Porcelain Child/SesssionTwentySeven

The former estate of Anona’s father, inside…
<onine> Tepet Anona in the fit of curiosity over the strange trapdoor in her family's old estate, returns under the cover of darkness to investigate further what was annoyingly halted by Ledaal Tany.
<onine> Another of the black marble Gateway pieces had been moved as she entered and the vase Magpie dutifully smashed had been cleaned.
<onine> Sneaking down into the hidden study with a light of fire burning in her hand, Anona discovered a library and many documents.
<onine> Among them, many copies of fiction relating to the Glory of Kreites tale, books on all manner of sword-style weaponry and other martial lore.
<onine> Curiously, Anona also found more of the credit notes that were marked with Krennell’s seal, the same as the one used to purchase the swordhilt at the Ledaal-Tepet Auction which went dangerously awry.
<onine> Whoever was using them has been here too, and possibly, here recently.
<onine> Also amongst the documents Anona finally located a depiction of the Dragonwrath sword, the sword that once had the hilt taken by the Anathema.
<onine> Just as curiously, amongst these papers Anona also found a perfect diagram of Reprisal, Vana's treasured Reaper Daiklave.
<onine> Rather than waste time looking, Anona has decided simply to take the credit notes and the diagrams and leave... and there we return!
<onine> You put a foot on the ladder and hear a creak. But not from the wooden ladder, but in the house above you. It appears that you are not entirely alone in the old Tepet Estate tonight.
* Anona stands absolutely still.
<Anona> ... and listens for more.
<onine> *creak* *creak*
<onine> Whoever is in here, isn’t a master of stealth. It sounds like they... whoever THEY are is in the study above you. Best douse that flame.
* Anona does just that.
<onine> Yes, the person is in the room above, probably at the book-case on the other side of the room. You can hear the person muttering nervously to themselves. Probably not the Anathema.
* Anona strains to listen.
<onine> You get the gist that this person is trying to find something. And is frustrated that he or she can’t.
<onine> What it is however is unknown.
* Anona attempts to slowly creep up the ladder, stealthily.
<onine> You climb ever-so-silently for a sorceress to the openning of the trapdoor. Across the room highlighted a little by the soft blue light coming in from the windows you can see a person in simple civilian's clothing searching the book-case, opening volumes and putting them back carefully.
<onine> You're shadowed by the desk and the person's back is to you. With your silence, the person doesn't hear or see you.
<Anona> *hey! Nobody's allowed to sneak here but ME! I'll... I'll...* Anona starts running through her spells in her head, but remembers she used her gem of sorcery earlier in the day, and she'd prefer to not burn down THIS house.
<Anona> So, with no alternative left to her, FLYING TACKLE!
* Anona knocks the mysterious figure to their feet and pins them!
<onine> The mysterious person reaveals her gender with a gawd-almighty scream of terror, throwing the books in fear as the fire-aspect tackles her and brings her to the ground, smashing them both into the book case, knocking a few of the tomes from the higher shelves.
<onine> "Get away - HEELP!!!"
<Anona> *in a harsh whisper* "Only after you explain what you're doing in my house."
<onine> "Nothing I swear!" She sounds middle age, and she hugs herself defensively as best she can in your grip.
<Anona> "It didn't LOOK like nothing. It looked more like burglary."
<onine> "Burglary?!" She says about to start bawling then she seems to click. "Yes, yes, I'm a thief, please don't kill me, I didn't take anything!"
<Anona> "I don't intend to kill you... if you tell me the complete and honest truth. If you don't... well, let's just say you'll be renowned in story and song... as a cautionary tale."
<onine> She cries and drops the book she managed to keep hold of. "Please... no."
<onine> The book hits the floorboards and a pile of folded papers fall out of the pages.
<Anona> "Now. What were you doing?"
<onine> "No! I.. I can't!"
<Anona> "Whatever you're afraid of, they just MIGHT do something to you in the future. I most assuredly WILL do something to you NOW."
<onine> "Please don’t make me say!"
* Anona sighs. "Look. Do you know who I am?"
<onine> She nods an affirmative.
<Anona> "Good. That means you know that, if you cooperate, I can help you. But I need to know WHY."
<onine> She shakes her head, terrified.
<Anona> The problem with making threats is you have to be able to back them up... and Anona's a little curious. "Look, I can't just let you go. But we can at least get out of here."
<onine> "Please just let me go, PLEASE!!!" she wails. She doesn't want to go with you, and doesn't want to explain 'why' she is here.
<Anona> "No. What we're going to do is pick up this book you dropped, and I'm going to keep a good, firm hold on your arm all the way outside, and then I'll decide what horrible torment to inflict on you, okay?"
<onine> "No..." she sobs, but doesn't resist enough to escape you.
<Anona> With one hand, Anona keeps a tight grip around the woman's wrist while she stows away the book in a pocket with the other, then roughly pulls the woman to her feet."

Outside!
<onine> You drag her through the house and she sobs all the way. You pull her out the door and into the well manicured gardens which are hauntingly beautiful in the night light, the moonlight reflects off the dew and with the mist and Resplendent Air chill, the garden has a frosty feel.
<onine> The water... thing goes *tok* *tok* *tok* and apart from the crickets chirping somewhere outside, her sobbing is the only thing you can hear.
<Anona> "Hush... you never know who's listening. Now, look at me. No, LOOK AT ME." Anona yanks the woman's head around until she's forced to make eye contact, and casts Peacock Shadow Eyes.
<onine> Flames burn around Anona's shoulders, illuminating the scared woman's face. The dew nearby sparkles orange with the new light.
<onine> She sinks to her knees slowly. The fire sparkles in the woman's eyes as she looks entranced up at you.
<Anona> "Now... why were you here, and who sent you?"
<onine> "...I wasn't sent. I came her to pro... to prote-" She jerks and coughs, her eyes going wide. She doubles over, one arm over her stomach, the other hand over her mouth.
<Anona> "Hmmm.. No, don't try. I've seen this thing before."
<onine> She groans and in the firelight you see a little red trickle escape through her fingers. Then she heaves wide-eyed in fear and horror, white maggots spill around her hand.
<onine> She cowers, vomiting blood and maggots, wailing and crying as the mass of red and white spills onto the ground.
<Anona> "Don't speak. Only nod 'yes' or 'no', okay?"
<onine> After an ungodly amount of time, the effect begins to wear off and she spits and retches, trying to expel the last of the vile vomit from her mouth.
<onine> She looks up at you, her eyes red with tears of pain and fear, but she managed a nod.
<Anona> "Someone made you unable to speak on a certain subject, am I right?"
<onine> She nods.
<Anona> "We can remove the spell. I will have this thing done... *if* you promise to speak about it at that time. Do you agree? yes, no?"
<onine> She gapes and nods.
<Anona> "EPHERI!" Anona shouts at the top of her lungs, forgetting all about the idea of stealth.
* Epheri is surprised out of her peaceful contemplation of the garden and careful watching of the entrance to the estate, and picks herself up, hurrying over to Anona.
<onine> Epheri sees a flame covered Anona, a mortal woman, and a pool of blood and maggots.
<onine> Good times.
<onine> Anona looks a little wild eyed and edgy.
* Epheri quietly and internally ponde-...Oh. Not that again. She hurries over faster. "Yes, Anona?"
<Anona> "This woman's got a Corrupted Words spell on her, you know about it? Could you do me a favor and counter it? I would, but... I'm gonna need to do OTHER things tonight."
<onine> The woman sits on her knees, rubbing her hands together in fear, looking up at the exalts. A trickle of blood still runs down her chin from the corner of her mouth.
* Epheri considers for a short while "I think I remember it, yes. Ah, the maggots." She nods and tries to remember just how you counter it...
* Anona has no patience for Epheri's 'thinking' and 'remembering'. "Countermagic, it's BASIC SORCERY, dammit!"
<Epheri> "Right, right, here goes." She says perfectly calmly. Then she focuses on the magic, her skin blazing white, the air around her starting to glow white also...and then she cuts with her hands, an emerald sheet slicing though the woman, spells of blood and maggots peeling off her coating the ground around her and hissing off Anona's flames
<onine> The woman glows green a moment, then the light fades as if nothing has happened.
<Anona> "Okay. Now, let's try that again. Who are you. What were you doing."
* Epheri steps away from the woman a little. No need to bathe her in two flares...
<onine> "I'm Leafe.. I was your wetnurse when you were born."
<Anona> "You... I see. And what were you doing on the grounds? Protecting... something?"
<onine> "I was collecting these." She picks up the book and takes out the folded sheets of paper. "Before they got into the hands of the other families."
<Anona> "What are they?"
<onine> "They are 'smokescreens'." she holds them out to you.
<Anona> "You'll pardon me if I don't take it just now."
<Anona> "We can talk more about that later... who placed that spell on you?"
<onine> "Your father. Tepet Luen."
<Anona> "Hah, well, we'll just go... and... wait, did you say my father?" Anona's self-righteousness deflates, just a little.
<onine> "Yes." She nods.
* Anona hurls a firebolt at a nearby tree that's reasonably clear of any other flammable material out of frustration. "So much for THAT idea. Did you know about... the... 'door' in the study?"
<onine> "I'm not supposed to. But I do."
<Anona> "I have a few things from there. Later about that. Was there anything other than the 'smokescreens'?"
<onine> "No. The smokescreens are the most important." She says.
<Anona> "I wonder about that... you didn't happen to bring a sack or anything like that with you?"
<Epheri> "So, who were you retrieving them for?"
<onine> "...sack?"
<Anona> "Something to hold the various items you were retrieving."
<onine> "Only the smokescreens."
<Anona> "And you were doing this on your own initiative. Not for someone."
<onine> She looks at the ground sadly. "It was my husband's task... but he died recently."
<onine> You get the distinct impression that she doesn't refer to 'natural causes'
<Anona> "Epheri. Take Leafe to the study. There's a trapdoor there you have to open with Essence. Grab everything that looks even vaguely important from that room that you can. And HURRY."
* Anona is looking like she just downed a double-espresso with a double shot of espresso. And downed a twelve-pack of Jolt Cola afterwards.
<onine> "Wait! Please, we should leave now." Leafe protests.
<Anona> "You'll need to get everything you can now, because it's not going to be there tomorrow."
* Epheri gives Anona a look to suggest 'Are you sure?', but then stands and looks at Leafe. "Anona..you're not going to do anything ..rash are you?"
<onine> Leafe is obedient and stands, waiting for Epheri to lead.
<Anona> "I won't lie to you. I'm going to get... IMPULSIVE."
<Anona> "NOW!"
<Epheri> "Very well Anona" she sighs softly and then hurries into the house, heading for the study. The things she has to do...
* Anona brushes her hands against a nearby bush. WHOOSH, up it goes!

Inside!
<onine> After a while Epheri and Leafe have pulled up much of the lore and whatnot.
<onine> Epheri you also spot the 'blank credit notes' with your father's seal on them.
<Epheri> ...those probably shouldn’t be left here where anyone could just steal them. Maybe they need to receive Anona's 'gift'...are they numbered or anything?
<onine> Not numbered. Effectively blank cheques.
* Epheri should just burn them then. They shouldn’t be left around so anyone could bankrupt her father.
<Epheri> She will keep just one. And that’s everything of interest from the room?
<onine> There are *heaps* of books. Deciding just WHAT is of value and what isn't would take longer than you have.
<onine> You could toss all of them up without too much of a hassle, along with the few trinkets (a little more carefully)
<onine> What it boils down to, is you have about two big shelves full of old books. You simply cant tell.
* Epheri throws all of them up, briefly scanning a title at to check what it is.
<Epheri> at random*
<onine> Lotta fiction. Most fairly unlabeled.
<onine> Leafe helps and begins to wonder idly what she is doing. She looks at you a lot while she works, but immediately looks away when you glance in her direction.
<Epheri> The trinkets she gives a little more care too, lifting them all out too.
<onine> The task is done. Enter the wrecking crew.

Outside!
<Anona> Just as soon as the two exit, Anona runs in, hands waving in the air, joyfully screaming at the top of her lungs. It'd look silly if it wasn't for the smoldering trail she leaves behind.
<Anona> "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!"
* Epheri smiles softly at Leafe "Is there something wrong?" she asks, her voice pitched in gentle encouragement.
<onine> She shakes her head a little nervously.
* Anona makes a beeline for the mansion door, and runs just as fast as possible to the study with the trapdoor... leaving some scorch marks, but running too fast to really harm anything.
* Epheri shrugs her shoulders "If you're sure.."
<Anona> Finally, she slides down the ladder to the secret study, and gleefully spends quite a while down there. It's like a Cynis orgy, if they all got third degree burns from the process!
<onine> Leafe slips the smokescreens into her pocket looking nervously around.
<onine> Fire burns. Absolute fire burns absolutely. The small secret room is a black mess in no time at all, no evidence remaining.
<Anona> After a half-hour or so of this, Anona finally passes out in the middle of the underground bonfire, the heat pushing itself out into the upstairs study and leaving all kinds of warping and scorching there, too.
<Epheri> "Leafe, tell me, please." she looks a little imploringly at the woman.
<onine> "Tell you what?" She asks looking at the mild glow in the estate's windows.
<Epheri> "Something about me seemed to be ..bothering you. I'd like to know what it was." quietly getting a little more insistent.
<onine> "Nothing is bothering me.. I just want to go."
* Epheri sighs softly and nods. "She won't be too long. Probably."
<Epheri> "What are you going to do with those 'Smokescreens'?" she asks.
<onine> Leafe balls her fists and squeezes her eyes shut a moment. "Enough, I don't want to live with this burden anymore." She pulls the folded documents and holds them out to Epheri.
<Epheri> "Thank you." she takes them, and then smiles "You should go now. I'm sorry for everything this situation has put you through."
<onine> She opens her mouth to say something, but freezes, a look of shock locked on her face.
<Epheri> "What is it?" she asks, perking up her senses as she does.
<onine> She has a piece of blue fabric hanging from her breast that wasn’t there before.
<Epheri> ...blue fabric?
* Epheri glances around to check that they are still alone, before looking at the fabric more closely...
<onine> Around the fabric, there is a now widening patch of crimson that you are able to see from the light of your anima.
<onine> The fabric disappears back with lightning speed and a spray of blood follows, a few scarlet drops landing on your pale cheek. Leafe mouths silent words of shock and sinks to her knees then falls on her side.
<Epheri> ..oh. That isn’t good. She looks down at Leafe. Cant do anything for her. She turns around looking for the source of the fabric.
<onine> It's gone.
<onine> "You two invigorate me." A voice says. "But I do so grow tired of playing with you."
* Epheri turns to face the voice
<onine> It seems to come from the darkness in the garden. You can't tell where though...
<Epheri> "Who are you?"
<onine> The voice comes from a different direction now and you think you see a fleeting shadow. "Oh come now, I'm hurt that you do not recognize my voice, Epheri."
<Epheri> "Was it really necessary to kill her?"
<onine> "I'm afraid so, I apologize." Says the voice. Then it is suddenly close. "And I also apologize for this-"
* Epheri is already moving as she hears his voice get closer, leaping backwards, a spray of dirt and smoke obscuring her as she flickers aside from his blow.
<onine> Then shadows part and you glimpse the water aspect pass you like lightning, you feel the whistling fabric slash past you, and feel a slight pull on your hair letting you know how close the blow was.
* Epheri pulls her sword out as she lands.
<onine> Tany stops almost instantly, lowering his body into a ready stance as the fabric whirls around him, folding at its edges, mimicking his hands' posture.
<onine> Tany surges forward, the blue cloth washing forward against you, like waves against the rocky shores of your Earth aspect body, engulfing and pummeling against your body.
* Epheri continues her desperately dance for survival, twisting and turning aside from the enveloping folds of fabric, letting herself be pushed back through the flowerbed and out onto the lawn.
<Epheri> "ANONA!!!!"
<Anona> No response...
<onine> Tany looks determined, but satisfied. "Impressive... very impressive. I'm glad you live up to my hopes dear Epheri!"
<onine> He rises up to his full height balanced on one leg with both hands perched clawed above his head like coiled cobra ready to strike, the rippling cloth mimics, greatly increasing his apparent size.
<onine> He holds the posture a moment, as if building up strength, then rushes forward, landing on his raised leg and thrusting forward with both hands like daggers. The fabric launches at you in unison, his hands never touch, but the bizarre coiling fabric smashes into you like fluid daggers.
<Epheri> "I'm so glad I'm not disappointing you." she says dryly as she starts to backpedal away and ...up, her feet finding purchase on the air as she skids away from his blow and up, deserting her favored element for the safety of the cool night sky, flames dancing about her, reflected by the diamonds now beginning to orbit her.
<onine> The silk smashes into you, cutting deep slashes across your body in a torrent of blue strikes.
<onine> You arc into the air and will rapidly be out of reach, assuming Tany does not know the Dragonblooded flight charms of course.
<onine> Tany realizes that you will soon be out of reach. Cursing his lack of subdual charms he bolts after you, leaping up on a branch of a nearby tree and onto the gateway pagoda. He runs along the small roof and makes a desperate leap at you from the edge...
<Epheri> "Aaahh!!" Epheri cries out and is breathing (and bleeding) hard as she continues to backpedal on thin air, twin streams of blood flowing from her wounds as she desperately gains height, surrounded by a glittering diamond halo as she rises up over the burning manor. As he leaps at her, she leaps herself, pushing off the solid air, spinning up and away from his grasp, landing higher above the manor
<onine> You flip in the air, sailing upwards while Tany drops onto the hill below, you manage to spot him rolling uncomfortably down the hill a bit before he regains control of his unlucky tumble. He looks up at you, a bright demigod in the sky. You see him salute you in the darkness then he disappears from sight.
* Epheri hovers above the manor for a while, taking deep breathes of the cold air as she wills her wounds to close, doing her best to track the man before turning back to the house, looking down for the smoke trails that might indicate that Anona has left already, her flaring anima lighting all of the manor grounds in a harsh white light
* Epheri sighs and slowly makes her way down to the ground, carefully testing her steps as she does, readjusting her clothes as she does to try and hid most of the cuts, the collar about her neck ensuring she is clean at least. Anona is probably safe inside the burning building...but she shouldn’t leave her "ANONA GET OUT HERE NOW!" she bellows, then gasps as she pulls on her wounds more.
* Epheri sighs and waits around until she isn’t glowing too much, taking another look at the by now well aflame mansion, then heading back to the city.
<onine> Epheri heads back to the inn, taking only the 'smokescreens' with her, the apparent object of Tany's unprovoked attack.

Meanwhile, at a swank inn….
<onine> One of the virtues of being the Archons of a Magistrate, is that some places will give you preferential treatment, and a fine example is the room you have been generously allowed to use by the Innkeeper. The Magistrate apparently did the mortal a favor some time ago, and it is 'the least the he could do for you, as long as you don’t tie up the room for long.' It is similar to what you usually stay in, but is more of a suite, with some separate bedrooms, and your OWN common room with attached kitchen.
<onine> This kind of room is usually a 'Dragonblood only' deal, as lots of young dynasts come through Arjuf on their way to the Threshold. In the mean time, Diamandus still organizes supplies for the trip to Tuchara through Nishimo. and Epheri are off on their own 'private business, more than likely planning a night raid. Tara sits and writes on a small book, more than likely 'ingredients' or medical supplies. Thankfully you had no trouble LEAVING Guildtown at the dockside after delivering the message for Siaka.
* Yengo looks around appreciatively.
<Magpie> "Yengo? What's this?" Magpie picks up a strange-looking utensil from the table. "...is it used for straightening your hair or something?"
* Yengo shrugs. "Uh.... beats me."
<Yengo> "I dunno what I was thinking, taking you with me down there. I've seen enough of the Guild in the Threshold to know better." He pulls the curtains aside and looks out the window.
<onine> The sun has set nicely into a relatively mediocre evening.
<Magpie> "Are your caravan friends Guild?"
<Yengo> "Well... they never said either way. Probably they were... almost everyone who works at merchant business in the Threshold is one way or another."
<Magpie> "Huh." A lengthy pause. "Do you think they're secretly evil?"
* Yengo turns away from the window and leans against the wall. "I.... guess the could be..." Preoccupied, he takes her question far too seriously. "They seemed okay while I was there. It's very hard to draw lines in the sand out there anyway."
<onine> "They seemed... nice?" Tara says. "Seemed at least."
<Yengo> "Yeah. Nicer than a lot of people we met out there. It's a rough place..." He looks over at the moping Vana as he says the last line.
* Vana gazes distractedly out a window, not noticing.
<Magpie> "So you're not sorry you left, right?"
<Yengo> "I... no, of course not..." Well, not YET anyway...
<Yengo> "It's been.... an adventure, anyway. And we've made it through intact."
<Magpie> "Vana?" Magpie tugs on the distracted Dragonblood's sleeve. "Are -you- sorry?"
<Vana> "Hrm? Sorry, I wasn't listening. Am I sorry about what?"
<Magpie> "That you left the Threshold."
<Vana> "Oh. I guess so."
* Yengo looks at the floor, staying silent.
<Magpie> "-Good-."
* Magpie at least looks satisfied, surveying them.
<onine> Tara looks at the conversation quizzically.
<onine> Everyone is depressed.
<Magpie> She speaks up again: "We should see a play."
* Yengo sighs. "I... I don't think..."
<onine> "Why not?" Tara says. "We've been traipsing around the wilderness for weeks."
* Yengo smiles a little. "True enough."
<Magpie> "See? And I bet there are -lots- of good" (extremely violent and melodramatic) "plays with pits playing." Pits are the 'cheap seats.'
<Yengo> "Maybe..." He jangles a bit of jade in his pockets. "I can think of worse things to do."
<onine> Guild performers have the best shows.
<Magpie> "I think I saw a theater on the way back from the evil people," Magpie adds persuasively.
<Yengo> "Well... if everybody wants to..."
<Vana> "I think I'll just go to bed. Can I take any room?" She does look tired.
<Yengo> "Not interested, Vana?" He'd suspected.
<Magpie> "Vana? You don't want to see Sartrac the Bold cut off the Anathema's head?"
* Yengo remembers that one from when he was young. "Snicker-Snack." He smiles.
* Vana shakes her head. "I'm tired, sorry."
* Yengo nods.
<Magpie> "We can get some crab-on-sticks..." Magpie adds tantalizingly. "Please?"
<Magpie> She wheedles.
* Yengo smiles. "Okay. You two run on down, I'll catch up with you."
* Magpie grabs onto Vana's hand, and pulls her in the direction of the stairs.
<Magpie> ...or at least attempts to.
* Vana starts off towards a room, whichever is most isolated. She shakes off the girl's hand rather strongly.
<Magpie> "...Vana?"
* Vana says nothing.
<Magpie> "Vana are you mad at me?"
<Magpie> She sounds hurt.
<Vana> No reply, beyond the quiet closing of the door to her room.
* Yengo pats Magpie on the shoulder comfortingly. "I'll be down in a minute. Tara, take her, would you?"
<Magpie> "Well, FINE." Magpie shouts and Vana's door, and storms off with Tara.
<onine> "Alright. Magpie, put on that nice coat Anona bought you." Tara suggests
* Magpie 's expression lightens, and she obediently runs off after the blue coat. While not as honorable as the brown one she'd sacrificed, it was still a jacket, after all.
<onine> Tara holds out her hand. "Lets go then, we can get... crab-on-stick while we wait. And maybe see what performances are on, perhaps you should fill your head with something tasteful, hmm?"
* Magpie takes Tara's hand, looking almost respectable in the blue patrician's coat. "They use FOUR HUGE BUCKETS of blood in the Tale of the Lemony Pirates," Magpie's tells Tara enthusiastically as they walk down the stairs...
<onine> "I'm sure its just tomato..." Tara says as the pair make their way down to the street.

Vana’s Room
* Yengo opens Vana's door. He doesn't bother to knock. "What's wrong with you?" He asks pointedly.
* Vana is already dressing down for bed. She looks up at him for a moment, unaffected by his abruptness, and shrugs. "Nothing. Just tired."
* Yengo bites his lip for a moment, almost turns to go, but... "I know it's more than that. Magpie told us about what happened after the abbot... she could hardly help it. And you haven't said a word about it."
<Vana> "I don't really want to, sorry. Go on... go see your play." She turns back to her bed, arranging the blankets.
* Yengo gives a pseudo-growl of annoyance. "You can't do this to her, Vana. She doesn't understand."
<Vana> "Goodnight, Yengo." She slides into bed, turning away from him.
* Yengo slams his fist into the wall. "You think this only affects you? I don't know why they're chasing you, and I don't care why. We're all running from something, and I remember, when we found you... I... you know I won't let them have you without a fight. None of us will, but you can't do this, you can't-" He froths.
* Vana says nothing, just curling up under the blankets further.
<Yengo> "Fine," Yengo says at last, sagging slightly, the energy seeming to go out of him. His voice is bitter. "If that's the way you want it, fine. Shut us out, hide, do whatever you think you have to do. But we're not your enemies, Vana. That little girl down there cares about you a lot, and so do I. Don't make us regret it." He turns quietly to leave.
* Vana does not stop him, unsurprisingly.
* Yengo shuts the door behind him, leaning against the wall for a minute, closing his eyes. "I won't let it happen again," he says to himself, quietly. "Not again." He goes downstairs to meet the others.
* Magpie looks up at him, chewing on her crab. "Vana's still...tired?" she asks, a little forlornly.
<Yengo> "Yeah." He messes up her hair absently, defeating any civilizing impulse the jacket might have had. "Feeling... sick, I guess."
<onine> Tara gives Yengo the 'good catch' look. "Shall we?"
<Yengo> "Sure." He takes a deep breath or two, still calming down. "Sure."

Theatrical Extravaganzas on the Streets of Arjuf!
<onine> Yengo and Tara walk off towards the theaters, with Magpie in between them. Not the Guild theaters however, but the Realm ones.
<onine> The plays that the Realm has are % bona fide factual learning material, endorsed in full by the esteemed immaculate order!
<onine> Those on tonight include much about the might of the Empress, the Dragonblooded, the immaculate dragons and any plays about how the world TRULY works.
<Yengo> "Quite the uh... exciting selection."
<onine> Unlike the Guild plays, these are less about entertainment and more about fact, and their style is distinctly abstract.
<onine> Masks. Dancing. Drums.
<onine> Little dialogue, but those with it are flowery and hard to understand, the theater goers are mainly merchants, patricians and like you, tourists.
<onine> You'll need linguistics ** to decode the lines into something understandable, and speak High Realm to boot.
<onine> "Well..." Tara reads the list. "These certainly sound *rivetting*"
<Yengo> "Uh huh..." He seems to have caught the brooding bug from Vana.
<Yengo> "I don't care, whatever you two want to see is fine."
<onine> "This one looks interesting, it's a family drama set in the year , about an illegitimate daughter's attempts to blackmail her family and find her place in the world." She looks enticingly at Magpie. "It says there is much conflict."
<Yengo> "Hah! I always do like to root for the underdog..."
<onine> "It also says its a 'tragedy'. Oh... well."
<Yengo> "Yeah... let's see something happy tonight." he squeezes Tara's hand lightly. "Be a nice change of pace."
<onine> "This one... The Apprentice is a comedy. It is about a disastrously clumsy man who works under a Magistr... well..."
* Yengo chuckles. "A little too close to home, I guess."
<onine> "Maybe you could use it as a 'what not to do' training manual?" Tara jokes.
<Yengo> "Maybe so." He smiles. It's good to hear humor in her voice.
<Magpie> "Why not see that one?" Magpie pipes up.
<Magpie> "It'll be funny. And we can laugh at how wrong they are."
<Yengo> "Why not?"
<onine> "I'm game, I'm not technically an Archon, so I can't be offended."
* Magpie neither. She smiles at Yengo.
<onine> You pay the jade and take your seats. The open air theatre is designed to amplify echoes, so that the actors and actresses' voices reach the back rows - where you are.
* Yengo squints up at the stage, blinking. Not getting nearsighted at his age, he hopes.
<onine> The play... isn't as funny as advertised.
<onine> You watch the Archon do things which are abstract examples of foolishness, and the crowd of patricians chuckle with each apparent joke, but the humor appears lost on you.
* Yengo feels his face turning a little red. "Too highbrow for me, I guess."
<Magpie> "....it's better when there's buckets of blood," Magpie agrees.
<onine> "I must admit," Tara adds. "I think that some ground tomato would entertain me more too."
* Yengo had hoisted Magpie up onto his shoulders so she could see better, despite the glares from the nearby patricians. Since she's not enjoying herself much, he lets her down. "I think an Immaculate Sermon would entertain me more."
<Magpie> " 'There's Lemony Pirates: Revenge of the Wretched' playing nearby..." she hints.
<Yengo> "Well..." It probably would be better. "What is it with you and these Lemony Pirates?"
<onine> "What IS Lemony Pirates?"
<Magpie> "It's an Epic Saga."
<Yengo> "Aren't they all. Well, I'm game, this play is lousy."
<Magpie> "With pirates. And lots of blood. And magical swords."
* Yengo shrugs. "We can give it a try."
* Magpie hugs him.
<Yengo> "Heh... well, it's no big deal. Let's get out of here." He stands.
<onine> Some of the patricians grumble as you pass and head out of the Realm theater.
<onine> And to the theater that is hosting a guild performance of Lemony Pirates.
* Magpie is bouncing around excitedly, predicting plot twists in a low-voiced mumble.
* Yengo casts Tara a look over her head, shrugs again.
<onine> It is decidedly more violent, and sports a high degree of foul language which Tara shakes her head at, but you will admit that it is FAR more entertaining than the last venue... even with the questionable content.
* Yengo is just glad Magpie doesn't seem to understand the one swearing constantly in Rivertongue....
<onine> Yes there's a lot of cussing about scurvy dogs, wenches and walking the plank to be 'sent to the bottom of old blue'.
* Yengo finds after a while he shouts with the rest of the audience during the parts where it's called for.
* Magpie enthusiastically cheers the heroes and hisses the villains alongside him. Though occasionally she has slight difficulty discerning which is which.
<onine> The performance finishes spectacularly, with a huge fight, a prop ship on fire, and stage hands on entryways dumping buckets of cold water on the audience, which is now so revved up that they love it.
<onine> In all, it makes up for paying the higher cost of the Realm play.
<Yengo> "Should've just come here first!" He's a little flush with excitement.
<onine> "Yes, it was exciting, if a trifle wet." You begin to feel the cold now, and the idea of going home to a nice hot soup and dry clothing is quite inviting.
* Magpie agrees with a vigorous nod.
* Yengo stands up, sniffing. He could SWEAR he smells smoke... but it's probably just left over from the ship onstage.
<Magpie> "Vana's gonna be sorry she missed this," Magpie tells him confidently as they leave the theater. Magpie would be happy to re-enact every blow for her later.
<Yengo> "Maybe so. Vana... she... you know she's not mad at you, right? Just... tired." He hopes.
<Magpie> "I thought maybe..." Magpie trails off.
<Yengo> "Maybe what?"
<Magpie> "Well...she was made when I followed her, and then she was mad again when I said just leaving Barton wasn't a good idea. Maybe I'm too annoying, and she doesn't like me." The charge from the play is beginning to leave her.
<Yengo> "No... she just... I don't know. She doesn't want to talk about it. Sometimes that's best when you're running away from something, sometimes you feel like... but I'm sure she still likes you."
<Magpie> "I hope so." She didn't miss Yengo's uncertainty, but she screws up her face, and brightens up through sheer force of willpower. She natters on about Red Handed Jill the whole way home.
<Yengo> "She wasn't really so nice, you know. She sort of reminded me of..." Silk, he thinks.
<Magpie> "But she helped kill an Anathema." In plot-land, that makes it all okay. "Plus she's secretly Abel Lemony's one true love. I think. Or maybe his sister..."
<onine> "I think she was his cousin actually..."
<Yengo> "As long as it's not both." But considering some of those plays, it's quite possible.
You are all still chattering about the play, soaking wet when you walk into the inn room. The Magistrate has returned from his supply gathering and is now scribing some notes on the long scroll he carries with him. Maps are arrayed on the table.
<Yengo> "Getting ready for us to move on?"
<onine> "Ah, my Archons returned from their duties at last." He says with good- humored sarcasm.
<onine> "Yes indeed, we shall depart for Turchina at dawn. Where are Anona and Epheri?"
<Magpie> "Er" says Magpie.
<Yengo> "I don't know. I assume they went out to... do... whatever... Dragonblooded do in cities."
<Yengo> "As long as they're back in time for us to get to Tuchara."
<onine> "Yes, as long as they're back in the morning."

Back at the inn…
<onine> Yengo, Tara and Magpie talk about a play that have seen, and the Magistrate scans over some maps, trying to find the better roads.
<onine> The Earth aspect looks up as you enter. "Ah Epheri. Isn't Anona with you?"
* Epheri shakes her head "She.." small gasp of pain "..is busy."
* Yengo looks up too, noticing the way the Earth Aspect is staggering. "Epheri?"
<onine> "Are you alright?" Tara asks.
<Epheri> "I ..think I need to sit down."
* Magpie drags a chair over.
<onine> Diamandus stands nearby. "I suppose the question we are all wanting to ask is 'What happened'?"
<Epheri> "thank you." she lowers herself into the chair with a smile at Magpie. "To me? Tany." she winces "To the mansion? Anona."
<onine> "Tany..." The Magistrate rumbles.
<onine> "Why?" Tara asks, covertly dragging the medical bag over with her foot.
<Yengo> "Tany? THAT guy did... this?" He looks over her wounds with concern. He'd never quite get used to the way the Exalted could close the worst ones by force of will.
<Epheri> "..He very nearly did more...If the parcel from my father hadn't arrived..." she winces as she moves to let Yengo look. "But, we found something...something we shouldn't have."
* Yengo swabs one lightly. Not deep enough to need stitches, and the Exalted only did in the worst cases anyway... "What?"
<onine> Diamandus raises the eyebrow above his remaining eye.
<Epheri> "Anona found some documents ... in a room below the study. And her nursemaid ... ex-nursemaid.." she sighs "..had found the 'smokescreens'…That is why he attacked me I think.."
<onine> "Whatever those smokescreens were hiding Tany wanted. And Tany isn't the head of the Dragon in this case, merely its hand."
<Magpie> "What's a smokescreen?"
<Magpie> A pause.
<Magpie> "Does it have to do with Anona?"
<onine> "It's a fraudulent document that unscrupulous Dynasts use to evade taxes. Basically."
* Epheri nods, then stops herself as it hurts. "He left, after he chased me into the sky.." she turns to magpie, then nods again, then winces, again.
<onine> "Do you have them?" Diamandus asks.
<Yengo> "I always had a funny feeling about him, but I didn't think... we'll have to watch ourselves from now on."
* Epheri stops herself nodding this time "Yes. In my pocket."
<onine> He holds out his hand.
* Epheri starts to reach for her pocket. She hopes they aren’t too bloody. "I think Anona should look at them first. When she gets back." she looks a little nervous at this
<onine> "Er... why?" Tara asks confused.
<Magpie> "Is it something incriminating?"
<Yengo> "Is Anona... all right?"
<Epheri> "I don’t know, but they were her parents." she turns Yengo "..As far as I know...she...had one of her ...moods. She is probably asleep. In her old bed. Which was burning quite merrily when I left."
<Yengo> "Destroying her other estate... insanity..."
* Magpie giggles. "She doesn't have any houses left!"
<onine> "Hush Magpie." Diamandus says. "Epheri. I would like to see the papers."
<onine> It's less of a request.
* Epheri reaches for the papers, and draws them out.
<onine> Diamandus doesn't snatch them or take them from you, he simply waits for you to place them in his hand.
<Epheri> "Anona will be able to look at them, sir?" she asks. Not giving them him yet.
<onine> "Have I kept anything from you before Tepet Epheri?"
<Epheri> "No sir." she puts them in his hand.
<onine> He closes his eye and concentrates on the folded papers. Then turns slowly on the spot. When he stops, he faces East, with the paper held out in front of him.
<onine> "East." He says. "What lies in the East?"
* Yengo shrugs. "The Elemental Pole of Wood?"
<onine> Diamandus shakes his head. "Closer. Much closer." He turns to you and holds out the paper. "Would anyone care to guess who's name is also on these documents alongside Tepet Luen?"
<Epheri> "Most of the coast of the Blessed Isle. Sion. ...Noble." her voice goes quieter "My father."
<onine> Diamandus opens the 'smokescreen' and hands it to Epheri.
* Epheri looks down at it.
<onine> Sure enough, the two names at the bottom of the document are sealed with the marks of Tepet Luen and Tepet Krennell.
<onine> Read further?
* Epheri does, yes.
<onine> The deal was apparently Krennell buying a horse, the money to be paid to Tepet Luen as he saw fit. Judging by the sum involved, it must have been one kick-ass horse. Not just Murukani in origin, this thing better fart Starmetal for that price.
<onine> Whatever item was sold to Krennell, it was very very valuable. The kind of money that could set up a sorcerer with an eyrie, supplies and assistants - GOOD assistants for years.
<onine> Or perhaps enough money to fund a madman's wild purchasing sprees.
* Epheri carefully closes the letter up again.
<onine> "Whatever it is, Tany's master wants evidence. Which means the next place they will go is to the Headquarters of the Humble and Honest Assessors of Tax."
<onine> "Without this copy however, it will take many favors and much time to find the Ministry’s copy. In other words we must safeguard OUR copy."
<Magpie> "I can do that," Magpie pipes in.
* Epheri raises an eyebrow at Magpie.
<onine> "I don’t think so Magpie, this is far to important. Not that I would not trust your desire to safeguard this, but you are easier to subdue than an Exalt, and this is something that belongs to Anona personally."
<Magpie> "It would work," Magpie argues. "Nobody would -expect- the stupid kid to carry it, so no one will even search me. They'll think one of the Dragonbloods will have it."
<onine> "All the same..."
* Magpie sighs, gives him a medium-intensity glare, and collapses onto a stool near Epheri.
<Epheri> "Diamandus is right, Magpie. It is for Anona to look after." If she can look after anything.
* Magpie nods, still looking slightly sulky.
<onine> Diamandus ponders. "We have someone buying artifacts with Krennell's money, payment for a purchase of a horse. An Anathema and Juno chasing the same artifact, and Juno of course trying to trace the money Krennell paid."
<onine> "To top it off, Legion expatriates using Tepet equipment striking at villages and burning bodies. Let us not forget Juno's little construction either."
<Magpie> "So maybe Krennell still has part of the magic sword? And that's what he bought from Anona's father? And, uh..."
* Magpie digs around. "...er, Juno's making magic...sacrifices...to a demon for the rest of the sword?"
<Magpie> A little awkward.
<onine> Diamandus looks at Magpie. "I hope that isn't the case, but it could well be, Ariadnei is a sorceress of some renown..."
<Magpie> She takes in a deep breath.
<Magpie> "You know what I think?"
<Magpie> "I think we should try to get this sword ourselves. Because everybody wants it. And everybody but us are demon-sacrificers or tax-evaders."
<onine> "But where do we start, we don't even know what sword it is, what it looks like or where to find the rest."
* Epheri blinks and forces herself to concentrate again "...Juno is so mad for power he'd turn to Infernalism?"
<onine> "Krennell merely paid for it, the hilt is in someone else’s possession... or was meant to be until the Anathema stole it."
<Epheri> "..I think Anona..had other notes from the basement room. They'll have survived if they were on her."
<onine> "Juno was a manipulator, yes, but never set his sights on the throne... but who knows now that it is empty. If this sword is powerful as the Anathema said..."
<onine> "Right now then, we must find Anona."
<Epheri> "She is in the middle of an inferno of her own making..."
<Magpie> "How long does it take to burn down a house?"
<onine> "Hmmm..."
<onine> "Here is the situation as I see it... Some years ago, Luen sells a horse to Krennell for a large sum of money to be paid later. "Luen and his wife Greiha die. BUT the money is still being used now to buy this hilt - which was stolen by the Anathema. Krennell had to authorize the purchase in order for the money to be transferred, so whoever bought it, Krennell has to know them and allow them. Which means... it is Luen, highly unlikely since he is dead. One of Krennell's agents he is using to divert attention away from himself. Or...he is being blackmailed for that money."
<onine> "In the last case it could be anyone."
<onine> "Tany and Juno are trying desperately to discover where the money trail leads, so it is unlikely it is them...which means... an unknown player we have yet to unearth."
<onine> The Magistrate chuckles. "Welcome to the Dynasty."
* Epheri sighs softly "Life was so much simpler in the Heptogram..Well..not really.." but at least you could lock yourself in your room or in a workshop somewhere...
<Yengo> "It's all beyond me. Last time I was here I was used to ducking my head and staying out of the way"
* Magpie rests her chin on her hands, apparently deep in thought. At last she looks up solemnly, and announces, "I have no idea who it is."
<onine> "Neither do I."
<Magpie> A pause. "Unless Ariadnei is cheating on her husband." Magpie suspects Ariadnei because that's the only other Dynast's name she knows.
<onine> Diamandus himself sits down, running a large hand over his grey hair. "I had forgotten the tangled webs that are weaved. It doesn't get any easier to unravel with age."
<Epheri> "I can't think of anyone it might be, either.." she considers again..
<Yengo> "I just wonder what was sold in the first place... what could be worth that..."
<onine> "Does Krennell have any horses?" Diamandus asks Epheri idly wondering if the documents weren't smokescreens at all.
<onine> He has horses, yes, but nothing Murukani or worth THAT much money.
<Epheri> "Of course he has some, but none worth even a noticeable fraction of the amount on the note."
<Yengo> "Whatever it was, you'd think it would've been pretty obvious for all that."
<onine> "Manses... Artifacts... A small kingdom in the East?" Tara rattles off a few suggestions. "A legion of Imperial Heavy Foot?"
<Magpie> "It'd have to be something Anona's father had, right?”
* Epheri nods "I think. Or something he could call in favors for. Though, if he had the favors, he could get the money that way..."
<onine> "At the time of this deal, Luen had... not a lot. He had squandered a lot of his money on his own obsessions and was fast on his way to unthinkable insanity."
<Epheri> "So it was more like an ..investment on my father's part?"
<Magpie> "Um .Er. So maybe he had...er. Epheri. Do you think if you just asked, your dad might tell you?"
<onine> "Perhaps Luen was 'on to something' in his random chases and Krennell was funding him for a portion of the returns?"
<Yengo> "Uh... um... Magpie..." That's a rather bold claim.
* Epheri nods to Diamandus.
<Yengo> "I mean... he's kept whatever it was secret this long... maybe we shouldn't let him know we know..."
<Yengo> "Not that... Epheri, well. Not that your father... oh nevermind."
<Magpie> "Were they brothers?" Magpie turns to Epheri. "Maybe Krennell didn't think Luen was crazy because they were brothers."
<Epheri> "..He might. I don't think we should ask yet, though" He'd be more likely to tell Anona..
<Epheri> "They were, yes."
<Magpie> "Does Krennell want to be an emperor?" Magpie asks Epheri.
<Magpie> People didn't want SuperArtifacts for kicks, after all.
<Magpie> ...or at least, people who weren't Magpie didn't always. Necessarily.
<Epheri> "...What?"
<Yengo> "Who doesn't? Well, besides me."
<Magpie> "If he thought Luen was on to something....and he gave him lots and lots of money to get it...wouldn't it be because he wanted to do something with the artifact?"
<Magpie> "Like conquer the Realm, just like Madaggity." Madaggity was a villain from the play earlier that evening.
<onine> "Needless to say, an artifact costing that much... it's quite unimaginable."
<Yengo> "Yeah, well, you saw what happened to Madaggity. Plus... back then... they would've had the Scarlet Empress to deal with, and we all know how she handled the ambitions of others to rule."
<onine> Diamandus nods gravely. The Archons probably do not realize this, but he has likely SEEN the Empress deal with usurpers.
<Magpie> "Epheri? Who could blackmail your father?"
<Epheri> "I don't know." she looks thoughtful "I don’t know..."
<onine> "Anyone."
<Magpie> "Maybe Anyone will try to grab the paper himself," Magpie comments hopefully.
<Yengo> "Sounds like Tany already did. I hope... I hope he doesn't come for it here."
<onine> "To that end..." The Magistrate begins. "Yengo, Magpie, we're going to get Anona."
* Magpie bounces up, looking excited. She was going to get to explore -more- ruins of Anona's houses.
<Epheri> "..I can come too." she says.
<onine> "Epheri. You rest. If anything happens, Vana is in the next room sleeping in her armor no doubt."
<onine> He turns to the others. "Suit up."
<Epheri> "..Ok. ...In her armor?" she blinks
<onine> "It's a Lookshy thing." Tara whispers as the others prepare to leave.
* Yengo moves upstairs to find his battered lamellar... it'd been nice to go without wearing it for awhile, but...
* Magpie carefully takes off her jacket, and drapes it gently over her stool. She is now suited up.
* Epheri shakes her head and makes her way upstairs, stripping out of her ripped and torn clothing and her breastplate, and sitting on the bed to meditate.

Later that night...
<Vana> Late at night it comes. A careful knock on Yengo's door! Haiku makes me sad.
* Yengo rouses himself, throwing on his clothes. He staggers to the door and opens it, blinking tiredly.
<Vana> It is a Vana. This is fairly logical, since I play her. Just in her sleeping clothes, and looking not the least bit tired. She holds out a piece of paper for him silently.
* Yengo takes it, looking at it curiously.
<Vana> Apparently, an address of some sort, along with someone's rank and other various honorifics. It's clearly not Realm, but the name is readable: Teresu Malthuesa. "If I have any money or property left, he will have it. Find him? Use it to look after Magpie?"
<Yengo> "Vana... what are you saying?"
<Vana> "I am asking you to look after her for me, if something should happen."
<Yengo> "I... of course. You know I will. But... nothing's going to happen, I promise."
<Yengo> "I promise."
<Vana> "Good night." She wanders off back towards her room, offering no other words.
* Yengo extends a hand after her and then lets it fall. "I won't let them have you without a fight." he says quietly, closing the door behind her.