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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/SixthMovement|Sixth Movement]]
| + | #REDIRECT [[ADanceOfAngels]] |
| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/DanceOfAngels|A Dance of Angels]]
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| − | == Cael Goes for a Walk... ==
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| − | The 21st of Resplendent Air.
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| − | Spire...
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| − | The link between Whiteshield, a country mostly grounded, and Windia, a country in the clouds.
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| − | And it did show.
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| − | Each and every building on it was at least four stories high. Each and every building on it, even the newer ones, trying to build vertically rather than horizontally, making a place with bridges far up, roads above, and a thousandfold places for the nests for the Windian's distant cousins, the myriad of birds. And of course, many ways for their predators, the myriad of cats, walk.
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| − | Cael knew it. Some pretty big directional gods lived here. Helped the city remain quiet, gloomy, strange as it had always been, in prayer. And something else, of course, the city was afraid of itself.
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| − | Of course, by now, a good third of it was razed, in ruins. A second third had been razed, but among the broken buildings rose bigger buildings of ivory and ice that had not been touched yet, shining ominous as they connected to the others in all-too-familiar, but all-too-alien angles. The remaining thirds scorched by fire, essence, and claws - a destruction that aimed solely at lives. Right now, there were few more civilians alive in Spire than there were people in the army that liberated it.
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| − | Windians and those better off in the Spire tried to help those wounded, dying, those who lost all their possessions and now had to fight for food... and some districts were as of yet untouched by those relief efforts. And within the Palace of Timeless Winters, work as non-stop to check its libraries and underground to understand what had happened...
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| − | '''Cael: ''' And it's these streets that Cael wanders, on the way back from a visit to one of the relief hostels for the few citizens remaining, discovering what the hostel wanted, what the hostel needed, scribing the figures in the golden matrix in his head and in the binds, adding another input to the rapidly growing and changing demands of the windian army and the whiteshield populace, balancing funds, supplies and the military expendancy that was required by the angels in silver and white, and the prince in gold.
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| − | It's then that the whim strikes him. He would navigate his way back to the tower, without touching the ground, without using the wings that the Binds granted him, without crossing a bridge that was broken. He scales the nearest tower, coming out on the 3rd floor bridge and smiles to himself.
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| − | ''Well, it will distract the body while the mind works. ''
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| − | And then he starts to walk.
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| − | '''Narrator: ''' From the high floor, he gets an interesting view of the city... and of an interesting new building of ice that came out of the ground. Of the birds chirping, of the kittens running through bridges and roofs, of the life all around.
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| − | And then he hears a sound, something cclose to him, shining feathers... swans? The sound of swans?
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| − | At the distance, a crane flies out of one of the Palace's waterways.
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| − | But it was not that... no. It was something else... human-sized.
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| − | And then, Cloud in Dawn is there, standing on the balcony of the third floor, watching him.
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| − | "I will tell you, you did not write, did not look for me, it wounds my heart!" He says, in a mockery of a girl's voice. Then laughs. "Well, actually, I am bored out of my mind. What is up?"
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| − | '''Cael: ''' Cael looks at the man almost in disbelief, then shakes his head letting out a laugh of pure amusement.
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| − | "Ah, Cloud, Cloud, my dear ... if I had to write to everyone that shared my bed ... well, I am not sure I would have the time to see you again." He says, in a slightly chiding tone.
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| − | "Anyway, I thought that I would play a game. Do you want to join me?"
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| − | '''Cloud in Dawn: ''' "Anything to stave off boredom!" He says as he jumps down from the balcony. "Sorry about the big battle, I was... busy. Some Nemessaries on the South end. Wish I could be where the action was, but don't really envy you for having to face the General. Really."
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| − | "So," He crosses his arms, "What are we playing?"
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| − | '''Cael: ''' "The General was ... not the most pleasant of foes to face. I was very glad to have both the Angels there, along with the starchosen. I am mostly very glad that it's over, for now." He smiles at the windian mercenary.
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| − | "The rules of the game a very simple. It's called Cael walks home. Werein Cael attempts to walk back to the Palace Of Timeless Winter, without touching the ground, without flying and without leaping across any ruined bridges. Still interested?"
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| − | '''Cloud in Dawn: ''' Now, that has him ''puzzled! ''
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| − | "Yes... I am, I suppose.... but... if you cannot fly, nor touch the ground, how...?"
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| − | '''Cael: ''' "I would have thought a haslanti like yourself could see the bridges between the buildings?" Cael asks of the puzzled man.
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| − | "Follow me." And then he turns, walking back into the building, walking through it and out onto the first of many bridges the day promised.
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| − | "See?"
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| − | '''Cloud in Dawn: ''' "Oh... see, when you say ''ground'', I tend to think... well anything that is not ''air'', you know! Saying streets would have sounded better!" He nods as he walks together with Cael... "So, how's bussiness? You seem very calm for someone threatened by Gods..."
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| − | '''Cael: ''' "I shall have to remember that for my next walk." Cael says with a roll of his eyes and a small shake of his head.
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| − | "Well ... things are going about as smoothly as one might expect. The army is just about settled into its barracks for the moment, the people of the Spire should be getting more help soon, I'll be taking Anne off to Great Forks and away from the war very soon." Cael nods, satisfied. "As for the Goddess ... well ... I don't have time for her right now, and so for the moment, she will have to wait."
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| − | '''Cloud in Dawn: ''' "I wish I could be anathema, then I could say I just have no time for powerful goddesses who want me in a baaad way!"
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| − | "Immaculates are right, you know. You guys are crazy..."
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| − | As he says that, walking behind Cael... Cael sees something moving beneath them. Something... weird moving through the streeets...
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| − | '''Narrator: ''' It looks like some kind of... person? Monster. It looks more like a insect than anything else, an insect like a man... but the texture is all wrong. It is covered with mold, too cold, soft, almost green. Like plant. Like some sort of insect carapace made of fungus, creating two extra limbs like insect pincers, great claws and teeth, and an assortment of razored vines... like some sort of... fungus flytrap?
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| − | Except it is probably as tall as Cael himself. Least that is what he gets from the shadow...
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| − | It passed by too fast for Cael to see, and hid into one of the buildings.
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| − | '''Cael: ''' "Well, truely I wouldn't have much choice in the matter, but Heaven apparently works as a large bureaucracy ... and well ... those are mine to play wit-..."
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| − | He tries to follow the shape with his eyes, but finds it tracks too quickly for him.
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| − | "....did you just see that?"
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| − | '''Cloud in Dawn: ''' "See.... what?" Cloud looks around, blinking... "Is there anything to see?"
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| − | He looks at the buildings... "Any guys or girls bathing on those windows I missed?"
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| − | '''Cael: '''Cael shakes his head at the man and then wraps his dreams and words around him before leaping in an essence powered arc across to the last building he saw the ...fungus.. plant... mold...man...thing vanish into.
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| − | "Do try to keep up." he says to the mercenary as he does.
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| − | '''Cloud in Dawn: ''' "Oh yeah? I am an Air Dragon, you...!" He says as he jumps with relentless abandon....
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| − | ... and falls short of Cael, very much short...
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| − | "... damned Anathema." Is all he can say, eyes crossing..
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| − | '''Narrator: ''' Cael lands in front of the building.... one quite whole, actually.
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| − | He hears something inside. Some miffed sound...
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| − | '''Cael: ''' Cael ignores the man's bluster and complaints as he's left behind for the moment, concentrating on the building before him, listening for the thing, focusing on the muffled sounds trying ot make sense of them, to place them within the building.
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| − | '''Narrator: ''' Cael hears it... miffled screams, furniture breaking... about the second floor...
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| − | Closed doors tried to keep it away, but!
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| − | '''Cael: ''' Cael sighs. He'd been enjoying the walk, but... he shakes his head, then backflips off the building, white coat flapping around him as he falls down the two floors, catching the window ledge of the second floor, and flying into the room there, landing in a ready pose.
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| − | '''Narrator: ''' He falls at the window... in front of him, the room of a child, woodwork toys littering the ground.... and he can hear the sound inside the building past the closed door... there is a sound that is not the miffled screams. A sound... strange.
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| − | '''Cael: ''' Cael steps through the room with both curiousity and care, no toys broken below his feet as he explores deeper into the building, the faint light of the mark on his forehead lighting his way.
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| − | '''Narrator: ''' As he opens the door, he feels a disgusting scent from inside....to his right, on a closed living room. Something like... something like the underground. Somewhere damp, closed, full of deteriorating plant matter... he sees the sillhouette of the thing... he can see it now, a creature, with razor claws, razor... vines, apparently, coming out of it, some sort of carapace... something like walls covered with fungy, hard, but feeling so... organic, the carapace. And all over its vines, claws, teeth, all sharp... made to kill. He hears the screams miffed by its vines - around a man's face, closed around his mouth, making it bleed while the thing attacks a child... and he can hear the young screams.
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| − | '''Cael: ''' Cael doesn't take the time to draw up a long speech, instead he coils the words around his fingertips, as he leaps along the corridoor, twisting in the air and letting them flow, letting them grow before hurling them in a terrible stream that multiplies itself until it fills the whole of the thing's silluette, the words cutting and binding, the attack intended both to distract and to cripple the strange creature.
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| − | The essay of binding words released, he lands in a perfect roll, spinning up to his feet, facing the creature, aglow with solar glory.
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| − | '''Narrator: ''' The fungus creature turns around, dark blue and shadowy, looking at the golden words...
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| − | Surprised and unable to react in time...
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| − | The words go through the thing... sending him through the closed window, breaking it, making him fall off the building.... as the girl with shredded cloths recoils to the wall, the man coughing, gasping for air, dark blue blood filling the ground... and Cloud walking in behind Cael. "What did I miss?"
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| − | '''Cael: ''' "Some kind of plant monster ... go and see if it's still outside, would you?" He asks of the man before stepping closer to the man and his daughter.
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| − | "Are you both alright? How badly are you hurt?" He asks, pushing solar magic through his voice, lifting their impressions of him, easing his presence on their minds. He was someone they could trust, someone they could rely on.
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| − | '''Narrator: ''' "Mu... muu ssusstrr..." The man asks, coughing a little more, grasping for air, his face desperate, his eyes filled with tears... "M...y... sis...ter..." He says, looking at her, trying to get to her. And she is against the wall... looking at Cael... relaxing.... relaxing just a bit... but in shock. Eyes wide.
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| − | Cloud runs to the window, looking down...
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| − | "Hey, it is... dragging itself away. Slowly. Do I put it out of its misery?"
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| − | '''Cael: ''' "Yes, I think that might be best." Cael says as he steps towards the man, offering a firm hand to help him to his feet and helping him across to her.
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| − | "There now. Are you alright?" he asks of the shocked girl, his voice warming her, lifting her, relaxing her more.
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| − | "Where are your parents?" He asks softly, of the man.
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| − | '''Narrator: ''' Cloud lets the light like the wind on a swan's wings appear about him... and then ice, so cold, forming the feathers of a swan... picking them on his hands with a smile. "Well, now... just wait a bit, alright, man?" And, with a smile, jumps out of the window.
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| − | The man begins to get up, still coughing... "Dead. It is just us... and I had to protect her..."
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| − | He lowers his eyes. He had failed...
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| − | The girl is still shocked, looking at Cael with wide eyes, clinging to shreds of her clothing...
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| − | '''Cael: ''' "I feel for your pain and I am sorry." He says, as the man gets to his feet.
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| − | "And what is your name?" He asks of her, with warm, friendly eyes, as words flow from his fingers, a warm blanket forming, wrapping around her shoulders, which Cael then gently pulls so that it covers her, so that she doesn't have to cling quite so desperately.
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| − | '''Narrator: ''' "G... Gallina..." She says, holding the blanket about her, clinging just as desperately, as if everything about her was a threat... well, everything but Cael whom she looked up to as a savior, as something great and warm and trustworthy... totally enthralled. She was about ten years old, and yet, she looked younger, by the sheer virtue of being so scared...
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| − | '''Cael: ''' "Well, Gallina and ..." He looks to the boy, for the name he should supply.
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| − | "When my friend gets back, do you want me to take the pair of you to the hospital?"
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| − | '''Narrator: ''' "... Lazarr. I... am well enough. But my sister..."
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| − | A moment later, Cloud comes out. "And not a drop of blood on me. Say it, say, I am good, right?"
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| − | '''Cael: ''' Cael nods understandingly to the man. "Well, I will have to take you along with her ... she needs you to be with her now, right Lazarr?" He smiles kindly at him. "You should go and gather what things you need. It might be a while before you can come back here easily.
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| − | He looks over to the man "Marvelous. You can dispatch an almost crippled thing with wind knives, without getting dirty." He gives a small shake of his head.
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| − | '''Narrator: ''' He lifts his finger in a chiding manner.. "Man, you act like that, and I will not tell you what else I saw there..."
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| − | "Come back here easily?" Lazar asks, going towards his sister, holding her... "What do you mean?"
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| − | '''Cael: ''' "You can tell me then, later." He says to the man, a chiding look in his own eyes. Couldn't he see they kids were traumatised.
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| − | "If there are more things like that around, I wouldn't want you walking the streets alone." He says, symmpathetically. "And while I'm sure the windian soldiers will be understanding, it won't just a walk down the street."
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| − | '''Cloud in Dawn: ''' "Well, see, that is precisely the point. There are more. Come here for a moment?" He says, stepping on the window again, and vanishing as he goes down...
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| − | '''Cael: ''' Cael gives the pair of them a cautionary 'Stay here' look, pulling the girl's blanket a little tighter around her before he steps over to the window, looking out on to the street.
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| − | * It is not the street. Outside, it looks down into an alley between buildings... now leading to a new building, lined with debris, made of ice.... like the other new ones, something that rose from the ground. And Cloud, standing at its rather large, and rather open, entrance...
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| − | '''Cael: ''' Cael frowns at the large building.
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| − | "That, should not be there." He notes, mostly to himself. "Though, at least it is open."
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| − | He wrote a message on the world then, one destined for Fiona at the hospital. An instruction for her to come here with a scale of windians, as quickly as she could.
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| − | * Cloud in Dawn knocks on the side of the building. "Oh, come on, at least they look pretty!"
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| − | '''Cael: ''' "Pretty or no, my mercenary friend, building's shouldn't simply ... pop into being."
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| − | * The message disappears in the air, as Lazar picks his sister, lifting her up, tight against his chest. "Which way is the hospital...?" He asks,as Cloud jumped up to the window, watching Cael. "So, now... what do we do?"
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| − | '''Cael: ''' "Now, you go and pick up what Lazar here tells you to pick up, and we all make our way nice and quickly to the hospital, where Fiona is coming from."
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| − | * And he does so, picking the objects, helping Lazar and Gallina up, as they walk away from the building... leaving the blood of the creature behind, just as Fiona comes up with the soldiers. A smile to Cael, the armed Windians behind her... "Well, here we are! What happened?"
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| − | '''Cael: ''' "Something attacked this pair here ... Lazar, Gallina ... this is Fiona, she will take you to the hospital, look at your cuts and get you some warm food." He nods to the young solar girl.
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| − | "There's another one of those ... ice buildings here, only this time it's open, so I'm going to borrow half your escort and have a look around inside, with Cloud here."
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| − | '''Fiona: ''' "Hey!" She says, trying her best to be nice... "Well, the others were open... we checked, they were just normal, really! Some strange runes, as a magical circuit or circle for something, but... well, nothing else..." She makes golden lights and leaves on her hand, trying to distract Gallinna.... walking away with them, but taking a last moment to look over her shoulder.
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| − | "Take care, alright?"
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| − | '''Cloud in Dawn: ''' "He has me. No need to take care of anything."
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| − | '''Cael: ''' "I will, Fiona. I'll be back later, to check on Gallina and Lazar."
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| − | "And, my dearest cloud, as long as you are here, there will be something to take care of." He nods, and then walks off towards the ice building, curious to look around it himself.
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| − | * The Windians right behind him, he takes the first few steps into the building... into a large, large hall with two strange features. One of them being the fact that the ground is all collapsed leading to shadows below...<br><br>And the other is that some sort of vine creeps down from it, hanging from the walls... some sort of gas coming out of them from time to time. Making the whole place smell faintly of burnt cocoa leaves.... and, of course, it has the corpses of two of the strange vegetable creatures on the ground, the remains of their northern clothes tattered by Cloud's feathers, the carapace cut, showing liquid and mold within...
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| − | '''Cael: ''' "Have you ever seen anything like this Cloud?" He asks of the man, as he carefully steps forward to the edge of the shadow in the collapsed floor, looking down into them...
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| − | ''Have I? ''
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| − | '''Cloud in Dawn: ''' "Never saw anythin' the like. Well, except in Opium dens." The Air Aspect says as he picks one if the vines, bringing close to his nostrils, feeling the scent... "Hmmm. I wonder. This must give you quite a trip, Cael... wanna taste? If it is bad your anathema-ness can protect you, or something."
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| − | '''Cael: ''' "Perhaps some other day." He rolls his eyes at the dragonblooded man.
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| − | He steps past the shadowed floor, moving deeper into the ice-building.
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| − | '''Narrator: ''' Cael walks down... and sees places where the ice tried to become part of it, but could not. Something else - the vines - stopped the ice from forming. This was not the building anymore... this was something beneath the ground of Spire. A few meters, following the vines below, and he finds a room... full of homeless people. Filled with smoke, all bringing the vines to their mouths... smoking... and he can see many slow stages of change into those creatures he met before.
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| − | They barely notice his arrival.
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| − | '''Cael: ''' Cael glanced around the room, swore quietly to himself in icetongue and then turned, walking from the room sending off messages with the Binds as he does.
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| − | One to the officer in charge of clearing buildings, telling her to prepare another, seperate building for these people.
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| − | One to the windians, to get them to bring more troops, both to secure the door and to help move the people out. Cael wasn't sure they wouldn't turn violent, but they needed to be out of here.
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| − | One to Ryshassa and the healers, asking them to come here, to see what could be done for the men, then he emerges, back up into the ice.
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| − | "I think we should be leaving for the moment, unless you all want to end up moldy."
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| − | '''Narrator: ''' The messages fly away, and the leader of the scale looks at Cael, baffled. "But this... this plant-thing... it is pumping this... this smoke from somewhere! Shouldn't we find out where that is from?"
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| − | '''Cael: ''' Cael looks the man straight in the eye.
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| − | "Later. There are five dozen people down there, all sucking on these vines, all slowly turning into those vegetable things. Like some sort of mold taking over their bodies. There are more of you on the way, and when they get here, we're all going in and we're going to carry them out."
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| − | "And then I am going to have a long talk with Ryshassa before anyone else goes down there. Because this city needs a lack of flying vegetable hunter-killers more than it needs to know where the shapeshifting mold is coming from right now."
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| − | '''Narrator: ''' "A... alright. Come on, men, let's move out!" He calls, and as soon as they turn, Cloud is behind then... pointing behind Cael, smoking a cigarette now. The whole scent of quasi-opium made him smoke.
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| − | "Yeah, but... I think we mae some noises too many."
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| − | Behind Cael. Acid. Burning mold. Spit, coming straight at him....
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| − | And behind him, four of them coming from the tunnels...
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| − | '''Cael: ''' Cael dodges the acidic spit without even thinking about it, a flicker of his coat before he turns, to see the four vegetable things coming up the corridor
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| − | "Marvelous...Well..." letters curl from his fingertips.
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| − | '''Cloud in Dawn: ''' Feather-blades make their way to his free hand as Cloud walks past the Windian soldiers, still smoking... "Careless, aren't you, high-and-mighty anathema? At least you could have called the attention of things that did not ''smell'' like this."
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| − | '''Cael: ''' "Next time I'm with you, I'll be sure to make sure my foes are perfumed so as not to upset your delicate nose." Cael says with a shake of his head,
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| − | Fingers twist to scribe a series of words on the air, then letting them loose with a dismissive gesture towards the monsters, splitting to cut the first two spawn.
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| − | '''Disgusting Weed-Spawn: ''' The mold creatures look.... and take a moment to ''understand'' what is coming for them...
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| − | But if there is one thing instinct helps you with, is to know when you are in ''danger''! And thus, the two jump out of the word's way as fast as they can....
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| − | '''Cloud in Dawn: ''' "Hey, it is not me standing on the prissy airship, is it? I got to the pubs, Cael... but those things reek of goddamned sewers." The swan picks his feathers, smiling. "Now, watch. And learn, prissy." With A storm of ice explodes around him, sending taking four feathers, ice swirling around them until they are barbed knives, throwing four... the song of swans coming with them, one for each!
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| − | And they dance... but not too far away. The same one that evaded Cael also evades his feathers, but the others are hurt. Not too much, but they are. And placed on the defensive, each and every one. The feathers shine with their own light as it freezes the parts of their body he hurt, no blood coming from it as they fall as if they had fallen in a frozen lake... "Tough little bitches..." He curses them all, especially the same damn one that escaped both, Cloud turns to Cael with the most smug smile... "So? Come on, you can say it, man. Go ahead. Nothing's stopping you!"
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| − | '''Cael: ''' Cael tilts his head "Well, since you asked... whole lot of essence, not much to show for it." He grins accross at the man, and then draws both index fingers down the air, creating long streaks of gold that he tugs on, the pair coiling into perfect kanji that he hurls, essence taking them, multiplying them, filling the tunnel with golden light, targetting the one who dodged before.
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| − | '''Cloud in Dawn: '''He throws his cigarette away, "Damn you, it is the show that counts! Really!"
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| − | He says, before Cael fills the whole tunnel... "... fucking show-off."
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| − | '''Disgusting Weed-Spawn: ''' Too many lights. Too many lights! The thing looked around, tried to jump away... but too many lights!
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| − | There was nowhere to jump to!
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| − |
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| − | ... and it falls back, with a scream, cut so badly... but still standing, dark blood pouring from it as it seems tatooed in Cael's words....
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| − | | |
| − | '''Cloud in Dawn: ''' Cloud grumbles. What to do... well, there was just one thing. He reached back... "You. Gimme that!" And took the spear out of one of the Windian troops, that now stood behind him for more obvious reasons - Cael was the only one not bothered by the ''chill'' cloud emanated. But with the spear in hand, he filled it with the same cold... and threw it at the same one Cael had just struck!
| |
| − |
| |
| − | ... and he watches as the spear sinks on him, freezing him in place...
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| − | | |
| − | "Though, show is important, but I think it might be all about the ''execution''. What do you think?"
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| − | | |
| − | '''Disgusting Weed-Spawn: ''' Of course, that left three of them free to do as they wished...
| |
| − | | |
| − | And they jumped in, even with cold hurt them, one to Cael, one to Cloud, and one spitting acid into Cloud....
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Cael: ''' "Well yes, with help even you can triumph over mold." Cael nods in agreement as the thing leaps for him with claws and fangs barred ... to find that he is not there, body parting to golden words and reforming as the claws slash through him.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | '''Cloud in Dawn: ''' He sidesteps as they strike, the chill increasing, coating the walls of the tunnel with morning frost, stopping the acid cold in the air, trying to make it fall at his feet....
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| − |
| |
| − | And while his sidestep is perfect, he finds out that it is harder than he thought, freezing something as hot as acid... and is strikes him, burning through his flesh, making him grit his teeth... "That's fucking it..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Cael: ''' "Hey, now you be careful. You've got a pretty face. I wouldn't want to see it burnt." Cael admonishes his friend before he plucks a triplet of golden words from the air, casting them at the three creatures in the tunnel.
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Cloud in Dawn: ''' "Just a flesh wound, just a flesh wound!" He calls as he puts out the acid! "Not everyone can disappear in words like you do, you know! Some of uis have to dance the music. Hmmm, and those are your lyrics when you disappear, right? I wonder if I can rearrange some letters next time, I wonder if that will change ''you''!" He takes a step foward, calling the swan again... picking the feathers... "Well now. You tried to burn my unmarrable beauty, you fucking fungus. Payback time!"
| |
| − | | |
| − | ... and they fall, freezing on the ground, as he goes back to patting his acid, falling on the frozen tunnel walls...
| |
| − | | |
| − | "Soo... doing anything later?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Cael: ''' "Well, this place is gonna mean a whole bunch more paperwork...." Cael says, as he looks down at the four creatures.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "But after that ... nothing. Why, were you wanting to pay a visit to the 'prissy airship'?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Cloud in Dawn: ''' "Was considering it! Not too much to do, you know... and killing those things get your blood pumping!" He kicks one of the creatures, breaking its frozen parts. "Damned disgusting fuckers. So, what now? Aside from boring paperwork?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Cael: ''' "Now, we wait for Ryshassa and the troops to arrive, and try and stop any more of them from happening." Cael says with a nod, turning and walking back out of the tunnel to wait in the clean air of the spire.
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Ryshassa: ''' "E...excuse me?" Ryshassa's hesitant voice calls out from a short distance behind, unsure whether she ought to be interrupting this banter at all or not.
| |
| − | | |
| − | The healer is of course impeccably dressed, albiet somberly, wearing a kimono embroidered with pale white lilies and blue-violet forget-me-nots. The lilies are large, stark and bold against a black silk background and interspersed with crisp green leaves. The obi's hue emphasizes the shade of the smaller violet blossoms, and the slender obijime wrapped around its center is a pale lily-white. Her hair is braided and coiled atop her head, the braids woven with violet ribbons that trail at either side of her head.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "You needed me, Cael?" Her eyes glance curiously at the frozen, word-sliced mold carapaces of the corpses along the ground, and then to both Cloud and Cael, looking over them instinctively for any sign of significant injury.
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Cloud in Dawn: ''' "Took you long enough." They did not have to wait more than minutes.
| |
| − | | |
| − | But those were minutes surrounded by dead fungus and creeping smoking vines!
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Ryshassa: '''Ryshassa looks embarrassed at the jibe, though she insists, "I came as soon as I was called. What is going on here, anyway?"
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| − | | |
| − | '''Cael: ''' "Ah, Ryshassa, you are looking good today, especially in such ... ah ... unpleasant surroundings." Cael says with a smile for her appearance. "Pay the uncultured haslanti no heed ... he almost got his too pretty face burned."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "As to what is happening here ... well, follow me." Cael leads her deeper into the tunnels, to the large cavern filled with the people sucking on the vines, looking somewhere between human and the fungus creatures, mold filling their bodies, forming the claws and teeth...
| |
| − | | |
| − | "That."
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| − | | |
| − | '''Ryshassa: ''' The compliment pleases her, of course, and her quiet blush is readily apparent on her pale cheeks. She follows Cael to the cave, and...
| |
| − | | |
| − | "......" Ryshassa knew there were strange things going on in and around the Spire since it had... changed after the General's battle, but she isn't quite sure how to react to a sight like that, at first.
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| − | | |
| − | "Are they.. do they respond to anything at all?" She edges closer, not quite touching the people or the vines yet, just... observing them.
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| − | | |
| − | '''Cael: ''' "I don't know .. I didn't want to go pulling them away incase they turned violent or needed your help... I was planning on waiting for the troops to get here before we tried to move too many. I want enough people here to subdue them, rather than having to go for more drastic measures..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Narrator: ''' They notice the Exalted... faintly. They are held, but could probably escape if they tried... but they did not...
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| − | | |
| − | They just stay there, smoking...
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| − | | |
| − | '''Ryshassa: ''' Ryshassa nods, somewhat distractedly. "If you and the troops will be attempting this I will be glad to assist."
| |
| − | | |
| − | The people seemed... alive, at least. Weary but alive. But there was little she could tell with her physical senses alone. Tentatively she brushes at one of them... both with her fingertips, to check them for injury, and tendrils of Essence through which she might intuit their mental and spiritual state.
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Narrator: ''' Ryshy had heard of this sort of poisoning... much like a parasite. Some variety of fungus beneath Gethamane became like this at times, and turned people into monsters as well... parasitic forms of life that become part of their hosts, changing them, turning them into extensions of the mother fungus or plant, whose sole purpose is to spread.... it is a not too uncommon mutation for such strange underplaces from cities like Spire or Gethamane... but if let to run rampant, it could consume the whole city. Ryshassa heard of such cases...
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| − | | |
| − | '''Ryshassa: ''' Ryshassa steps back, her mien of concentration dropping as the disjointed possibiliites in her mind come together, aided by the presence of the Caduceus hovering beside her.
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| − | | |
| − | "These vines... the fungus.. they are a poison, a parasite! The whole plant is like one organism, and it implants itself into the people, turning them into monsters bent to its will. We must eradicate it -- all traces of it -- or it may spread to all of Spire!"
| |
| − | | |
| − | "But... I... I do not know if these people can still be saved... if you and the troops are to attempt freeing them from the vines, you must do it sooner than later. Before their transformation is complete."
| |
| − | | |
| − | Again she leans forward and rests her hand upon the person she had touched before. Is there any sign of his or her psyche still untouched by the fungus? Or is it... already too late?
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Narrator: ''' It is not too late... but they may never be the same again! Part of their minds may never recover from where the fungus breathed by the 'opium' vines begun to replace it... but she can expurgate the fungus, at least!
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| − | | |
| − | '''Cael: ''' Cael lets out another flowing curse in icetongue.
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| − | | |
| − | "Well, I had no intention of letting the transformations go on ....but....damnit."<br>
| |
| − | ''This really would mean a lot paperwork. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | "Where are the rest of the troops..?" He demands mostly of the air, before directing those that are with him to start easing people from the vines, carrying them out.
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Narrator: ''' "Back there!" Calls the commander, as they wait behind on the tunnel. The commander and two or three of them are there with Cael and Ryshassa, as this big hall where the vines and pillows stand, this place the people were either dragged to or thought was a natural drug den, is quite a large hall...
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Ryshassa: ''' The fact that there could already be permanent damage makes Ryshassa hesitate... but if she can still help them, at least a little, she cannot refuse. She cannot simply turn away from this! Even flawed in mind as they may be, they are still people. They must still have friends and loved ones. It is not for her to decide whether they should die a monster...
| |
| − | | |
| − | "I can heal them," she says, putting certainty she does not quite feel into her voice. "But they must be freed first --" Cael and the soldiers are already dealing with that, though, by the time she says that aloud. He seems a bit ...agitated about it, though? Ryshassa frowns slightly, wondering what is on his mind. "Is something wrong?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | As soon as the first person is freed, though, she finds herself preoccupied with the act of healing. Her duty, and her calling. But before that -- a touch of Essence, to cleanse and fortify her body against illness, so that what poison she may transfer will not affect her as well.
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Cael: ''' Cael swiftly directs the men to start pulling the people from the room. People should be taken from here and right outside, into the streets. If they turn violent, they should be subdued, not killed if at all possible. He doesn't respond to Ryshassa, distracted as he is direecting the operation and she is trying to undo the damage.
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Narrator: ''' The scale begins to pick the twenty men out of the large smoke-filled hall, dragging them outside... no more than five of them turn violent, but the Windians quickly subdue them without any trouble - they simply fall unconscious after being hit on the back of the head, and are then dragged out....
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Ryshassa: ''' Ryshassa kneels amidst them, all twenty of them, as soon as they are removed from and placed out of the way of the vines. Two or three she has helped individually by now, but seeing how many there are, she realizes it will take more than the usual techniques to aid them all at once.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Even if she tries, she may not be able to... but at least they will not worsen now -- or so she hopes.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "I should emphasize," she asserts to the others. "Destroy the plant growth, however which way you can. Burn them, perhaps. They will continue to affect others that happen by them if you do not."
| |
| − | | |
| − | And with that she draws her lyre from its case and begins to play, stroking the shimmering golden strings in deft, mellifluous patterns. The notes form into visible wisps of golden Essence, rising as tendrils of smoke all around her, tendrils that twine together and thicken, blossoming with wings of gold-veined violet at the very tips. Soon she kneels at the foot of a flourishing Tree of Life, summoned by her music and her connection with the Sun, teeming with sunset-shaded blossom-flies rustling amidst leaves of golden sunlight.
| |
| − | | |
| − | One by one their petal-wings expand and unfold. One by one they detach from the golden branches, fluttering into the air around their creator in a gradually expanding cloud. To her music they begin to dance as leaves tossed in the breeze, drifting with the lilting notes, pirouetting with every improvised trill, spreading outward to blanket the still, sleeping forms of the people on the ground. There the blossom-flies rest and take root, the veins on their wings pulsing and thickening with a dark ichor as they attempt to suck out the poison in each of them, transferring it to the healer at the foot of the Tree.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Ryshassa shivers at the foot of the golden tree -- the days have been long, what with so many in need of healing. Her power is just barely enough. But it is enough. Relief floods her as the blossom-flies rise from the still forms of the previously afflicted, and flow back towards her as one, as if sucked inward by an unseen tide. They alight upon her body, covering her in a cocoon of petal-wings that shift from deep violet to a pure lily white before fading harmlessly away. One by one the tendrils forming the great tree detach into wisps of golden smoke, and they too disappear, leaving the healer kneeling and bowed, hugging her lyre to her chest.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "They are healed," she pronounces wearily, lifting her head, "but likely, they will need a great deal of rest first. The presence of these vines worries me though... someone will be dealing with them, correct?" She does not quite feel right ordering the troops around, as she is a foreigner to this place, but she hopes they might catch the hint, at least.
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Cael: ''' Cael watches with a sense of wonder as Ryshassa works her magic, taking the people and purifying them, taking away all their infection from the binds...
| |
| − | | |
| − | ....so very relieved that she could.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "Thank you, Ryshassa." he says solemnly, before he looks to the troops. "You people, help them outside ... the rest of you, start to chop down these vines."
| |
| − | | |
| − | He walks over to Ryshassa then, offering her a hand to help her rise. "I will talk to Valencia about getting some of the Windian 'blooded down here, woods and fire aspects, to make syre they are well dealt...beyond that...I suppose we will just have to look for more colonies like this, and deal with them as we find them."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Cloud in Dawn: ''' "You have style, Ryshy, I gotta give ya that." He nods. "So, we will have to go find more disgusting things? What an incredible prospect..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Ryshassa: ''' Ryshassa smiles gratefully as Cael helps her rise, and acknowledges Cloud with a nod. Cael and Cloud... they were here together? Cael had told her that the two men, after the Zephyr party, had...
| |
| − | | |
| − | Another faint blush colors the healer's pale cheeks.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "These aren't the only ones?" Ryshassa looks dismayed by that, though of course it is not a surprise, if they've risen up from underground somehow, like the fungi from the Gethamane gardens. "I would think others can be spared to look for them, as well... If the soldiers and guards are informed of their presence, they can simply call on me if there are others in need of healing... that still can be healed."
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''Those creatures, they had just defeated when I arrived... then... those must have been others affected by the toxin, as well... ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Cael: ''' "This is the only place that I know of ... but it would be foolish to assume it's the only one, if it's like you said. We don't even know how long this has been here..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "I will have to bring this up with Valencia and Vorpal." He sighs.
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''and to think I though I might get a pleasant walk home... ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Cloud in Dawn: ''' "We need to burn those things. To the ground. Do we have any damn Firedust?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | "And this was the underground... we should look and seal everything leading there... creepy, man..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Ryshassa: ''' "Definitely... quarantining this place would be a good idea." Ryshassa rubs her forehead tiredly. So much... so many in need. "If you are busy though, Cael, I can bring it to their attention for you... if you would inform me of any of the details I may have missed."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Cael: ''' "That would be welcome, Ryshassa .. I would need you there to explain just what was happening anyway. There is not much to say beyond what you have seen here, save that we first saw one of these things..people...whatever they are, trying to prey on a man and his young sister."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "I've started work on getting a building to house them in, so that we can keep them seperate from the ordinary wounded, though with your magic... I am less sure that is nessesary."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Ryshassa: ''' "It may still be. I can heal them, but I have my limits too..." Ryshassa smiles apologetically. "I mean to say, depending on how many there are it may take me some time to recharge between healings."
| |
| − | | |
| − | Anyway, this gave her an excuse to speak with the Pale Angel again. Or the Silver, though she always seemed quite busy and difficult to get a hold of.
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Cloud in Dawn: ''' "And you understand what is goin' on?" He asks, leaning against a wall, watching the Scale of Windians to take people away to the Windians' makeshift hospital... "No need to keep them apart, right? You burned the stuff pretty good out of them?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Cael: ''' "Of course, Ryshassa." Cael says with a nod, "and thank you once more for going to see the generals with this."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "Well then, I will ensure that they are kept to a sperate place. That way, even if we find them faster, we can at least watch them until you are ready once more. If you think that dragonblooded healers in the army might help, then you may want to mention that to them too."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Ryshassa: ''' Ryshassa purses her lips pensively before managing a reply. "They will not ''infect'' anyone else, if that is what you mean. The poison inside them is eradicated. On the other hand there may have been some permanent damage done to them. This is something that... can't be easily judged, until they awaken."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "So I can't say for sure they will not cause further harm to themselves or others, just yet," she admits with a sigh.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "Ah, yes -- they could help a great deal, I believe," Ryshassa says to Cael, nodding enthusiastically. She has at least seen what Dragon-Blooded healing can do, having grown up on the Blessed Isle, even if she has not practiced it herself.
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Dorian: ''' Lighting hits the ground, then, close to them, as he begins to lower himself, his wings beating like storm-clouds.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Lighting crackles around him, and he smiles. Oh, a chance to cut loose. Oh, a chance to show the power of his household for all to see. To show everyone why the Windian army was here, and with him. Lighting clung to him in his anima, as he smiled down at them all. "Good evening, Cael, Ryshassa. I trust some... firepower... was needed?" He asks with a confident grin, before turning and addressing the third figure. "Cloud."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Ryshassa: ''' "Good evening, Dorian," Ryshassa replies, choosing or perhaps just not feeling like being overly formal with titles at this point in time. "Indeed, firepower will be needed to rid this place of this strange... plant infestation. It may not be the only nest, either, but it is the one Cael and Cloud have found."
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Cael: ''' "Good Evening, Dorian." Cael says with a smile to the man.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "And yes, We need someone who can burn out the vines below this temple." He tilts his head with a grin. "I'm sure you can manage that on your own?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Dorian: ''' "Can the birds fly on their own?" He asks, stepping towards the building, trailing lighting on his wake.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "Wait here, will you? And no coming closer to the building... I will be cutting loose."
| |
| − | | |
| − | And so the man walks into the building...
| |
| − | | |
| − | And a little time later, lighting came out of the ground, melting the rock, turning the ice-glass windows dark, rising like a lighting rod towards the sky.... and it was done.
| |
| − | | |
| − | In the days that followed the Windian Army looked for and sealed any entrances to the underways they could find, but the city was big, and it would take a long time to find them all. Much less ward and close them. The threat would always hang over them.
| |
| − | | |
| − | It is, after all, a strange world.
| |
| − | | |
| − | But for now, lives had been saved, and rested on the hospital.<br>
| |
| − | Of the twenty, only three reported unsalvageable brain damage, and in total, nineteen lives.. or more... had been saved.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Not bad for a days' walk.
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| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | ----
| |
| − | | |
| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/SixthMovement|Sixth Movement]]
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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/DanceOfAngels|A Dance of Angels]]
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