GoldenCat/SecretsOfTenShadows
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Secrets of Ten Shadows
The camp food was... unremarkable.
Not as bad as Valencia or Vorpal once tasted, but not as bad as it could be...
Selina's message had disrupted the talk, and only now, Cloud was about to give his secrets away...
Cloud in Dawn: "Well, where was I?" He says as he finishes some chicken. Birds eating birds...
"The General, right? Or you were asking for their list...?"
Vorpal: "The General first", the Pale Angel responds, her voice even. Leaning back in her field chair, she rests her chin against her knuckles. In her other hand she holds a glass, a little motion making the thick, reddish contents - whatever it is - swirl lazily around.
Cloud in Dawn: "Hmmm, the bastard. He is scary. And unyieldy. He is fully clad in Soulsteel - Dynasts dream of being so decked in magic. Scary, too. Dunno if you heard of him back when he was just Raegar, but he has a beard and hair the color of fire, and a face that seems sculped in stone. It... doesn't seem alive, you know? It doesn't move much. If he just stands there and looks at you, you feel at the feet of a cliff - if you knew the cliff could bend over and crush you."
"And no, I am not ashamed to say that. He is scary. He can spread... fear, in the air. Like a great hand holding the world, darkening the sky, making it all more opressive. He fights well too, with his Dragon-Blooded team... which is quite handy, really. They are really, really good. Iron Whisper is... hot. She is a sorcerer-killer, surrounded by silence... pretty Air Aspect dressed in black, with weird things holding hearthstones on her forearms. The way she fights is strange. Scary, too. Something about shadows and hearts. She is kind of a frigid bitch. Never saw much of her fighting because of it. It is pretty, but."
"Brael Ir, on the other hand, is a Wood Aspect, a nice guy. Size of a mountain, simple, enjoys life. Very loyal, too. He holds a big trunk of a lotus, the flower like the weight on a tetsubo. He can inflame it, surrounding himself with lotus incense. Again, nice guy. Cathak Marr, though... he is a bastard. Realm elitist. Thinks he's better than us just 'cause his mommy was a Cathak whore and daddy was a Tepet wimp. He dresses in full body red jade armor... and can blow whole buildings away with pure fire. I'm serious."
"And Blight Lily... loves the General. Pretty girl. Necromancer. Wood Aspect. I know she is an Outcaste, but she has a better breeding than anyone I have ever seen... it is like there is a small forest in her, and the seasons just... shift. She is also darkened, anima of corpse-flowers... she is pretty, but creepy. Then, there are a few nemessaries. Oh, and his pet."
"It is pretty much that, really."
Cael: Cael sips his wine as he listens. He would pay more attention when it turned to the Prophet and the Disciple.
Vorpal: If the Fates had decided to make me into a male...
Her mouth tightens ever so slightly, but that's about it.
"Pet?" she asks idly, looking up from her glass.
Valencia Silverstar: "Interesting." Valencia demures, drinking and eating nothing for now. Like Cael, she is more interested in hearing about the snakes than the lion. Mostly so she can figure out how better to step on their heads before they can bite her. "A demon? Behemoth?" . Cloud in Dawn: "A large behemoth he somehow tamed. A large red beast, like... well, like a giant lizard, really. Its scales are so tough, it barely feel most outgrowths in it - like the soulsteel armor he bolted in the thing. Ugly, ugly thing too. He rides on its back, together with his dragon-blooded and his best nemessaries, normally. His guard. Bastard likes to keep himself alike, it seems."
Vorpal: "Fu."
So this is the man the Dark Angel needs assistance with. A large, dangerous man, heavily armored, surrounded by powerful guards.
The obvious tactic would be to have someone dispensable to distract the guards while you went for the kill yourself...
"And the others?"
Cloud in Dawn: "Well, then we have the Vestal of the Livid Lamasery. She is a randy little bitch. Unfortunately, her tastes are only for girls... a real, real shame. Extremely kinky one too, when you think what her order was like before she turned up. 'The Shining One's wives' and all that..."
"The Crusader Wielding His Regret is their leader now. Especially after you took out the Hierophant. He's a good guy, too. Too nice for most of the rest of them. Of course, he is also a bastard, too strict on 'belief', the idiot. Wasn't for people like the Prophet, he would be lost."
"And um..."
Valencia Silverstar: If the Dark Angel is what her talk make her out to be...she'll be sufficient.
"This Prophet you keep mentioning," The Windian murmurs, brows furrowed. "Tell me about him. If he is as important as you say..."
Cloud in Dawn: "They have two wretched - the Acolyte of Violet Whispers, and the Parishioner of Maladies. She is an agent, he is a spymaster. They mesh well. The Acolyte already got taken out in Windia, least that is what I heard, and the Parishioner... well, he is their torturer. He is the one running the network of spies. A spider on the center of the web, and all that..."
A couple of strokes on his unshaven shin, as he thinks of the Prophet... "He is the one getting their allies. He is... well, his tongue is honey. The Crusader yells to people how they are right, the path to salvation and whatnot... but it is the Prophet that convinces you. I've never seen the guy fight, even. Of course, he gets the most powerful allies he can... he usually works with the Vestal. The Admiral is his militaristic counterpoint, much like the Celebrant is the Vestal's..."
Vorpal: A nice network...
Valencia Silverstar: "Now," She begins, looking to either of her allies, wishing she had Selina there so she could find out what she knew as well. "Which of these have we encountered so far?"
I should ask Alexander that as well.
"It is a pity we could not deal with the Crusader and the Prophet as the Hierophant was dealt with, earlier."
Vorpal: "Yes, a shame", Vorpal says, her free hand idly touching the place where the Hierophant's poison had entered her body.. "If it were that simple, wars would be over within a day." She pauses, then shrugs. "We could send an assassin for them. She is hungry for Abyssal blood."
Cael: "What of the Disciple of Ivory Blossoms?" Cael asks of Cloud in Dawn
Alexander: The prince steps foward, for the first time in a little while.
"I have seen thsi Vestal. Briefly, once. She killed my mother, and hurt Fiona in front of me..."
"I have met the Hierophant. He died between Cael and the Pale Angel, but his strike on her was enough for us to know what would have happened had he been allowed to stay alive...."
"And there was the Disciple. He killed my father, he almost killed me, had Cael not saved my life..."
Vorpal: Vorpal closes her eyes for a moment, and deliberately moves her hand away from the old wound.
Valencia Silverstar: Valencia frowns, holding her hand up to forestall Cloud. "And none of you have encountered either of the remaining leaders?"
Cael: "I have met with the Prophet once, and he corresponded to me with magic of the Celestial Circle, once. On both occasions he has tried to talk me to his side."
Valencia Silverstar: She nods, then looks to Vorpal. "Have you?"
Given that you slew the Hierophant to begin with.
Cloud in Dawn: "Disciple? Man... he is a scary one. The Acolyte trained with him... and Ten Thousand, but the Disciple was the one who took it to heart. Most of them are nervous around him. He barely ever shows up. He is the General's subtle counterpart - an assassin. So nobody ever sees him much. Doesn't help that he is not usually around... he tends to trek back to Windia and Hanslanti... often. He is from Hanslanti like us, I think, Windwraith... I heard he was a famous swordsman before, a wanderer like Rika Sanjuro, but, eh... I just keep forgetting what exactly he did. Name was Kimei, I think..."
"Of course, like alot of them, he is a prettyboy. I wonder how many girls fall for the silent, dangerous type... especially when he looks so much like you, Windwraith!"
Alexander: "Send an assassin?" He asks the Pale Angel, "Who is hungry... oh. Her."
Vorpal: "I've dealt with Vestal a time or two. That's all."
Cael: "I had noted the resemblance when we exchanged words and flowers in the garden of the hourglass." Cael says with a nod.
"Fighting him was ... interesting, though he fled before we came to any resolution."
Cloud in Dawn: "Oh, the Prophet did?" He chuckles at the Windwraith... "I'd think so, that is very much his style. You are like him, no? I'd think he would love another like him... humble like he is...."
Alexander: "You have a strange definition of interesting Cael..."
The prince holds his own shoulder in turn... where the bone fragments had bit so deep.
Valencia Silverstar: She wondered whether that curt reply was due to how those dealings were, then dismissed it. Not the time for speculating on that. "A pity our assassin is not with us, as little as I'd enjoy the sight of her."
Vorpal: "She probably would make a short work of them", Vorpal adds. "But she isn't here. We will make do."
Turning to Cloud, she fixes him with another of her inscrutable glances. "Anything else you can tell us?"
Cloud in Dawn: "Really? Seems like drawing everyone to her was her plan, there. I don't think that's either very smart, or very sane."
"Well, uh... I don't know, honestly. Probably plenty of details I have missed, but I'm not one to organize thoughts so well."
Valencia Silverstar: "She may well be neither." Valencia says off-handedly, then exhales slowly. Anything he'd missed? Well...there was one at least.
"Just what is the state of their army?"
Cloud in Dawn: "They are well, really. They had few losses taking Whiteshield, as they relied on their big guns very much. They lost quite a bit on the Celebrant deal, but... it is a small army. Least when you have a goal as big as theirs'. Since it was small enough to come on the ships and the Underworld march. They lost many in it."
"Of course, there are plenty of people working on the... 'raw materials' of Whiteshield..."
Vorpal: "We really should see what that Sidereal of Ryshassa's could do about those corpses", Vorpal says. Changing her posture slightly, she leans forward and strokes her chin. "Do you know where the Bishop's ghosts are from? Where are their earthly remains?"
Valencia Silverstar: "So in other words, besides their deathknights, they have little to oppose a march in force?" That was good, if true. All their units would be tied up in garrison or other duties. They could sweep Whiteshield clean of them with little effort, dispersed as they would be.
"I assume they are elite quality to make up for their gross deficiency in numbers."
Cloud in Dawn: "Heh. All the way back to the Tabernacle, Pale Angel."
"Well, they have plenty of old ghosts, but... as you know, they matter less against numbers than Chosen do. I just have no idea how many corpses they have managed to turn into weapons, though."
Vorpal: Well... the Pale Angel thinks as she leans backwards. So much for that plan.
Cloud in Dawn: "I know they have some weird ghost-people who can raises ghosts... the Vestal, and the Crusader do lots of it as well.... and so did the Celebrant, but she is not an issue for now."
"Guh, I'm thirsty. Nothing better than this watered-down beer to drink in this hole?"
Vorpal: "How about blood?" Vorpal smiles lazily, raising her glass a little. "It's still warm."
Cloud in Dawn: The outcaste looks at the Abyssal a moment, wide-eyed... "Eh... no, thanks. I am not thirsty anymore."
His looks to her turn much less lewd for the moment, as well.
Valencia Silverstar: "Where did you get that?" Valencia asks with a raised eyebrow, just as lazily. Not really imparting much -- she is too busy thinking about how the Bishop's forces should be dealt with.
Ideally, we could get all those bothersome assassins out of the way first.
Then we can defeat the occupation force properly.
Vorpal: "That's a secret", Vorpal responds, carefully keeping herself from smiling as she takes a little sip.
- The Quicksilver Zephyr...
Stationed in the last Windian garrisson before Whiteshield, overlooking whitewood-covered mountains in their twilight...
Calisara served their drinks, a food much, much better than the one in camp around the table... and it is not long before prince Alexander asks,
"Well then. How shall we reply to the Dark Angel's message?"
Vorpal: Vorpal sighs. Closing her eyes, she devotes a moment to brush her fingers through her snowy hair. "I'm tempted to leave it unanswered", she confesses with a dry tone of voice. But then she shrugs. "But I suppose it would be prudent to tell her something."
Alexander: "Leave it unanswered? But, but..."
"Even if she will keep the General occupied... she said she has Fiona with her... you intend to just leave them for the vultures to feast?"
Valencia Silverstar: "Knowing the swelled head she's probably acquired, I doubt she would ask for your help unless she thought she really needed it." Valencia observes, sipping at her tea as daintily as any would wish. She is no longer armored, though the leotard is covered by a heavy winter coat. A white coat, with fine light blue trim.
"Though there are other factors, I suppose." The Windian observes without any trace of irony, though there can be little doubt as to what she is referring to.
Cael: "Indeed, Lady La Silverstar, she does not strike me as the person to casually ask for aid, not if she thought she could get away with it. Her pride seems important to her."
Cael says easily, sipping his wine
Alexander: "I am going with whoever is!" The Prince says, hands hitting the table in urgency.
"It was my idea to send them there... and I'm not leaving Fiona in the middle of those things again!"
Vorpal: Leaning back in her chair, Vorpal lets out a short, dark chuckle. "Her pride is a phony thing. It is important for her, but she doesn't care where or how she gets it. She called us because she needs someone to take care of the Dragon Blooded so that she herself can claim the head of the General."
She pauses, her eyebrows twitching slightly. Her gaze abruptly focuses on Alex, her eyes seeming to glint like dim embers the moment someone blows into them. "And you will not leave my presence."
Valencia Silverstar: Valencia listens to the Pale Angel's comment, thinking for a moment as she sips her tea, then shakes her head resignedly. "And so is yours, if you do not find that a worthy application of your skills. Are you not counterparts?"
Alexander: Alexander lets go of the table, leaning back, backing down from Vorpal's words.
For now....
"Ah, yes, I forgot... need one of you two, right?"
"What do you suggest, then...? I don't know if they have an army there."
Vorpal: "Don't compare me to her", the Pale Angel responds, evenly. "She's probably right that I'd be the best choice to keep a number of Dragon Blooded distracted. However, the fact is, someone needs to lead the army here, too. If we go help her now, we might leave our rears undefended."
Valencia Silverstar: "At least you are not related to her, Lilith." Valencia says with some exasperation. "I can lead in your stead, though I would have preferred to remain with the reserve for that battle. But we cannot afford to lose her and this other Lunar."
She thinks for a moment, pursing her lips. "Assuming she is in as much trouble as she thinks she is."
Alexander: "I could go... you know, I was able to keep them off my back for a long time. Could send others to keep your eyes on me, and the Dark Angel will do it for your mistress there... really... while you take the Spire, and hit this General from behind!"
"Of course, I would need to convince her to stall... instead of rushing head-on like she seems to wish."
Vorpal: Vorpal's eyes flicker back and forth between Valencia and Alexander for a moment. Then she chuckles again, less darkly this time. "Fine, fine, I'll be your doll once again, then."
"I'd rather not take any kind of risks with you, Alex", she continues more calmly, turning her head over to the Prince. "They have learned their lesson by now. They know that you are being guarded well, and they will be prepared the next time they come. You are our Jade Tiger on the Gateway board. We cannot afford to lose you. Therefore, I will come with you and make sure you won't do anything unnecessarily gallant again."
Cael: "Like charging into the centre of an abyssal and her army? You are hardly a model of restraint and caution on the battlefield, Lilith." Cael remarks dryly.
"While I agree he should not go alone, perhaps I would be better suited going with him. My place is not on the open battlefield, leading men in glory, shining or otherwise. In a city like the Boil I could be of more use."
Valencia Silverstar: Oh dear.
They all wanted to go. This might have reprecussions that would not be good for the war. Maybe she should have said she'd go.
Not that Selina would enjoy that, I am sure.
"Cael has a point. If only two exalts can remain her, better those two are generals, as this is the main front of the war."
Alexander: Alexander smiles at Vorpal.... it made him warm inside. Even with her icy voice. "I won't. I will come back. I will even try to stop the Dark Angel from doing something unnessessary courageous too, what about it...?"
He looks back at the still-clad Valencia. He felt the wamrth in the room. They were worried about him. They were worried about the Dark Angel. They liked him.
It felt oddly familiar.. and oddly soothing.
And he was already beggining to get used to an armored Valencia...
Valencia Silverstar: Valencia remains still for a moment, then speaks. "I do not want you to go. But we must consider the larger picture. Although the Dark Angel asked for the Pale to aid her -- she wouldn't ask for a specific one of us without a reason."
Vorpal: "In case you were not listening", Vorpal counters to Cael, "she was calling for help to fight an army. Boil would be a different sort of battleground, true, but it wouldn't change the business itself. War is war."
"So, does anyone else wish to change their opinion before we make our final decision?"
Alexander: "It is an army... but an army for them is like using a broadsword to kill a mosquito, no?"
"We will run, hide, and help stall them, help keep them busy, until you come."
His eyes fix on Vorpal... "I trust my life that you will."
Vorpal: She catches his gaze, and holds it for a long moment. Her mien is carefully neutral, her eyes unreadable.
"A very nice plan", she states after a pause, "It's only too bad that I already said that you won't leave my presence. However, since you are insistent of going, I will be going with you and make certain that you will also come back. Lady Valencia will take care of the army here, and Cael will take care of the logistics. Once there, maybe --" she favors the skypirate with a little nod, "I can also show him what is the difference between taking a calculated risk and plunging headlong into battle."
"End of the discussion."
Valencia Silverstar: Valencia chuckles, with not a little bit of dark humor. "Yes, you will keep an eye on him then. Neither of us want anything to happen to the Prince, after all."
After all, we can't compete over a dead boy.
Alexander: "Very well, then. I will try to follow your orders to the letter, Pale Angel."
"Well then... Cael, lady Valencia... you can reply to her. How will we get there too, Pale Angel?"
Cael: "As you wish, Pale Angel." Cael nods to her, wondering just what she will be able to teach the boy on that subject.
"I can send her a messenger in reply yes, though if she is warded, it will not reach her." he shrugs "I am not sure where she would be staying that this was an issue, unless she was within the snow owl."
"I could take the Zephyr close to the city through the mountains, and you could make your way down from there, if you wished for an entry with some subtlty"
Vorpal: "That would be our best choice", Vorpal agrees. "We'll be using your ship a little once again."
"As for the message..." Her voice trails away and she rubs her forehead with two fingers, absently.
Valencia Silverstar: "I will stay behind and make sure the army is prepared for the offensive when the time comes." Valencia offers, still not wanting to see Selina face to face for awhile longer.
"We can tell her she should be expecting someone."
Cael: "There is one small matter I would like to bring up with you, Lady Valencia, if I am to handle the logistics of this. It concerns the promise we made when we first agreed to our alliance."
Valencia Silverstar: Valencia raises an eyebrow at him, slightly. "Why is that?"
Cael: "That would be the promise not to use magic on the windian troops, Lady Valencia. If I am to be as effective as I can be in that position, my magic will have to be used on your windians. It will not sway their loyalty any more than an compentant leadership would, but none the less, it is magic I would be using and that does go against the terms of the agreement."
Valencia Silverstar: Valencia blinks for a moment, then replies. "Wouldn't that be something the Pale Angel does? Unless you are leading the army..."
Or does he mean logistical charms.
"Or perhaps you mean improving the efficiency of our support train?" Either way, she wasn't going to grant permission until she knew exactly what was going to be used.
Cael: "The latter. As I said earlier, my place is not on the battlefield, and I have few charms that would be useful there on a large scale."
Valencia Silverstar: She'd seen her dragon-blooded aides use their magic to improve her logistics before, so she supposed she could handle a Solar doing the same. "Very well then. I'm sure you will be a great help to our war effort, in that case."
Vorpal: "It's nice to see you already understand each other", Vorpal says, looking up.
Alexander: "Well then... send the message! And when do we leave?"
Valencia Silverstar: "I will trust that Cael will not harvest his own army from the forces I am entrusted with." Valencia says simply.
Cael: Again she tempts me with the prospect of stealing an army from under her wings!
"I can send the message whenever you wish, Pale Angel."
Vorpal: "All right, Cael. Here is the message:"
Oi.
Remind me again when we meet, why in blazes do you babble so much about how great and grand you are if you start immediately crying for help in the face of one army? The holiday away from you has been very nice, but I suppose it's high time for me to get back to the daily routines. The boy and I will be coming for a visit soon.
Oh, one more thing. Valencia says hello. She has been thinking about you a lot. I can see why you dislike each other - you are far too similar to get along very well.
Valencia Silverstar: Valencia fixes Vorpal with a dry, long-suffering expression. "There is no need to drag me into this, you know."
Vorpal: She shrugs, and manages to keep herself from smiling. "You told me to tell her to expect someone. I'm just following your orders."
Valencia Silverstar: She gives an idle wave of her hand. "As long as I am not stuck between the two of you next time your tempers flare up." The Lunar makes a polite snort to show what she'd think of that, then takes a sip of her tea. "The General will flee if he knows what is good for him."
Vorpal: "Most likely", Vorpal purrs, reclining in her chair, her lips curling up into a smile, her eyes half-closed.
Valencia Silverstar: "Since I am not the only angel similar to the Dark." She adds after another sip.
- Alexander lies back on the chair.
Oh, yes.
You are alll alike...
And he wasn't suicidal enough to raise his voice....
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