Invasion from within: Beziar

[Dal'Lumen]

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"Thank you..."

*He spoke generally and looked around into eyes as if replying to Heir, and to the de-escalation of everyone's temper.

As if reciting more to himself than to anyone else, Dal spoke in a low voice.*

"There are no greater treasures, nor more terrible fears hidden in the shadows of what we don't know. Doubly so for the things we don't know we didn't know."

*His tone broke, and became more directed.*

"I had a mentor some years ago, he taught me to respect knowledge, and that it can be as dangerous as any ocean. I am sure there are many things you could answer... But how can I ask, when I don't know the question? Tell me first my questions, what would you ask yourself if you were me, knowing what you know. I ask only for the questions, beyond that I only ask that you trust me to ask those that I should.

*Dals smoky gray eyes pierced into One Roads, and he maintained an air of intensity, and wisdom. He would rather Know that he didn't know, so that he could, one day, seek an answer when he had the need.*

[Ress]

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* One Road was silent as he looked back at Dal. He looked down at his feet a moment, then to the lounging man that had just recently appeared next to him. With a sigh, he looked back up at Dal and gave him a nod*

<One Road> “So you want to know the question?... There is one that you should ask, but I don’t think it would ever occur to you to ask, so I will answer it for you, without you asking.”

* One Road turned away and took a few steps to the south, before stopping to speak once more*

<One Road> “What if I told you that your sister has been very close to you… like you have seen her and did not notice that it was her?

How about if I said that she has been close enough to touch, and on a few occasions, you did touch her?
What would you say if I told you that she has fought beside you, or that she is here, deliberately hidden?”

* The lounging easterner lifted his straw hat with a single finger, then reached into his pocket with his opposite hand, retrieving a single silver dinar coin, which he flipped to Heir*

<?> “Heir, all I have is a single dinar. Is that enough to request a song? Honored Held Vine’s Immaculate ballad, ‘A Brother’s Bond’ … music only, please!”

* The coin careened through the air, until Heir’s hand left his guitar and snatched the spinning coin out of the air, smirking as he pocketed it*

<Heir> “That will be plenty… I played that with Honored Held Vine, years before I Exalted. I love that song too, and what could be more fitting?”

* Heir began to play the popular Blessed Isle hit song, a slow ballad that is well known for its emotional overtones and storytelling lyrics, but of course, Heir played only the music, which took on a life of its own as he played the notes*

<Kahn> “You are not making any sense, Conspirator Exalt! Stop talking in riddles and answer the question! Have you no feeling heart? Do you find joy in tormenting people? I can assure you, your Maiden did not choose you to lead others on the journey to heartache!

* Kahn put her hand on Dal’s shoulder, nudging him slightly to leave with her*

“Come on, Dal. You do not have to take this! If she is here, I will find her for you without, their help!”

<One Road> “What if I told you she IS here… Right now… Right in front of you?”

[Dal'Lumen]

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*He felt his heart skip a beat, even if he had been suspecting he would eventually arrive at this answer, the implications were hard to believe. He found himself standing silently for far too long. He put his hand on Kahns as if to acknowledge her, but decline her suggestion. He continued to stare at one road, seeing silver eyes look back at him... and knew.*

"If that were true, I would already know. You should not say such things!"


* His body seemed to lock up on him as he struggled with emotions he had no idea how to handle. He remained silent a while longer, trying think of what he could say after such heavy words.*


"It's ok Kahn... Truth and the seeking of it is something that has always been a talent of mine."

*He looked at the reflection of his eyes on his blade once named truth by his previous incarnation. His ashy eyes were a trait he inherited from his mother.*

"I would tell her to let her big brother protect her, like I always did -- back then. I would also tell her I'm Sorry I couldn't save her when she needed it most."

*He looked away from his reflection, and away to a patch of ground soaked in demon blood and gore, his eyes glossed over and he stared away into nothing.*

" I know you're only trying to placate me, and any enemies that may be among us! I WILL find my sister, and you cannot stop me!"


*Spittle flew from his mouth as he shouted, and his body shook. Dal's angry eyes snapped on his hidden sisters, and hoped earnestly she would know he understood in spite of his world class performance.*

{4sxs 'acting'}

[Ress]

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* There was silence for a few seconds after Dal’s convincing ruse, but soon after, the lounging easterner at One Road’s feet began clapping his hands*

<?> “ I am very impressed by your performance, Admiral… it is such a shame I just gave away my last dinar, because that absolutely deserves one.

Do not fear, nobody else but us knows… that well placed shout took out almost all demons in the area, and not even Sentinel is online to have heard it. There is only one person within eight hundred miles who was not supposed to know, and that was you, Dal’ Lumen... or Ashen Wind, whatever you are going by these days.

The only secret here is that no demons are looking for your dear sister, who is now one of the toughest people I have ever worked with in my fifteen years of service.

No, this cataclysm has already taken its steps toward manifestation, starting exactly twenty seconds ago… but if everything blows up tonight, you will not have the opportunity to live through it!”

* Kahn stood in wide eyed, open mouth shock as the pieces came together in her mind, though not as quickly as it should have*

<Kahn> “ I… am so sorry for what I said before… I didn’t know.”

* One Road Sighed, giving them a nod, before looking to the stars, then back*

“Don’t worry Kahn… I understand your intentions, and I am kind of flattered really…”

* One Road’s demeanor changed rapidly as her sense of duty began to pour back in*

<One Road> “But we can’t let this soften us… Heir may have bought us some time, but we still have no idea what is going on here. So let’s go over what we already know”

<Que-Ra> “Well we know that those darkbrood broke through the home of The Mountain Folk.”

<Kahn> “we also know that they began summoning demons as soon as they escaped, and they have been causing havoc everywhere… with seemingly no rhyme or reason.”

*Valerian Root stopped his dancing and sauntered over to the group, swaying in place as he joined the conversation*

<Valerian Root> “But isn’t that the demonic motivation? Chaos?”

< Snow> “ No, This was an orchestrated strike. There is no reason the demons would waste so much time and resources to just cause a little damage here… there has to be a bigger reason, and I have a hard time believing the worst is behind us….”
<Scales> “The threat of a mirror being brought to the river has not been remedied… is this still a problem?”
<?> “ Heh… if we are still talking, that means it has been remedied by someone else, and thank The Incarnae that it was!”

[Dal'Lumen]

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*Dal heaved a sign and shook his head before turning his eyes down to the lounging stranger.*

"...?"

*At the risk of being absurdly awkward, Dal walked up to One-Road who seemed to have trivialized the moment. Dal had just been reunited with his last living family, and would not be stopped. He laughed a strange, rasping laugh and lifted one road up in a huge hug in the middle of her attempting to talk, making her last noise come out as a surprised Squawk.*

(Sea Tongue) "I looked for so long! It is no wonder I could not find you little sister, or should I call you little brother?!

I do not understand this southern way of women hiding in cloth and presenting themselves as male... It is very confusing. Do you prefer the company of other women? Do you behave as a man to disguise yourself from the trader?"

*Dals expression dipped from exhilarated to somber in a moment.*

" You must have been watching that day... When our mother died? Why did you not help?! You knew I would Exalt... You sacrificed our mother?

*Dal dropped One-Road and backed away, with a betrayed look on his face, he had no idea how to behave, so much had changed so suddenly.

[Ress]

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<One Road> “ EEP!..... Well... this is awkward...”

One Road twiddled her fingers as she was lifted into the air, before getting over it and hugging Dal right back. She let him prattle on, giggling whenever his questions became absurd, such as the question about being a dereth... but her attitude too changed when the subject of their mother was brought up. The visible part of her face began turning red as her eyes became wet*


{Sea Tongue} “ You think I just let her die on purpose?!... She was suppose to be set free by the Cult of the Illuminated in Great Forks, I had been planning that out for months, but another agent of fate had other ideas. I showed up in time to stop the conspirator, but not his disguised assassin accomplice... Yes, I had hopes for you, and I also hoped that our mother would survive long enough to...”

she paused for a moment, then shook her head, letting go of the plans that could have been*

“ Yes, I contributed to the death of our mother... I take responsibility for that... but there is nothing I could have done. I don’t work alone anymore for this very reason... We can’t change the past... and I think mother would want us to continue doing what we can to help people... especially in making people free”