The faintest of smirks spread across Lucius’ features as Xiu’s oversimplification of her position was given. The girl he had more or less enslaved for her safety was not even aware of the situation. Yet.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000">“You had begged for assistance to give me anything I would want, and proceeded to pique my interest with what’s sitting inside you,”</span>Lucius explained, reaching over and lightly tapping the area just below her throat and just above her breasts with the back of his finger. In his sight, his finger had tapped against the bone and flesh just above the epicenter the little black pearl of power he had noticed. Of course, she wouldn’t know that until he taught her how to control it better, at which point it may be harder to see as it would be more dispersed. “<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000">Thus, I acted, the protection I gave in exchange for your life. When my… investigation is complete, I would not be stuck with you, but you would still be stuck with me until i feel that you have fairly compensated me.” </span>Just as Lucius finished his little clarification, the pair of them suddenly and without warning stepped out into a clearing.<br/><br/>In the center of the clearing -more akin to a shaded grove now that they were within it- was a cabin. It was quaint and fitting for the cultural norm of the surrounding area, perhaps no more than two rooms in size. There was a small garden and an empty pen and shelter for some kind of animal, though both seemed to be empty at the time. Without any preamble, Lucius ‘walked’ towards the door, holding it open for Xiu to step inside. The place was immaculate, completely cleaned and properly furnished. However, there was the converse feeling that this building was not lived in. However, it seemed that Lucius did not mind or care as he closed the door behind Xiu. What he saw was different. He saw an outpost, hidden as a currently empty living space for perhaps a hunter and his family. In the bedroom, below the beds that were quickly adjusted to the side with a wave of his hand, was a sigil that sprung to life in Lucius’ presence. Lucius’ hand fell to Xiu’s shoulder and held on as he guided her into sigil. The moment they were both within the markings on the floor, Lucius muttered a few words and in an instant, it felt as if their stomachs had been left behind as the two became weightless in nothingness. A moment passed before they were in a different room, another sigil below their feet powering down. Where the cabin sigil was just a light carving, this sigil was heavily decorated: Filled out with silver and runes carved out of lapis lazuli.<br/><br/>Lucius’ hand released Xiu’s shoulder and he stepped forward out of the sigil that sat in a rather bland room similarly decorated.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000">“I have no name for this location, but many former apprentices have called it the compound or the oasis,” </span>Lucius said, putting his hand on the door.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000">“Call it what you like, it is simply where I live.” </span>As Lucius pushed the door, a small blue fizzle crawled at a rapid pace along the seams before the door finally creaked and opened for them to exit the room. Stepping out, the pair would find themselves on top of a tower standing against a sunless sky with an ominously dark moon visible hanging in the sky. Across and to the sides were more towers assumedly with similar sigils used for the obvious teleportation that they had just participated in. In between the four major towers was a pit. Deep and spiraling like the interior of a tower, odd black lights pulsed from below, illuminating what could only be assumed to be doorways below. In between individual towers were other, smaller spires like the one they stood on, bringing the total spires to eight. Around the pit that seemed to be the focal point of this fortress was something akin to a courtyard, though it was seemingly alien in design, forming more off of Lucius’ tastes instead of the surroundings. Looking out from the spires was… nothing at first. However, looking closer, the reflection of the darkmoon shown off of the surface of water and shadows of clouds travelled across high mountains on the shores of the lake that seemed to surround them.<br/><br/>Lucius’ hand gestured to his side, where a section of the spire’s brickwork began to glow from between the cracks.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000">“If you do not mind, I would like to get these ingredients to my lab quickly. Otherwise, I will have to go back to re-harvest what I need,”</span>he said, before stepping on himself and staring back towards Xiu.