Final Prelude: Mesengers [Incarnadine Waters]

[Renaissance Blonde]

Maya tended to watch and wait in situations like this. She kept her tongue still as the little god mentioned the Bolg - how could she forget? - and then vanished, leaving only a tiny artefact of some variety, and the smith and the female Lunar staring at each other as if love-struck. A fragment of Wolf-in-Winter's personal diary, carefully preserved through the Berrians' travels, came to her: "Sun and Moon are bound, one to one..."


"You two must be bound through lives," she stated calmly, cutting through the tension. "Life to life, a Lunar and Solar are bound, as I understand it."

 

[Myllinnia]

Teliseria nods to Brilliant Singing Hammer and glances to Maya and blinks a few time. "So that is what this is," she smiles and brushes back a strand of hair. She looks back to Hammer. "I can accept that."

 

[Havok_Harbinger]

Rey steps forward, to break the lock. "What does the last cryptic message mean? With your eyes on Nexus, the path is clear to the ones with the Sundered Sight." Rey looks to the monocle as she pushes the information. Her normal veneer of calm off center just a bit, and there is a bit more flow to her steps, just a hair more sway in the hips.

 

[Renaissance Blonde]

Maya's response was dry. "Perhaps the lens has something to do with it? It's certainly broken," she pointed out.

 

[Thanos1]

Hammer looks now between Teliseria and Rey and feels a little color rise to his own skin. Fortunately it is muted by the spell that still effects him. Counting back from five to one he clears his mind and says,


"Perhaps it is a geographic riddle. If you, Yume, look from your Manse here, at Nexus, you will find something that is blind or perhaps unable to look upon the light, or for that matter our Lord the Sun? It could be between here and Nexus or on the other side of the river. Alternately the monocle, repaired or not, could provide a glimpse into the spirit world, allowing those without such sight the ability to perceive..."

 

[Axelgear]

Nazir


Nazir, who had been watching silently until now, is amazed at what he has seen and quickly lost amidst the discussion. The babbling, the reunion, the grandiose speeches... Where was he to begin? He shifted silently between group to group, listening in on conversations but trying not to eavesdrop on anything sensitive, before he came to look upon the monocle and its shape. On hearing the revelations so far, he cannot help but examine it.


"Maybe it's a map." He suggests, looking at the crack along its surface. Upon realizing he has drawn some attention to himself, he looks at the eyes of those who have glanced at him and clarifies his statement. "I've traveled up and down the rivers near here, and some sailors keep silk maps and some sheets for them that they cut holes into and write on. It's so that they can hide the routes. When you put them over normal maps, they hide the rest and show a direct line along the cuts or drawing marks of where you're supposed to go." The young man wasn't quite sure whether his idea had merit or not, he was no scholar or philosopher, and the apprehension that he might be presenting an idea they'd already thought of long ago showed in his voice, but he wished it would help.

 

[Havok_Harbinger]

Seeing the apprehension in Nazir, Rey smiles warmly at the little guy. "That idea has merit, Yume, have you any maps of the area, or even the Eastern portions of Creation?" Rey is now intrigued and pursues the idea with fervor, as much for the self esteem of the little one as the merit of the idea.

 

[Khadavla]

Seeing the apprehension in Nazir' date=' Rey smiles warmly at the little guy. "That idea has merit, Yume, have you any maps of the area, or even the Eastern portions of Creation?" Rey is now intrigued and pursues the idea with fervor, as much for the self esteem of the little one as the merit of the idea.

Held high in the arms of Honor's Redeeming Light and squeeing her tight, Yume finaily returned to a semblence of normalcy as she writhed free from the larger giatnesses embrace.


"That's a good call. i've got one..." She rifled some shelfs, then a ew others. "Here. And maybe it simple means to focus on Nexus to read the map?"


She laid out the images of the River Country and lands to the South and sure enough any looking through it wuold see highlighted through the monocle three points, a red dot in the mountains across from harborhead, a green dot in the jungles, of the far south-east, and in the mountains not a hundred miles from the city of the Markuni, in the midst of a small but terible Shadowlands that formed the border between ____ band of tall and indifatiguable mericnareries and the massive and twisted Bolg, not far from Leafar's domain, was a golen dot."

 

[Khadavla]

Yume consisdered the map through the lense for a bit, then nodded and handed the monocle to the next in line. "So a group that includes Maya, Sakura, and I must go into Mask of Winters teritory, to Ireador's Valley, then backtrack north into this Shadowlands to look for an ancient clockwork manse. Any idea what we'll find their, Maya?"


* * *

 

[Paladin]

Raynes stays silent this whole time. this wasn't his area of expertise.

 

[Khadavla]

"A company including Brilliant Sounding Hammer and Threnody For the Reverant Soul have the furtherst to go, here, to the manse known as Hesiash's Guidin Light.


"And others must go, as the cracks show, around the mountains, East of the river fork, and then south into the jungles, to a hanging gardens full of vegetative technology. My instincts say in this situation vegetative technology is most useful for feeding allies, cleansing shadowlands, and purifying corpses."


"Any thoughts for who goes where?"

 

[Axelgear]

Nazir


The look on Nazir's face is a mixture of surprise and pride at the correctness of his suggestion, but it only lasts as long as the space between the revelation and the suggestion of their next task.


"I'm far more at home in the jungles than anywhere else. It's where I was raised. If I am to go anywhere, that seems the most plausible and necessary place for me... Unless this Guiding Light you speak of has high ledges and locked doors that need opening." He answers, stepping up to the call and awaiting whatever request is asked of him.

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

"I go wherever Threnody goes." Is Flowing Granite's short reply. He's already impatient to be on the move.

 

[Havok_Harbinger]

Frustrated and knowing that there is little that will separate Brilliant Singing Hammer and Tellisaria, Rey wants to go to the Hesiesh manse, their benefactor was heading for Clockwork Caverns, and Rey is more familiar with many vegetative technologies and therefore is probably better suited for the jungles. Yume was probably the best versed in the healing arts, bearing many charms to assist her, Rey could advise the others on the vegetative healing artifacts that they may come across. Teetering on where she would be most needed, Rey knows that Brilliant Singing Hammer can take care of himself. As such she must shepherd another group and the jungle team was the one with the least suppport as she could see. With a forlorn look, Rey states, "The jungle manse is where I am most likely needed. I have knowledge of some vegetative technologies, and my ability cannot be denied as far as bearing the pains of others."

 

[Paladin]

"My Power base is located in the north but my companions and I go where we are needed the most." Raynes says simply.

 

[Thanos1]

"It seems that I am slated specifically for a mission. I would appreciate any suggestions or volunteers for my mission. I would hesitate to request anyone other then Five-Fold Peony and Rey as I have not spend much time with the rest of you to get to know your specializations of knowledge. Certainly if the manse is already owned and that being is in residence the skills Rey has in abundance would be helpful, but that is hypothetical."


To everyone, "If you think you could help, please do not be shy in offering. I am sure that between us we can discover who would be best where. However, in the interests of haste, only 5 others total can come with me leaving only 3 spots left..."


Indicating Flowing Granite he says, "Good to see your in my group. Those claws of yours certainly did a lot of damage out there earlier!"


He gives a glance at Tellisaria as if to say, 'Go where ever you like, for we will see each other again.'

 

[Asuryan]

I offer my skill in combat to this task, as I swore to an old friend. My warriors shall return to their home however.


He turns to his second in command, speaking softly and in a strange tognue. The beastmen thereafter turn and head off the same way they came.

 

[Khadavla]

At first after Yume had slipped away, Sakura had been content to continue snuggling tight in Honor's arms, now coal black hair covering the true giantess's shoulders so that wether she was crying on the giantess's shoulder or kissing eroticly on her was anyone's guess.


Finaly, though, Sakura's heartfire eyes lifted to Honor's, and lips--now more pink than red, but still very full, stretched into a happy smile despite the new tears streaking her cheeks. "I need to be productive now, Honor-chan. Thank you so much." She gave the giantess a kiss and then backflipped to the ground and ran off for caligraphy tools, returning in an entirly too cute (and entirly too snug) secretary's outfit complete with gold rimmed (and empty framed) spectacles. She licked the brush and rolled some ink off of an ink ball, then began coppying the map and working on a list of groups.

 

[Khadavla]

Bezre


The mature tiger man who stood at khayar's right held out a hand to recieve a hefty scroll from his first wife, then the big man--as tall and nearly as bulky as Khadavla, Master of Earth and Sky--stepped up to his liege with a smart salute, then presented the scroll, "Lord Aloe's message on the warlord in southern Harborhead sir. From the rumors you are wise to send some of the men back


He continued more softly in flame tongue. "From the rumors you are wise to send some of the men back to Xanadu with the likes of that madman about. Stil, sir, with Lord Raynes counciled by a Flame Duck and comanding an air force of five it would be unseemly to not put forth 5 Xanadu cavalry to match them. Further, the potions our wives brew can augment the battle prowess and healing of any


mortal. Having them prepare a gift of alchemy for the solars followers would surely go far to establish your standing in their ranks."

 

[cryorage]

Honnor grings and moves over grabbing Sakura once she returns. Then taking a seat against the wall but near the group she places the scribe in her lap allowing her to lean against her large frame. then wrapping her arms around the smaller girl she sits back and listens.

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Flowing Granite is pacing the room, too agitated to sit still. All this talking and waiting was grating on his nerves. Can't they just decide on a cours eof action, and then follow through with it? what's wrong with them? If the problem is as serious as they make it seem to be, they shoud strike hard and fast, and not move ever so slowly.

 

[Asuryan]

He sighs, snarling low but nodding.


You are correct of course. I will keep five of my best warriors here with us. I would keep you too my friend...But I need you to protect my city. Go with Luna's grace


He sighs, then straightens up.


Akaya, Kaelis, Vorun, Siger and Davurs! You're coming with me. Bring the supplies of alchemical potions aswell.

 

[Argas]

Beneficent River follows the discussion but remains silent, preferring to drink some fine wine. Having finally finished her drink, she makes her decision.


"I will go to the jungle manse as well."

 

[Khadavla]

The milky skinned 'secretary giggled and adjusted her glasses, then snuggled back, deep into Honor's lap, pillowing her head in th giantesses bossom as she got to work.

 

[Myllinnia]

Teliseria leaned back and watched glancing every so often to Brilliant Singing Hammer. She had not voiced or volunteered, and it did hurt her that she didn't immediately jump to join with Brilliant Singing Hammer. But she was sure, that his words were true. They would meet again.