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| − | By MunificentPerception
| + | #REDIRECT SaltLotus/SaltLotus4 |
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| − | '''Across the city...'''
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| − | Holvic led his mount and remount through the city, clad in his full suit of lamalar armor with the glass sword Enlightenment sheathed at his waist. The streets emptied of pedestrians as he pressed on. In the Temple District, armed godlings, priests and acolytes had been visible in the portals of temples and at the balustrades of shrines. Though the citizens and slaves of the city did not yet know that a battle was being waged in their midst, word was spreading of strange lights and armed parties on the move.
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| − | The priest of the Unconquered Sun elected to stay off the well-lit boulevards and favored the more discreet side ways whenever possible. He followed clues from the vision that had been granted him and relied upon his sharp senses to help steer him towards combat.
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| − | The battles he had tracked had been short, swirling and diffuse. The members of this seemingly ad hoc Wyld Hunt were operating under the restraint of having only the small units that its Dragon-Blooded officers had been able to smuggle into or hire within the city. Thus far, their quarry had not obliged them by standing in one place and fighting overly long. Additionally, there seemed to be some confusion between units. Small groups of armed men — perhaps not under the control of the Dragon-Blooded — had been attacked by the soldiers of the Hunt or had even sliced into each other on more than one occasion. This left Holvic to wonder just how many factions had been stirred to battle by the presence of his fellow Solars.
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| − | Now, however, enough Essence had been expended that there was no hiding the divinity within the core combatants. Ghostly sheets of green and purple lit the windows and balconies on the top floor of a three-story stone tenement. Observing from a roof well out of spear toss, a water-aspected Dragon-Blooded and his earth-aspected companion stood steeped in the radiance of their elemental animas.
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| − | A single javelin arched out of a window with impossible speed. The water-aspected Dynast’s sword blurred and smashed aside the missile, but only just. Both of the Dragon-Blooded elected to evacuate the roof in favor of a safer observation platform.
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| − | Having observed this engagement from the side, Holvic moved to circle around behind the tenement house, hoping that if the Night Caste Solar and his or her companions withdrew yet again, he would be able to intercept them. Night fire continued to light the three-story tenement from within as Holvic covered ground, and when he had arrived two blocks away, he left his mounts tethered in an alleyway. There were few citizens or slaves on the streets now, and those who moved about did so with obvious haste away from the battle.
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| − | The word, Anathema, could be heard here and there, shouted in panic.
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| − | Holvic strode forward down the tree-lined avenue — his great sword now in hand. The neighborhood was composed of well-maintained stone tenements with shops on the ground floors, as well as the walled villas of successful merchants and established artisans. The fires of the street lamps had been extinguished, casting deep shadows across the street. A bloody corpse dressed in black lay sprawled on the paving stones, its hand wrapped around a wickedly curved short sword.
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| − | At the base of the three-story tenement house, lay more bodies. Armored corpses were sprawled face down, with wounds in their backs. Warily, Holvic drew nearer. He had nearly arrived at his goal when a man swathed and masked in black stepped out from a sandal maker’s shop.
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| − | “Five,” the stranger stated in Riverspeak. Recognizing that he was being confronted with a challenge for which he did not know the proper password, Holvic dropped into a guard position. A lancing pain stabbed through his back. The priest of the Unconquered Sun staggered; then smashed his armored elbow back into the face of the individual who had crept up noiselessly behind him. His attacker — the man dressed in black who had been sprawled out as if dead on the side of street — fell to the ground. The blood that covered the would-be assassin had apparently been painted on, but now the man shed a fresh wave of crimson from the gash that Holvic had opened on his forehead. Even before the attacker landed on his back, his four companions were already upon the Solar swordsman, silently springing from the windows and trees where they had hidden themselves.
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| − | The attackers’ hatchets and curved swords rained down in a cascade of coordinated attacks, and Enlightenment became the Essence-fueled blur that answered. Straining with exertion, Holvic gave ground and sought to prevent any of his foes from getting behind him. The men and women — clad in black and likewise masked — did not appear deterred by his demonstration of superhuman ability. Mortal though they were, they had obviously contended with unnatural foes before, and they responded accordingly. A fighting chain lashed out and wrapped itself around Holvic’s left forearm. The man who had cast it dropped into a low stance to act as an anchor. Holvic was forced to expend more Essence defending himself as his opponents attempted to wear him down. The priest wrapped his left arm around the chain, shortening the length between him and its wielder; then lunged backwards. The man with the chain flew through the air and staggered into a companion who had been attempting to maneuver behind the Solar. His golden Caste Mark shining, and again relying on defensive Charms, Holvic parried the other two attackers’ blades and then struck back, opening an enemy’s ribcage in a gory blossom. Blood hissed across the cobblestones as his opponents back flipped away from him in unison.
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| − | A darkened blade sang through the air, thrown by the assassin who had earlier feigned death, and it lodged in Holvic’s shoulder plate. The others drew throwing knives, but before they could cast in unison, a red feathered arrow took the first assassin in the base of his neck. The rest of the black-clad attackers melted away, running quickly and crouched low as they abandoned the engagement. Six of the veteran brides of Ahlat emerged from the tenement, armed with bows, spears and carrying shields. They moved fast, even though one of their number was seriously wounded and required the assistance of two companions. The acting leader, a tall, dark-skinned woman in a tasseled red cloak and bronze gilded breast plate shouted to Holvic in Fire Tongue as they jogged towards him.
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| − | “Our captain says for you to hold the street. We will retreat past you, hide, then counter attack.”
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| − | Holvic nodded, and as the others passed his position, their mistress emerged from the building, leaping in a long arc from a second-story window; surrounded by the burning night glory of her anima. Above her, the phantasmal banner image of a sliver-skinned, raven-haired woman mimed her motions. The earth-aspected Dynast followed close behind, shining with crystalline white light as he jumped. Civilian-clothed soldiers and hired killers spilled out from the main entrance of the tenement, and the water-aspected Dragon-Blooded was among them, resplendent in his rippling brilliance. The broad avenue was now lit as bright as day with the anima banners of Exalts, and the hued lights reflected off windows and pools of spilled blood. The Night Caste Solar alighted next to Holvic and turned to face her enemies. The earth-aspect, his magic weaker than that of the Solar Exalted, landed short. He yelled in Low Realm and gestured with his sledge for soldiers to form up on him.
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| − | Holvic infused his anima with Essence, and a column of raw gold fire flared around him. The image of the holy white bull appeared; the full noon disc of the Zenith Caste shinning on its brow. The phantasmal animal roared its challenge. The Realm soldiers and paid murderers faltered — their Dragon-Blooded masters blanching as well. They had already suffered at the hands of a single Exalt and her companions; now they faced not only their original foe, but a fresh demigod spoiling for the fight.
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| − | Obeying a shouted command from the earth-aspected Dynast, the soldiers broke into pairs and held their tall shields before them as they retreated back up the steps to the three-story tenement building. Holvic threw himself flat and rolled as the Dynasts raised their hands. Shards of crystal and darts of ice slashed through the air. The Night Caste Solar spun around the blast meant for her and came out of her dodge with a javelin in hand. She hurled at the water-aspected Dynast. The Dragon-Blooded dodged backwards through the entrance, leaving one of his men to be impaled by the projectile. The last of the foot soldiers completed the orderly retreat back through the portal, with the earth-aspected Dynast in their midst.
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| − | Without a word, Holvic and the Night Caste warrior jogged down the avenue and away from their enemies. When they rejoined the other brides, the former sergeant who had addressed Holvic approached him with her empty hands held warily in front of her. She withdrew the dagger from his back, and his jaw clenched as she did her work. When finished, she slapped a dressing over the wound.
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| − | “That won’t be necessary,” Holvic said, as he stanched the bleeding by force of will. The woman’s eyes were wide with awe as she reversed the dagger and handed it to him, handle first. Holvic studied the weapon and grimaced.
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| − | “A demon weapon of a Yozi cult. No wonder it penetrated so easily.”
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| − | “A lesser man would have been maimed by the wound it left,” the former sergeant whispered.
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| − | “We have been attacked by nearly every enemy conceivable this evening,” the Night Caste said. A wry smile played across her lips.
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| − | “Though they seemed to have confounded each other in many instances,” Holvic replied and tossed the dagger away. “Their numbers may have ultimately been our salvation.” He then drew the other weapon from his shoulder guard and discarded it.
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| − | “Be that as it may, we should not linger,” The Night Caste said. “They will be back as soon as they have rallied their forces.”
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| − | “Agreed,” Holvic said, then as an introduction, “Holvic Kagi, swordsman, formerly of the Kagi Company.”
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| − | “Wendai of Harborhead.”
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| − | A dawn glow raged against the sky, rising up from the riverside teahouse district.
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| − | “I think we should see to our comrade, as quickly as possible,” Wendai said, her voice filled with eagerness.
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| − | '''Next:''' [[/Twilight-4]] '''Back to:''' [[/Dawn-4]]
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| − | '''Back to:''' [[Salt Lotus]]
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| − | ''This is a work of fan fiction set in White Wolf’s Exalted fantasy setting and is no way meant to challenge White Wolf’s copy rights or trademarks. The characters Joyous Gift, Mirror Flag, Ribbons of Sorrow, Shield of a Different Day, Spinner of Glorious Tales and Weaver of Dreams of Victory, as well as the city Great Forks are trademarked White Wolf Property.''
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