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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/SixthMovement|Sixth Movement]]
| + | #REDIRECT [[ADanceOfAngels]] |
| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/DanceOfAngels|A Dance of Angels]]
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| − | == Vengeanful Skies ==
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| − | Heaven.
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| − | The home of Gods. Of Incarna. Of Celestial Bodies, and the Loom That Weaves All There Is.
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| − | A place in turmoil, on the wake of the Obsidian Age, of the Time of Tumult. Where the ripples of Creation can be felt, increased a thousandfold. Somewhere, in the Crimson Panoply of Victory, fate ripples, fate breaks, and they know the greatest wars are to come, as their formations break, and new social orders spring about every minute...
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| − | | |
| − | ... and there, we find Vengeful Sky.
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| − | '''Ledaal Osric: ''' ''Knock, Knock, Knock''
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| − | "Sky?"
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| − | Knocking on his door, this early in the morning(Morning? It was hard to know, given the way days and nights pass in Yu-Shan) is the voice of his protege, Ledaal Osric. "Sky!"
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| − | "You there?"
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' ''I told him I wasn't coming in to the office today... ''
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| − | The Sidereal exhales sharply through his nose.
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| − | "One moment, Osric."
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| − | He replaces the spear in a weapon rack by the wall, then pauses by the door, taking a deep breath. Exhaling and centering himself, he flings the double-doors wide open, tattered old robes fluttering in the sudden wind. Theatrics are handy for maintaining an image before lower-ranked personnel.
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| − | "Do you need something, Osric?"
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| − | '''Ledaal Osric: ''' He looks up, admiringly, before taking something from his pocket - a piece of parchment.
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| − | "No, I do not, sir... but it is not me." The parchment unfolds by itself, rising up to Vengeful Sky's face... a letter, a summoning, letters shining in deep crimson on it. "They are calling you, sir. Do you need me to prepare anything for it?"
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' "...calling, are they?"
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| − | Red eyes glitter inscrutably! Sky snatches the letter from Osric's hand, reading over it intently. Of course, reading doesn't prevent him from issuing orders to the Dragon-Blooded.
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| − | "Hm. Be sure you cancel my appointment with the hairdresser today. Additionally, inform my secretary to hold all calls until further notice."
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| − | Sky pauses in his reading, looks up at the Staff Sergeant.
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| − | "As I recall ... you've a brief period of leave coming up, don't you? Have you made any plans?"
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| − | '''Ledaal Osric: ''' On the document, there is a summons to go meet one of Hu Dai Liang's chief lieutenants.
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| − | And it is signed as being of the utmost importance.
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| − | "Right, sir. Right away!" He seems a bit uncomfortable, his hand going to scratch something behind his neck... "I was thinking of going to the Realm again. Attending some parties, meeting some old acquaintances. You know, the usual! I miss my family." He says, thinking for a moment... "... why?"
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' "I have this subtle suspicion, Osric, that you will find very interesting times upon you quite soon."
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| − | Sky folds the letter and tucks it inside his robes.
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| − | "Keep your things packed while you're in the Realm. And tell your uncle that a certain retired Captain says hello."
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| − | With that, the double-doors slammed shut and Sky went on about quickly preparing himself for the meeting!
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| − | '''Ledaal Osric: ''' He sighs. But he tries to sound very, very dutiful about it! It was not the first time they would stop a leave of his'... working on heaven was a bit like selling your soul, never a dull moment, never a moment to breathe and relax, either... "Yes, sir! I will be sure to do so! I will be seeing you, sir!"
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| − | '''????: ''' "So, they call upon you. It is coming. The great emptyness..."
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| − | Come the words from a book that floats idly on the air on his room.
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| − | "Something none can see, and it is coming... they will call you for it, no doubt."
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' Sky sighs, dropping the old-master facade.
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| − | "They always call me, as you well know."
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| − | Turning to 'face' the book, Sky adjusts his robes.
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| − | "At any rate, it's a meeting with someone of some station. How do I look?"
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| − | "Perhaps it would be appropriate to arrive in uniform, no? Full dress, you think, or field?"
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| − | '''????: ''' "Horrible, as usual. And of course they will want an uniform! What do you think? Those are your superiors!"
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| − | "You need to pay them proper respect. If you even know what that is like."
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| − | The Book seems to fix his letters on Sky for a moment. "And trust me. It is the emptiness."
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' "Yes, but which uniform? The question remains, O Thou Wise Tome of Infinite Martial Prowess."
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| − | Sky turns away from the book, picking at an imaginary smudge on the weapon rack, altogether ignoring the comment about respect.
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| − | | |
| − | "...what is the emptiness?"
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| − | '''Wise Tome of Infinite Martial Prowess: ''' "Those of heaven. You go as an agent of the Crimson Panoply, do you not? Pfah, children. The Scarlet Army may ask for their respect, but the uniform of the Panoply pleases them. And they will not care about the one you used on that brief stint on the East, you and I both know this." The leather cover seems to frown, and one can almost see one of the lines around where the title ''would'' be curl inward slightly.
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| − | "The emptiness is the emptiness. No onca see see it, so it is nothing."
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| − | "No one aside from the Puppet, pehaps. I never liked him. Too silent. How can you trust in someone who cannot argue?!?"
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' "...the Puppet?"
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| − | Sky blinks, then narrows his eyes.
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| − | "You've been arguing with my old Imperial handbooks again, haven't you?"
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| − | '''Wise Tome of Infinite Martial Prowess: ''' "Yes. They are good to argue against! I want to argue with that book of five dragons of yours, though. Why do you always lock it? Afraid it will lose too many pages in our spar?" Both 'spears' on the cover seem to curl... almost in a smile. "The puppet. The silent one who leads your humor-less comrades. The ones who cannot appreciate a good fight, you know."
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' Sky chuckles, shaking his head.
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| − | "Perhaps someday, I will permit the two of you to go at it properly. I have no doubts as to who will emerge victorious, however!"
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| − | The Sidereal turns away, pacing the circle of the room around to a door.
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| − | "At this juncture, however, I must bid you adieu, O Thou Glorious One. I have to put on my uniform."
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| − | '''Wise Tome of Infinite Martial Prowess: ''' "Be seeing you. Try not to embarass yourself too much; I became rather found of your foolishness."
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| − | Is all he is left with before leaving....
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' Behold, Master Sergeant Vengeful Sky, the Alabaster Champion, Heaven's Long Reach, the Knight!
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| − | He always kept his uniform perfectly pressed and clean, with medals and awards tastefully arrayed so as not to seem boastful, but visible nonetheless. It wouldn't do, now, to have one's superiors forgetting precisely how valuable one is.
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| − | * The halls were luxurious, grand; Caterpillars floated, practicing martial prowess with strings of silk, illuminated by the butterfly-shaped glass murals on the walls. Everything is crimson, there, parts of the murals going into yellow or blue glass, but this hardly detracts from the light. Mantises pace about, with their great lances. And Sky waits. Waits, seeing Hu Dai Liang's private army training... until he is called.<br><br>Agate Ascension, Crescent of Her Blade, waited for him within.<br><br>It was a form of mist, with rubyes for eyes in an almost insectoid fashion, who called him with a feminine voice. Who beckoned him to come within and meet her mistress. "Mistress Agate awaits you now, Vegeful Sky."
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| − |
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' Sky shakes himself from a moment's peaceful reverie, glances at the mist and delivers a tight smile.
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| − | "Thank you."
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| − | He pauses a moment to adjust the angle of his sword - a deeply-cherished heirloom that looked thoroughly out-of-place in Heaven, what with is nicks and wear; all too mortal a weapon for such divine surrounds.
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| − | Composing himself, the Sidereal proceeds into Agate Ascension's office, radiating the calm, composed presence of a military officer.
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| − | '''Agate Ascension: ''' The room is darker, lit by only a few candles. The candles were ornate, forming shields... shields slowly burning.
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| − | She sat on her table, paper scattered about it. She looked mostly human... if one ignored the attenae, or her wings, or the exo-esqueleton that covered her whole body. She watched Sky intently as he walked in... and he could feel another pair of eyes on him as well, somewhere within the shadows....
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| − | '''????: ''' He can see the figure to her right.... amidst the shadows. A masked figure, apparently made of shadows.
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| − | He makes no effort to conceal himself - he is just naturally concealed.
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| − | And his mere presence makes the room more silent.
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' ''Well ... that's comforting. ''
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| − | He pauses inside the office, settling in a sort of parade-rest posture, hands folded behind his back.
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| − | | |
| − | "I've been told that you wanted to see me?"
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| − | '''Agate Ascension: ''' Her eyes are judgement.
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| − | She scrutinizes him, his posture, she seems to catch his words in the air and dissect them...
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| − | And then, after a very long moment she speaks.
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| − | "Yes, I did, Vegeful Sky."
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| − | "Have you heard of the situation at the North, since last calibration?"
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' ''I hate it when she sits on long pauses like that... ''
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| − | "I'm afraid I've heard naught but a vague rumor that there was a situation. As you are aware, I've been rather busy these past months, I have not had the opportunity to remain fully abreast of all news."
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| − | '''Agate Ascension: ''' "The Bishop has struck again."
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| − | "You know of his cult. You know of his desires. You know of the one who serves him, I am sure."
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| − | "This time, however... it was... strange. Before, it was a try at expansion - an army running through the fields, taking over Marama's fell, beating at the door of Whitewall, stopped by us losing some of our brightest to neutralize the ''traitor''" She does not need to name. Everyone knows Ten Thousand Virtues. Much as heaven would like to forget his name, and those of the few like him. "And the efforts of the young Tepet Arada in stopping that. But now... they came out of nowhere. They paced through the Underworld to appear on the other side of the North. They used only their elite - those new 'Deathknigts' and the best of their ghosts and Exalted - to appear on Whiteshield, take it over, and raise an army via necromancy."
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| − | "With such force, they took the country over in a scant few weeks. But the Lover apparently did not like the intrusion on her territory... she rescued the princes of Whiteshield, and had them and her deathknights rally Windia's troops against them. It was a massacre, at first...."
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| − | "But now..."
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| − | "We have seen it..."
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| − | She makes him see, as shadows through the room. The war. The blood. The animas...
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| − | "It will be war."
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' Sky does manage to keep from grinning! Nonetheless, there's no hiding that twinkle in his eye. A little glee, a little madness, and a healthy dose of eagerness.
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| − | "War indeed. Shall I interject now by saying that I suppose you mean to send me to straighten this problem out?"
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| − | '''Agate Ascension: ''' "We have agents there already. Cian Huang, from the Golden Barque, had personal interests on Whiteshield and The Traitor. Luminaev du Mistlav and Swift Whisper, from the Forbidding Manse of Ivy, are two of the three wardens of Windia. Gennadi Ilkov and Alexsei Krauser, from the Cerulean Lute and the Violet Bier, respectively, have gone there and joined the Deathknights and Celestials in their war directly. But they do not possess a tactician from the division of war."
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| − | "The third warden of Windia is Red Shadow... and you know how he is."
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| − | Truly, Sky did. Clad always in black, always silent, carrying his modified firewands... he seemed to not be human, most of the time.
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| − | And certainly not a tactician, or a typical member of battles. An Endings by any other name...
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| − | "We thought of your name to be there... the last one we can spare. If you are ready for it."
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| − | "A demon was summoned on Arjuf by an Anathema, and the battle to stop both leveled a neighborhood, but the anathema's still at large. The Mask tried to expand to the East. Islands begun to vanish at the West. Ma-Ha-Suchi has begun his strikes. Raksi has visited Heaven. The Lintha are growing bolder. Key figures of the Dynasty are being assassinated."
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| − | "You must realise that placing a seventh Sidereal on the god-forsaken North is almost a luxury we cannot afford."
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' Sky chuckles dryly.
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| − | "I swore an oath, Madame Agate. I am quite prepared to uphold it."
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| − | His knuckles, folded together behind his back, crack a bit as he kneads his fists.
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| − | "I do realize the enormous risk taken by placing another of the Maidens' Chosen in the North. However, I believe it a prudent and necessary approach. When do I leave?"
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| − | '''????: '''The figure steps out of the darkness. He does not speak.
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| − | And yet, he does not need to, as every one of his movements is filled with more meaning than simple words.
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| − | ''If you go, you will meet your elders, and face them. If you go, you will see deceit, manipulation and betrayal, face your own brehren, see monsters disguised as gods, and gods disguised as monsters. You will see something sordid, twisting, maddening. ''
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| − | '''''Are you sure? '''''
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' "I think you know me well enough to know the answer to that question."
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| − | '''????: ''' The figure looks into Sky's eyes. Deeply into them.
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| − | And then, somehow, it is like Sky is not there....
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| − | ... but not. And the god of silence nods.
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| − | '''Agate Ascension: ''' "You leave now." She says, picking a dossier, and pointing it to him... the red mist lady coming and placing it on Sky's hands. "That dossier has our profile in all the major players there. As you know well, one has to know his battlefield."
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' Chuckling softly again, Sky accepts the dossier, opening it as he turns to leave.
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| − | "Speaking of battlefields, Madame Agate. We never finished our game."
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| − | '''Agate Ascension: ''' "No, we did not. Consider it an incentive to get back alive."
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| − | She almost slips into 'one piece', into a more informal tone.
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| − | Almost.
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' "It shall remain foremost in my mind, Madame Agate. Fore-most."
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| − | With that, the Knight of Heaven slips out of the doorway, returning to his home to make preparations!
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| − | * And then, it does not take much longer until he is stepping out of Heaven's Gate, only the river of tears across him to Whiteshield... there, a Dragon awaits. "Vegeful Sky, is it? I have been waiting for you. I am to be your your transportation."
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| − | === The prairies of the North... ===
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| − | South of the River of Teas, of the warring with the dead.
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| − | Stepping out of the Gate of Yu-Shan, Vengeful Sky feels the north... the freezing, freezing air of Ascendant Air blows on his face, nearly freezing one on the spot.
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| − | Close by, a great being looms, watching him. A dragon, the color of ice itself. "You are Vengeful Sky, are you not? I have been waiting for your arrival."
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' His possessions wrapped up in an innocuous duffel bag, his celestial garmets exchanged for austere, faded robes reminiscent of those of a wandering monk, Vengeful Sky looks like something far less than he is. Still, his bearing is, if not kingly, then regal at the least. Red eyes lock with the dragon's.
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| − | "Be done with waiting then, carry out your orders."
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| − | * The Dragon lowers his head, bowing to the agent of heaven.<br><br>You can walk over me, Vengeful Sky. You will not feel the winds in our travel. I am the one to take you to where the war is being fought, Soldier of Heaven."
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' Sky delivers a brief, sharp nod.
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| − | "Very good, then. Let us waste no time - the commencement of battle will not await my illustrious entrance."
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| − | * The dragon chuckles.<br><br>"My lord Sky... it has already begun. Already war rages, and the air itself burns with their foul flame."<br><br>As Sky walks over the Dragon, he takes to the skies... and although Sky does not feel the wind....he sees the world passing.... and sees the skies darken on the other side of the River of Tears. Below, he sees fields burning... and a port city on the southern side of the River of Tears burning.<br><br>And on the other side, a port burns as well, if less...<br><br>"The Bull of the North tried to cross north. He managed to, but at great cost."<br><br>"He met his equals here, at long last. I wonder if he was prepared for it."<br><br>Sounds below make Sky wonder if battle does not still rage. But all he can see are the flames...
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' "Mmm..."
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| − | Sky watches the landscape below with a sort of aloof, unconcerned air.
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| − | "I had hoped the Bull would find not only his equals, but his betters. I've grown weary of that one, you know."
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| − | He exhales through his nose, taking a moment to tie back his hair.
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| − | "When he came to power, I ''told'' them that he would be trouble. I suppose I'll wind up being the one who has to destroy him one of these days."
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| − | * "Pehaps. Those who thought themselves their betters before died. I am sure you at least heard of them, those like you he killed." The Dragon says in his thunderous voice.... "But I would hope it is you. At least, from what I heard of the Solar. But now, I just wish he takes as many of them as he can."
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' "I have no illusions about being anyone's better - I am nothing more than a soldier."
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| − | He shrugs slightly, opening his duffel bag.
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| − | | |
| − | "On another note, where am I to be delivered?"
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| − | * The Dragon simply nods. "To the Spire. That is where they have convened. The Chosen. They have beaten back Raegar Malian." He says. Sky knew the name. Very well-known in the Panoply until a little while ago. A general in the Northwest, he led his country to victory numerous times, blessed by Mars as he was. With her blessing, he conquered. Until he became so great, a Dragon-Blooded came for him.<br><br>And then he was chosen by the Abyss, vanishing from history... until now.<br><br>"They convened there, to continue their plans, I believe. The war against Raegar, and the rest of them. I hope you live, after meeting them."
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' Sky laughs more openly now.
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| − | "You hope I live. That's beautiful, what was your name? I'll have Osric send you a gift basket."
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| − | Still chuckling, Sky settles down to prepare a prayer strip during the journey.
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| − | "Death is none of my concern. My demise was written in the stars millenia before I was born. I will die no sooner, and no later than my appointed time; I choose not to concern myself with the end. Not my department, you know."
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| − | * The dragon chuckles. "Goro. I am Goro. Censor of the center of the Northeast. And I would enjoy the basket.."<br><br>"I see. Well, we are here..." He says, pointing foward, to the city on the horizon, past a great mountain... the one with a First Age building, huge and glorious, reaching to the sky like an alabaster spire. He hears something. And nearly stops. "You will be there in n..."<br><br>He hears something. Then stops. "Close your ears. Close your ears now."
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' Every soldier knows that when an urgent order is delivered, no matter how peculiar, it is most often prudent to obey quite immediately. Sky does so!
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| − | | |
| − | * On the edge of his hearing, he hears a chorus... <br><br>Goro dives, into the clouds, lower, trying to hide in the mist around mountains.... and then Sky hears a noise, something rupturing the Dragon's skin....and as he looks back, he sees the Dragon has been sectioned in half, his blood filling the mountain mist<br><br>And he is now falling, out of the mountain mist, into the pine valley beneath him, with alarming speed... but, reaching to one of the pine branches, Sky manages to make the right jumps to keep himself in one piece as he falls...<br><br>... and pieces of Goro do, creating a great clearing in front of him.<br><br>He can hear it now... the chorus...<br><br>... the voices on the chorus... pain... sorrow... it fills his heart... and makes him wish to go...<br><br>To run after them, to save them! To save the voices, that also seem to be coming his way already!
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' ''They need my help''<br>
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| − | ''Theyneedmyhelp''<br>
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| − | ''theyneedhelp''
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| − | ''They all need my help, they've always needed my help. ''
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| − | ''My help is blood. ''
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| − | Sky moves to aid ... whatever it is ... in the way he knows best, the Heaven & Earth Spear held aloft in one hand, the Scripture of the Maiden on the Shelf fluttering in the other! He breaks into a sprint, seeking out that which pains the voices!
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| − | | |
| − | * And as he steps into a clearing, he sees them... floating... floating above...<br><br>The souls of seven boys, moliated together into one entity of terrible angelic aesthetics, beautiful in an artistic sense and totally unsettling in any human sense. It hovers, wings made of their organs and seven mouths echoing together in a crystalline beautific face, singing, singing, singing their pain...<br><br>Crying, crying ... in a choir of pain...<br><br>Their voices tell their story, of when they died, of how they died, of their pain, of their sorrow. Of how much they suffer for their faith, for their belief, of how much their suffer, never having knowing anything else....<br><br>And their suffering touches Vengeful Sky's heart, making him stop, filling his heart and soul with nothing but their sorrow...
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' Sky stops in place, nearly thrown to the ground by the sudden weight on his heart, a weight the likes of which he's not felt in years...
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| − | Planting the spear in the ground, Sky leans heavily on it, turning his gaze away from the nightmarish creature floating not far from him. He gags, spits, breathes raggedly.
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| − | ''Pain, pain, sadness, death''<br>
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| − | ''Painpainsadnessdeath''<br>
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| − | ''painsadnessdeathpainsadnessdeath''
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| − | ''Stop. You are beyond these concerns, Knight of Heaven. ''
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| − | ''Aren't you? ''
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| − | | |
| − | * And then, before he can finish his dilemma, a great metal blade cuts the tree above him, returning to its owner as they fall, all around, a joke to dodge. Just an entering move. The blade returns, to a figure, at least eight feet tall, lithe and lean... and made of the pieces of corpses, of metal, and as the dual blade returns to its hand, living eyes watch him, in a bald face and without a mouth, metal grafted where it should be. A living thing remaining in a thing of death and metal. He had seen the blade before.<br><br>It is what cut the dragon in half.
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| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' He closes his eyes, feeling the strands of fate bending as the trees fall around him, a few passing within scarce inches. But then, fortune had always favored him.
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| − | ''Focus. ''
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| − | | |
| − | Sky straightens, inhaling deeply, uprooting the Heaven & Earth Spear. He speaks, but at first his voice falters, it fails to project. He clears his throat. He speaks again, his voice ringing out like the clash of sword upon shield.
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| − | | |
| − | "You are in violation of Section Four, Paragraph Thirteen of the... fuck it."
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| − | | |
| − | The prayer strip cracks like a whip, adhering over his eyes.
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| − | | |
| − | '''????: ''' As the prayer strip adheres to his eyes, the thing prepares for battle, assuming a position reminiscent of the Five Dragons Fight as One style.
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| − | | |
| − | He was ready.
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| − | | |
| − | The thing moves towards Sky in a strange way. Its steps far too reaching. Its body far too still. It is a doll. Like a doll.
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| − | | |
| − | And no sooner it is closer to Sky... it brings its blade down to cut him apart like it did with the dragon.
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| − | | |
| − | '''Vengeful Sky: '''The Heaven & Earth Spear flourishes, darting out to ... wait, no! The glittering starmetal lance does not intercept the attack; it instead hooks into a loop of Essence, invisible to mortal eyes. A flick of the wrist, and the strand of destiny that held Sky's demise was severed, the vast blade falling not on Sky, but lodging in a fallen tree.
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| − | | |
| − | And Sky is on the move! A whirlwind of tattered linen, blood, and starmetal streaks past the creature, out of reach in a flash.
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| − | | |
| − | Coming to a halt, Sky turns, faces the enemy. Red sparks skate across his eyes as he centers himself, uplifting the Heaven & Earth Spear. The polearm's shadow stretches long, casting a dark line over his enemy's eyes.
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| − | | |
| − | "All that this shadow touches is mine. You will know nothing that I do not teach you. Within the reach of my spear, '''I''' am the law."
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| − | | |
| − | The Crimson Panoply of Victory Form begins.
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| − | | |
| − | Before the thing can even close to attack, Sky's spear is there! Not just striking at the thing, but all around it - the monster's unholy eyes can see nothing but the glittering starmetal blade flickering on all sides, defining all the world.
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| − | | |
| − | '''????: ''' The thing staggers back as the spear pierces it. It did not expect, most likely, such puissance.
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| − | | |
| − | The eyes narrow.
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| − | | |
| − | It does not go too far back, however. In one movement, its heel nearly sinks into the ground... and then it moves foward, again like a doll held by its legs and shaken back and forth. And it comes forth, the blade even taller than Sky falling over him with all that momentum behind it....
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| − | | |
| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' Sky laughs, arcs of vermillion essence trailing from his spearhead like tufts of bloodstained fur. The ring of metal on metal echoes through the clearing.
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| − | | |
| − | "To strive against me is to fail!"
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| − | | |
| − | The soldier takes to the air, careening off a broken tree, then down like red lightning from heaven, red-flowering vines pouring off of the Heaven & Earth Spear with a clap like thunder!
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| − | | |
| − | '''????: ''' His spear pierces the being.... the vines piercing the thing, the thunder raging on its metal as the vines pulls the metal out of the dead and live flesh... and the spear, twice-hitting, pierces the thing in half.
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| − | | |
| − | As Sky lands, droplets of dark and red blood fall like rain..
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| − | | |
| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' The Heaven & Earth Spear swings in a wide circle, scattering blood everywhere, then turns downward, lodging in the bloodsoaked earth.
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| − | | |
| − | Sky kneels, speaking to the corpse.
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| − | | |
| − | "Strictly business, you understand. This next bit, however ... is personal."
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| − | | |
| − | Calloused hands grasp the sides of the thing's head, and Sky twists with all the rage and power his old bones can muster, twisting until the monster's head is forcibly ripped from the remnants of its corpse.
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| − |
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| − | '''????: ''' He does so, and it drips true, live blood, and Sky can see the ruined mouth where it linked with the thing, eyes now dead looking at him...
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| − | | |
| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' He spits in the corpse's face, then tears a section of his linen travel robe (now ruined, anyway!) to wrap the thing up. We all need trophies.
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| − | | |
| − | '''????: ''' Now, without the heat of the battle, he still hears the singing boys.
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| − | | |
| − | He also hears thunder. It will rain soon.
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| − | | |
| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' Shaking his head rapidly, Sky forces himself to turn away, to return to the crash site. He had to gather his things. He needed his sword.
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| − | | |
| − | '''????: ''' Moments later, he gets to where the dragon fell, its eyes wide open, blood everywhere, many trees having impaled it. In the clearing, he can feel the howling winds, slapping against him. His things lay there.
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| − | | |
| − | '''Vengeful Sky: ''' The Sidereal packs up his duffel bag properly and throws it up on his shoulder, carrying the severed head in a makeshift sack on the end of his spear, like a hobo's bundle. Just as he is about to walk away, though, he stops in place, bows his head slightly, then turns, walking back to the remains of the dragon.
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| − | | |
| − | Sky stays just long enough to kneel and whisper the soldier's prayer his father taught him over fifty years ago.
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| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | ----
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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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