[after a slight hesitation wherein she regards the little creature on his shoulder (a name and friendly rapport? huh.), Cecelia curls her fingers over his and closes her eyes. the activation of the spell comes by way of igniting an uncut gem upon a bronze bangle on her wrist, whose glow brightens the more Cecelia focuses. the unicorn standing vigilant at her feet lifts its head, its horn beginning to glow in like fashion to aid her in the focusing of energies to fuel the spell, and after some seconds, the light brightens and then flashes, engulfing them, carrying them far from the open field and springtime air...to an expanse much more vast and lacking in comforting presence.

a few seconds after the light fades, Cecelia opens her eyes first, giving a quick glance about her to ensure there are no surprises before she gives Claude's hands a soft squeeze and releases them.]

...We are here.

[and here is...a whole lot of nothing, sprinkled with a great deal of something. here, space is laid bare without an atmosphere or sky to shield them -- instead, there are trace glimmers of a sheer barrier, which seems all that remains to keep them safe from the yawning void of darkness and stars. nearby, almost comically out of place, are a couple benches and a telescope pointed skyward, as if someone had broken off a chunk of perfectly good city park and just planted it on a cliffside with no bottom.

behind Claude rests the little gift shop and its array of heinously-expensive vending machines, and beyond that...nothing but sand and a bleak horizon.

Cecelia's hands fold and rest in front of her, and she watches him take it all in.]

Avalon.

[she lifts her gaze skyward.]

The edge of it, where the barriers protecting us can be seen. And...

[she gestures toward the benches and telescope.] Where the calamity can be seen through that instrument.

It ought to be. [that is, she'd be alarmed if it changed since last she was here. just to be sure, she draws near, touching his shoulder so she may check and, after doing so, she gestures for him to look again.

what he sees is rather foreboding, but strangely beautiful: an explosion, far, far in the distance. instead of a fiery glow of a corona, however, there are eerie glimmers of something else. it's hard to tell, but it's out of place: like pieces of somewhere else are being torn and tugged at that impact site.

it is dead still, frozen in time.]

[that cynical thought...Cecelia harbors it, herself, especially since she's been stripped of her own magical expertise. but she can't let it hamper any forward motion, now that she has the means to help move things in this way.]

How much do you already know of Caliburn's Collision? From what has been shared by the King and his council.

[she nods, moving to go sit at one of the benches, withdrawing a leather bound journal and opening it up in her lap. inside is...inscrutable script, a shorthand she designed for her personal use blending mixes of languages she's learned throughout her life.

while tracing her place with a finger along the columns of symbols:] The inciting incident involved handling and misuse of the sword Excalibur -- an item whose notoriety actually spans more than a few worlds. I imagine that's why the tampering and resulting explosion is why the scale is so vast, given the ties that bind many worlds...and other ties bind those worlds to others in different ways. A rippling effect of dire consequence, as you can see.

That's an excellent question that needs answering. And even more than that, [she glances Claude's way.] which Excalibur do we need to help mitigate or otherwise undo all of this?

We have our work cut out for us.

You mean the ruler his Highness is currently away trying to court favor with? [her head tilts slightly, looking askance in thought.] At this stage, most anything is possible, I'm sure...but I can't say I know much about this queen you speak of to give you an answer of substance.

Indeed. The King informed me it is known as the Perilous Desert, and is allegedly aptly named. What few surviving accounts he could recall speak of intolerable, deadly conditions out there.

If someone is qualified and strong enough to endure it, I'm not opposed to letting them take that risk. It's just not something I myself would be willing to follow them into... [her eyes wince briefly.] And I'm not entirely sure I wish to have that potential blood on my hands just yet. Perhaps when I'm more powerful and skilled myself.

[she nods, picking at a quill tucked in the binding of her book, taking a moment to jot down some notes to herself.]

That should be doable, yes. We may as well take as much advantage of this venue as our capabilities allow...without risking harm to the safeguards, of course.

[she speaks up a bit so she can be heard from where she still sits.] If any of it is useful, I wouldn't be able to tell. The King made a point of warning that trying to do harm to those machines would result in the loss of all your current possessions. Clothing included.

[what? no! no way; her back is to him, which means she can just full-on roll her eyes in peace! which she does.

dryly:] Pray tell, what exciting treasures do you envision "us" unearthing that will assist undoing the calamity? I have to imagine if there were any leads, the King would have pursued them?

[by the time he moves back over, Cecelia's reined in the smirk and instead just sports a kind of dry, flat expression. she quirks an eyebrow, her eyes still down on her note-taking:] I trust that nose is attached to a head and body which can coordinate such efforts it seems so keen on, mm? Bearing in mind I may not have the capacity to teleport an entire retinue of explorers, of course.