[center][h3]The Chalk Prince, the Fallen Child, the Skeleton, and the Skullgirl[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Frozen Highlands - Snowdin
Linkle’s [@Gentlemanvaultboy], Frisk’s [@Majoras End], Papyrus’ [@Dark Cloud][/center]

Hearing that Linkle had yet to encounter Rex came as something of a letdown, but Nia didn’t get long to be disappointed before bewilderment took over. “Hu-what!? Vandham? But he’s…dead…” Perplexed by the impossible news that this girl and her friends had met the mercenary in the flesh, she scratched the back of her head. She’d [i]been[/i] there when the big man sacrificed his life, when the avian blade Roc reverted to his core crystal after the death of his driver. It couldn’t be true, but what reason might this stranger to be lying? Sure, she looked kind of menacing with those scarlet half-skull eyes and deathly pale complexion, but Linkle herself seemed incredibly nice and well-meaning. Could it be an imposter–a successor seeking to keep the legacy alive, or something more sinister? This just didn’t make sense.

Albedo could sense her confusion, but being very far removed from the turn of events that now left Nia distressed, he couldn’t offer any reassuring hypothesis or logical conclusions. Perhaps this misbegotten world offered some other, cleaner means of reviving the dead than his own method of creation, but he felt that such conjectures would only serve to muddle the waters.

After a moment though, Linkle bailed them both out by taking the conversation in a new direction. She brought up a particular Eye, which Albedo supposed to be a legendary magical artifact or some such, which like the all-seeing crystal balls of myth could evidently see the future. The idea of such a thing being possible fascinated him, not just hypothetically, but practically, for who could say that such an extraordinary thing did not exist in the World of Light? Unfortunately, he could offer nothing to the Skullgirl beyond a piqued interest. “My apologies, but I am unaware of any such object.”

“Yeah, likewise,” Nia added. “No special eyes ‘round yurr, I’m afraid.”

The alchemist did, however, venture a few more of his thoughts. “If such a thing is truly out there, and as vital to our quest to restore the worlds as you make out, I doubt it would be found in public spaces. More likely is it would be sequestered in some remote hideaway, surrounded by mystery and majesty, inaccessible to the average man.” Albedo crossed his arms, frowning. “That, of course, is a best-case hypothesis. I doubt our foe would want it somewhere that we could even stumble across it. Something so important may very well be kept under lock and key, guarded by the most powerful foes this world has to offer.”

As that ominous possibility hung in the air, Nia’s ears twitched. Brows furrowed, she went back to something that Albedo let slip that caught her attention. “‘Ang on a tick, didja say ‘restore the worlds’? I mean, I wasn’t aware that anythin’ was wrong with the world, but if that’s what this big group o’ yours is all about, maybe we could lend a ‘and?” Though still in her pajamas, Nia put her hands on her hips in heroic fashion. “I mean, we en’t got much to offer other’n healin’, but I’d feel bad knowin’ I’m sittin’ here dozin’ around while the world needs savin’.”

Albedo mulled over her words. “Well, we appreciate the offer. I’m not sure if we can say anything on this group’s behalf, however. At the moment we’re cut off from the rest of her team, completely isolated. Before we can look at the bigger picture, we need to deal with the matter of the Stranger.”

“You mean that tattoo-covered drewgi?” Nia’s eyes went wide. “Good flippin’ luck! Nothin’ gets through to that guy, believe you me.”

“That is what our trip to the Edinburgh MagicaPolis aims to solve.” The alchemist mustered a wry smile. “So for now, just keep your head down. I’m sure we’ll all breath easier knowing we’ve somewhere to go if we sustain injuries.”

After that the chatter turned back to Treat. “Don’t ‘ave another bedroom sadly, but livin’ room’s fine with me if it is with you,” Nia told the wolfgirl. Once Treat agreed, Linkle went out, then returned with her stuff. Along with Treat’s things the Skullgirl carried something new, a small and unassuming intricate figured gained from the destruction of the dollmaker’s essence.

[hider=For Linkle]You have acquired:
[url=https://i.imgur.com/20cz1KC.png][b]Small Doll[/b][/url]
[i]Small silverwork doll depicting a young squire.
In the legendary old city of Irithyll situated in the Boreal Valley, the Pontiff Sulyvahn gave this doll to valued subjects, so that they might use it to cross the barrier when they return home.
Listen carefully, and you can hear it say, "Wherever you go, the moon still sets in Irithyll. Wherever you may be, Irithyll is your home”[/i][/hider]

Not long after that, Frisk returned. The child sported some new gear, nothing that Albedo would actually conceive of as battle equipment, but if they seemed sure that it would help then he wasn’t about complain. With Treat situated for the time being, it was as good a time as ever to begin the next -and much more promising- leg of the journey. This time, Albedo looked forward to no strange temples, no wrathful goddesses, and no death-defying zipline rides through wintry skies. Just a long march northwest through the Frozen Highlands, a nostalgic trip around Dragonspine, a chilly boat ride into civilization, and hopefully, answers at last. He removed his coat from the closest, thanked Nia and Dromarch for their kindness. “We’ll make sure to visit upon our return,” he said. “Please take good care of my dog for me.”

“Sure!” Nia smiled. “Does ‘e ‘ave a name, by the way?”

Albedo’s brows rose. “A name?” Such a thing never really occurred to him. He’d met the friendly little corgi some time ago, and the animal had taken a liking to him despite his rather passive demeanor. No matter where he went, the short-legged hound was sure to follow. [i]If chalk follows gold,[/i] he wondered, [i]What follows chalk?[/i] He knew the answer, and though it didn’t sound like much of a name, he couldn’t think of anything better. “Soil.” Then he stepped out into the snow.

As eventful as things had been lately, it was only early afternoon. Still, the voyage ahead was long, and Albedo figured that his band would be very lucky to reach Edinburgh before nightfall. That meant that he and Linkle could either make the trip or try to find her mystery man in black, but not both. It was an impasse he couldn’t overcome on his own.

“Linkle,” he began. “It will almost certainly be dark by the time we reach the city, and that’s if we move at a good pace, without delay. That means we would have to forgo our search for the hooded patron you seek, at least for the time being. Or, we could stay in town and pursue that line of inquiry, among other things, if you prefer.” He glanced toward Frisk. “There’s also the matter of our new company. We may wish to…fill them in, before we proceed too far ahead.”