Fireside Sojourn

[Dal'Lumen]

Resplendent wood, 3

The bustling street markets, and daily rigors of the riverside city of Beziar, both east and west had begun to pack away for the night, the terrors of the early day still hanging thick in the air like a miasma that sickened the soul. The city the sun makes it's march over, as it rises and set's had seen it's undue share of bloodshed and death in the last two weeks, and it had taken it's tole on the inhabitants. The next few days leading up to, and culminating at the trial, Dal hoped would be a time of healing for Beziar, as well as the entire Empire.

In the distance, impossibly, a Manse of no questionable size and grandeur, blinked into existence and as quickly as it had come, it vanished once again, leaving three small living packages in it's no longer existent shadow. One, was a man wearing billowing blood red silk pants. He was a reasonably tall man, or he would have been if he were not hunched over, supporting the weight of another man that clung to his shoulders and walked upon wobbly legs. Looking further to the right, another, much smaller figure propped the wounded man up from her side, and they slowly hobbled towards the city gates.

Dal'Lumen, Roaring Wave, and Tari entered West Beziar, linked together at the arms and shoulders like drunken sailors at the end of a night.

"We've got to stop meeting like this my friends!"

*Dal laughed*

"...or shall I just accept this as part of our relationship? Do you plan to get yourselves in any more trouble this week? Be warned, if you say yes to that, I may just have to sick Lirimana upon you again, get you a doctors note to ensure you stay away from the stuff!"

[Ress]

Resplendent wood, 3

* Roaring Wave gave a weak laugh, which over a short time grew into a loud victorious guffaw, draped over Dal's shoulders, he brought his wrists together, clanging together his black jade bracers, which sprayed blue water aspected essence out like ripples in the water. The activity of the outburst left him limp for a few moments*

" Dal'Lumen... I am a Dragon-Blooded. A warrior both bred and Chosen. I have a long life of war, injuries and successes ahead of me no matter where I go, and this day proves it... it just so happens that staying here means warring, injuring and succeeding for something that matters.

Weather its mortal crime, Celestial insurgence or Infernal mayhem, I am Roaring Wave, Chosen of Daana'd... as well as expert fisherman.

I am a dragon of many talents."

* Wave gave a nod at the end, emphasizing his statement*

* Tari stumbled as Wave pulled her in to tap his bracers together, almost falling over from the jolt. she promptly smacked him on his cheek with her free hand. Obviously, she was not as massive as Dal'Lumen, but surprisingly, she was stronger than she looked*

" Be careful with that, Lost Egg! You almost knocked me over!...I might not be an exalt... but as a patrician, I feel the duty of the Dragons as well. There is a spark of Daana'd in me too, just like my patrician father and to a lesser degree, my Dragon-Blooded mother. I am happy to do what I can"

* after being hit, Wave hoisted himself on his feet a bit, taking some weight off both Tari and Dal, smiling all the while*

" You hit like a Patrician, Tari.... and I don't know what Lirimana did... but I have been feeling progressively better all day. I think I will be 100% by tomorrow. With her as my doctor, I think I will live to see the ripe old age of six hundred."

( Perception + Awareness diff 2 to notice Tari looking sad for a moment when Wave mentioned living to see 600)

[Dal'Lumen]

Resplendent Wood, 3

"I was hoping you would say that, it's good to see you burning with pride after such injuries! With any luck myself and others of my kind will be there with you when trouble finds us, that is our fate as the Exalted. "

Dal'Lumen had seen Taris brief expression and decided it would be prudent to say something that sounded wise, or somewhere along those lines.

"My father told me when I was a young boy, that pride is the armor of the heart and mind, and sail of our souls. With too much of it, you only end up blind and quickly headed to disaster!"

*Dal finished feeling satisfied with his choice in words. He smiled internally.*

"You have a beautiful young wife that loves you, remember that before you are too quick to decide on self destruction my brother! You do indeed have a long, adventure filled, and happy life ahead of you. It is strange, I have not yet come to terms with the idea that I might live to be as old as a mountain, watching the rise and fall of kingdoms; of Empires. It worries me, how will creation have changed, how will I change after 500 years... or 5000 years, will the small things I see as significant, matter to me then, in the scope of so much living?"

*He gave them both a faint smile as his voice dropped just above whispering.*

"I like to hope I grow to appreciate them even more."

*The three drew up to the door to Tari and Waves home while Dal'Lumen had been rambling. Dal slowed down and let Wave stand on his own, still supporting him with a hand pressed against waves back. Forgetting his strength, Dal 'guided' Wave to lean against the door frame to his home without really giving wave much of a choice in the matter.*

"There you go, I trust you will be able to find your own way to your bed, if there is nothing else you need from me I have some business I'll need to attend to before tonight."

(2 sxs)

[Ress]

Resplendent wood, 3

" Your father told you all that?... the best tidbit my father ever gave me was " Stay out of the army, son... Get a nice Bureaucrat position."

* He chuckled at his comment, but still took in what Dal had said*

" Thanks for everything, Dal.. We will see you again soon"

* Tari smiled and gave Dal a nod* " Thank you, Dal. If you need us, you know where we are"

* She continued to help Wave walk, despite his feeling better, all the way back to their home/place of business.*

[Dal'Lumen]

Resplendent Wood, 3

He smiled warmly, leaning on his arm, palm pressed against the door frame. When the two had disappeared into their home Dal'Lumen slowly turned and pressed his back against the wall and crossed his arms, a puzzling look on his face. The time for the trial was growing ever nearer, but the case still wasn't adding up the way he wanted it to. He watched the city, so alive and chaotic, and yet it found it's way into a perfect rhythm, day in and day out, like a heart beat.

The tantalizing sent of roasted eel filled Dal'Lumens senses and compelled him. He lost power over his limbs and found himself pulled as if by a tether. He came around the corner to suddenly become aware of the fact that the smell was coming from the very people he had guided to Imperveress. Like lighting strike in the forest, an idea shot into his mind in a brilliant flash of insight, and the fires of his creativity began to spread.

He grew aware of himself again and walked into the Caravan camp outside of west Beziar. The camp had become quite attractive in the last few days, the free men and women that had been guided to Imperveress had turned their circled caravan into a small trade outlet. Silk canopies were spread over the stalls that had been arranged just outside of the wagon cars. A fire pit had been built in the center of the circle and a large circle of people were sitting around it socializing while a dozen or so rather large eels were being smoked and roasted.

A man and a woman tended to the meal. They had at one point been cooks for some wealthy family in Nexus, both of which had been sent back to the Guild for reconditioning, as they called it. They looked like they were in their 40s but were probably younger, and acted more like a bickering husband and wife than co-workers.

"BAAAH! YOUR GOING TO FORGET TO ROTATE AGAIN!? YOU... "

The woman shrieked at her counterpart in a tone of voice that would make a giant squid think twice about challenging her authority.

*She haughtily waved a rag at the man to show her frustration at her apparent disapproval. Turned to a young girl and boy sitting patiently beside the fire, and her voice changed very suddenly to the gentlest mothering inflection.*

"Ohh, look at how sweet you two dearies are! I'll bet you will simply love Ma'ma Saffrons' delicious smoked eel!" *She winked at them.* I'll have a very special treat for you if you gobble an entire stick up! Eel will make boys grow up big and strong, and women grow up beautiful and healthy like me! Eeh hee!"

*She giggled gently and turned away to berate her pseudo-husband again.*

"TURN IT YOU FOOL! we have hungry children to feed..."

The stout southern man grumbled under his breath and flipped the eel in the smoke tube. His bushy eyebrows seemed to hide his eyes, and his bushy beard completed his burly visage. His arms were thick and covered in black hair, and he had a sauce stained apron on that made him look far less intimidating than he would have otherwise been. His 'wife' was north eastern and built like an a barbarian warrior. Her blond hair was tied up in a huge braid, revealing her long chiseled face. She also had an apron on, and was currently wielding a very large fire poker.

"Fliep dem, jour selv'... Chhrasy vooman...

*He shook his head, and suddenly stopped, jaw dropping open when he saw Dal'Lumen walking towards the circle.*

"JOO!" He announced vaguely. "Vooman, ve hab impourrtant geest!"

*Ma'ma Saffron stamped her foot and turned to the man.*

"WHAT ARE YOU BLABBERING ABOUT YOU OLD FOOL!"

*The man scowled and pointed at Dal grumpily.*

*She turned her face, also scowling in the direction he pointed in and her face changed to shock as well. Queued by the two eccentric cooks the entire crowd turned to look at their visitor.*

"Uhm... Hello there!" *Dal'lumen said with an awkward hand wave as he continued to walk up to the group. He beamed at the cluster of ex-slaves. He realized many of them still were not sure how to feel about him, as most of them knew that he had worked for the guild working as part of their slave breaking machine.*

"It is good to see you all again."

*The crowd remained fixated, some moved closer and a few that had been sitting down stood up. Shop keepers and their Beziarian customers stopped what they were doing and turned to watch.*

"I came because I wanted to thank you all for doing your part to help after today's trouble at the marina. I also wanted to promise to you and all the other people of Beziar that I have been given the means to protect all of you, thanks to the Emperor, and under the guidance and strength of the Unconquered Sun, I will never neglect that responsibility. So..."

"Aye, Cut the speech, come sit down you silly boy! You came for a reason, so lets have it!" *Saffron crooned loudly.*

The crowd chimed in, shouting greetings and beckoning Dal' to come get comfortable by the fire.

*Dal stammered, and grinned at the lot of them. He nodded and walked into the inner circle where the cooks conducted their business and sat down on a tree stump that had been dragged over for him. The entire Caravan market converged around him in a semicircle just as Ma'ma Saffron and her husband Hamparzoum walked over to hand him a hand full of eel's on sticks. His mouth watered and he grinned at the two cooks who waited attentively beside him to hear what he had to say.*

"Thank you! I think others have been waiting longer than I for your delicious smelling eel."

*He walked over and handed a kebab to each the little girl and boy from earlier.* "Ma'ma Saffron is right, you need your appetite to grow big and strong! I ate smoked eel when I was a boy, and just look at me!"

*He chuckled and walked around handing out eel sticks to everyone in the crowd as he talked.*

"You are correct, I came for a reason... My friends... I have a favor to ask of each of you..."