as quickly as she arrived, leaving her alone with her own group.

Sailor Leviathan's upbeat attitude was odd considering the severity of their mission, though the way she spoke about her former boss made her wonder exactly what she did in the past. What Mercury did know was that, wrong attitude or not, Leviathan was powerful in her own way. It might just take some guidance to keep her focused... 

"Your recruitment drive will have to take a backseat for now," Mercury said, though she kept an even tone with Leviathan. "We need to move efficiently if we want to catch up with Sailor Achelois and her group," she was speaking to Bellatrix and Shadow as well now. "I've found their tracks moving through the forest, so it shouldn't take as long to navigate our way to the other side as long as we don't stray from"-

Her visor made an audible series of beeps, interrupting her, and Mercury blinked in surprise as it warned her of an incoming energy signature. Someone else was coming. A second later, her computer system labeled the anomaly as Mars.

"I-It appears that we're receiving more backup," Mercury said, beginning readjust her plan. "Sailor Mars should be arriving shortly..." This was sudden. Why hadn't anyone sent her a message that Mars would be joining?

Yes, of course she would know..

Shadow exhaled slowly, deciding to file away the growing distaste for that old woman and her secrets in the corner of his mind. He was already on the heels of Achelois and the source of her recent tragedy, sharing the company of three senshi with whom he was well acquainted. Catching up to the first team was their primary goal. Instead of burdening Bellatrix, Leviathan and Mercury with his own opinions of the secretive mystic, he would focus on getting the two senshi groups together into one coherent force.

While waiting for Mercury to analyze the weald with her supercomputer, Shadow drew his sword and glanced past it with hesitation as he kept watch for threatening entities. The brush looked thick enough to warrant an edged tool for clearing. Was this what his beloved blade had been reduced to? A mere implement of menial labor?

With drooping shoulders and a look of resignation, Shadow continued his silent vigil. Leviathan's strange behavior had been noticed, but he chose not to acknowledge it in any tangible manner. In fact, his trip with the odd senshi of illusion had been conducted with Shadow remaining quiet for nearly its entire duration.

Mercury's announcement served to offer a reason for Shadow to smile, if only so much. She succeeded in locating a set of tracks, which was their first real lead out of this unsettling copse. Before the genius senshi could finish her previous statement, she was soon alerted to another presence.

Shadow hastily recomposed himself, turning his head to speak in Mercury's direction. "Are you able to contact her?" The idea of Sailor Mars joining their ranks so late wasn't exactly unwelcome, but he had to maintain a certain degree of disbelief.

Sailor Mercury's information at least brought the conversation to the here and now - it was a good way to refocus their group to what needed to be done.

Bellatrix looked for the tracks that Mercury mentioned, though it was near impossible for her to notice any difference in the ground. She had never been good at noticing such things, but she trusted in Mercury's judgment and intelligence. It was a good lead, and at least they would be able to start in the right direction.

The announcement of another senshi joining their group was surprising, but a welcoming one. Having another senshi on their side would only improve their chances of success - especially a senshi as powerful and as experienced as Sailor Mars. Though Bellatrix didn't know the woman personally, Mars's short temper was well-known, and Bellatrix wondered how Mars and Leviathan would work together.

Perhaps Bellatrix would have to share her own techniques of keeping calm in order to keep peace in their group. Somehow, that idea amused her.

"How long is 'shortly'?" Bellatrix asked. "We shouldn't delay any more than we need to. We're already so far behind as it is. If she's going to arrive late, perhaps we should just move on ahead and she can catch up later." Seven hours would be difficult enough to catch up on, and Mars would be able to move faster on her own if need be. It wasn't the most elegant of solutions, but they couldn't spare to waste any time.

Achelois kept her eyes on the distance, she could feel Nocturnus near her but still she watched the seemingly forever far away shore.  Andromeda's whisper pulled her attention back to the here and now, she responded in kind without taking her eyes of the shore, "I believe so."  The heads of Wigglebottoms began discussing among themselves, she supposed "the little one" was Nocturnus and was slightly glad that they had decided they would not fight her.  How considerate.