Porcelain Child/SessionTwentyEight

Session Twenty-Eight

The inn. When the wise sleep.…
Magpie> There is a tentative rapping on Vana's door.
Magpie> After a moment, Magpie cracks open the door and slides into Vana's room. She's just gotten back from carting Anona home..
Magpie> "Vana," she whispers, eyes peering into the darkness that was the Dragonblooded's lair.
* Vana is in bed (as one does, when sleeping), but doesn't respond in the least.
* Magpie becomes impatient with the lack of reply. She stumbles next to the bed, and shouts next to her ear. "VANA!"
* Vana flinches at this, rolling over and glaring angrily.
Magpie> "Are you mad at me?" the girl asks immediately.
* Vana just rolls back over. "Go away, Magpie."
Magpie> "-Why-? What have I done?"
* Vana pulls the blankets up, to just above her ears, and continues to ignore her.
Magpie> "-Vana-....?" Magpie's voice is a bit tremulous.
Vana> "Good night." Any emotion in her voice is muffled by the blankets.
* Magpie glares at the lump in the bed. "Well, FINE!" She stomps off, slamming the door behind her. Then she goes to her own room, slams that door too, and sniffs into her pillow.
onine> The Magistrate looks up and sighs.
onine> "What has gotten into Vana...?" He murmurs to himself.
onine> Diamandus takes the lesser of two brick walls to start with and knocks quietly on the door to Magpie's room.
Magpie> Only the faint sound of sniveling answer him.
onine> He admits himself and pads with amazing quiet for a man of his size and sits on the end of Magpie's bed. "What's wrong child?"
Magpie> "Vana doesn't say anything to me anymore but "-Go away-" and "-Goodnight! I don't know what I did -wrong-." This last is a wail.
onine> "I'm sure you did nothing wrong. Sometimes... sometimes when bad things happen to grown ups we get sad, and we push away the people we love - and the more we love them the harder we push..."
* Magpie stops crying, and rubs her nose. She looks a bit hopeful for a moment, but doesn't quite believe it. Adults sometimes told lies, she knew, if they thought a lie would make you feel better. "But...she doesn't even -look- at me. It feels like she hates me."
onine> The Magistrate smiles. "Let me tell you a story about someone I know to help you to better understand. She was a kind and loving person - she loved everyone she was sworn to protect. But because of her responsibility, bad things would happen every day. In a way, she pushed everyone away - some thought she was mean, and cold. That could not have been further from the truth. Every time she had to do push to those she loved, it hurt her so much. And that is exactly how Vana feels right now even if she doesn't realize why yet."
Magpie> "Oh." Magpie chews on her lips for a moment. "What happened to the woman?"
onine> "She went away." Diamandus says quietly. "To think maybe... maybe she couldn't bear it anymore. No one really knows."
Magpie> "Will Vana go away?" Magpie's voice is a bit tremulous again.
onine> "I hope not. But if she has to, we must respect that."
* Magpie doesn't quite look convinced, but she does look less upset now than thoughtful. She pulls her knees up in front of her chest and wraps her arms around them.
onine> "Cheer up, we're all your friends - especially Vana. You are more kind and more loving than any of us, and you ask for nothing in return but a smile. In many ways, you are better than us Magpie."
* Magpie smiles up at him at that, and hugs him.
onine> Diamandus hugs her back gently for a man made of rock. "Now, you need to get some sleep Magpie, you get to ride a horse tomorrow."
* Magpie makes a face. Horses. Evidence that animals got stupid when they got big. She slips under the covers, and is already drifting off to sleep when she asks Diamandus one last question. "Is Vana going to be okay?"
onine> "Yes." Diamandus says from the door, hoping he was right... Out in the main room he quietly thanks the Empress for being an effective parallel to the situation. He often found that she was.
onine> The large man turns to Vana's door and takes a deep breath, walking inside. Knocking was futile.
* Vana is exactly where she was. I am sure you are shocked by this.
onine> "Vana." The Magistrate says from the end of the bed. "You will tell me why you are acting like this. You will tell me what happened in the north. You WILL tell me or you will be left behind when we leave tomorrow. They are your friends and if you want to stay with them, you will tell at least me, what is making you act this way."
onine> The Magistrate doesn't expect anything more than a mild stir in response... if that.
* Vana doesn't look at him. "Then tomorrow we part ways. It was good serving you, sir."
onine> "..."
onine> "Very well." You hear his footsteps as he leaves the room, and the quiet closing of the door.

The next day. A chill dawn.
<onine> In the depths of the cold early morning, Yengo and the Magistrate fish Anona out of the basement study of the Tepet Estate - which has survived rather well. There is some scorching in the study above, but the massive flaming elemental orgy seems to have been largely contained. You remain on guard, but if Tany is watching, he does not make himself known. You also fetch a wagon - a rickshaw style carriage to cart all of the looted books and such to the inn. Anona remains... staunchly unconscious until late the next morning, and thus with Vana's odd behavior and Anona... well, slightly below top form, decides to postpone leaving for Tuchara another day.
* Yengo stands at the window of their large common room, watching the street. "I'm still not sure waiting here is such a good idea... people can find us too easily."
<onine> "I know, but it is unfortunately necessary. Epheri and Anona bought us precious information with their blood, we must at least allow them time to recover."
<onine> The Magistrate has been annotating his records for most of the morning and only now begins to finally pack them away.
* Yengo nods. "I just don't want anyone spilling more of it. Or mine, for that matter."
<onine> "I think we should be safe here. A shadow war looks unwholesome in the view of others. I doubt they will move. Yet."
* Epheri walks into the common room of the inn, still moving cautiously, but looking better than last night. "Good morning, Diamandus, Yengo."
<onine> "Good morning." The Magistrate greets you. "Is Anona still 'out'?"
<Yengo> "Good to see you up and about, Epheri." He listens to Diamandus' question. Pulling the insensate Dragon-Blooded out of a smoldering inferno had been strange, and not a little disturbing.
<Epheri> "She was washing when I left her." Epheri settles herself gently down to eat some breakfast. lunch. food anyway.
<onine> "Have you informed her?" Diamandus asks regarding the 'smokescreen' documents
<Epheri> "Not yet. She wasn't exactly all there, still." she takes a few bites of food.
<onine> "That happens..."
* Epheri nods "What was it like, when you found her there?"
<Anona> Some faint thumping noises can be heard from the direction of the rooms. More zombies? No, just a lurching, not-actually-hung-over-but-just-as-well Anona.
* Yengo looks back over his shoulder, saying nothing. Spending so much time around these Dragonblooded, he'd almost forgotten how different they really could be. "The... the house is still standing, at least. The room she was in was a lost cause."
<Epheri> "That was her idea, I think." A little more food "Did she have any papers on her, that survived the flames.."
<Yengo> "Yeah, we've brought them back here. I've got no idea what she turned up."
<Epheri> "Neither do I. She seemed excited about though ... it could have just been the flames though."
* Yengo had flipped through a few of the books, but he had enough trouble reading Riverspeak, let alone Old Realm. < br><onine> "I suppose we will just have to wait for her to make her grand entrance this morning then, wont we?"
<Anona> One cue, Anona staggers into the room - while her appearance isn't any more slovenly than usual, her manner certainly is - for one, she's /quiet/.
<onine> Everyone stares.
<Yengo> "Er.... Anona?"
<onine> Tara drops a spoon which clatters loudly in the quiet.
<onine> "Sorry..." she mumbles.
* Anona plops down into a handy chair, head face-down in her arms on the table. "Mrph."
* Yengo picks up the spoon and puts it back in the still-staring Tara's hand. "...good... morning."
<Anona> "..."
<Anona> "... is it?"
<Yengo> "Well, we're all still in one piece."
* Epheri stands quietly, and makes her slow way over to get some breakfast for Anona. Maybe she'll be better after some food. "Just about."
<Anona> "I mean, /is/ it morning? I feel like I've slept for ages."
<Yengo> "Later than the morning. Epheri filled you in on what you missed?" < br>* Epheri sets the food on the table in front of Anona. before settling back to her own food. < br><Anona> "... no. I vaguely recall her trying to tell me something. I said something rude."
<Yengo> "Well..." Yengo wasn't sure about how much she knew. And how she'd take the news that Tany had killed that woman...
<Anona> Epheri and Yengo explain the happenings of the previous night to Anona. < br>* Anona appears to show no reaction to the news of Leafe's death and Epheri's near-one at Tany's hands, at first.
<Anona> "Tany did all that?"
<Yengo> "I could barely believe it myself."
* Epheri nods, then winces. "All for these, apparently." she draws the 'smokescreens' out.
<Anona> "Those? Yes... that's one reason I sent you down there... the other is... Vana around, or did she pull another disappearing act?"
<onine> "Asleep. Still." The Magistrate says.
<Anona> "Hm. Found some interesting stuff down there in that hidden room, you see. I think it's what the Ledaal might have been looking for."
<onine> "Oh?"
* Epheri looks up. So it wasn’t just the fire..
<Anona> "Lots of books about swords, and legends about swords, and all that. And drawings and diagrams. One was of Vana's daiklaive. The other... you remember that sword-hilt, Epheri? The one the Anathema stole? There's a diagram of THAT sword, too."
<Epheri> "Oh." is something of a mixture of a surprised and pained gasp. < br><onine> "Let's have a look." Diamandus commands you < br><Anona> Getting to reveal such interesting information restores a little vitality to Anona. "But wait, there's more!" She digs around for the diagrams - the edges slightly singed, but otherwise protected.
<Anona> Offering the one of the sword in question - "and according to this, that hilt belonged to Dragonwrath."
<onine> Diamandus looks at the page closely. "Grand Daiklave... and...?" He narrows his eye. "There is more writing on this page. Very faded."
<Anona> "Yes, it's hard to make out... there were other things too. Some blank credit notes in Tepet Krennell's name. I took one, and I assume Epheri got the rest. And those 'smokescreens'."
<Yengo> "So who could want these things so badly. Krennell might obviously want those blank checks, but-" He trails off.
<Yengo> "Uh, not to accuse your father of course, Epheri. Uh."
<Anona> "The house was legally Krennell's, so that explains it on that score. It's the fact that the Ledaal were after it, and ALSO were involved in the original auction of that hilt..."
<Epheri> "Accuse him of what exactly? Not wanting anyone who can write to be able to draw on his finances..?"
<onine> "The hilt which Krennell's money bought..."
* Yengo just shrugs. "I dunno. I never dealt much with intrigues."
* Yengo walks over to the window. "And your family has plenty of them. I ran into that charming Overseer down by the docks the other day."
<Anona> "Ah. So the zombies didn't eat him? Pity."
<Yengo> "Apparently not. He was looking for new slaves, though."
<Anona> "I am filled with a complete lack of wonder."
<onine> "I wonder what happened to his 'old slaves...'" Diamandus murmurs as he walks over to Anona and lays the page with Dragonwrath on it in front of her. "Can you make this out?"
<onine> He points to a section of writing, very faded that you couldn’t see by anima-light the previous evening.
* Epheri peers over too.
<onine> The writing looks like old realm - but is not old realm.
<onine> It seems to use similar letters, but it doesn't make sense.
<Anona> "The ideographs are similar to the ones Old Realm uses - see how complex they are? but it's gibberish. It might be a cipher. Or another, unknown language."
* Yengo looks out the window again, half expecting to see a Tany behind every bush.
<onine> "You said you also had a diagram of Vana's sword as well?" The Magistrate asks suddenly remembering.
<Anona> "Yes. Right here." Anona hands it over.
<onine> "That's Reprisal for certain... similar writing. Are there any others with the same writing as on these two?"
<Anona> "those were the only two I picked out... there might be others in the papers Epheri took, but I didn't have the time to go through them all."
<onine> "We can investigate that later. In the mean time, prepare your equipment, we'll leave for Tuchara in one hour. No sense in sitting around here."
* Yengo had already packed in his state of Exalted-paranoia. "Guess I should wake Vana, then."
<onine> The Magistrate holds up his hand for Yengo to stop.
<onine> The man merely shakes his head sadly in response to Yengo's curious glance.
<Yengo> "Sir...?"
<onine> "Vana will rejoin us later." He hoped.
<Anona> "...but... shouldn't she know about that drawing?"
<onine> "I will leave a note for her, but the paper will stay with us."
* Yengo nods quietly. He didn't want to leave her, but if that was what she wanted, then...
<onine> "Get ready." The Magistrate orders, trying to break the somber mood that was wafting around the room. < br>* Anona 's brief burst of vitality fades, and she grouchily goes to put away her own things.
* Epheri nods, and starts to make her slow way upstairs to pack.
* Magpie wanders in from outdoors, and perches on a stool next to Tara. She's incredibly grubby, and strangely enough, Crow is similarly filth-encrusted. She also looks very satisfied with herself. < br><onine> "You certainly are on good terms with the spirits of mud, aren't you?" Tara says, wrinkling her nose at the filthy girl. < br><Magpie> "Yes," Magpie replies tranquilly. "Mud is good for hiding."
<Magpie> Crows flutters his wings, probably not in agreement.
* Yengo brings his and Tara's bags down, sorting through them one last time fussily. "Oh, so that's where Magpie was. Should've guessed."
<Magpie> She digs around in her pocket, and eventually dislodges several sickly-sweet, gooey gobs of candy of the kind sold from market streetstalls. "Want one?" she offers generously, looking around.
* Yengo holds out a hand. "No thanks... I uh, already ate."
* Magpie ignores the words, and takes the gesture as truth. His hand is the happy recipient of a sticky mess.
<Magpie> "Tara?"
<onine> "Ah, perhaps another time... perhaps. But thank you." she responds.

Outside the inn…
<onine> Eventually you all have your equipment ready and are waiting outside the inn as Diamandus and Yengo bring the horses up the road. All of you except Vana...
* Magpie is eyeing the horses with notable disfavor. "Where's Vana?" she asks suddenly.
<onine> There is also a nice mule.
* Magpie looks at Yengo. "Where's Vana?" she asks again, since no one was answering.
<Anona> "She'll... catch up later."
<Yengo> "Yeah." He pats her on the head. "Something to take care of back here, I guess."
<Magpie> "Oh." Magpie frowns, and stirs uneasily. "What does she need to do here?"
<Magpie> Maybe Vana was still mad at her..
* Yengo shrugs. "Beats me. I'm sure it's no big deal."
* Vana naturally picks this moment to wander out of the inn's front door, looking tired and pale. She adjusts the straps on her pack, taking no notice of the group, and starts off in the opposite direction.
<Magpie> "Vana!" Magpie calls after her. "Vana, when are you catching up?" She trots after the Fire Aspect a few steps.
* Vana doesn't so much as start to turn back, just trudging away.
* Magpie speeds up, grabs Vana's sleeve. "Vana, when are you coming back?" The girl looks a little bit anxious now. Something wasn't right.
* Anona idly ponders if even the Sprouting Shackles of Doom could keep Vana in one place...
* Vana stops, turns, looks down at the girl, rather precisely removes her hand from her sleeve, and starts walking again.
* Yengo watches the exchange silently, shaking his head.
<onine> Diamandus walks quietly up behind Magpie and puts his hands reassuringly on the child's shoulders.
<onine> "Let her go."
<Magpie> "Vana...what..." Magpie's voice trails of forlornly, and she stops, staring after the Dragonblooded walking down the dusty street...away from her. Her face is blank and horrified. She turns, and buries her face in the Magistrate's side. She doesn't cry; she just stands there, shaking.