LibriumArcana.Games

The great city of Lookshy, built on the ruins of the First Age metropolis of Deheleshen, was teeming with activity in the beginning of the afternoon. Ever ready to muster troops, the anthill that was the Scavenger Land's first military power was home to the largest concentration of Dragon-Blooded in Creation, barring, of course, the Scarlet Empire.

Orduin Karal, one of the Descending Suns, and former gunzosha commando of the Seventh Legion, was making his way through the District of Trade, towards his destination, the District of Craftsmen, where one of the rare freelance sorcerer-engineers in Lookshy could be consulted for advice on First Age power armor technology. Just another way to spend the day before the briefing at the Operations' Directorate that was due in four hours.

Meanwhile, the Chosen of Luna named Tahalshia Teamhair, accompanying a Guild merchant prince as a courtesan and entertainer, was stretching her limbs outside the caravan that had carried them all the way from Nexus. Her patron was busy filling in various bureaucratic papers, notably the request form for a transit pass beyond the Fourth Ring, which as metics none of the caravan well allowed to leave. He had promised to show her the inner city, while they would be on their way to the Stores' Directorate.

Then, her gaze laid upon an unremarkable man walking in the crowd. Suddenly, her mind was filled with a pang of irresistible longing that went out almost as soon as it had started, and afterimages of great sorrows and great joys clouded her vision for a moment. The man seemed not to have noticed her, and was heading east, towards the District of Blades. He greeted an acquaintance, another man who triggered a similar, but much fainter feeling, minus the hungry longing that clawed at her soul.

In the meantime, the Ascending Sun, Yevala Sharas, after his interview with Seventh Legion officials following his rather extraordinary dispatch of an entire crew of river pirates that had boarded the transport ship he was on, had just been granted a transit pass, and had been told to prepare for a meeting at the Operations' Directorate in quality of mercenary operative. He had four hours to kill, and he had just started to discover the Fourth Ring, nevermind the inner city.

Finally, Kolth Inzeti, of the Hidden Suns, after an interesting assignment (that is, one which involved blasting his way through a barbarian raid party) among the Marukani horsemen, was enjoying a brief rest into the city before a meeting that was scheduled to happen in four hours.

Both Kolth and Orduin recognized each other as they walked in the District of Trade, having worked together in the past in the interest of Lookshy and the Scavenger Lands. Both knew precisely who and what they were. They greeted each other.

Lookshy.

He had always heard whispers and rumors about the city and its fabled inhabitants. Ever since he was a child Lookshy was spoken in tones of both awe and fear. Arguably the mightiest individual city in Creation, possessing with it a might based on what had come before. A city overrun with dragon blooded. Since his exaltation and his understanding of what it meant, he had learned to distrust and fear the dragon blooded. It was one of his goals to topple the Realm and the dragon blooded with it and yet here he was, surrounded by a staggering number of Dragon blooded.

He was still uncertain as to if they were his enemies or something else entirely. That was the question that he had come so far to answer. Where did the people of Lookshy and its dragon blooded fall? Were they friends or foes? Time would tell. Until then, he had every intention of milking his time here for all it was worth. Lookshy was an impressive place and if nothing else he could use it and its people to gain a stronger foothold in the province. This was currently the hotbed of activity against the Realm and he wanted to be involved in that. The thought of using the might of the city against the Shogunate was a tempting one and yet one truth could not be forgotten.

This city was built on the glories of the past, and he knew deep in the depths of his soul that it had been the might of the Unconquered Sun that had made the city that Lookshy now squatted upon possible. Still, he could wait. He would bide his time and then when he had all the facts, he would make his judgment. His head moved and he glanced upwards, one of Lookshy's manta class transports attracting his interest.

So beautiful.

The memories did not come but he felt them stir within him. His eyes tracked the transport as it glided gracefully through the air away from the city itself towards parts unknown. He shook his head and pressed onwards. He moved with absolute confidence, lacking the grace beneath each step possessed by dancers, acrobats and those that had mastered their own bodies. Such grace eluded him, perhaps it always had. Instead of that grace however, he possessed a unity of purpose that was matched by few. He was dressed modestly, he lacked the means for anything extravagant but raw wealth was something that he could obtain with little enough effort. His present attire suited his needs, although he had taken efforts to wrap a weathered skin around the sheathe of his blade. The engraved orichalcum sheath simply drew far too much attention for his taste.

He reached an intersection and paused momentarily. He had a little under four hours of time before his meeting. How could he best make productive use of that time? A slow meal with some tea perhaps? If nothing else, it would give him a chance of think and observe more of the denizens of the city.

The trip had been long and boring, one that Teamhair felt she could have made herself in half the time even without using Luna's Gifts. Yet it was all going to be worth it, for she was at last inside the centerpiece of the Scavenger Lands, the lst remnant of the Shogunate, the city of Lookshy.

And she was going to find its secrets and bring it to its knees.

But that would take time. For now, she would have to be subtle, learning what she could of it before she truly started her plan. Her Thousand Stream River would only be a trickle now. For now, she tried to stretch the travel pains out of her body -- caravan wagons were not the most comfortable rides no matter how nice the roads.

She knew her stretching was getting a few appreciative glances from the passersby, and with consummate grace she would meet a glance shyly from time to time. It was a practiced game, to make a man think she had seen him and responded. One of many tools she had learnt from childhood. But her eyes roamed the bustling crowd and the traveling ships overhead with equal interest, measuring them all into her.....

HIM!

The moment she saw him she was overcome. She stared in shock as memories flowed over her, mere flashes of emotion than clear pictures, as her body yearned to be close to him, to feel his hand once more running over her moonsilver tattoos as they glowed in the dim candlelight....

She forced herself to turn away, her heart beating far too loud and fast, her breath feeling ragged, as if she'd just ran six leagues. Was that? No, it couldn't be, could it? Slowly, she turned back, looking again.

Him ... and that one, too

Two of them. Could they both be Solars, here in Lookshy itself? Her feet were already moving, taking her out into the crowd towards them as they spoke to each other. Both drew her, but the first ... him. She had to know his name, had to be with him had to protect......

She stopped in the middle of the crowd, shivering slightly. Was this the Solar Bond? Was this the Solar to whom Luna had tied her life, her very fate? Why Now?! Why Here?

Then it was too late to complain, for her feet had again started moving, leading her to the side of the men where they spoke casually. Her golden eyes looked from the lesser to the greater, one last time before she took that last step that would put her within their sphere of conversation.

*Snap!*
The sharp click of a fan opening interrupted the conversation, as Teamhair coyly brought the spread of the painted fan up to her face. The outer slats were carved spicewood, giving off a faint but pleasing scent, while the painted design was a lovely scene of a tree-shaded stream. She spoke, not to the one that held her life and fate, but to the lesser.

"Greetings, sirs. Might I ask of you a boon?"

It's hard to miss a Gunzosha Commando, even out of armor. The intricate signs of magitech implanted into the very body are a constant reminder that this one sacrificed his life to become a warrior unparalleled among the mortal hosts of Lookshy, donning the most powerful armor short of the legendary Warstriders.

Orduin's consultation of area around him was relaxed; there was an hour before briefing, he had only minor errands, and his relaxed deployment since his.. Auspicious fate.. took hold meant he was finally getting some downtime in amongst the near-constant deployment schedule of the elite of Lookshy.

Then there is the snap of a fan, and the Twilight turns slightly to notice who it is. There was an unmistakable, instant recignition that went below memory, down into the very depths of the soul. But he couldn't quite place it, and recovered from staring smoothly enough. When he wasn't addressed, he allowed the comment to pass simply enough to the other with him.

A taller, somewhat rough-looking man walked unhurriedly through the District of Trade, looking for any item or any information which might be interesting. "Rough-looking" in this case meant he hadn't shaved today, and his hair was more on the unruly and uncombed side - unlike most, he lacked any tattoos or scars. Though most in his trade went by a rough or dangerous-sounding nickname, he simply went by his first name: Kolth.

He wore a used, but well-taken care of long dark green coat, with brown pants and a darker brown shirt - anyone used to the outdoors would recognize them as simple outdoor camoflauge. His attention wandered seemingly casually all around the bustling marketplace, his somewhat sleepy-looking eyes missing no detail.

The man himself walked smoothly, with no unnecessary motion in each step as he looked around the busy market section of Lookshy. While doing so, he passed by Orduin Karal, a former gunzosha commando and present procurer of "antiquities and other curiosities."

Kolth smiled and nodded to the man as they passed, having worked with the other man enough to know him to be a reasonably good man. Having a "sunny" disposition didn't hurt either, which reminded him with a smirk of how he originally discovered him to be a Solar as well. Both were still somewhat guarded around one another - it was a bit dangerous still to be considered a hateful demon-possessed monster, after all - but both men had conducted themselves honorably. It was as if both realized that allies in the coming years might be valuable.

Seeing Orduin stopping, and somewhat mesmerized by an attractive-looking woman made Kolth chuckle to himself as he walked further into the marketplace. This day promised to be interesting, indeed.

As he stepped away from Orduin, Kolth gave a second look to the gorgeous woman. For a few seconds, he had a furious, nagging feeling of knowing her, but despite his best efforts could not manage to conjure the relevant memories. Given the woman's sophisticated looks, he doubted he had "known" her during a night of drunken revelrie... What was it, then?

Ultimately, he settled on one of the many establishments designed to cater to those that chose to visit the wondrous city arrayed around him. He approached the establishment and slipped within, within minutes he was sitting on a balcony overlooking the street below as he waited for his meal to be prepared.

His blue eyes moved over the people that he could see walking through the street from his current vantage point. He had to admit that so far, he had not seen anything unusual occur. The people within the city seemed to carry themselves with pride and purpose. It was perhaps not an act, but he knew it was far too soon for him to expect to see the wrinkles within Lookshy. He was after all within an area of the city designed to make a good first impression.

His tea arrived first and he nodded his head to the young lady that delivered it. "Thank you." He said in the river tongue. He had not yet managed to fully hide his western accent but the words were distinguishable for what they were. He watched the woman walk away and move on to serve others and allowed himself a brief smile.

He had not come here to admire that particular kind of view. The hot tea was brought to his lips as he took a sip before the cup was placed down. In a few hours, he would be engaged in negotiations with representatives of the city. He hoped they were fruitful. The truth was of course that he did not need Lookshy, but establishing a foothold in the city would accelerate his long term plans by years if not decades. Something had to be said about working from the top.

Lookshy had access to resources that were difficult to find anywhere else outside the Realm and even in the realm itself, there were things that Lookshy alone possessed. He would not allow his desire to take advantage of these resources to cloud his judgment however. He was a mercenary and he would remain so until he knew without question where Lookshy, the real Lookshy stood. Once he knew that, he could decide what path he would take. Would he walk alongside this city for a time or would he turn against it altogether?

His left hand reached out, the cup brought to his lips as he took another slow sip of tea.

Yevala jerked so hard he almost burnt his tongue out, to the amusement of the other patrons. As his gaze was sweeping around the cityscape, it was locked on a trio walking along the main avenue - a gorgeous woman with fans, a rough-looking, unshaved man, and another who bore strange markings, unlike anything he had seen... The woman seemed vaguely familiar, but the others...

A small woman, frail-looking, an empty circle adorning her golden breastplate - "I have been into the heart of the waypoint - the Fae will easily be overwhelmed by a dozen of the new reality-stabilizing ships..."
A gigantic man, stepping into an even more gigantic golden armor - easily twenty feet tall, a half-filled circle on the "helmet"'s brow - "The last behemoth was barely a third of a league long - I hope this one is more challenging..."

Abruptly, the vision was gone.

Kolth paused in mid-stride, upon hearing the woman's voice. Turning around, he glanced at Orduin with a raised eyebrow that almost seemed to say "Friend of yours?" before turning to the woman with a smile.

"Hello, madam. What 'boon' might this be?"

The woman was lovely, and obviously not native to Lookshy. Perched on her head was a round, brimless, black fabric cap, heavily embroidered with bright colors and what looked like tiny circular mirrors. Long strands of glass beads hung from the sides of the cap, layering over her long reddish hair, which was elegantly styled to frame her heart-shaped face. Large golden eyes watched him coyly, although shy glances were occassionally sent to Orduin. If he caught one, a slight flush appeared on her high cheekbones.

Her garments were well-made, a damask bodice patterned like autumn leaves hugged her arms and buttoned down her torso, before curving out over her hips and falling open gracefully to her knees. Underneath, where it showed below the three-quarter sleeves, was a gauzy shirt of soft golden linen, which seemed to tuck into blousey pants of a heavier weight and darker brown. Sheer scarves with beaded and belled edges were fastened about her waist, trailing the edges over her hips to further emphasize the curves. Her fan, spicewood and crisp paper painted with autumn trees leaning over a stream, was held at her cleavage, hiding just how low cut the bodice could be.

"Please, good sirs... I was traveling with my caravan, yet when we entered the gates, I wished to walk after the long trip," she said, spinning her excuse for speaking to them well, her golden eyes wide and trusting. "There was a press of the crowd, and now I cannot find the caravan wagon again." The streets were wide enough for that to happen to the unwary, and she knew the merchant's caravan was far enough back from where she stood now for it to have been 'overlooked' by a anxious searcher. "My patron will be most annoyed if I am not there to perform tonight," she finished with a delicate pout, her golden eyes entreating for aid.

LadyTevar wrote:"Please, good sirs... I was traveling with my caravan, yet when we entered the gates, I wished to walk after the long trip," she said, spinning her excuse for speaking to them well, her golden eyes wide and trusting. "There was a press of the crowd, and now I cannot find the caravan wagon again." The streets were wide enough for that to happen to the unwary, and she knew the merchant's caravan was far enough back from where she stood now for it to have been 'overlooked' by a anxious searcher. "My patron will be most annoyed if I am not there to perform tonight," she finished with a delicate pout, her golden eyes entreating for aid.

The look on Kolth's face was tolerantly curious while listening to the woman spin...er, "tell" her tale. When he was done, he nonchalantly made his point, which was to tell her that her story would be plausible in most towns - except that this was Lookshy. "That's a woeful tale, to be sure - and perhaps a more woeful one if you'd told it to the wrong person in this town, good lady. There are those in this town that would attempt to take advantage of such a situation."

That last one he knew intimately - he'd been responsible for more than one mysterious assault on those who tried to prey on the innocent, and they took advantage of travelers in just such a way. Not all of the "mysterious assaults" were in the middle of the night, either.

However, he shrugged with a small smile as he looked at her less critically. "That said though, I happen to be the best scout or courier Lookshy has for hire - I just don't work for free. Orduin here might be willing to walk with you," he said with a brief pause as he gave a sly smile at the man, "but he has been known to get himself lost on occasion. If he agrees to take you, I'll tag along just to make sure he doesn't lose his way."

"I don't get lost." Orduin said firmly. "I merely enjoy my more relaxed schedule. Where was your caravan heading, miss? I've got a while before my briefing, and I'm certain I can make it back in time." The Solar flashed a smile, even as he remained confused about why this woman seemed so familiar.. And shy.

"Psh. You just tag along so you can try and slip into places civilians aren't allowed. Let's not be foolish." He teased his friend, shaking his head.

SirNitram wrote:"I don't get lost." Orduin said firmly. "I merely enjoy my more relaxed schedule."

Kolth just rolled his eyes and shook his head as he smirked. He was able to feel...something going on between these two, so he'd keep it more polite for the time being, as tempting as it might be.

SirNitram wrote:"Psh. You just tag along so you can try and slip into places civilians aren't allowed. Let's not be foolish." He teased his friend, shaking his head.

This caused Kolth's smirk to graduate to a grin. "I swear, you catch me once and you never, ever let me forget it..."

A memory was triggered of a large man wearing a suit of large armor making that same protest, and Teamhair spoke along with them memory unthinkingly. "He doesn't get lost, he Goes Adventuring!"
Then she blinked, realizing that she had said that aloud, at looked up to Orduin in embarrassment, her fan raising to cover all but her golden eyes. "I'm... I'm sorry... I .... I heard that... Somewhere...."

He had not expected that.

The vividness of the memory took him completely by surprise. He muttered to himself in his native tongue, and made an effort to not spill any of the tea. The reaction of those around him was noted but he chose to ignore it more so than lash out against the perceived slight. It was only when the memory was gone that he allowed himself to consider what he had seen. He had never before beheld those particular images before, his eyes focusing on the trio as they walked along the main avenue. Had it been them? Were they the triggers or was his attention simply on them out of coincidence?

There are no coincidences.

His eyes narrowed for a moment before he brought the hot tea to his lips and drank deeply. He began to stand when his food arrived and the smell of it stopped him cold. He sat back down promptly and began to eat a bit more quickly than he intended and politeness required. Within a minute he had finished, the last of the tea drained in a large gulp before he stood and promptly made his way out of the establishment. He was greeted with the usual sights and sounds, his eyes darting about as he sought to once again make contact with the trio.

He could not see them but he remembered their general direction and they had not seemed to be in a hurry. He took a step and then another and began to move in their general direction. He was not a trained spy or assassin, but he at least tried to not make his intent obvious. He had nothing to go on but a hunch after all…

"Well no, you were down in supplies..." A pause as Orduin turned to look at the woman with the fan, as she repeated a phrase out of memory. "...Curious. Very curious. Now, I believe you needed an escort somewhere?" Something was up. Might as well keep an eye on her.

Though he gave no outward sign, Kolth had seen the large man walking directly in their direction. This lady's behavior, and Orduin's reaction to it were both interesting mysteries, and perhaps both were tied to why the man was walking directly through the crowd toward them.

"Well, I'd be willing to accompany you two for a bit, as I've a bit of time before a meeting later," he said, before pausing to look directly at Orduin deliberately, quickly glancing at the man walking through the crowd toward them, and then looking back at Orduin, "However, I do think we should either be on our way now, or have something potentially interesting happen."

Yes, it was time to move, she'd said far too much, yet still did not even know their names. "My caravan came from Nexus," she said, trying to make her exit as graceful as possible. "I think my patron mentioned passes... to the 4th circle?" Just a little air-head here, don't think of me otherwise. "And he was going to show me the inner city after...."

She too noted the large man trying to not be noticed as he came towards them. Again ... there was something about him that seemed familiar, although she had never seen him before. Fate is laughing at me. I come to find the secrets of Lookshy, and these shards of the past find me! Yet, when she again found her eyes turning to the man with the amulets of a Gunzosha soldier, she could not deny that she felt ... complete ... at his side.

The bond of Lunar to Solar... dammit Elder Scream and Leap, why did you not warn me it would feel this way!

He moved with the assembled crowd as best as he could manage. His dress was unassuming and blended in with the clothing of others in the road, but a combination of his height of well over six feet, his build, his golden tanned skin, green hair and blue eyes made him indeed stand out from most of the others as they went about their daily business. The fact that he was not trained at all in anything resembling espionage tactics or techniques certainly made his intention a bit more difficult than he had expected.

After about a minute of following in their path he caught sight of the trio. His eyes lingering on the woman for a moment before he made an effort to not seem as if he was staring. He felt nothing when he caught sight of her, and most importantly there was no flash of insight, no memory bubbled to the surface. Had he been wrong? Someone brushed against his side and he stopped, a couple of children scampering off near him and continuing their journey to elsewhere.

He continued to move towards the assembled trio and looked upwards just in time to catch sight of one of the trio glance directly at him blue eyes making contact with the man's own eyes before he stopped.

He knows.

He stopped moving and found himself at a cross road. He could keep moving towards the trio and now be certain that he was expected or he could abort his effort entirely and risk that he would never see them again. He was hours away from a meeting that would likely set the tone of his future in the scavenger lands if all went well. Did he wish to approach these three and possibly make a poor impression, one that may reach the ears of the very people that were interested in his talents?

He frowned for a moment. His head tilting back as he glanced upwards the Unconquered Sun watched down from above. His lips parted and he found himself speaking in a hushed whisper in the language of the Old Realm. The words were familiar to his ears, but their meaning eluded him.

I leave it to you Unconquered Sun, guide my fate to where you will it.

A handful of people immediately around him gave him odd looks as he finished speaking and he took a step back and then another. Within a handful of seconds he dissappared into the gathered crowds as he made his way away from the trio. If the Unconquered Sun willed for him to meet them again, so it would be...

"Huh," Kolth said, following the man's reverse progress through the crowd out of the corners of his eyes. "Orduin, I'll leave the lady in your capable hands. I'll catch up with you two in a little while," he said, before disappearing into the crowd.

Moving smoothly and unobtrusively through the crowd, he made his way through it toward the strange man. How odd, he thought - the man who was walking directly toward them so intently before abruptly reversing his course. Well, he'd soon solve this little mystery.

He made his way back away from the trio had gathered at a slow pace. He did not expect pursuit and the manner in which he walked proved that. His gait was leisurely and he lost time maneuvering through the crowds. As he moved he saw dozens of faces, none of them brought any sort of recognition to his mind. He reached an intersection and stopped, his eyes glancing down all three paths before he looked over his shoulder.

He saw nothing unusual at first, until he barely caught sight of a familiar figure. The glimpse was brief, the group of people between himself and what he had thought he saw offering many opportunities to move about unseen. His head tilted slightly as he sought to make better sense of what he had seen but it was gone. It was as if the shadows themselves had swallowed what he had thought he had seen whole.

His attention returned to that before him and he smiled faintly. Was this the answer to his prayer or had he imagined it? There was a way to find out. He began to walk once more and made his way towards the entrance of an establishment designed to part the tourists of Lookshy with their money. Once inside he turned around and settled on waiting. There was only one entrance that he could see, and if that was the case then his imagined guest would follow...

A smile played around the corners of Kolth's mouth as he watched the man walk into one of the local gambling shops. This one, Mechle's Fortunes, had a big, bright sign to attract tourists and the unwary - Kolth had been paid richly once by the owner to spy on his wife, whom he suspected of being unfaithful.

It was because of this that he was allowed a few minor liberties now and then - such as going in the unobtrusive employee's entrance in the back of the building. He slipped the head cook there a small bottle of spirits, which was received with a wide grin as Kolth smiled back, going through the door. Ahh, liquor - sometimes, Kolth thought the true economy of Lookshy ran on it, no matter what those in charge said.

Making his way unobtrusively through the busy establishment, he saw the man he'd been following near the front, fully facing the entrance - no doubt the man had briefly seen Kolth, and had decided to satisfy his curiosity. Kolth got two glasses of ale from the barkeep, and walked over to the man, nonchalantly walking up to stand next to him, facing the entrance. He carefully kept his mannerisms and tone of voice casual and friendly. "Whoever you're waiting for seems to be important. Want a beer while you wait?"

He waited for a moment and then another and still the man that he expected did not cross the threshold which separated the establishment from the street just a few feet before him. He frowned, his mind considering that maybe he had imagined the would be visitor. It was then that the voice casual and friendly manifested itself and he blinked.

"If you think that I play worse drunk, you would be mistaken." He said without turning around. Still, politeness required more and if his guest refused to present himself he would be foolish to refuse a drink. He was an exalt, he could hold his liquor and the choker which circled the base of his neck could contend with all but the most virulent of poisons.

"But I thank you for your offer and --" He stopped in mid-sentence as he turned around and finally caught sight of the man.

Of course.

He hesitated for only a moment before amusement reached his eyes and he laughed softly. "So there is a back door to this place after all." He shook his head for a moment, his left hand reaching for the offered glass.

"My name is Yvela Sharas. What is yours?" He said. His eyes glancing at the glass in his hands and the contents therein before he brought the glass to his lips and took a sip.

There was something like a droning in Kolth's head as he watched the man name Yvela, like blood rushing to his ears-

A man in golden armor, on the bride of a vessel sailing the clouds, smiling - "The Sidereals, acting strangely? Or you being your old paranoid self?"

Then it was gone, leaving Kolth with wide eyes and clenched jaws.

And thus she was alone with the man who set her heart pounding and her head spinning just by looking at him once. Teamhair fanned herself, merely for something to do as she tried to think of something to say.

Oh. Duh.

"Forgive me... I did not give you my name," she said, trying unsuccessfully not to flush in embarrassment. "I am Teamhair Tahalshia."