Ketrus/TaikoExalts

Entreaty to the Maidens

Inspiring goddesses!
Mistresses of the night sky!
Hear our prayer

O Mercury, she who has already left,
O Venus, she who is screwing the producer,
O Mars, she who is running bouncer duty at the door,
O Jupiter, she who read the last page first,
O Saturn, she who delivers us from terrible plays,

Your blessings upon us lowly mortals,
That our performance may but channel your genius,
And win some small portion of your favor.

PS: Bitchslap Chejop for us, kthx.

Summary

Logs from actual play, a session in two parts with one ST and two Players. This is a story in the chronicles of Kanta, notable for its importance in the life of his flunky Taiko. It's only the latest story, mind, there are several sessions that come before it--mostly detailing just how Kanta wanders around cheating people.

Dramatis Personae

• Ketrus/KoizumiTaiko : Her character sheet says it all. Short version? She's the Invincible Sword Princesses's kid sister, a certifiably insane heroic mortal who is 'learning' from the great 'teacher' Kanta. The truth of the matter is that he's tricked her into being a bodyguard.
• Kanta : Taiko's 'teacher', who is really nothing more than a larcenist and con man. He's a master of the persuasive powers of his Solar magic, but he rarely uses them for what can be called 'noble' ends.
• Flint : NPC of mine borrowed by the ST. Fun little god-blooded son of Clever Whetstone, god of whittling. His book tells him the character and lore of any person he wishes to read about, but to anyone else, it looks like a trashy romance novel. Currently selling supernatural weapons and talismans in Paragon. Rumor has it he's going to move on to the Lap soon.
• Crystal Sand Dervish : A PC Zack never got to play, she's a Night-caste swordmistress who says "sweetheart" way, way too much. Possibly brain-damaged. She has the uncanny ability to see through Kanta's lies and illusions, mostly because the dice hate him.
• Unconquered Sun : A real lout with an awful sense of timing.

• Zack : The ST, running this game as a part of Zack/SouthlandsRedux

Act 1

>> Game on!

>> We rejoin Kanta and Taiko... outside the gates of Paragon, waiting to gain entry into the city! The merchants are with them, still looking over their shoulder for any sign of the Anathema or the Terrestrials. There's a fair few other merchants waiting in line ahead of you, as the guards waive them in one at a time after checking their goods.

Taiko looks somewhat grim, all things considered, but this is hardly rare for children in the Age of Sorrows.

Kanta stares about the merchants with a hard look, considering the people in the line before going on. His reasons difference, but the appearance close to the same.

>> A few people who notice Kanta's look quiver and move on, and soon enough the line moves. A few minutes of waiting and the guards motion for Kanta, Taiko, and the merchants to step up to the door.

Taiko looks up at the guards, blinking softly. She says nothing, and does nothing of interest. Being ten does wonders for one's sense of innocuousness.

Kanta steps up to the door and looks at Taiko to see that she is following, before he looks over the guards before the entrance to Paragon, waiting for the businessmen to handle the talking part.

>> The guards speak up after looking you four over. "Purpose of visiting the city?" The merchant speaks up. "Bartering and selling of goods, sir." The guard nods once. "We'll have to inspect the carts. It'll be a moment." With that two other guards begin the inspection, while another one looks at Kanta and Taiko. "These two?" The merchant speaks up again. "Guides on the way here from The Lap."

Taiko smiles. It's a bit thin, though.

Kanta doesn't smile, but just gives a nod at being referenced to as guide. "Kanta Mizonu and apprentice."

>> The guard nods, as the others finish their inspection with no problems. "Proceed." With that they are waved through into the lovely city of Paragon! It can only be described as a very orderly place, with people bustling here and there. The buildings are suprisingly spotless, with no garbage visible on the streets or anything. All in all, a pretty nice place.

Taiko doesn't like it. It just doesn't smell right, somehow.

Kanta looks around, muttering to himself. Paragon never suited him. Far too many guards means far too little work for a freelancer like himself. For the moment, he still accompanies the merchant until they get to whereer they're going. A job is a job, and this one pays.

>> The merchants lead the way through the city's streets, eventually coming up to a small inn not far from the Prefect's palace, which looms quite impressively in the center of the city. The one in charge of the expedition glances over at Kanta before nodding. "Thank you for your help, Mizonu."

Kanta nods, shaking his head at the guy in charge. "A job's a job, and this one was a success. Hell if I want to run into Anathema every time, but, we got out of it alright. You're going to be staying in Paragon for a while now, aren't you?"

>> The merchant nods, as another one holds out a nicely sized bag that jingles as he moves it. "The agreed upon payment, as we discussed in The Lap." One of the merchants raise an eyebrow. "Every time?"

Taiko bows very slightly, matching her apologetic tone for interrupting, "He simply means that the Anathema has hounded the trade routes most severely recently. This is the second time in a row for us, and there are tales of many others who have been less fortunate than us."

Kanta looks at the merchant after he takes the bag, an eyebrow raising. "Haven't been listening too closely, eh? This guy's been showing up a lot more, recently, probably thanks to the Hunt getting pulled out before they even bother watching the trail. This sort of work is getting more dangerous all the time thanks to bandits, demons or not."

>> The merchant just nods. "Fair enough. Until we meet again, and all that." With that they hurry into the tavern, one of them watching the carts as they arrange for lodgings. Leaving you two with a nice fat paycheck and in the city of Paragon. Too bad it isn't Nexus.

Taiko almost pouts a little. "Too bad it isn't Nexus."

>> Somewhere, the fourth wall cracks a bit before a Siddie quickly duct tapes it

Kanta winds up the bag and stashes it in a pocket in the ack of his cloak, before pulling it a bit closer to him, making it considerably more difficult to just snatch in, then looks to Taiko. "Perhaps, but, has a few benefits...being close to the desert, mostly. See if there's anything rare in the markets, any rumors that mean something, and then we can leave and go back to the lap or Chiaroscuro."

Taiko nods. She hopes it's Chiaroscuro. No one there thinks that girls can fight. She smiles very thinly -indeed-.

>> And they set off into the markets of Paragon!

Taiko blinks, then realizes something. She looks up at Kanta, and takes in that odd glimmer in his eyes... it happens every time they arrive at a city. He's going to waste money. He's going to waste a LOT of money. She shakes her head sadly. So it is with the greatest of men, that they overfocus and become geniuses in their field, only to fail at all others. It is obviously her duty as apprentice to help him with his shortcomings.

Taiko sighs sadly, as they finally reach the markets. So much duty, for one so young.

Kanta is indeed grinning as he looks about, looking for somewhere to spend. No sooner does the money get in his pocket before he wants to spend it. No use being rich if you're a corpse because of it! Never mind if that chance of you dying is low anyways...

>> ...By set off, I mean Kanta very nearly gets hoodwinked into spending everything and then some on reportedly rare and valuable First Age Artifacts. That is, before Taiko quietly but pointedly points out the fact they are just painted rocks!

Taiko points at his hand. "See? The paint is rubbing off on your fingers."

Taiko points in the opposite direction. "Over there is an older man reading a book, see? Perhaps we should inquire with him."

Kanta nods, and looks back at the 'fake' merchant for a moment, and then around for any guards. Come on, even in a city like paragon, you have to get lucky once in a while, don't you?

Taiko gets that incredible sinking feeling, one that tells her she's about to run for her life. She very politely walks over to the other merchant, the one with the book. She'll need to attack from a different angle to cover for the escape.

>> There are no apparent guards! Just lots of bargain hunters just like yourself, for the most part. The man reading the book doesn't pay Taiko much mind as he turns the page. Must be a good book.

Taiko blinks, as she catches a glimpse of the old man's text through a mirror hanging up near the top of his booth. A trashy romance novel? How strange. She moves to browse the goods silently, as she certainly doesn't want to start a conversation with THAT sort of old man.

Kanta slams the metal barrel of his 'weapon' hard enough down on the table to crack it, and disturb the material, before leaning toards the man. "I'll be back in a few moments. You decide if you want to wait or not." He then turns, and walks over toward where Taiko is, in a good enough mood to give the guy a chance to run.

>> The man frowns, not noticing that his sigil on his hand has changed just yet.

Kanta looks over all the various wares he has displayed,looking for anything that looks rare and unusual, at first. And looking a moment at the book, and then back at the wares after he realizes what kind of 'novel' it is.

>> Well, there's the well crafted talismans that Taiko is looking at. Then there's the various arrows and weapons that all seem to be masterfully made even to Kanta's horribly untrained eye. Swords, knives, bows, talismans, the whole nine yards. The old man turns the page.

Taiko cleverly palms one of the knives, but does not pocket it. She merely takes in its feel, assured that no one is watching too closely. Hmmm. Who knew someone could make such a sharp knife out of wood? It must be a Wyld material.

>> The man turns the page again. "Make sure to put it back when you're done examining it."

Taiko doesn't skip a beat. "Of course. This is very nice--where did you get the wood?"

Kanta looks over the talismen witha bit more interest then the weapons, before looking up at the old man. "These talismens. What kind of effects do they have, and their prices?" He also glances over to Taiko. "Well made, are they? Interesting..."

>> The man shrugs. "Buy it and find out." Kanta spots out of the corner of his eye what appears to be a short blade, except made out of jade and far more ornate than any normal blade. The old man turns the page again. "Talismans can protect against a variety of threats. Prices depend on what protection you want."

Taiko says, without hesitation, "Infection?"

>> The man rattles off a price. Its a fairly steep one, but affordable for Taiko.

Kanta glances at Taiko and then looks at the short Daiklave as well, pondering for a moment to himself. "Anathema popping up and the Wyld Hunt being shuffled in and out...maybe time for some speculation. What about talismens to protect against thirst, and, something about that jade weapon?"

Taiko nods, and will also buy minor talismans to grant speed and deftness of hand and foot, should he have them. She points at what seems to be nothing more than a long, wooden stick. "How much is the staff?'

>> The man pushes over the talismans in question, thinking for a moment before he rattles up an even steeper price for the staff. He turns the page in his book, frowning. "The daiklaive, eh? Think you have enough to afford it?"

Taiko puts down the dagger as promised, and moves to inspect the staff. "Is it enchanted somehow?"

Kanta glances at it again. "Maybe not. If not, got any jobs for me to do worth it? My name is Kanta Mizonu, and if you have something that needs done, I'll be able to do it. I haven't failed yet."

>> The man shrugs. "You're too apt to create the situations you can't fail at." He hrms a bit. "No, but you won't find a better staff on this side of the South."

Kanta grins as he mentions this. "Of course. If you can do so, why shouldn't you? People who hold back for the sake of 'having a challenge' are the ones who die in the sands. If I know a job can't succeed, I tell people that and what they can do. Rare that I have to. You don't commit yourself to something you can't do. So, I assume you DO have a situation that needs handling...what is it?"

Taiko takes the staff off the stand reverently, and weighs its balance carefully. She gives it a spin or two, once she clears a little space, then stares at it intently for a few moments...

Taiko repositions her grip, and swings it around VIOLENTLY to smash it against the stone roadway. If it breaks, she can afford to replace it, but if it doesn't, she can't afford to pass it up.

>> The man chuckles. "Depends what you're willin' to do for it." The stone the staff impacts against cracks a fair bit... but the staff itself still looks flawless.

Taiko intones, in a hushed voice, "I'll take it."

>> "I don't lie about my work."

Kanta nods. "Whatever problem you've got, tell me what it is. If I can do it, I'll do it. And if I can't, you don't have to worry about me spouting off. Taiko and I work together, and, if it's a private matter, it'll stay private."

Taiko quietly pays him in jade and silver, not bothering to haggle over the staff. Hm. She needs to find some place to store her old one.

>> And we fade out to fashion commercials featuring Venus.

Intermission

>> A stunning Chosen in a slinky dress walks down the runway with a self-conciously sassy sashay.

>> "When you've got to be in style, in Heaven, in an hour?"

>> She turns, and her dress spins every so slightly, the skirt still long enough to cover the important bits but just short enough to be interesting. "There's NO other option."

>> The camera zooms down to a seemingly young woman in a striking blue dress suit, wearing sleek sunglasses. She tilts them down, ever so slightly, "It's Venus co., baby."

>> Bzztbrrt.

>> "SALE SALE SALE!"

>> A crazed cloud of fluttering wings pops on to the screen, dressed in an awful tacky suit with a polka dotted tie.

>> "It's me, CRAAAAAAAZY VANILETH! NO ONE can beat MY PRICES! For the best and CHEAPEST in ARTIFICIAL FLIGHT..!"

>> ... the camera pans to show a massive, empty lot with a few gliders and a couple broken down contraptions...

>> "... THERE's NO PLACE BETTER THAN CRAAAAZY VANILETH'S!"

>> He pauses for a moment, then cries a single tear. "... give me ambrosia. please."

>> Bzztbrrt.

Act 2

>> The screen focuses again...

>> The man turns the page. "Tell me, what are you capable of?"

Kanta gives a bit of a sardonic smile. "You want a complete list? If I did that, we'd both die of old age before it was done. For situations..if you need something found, I'll go find it. If you need something or someone in the desert and the only person who can do it is at risk, I'll see that they get through it alive. If it's trouble from someone you know and you need them to stop, however you need it done, I'll do it. Just don't expect me to find a mysterious culprit from the shadows. That stuff's a pain, and the trouble when you find the wrong person is more then I'm worth, not to mention kind of redundant in a city like this."

>> He turns a page in the book again, having not looked up at all. "I'm still a bit unconvinced, Mr. Kanta Mizonu. I've heard many things about you."

Taiko looks up, a trifle upset, "Then you've heard wrong. My Teacher is a great man, a wandering master!"

Kanta glares at the man, througohly convinced of quite the wrong thing. "Heard many things, eh? Mind telling me who told you that? All I know is that I haven't failed a job I've taken on, no matter what came up. Think those people who told you that can claim that they never failed, either?"

>> The man turns another page in his book. "Oh no, no. I don't need you stirring up trouble now in this fair city. Everyone fails at times, I'm afraid. Even people like you."

Kanta is thoroughly incensedby now, and leans toward him. "So I'm going to fail, that's what you think? Fine, then. Why don't you go ahead and test me yourself instead of just relying on these rumors? Or maybe why don't you go ask some different people, the ones that go out and walk the desert beside me, and get a first hand account?"

Taiko frowns, but doesn't contribute anything. That's about what she was going to say... isn't it frightening that Kanta might be rubbing off on her?

>> The man chuckles, finally looking up at Kanta. "Okay then, kid. Tell you what. I'll give you the daiklaive and her twin if you can do the following. There's a young woman who has caused a bit of trouble east of her. Real sweet thing, just tends to get too deep for her own good. I need you to go and lift a hearthstone she keeps in her weapon and bring it here. No killing her or anything. I want her to come here so I can give her a good talking to."

>> "But she won't come unless its to get something of her's back."

Kanta nods immediately and shoves out his hand. "Alright. Tell me when you need it by, and it'll be there."

Taiko says, after a moment, "... first, what is your name?" She pauses. "And why are you reading a bad 'romance' novel?"

>> He reaches out to shake Kanta's hand. "You've got two weeks. Poke around Chirascuro for a lady by the name of Crystal Sand Dervish. They know her around there, and should be able to point you in the right direction." He glances at Taiko. "Flint. And I like these sort of books, I'm sad to say." He goes back to it, turning the page.

Taiko blinks. "But two weeks isn't even possible. Teacher Kanta is mighty, but he doesn't have any magic that powerful."

Kanta holds his hand still for a moment, looking at the man, and then towards the sea. "Two weeks? Try two weeks to make it there, unless there's some ship in town I'm not aware of. Part of the reason I don't fail is from not taking on jobs nobody could do. If that's the terms, I'll pass."

>> The man chuckles. "Was wonder when you were gonna catch on. There's a few ships, but two months either way. I'll be here."

Taiko ... frowns. "... a ship?"

Kanta nods, and looks to Taiko. "A vessel for travelling the sea of water, not the sea of sand. I don't particularly care for them. The sands are much more beneficial to me. Being stuck on a stick has it's problems. Two months, then, I'll do it. Don't be too surprised if I show up early, Flint."

>> He shrugs, turning a page. "If you say so."

"... I know what ships ARE..." Taiko scrunches her face. "... I've just never been on one before." Looking aside, in concern, she wonders. She was never trained in how to kill sea monsters. What if one attacks the boat? She doesn't know how to swim. Maybe she can learn? Are sailors really as bad as they say? Should she sleep with an extra knife?

Taiko worries, almost visibly.

Kanta chuckles. "Not taking a ship. Sticking to the sands. They're not even faster that I know of, they're just better for carrying things. Some people say they're saer, but, they just don't bother learning how to survive elsewhere. Looks like we've got a job again to do, now...ready, Taiko?"

Taiko nods. "Nn!"

>> The man turns a page in the book.

Holy Fast Forward, Batman!

>> And suddenly Kanta and Taiko are entering the half ruined relic of the First Age turned port city! With a name to go on for finding their target!

>> WHAT WILL THEY DO?!

Taiko looks up at Kanta. This is his department. She may or may not also be checking to see if he's ogling those slutty Chiaroscuro girls.

Kanta is just looking, that's all. To see if any of them look intelligent enough to remember a name besides their own, and maybe the person they woke up to that morning. If not, maybe it was a certain someone's roommate, and they wanted to forget his entire existance. They're on the way to his favorite rumor mill/information contact/bar anyways.

Taiko sighs. Those girls are so pretty. It's too bad that they're 'submissive airheads', in the words of her OLD master.

>> A few seem fairly intelligent, while a few others wink at Kanta as he passes by... and one or two wink at Taiko as well. Creepy.

Taiko wouldn't say so front of a Delzahn, mind. Even the freaky ones, like that girl who just winked at her. They tend to get all -flustered- when you insult a tribal's honor.

>> And so.... they arrive at the bar! A nice seedy place, with lots of good times to be had by all. A redhead in the corner seems to be popular today, slamming back drinks with a few others as laughter and jokes flow from their part of the bar. Over by the counter a few other seedy types relax, as a bartender wipes a glass.

Taiko frowns slightly... any place with 'seedy' in the description twice is sure to be trouble.

Kanta grins, happy to be back in a place where you can find some trouble. Paragon is really overrated for a professional, even if odd characters like Flint who were worth their while showed up one in a blue moon. He swung by the bar, settling the cloak close to him, the gems tinkling for a brief moment before being muffled, and he leaned at the bartender. "So, how about a drink? Been a long walk back."

>> A glass is set down and filled a few seconds after he asks. "There ya go."

Taiko stands guard near him, watching Kanta's back. The one thing she does like about this place is that fights tend to break out every other minute. It almost makes all the crime, corruption, and idiocy worth it.

Kanta takes out a few jade coins from the cloak, twirling them in the air for a moment. They're enough for three or four drinks, and Kanta just tosses it to the man, not seeming to care that he overpaid. "Alright, then, that should cover it. Too much work just drives a man out, and I need to quit takin' all these chase jobs and go back to the desert. Some old coot who pays in jade, but wants to find some girl named Crystal Sand Dervish. Be nice if she was in the sand instead of the city."

>> The moment Kanta speaks the redhead looks up, raising an eyebrow. She's got green eyes as well, and there's a widebrimmed hat sitting on the table in front of her. Whatever else she might be wearing or carrying is covered by a brown cloak, however. The bartender just points before scooping up the money and moves on.

Taiko blinks, and steps behind Kanta, looking fearful. Of course, she isn't. The moment she's out of sight of the redhead, she ducks below the stools, and sweeps her own feet from under herself. Just before she'd hit the ground, her legs shoot out and push off against the leg of the bar stool. Taiko bounces from stool to bar, then to another stool, before leaping around the corner of the bar before she can hit the ground. Landing with a silent roll, she stalks around and finds cover before even those who can see her knows what she's doing.

Kanta , for his part, adjusts his sunshade hat and stands up, looking out from underneatht he brim. He seems to be rising in slow motion; the Winchester is shoulder as he turns slowly, taking his time to face the woman, as a breeze from the door comes in at just the right angle to stir up his cloak. He just stands there for a moment, before looking at the redhaired woman with a grin, chuckling to himself.

>> The woman just raises an eyebrow as she gets to her own feet, plopping the hat back on her head before speaking in a pleasant voice. "Whatcha want with me, stranger? I've paid off my debts and all." The others glances at the woman and Kanta before quietly moving out of the way.

Kanta smiles, and lets the barrel swing down, planting it on the floor as he leans on it. "Debts paid or not, there's still someone who wants to talk to you. Just talk, after all, and it'd be a mighty shame to have to take you to him instead of you going yourself. Perhaps we can talk about this situation first before tearing up this respectable establishment? I think we'd all prefer that." He tips the sunshade down again and nods his head forward, making it difficult for her to see his own facial expression in the shade.

Taiko stares banefully at the slick Chiaroscuro glass, impossible to climb without potent magic. She creeps under the entryway of the bar, ducking underneath the long legs of the barkeep as he backs up away from the confrontation. Her passage allows no sound, the silk on her feet and of her clothes rustling quieter than an owl swooping towards its prey.

>> She smiles as she tilts her head to the side, the hat tilted forward to hide some of her face from sight. "Ah, how sweet of you to come all the way to tell me someone wants to talk to me. What's your name, sweetheart?"

Kanta nods with a grin, and starts moving towards her with a rolling walk that gives the impression of being able to shift into a dive, roll, aim, and fire at any time he wishes. "Kanta Mizonu, then. Over in that corner or somewhere a bit more private, Madam Crystal Sand Dervish?"

>> She shrugs as she steps out from behind the table, seeming fairly calm all things considered. "Outside's fine, sweetie. No need to be all formal now, though. Crystal or Dervish is fine."

Taiko waits for Dervish to stand, before she comes to a pause at the other end of the bar. Then she waits for the strange woman to blink, before darting under the guard. By the time Crystal's eyes are open, she's against the opposite wall, and aiming her jump, and in between the word "is" and "fine", Taiko makes her leap.

Taiko Leaps up and back, pushing off of the wall to careen towards a man standing nearby. She lands on the back of his heavy armor, a suit so ponderous that he doesn't even notice her carefully distributed weight. From this odd perch, she leaps straight up, to a support pillar in the ceiling. She can't quite clear it, so she lashes out with her new staff and catches the pillar with it, holding herself aloft with both hands.

Taiko swings her legs around to grab the support pillar, silent as ever, and eventually comes to a crouch directly above the strange woman.

Kanta chuckles and moves close enough to rest one hand on Dervish's shoulder, still talking in a rather easygoing tone. "I think you've heard my name by now, and, I didn't get where I am by being careless. So, I know of a place in the city where nobody will watch a private conversation - I think we'll retire there, won't we? I give you my word of honor it's just for a talk."

>> She raises a finger, and looks straight up. "That's where you went, kiddo. Come along now, I don't bite." She grins. "Not little ones like you, anyways." She glances at Kanta, shrugging. "Follow me." With that she steps outside, reaching up to remove Kanta's hand from her shoulder.

Taiko leaps from support beam to support beam, following them, before diving down and catching the doorframe on her way out. She swings around and up, performing a neat flip in the air before touching down silently. Through the streets of Chiaroscuro she haunts them as a ghost within a city of gleaming glass.

>> And so... they make their way through the city of glass and sand. And crazy nobles.

>> They keep well out of Dervish's way as she walks through, though.

Kanta doesn't remove it, but keeps it there. "I said i wasn't careless; Don't mind me if i prefer to keep very close tabs on the people I'm supposed to find. Tying people up is rather unrefined, and I prefer to not have to use it. The hand will stay right here, don't worry." He follows at the moment, except for attempting to give directions to where he's intending to take her.

>> After a bit of arguing here and there, they eventually are in an empty avenue in some godforsaken corner of Chiracuro. The wind blows, kicking up sand which scrapes against the glass ruins around in this part of town. She forcibly removes Kanta's hand, taking a few steps away before spinning to face him. "So what do you want?"

Kanta leans against the wall, cradling the barrel of his weapon in his right hand. "Well, one thing first. Since I'd rather this be a negotiation, shall we agree to set down weapons for now? After all, tempers flare sometimes in negotiation. I'm here to deliver a summons, but I realize you might not be interested in coming. So maybe we can get an agreement."

Taiko crouches carefully above them, at the edge of a ruined room hewn of crystal. Only her eyes can be seen, in between an orange and cracked red plate, yet from behind her within the broken room, shattered walls and furnishings form a hundred mirrors which reflect her face ten thousand times. Whatever enchantment strengthens the glass of this city must be weakened here--no wonder no one has bothered to loot so much loose glass.

Taiko blinks, and the room blinks with her, but below nothing can be seen.

>> Dervish snorts as she leans against a wall, crossing her arms. "I'm fine like I am, thank you very much. Who wants to talk to me so bad they send you and a kid after me?"

Kanta shakes his head. "Years of bein' in this business taught me a few things. Set your weapon aside and I'll do mine, too. I'd prefer not to have to demonstrate this in the city; all made out of glass, it's rather dangerous, if you've heard of how it works. Haven't you been in negotiations, before?"

>> She grins. "That piece of junk doesn't scare me at all, friend. And if you think Chirascuro glass is delicate, you need to get your head checked."

>> She raps a knuckle on the glass wall as she says this for effect.

Kanta grins. "Piece of junk, eh? You really don't know, do you? Chirascuro glass just makes it more dangerous. The long version would confused you...but, think of it as a bow, and it turns sand into arrows of glass, no matter what form it's in, even if it's glass itself. That just means they're better arrows, too good. And dozens at once. A native who hasn't heard of that, eh? Ask some people who have seen it at work."

>> She starts laughing.

Kanta slams the stock of the weapon into the glass, hard. Nowhere near hard enough to crack, but enough to make quite a noise. "Laughing and refusing to lay aside your weapon...Crystal, there are only two paths. Lay aside your weapon and we can see if we can come to terms...or there will be nothing for us but a fight, and there is nothing you can do." He pauses for a moment, only enough to remove the sunshade hat, before looking up at her, bringing the Winchester back underneath his cloak, obscuring it from er sight. "Whatever you use, a scimitar, a staff, a chakram, a bow, it'll be useless. I live in the desert, and my opponents are Anathema. I survive them; do you think you will be able to kill me when one who can avoid the Terrestrial Princes cannot? If you wish to fight...I am to see that you come alive, not unharmed. Be careful what path you seek, woman!" His voice raises slowly as he goes through this speech, until at the end, and he fixes her with a hard stare at the end of this, giving off such an aura of fear that she can almost feel it.

>> She raises an eyebrow, reaching up to flick back her hat a bit. "You have no idea what you're dealing with, stranger." She begins to step forward towards Kanta, hands retreating into her cloak. She still has a sweet smile on her face, at least.

Taiko has a grim frown on hers, and three throwing knives in either hand.

Kanta shakes his head and puts the sunshade back on his head, adjusting it down until the headband covers a very certain part of his head. "Well, you just won't step down, will you? Well, welcome to your last shot. You'll even get to use your weapon for it. Try to hit me with it, if you can. If you can't...I'll give you a chance to set it down before I hit you. You'll have your warning. But if you attempt to run...you'll die."

Kanta has become even more fluid in his movements, and after adjusting his hat and leaning his Winchester against the wall, is actually moving -towards- her. >> She smirks as she shifts from a walk to a charge in one fluid motion, cloak billowing behind her as the hat goes flying off her head. "You've got balls, Kanta. For that, I'll let ya in on a little secret." As she draws close her hands suddenly clear her cloak, each one gripping a short blade of the same make as the jade daiklaive Kanta saw back in Paragon. Except these happen to be made of a golden metal!

Kanta laughs at seeing the golden blades, swaying for a moment before tucking his own hat in, giving her just a short glimpse of the top of a golden edge; too short for her to even tell what it was, before he moves. He starts to fall forward, before it turns into a dive; a dive rolling up as he turns it into a handspring, bouncing agains the ground, and then -up- the wall, twice, as the two pieces of glass he picked up grind against the wall for a brief second to give him the angel he needed to somersault backwards, moving as easily as though he's walking on the ground. "A pair of weapons, is it? Looks like my information was a bit off...this'll be the first real challenge I've seen in a while. But a word is a word! Let's see if you can manage to deal some real damage with those, Dervish!"

>> For all of his bluster, one of the blades does catch him, and leaves a nice shallow cut on his arm. She grins as she looks back at him. "Reconsidering?"

Taiko dives out of the overlook, intentionally smashing through several shattered glass panels as she does so. Half of an entire wall falls with her, a rainbow of razor-sharp glass that slices at her clothing as she leaps and frames her descent with one hundred spinning blades.

Taiko and her menagarie of glass as hard as steel, of sizes as tiny as a gnat and as great as an elk, crash down in a clatter that obscures the sound of Taiko cutting through the air, in a display that reflects her image in flight.

Taiko is not one girl, she is a dozen, a hundred, a thousand reflected images in every color Chiaroscuro has to offer. And from this maelstrom of bright and luminous death, the image of her hand shooting out can be seen just as many times. Three darts of steel prelude the crash of glass, seeking the heart of the woman who dares to strike out at the young girl's master.

Kanta chuckles. "I'll admit you surprised me. When the man sent me after you, he mentioned one weapon, not two...and he said nothing at all about that, either. I still don't want to kill you, so I won't use my weapon...but after three rounds of attacks, it'll be over for you. No mortal can touch me, but, you're not that soft. So it looks like I might bleed. Excellent."

>> She glances up, blinking a bit before spitting out a curse as she begins to move, dancing about to evade the hailstorm of blades from the kid. "Criiipes, kid!"

>> She evades the worst, but two knives find their marks, cutting gashes across her arms. The third slashes through her cloak and shirt, revealing a flash of gold underneath for just a moment.

Taiko whispers, and her relfections say, "... anathema!"

>> As if the golden daiklaives weren't hint enough?

Taiko lands with a crash of glass shards, which Kanta effortlessly evades, and Crystal effortlessly deflects. They coat the battleground with sharp, deadly remnants, and the greater pieces form three, four foot barriers as they stick upright in the ground... except one.

Kanta looks up at Taiko's attack, a bit surprised. "Taiko! It's alright. I didn't expect another wimpier Dragon Blood, not a Chosen of the Sun. Hold back, still." He then gives a short bow to her. "Apologies, I meant no dishonor there. As this isn't a fight to kill you...I'd prefer not to do that."

Taiko lands, and just behind her a massive ten foot shard lands as well, tumbling through the air. It slices into the earth, not two inches behind her feet, severing the last silken sash that holds her outfit together. With a nod, she leaps straight UP, and catches its razor edge between two toes.

Taiko stands there, on top of ten feet of glass, in a battle-ready stance with wooden staff at the ready. Her dress floats away in the wind to reveal body-tight shorts and tank top, as well as all four limbs strapped to capacity with throwing blades. "I may be mortal, Teacher, but I am prepared!"

>> Dervish glances back at Taiko, grinning. "You're just full of surprises, kid." She glances back at Kanta, tilting her head. "Who sent you?" She doesn't relax just yet, mind.

Kanta grins, shaking his head. "I'll tell you that when this one's over, Dervish. You'll be amused at who it is." He glances between both of her diaklaves, nodding, before knocking one over and taking one up in each hand, mimicing her stance as though he also had a pair of daiklaves. "Well, I'm waiting. Still your attack, is it not?"

>> She shrugs. "Well, I suppose I'll humor you for a bit more before splitting. I won't kill you though." She grins before leaping forward, springing from glass shard to glass shard towards Kanta as she begins to laugh. The cloak falls away from her form during one of the leaps, revealing another pair of sheathed blades at her side and her clothing. A simple white shirt, brown pants, and boots. "Once more!"

>> She kicks off the last shard, propelling herself through the air as she switches the daiklaives in her hands and lashes out twice more, this time with the hilts instead of the blades, though.

Taiko eyes her attacks, warily, and readies a dagger to be thrown. A dozen of its sisters wait in as many sheathes, the arsenal strapped to Taiko's body not nearly depleted.

Kanta chuckles as she leaps forward, shaking his head. "Only one more, then? Then I'll have to see about stepping it up a bit!" He holds up the glass as though ready to parry, his cloak and sunshade tilted toward her, visible on each of the walls...and the daiklaves crash though, revealing that somehow, Kanta has dropped it all and is standing a bit or the left, or to the right, or somehow both? The props blur has they switch hands and the blurring of his movement as every part of him seems to be seperating into different directions is baffling; the glass above and below only adds to it, making Taiko's diving attack seem a simple head-on attack. The blood trickling down his arm even seems to have joined into the movements, flowing along with the rest of Kanta.

>> This time he manages to evade!

Kanta frowns as the movements slow, shaking his head. "I'll teach you not to take it so easy on me. He slips inbetween the two strikes, and with the sunshade held above her hand, his own caste mark is clearly visible; the mark of the Zenith. "Well, what Caste are you, Dervish?"

Taiko watches in rapt attention, observing the techniques of her teacher and this new anathema... but she is not idle. She throws three blades, seemingly straight up into the air.

>> She just smirks. "Let's see if you find out, sweetie."

Kanta smiles. "It's over." The clothes flow back on tohim as easily as they seemed to come off, if they ever disappeared in the first place, and the sunshad flashes gold, as motes of golden sand flow about them all, surrounding them, as he stands in front of her, seemingly swirling about her. "Demon of the Desert, Sunabouzu. This fight...is over."

Kanta flows away from her, and standing still, there is now, in fact, -five- of him. Standing against the wall, all of them with the exact same cuts, now all holding a short jade knife, pointing down. They're surrounding her, although only one of them has a shadow; the one directly in front of her. However, unfortunately, the real one is at 5 o'clock, and behind the one with the shadow, is the entrance to a building. "Can you even tell what is real now? Your defeat is fated. The Demon of the Desert is many, unidentifiable, untouchable. There is no flaw."

>> She turns around almost effortlessly, her daiklaives a whirlwind of gold light. She winks and blows a kiss at the real one, giggling. "Hey there, sweetheart." Then she leaps forward again, lashing out three times with the hilts of her blade before she comes to a stop behind the real Kanta.

Kanta splits into twelve again, encircling her a second time and reobscuring her sight, as the reality shifts again about her, with one holding still which is obvious to her to be fake. The sunshades all float up towards her, as the real one gently floats into her face; the rest just start outright -laughing- at her as they split into dozens. "You saw through it once. But a misstep will be the end of you."

Kanta even, as he passes her, before he takes up a new position, still moving about his images, whispers to her. "This battle is over now. This is a defense that you can exhaust yourself trying to pierce; and when the other opponents arrive, I will be able to escape much more easily then you now. So, shall we lay aside arms now, sweetheart?"

Taiko breathes in, deeply, focusing her mind upon the task at hand. A child's imagination is a wonderful thing, so pure and unhindered by the 'realities' of what 'cannot be done', and when tempered with both bravery and reason, it is one of this world's most formidable foes. In her mind, she sees the throwing knives falling. She exhales calmly, intoning, "Your mistake is in failing to realize..."

Taiko jumps, suddenly, just as the knives fall to the earth one by one before her. They hit the ground tip-first, precariously balancing among the twisted glass rubble below. The razor-sharp earth does not frighten the young girl, though, as she leaps as gracefully as a swan. Her bare toes strike the hilt of her first dagger, burying it into the ground before it can fall or waver, not an inch from the colorful blades all around it.

Taiko continues, saying, "... that the real Teacher Kanta..." as she leaps again, striking the hilt of the second dagger the second after it too hits the ground. Like a skipping stone, she uses it to cross the sea of deadly blades and onto the third knife, as it strikes true down below her, not a foot from her enemy.

Taiko twists her entire body, swinging her weapon with as much torque as she can manage, all the way around from atop her finger-thin perch. The force of her strike causes a woosh in the air that is only interrupted by the crinkling of tiny glass shards that are sent flying by the raw pressure of the blow. Just as she completes what would be a masterful leg sweep, though, she suddenly swerves the strike straight upward, anticipating the inevitable parry of her Exalted opponent.

Taiko strikes the flat of the left daiklave with a resounding force, causing a crack in the air that can be heard for miles. The enchanted wood does not bend nor break against its orihalcum target, yet behind her the ten-foot tall pane she stood upon not seconds ago shatters. There is no great contrail of essence trailing her weapon, nor a brilliant display of anima surrounding her being.

Taiko is there, simply in the tones of her skin and clothing, her weapon leaving no after-image but that of the eye's own disbelief for an attack so quickly and masterfully struck. "... was also part of the illusion."

>> Things... begin to slow...

>> Somewhere, a paper is stamped.

>> A letter is sent.

>> An official finishes his work of the day.

>> This official happens to chill in Yu-Shan.

>> An Incarna peers at the game board.

>> And then the UCS sits back, nodding as he grins and taps a piece with his hand.

>> And Taiko is suddenly elevated from mere mortal status to that of the Chosen of the Sun.

EXALTED!

>> Yes, there is an

EXALTED!

>> sound effect.

Taiko sends the daiklave flying into the air, as her perception of the world shatters, reforms, and changes forever. She opens her mouth to speak, but no words come. The world is somewhere between blinding white and brilliant saffron, and all things are unimportant but her oldest friend and nemesis, the desert Sun.

Taiko bursts into flames as bright as the morning sunrise, and her right hand extends, the left still holding her staff. She catches the daiklave, without effort or hesitation, stopping the massive weight and inertia of its descent with nary a thought. Her anima explodes outward from her fingertips, a cascade of golden fire that shatter's Dervish's attunement like so much glass. Strong as steel though this glass may be, it crumbles before her.

Taiko holds the woman's own daiklave to her face, and utters in a voice as sweet and unassuming as the one she used not one minute before, "Stand. Down."

Kanta settles back from the illusion, removing the surrounding 'Kanta's from about her until she now has a clear path out, and the wall shimmers back into the open gate to the alleyway. "Well, very interesting...an outcome I think none of us could have predicted, Dervish. Do you agree?"

>> Dervish blinks once before nodding. "...yes. Yes indeed." She stands up, sheathing the first blade. "If you'll kindly return my other blade, we need to run. Like. Now."

Taiko blinks, the magic of the moment fading as she takes in the ten thousand reflections visible in the glass shards about her. Oh dear, they're glowing. "... huh. This... wasn't good timing, was it?"

>> Dervish nods. "Not at all. Blade, /now/." She grabs her cloak and hat, quickly trying to cover up the marks of gold revealed in her cut shirt.

Kanta tucks the sunshade back on, now Orichalcum, like all of his garb for the moment, before it flashes back, and he recovers the sparkling caste mark completely. "This will be most difficult, I fear. Perhaps I can aid you slightly, althought it won't last for long." The marks of gold, do, in fact, disappear. "You should cover them quickly, but you have the time to."

Taiko flicks it, with the negligent motion of her wrist, and the daiklave does one neat flip in the air before all but presenting itself into her hands.

Kanta nods at Taiko. "The stone?" >> Dervish catches it, grumbling as she sheathes it. "...the stone? Don't tell me old man Flint put you up to this."

Taiko then twirls her hand, revealing the hearthstone. She nods. "He's nice, but he has bad taste in books."

>> Dervish stares. "...Blo- he did."

>> Somewhere else, Flint sneezes.

Taiko leaps off of her perch... covering over sixty yards as she gasps from the sudden force of her jump. "Eeeee!"

Taiko lands, a few seconds later, very far from the other two. She turns around and waves, "I... think I might manage to get away! Come on!"

Kanta nods. "Correct. We'll bring it to him by ship, and you can take the sands. Now, let us go." He turns and chases after Taiko, hanging a bit behind her, and the illusiosn fade out.

>> Dervish just nods once, tapping a foot on a ground before she suddenly blurs, shooting past Kanta as she runs at speeds not meant for mortals.

>> And as the three run for their lives before those who'd want them dead catch on, we end.

>> Lytek hums, glancing over at Luna. "Sorry, Luna. Unconquered man bribed me first." She hmphs and turns around, walking out of the office as he grumbles. "I need better Exalts."

Taiko has a sister. Want her to hook you up?

>> Kejak meanwhile flicks a pen, finishing a new warrant for someone's elimination and sending it off.

>> A message appears on a woman's desk, before she leaves to report the latest findings.