Dim/ToTChapter03
The third chapter of the Tales of Tinalion, as spoken by Unbreakable Lotus.
Still heady with victory, our Circle set out for Faunel. Having solved the Amil problem, we were determined to prevent Faunel from getting any funny ideas. Within the week, we arrived at the city gates, making our way to the Faunel manorhouse thanks to our previous impression. We found Talos-San with no difficulty, and inquired as to the state of the realm. He informed us that his step-mother, Lady Sien Faunel, had returned from her duties in Tinal. She had brought her son , Lord Te Faunel, to the cantrev in order to ensure his ascension to power. At 7 years old, Lord Te was hardly fit to rule, and thus the brother of now-deceased Lord Nai, Lord Hisaki Faunel, assumed the post of Regent. Talos-San had been appointed as Cantrev General, and for the first time in his life he was happy with his station. His trust of us had grown thanks to our upholding of our side of the deal, and thus did he see fit to stave Faunel's advances. The war was officially over.
With relief flooding our senses, we thought of our next plan of action. Snake and Rei were eager to return to Tinal, where they could relax after the many months of travel and battle. Forge wanted to travel south, to the lands of Bo, wherein lie the greatest collection of First Age lore in this corner of the world. He wished to plumb that library for knowledge of the sword Melibone and the mysterious process that had sealed its power. Te and myself, both interested in this quest for knowledge, decided to accompany the smith. We determined the swiftest route to Bo was by sea. I could deal with the terror of being surrounded by water on all sides, but Koresh, intelligent as he is, couldn't. Snake and Rei had already left for Tinal, and so I decided to hire a porter to guide my companion to the same city.
My first week at sea was spent within my berth, desperately trying not to die from terror and malnutrition. Blessedly, we encountered no opposition, and I embraced the static land once we disembarked. Bo lie before us; quiet and academic. We made our way to the university and attempted to gain entrance to the library. We were stopped by the realization that there were guards, and they wouldn't let us in. This troubled us, and so we sought audience with Lord Bo.
With little trouble we found our way into Lord Bo's office. Bo himself was a small man, old for his middle age, and surrounded by books and papers. Unfortunately, in his many years of absolute rule, his attitude was far from hospitable. Rude couldn't begin to describe his actions and words, and we three Exalts found it difficult at best to stay our more primitive emotions. We inquired about access to the library, and were staunchly refused.
We argued and discussed for a few minutes more, and then tried our hand at intimidation. Surely, the might of three of the Sun's children would be enough to convince him of our sincerity and need. Alas, that Bo was such an experienced man; our caste marks, though impressive, did little to sway his heart. As we turned to leave, he spoke. In return for a deed from each of us, we would gain unlimited use of the library. Normally, we would agree. But something behind his eyes filled us with distrust. We politely refused, already forming plans for that evening.
We made our way across the campus to the Master of the Keys. With words of Essence I requested a copy of the key, and within seconds he eagerly relinquished it to me. Despite my power, he was not fully convinced of our goals, and thus gave us a week before he would inform Lord Bo. We made a quick wax-pressed copy, and used the original to enter the Library once night had fallen. Working quickly over the next week, we finally discerned the mystery of Melibone.
The tomes claim it was once weilded by a great First Age Lunar warrior. It was rumored that whoever held the blade in battle would never fall. Nevertheless, the original owner found himself parted of his sword, and was rapidly consumed by the Ursurpation. It faded from history, appearing every once in a while in the hands of a God-Blood or Hero, but always elusive. We could only asume Aylott had taken it by force from some hapless God-Blood a few decades ago. The runes, too, were explained. Slightly after the original owner of Melibone was slain, the blade's power was sealed by an intricate Sidereal ritual. Only a Sidereal or the power of Solar countermagic could dispell the seals holding Melibone's true power back.
Armed with our newfound knowledge, we three left the city on the final night the Keeper had given us. The next morning, we were aboard another ship, much to my chagrin, but this time we were bound for Tinal.
When we arrived, Rei and Snake greeted us, catching us up on their own exploits during the past month.
Rei, upon setting foot upon Tinal proper, found herself the nearest bar and went to work drowning her hurts and aches in alcohol.
Snake decided to wander, meandering through the more desolate parts of the city. At last, searching for a place to rest his feet, he found solace in what seemed to be an abandoned building. Upon entering, however, he found it filled with the poor, all speaking and laughing energetically. He was curious, and inquired as to why they were there. The people just smiled and said he should speak with Kaika.
Kaika, as it turned out, was the leader of a new religious movement. In the heart of the house she spoke with Snake about the beliefs of her order. All things decay, without fail. Even the Dragon-Bloods die, eventually. She, and through her teachings, her followers, believed that more worthy souls were incarnated 'down' the social ladder. Beginning with nobles, and ending up at beggars and cripples. They reveled in their poverty, seeing it as a sign of their emminent enlightenment and release from the pain that is the world.
Snake decided to provide these beggars with slightly better living space. He presented himself to one of the local nobles, a Dragon-Blood of high birth. With his quick wit and smooth words, Snake purchased both a stately townhouse in the heart of Tinal and a tenement across the street of Kaika's building. What space could be made was given to Kaika and her beggars, and the rest of Snake's vacation was spent lazing about in his new manor home.
Once we arrived, we began to plot. Aylott had recovered from his bout with Snake, and was raiding further north than he had ever dared before. Challenges were issued, and Snake's honor drove him to accept. Lotus, eager to begin his own quest for strength, mentioned his desire to travel to his Manse to the east of Gan and meditate. Te and Rei, their curiocity of Gan's secession piqued, sought to travel there and see what was going on. Forge was content to remain in Tinal, eager to start making his fortunes there.
We slept that night, and in the morning, we went our seperate ways, pledging to return to Tinal in two months, if at all possible.
