The Cathedral of Aurora, while not huge, is tall and stunning - a circular building with rectangular projections along the compass lines. A great dome, open to the sky, lets the sun at zenith illuminate the central altar and its lavishly painted, contrapposto marble statue of Aurora bearing her Four Gifts of the spear, the shield, the torch and the cornucopia, in all her glory. Stained glass windows depicting her and the other 13 gods during various acts of their mythic cycles and war for creation against the Titans and then against Echidna dapple the white stone of the nave in pink and blue and gold.

It's beautiful, more so in person than it was even in VR.

I expect that's going to be a running theme of my stay in Mundus.

As I enter through the atrium at the west, I see the local bishop - an eithyr with flaming hair and dark skin, in his sun-topped miter marked with the solar cross - in conference with Alesha, both speaking in hushed tones so as not to disturb the monks, nuns, scribes - and of course Clerics, Summoners and Psychics - here.  To pray, or train, or even eat and drink at the end of the aisle in peace. 

Alesha spots me, gesturing me over.

"Sorry this took so long," I say. "The walk was longer than I thought and I ran into a crisis. What have we found out?"

The bishop held up a splayed hand - a benediction, a rising sun. "If your daughter is a seer of our order," he says to Alesha, "then we can divine her location, though not perfectly, not as a pin on a map. We are conducting the rites now."

Alesha's obvious relief is contagious. 

I'm not sure how to react, and so let instinct pull me down into a bow. "Thank you... I, uh, don't know what titles to use, but thank you."

Amused, the bishop says, "Call me 'the Right Reverend Ximeno,' and in the course of doing good works, 'friend' as well."

"I hope I can, Reverend," I sigh.

"I will strive to leave this place better than I found it," Alesha confirms, to Ximeno's laugher.

One of the priests - no, one of the Psychics, they're removing a blindfold tied behind their pointed Pixie ears - approaches us, and bows, making that splayed-hand gesture and receiving it in turn. A moment late, Alesha and I return it too, though she's frowning.

The psychic says, "Reverend, Ser Knight - aspirant," to you, with a nod, before addressing the bishop again, "- I would report what I Saw."

"By all means, my child." The Bishop is a lot more relaxed than Alesha, who stands ramrod stiff.

"I stood facing the city," says the pixie seer, "and took flight. From the air, I was compelled to turn my head to my right, and was aware of moving at great speed over and down to a foreign land, heavy with fog and dense wood. Within this grove, I beheld a standing stone, carved with spiraling sigils and writings I could not decipher, and thought, 'here is my child, safe at home, for me to find.' And I heard a cry, and the voice of someone I did not know, saying, 'I hear you, I'll stay for you to find me or send for me, I miss you.' Then the vision ended."

Alesha took in a sharp breath. "Do you think - was that Ja- Peachi, sending you a message?"

The seer nodded. "If she's a psychic, she almost certainly sensed me scrying for her and used the chance to kythe with me and tell me her message."

"I can't really make heads or tails of the vision, unfortunately," Alesha said, her shoulders dropping. "Any clue, Deedee?"

I shake my head. "Not a one..."

Alesha drops her head into one hand.

"...so I'm going to have to consult the Wiki," I continue, one hand reaching for the send-jewel.

"Beg pardon?" asked the Bishop.

"It would be hard to explain," I say, scratching the back of my head and wincing. "But I need to call a friend, if that's alright."

Puzzled, he nods his assent. I turn away and immediately call Hikaru.

"I will be brief; I'm in the library and don't wish to disturb the others," Hikaru begins.

"Understood, just want your input on finding Alesha's daughter. Peachi Effervescent." And I relay the vision.

After a moment to think, Hikaru returns the call. "The seer was facing Viacruz from the land, in flight?" he asks.

"That's correct."

"To the West, then. As the dawning Sun - Aurora - travels. And then turned right - to the north."

"Uh." I think about it. "...Yeah, there's no other direction it could be. She's to the north."

"She's almost certainly in Caer Islywn - as is everyone else who started in the Caelibyrn zone," Hikaru says, confidently - even satisfied. "I'll explain my reasoning when we meet in person."

"Caer Islywn in Caelibyrn?" I repeat for the benefit of the others, and Alesha's eyes light up. Bishop Ximeno seems impressed, the three fingers of his hand on his chin, as he thinks; the Seer curtseys and withdraws, her duty discharged.

"Where she... where she started her adventuring career, of course," Alesha says, turning to the Bishop. "Thank you and your oracle both. Bless and keep you."

The Bishop bowed. "May She come ever in your darkest hours, as She did now," he replies.

"So we'll have to gate over, as soon as possible, and find her," I say.

The bishop coughs. "That will be impossible, I'm afraid."

"Why?" Alesha asked, barely managing to make it cordial. "If it's a question of expense I can raise the funds -"

The Bishop Ximeno holds up his hand. "The waygates went dark a week before your arrival," he says, quite seriously.

I have no intelligent answer to that - neither of us do.

He sighs and continues. "Some Adventurers have tried to use the portals between cities anyway. None have returned, and we presume they did not arrive, either. Without knowing why I would advise you not to sell your lives so cheaply in the attempt."

While I'm still gaping at that, Alesha puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "We will take such counsel as seriously as your wisdom demands, Right Reverend Bishop," she says.

He wordlessly blesses us with the splayed fingers of his hand and a very slight nod of a troubled face, and we just nod and thank and tithe and leave together, head spinning.