Xilanada - The Four Fold Dissonance/Part 3

Shouts of anger and rage sounded up from outside the Vermillion Wave Upon Paper, bringing Sen to his feet. He knew it wasn't unusual to hear commotion in Nexus, especially not in this district given it's proximity to the markets and the sheer volume of trade. What was different was these shouts of anger were accompanied by screams of pain and the distinctive ring of metal upon metal.

Armed conflict was breaking out outside the restaurant. A lot of it.

Sen quickly considered the fastest escape routes, thinking furiously. Xilanada was already on her feet as well, almost as quick to rise as he'd been. She looked alarmed but unaware, he thought, of what was really going on.

Open conflict in Nexus almost never happened. "You shall not commit wanton slaughter" was one of the cardinal Edicts laid down by the Council of Entities. It almost never happened, because those that engaged in it wound up dead in rather horrifying ways, assuming the mercenary armies in Nexus didn’t get the troublemaker first.

"There are sounds of armed conflict going on outside of the restaurant, Xilanada. It could be trouble but relax for now. It hasn't come in here. We should consider assessing the situation and either leaving in a hurry or taking cover."

Xilanada's face was full of anxious fear and tension, and Sen was more certain than ever that she wasn't a danger to the School. Nothing about her seemed to indicate any competency in battle, and she lacked the Essence to be a dangerous Thaumaturge. If anything, she needed protecting. Especially with her health the way it was.

Sen still had mixed feelings about that. It would be hypocritical to criticize her for overindulging in some of his favorite forms of recreation. It wasn't right for him to judge her for just having more fun than he would. And yet, that judgment lingered, the disdain of the user in control toward the addict out of control.

Added to that conflict was the simple fact that she didn't seem like an addict. The signs were all there, the fever, the dizziness, the pain and the just-noticeable tint of yellow to those perfect sapphire blue eyes that only a Dragon-Blooded with exceptional senses would see. But the behavior wasn't there.

An addict in her state should be willing to slit their own mother's throat for more Bright Morning, at least. Or more heroin, more opium, more alcohol, pick one. Yet not only was she still in control...she didn't show any initiative toward getting more drugs. It was inexplicable.

What he ended up with was this feeling of protectiveness, this desire to help her, soothe her, and wash away her pain. For beneath those too-wise eyes, tinged with addiction, lay an agony of the spirit deeper than any he'd ever touched. It touched him.

Tepet Ajalat Sen was not a selfless man. He did his duty, and did it well, but thinking of others usually came after the fact. Wine, women, song, dance, drugs, gambling, all of it was for his amusement and his distraction. Inside him, there had always been this gnawing need for something of substance and he'd always managed to drown it in recreation.

But in his time of spying on Xilanada, Sen had come to realize that beneath the doll-like features of the beautiful blonde lay a soul that had seen more pain in its life than he could imagine. Enough that his first instinct upon hearing the sound of conflict had been to get on his feet to protect her.

By Hesiesh, she was going to make him into a proper Dragon-Blooded yet. And all without asking. Father would be amazed, if he knew.

"Wait here, Xilanada," he said calmly and quietly, knowing that the very pitch of his voice could instill confidence if used correctly. His Dynastic training had been quite thorough, even if he no longer lived in the Realm to employ it. "I'll investigate and see what we need to do."

"I'll come with you," she said, just as calmly. Sen noted with surprise that she seemed to have mastered whatever fear he had just seen on her face. "I'm not a hothouse flower. I can take care of myself. And I certainly don't want to be left in a room alone, wondering if I'm going to be attacked at any minute, not knowing."

Her words seemed persuasive and pulled at the edges of his attention. For a moment, Sen almost thought she was using a Charm on him...but that was impossible. She wasn't an Exalt. He had checked her out with the help of a God. And there was no known way to conceal one's Anima.

"Fine, then keep close. I brought you here for a lovely dinner and I'm not about to let it get ruined by a little civil uprising." He grinned at her and was delighted that she smiled back.

Love is a funny thing, he reflected, as he made his way out of the room and through the hallways, Xilanada close behind. How she felt had become so important to him so swiftly...well, it had concerned him enough that he had stopped by a local fertility temple to see to it that he wasn't being affected by any love Charms or anything of the sort. He was free of magical influence, and yet her presence intoxicated him more thoroughly than any spell.

The waiters were apparently coaxing the diners to stay in their rooms, though one determined glower from him was enough to cow the servants into letting them by. A faint halo of red light coalesced around him as he called upon the Phantom Fire-Warrior Horde Charm and none challenged him. They made their way to the front without further interruption.

"You," he pointed at the host, who was shaking slightly at the mere sight of him. "I hear the sounds of battle outside. Tell me what's going on, and what steps this place is taking to keep whatever it is out."

"It's a battle, Honored Prince!" gasped the sweating man, whose swarthy skin marked him as hailing from the South. "Many men and women shouting about freeing slaves and ending the drug trade are outside and everywhere! And there's a mercenary company, Tecek's Hawks, out fighting them. It must be a judgment from the Council. You'd best stay in here, Honored Prince!"

Sen nodded slowly, considering the risk of staying here. If there was battle involving official peacekeepers going on out there, he had no desire to get involved and risk the Council's judgment. He had never heard of anyone surviving it.

"We'll stay here, Xilanada. I think we should be safe enough. It sounds like the rebels or whoever they are will be preoccupied in surviving the mercenaries."

"Thank you, Sen," she said. And then the doors began to shudder.