Woe Upon Ye, All Who Enter Here [Lukas/Natasha]

GERMANY
Open air whipping past, a rental car careening at absurd speeds across the German countryside. The sun bloomed above the passengers, picturesque clouds lazily framing it. Through a rolled down window, streams of sound and silver hair accompanied each other. Lukas' smile wide as it was manic, eyes locked to the road as the radio shook the vehicle. Next to the man was his 'keeper' for the trip out, Natasha.

The trip over - until recent - was peaceful, easy. Plane left on time, arrived on time, they played rock paper scissors to drive; and then now.

Rubber burning as eardrums sank beneath a roar.

The wheels eventually came to a slow, paved road giving way to stone, and then to dirt. Trees enclosed them, and the sun hid away, the looming shadow of a hilltop encroaching as Lukas stopped the car, whistling loudly as he slammed the door. "Fuck yeah! That thing can MOVE!" He could not remember the last time he had driven.

"Anyway." Lukas looked to Natasha, half smiling as he'd address her. "So, we're pretty much there. Just that actually getting in is a pain in the ass, you know how it is. This place is old, and if you could find it easy, well." the man shrugged, reaching in through the open window to pull out a small bag.

"Ready to get looking? It's somewhere in the hillside, from what I remember."

Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme, you know the drill readers, Natasha was tasked with playing keeper for Lukas today, observing him during their travels. This had become a sort of standard for them, and in all honesty, Natasha didn't mind these outings one bit. She could certainly think of worse company to be in, and though he displayed a porous mood every now and then, on a surface level, he seemed to be improving. After all, she'd be a stone cold liar if she ever envisioned them playing rock paper scissors to decide who gets to drive.

A loud whistle accompanied the ride as she held on for dear life, partly enjoying the journey to their current destination. In the centerfold of the German countryside now, Natasha stepped out of the car as she cast her gaze forward, registering Luka's explanation while she stretched her arms. Sporting relatively casual wear, Natasha flashed a smile at the young man, stepping beside him to observe their surroundings.

"This yer' old stompin' grounds, Luke'? I don't recall you mentionin' this place before, but I'll humor ya'. I could use a little trip outside of the states. Anywho, I'm followin' your lead this time. I ain't exactly keen on gettin' lost in a place like this'."

What awaited them during this particular outing? Time would tell.

GERMANY
"Something like that." Lukas commented in turn, a slight shrug as he turned back away from the woman. Silver eyes scanned the trees that surrounded them, analytical in their approach to find any footpath. It felt good for him, to be out, tracking.

Turned out it wasn't all lost in the rust.

"Lotta stories about the place, couldn't tell you how many are pleasant. Entrance is a dummy lock that requires you to be able to absorb the reishi inside for it to release, not really obvious to the eye." he gestured vaguely towards the treeline, guiding with a finger to a small remaining opportunity path in the ground.

"C'mon, let's get moving." waving a hand, Lukas moved into the foliage with an animated excitement.

Trees would whip past the pair in a muffled silence, whatever Natasha might respond caught between twig and leaf rather than the man's ears. Trained eyes skipped from rock to twig, looking for scuffs in dirt, decade old imprints - a boulder passing on their right some distance in. Yet nothing else in particular; streams of light siphoning between the sway of trees. A stray hand swiping aside the branch of a tree, the rock face made itself bare, but smooth.

"This should be it, Natasha." A flat palm on the surface, Lukas motioned her closer. "Thing closes pretty quick, so get close."

Not a lot of pleasant stories, he says, eh? Natasha didn't find that particularly surprising. Observant brown eyes swept through the area with animated curiosity equal to her partner's movements. Trailing behind Lukas as they traversed the foliage, Natasha moved silently with efficient silence until they finally reached their destination, the silver-haired man swiping aside a remaining branch to reveal a rock face. There wasn't any particular need to fill the air with conversation, and she held no intention of ending up lost here. Hell, that's why she chose to follow the young man's instructions to begin with. Now, following his instruction further, she stood in his direct atmosphere, maintaining enough distance for their own sense of comfort.

GERMANY
With his palm placed flat against the rock, Lukas' blut roared to life. Thick red outlines shaped underneath the wrapping of his sanrei, reishi tingling on the edge of his fingertips. A slow exhale as the man focused, his blut flashing in pattern as his eyes narrowed. The red poured from fingertip to shoulder, a pulse.

A heartbeat.

The rockside pushed forward, scraping earth echoing as a passage opened. Ducking in, Lukas would grab at Natasha if she made any lack of reaction, guiding her through what would be a short hallway. The sides were lined with long unlit sconces, otherwise unremarkable; a brilliant light pouring in from the opposite end.

"And this," he half smiled, walking into the open air, "is Herrenhaus Ätherisch."

Before the two quincy was a sprawling estate, hidden behind the cliffside. A cobbled path led from their secret entrance to a iron wrought gate, a massive quincy cross emblazoned into its design. The main building stood of excellent masonry, vines and other foliage having made their way to climb it. While they could not see it now, the back of the manor was a ruin, charred beams sticking out like the ribs of a corpse. Ancient in its own way, and yet still frighteningly well preserved despite nature.

"There might be some traps I don't remember, but, we should be clear from here on to do some searching."

There was no lack of reaction to be found on Natasha's part. As soon as the fragment of rock opened, Natasha grabbed onto him to assure she wouldn't be left behind, following his general direction as they ducked in, Lukas leading her through the short hallway. Curious brown eyes observed her surroundings in the small space until Luke' finally lead them to their location. In the distance, a shimmering light filled her vision as they stepped into the clearing. Whoa... now that was a sight if she ever did see one. A grand-standing estate hidden behind a cliffside. Everything about the place was well-maintained, so much so that the woman took a moment to soak it all in. For a place that was pretty ancient as far as she was concerned, this place still retained a majesty about it all. Whistling softly as she stood beside him, her gaze is already beginning to work through possible clues.

"Color me shocked, Luke'. I don't know what I expected to be honest with ya, but I can definitely say it wasn't anything like this. If the coast is clear like you say it is, simply direct me to where you want me to start searchin'. You know this place better than I do, after all. I reckon' I might well get lost out here if I lose sight of ya', and all this talk of traps has me a little nervous."

Of course, she was partly being humorous about that last part. She could hold her own well enough. It was simply always fun to add a little humor to a situation. That was who she was at the end of the day, after all. A stern soldier when it was require, a playful spirit in small moments of peace like this.

GERMANY
"It's something, alright." Lukas' eyes were lit with a mistiness, an ethereal stare from one time to another. Shaking his head, the man dispelled his illusion, whistling as he'd wave his fellow Quincy forward with a step. "C'mon, I'm looking for some equipment. The armory would be barren after things got emptied out, but I know a few secrets."

Nonchalant as he spoke, the travel of his gaze around the estate uninterrupted. "First floor is a pretty standard entrance. Right and left diverge, split by a staircase. I'd be careful around any narrow hallways if you find'em, that's where I think the security was." Pulling open the abandoned door, the scrape and scream of metal filled their ears.

Inside, a beam of light shot in from a window hanging atop the doorframe illuminated the base of steps. Some light filtered between vines, but the sound of nature had already claimed the house. Even at the threshold, birdcall and skittering was fairly apparent. "We're gonna be banking a left, you wanna do lights?" Lukas turned away from the interior, a raised eyebrow locking onto the woman.

Following the man along the path he motioned her in, Natasha found herself curious about the type of equipment he was looking for as she listened to him explain the inner workings of the ancient estate. Whatever it was, she assumed it had to be important enough to travel here under her supervision. Was it some special weapon his old folk left for him?

Some ancient artifact they had to unearth, and escape within a hair's breadth of their life, Indiana Jones Style? Acknowledging his directions in one ear, while entertaining herself with humorous thoughts in her mind, Natasha nodded her head as that metal door creaked open, the young man instructing her further. Azure particles of reishi formed around her hands, forming a halo of light around them that sought to illuminate the entire room.

"Ta-da~ Lights. I think we should be fine with something like this. If you don't mind my askin', what type of equipment were you lookin' to find, Luke? Weapons? Tools?"

GERMANY
"Tool, weapon. All the difference is how you use it, right?" Lukas avoided answering directly, shrugging his way forward and into the ruined home. The hallway illuminated with portraits, the oldest and most worn first. Name placards underneath showing them to be the man's ancestors, dating back to an undefined period.

Gradually, the faces became more discernable, the last ending on a man appearing in his middle-age. Silver hair, cold eyes - Heinrich Ätherisch, Lukas' father. The resemblance was uncanny, his gaze turning sour as the painting came in frame. "Past here." he muttered, knuckles tight by his side. So far, nothing out of place.

Exiting the hallway, the pair would find themselves in a large, vaulted room. The ceiling spanned into the sky, an overgrown skylight having been broken through with vegetation. A bird's nest dangled within, making way for shelf upon shelf of ancient texts as the eye led itself back down to the room. Quincy texts, by and large, although there was a heavy amount of German nationalistic works interwoven. Several tomes had been blown or otherwise removed from the shelves, littering a rotted rug that covered the scarred wooden floor.

"Family library. Feel free to take anything you want." Lukas stated, a notable level of ire in his voice. "Whatever you don't either rots or burns, so."

"No arguin' with ya there, sweetheart."

He didn't really give her much with that answer, but she wasn't the type of woman who enjoyed making a habit out of sticking her nose where it didn't belong. If he didn't want to speak on it too much, she was the last person who'd be pressing the issue. Moving in his general line of direction, Natasha's palms followed suit, alternating in patterns representing each of their footsteps. That way, not a single area of darkness remained for long in her light.

During the illumination, Natasha curiously shot a glance toward the portraits and illustrations, glimpses of the past, a display of Lukas' ancestral heritage. Her eyes paused at the one that resembled him the most, leading Natasha to conjecture that this was his father. Heh... his family really was ancient. huh? Chuckling softly to herself, she followed the man out of the hallway and into the vaulted room. So far, so good. Careful steps and a natural born sense of movement allowed her to avoid stepping on anything dangerous.

"Oh? Well, don't mind if I do."

Now, they were standing before a library with a compendium of books. Natasha wasn't into German Nationalism by any degree, but those ancient quincy texts might be good material to study as a means of improving on her own skills. It certainly couldn't hurt, right? And so, naturally she took a few of the books that stood out to her the most, placing them within a bag hanging at her back. After doing so, she nodded assent, awaiting further instructions.