A warning and a plate of fish

[Ress]

Resplendent wood, 2

* Upon awakening, Dal would see Quie standing over him, smiling and holding a plate. The room was thick with the scent of fried fish and potato.

Quie was much different than the confrontational god he seemed to be yesterday, now acting more like an old friend who has not seen him in years. Quie leaned over, holding out the plate for the Pillar of the Sun, now exposing the four pieces of fish breaded in oats an deep fried with a side of fried potatoes*

" Welcome back, Zenith. I thought you might like some food.

That was an impressive fight last night. I have not had a fight like that in a thousand years.

But back to why you came here... you had questions, right? What can I answer for you, Dal?

( 5 successes to make food at difficulty 2)

[Dal'Lumen]

Resplendent wood, 2

Dal's nose twitched as he laid sprawled out in the abundant heap of cloth which had become entangled around his body as he had slept, it was a bed much larger, and cushier than he was used to. He inhaled deeply, looking like some form of absurd propulsion created by him sucking in the smell of fresh, fried, delicious fish, he sat up abruptly, eyes still closed as if he were some over sized puppet attached to strings. His face turned toward the plate of fish and his eyes blinked open as he grinned.

"... Like food? Yeah!" Dal reached out and grabbed the plate out of Quie-Ra's hands and promptly began cramming fish and potatoes into his mouth. "Mmm... Mhmmm... Questions? about what..."
*Dal stared at Quie blankly for a moment, before a light blinked on behind his eyes.*

"Ah, sorry... I'm not much for mornings! Yes, I wanted to ask about the attack, the arrows raining from the sky, people into grain, you know the one?"

"Fight? oh right! yeah, I didn't even know I could do that... Mmm thush us rerly go-!" His words became muffled as he put nearly half a fish in his mouth while talking. Dal suddenly stopped and looked rather like he had just eaten something disgusting with ought knowing it. He looked back up and Quie-Ra and then back down at the food...

"Uhh... speaking of the fight, you don't hold grudges do you?... you know, like putting things in peoples food?"

[Ress]

Resplendent wood, 2

* Quie chuckled as he watched te zenith eat... it had been a long time since he last saw someone who needed to eat. He shook his head, then spoke up*

" Arrows huh? I know the one you speak of.. the people want to kill the Emperor for what they think he has done to them on that day.. at 20 while the wood is ascending. Unfortunately, I can not help you much more than what I have heard... I saw no arrows myself, nor did they come anywhere near my fields... a bit perplexing that.. but I can not say I know the full extent of Emperor Ress' powers...........?"

* Quie laughed at the notion that he would tamper with Dal's food, but quickly he calmed and gave a nod*

" Dal.. I am a martial Artist.. I would not stoop to such things... if I were going to kill you..."

* He let out a loud should and lept back, doing a strangely precise kata.. but this was one that required a spear to perform, though he moved and flowed as if he held one within his hands. When he turned back around he brought his arms upward as if striking. Though there were nothing in his hand, the plate of fish and potato flew into the air, spinning a few times as it did.
He then bent his knee as the plate came down, allowing the plate to balance on the invisible handle of whatever thing he held.
He brought his elbow up, causing the plate to slide down his invisible weapon, until it came to stop a foot away from Dal.. not a crumb moved out of place. He moved it an inch closer to motion for him to take the plate*

" I would have killed you with this".....

* a pale green light flashed from Quie's hands, elongating into the full length of a spear... obviously this was what the field god was wielding*

"And no.. I do not hold grudges.. I asked for that fight and I got was was coming to me.. it is simple"

( 6 successes to show off)

[Dal'Lumen]

Resplendent wood , 2

A simpering frown was etched on Dal's face when his plate of fish was taken away, his eyes watched it longingly as it danced through the air and slid around on the invisible spear in Quies Hands. When it came back to dangling in front of him he reached up and grabbed another fish and started to munch on it, and only after food was in his mouth did he gather the plate from the spear.

" Mmm, good... that would be a shame... you're a good cook!"

Dal took several more mouthfuls of fish and potato, and then squinted ponderously about what Quie had just said


" Didn' see awows you say, an' you also confrm they came down on the 20tsh day the wood was ashendin'? Mmm... mhmm hmm...

*he quickly gulped down the food in his mouth so he could speak*

" So the arrows did not pass over this manse as they would have, had they come from the imperial manse, unless they were significantly redirected by some means. Not only that... but this attack occurred a day ahead of the attacks on the other cities, as well as being at sea, and not in the city itself! Perplexing indeed..."

*Dal pushed himself up and off the bed and slowly rose to his feet, plate still in hand. He grinned excitedly as these bits of information began to hint at an unexplained mystery to be solved*

"Quie, is there anything else, anything at all, that stood out to you, or seemed strange about the 20th, or 21st day the wood was ascending?"

*Dal grinned, and looked down at the glowing spear in Quies hands.*

"The Just and Truthful Arbiters of Light...*He said airily* "The path of the arbiter style is quite a rare one to see in action, I am impressed Quie-Ra."

(1 success to discern fighting style)

[Ress]

Resplendent wood, 2

*He stepped back, placing the hilt of the spear on the ground and leaned against it, smirking as he did*

" It was a difficult style to learn... but I am a master of it.

But as for those days, the only thing I saw that was strange was that dragon running past here on the 21st... he was in a huge hurry for something... and he blew a cloud of sand into the air as he past..... but strangest of all.. in one of his scales was a clump of wheat.

Needless to say, it was a puzzling sight."

[Dal'Lumen]

Resplendent Wood, 2

*Dal looked perplexedly at at Quie-Ra. An almost whimsical expression to see on someone who was still stuffing their face*

"Dragon? What dragon?... He hurried by and carried with him wheat?" *Dal paced back and forth for just a moment* "The people hit by the arrows that came down became grain, would it be hard to surmise that he had been here to gather that grain? Strange that he had come through the day after the attack here, on the day of the attack on the other cities, considering there would be no grain to gather, it would all be lost in the tide of the yellow river. or..."

*Dal stopped pacing a moment*

"was it a great deal of wheat, or a small bit, as if it had been snagged upon his scales after passing through a wheat field?"

[Ress]

Resplendent wood, 2

* Quie chuckled a little, allowing his spear to disappear into a cloud of green and then shook his head*

" The Dragon's name is Quar-Zagot... and he is huge. I would say he caught enough wheat in his scale to feed a family of four. It looks like he ran through the wheat field. But it is hard to say."

* Quie-Ra stopped in his own tracks and thought a moment*

" I can't help but wonder why a Lesser Elemental Dragon would be racing about, blowing clouds of dust in the air... this is a puzzle indeed"


* All at once, the shimmering form of Sentinel flashed into Dal's bedroom, hie head bowed as he addressed the Zenith*

"Excuse me, master Dal'Lumen... It seems as though someone has breeched the walls of the Marina and may have tampered with something inside... right now, this is only a moderate worry. I would not normally bother you with this, but Emperor Ress said that you were to be in charge of this quarter... what do you think we should do about this?"

[Dal'Lumen]

Resplendent wood, 2

Dal looked up, his cheeks bloated with the last bit of fish and potato.

"Mm... Quar-Zagot, that much wheat?" As Sentinel Blinked into the room, Dal turned to hear his warning and nearly choaked when Sentinel told him that he was now in charge of this quarter of the empire.

"Ahachm! wha...?! I'm in charge? Marina... *cough* do you know what was tampered with, were there any witnesses? Oh... and while I have you here Sentinel, Do you by chance know where Quar-Zagot is?"

Dal could not help but feel a little warn down by the number of problems that continued to present themselves, but he put on a strong face and internaly prepaired himself to deal with them all in turn.

[Ress]

resplendent wood, 2

*Quie-Ra bowed his head a bit as Sentinel spoke, an unthinking show of respect for this glowing figure*

" I know that the console was tampered with.. this activated something.. .though I am not quite sure what exactly was as present.

And no, there were no witnesses... everyone is too fearful to go near the marina. It is said that some dark sorcery protects it.. summoning up beasts of the sea to fend off intruders.

Quar-Zagot? The Lesser Elemental Dragon? He is near the imperial manse, speaking with Lirimana and myself. But if you wish to speak with us.. there is a way to without setting foot out of your manse.... if you would come to the Hearthroom, I would show you... but when you are ready... have you more questions for me?"

[Dal'Lumen]

Resplendent Wood, 2

Dal swallowed his final mouthful, and grinned at the prospects of battling sea monsters, conversing with giant dragons, and traveling great distances with ought leaving this manse were very exciting ideas indeed.

Turning his grin to Quie-Ra Dal gave a short, bow of gratitude.

"Thank you for the breakfast, and for answering my questions, Quie-Ra, Master of Oats!" *Dal turned back to Sentinel* "I will meet you in the control room, I made a promise to someone that I intend to make good on."

Dal gave another bow to Quie-Ra and was just about to make his way to the control room when something invisible tugged at him and stopped him in his tracks.

"My... my manse?" He fought back another excited grin as he shook his head. From having so little to having so much, a caravan with all of its riches, followers, an entire city to govern and a personal manse, this just kept getting better and better.

At that Dal'Lumen resumed his course for the control room, he grabbed the hearthstone he had set down on a table near his bed on the way out.

[Ress]

Resplendent wood, 2

* Sentinel nodded, then dissapeared in a cloud of gold.

When Dal' arrived in the hearthroom, Sentinel was standing next to the console, one hand on it as he smirked, looking as if he had been waiting for some time*

" Welcome Sun Prince. Now, I will do this for you for you this time, but I will show you afterward, so you may do this on your own..."

* he turnned his back to the Zenith, pressing buttons and moving levers, untill a globe of light appeared over the dish which overflowed with water ( where the hearthstone was). which slowly opened up to reveal an area not far from the imperial manse*

" There, now you can speak to myself, Lirimana and Quar-Zagot. Simply step forward and speak"

* at the other side of the light orb was the sight of an irritated Sentinel, a watching Quar-Zagot, and Lirimana doing the talking*



( post in Dragon at Twilight to enter conversation)

[Dal'Lumen]

Resplendent wood, 2

Dal turned around and beamed at Sentinel.

"What a marvelous device this is, I couldn't help but feel a bit like yourself Sentinel!"

Taking a few steps closer to the heads up display which tracked Lirimana and Quar, his hand open as he indicated at the two of them.

"How long do you suspect it will take them to arrive? Quar is clearly quite a fast traveler considering he ran a lap around the empire in a single day."

[Ress]

Resplendent wood, 2

* Sentinel laughed a bit as the marker for Lirimana and Quar took off like a goddamn rocket, making a quarter of the distance in about three minutes*

" I would say about ten minutes or so they should arrive.... I am impressed at how fast he is. Well.. if you have to be somewhere... I would suggest having mister Quar-Zagot carry you to your destination"

[Dal'Lumen]

The image of himself riding the giant Quar-Zagot into the fray of some inconceivably epic battle flashed through his mind, generating a rather peculiar look upon Dal'Lumens face. His eyes gained a certain far off stare, and a small smile crossed his lips, along with a single brow that jittered slightly up and down.

"That would be something... anyhow, perhaps you could tell me what to do with this thing."

Dal' tossed the little hearth stone into the air, and caught it again, making it obvious what he was talking about.*

"I hope 10 minutes is enough time to explain its purpose, and perhaps even use it!"

[Ress]

Resplendent wood, 2

"....?" *Sentinel looked confusedly as Dal daydreamed.. blinking regularly as he wondered what the heck could be going on in his head, but smiled when he came back to Creation and asked about the hearth stone*

" Ha! That is a very special hearthstone! What it does is brings out the radiance of the sun in its bearer, making them more attractive to everyone who looks upon them!......."

* He looked off to the side for a moment, then folded his arms and turnned his gaze back to the Zenith*

" Wait... that is the Imperial Manse's power... But this one gives the bearer the ability to call water up from anywhere!....... wait... no... that isn't this one........."

* Sentinel scratched his golden temple as he continued to think hard on this question.*

"Oh no! it allows its bearer to fall any distance as if it were no more than a tiny drop!.......... wait... no its not that either."

* He hung his head low for a moment, before standing up straight anfd proud*

"Wait! Wait!... I got it... this hearthstone allows its user to freeze anything they attack!........ no... thats not it either....."

* Sentinel cocked his head to the side as he gave a sideways glance to the water filled dish that the stone formed in*

" Damn..... there are about twenty seven hearthstones in this Empire. I am afraid I can not recall all of their powers by sight of the stone... you may have to just wait and see if the stone will show you its power."