SJE/Session64
Session 64
17th Resplendent Air
The approaching army turned to be none other than the returning Saint Alana, together with the army of the common people that she had recruited from all over Solaria, now inspired by faith into a force the equal of the best the Realm had to offer. This glorious news meant that it was now time for the good people of Solaria Minor to celebrate the Second (Third?) Coming of Saint Alana! The Captain was quietly drinking (where "quietly" means not actually causing a riot) when suddenly Cathaks Bannion and Boone burst in and asked for his help in organising a welcome party for their returning cousin. Outside the city, Alana suddenly felt a cold shiver run down her spine.
When Saint Alana finally rode through the gates of Solaria Minor, the entire city erupted into a spontaneous celebration of faith and hope, aside from one small square where Bella, Bannion, and Boone were having *their* party. Despite all their efforts, both Alana and Brand found themselves forced to dance with one of the Cathaks, who in the heat of the moment added to the heat by letting their fiery animas blaze freely. Somehow, both Solars managed to avoid immolation. Quiet Shadow kept well clear, the sight of flames bringing back too many unpleasant memories (mostly of people setting her on fire). Then, for reasons best known to herself, she tried to encourage Cathak Anaria to join the celebrations; to her eternal surprise (and Anaria's embarrassment), she succeeded.
Meanwhile, Aeron revealed to Boone and Bannion that he had discovered the Captain's secret stash of booze (in the Temple of the Unconquered Sun, as it happens - one would have thought a good place to hide anything from Boone and Bannion). As said alcoholic beverage had been blessed by Burning Feather (Goddess of Intoxicants, married to Captain, subject of much gossip in the Yu-Shan Times), it was indeed the "Good Stuff".
While various Dragonbloods were making their own illicit entertainment, Unrivalled Grace was amusing the local children by using her long sleeves to throw them high up in the air and then catch them, acting somewhat like a human trampoline. After many children had been temporarily brought closer to the Unconquered Sun (by as much as 200', in one case), Quiet Shadow entertained their parents with a quick magic show (of the sleight of hands kind). She finished by selecting one of the watching Dragonblood officers to be sawn in half; to the delight of many (and possibly the disappointment of rather more), no Dragonbloods were harmed by her performance.
Various of the exalts in the city were undergoing that trial of faith called "dancing with a burning Cathak" when there came from the north the sound of drums. An Imperial Legion (10 000 strong) approached, still a day's march away, yet already audible in Solaria Minor because of its sheer size. Seeking out Ledaal Takei, Burning Brand discovered said officer in magical communication with the leader of the legion. Brand inquired as to the legion's purpose, and was told that the Dragonbloods wished to deal with the common threat of the Shadow Over Solaria Magna before dealing with any other concerns.
Meanwhile, perhaps inspired by the divinely-blessed intoxicants that they had both been imbibing, Cathaks Aeron and Boone decided to test their respective mettles with a brief friendly bout of unarmed combat. Seeing this, Burning Brand was visited by slight concerns of more hostile altercations breaking out between the various exalts now dwelling in and around Solaria Minor. To assuage this fear, he requested of Nascent Amethyst Eye if he would be willing to witness a Heaven-sanctioned oath between the Dragonbloods and the Solars.
That night there was a most terrible omen: to the south, the sky was filled with mospids, fleeing some unknown horror, and strange flows of necrotic essence of an unimaginable scale could be seen by those with eyes to see such things.
The next day dawned fine and clear, with no hint of approaching horror. The Solars rode out to welcome the incoming legion, and were introduced to its general, a certain Cynis Dmitri, along with his five aides: Ledaals Akai, Kiiroi, Midori, Aoi, and Shiroi. Quiet Shadow's heart was filled with affection on learning that General Dmitri did not share the strange fear of mimes common to most from Gem, and had indeed often had mimes to perform at House Cynis parties. So moved was she that she clasped the general in an affectionate hug, a gesture that moved the hearts of his men (and moved a few to begin taking bets). Friendly relations thus established between Dragonblood and Anathema, an oath was taken by each exalt present: "Do you swear to not wage war upon each other until the shadowland in Solaria Magna is destroyed and our common enemy defeated?" to which everyone vowed yes. The sacred bond thus established, the legion continued on to Solaria Minor, where it camped outside the current walls and began the construction of new ones.
That night, the omen came to pass. There was several and diverse booming sounds heard in the sky, and a strange cylindrical black shadow was seen to be hovering above Solaria Magna. Unnerved by the mighty and valiant forces now being assembled against her, the Princess Magnificent had appealed for aid from her master. And so the most skilled swordsman in all Creation, the mightiest general, the most awesome necromancer, the most feared of all Deathlords, and the greatest self-publicist of the Second Age, the First and Forsaken Lion, had sent to her his flagship: the fearsome skyship named the Sky-Eater.
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