BZPRPG: Kentoku Archipelago

[Oki, Herupa Compound (Shuuan)]

“It’s always birds.  The Vildas are obsessed with them too.  Nobody ever decides to keep pet lizards.”

IC:

"Personally, I think it's because they don't compare well to the dragons," Jiyu said with a shrug as they stepped into the garden.

While it was walked off from the rest of the complex, the garden had moss creeping along the walls, giving it a somewhat more natural look. Several trees were scattered throughout the garden, a rich vibrant green that was echoed in the grass that seperated the trees from flower beds and the stream. All of the flowers were arranged to move alongside the walkway through the garden, almost like a natural barricade to encourage visitors to leave nature untouched. In the middle of it all was a worn stone bench, one of the ends of which was more weathered than the other. It was obvious that someone had spent an insane amount of time sitting there in the past. True to Jiyu's word, several artificial nests hung from the lofty branches of the trees, and occasionally a small bird poked it's head out of the best before his info again- or flying off in search of small prey. From outside, a stream ran into the compound and through the garden, no doubt funneling into the fountain at the compound's center- But here it was a babbling little stream, enough to ensure that the living things in the garden would be nurtured and that no modicum of silence could truly be found in the garden.

"Come, let us sit," Jiyubsaid with a small smirk, swiftly walking to the stone bench and taking a seat, "I do not know about you, but I have never been one to eat while standing. "

[Oki, Herupa Compound (Shuuan)]

"Nothing compares well with the dragons," I muttered, taking a seat next to Jiyuu and starting to peel away the rind of the mangosteen.

“What was it you wanted to talk to me about?”

IC:

"Eat first," Jiyu said, closing his eye. He took a bite out of the fruit, letting out a soft sigh. He still had yet to fully heal- The healers had ultimately done their best, but the best couldn't fully heal everything, and Jiyu hadn't spent much time resting.

:What do you think of Zuto Nui?:

OOC: Fanixe and Keeper, while I apologize for the delay, the lack of response has been at my request. I have been considering, and discussing with my fellow staff, whether or not the actions undertaken merited the use of staff authority. After a fairly lengthy bout of consideration, I (with input from Ghosthands) have concluded that they do. This conclusion is based upon multiple counts of broken realism, lack of adherence to standard etiquette, and questionable use of NPCs. To summarize;

-Relisai has repeatedly shrugged off substantial Sighteye influence, with no satisfactory explanation given. At no point was she established to have gone outside of Hanabe's maximum range, and in fact the opposite was concluded on the one occasion that it came up.

-Relisai's escape was accomplished without giving the opposing players adequate time to respond.

-The pipe Relisai escaped through, very conveniently, happened to come out right next to the ship intended for their escape.

        -Robalta just happened to render aid to an unknown individual that just happened to be exactly who she had come to rescue.

-NPCs that did not exist before now just happened to be perfectly willing to be completely loyal, and run the risk of going against the entire Empire. 

These add up to 2-3 violations of Section IV of the Master BZPRPG Rules, depending on how you define one of these transgressions. These are not the first times, either, that there have been questionable actions undertaken during this excruciatingly long event. 

This conclusion was not reached lightly, but if one of you wishes to appeal it, my PM box is open. If you really want to take it all the way to the top, PM Tyler as he was the only staff member not actively involved in this decision.

GM IC:

In the event of a prison break, there were certain protocols in place. Plans of action designed to ensure that the escaped prisoner could not sneak off of the island easily, if at all. An escaping prisoner had only two hopes if they wanted to make their way out of Imperial hands successfully. They had to be subtle or they had to be fast. If one was subtle then one could escape before anyone even noticed they were gone. If one was fast then one could be gone before anyone had a chance to intercept. Relisai and her rescuers were neither.

Unbeknownst to the harried escapees the Imperial Navy had been notified and, per their orders, established a blockade around Sado's harbor. While Yukie may have seemed outnumbered, Relisai's chances of escape had already dwindled to zero. It only took the Plangori's arrival to earn the Navy's closer attention and from that point her fate was sealed.

"Vilda Relisai!"  An authoritative voice rang out over the water as two armed Navy vessels broke off from the blockade, approaching her own ship purposefully. The decks of both vessels teemed with Dasakan sailors, including their respective commanders; enough women to overrun Relisai's own backers. "You have no hope of escape! Surrender at once!"

OOC: I will post for Hanabe shortly, as soon as I check a few things from further back.

[Oki, Herupa Compound (Shuuan)]

I rolled my eyes, popping a section of mangosteen into my mouth.

::A fairy tail convenient for those in power.  If there’s a mysterious being who created us all I doubt she’s that specific.::

IC:

::Then we are in agreement then,:: Jiyu thought back, visibly relieved as he took another bite.

OOC: I'm going to wait for a Hanabe post to continue with Askha or Sydelia.

IC: The Mashtet Datsue briefly pondered her position. It was time for her to act. She tapped her staff to the ground as she activated her Sighteye... on Relisai.

To the Toroshu, Somei appeared to walk to her side. "Well, it seems fate has turned against you today, Vilda Toroshu. I have what's left of my clan to consider. I bear you no ill will for your crime; I know that family squabbles can sometimes be overwhelming, and I'm sure you had your reasons."

The illusion looked around at the reinforcements. "I hope you will go quietly, but that is up to you." Somei's image faded, and bright light overcame Relisai's vision. The real Somei kept up her Sightey, but reached out her hand, tugging on the Vilda's weapon with her Mindarm to disarm her.

[Oki, Herupa Compound (Shuuan)]

Jiyu’s shoulders seemed to drop several cio in response to my comment.  I could practically feel the relief rolling off him.

:What, you seriously thought I might be one of those simpering, devout types?:

IC:

::Sometimes, I honestly don't know what to expect of others.::

Jiyu rolled his shoulders, a frown clouding his face, "I feel that many others put too much faith in things beyond their control."

[Oki, Herupa Compound (Shuuan)]

:That’s awfully vague.  Example?:

I spit out the seed and took another section.

[Odaiba, Inside Ageru Lands (Hatchi)]

“I had to rehearse, believe me,” Hatchi said, looking out at the horizon.

 

“I got used to it.  After I while, I started to feel naked if I encountered an Imperial who found the requisite groveling unnecessary.”

IC: Ageru Tamachan (Odaiba, Ageru Lands)

"Tell me about it," Tama replied, "although there's benefits to that, too, but let's not get into that"

Tama threw a look up to the darkening sky, and her nose whiffed a few times.

"It might be time to make camp soon, unless you'd prefer to stay on until you've crossed all the way through"

IC:

"People like my mother," Jiyu stated, "She was devout, and believed that her faith would protect and guide her."

[Odaiba, Inside Ageru Lands (Hatchi)]

“The second option seems more appealing.  Unless you know somewhere we can stop that doesn’t involve inviting the ire of the local farmers.”

[Oki, Herupa Compound (Shuuan)]

I snorted, which made a squishier and wetter sound due to the mangosteen in my mouth.

:You’re mother expected things to go her way and then took it out on you when they didn’t.  I dunno if I’d gratify that with something as nice-sounding as faith.:

IC:

:Yes but I feel charged to... Respond,: Jiyu responded, scowling as he finished his fruit, :It may not be my place to change other's behaviors- But if I could I would discard the whole silly business of faith or its institutions.:

[Odaiba, Inside Ageru Lands (Hatchi)]

“The second option seems more appealing.  Unless you know somewhere we can stop that doesn’t involve inviting the ire of the local farmers.”

 

IC: Ageru Tamachan (Odaiba, Ageru Lands)

Tama panned her gaze around her for a while, keeping a stern expression as she scouted the lands around them.

"Nothing but Dashi's pastures for as far as they eye can see" she thought, with a mixed feeling of irritation and nostalgia. The smell was unmistakeable. A neigh from Sarala indiciated she had made the same observation.

Gently stroking the Soko's mane, Tama turned back to Hatchi with an apologetic expression, "I'm afraid it doesn't look that way, and I don't think we'd be doing ourselves any favors by asking if anyone has room for the night"

IC:

[Odaiba, Inside Ageru Lands (Hatchi)]

“Indeed,” Hatchi said.

They rode on in silence as the sky steadily darkened and one by one, the lights of the caravan came on.  There were just as many lamps of mukau fat as there were lightstones.  The stones were more efficient in the end then the lamps, but they did not provide heat, and heatstones were another thing that must be bought.  Hatchi hung a lightstone collar around Myzru’s.  It wobbled, illuminating the muddy bath in front of them.

After some time, Mrimok came running up with two steaming clay mugs of black tea.  Hatchi took one and offered the other to the Menti.  “I hope your mother raised you properly enough to appreciate a good cup of real tea,” she said.

[Oki, Herupa Compound (Shuuan)]

:Yeah well good luck with that.  Even if they didn’t have Zuto Nui, they’d find something else to get people groveling.:

[sado, Imperial Gardens (Morie)]

Having finished her ink painting, Morie took a relaxing walk around the gardens as she waited for it to dry.

OOC: Morie open for interaction.

IC:

Good Goddess - Good Goddess - there was a world beyond Sado, and Des was seeing it.

Not that it was all perfect, because nothing in the Chojo's life could ever just be perfect, but victories were so sparse in her life that she embraced this one like she would Masa or Hana, like she would a lover. At night that lover's nails would rake her back, thin royal skin torn to shreds under the itchy sailor's garb (dyed bloody red by Fursic association) as a reminder of what it stood for. Sado Sado Sado - Sado, no home at all, but all the open world would grant her - Sado gleamed behind her like Yumi's gaudy jewelry, like Yumi in the center of a room, like Yumi's plush violet ego sparkled in her little sister's frayed tapestry mind. There were shades of old Rora gone by in the maritime air, tickling her lungs and squeezing out her teardrops as Des tossed in the night. Underneath her, drowned Dasaka sensed the return of a princess to Kozu, and from their drowned graves wretched up sea water that would toss the merchant cog violently.

But for ten days, while Zuto Nui tittered at her chosen and Zataka made the winds howl in glee, nothing the dead did mattered.

Des Umbraline had seen the world. Just a little tiny slice of it - hardly crumbs - but for ten days, she was the empress, and her sister's fat mean languid ###### meant nothing to her. 

On the eleventh, the phantoms stopped howling and abandoned her to her fate. Wind left the sails, the ship made port, and Desdemona's toes clenched on solid ground. She felt scratchy scratchy sand against her delicate feet, sun beating on her slim legs; she felt her confidence bleed, like she was the one with the giant hole punched through her, and not the cold body that had preceded Yumi on the throne.

It was hard to remember a world where she used the word 'Mom.'

Inokio hadn't lied about how beautiful the place was - but Inokio's words were flowery, and Yumi always loved them more than Des, who would cut the ###### the way she accidentally did as a kid and read his mind to get to the end of his stories. It was a bad habit she had with everyone. Only Masa managed to buck the curse; Masa's stories kept Des spellbound, and stroked her mind softly into lulls of rest. It was only around Masa that the minds of the Imperials were their own again.

Now, on Kozu, the Fursics felt it too. Des was a bomb in their presence. Powder in a slim little keg, lacking only for a match. She was instinctively avoided, but none of the merchants in the little Kozu shore town knew who she was. She could use that to her advantage while she sought a way to the center of the island.

To Nera Fursic.

IC

Inokio laughed and said "Agreed."

Then the poet's mouth grew cottony, and his words dried up as though he'd gargled the seawater beneath them. His eyes grew lidded with sleep.

The sky's did, too. No moon tonight. The stars drank all the color from Masayoshi. To him the ###### was living gangrene. It had eaten her eyes, now it was coming for him.

"You love her."

-Tyler

IC:

"Not like any of you ever bothered."

I'm really, really trying to be civil to this guy. I'm really, really trying. Not for him, not for me, for Des. Because I need him if I'm going to get into Kozu alive. Alive enough to make sure Des walks back into Sado under her own power. But he's really, really not making it easy. I really hate keeping a level head on my shoulders.

"She deserved to have someone care."

IC:

"It's not love if it's pitying."

-Tyler

IC:

"I really have no need of advice on affection from the man who was going to hand over, or kill, his daughter figure. For the Fursics."

IC:

"What you wanted to do to your daughter figure isn't much healthier. This affair would go by much quicker if you handed me an oar."

The sleep had been good for Inokio's nerves and aches but that only went so far when you were this far from Sado. It would be quicker to do things her way by now. He lamented that fact while he gazed into the water, unnervingly finding no reaction. Already he missed the sunshine - the way a dying man does on his last day.

No.

Not a dying man, never a dying man.

Not here.

"If you had said something, she wouldn't have run."

-Tyler

IC: Ageru Tamachan (Odaiba, Ageru Lands)

"Indeed" Tama replied, and caught the tea mug deftly with one hand loosened from Sarala's straps. The aroma drifting from its insides was instantly familiar to her, she relaxed. The smell brought back memories.

"After practicing with Father, Mother always had one ready for both of us."

IC:

"If I said something, she would only be in a more complicated position. Not that it's your business anyway." I slipped the Battlemaster an oar after a few seconds' thought. He didn't have anywhere to run, and whether I'd admit it or not, he wasn't stupid. My deal was the only shot he had at getting out alive. Inokio can be trusted to save his own skin. Even if that's about it.

"Besides, she would have run either way. This wasn't a lack of ties. This was a need to be proactive, once she figured out something the rest of us were missing."

I may be blind, but I can still give a pretty good pointed stare.

IC:

"I understand completely" Kulrik replied. "Appearances are a precarious thing and you never know who might be watching or why.  Seigyo can stand guard at the door tonight while we dine - she's of the opinion that if she's busy eating, she's not busy protecting me and fulfilling her duty and her oath."

Kulrik bowed his head slightly and motioned to the papers on Akiyo's desk.

"I think I should you leave to your work now, if I want to see you later. Good luck, and until tonight."

He turned to leave.

ooc: timeskip to dinner?

[Odaiba, Inside Ageru Lands (Hatchi)]

Hatchi took a packet from her saddle, adding a spot of butter and salt to her tea before passing them to Tama.

“Your mother must be a brave women.”

There was an unspoken suggestion in the statement, but Hatch knew Tama would probably catch it.  A Taajar would decided to leave her clan for love would not only be erased from the lives of her friends and family--she would hardly be welcomed into the society she would be entering.  Hatchi had always found the idea of such a love more than a little hard to comprehend.

RETCONNED. Thank you Mel for the information!

IC:

Relisai stood frozen in place as her enemies convened around her. 

She had been so close. So close. Here she was at the docks, on a ship with a crew could take her straight back to Oki to her throne in Vilda Castle. What stood between her and that seat? A few nautical miles, some rough waters if the sea, as temperamental as she always was, decided to change things up a little? Maybe a few stops for food and depending on how well the boat was supplied given the unexpected journey.  Overall, there was very little preventing Relisai from returning to complete freedom on her lands.

Except for the might of the Imperial Navy.

"Vilda Relisai!  You have no hope of escape! Surrender at once!"

Relisai felt the tug of Somei's Mindarm and let it pull the sword out of her hand to drop to the floor. She ignored the blinding light that appeared in her eyes, another one of the Datsue's machinations. The Toroshu of the Vilda stood resolute, facing the open ocean and imagining the forces she could no longer see that had arrived to apprehend her. There had been what, two Menti back near the prison that had tried to stop her?  And there was Yukie, that had hounded her all the way here. There was Somei, and now dozens of Menti and Dashi on two Imperial ships, all of them here to stop Relisai from escaping.

It was quite compliment.

It took so many people just to apprehend her? It was a testament to how much the Empire feared her power. Relisai represented autonomy and freedom, and the Empress was scared  that Relisai's tenacity would make her glass tower crumble. All in good time, Relisai thought to herself, all in good time. 

She started to laugh.

"I surrender." She raised her hands, still laughing while she continued to speak. One day, she would make all these people pay.

"But I do hope you understand; I was offered a deal for my freedom, and you never refuse the Dastana."

[Odaiba, Inside Ageru Lands (Hatchi)]

Hatchi took a packet from her saddle, adding a spot of butter and salt to her tea before passing them to Tama.

 

“Your mother must be a brave women.”

 

There was an unspoken suggestion in the statement, but Hatch knew Tama would probably catch it.  A Taajar would decided to leave her clan for love would not only be erased from the lives of her friends and family--she would hardly be welcomed into the society she would be entering.  Hatchi had always found the idea of such a love more than a little hard to comprehend.

IC: Ageru Tamachan (Odaiba, Ageru Lands)

"Mhmm" Tama replied, occupied with swallowing a sip of her tea. It wasn't the easiest task in the world while on Soko-back.

Anyway, she allowed herself a moment to think before she replied. Hatchi certainly wasn't shy about her inkling on Tama.

"She is," Tama replied, "always has been, always had to be, I guess, given the circumstances."

GM IC:

The Imperial officers that swarmed over the decks onto Relisai's ship, for the most part, ignored the former Toroshu's commentary in face of shackling her hands together, taking her Kanohi, and escorting her none-too-gently across the plank to the lead Imperial ship. She was brought to the brig immediately and without commentary, and once she was locked in, the Menti stopped to stand guard outside the door. The ship would proceed back to the Docks to enable Relisai's extradition to a cell even deeper than the one she had escaped.

The rest of her crew fared little better. The swarm of marines took them all into custody without question, confiscating weapons, equipment, and Kanohi before herding them into the cargo hold and posting guard outside the locked door. The marines took custody of the vessel, too, which would be brought to port and its prisoners escorted to cells of their own.

Only Somei fared a little better. Clearly opposed to Relisai's escape, at least by the end, the Menti elected to take a less direct tact.

"We're going to need you to some with us, ma'am."

IC:

Hanabe, now freed from the Sighteye illusion that had been taking up all of her effort, was now able to act autonomously. The telekinetic shove was unexpected, but bracing properly with with her Pakari kept her from moving too far. She recovered quickly, taking her staff into her hands and turning to face the standoff that had begun.

"I would not advise this, Mindarm." She said to Maripi seriously. "You're outmatched, and your comrade is injured."

IC: "Of course, of course." Somei cooperated as fully as she could; with any luck (though the day was short on it, certainly) she would be able to get closer to how Askha and Maripi had inevitably screwed up, and might be able to get them out of trouble. Unlikely, though.

IC: Sydelia's face grew into an expression she knew well from their time together on Hanaloi; a manic grin, with her face turned slightly down from what she was looking at. "You should..." she paused as she inhaled sharply as pain shot through her side, "... run... I'm not worth dealing with her..."

It was too late, though. Sydelia chuckled as she extended her Sighteye towards her former clanmate Maripi. The world changed around her, feeling both stuffy and sweet. Laughter echoed around Maripi as the cobblestones of the street transformed into masks, hideously laughing. Maripi's sword writhed in her grasp, turning into a snake, hissing at its holder

[Oki, Herupa Compound (Shuuan)]

Jiyuu seemed to be occupied with his own thoughts, so I tried to see how far I could spit the mangosteen seeds.

[sado, Aristocratic Quarter (Morie)]
 

Plangori Morie approached the Hogo compound, a package in hand.

[sado, Docks (Yukie)]

As soon as the situation looked like it was under control, Yuki had relaxed, deactivating his mask power and letting his soulsword dissipate.  Now, without the adrenaline pumping through his veins, the twinge in his neck as well as all the bruises he had acquired made themselves known.  With luck, it would take a while before his muscles started to hate him.

He would have liked nothing more than to return to his private quarters and take a long bath, but the navy might want him for questioning.  He leaned on a railing to keep himself upright and waited to see if anyone would come to him.

[Oki, Plangori Compound (Akiyo)]

Akiyo nodded, her wistful look turning to one of slight mischief.  

“I think my cousins will find that satisfactory enough,” she said to Kulrik’s back.  “Good night, first son Kulrik.”

----

As the pair left Akiyo’s room, they were met by a dashi maid, who bowed and motioned for them to follow her.  The rooms she showed them to were as spartan as the decore suggested, but clean and comfortable.  Seigyo had the smaller room, connected to Kulrik’s by a sliding screen.  The floor was bamboo, as most were here--the woven mats popular in other parts of the islands would mold easily in the jungle.

The dashi placed a variety of cushions in the rooms for the pair to sit on as they wished.  Later she came back with a small collection of books, which she explained were at the courtesy of Lady Akiyo.  She also assured them that should they wish to sleep, bedding would be brought.  Then she left the two of them to amuse themselves as they saw fit.

She returned for them some hours later, announcing that dinner was now prepared.

As Akiyo had said, there were two guards posted outside the door.  Their eyes followed the pair.  Inside a small table was set beside the door, along with a cushion for sitting.

“I have had a meal prepared for your protector as well, Kulrik,” Akiyo said from her seat at the larger table.  She motioned for Kulrik to sit across from her.

It was clear the Plangori cooks had not been slacking.  The centerpiece of the meal was a large river fish, steamed and wrapped in citrus leaves.  It was accompanied with warm bean curd, and variety of vegetables, some cooked and others clearly pickled and strong smelling.  Off to the side, a covered stone bowl held a bubbling, spicy-smelling liquid full of mushrooms and meat.  There was not, as far as Kulrik saw, any sashimi or other cooking found in the more coastal cities, although there was a mysterious square of gelatinous material among the side dishes.

“Well, shall we eat?”

[Odaiba, Inside Ageru Lands (Hatchi)]

The two of them, the Menti and the merchant, road side by side drinking their tea.

“How much further do you think?”  Hatchi asked her companion.  Even with the tea (which she had had far too much of in the past few days) the weariness of the road was starting to soak into her bones.  The evening chill didn’t help.

IC:

"Would you have preferred an in-your-face betrayal?" Inokio asked caustically. The Battlemaster had taken to rowing well, with the practiced arm movements of a swordsman. The motions seemed to settle him somewhat, and for a while his demeanor even seemed to grow politer as he fell into a peaceful, steady rhythm alongside Masayoshi. In the empty night, with only water on three sides, Kozu would have looked as much like paradise as Karzahni. It was stability in a world that had fallen very, very far from Inokio Korae's control in a very short time. His tired heart sang underneath bruised bones.

The feeling made him bullish again.

"You hold no love for the Empire, secretary, but it has always been a necessity for our society. It has been perishing before my eyes my whole life. The Fursics offered a future - for myself, aye, but for all our culture. What about you? You loathed Yumiwa, that's well known - maybe you would have preferred little Desde on the throne? How would you felt, watching her get married to some man who only loves the throne? Satisfied? Would that have been according to plan? What about childbirth? Yumi used to call her the bamboo princess, you know. She can barely stand up in the breeze, she has no chance in a birthing bed. And even if by some miracle she survived, she probably has no idea how to be a mother. Zuto Nui only knows Yusanora didn't give her much to emul-AIEE!"

Masayoshi's oar had driven back hard into his diaphragm, robbing the wind from his final jeers. Doubled over, oar gripped in his hands as if he would break it, the Battlemaster seethed.

"Look at you. Blind emotion, literally, and barely restrained. The Empire may well have been doomed all our lives, woman, you may be right on that count. But the Dasaka would have been doomed if nothing changed. I was the only one doing something about it. With the future in your hands, the Empire would have fallen in a generation, and our species in maybe five. There is nothing I would not have done in order to prevent that. My methods will never seem just to you, but if one of us dies here, Umbraline Masayoshi, I want you to know that I will never apologize for them. I took the lives of all Dasaka ever born, and all those yet unborn, into my hands while you and yours coddled vapid little girls. You will never take that away from me. And whether your beloved little tower freak is a traitor to her family, a prisoner of war, or a skeleton on the beach, she will never take that from me, either."

Inokio caught his breath and nursed his ribs with a hand as the boat ran aground on a sand bar. Underneath his skin, his bones were still swaying peacefully.

The boat rocked on the tide.

-Tyler

IC:

"Yes we shall."

To Kulrik, the Plangori culture was entered around misdirection. He had expected a decadent and ostentatious home for the clan that produced the finest dyes and clothes in the Empire, but had instead found one that was much more... utilitarian? Was that the word?  Probably not, but it was close enough. There was Yukie, the First son that wasn't.

And there was Shuuan, whose looks certainly hadn't matched his expectations for a clan that provided beauty to the the rest of the Archipelago. And more strangely was the annoying way thoughts of her had of creeping to the back of Kulrik's mind, no matter where he was. Hopefully this dinner would do the trick.

Right, dinner. Kulrik had thought the food might be a little spartan and plain, in keeping with the local architecture, but instead it was ample and ravishing, if the smell was any indication. And the First Son's dinner companion brought the whole scene together. Kulrik wouldn't mind spending the next few hours staring into those eyes.

Kulrik put a few of the vegetables and a small portion of the fish on his plate. Taking a small bite of it, his mouth was filled with savoury, sweet flavour.

"This is delicious, Akiyo. If your clan ever decides to branch out in terms of business, cooking seems like a safe bet."

He scooped a portion of the of mystery gelatinous food onto his plate. 

"So what kind of business keeps the most beautiful daughter of the Plangori busy on a day like today?"

IC:

"The thing is, Korae, I don't have to take anything from you." I forced myself to take some measured breaths and use my oar for rowing, not for beating the disgraced Battlemaster to death. Pretty tempting thought. I can see where he's coming from, what motivated him to do what he did even if I didn't see it the same way he did. In his own twisted way he cared. "I don't even have to make you see what you did. You never will. You're an extremist, and you believe you did the right thing. Nothing can shake that kind of belief."

"But you are a coward, ultimately. Spouting your justifications to try and make me see why you did it. Working with me because, at the end of the day, you value your own hide more than your lofty 'goals'." My voice dropped lower, anger replaced by cool, sharp steel. Borrowed from my ward, in more ways than he knew. "Because when it came down to it you spilled every secret they gave you rather than face the threat of death. And now you're helping me get onto the island because it's the only way you get out alive."

"You're prideful, Korae. It's where all of this stems from. You're a coward because you put more value in your own life than anyone else's, and you made your choice because you believe you knew better than anyone else. It's your fatal flaw. You are completely incapable of seeing a view other than your own, of seeing that perhaps people don't think the way they think you do. You're not unique in that. The Empire's traditionalists all believe people think the same way they do. That everyone will make the mistakes they did." I kept rowing, not bothering to keep the contempt off my face. He wasn't, so neither would I. "Maybe the Empire would have been doomed no matter who we put on the throne."

"But that wasn't your call to make. You took an entire civilization into your hands, that's true. But that wasn't your right. You display an arrogance unmatched in even the most self-serving of nobles, of the most egotistical Roras, in believing that you alone above anyone else knew what the right choice was. You stole the right of an entire people to determine their own fate, something no Rora has ever been able to do." I jabbed a finger in his direction, unable to help it. "You're arrogant. I put my faith in people. Yumiwa is incapable of ruling, and Desdemona is unable to have an heir. Those are both true. The Dastana have created a government the Dasaka deserve. That's true."

"But that transition never had to happen this way. The Empre was failing, but the people knew that. People that could have guided us all into a peaceful change. United us, not torn us apart. We've lost that chance. Not because of Yusanora. Not because of Yumiwa. Because you, and people like you, that chance away in your blind arrogance."

IC: Robalta and Raiyo had made their way to the edges of Sado. The journey was made in silence. Raiyo's enthusiasm for their little trip had been slashed to ribbens, stomped into the ground, and drowned in sewage. She wanted to go home, to the Vilda compound. She wanted to go back to serving tea, making beds, tending the gardens. She wanted a shower.

"So," Raiyo croaked, "What now? I don't think those mercenaries will stay quiet as to whose orders they were following. No matter how loyal they might be, they weren't paid. They'll probably sing like birds to get out of trouble."

IC: Maripi - Sado

I grit my teeth. I doubt that this could have gone much worse, I think bitterly. But Askha is at knife-point, and I'm outmatched. Time to call it a day, I think. Relisai could have paid handsomely, but it seems there isn't much chance of that now. If I refuse, I doubt I'm getting out of this with my freedom, or even my life. And anyway, why would I refuse? The only allegiance I have to Relisai is her gold. And no, I didn't side with her because she fights for freedom, or anything so fanciful. I'm not an idealist, I'm a realist - and I know when I've lost.

"Very well." I say stubbornly. I lower my telekinetic hand resolutely. I'm defeated,  but I don't care. As long as I can work out a way to avoid imprisonment, then in fact I couldn't care less. I don't usually do the talking, but Askha seems a little occupied. I'll have to give it a go, I suppose. "Our employer may have...misled us. I was never under the impression that we were fighting against the very will of the empire." I speak in a measured voice. I pause. No, I'm not going to say 'You have my apologies', because I'm not in the business of lying. But my posture does suggest defeat.

Then there's the matter of my possessions. but that can come later. First I need to ensure that there is a later. What would be the best strategy? I could try to convince these Imperials that we could be an asset to them. I would hate to have to do that. But maybe I'll just have to, and keep reminding myself that it's just an act. As long as I do that, maybe I can live with having negotiated with the military scum of the Empire. And it's not like I haven't done this before. It's just rare for me to negotiate at all. I've decided, then. I talk: "Me and my fellow clan-member would be indebted to you if--"

Then it happens.

My words fade as my throat dries up. I cough, the air feeling thick and syrupy. My mind clouds over, and I lose all purpose. The world around me twists and writhes, faces leering from every surface. They laugh horrifically, screeching piercingly and chuckling darkly. They fill my vision, jaws snapping at me. I drop to my knees, clutching my head as snakes writhe around me. Their faces are Kanohi too, grinning at me morbidly. They weigh me down, suffocating me. I don't scream or shout. I just try to fight them with all my strength. But I know I can't win.

Or maybe I can. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel - if only I have the will to battle my way there. I can feel my power building once again inside me, pulsing through my veins and nearing my fingertips. If it can be released, I think I can rip apart these horrors. I'll be free then. I just have to focus on that.

I just...have to...reach...the...light--

IC:

Robalta sighed in response to Raiyo's words. The Vilda Datsue felt guilty for what had happened today, and especially for having put Raiyo through all everything that day. Robalta had just wanted to show the handmaiden what the capital of the Empire was like, have a taste of the finer things things in the Archipelago. Instead, what had happened? Brawling in the streets, sword fights in the sewers, Raiyo putting her life in danger countless times.

The Datuse prayed to Zuto-Nui that Relisai had managed to escape. If not, the day had been for nothing. 

"You're right, my dear. Those mercenaries are the last of the Mashtet, they'll do whatever they need to to survive and we can hardly blame them. Let's just hope my sister was able to get away and is on a boat back to Oki."

Robalta raised a hand to her brow, blocking the evening sun's glare. She saw a fishing boat was passing nearby. She waved for it approach them.

"Whatever happens, you and I probably won't be able to leave our home in Castle Vilda for a while, certainly not to step foot on Sado, not until our clan has settled this affair with the Empress. If Relisai did escape, maybe thing's won't be so bad. But if she was recaptured, and can't end the misunderstanding with Yumiwah soon... things are going to be changing for the Vilda. A council is going to have to be called."

She smiled weakly for Raiyo. Robalta wanted to appear optimistic, but she couldn't quite manage it.

"I've got enough coin for us to return to Oki. Let's hurry back, before this Empire changes any more."

IC:

Inokio scoffed with as much breath as his beleagured lungs would allow, sitting up straighter and glowering at Masayoshi. The woman had spirit, to be sure...and had no dearth of love for lost causes. That much was plain in the way she defended the very institution she had grown to loathe over the course of her wasted life. But...

"So why, then?" the warrior-poet challenged angrily. "Why stay the course, if the chance has passed us by? At what point is it okay to fight back, or to just--just give up?"

"Because if we're past the point of no return, then all that still matters is if we did the right thing."

The two left the doomed boat, and what remained of Inokio's dignity, behind under the cover of night. He had no rebuttal. No time for such brazen idealism, sanctimony from the mouth of one who had suffered so much through her life. She and the other princess and Rayuke, the great musclebound gorilla...all daring to believe that things would change without inertia, all victims to the old cliche about the definition of insanity, all so reliant on each other for comfort, as if comfort was something to be enjoyed while the world around them crumbled--

"You mustn't forget to check what's directly around you. An example of this philosophy, and one which would benefit you in court, is to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, that way you can watch them more intently than anything. Awareness of this first circle is more important than anything."

"So... I failed."

"No, you failed the test. You learned something today, yes? Then you succeeded in the lesson. There is nothing to be ashamed of -- you improved, and that is what matters."

The girls had always ignored his advice, both of them! Improvement of a sure thing had slight advantages over establishing a whole new foundation, a rickety foundation, but the Dasaka had needed a show of strength from their Empire. Raw, raw strength.

He looked back to Masayoshi. Under the night sky, and through a film in the surly Battlemaster's eyes (the prodigal warrior [on a woman's leash {so defeated!} yet again] fought back angry tears [yet again] Masayoshi's face blurred and transformed - but her new face was no more pleasing to his savage, wounded heart than the first.

"Coyness will do you no favours here. Do you remember what men strive to be?"

"We strive to wrest ourselves from Zataka, to escape the abyss of youth and climb towards the sky. We strive towards wisdom and greatness, an evolution of strength into discipline for Power so that we may be ascended warriors of Zuto Nui, ma'am."

"And do you think you can ever escape the darkness of the sea by remaining opaque?"

"No, ma'am."

The children often wondered where he had learned to weave words so effectively. The answer, like many of its ilk, lay in childhood. Inokio had often searched for answers of his own there, and had always - always! - returned to the same one.

"I delight in conflict. In proving myself to my enemies and showing them what it is like to know fear."

"So you relish in shows of your strength, in aggression."

"Only a child can be mislead by the allure of strength, but I'm not just a child anymore, ma'am—I am a Menti. I fight for a purpose. You asked what delights me and I answered truthfully, and I've learned there is nothing beautiful in raw strength. Strength falls victim to deception, and when pillars fall my enemies understand the fear i give them."

"Only a child..." murmured Korae Inokio under his breath. For once, the blind woman was deaf as well.

"You are a black child."

IC:

Pain. There are no words that can do justice to the magnitude of the feedback surging through my nerves, threatening to send my brain melting out of my ears. That's how it felt. Like the fire surging through my mind would actually melt my brain, and leave it to steadily drip out onto the shore. Inokio collapsed. I can tell, even though the pain is so intense I can barely process what my Arthron tells me. I can tell more because I heard the impact, echoing over and over again, than because I could 'see' it happen. He cursed, too, but I don't have the strength to deal with that.

It doesn't matter, either.

The echo in my perception is unmistakable. Desdemona is alive. And she's in pain.

I need to move, but I can only manage one agonizingly slow, unsteady step at a time. My Arthron is useless in such a state, making me truly blind. It only takes two steps for my foot to catch, maybe some driftwood, maybe a rock, and send me toppling into the sand. It was warm, almost comfy; the pain of impact was nothing compared to the migraine surging through my skull. It would have been so much easier to lay there, lay there and wait for the pain to pass. But if it did then the Chojo herself had passed. There wasn't much time, and there would be no respite. I need to move. I need to move. Pain is physical, a weakness of my body, a sensory barrage to cripple me.

I'm not good at staying crippled.

Des is prodigiously strong, and she's already inside my head. I'm no Willhammer. If she was focusing on me I wouldn't stand a chance. My brain would melt out my ears, and it'd do it before I even had a chance to blink. But she's not. This is a broadcast, this is desperation, indiscriminate and blind. And brute force I can handle. It starts with my breathing, forcing the shallow, ragged breaths into a steady series of deep breaths. The onslaught doesn't stop, but I remember who I am. I remember what I am. Why I'm here. I can think, The mind is stronger than the body, and even though my mind isn't completely my own, I can exert its influence. Eliminating the pain is impossible. It's too overwhelming, like trying to push back a hurricane. There's no force on this plane strong enough to stop it, and if you try, you'll only get yourself killed.

But you can shelter yourself. Weather it out, And at the epicenter, the eye of the storm, it's calm. And that I can do. Retreat inwards, pull myself back to a core of Masayoshi, My thoughts. My will. My goal. The pain is unending, looping over and over, but I can think. I am a Menti of the Empire, assistant to the Lord Rayuke, guardian of the Crown Princess and her family, and if I can think then I can fight.

Getting onto my feet is first, and it's slow going. But accelerating. Every thought comes a little easier, every movement a little smoother. As though I'm becoming numb, Moving only makes me feel worse, but I can endure that much. And I would endure more before this was through. My 'eyes' came next, my Arthron's input becoming sensible again while my wits return. I'm on my feet, I can see where I'm going, and my charge is alive.

But in pain. And for that my enemies will suffer a thousand times what I feel.

I draw my sword, the sound of crystal on crystal music to my ears as it slides easily from my cane. I tossed the sheath aside instantly, reaching around and using my off hand to draw the short sword I keep at the small of my back. This is not politics, this is an assault; I need not pretend to need my cane. Nor will any of the survivors believe it when I'm done. I'm advancing, now, surefooted and swift. I can't help Inokio. I'm no Willhammer, so he'll have to recover on his own. If he can. Which makes this very, very simple. Me against them.

Crystal scrapes softly against the same, four blades pulling out of their sheathes of their own accord, They float ominously over my shoulders and beside my frame, flanking me like old allies. Like instruments of vengeance, ready to aid me in reaching my goal. I don't know where I can find the strength. Keeping myself together, keeping my senses intact, and utilizing my discipline; my mind feels as though it's about to give, but still I'm going. I can't do anything else. I feel the strain, even through the walls I've put up to keep my sanity intact, but I don't have the luxury of waiting to recover.

The pain spikes when the fourth blade drew itself, threatening to boil my nervous system inside my skin. It repeats, repeats, repeats, repeats  i t  h u r t s  s o  m u c h, repeats, repeats, my blood  b o i l i n g, and I feel  r e d  d r i p-

Weather it.

"Pull yourself together, Korae." I rasp out, stalking towards the lion's den without waiting for a response. "Or do you want to be the Battlemaster outdone by a cripple?"

"We have a Chojo to save, and many, many Fursics to kill."