Porcelain Child/SessionTwentyOne

It has been well established that the beasts amass to engulf Glie, with all the strength they have gained from the surrounding farmland towns and settlements, their victory seems assured. The Merchant Master Kallorn, the self-proclaimed (and militarily and politically supported) leader of Glie has refused to mobilize forces to evacuate and defend, leaving the Magistrate and Archons moving outside the law. The Guard Captain Eudorus is willing to help you, but he is as limited as you as well, the noose tightens around everyone’s' necks. In the mean time, the Abbot of the monastery in the mountains north has taken Orihime and her monster hunters into custody, but for what purpose? One of the monks, Pazu escaped custody to try and get Vana to help him, something very strange is about to happen, and she is the only one that can stop it. Funny, that. Vana sneaks out, but is spied out by a very persistent eleven year old.

So begins the final scenes of Valley of Fire, Wind's Messenger.

The Town of Glie. The inn.
<onine> Morning comes, but the rooster crows not this day, a different and more savage cry fills the air, as if signifying at the very least a weakening of evil as day breaks. It is cool, but mild and the townsfolk of Glie begin their days, but nervously, as one who knows that he is being watched does, someone who knows that death and misfortune wait to tap him on the shoulder. It is a grim day, with heavy clouds beginning to fill the sky, their bottoms darkening and growing heavy with rain. The sun shines through, but seems doomed to be covered before the day is out. The inn is quiet. Not many are travelling to Glie... or rather, not many are arriving at Glie. The Magistrate sits at the table, writing carefully with his brush and ink on the long roll of paper quietly, and Tara just as quietly mixes some unidentifiable gruel in the attached kitchen. Yengo sits on a stool in the corner, running a cloth over a scarred and battered Legion nasal helm in an attempt to clean the worst of the neglect away. "I always hated wearing this thing," he complains. But if the worst happens...
<Anona> "Better that than you lose your head, eh?" Anona enters the room, as morning-cranky as ever.
<onine> "Mmm, though helms are important, though less so for Exalts.." Diamandus says, finishing. "You can clean that a little later. I'd like you to take Vana and go to see about Glie's defenses, I hope Eudorus was able to organize some men to fight."
<onine> He thinks a moment. "Best wake the girl too. Perhaps I can occupy her with some investigation."
<Yengo> "Guess so..." he rises, setting the helm in his seat. "I guess cleanliness doesn't really matter anyway. I'll get Vana and Magpie." Maybe everything would be better for the girl now in the daylight...
* Yengo heads back towards Vana's room, knocking softly on the door before entering.
<onine> It is empty.
* Epheri picks at her breakfast, smiling in greeting to Anona as she wanders in, then goes back to picking at it.
* Yengo looks from one end of the room to the other. "Vana? Magpie?" He's already beginning to suspect...
<onine> You see a piece of paper on the unmade bed.
* Yengo picks it up and reads it, though he hardly needs to at this point.
<Magpie> The note is written on the back of a page torn from one of Anona's sorcerous texts (but not a bit that looked important, Magpie made sure). It is barely legible, and shows clears signs that someone gave up on teaching the author grammar halfway through instructing her on reading and writing.
<Magpie> Dear Everybody,
<Magpie> Pazu came and Vana is going to go kill the abbot and said I couldn't come. It's even stupider than bandits but don't worry I'm going anyway so Vana doesn't get hurt. But, I think Vana should get in big trouble (these characters are circled emphatically) when we are done killing the abbot. Yengo make sure the zombies don't hug you too much they really like you.
<Magpie> Love,
<Magpie> (And for obscure reasons, Magpie has decided to sign with a cipher, and there's quite a pretty little picture of a black bird. The last wing trails off into a smear of ink, as if someone had drawn the brush away hurriedly, realizing that she was wasting precious time drawing a pretty picture of a bird when she should be following Vana)
* Yengo isn't really sure whether he should smile or scream. He settles for sort of a half-open mouth grimace as he turns around and walks back to the other room, folding the note carefully away.
<onine> The magistrate looks up at Yengo then sighs, reading his face and knowing what had happened.
<Yengo> "Vana and Magpie are gone. Something about Pazu coming to take Vana to kill the abbot. Magpie followed her." He sighs.
<onine> "Of course she did." He sighs.
<Anona> "Those two are getting to be very predictable. They're always where they shouldn't be."
<Epheri> "They are very good at it."
<Yengo> "You can say that again." Well, Magpie would probably be as safe with Vana as she would here... but the idea of both of them running around out there doing dragons knew what doesn't comfort him.
<onine> "No sense worrying about them now. You three go and see the Guard Captain. The quicker the better."
<Anona> "I'm ready to go whenever you two are."
* Epheri nods and stands up. waiting for Yengo
<Yengo> "Take care here, too, sir." He glances briefly at the door to the kitchen, then back at Anona and Epheri. "Let's get going."
* Epheri nods "Take care, sir" then she follows Anona out.

The Streets of Glie- Such as they are
<onine> The three of you trek off through the town towards the headquarters of the guard. The townsfolk dodge the Dragonbloods, but for a change they seem to be more frightened of the unknown than the Exalts walking amongst them.
<onine> Everything seems to be hurried today, no children play and business is conducted in quiet, hushed tones. You can hear a dog bark at the other side of town.
<Yengo> "I don't like this feeling... like the calm before a battle. Always the worst part..."
<Anona> "Yes. It'll be better once it's over."
<Yengo> "If we win."
<Epheri> "It will be better when it starts, even."
<onine> Given the morbid state of affairs, that does seem to be a large *if* regarding victory.
<onine> You round the corner and walk down the street the Guard Headquarters is located on, and for once you DO hear loud voices.
* Yengo moves a little faster, anticipating trouble now.
<onine> There is some sort of argument happening, you can see men from the town, with bamboo pikes, guardsmen in their brown uniforms and armor, and also the blue and grey livery of the Merchant Master's personal security force.
<Anona> "Hm. Looks like trouble."
<onine> There is an argument going on between the guard captain and what looks to be a sergeant of the Master's guard.
<onine> "...forces is a violation of the master's authority and you are ordered to disband this illegal display at once!" You catch the end of the Sergeant’s sentence
<Epheri> "He's going to get us all killed." Epheri murmurs
<Anona> "Not if I have anything to say about it." Anona walks up, but (remarkable for her) just stands there and... looms menacingly near the argument. Well, as best as she CAN loom, anyway.
* Yengo lets Anona move forward. "I'd almost feel sorry for him if he wasn't such an idiot," he remarks to Epheri.
* Epheri nods "If."
<onine> "You can't be serious, don’t you see what is happening man?!" Eudoris says. Ujiro is also with him.
<onine> "All I see is a man breaking the law and... and..." He looks at Anona. "Yes?"
<Anona> "Oh, don't let ME interrupt you. Please, do go on."
<onine> "Yes... Yes well, as I was saying, Captain Eudorus you... you are hereby ordered to disband this group immediately or be taken into custody."
<Magpie> ("Set him on fire! Set him on fire!" chants the peanut gallery)
<onine> "Beasts lurk just outside your homes and you would arrest us! Inconceivable!" Ujiro shouts.
<Yengo> "You don't have the time to waste with this petty fighting!"
<onine> "Exactly." Eudorus adds. "Have you even been outside the town lately? Or are you too busy sitting on that overpaid backside of yours protecting the Merchant Master's valuable genitals?"
<onine> "Why you..." the Sergeant fumes.
<Anona> "ARE they?"
<onine> The Sergeant almost says 'What?' but catches himself in time to change it to a polite "Pardon?"
<Anona> "Valuable. Are they?"
<onine> Some of the villagers snort in amusement.
<onine> "Begging the Lady's pardon, the Merchant Master is a very important man in Glie. So yes, they are 'valuable'"
<Anona> "Oh, surely the rest of him, that's valuable to you. But surely /those/ don't make much of a difference in how he runs things, am I right?"
<onine> He twitches.
<onine> "That aside my Lady, by LAW I must take these men into custody, I ask that you not interfere on the wrong side of the law."
<Yengo> "You're going to be following that law into your graves if you're not careful. We're only trying to help you, can't you see that?"
<Anona> "When the law requires the people be left defenseless, I'd question which side is 'wrong'."
<Epheri> "Enforcing such a law would be criminal in itself. You have a duty to protect this town."
<Yengo> "I get the feeling he sold that duty out."
* Epheri nods sadly.
<onine> *"Why I…I don’t have to listen to this nonsense! These men are acting in violation with the laws put down in our city, and laws must be obeyed. Guards breaking the law is the greatest violation!"
<onine> He calls this little shanty a city... how ambitious
<Yengo> "Trust me, you're going to be very glad these people are armed and ready to fight shortly..."
<onine> "I will be glad when I uphold the law!"
<Anona> "Ah, but that's /city/ law. Whereas failing to act in defense of the Realm is in violation ofPorcelain_Child/SessionTwentyOne/Imperial/ law. I'd think very carefully if I were you."
<onine> "I will have no tomfoolery like this happening here!"
<onine> You get the distinct impression that this man has been eyeing the Guard Captain's seat, and this may be his opportunity.
* Yengo makes a fist. "You're wasting our time and putting everyone in this town at risk. Enough."
<onine> "Maybe I should arrest you along with them, the Merchant Master is growing tired of the way you are stirring up the populace!" He doesn't paint the exalts with this brush you notice.
<Anona> "Arrest Yengo and you'll have to arrest me. If you can."
<Epheri> "And me." Epheri says quietly, but firmly
* Yengo looks at Anona and Epheri, still a little shocked after all this time that they stood up for him, but very grateful. "We- we're not backing down. Do your politicking and money grubbing after we leave, if you have to. Now isn't the time."
<onine> You notice that the throng of townsfolk has gotten bigger, outnumbering Kallorn's guards three-to-one at least. Some of the men have taken up spare bamboo spears.
<onine> "I am aski... ordering the lot of you to disband at once!" There is a waver in his voice, only just detectable.
<onine> Some of the townsfolk utter their agreement with the Archons.
<Epheri> "They will disband when the town is safe, not before."
<onine> There are a few 'yeahs' from the group
<Epheri> "Now, you will leave this man in peace and consider your own contributions to the defense of this town. Go." Epheri hasn’t raises her voice, talking in the same quiet but firm tone.
<Yengo> "Everyone will remember who stood in its defense when this is over. And who didn't."
<onine> "You wont get away with this grievous breach of the law." He complains as he and his men file off to report to their master.

Meanwhile…Actually, a few hours earlier. This is non-chronological. Shh.

<onine> Pazu eases himself into the icy water, and grabs a handful of the harsh rope that is tied to your masterfully conceived flotation device - the log.
<onine> He holds a hand out to Vana. "Do you need help?"
<Vana> "I'm okay." She likewise sinks in, faint wisps of steam curling up as she does.
<onine> "Alright.. ready?" The water rushes against you, slipping into the seams of the armor here and there. It pulls at your bodies, beckoning you north through the tunnels.
* Vana nods slightly, draping one arm over the log and taking hold.
<onine> Pazu pulls the securing rope free, and you are taken with the flow quickly down the Rebellious River. Lichen illuminates the tunnels with a soft bluegreen glow, you are never left in darkness for long.
* Vana just holds on as best she can, letting her legs out behind her in case of rocks below the surface.
<onine> After a while the caves open up into a cavern that could likely be a demesne, lichen, moss and glowing mushrooms cover the distant walls and ceiling. You float across it slowly.
* Vana puts a hand on her sword, just being cautious.
<onine> "There are only a few such places along the way, this is a milestone. There are two more near the monastery." Pazu says.
<Vana> "Mhmm."
<onine> "I... I just cant believe this is happening. To the order no less. To think that Dragonbloods could..." Pazu trails off, his face is a mask of disbelief
* Vana` offers no comment on the matter, not needing to state how bad the situation is.
<onine> "I think our master is going to do to Orihime what happened to the arts-master of the temple. He's the one you fought, the one we have hunted.
<onine> "But we never expected that his corruption happened in our own monastery."
Vana` changes nick to Vana
<Vana> "I guess we'll just have to stop it as fast as we can."
<onine> "You're right of course.. there is nothing we can do about that now.. it was the will of Hesiesh that we lose such great princes of the earth to test our faith."
* Vana nods slightly, waiting for him to lead them further on.
<onine> The water carries you both deeper into the earth, and soon the passages narrow once more...
<onine> Meanwhile, Magpie makes her way in hot pursuit of the monk and ranger...
<onine> You move over to the narrow opening in the earth that Vana and Pazu entered. It is a tight fit, but no problem, you're flexible!
* Magpie wriggles, grunts, and says "phew!" once she gets through.
<onine> All you can see in the soft glow of the lichen is rushing water, travelling north down the subterranean tunnels.
<Magpie> Crow flaps in slowly after her. He was not enthusiastic about this going-underground plan, somehow, no matter HOW much Magpie told him it was just like stories. She wades hesitantly into the water, gulping as it soon comes up to her shoulders. -Good thing I know how to swim!- she thinks hopefully, and begins to peddle her way down the current. She hoped Vana didn't have a boat. Otherwise, it might become tricky catching up to her.
<onine> The water is easy enough to stay afloat in, and the current is strong but not too rough, though things get very dicey at times...
* Magpie is reduced to whoops and giggles at one particularly -fast-, downhill section.
<onine> A long way further up, Vana thinks she hears something, but it was probably just nothing...probably.
<onine> Just when you think you cant stand it any more, the current seems to speed up. "We're almost there." Pazu says. "We can let go now."
* Vana pauses somewhat, looking behind her for a moment, then shaking it off.
* Vana does so carefully, making sure to keep hold of her weapon.
<onine> The water soon becomes a frothy torrent and you are sucked underwater, all you can see is a blue glow as you are thrown about underwater by the varying currents.
<onine> Your lungs begin to burn painfully as the breath you took earlier begins to stagnate.
* Vana fights off panic, as that's the worst thing you can do in this sort of situation.
<onine> Just when you think you cannot hold it any more, you are launched into predawn brightness as the water comes to the surface and joins some unnamed northern river.
* Vana breaks the surface of the water with a gasp, breathing in fresh air as fast as she can.
<onine> The water is calm, you are just below the mountains which loom over the trees in the pre-dawn light.
<onine> "The temple is north east of us, but we won't be able to enter through the doors unnoticed. There are a network of lava caves that run through the mountains behind the temple. One opens up on the cliff above."
<onine> Pazu swims slowly to shore.
* Vana follows after, moving easily through the water. "How long will it take us?"
<onine> "I'm not sure. I've never considered timing the trip before. We should be inside by sunset I would imagine."
<Vana> "That's a while." She wades out, letting herself drip-dry on the bank.
<onine> "Yes. Shall we?" Pazu gestures in the direction of the cave entrance.
* Vana nods, brushing her hair back once to get the majority of the water out.

Up the mountain…
<onine> With Pazu leading, you climb up narrow paths along the hillsides and cliff-faces. You move around a ridge and are treated to quite a view of the surrounding area. "There it is." Pazu says, pointing out a monastery in the distance, nestled in the mountains before the trees end, but before the forest starts.
* Vana raises a hand to shield her eyes from the sun. "Impressive."
<onine> "Yes. It is a fully self sufficient temple. Water comes from streams down the mountains, and we have hot springs for meditation and bathing. The soil is rich and our food grows well." He seems almost sad, knowing what is *really* going on inside.
* Vana watches him for a moment. "It sounds nice."
<onine> "It was. But it was a lot of work too. We'd best continue.."
<onine> You spend the remainder of the day trekking through lava caves in the mountains, tunnels of obsidian and lava rock looking as if they were still liquid molded into passages.
<Magpie> Meanwhile, Magpie shoots out into the river below. She kicks upward, and gasps as she breaks the surface of the water. She lets go of Crow, who she had clutched frantically to her chest as he was pulled under. He squawks indignantly (and loudly), his fluttering wings battering at her head.
<Magpie> "That was *so fun*" she tells him, teeth chattering. She looked around. Now...which way had Vana gone?
<onine> Finally the cave ahead it lit with sunset-gold light.
<onine> The cave opens up to a ledge on the steep mountainside, from which you can see all the way across the province to the ocean.
<onine> The true view is directly below, the temple lies beneath you.
* Vana takes in the view for a moment. "Amazing."
<onine> "Yes. It is a tricky climb though. Are you able to do it wearing that?"
<Vana> "Mhmm. It doesn't hinder me." She turns her arm easily to demonstrate.
<onine> "Jade... so strong yet so yielding." He says and begins the climb down.
* Vana follows after him, picking her hand- and footholds carefully.
<onine> You arrive on top of the wall, and jump lightly down into a courtyard that was likely used for martial arts training... now in the lion's den...
<onine> Meanwhile high above, Magpie and crow look over the edge...
* Magpie almost shouts "VANNNA!" cheerfully. Some slight preservation instinct prevents her however, and she waves her arm vigorously at Vana's back instead.
<Magpie> "So." Magpie plots with Crow. "You fly down, and I guess I'll....climb...."