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<blockquote data-quote="Delemental" data-source="post: 5003595" data-attributes="member: 5203"><p>Ghost emerged from his tent at what he thought was an unseemly early hour, only to find Lear waiting for him, fully dressed and packed. Ghost saw that a number of the small gold and orichalcum objects he had found among Lear’s possessions now festooned the Twilight. He also bore a monocle on his right eye, which appeared to have grafted itself to his temple.</p><p></p><p> “Are you ready?” Lear asked.</p><p></p><p> “A moment, please.” Ghost went about pulling on his boots and grabbing a quick bite of his trail rations, washing it down with a quick swallow of watered-down wine. “So,” he said while chewing, “what are all those things for? Should I be looking for similar objects?”</p><p></p><p> “Most of these are keys to enter some of the buildings I have already explored,” Lear explained. “I have found it useful to have several places to hide from the patrolling automata. The monocle I found in Denandsor as well, and it allows me to see Essence flows – that is how I knew you were a Solar. I have found a few such interesting objects inside.”</p><p></p><p> “I believe that is the objective for everyone who comes here,” Ghost joked.</p><p></p><p> “Yes, but it helps to be able to distinguish a chunk of gold with Old Tongue markings on it from the orichalcum control mechanism for an automated guardian, even though they may appear physically identical.”</p><p></p><p> They walked for half an hour before reaching the walls of Denandsor. Roots and vines crawled all over the white stone walls, though none looked sturdy enough to climb. Lear led them to the northwestern gate.</p><p></p><p> “I prefer to enter here,” he explained. “It is the least observed of all the entrances, and I prefer my explorations go unnoticed.” </p><p></p><p> In the midst of the gate was mounted a circular disk of stone. Lear stepped forward and touched the center of the stone with a finger. “This will take a few moments,” he said. “Keep your eyes open.”</p><p></p><p> As Lear concentrated, Ghost could hear something moving inside the door, which sounded like huge tumblers spinning. After about thirty seconds, there was a click, and the gate slid open.</p><p></p><p> “Inside, quickly,” Lear said.</p><p></p><p> The full weight of Denandsor’s curse hit Ghost the moment he stepped through. His breath came in shallow gasps as he was overwhelmed by a feeling of terror. His heart pounding, it was all Ghost could do to focus his thoughts. At last, he focused on imagining himself being hailed as the first being in Creation to conquer the cursed city of Denandsor, the first to steal its greatest secrets…</p><p></p><p> A few moments later, he calmed, and was able to open his eyes and look around. The forest growth that surrounded the city had penetrated inside as well, and Ghost could see plants and tree roots everywhere. But underneath, Ghost could see the exquisite construction; windows still held panes of glass, and the flagstones in the street, though they had been dislodged by protruding roots, had not broken. Ghost could see glimpses of jade, orichalcum, and other rare materials used everywhere in the construction.</p><p></p><p> “You did well for your first time,” Lear said. “But the curse will assault your mind constantly. You must be vigilant.” He looked around to make sure no one was nearby, and then shouldered his pack. “Come. We will head east, and then south to reach the part of the city you wish to explore. I am not certain how close we will be able to get, as I fear the defenses will be more formidable.”</p><p></p><p> Ghost nodded, and his caste mark flared to life as he prepared some of his Charms in case he had to move quickly. Lear looked at him, and then said, “Though I do not think the exposure of your caste mark will cause problems here, I suggest you take care not to allow your anima to become visible outside the walls. If we need to retreat, it could prove problematic.”</p><p></p><p> They walked along what looked to have been a small road, used mostly for foot traffic, which paralleled one of the main avenues. Even in this back alley, Ghost marveled at the buildings he saw. A few times Lear held up his hand to stop Ghost, and after peering around for a few moments, they continued on their way.</p><p></p><p> When they had crossed roughly half of the city, Ghost heard a strange noise behind them, coming from a crossroad to their left. It sounded like several large crystals moving around, chiming as they contacted each other. Ghost estimated the sounds were about thirty yards away, and approaching slowly. He looked at Lear, who appeared not to have noticed.</p><p></p><p> “Lear, I can hear the sound of what I believe are many large, chiming crystals coming this way from over there.”</p><p></p><p> “Oh!” Lear said, excitement on his face. “The crystal guardians! Those are most interesting. I theorize that…” Lear suddenly trailed off, and his face turned from glee to concern. “Oh. We should probably hide.”</p><p></p><p> They ran over to a nearby doorway, crouching in the entry as Lear surveyed the many objects in his pockets and belts. “Damn,” he said quietly, “I do not have a key for this door.”</p><p></p><p> Hearing the chiming sound drawing closer, Ghost looked around frantically for another hiding place. Unfortunately, the section of the city they were in held few other doorways, and those he could see were too far away. He cast a glance at the door at their backs, to take a guess at how difficult it would be to break through. But then he saw the symbol etched on the door; a spider monkey, overlaid with the image of a spider. A sudden twinge of ancient memory intruded into his consciousness.</p><p></p><p> “The gods of luck must love me,” Ghost whispered. He slapped his palm on the center of the symbol, and forced a small amount of his Essence into the stone. The door slid open, and Ghost and Lear tumbled into the pitch-black room, the stone door sliding shut silently behind them.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">۞</p><p></p><p> Zanka awoke late the next morning, and set about leisurely preparing for her breakfast with Ramba at noon. She had been advised by the Solar merchant on the many diversions that Great Forks offered, and had opted to attend a play, feeling that most of the other forms of entertainment offered were more of Ghost’s forte.</p><p></p><p> The play she had attended was a classic within Great Forks, so much so that although the performance was excellent, the theater was sparsely attended, with most of the audience being visitors like herself. It was the tale of the founding of the city, how the gods Spinner of Glorious Tales, Weaver of Dreams of Victory, and Shield of a Different Day had come together to defeat the Deathlord known as Princess Magnificent With Lips of Coral and Robes of Black Feathers. Zanka delighted at the thought of a story being the weapon that defeated such a potent menace to Creation, and also knew that familiarity with the city’s most basic myth would help her acclimate to the culture more quickly.</p><p></p><p> She arrived at the inn where Ramba was staying just a few minutes before noon. She wore a light, elegant dress which matched the local style, and had chosen to wear the moonsilver and white jade stole that Ghost had given her. She was shown to a private dining chamber, where a large repast of various meats, cheeses, and tree fruits were arranged on platters. Ramba sat facing the curtained entry, and the chair facing away was clearly occupied by someone else.</p><p></p><p> “Good morning,” Ramba said, rising slightly as Zanka entered. “You are a little early. My companion was just preparing to leave before her next appointment. Zanka Odokari, may I introduce you to Quon Qi Xi, a popular courtesan in this city.”</p><p></p><p> “A pleasure to meet you, Quon Qi Xi,” Zanka said.</p><p></p><p> Pearlescent Lotus Whispers’ head peered around the side of the high-backed chair. “How lovely to make your acquaintance, Zanka,” she said.</p><p></p><p> Zanka’s expression did not falter. “You have exquisite taste, Ramba.”</p><p></p><p> “I know.” He grinned as he looked at both Zanka and ‘Quon’. “In my profession, one must be a good judge of merchandise. Not that either of you are merchandise, of course.”</p><p></p><p> “But of course I am,” Quon replied. “But I must be on my way.” She rose, and after bowing to both Ramba and Zanka, she departed. As she brushed by Zanka, the Eclipse felt the courtesan slip something into a pocket.</p><p></p><p> Zanka took Pearl’s chair once clean dishes were laid out. She took a sampling of some fruit as Ramba continued.</p><p></p><p> “I am afraid I cannot entertain you as long as I would like. We are setting sail for Nexus this afternoon. I need to pick up a load of slaves to bring back here to Great Forks.”</p><p></p><p> “I see.” Zanka could not help but feel disappointment at this news. She hated the slave trade, having almost become a victim of it herself. “At least they are well treated here.”</p><p></p><p> “Which is why I make a point of buying slaves from there and bringing them here,” Ramba said. “The profit is terrible, but at least they will have a better life than most slaves. And I enjoy the feeling of beating the Guild at their own game in their own domain.”</p><p></p><p> “I think some of my companions would agree with your philosophy,” Zanka admitted. “But if you are leaving this afternoon, does this mean you will not be able to meet with your contacts in the government?”</p><p></p><p> “I sent a messenger to the Ministries last night,” he said. “He had to be a bit forceful, I’m afraid, but you have an appointment in two days’ time to meet with Erika Rednails, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Other Matters.”</p><p></p><p> “The Ministry of Other Matters?” questioned Zanka.</p><p></p><p> “Great Forks has nine ministries, three each under the auspices of Talespinner, Dreamweaver, and Dayshield. The Ministry of Other Matters handles those issues which do not fall under the purview of the other eight. The nine Ministers are the ruling body of Great Forks, under the three gods themselves, of course.”</p><p></p><p> “I see. What can you tell me about this Erika Rednails?”</p><p></p><p> “She is very ambitious, as many bureaucrats are. She believes that taking over the job of her superior, Minister Vandereth Senzak, will be the key to greater power in the city. Unfortunately for her, the Ministry of Other Matters is commonly the destination for those officials who are seen as… less than useful. Now, Minister Vandereth himself, despite the reputation of his ministry, appears to be genuinely interested in the welfare of the city and in doing his job well. Were you able to meet with him, I feel fairly certain that your information about this plague and its cure would soon reach Vandereth’s superior, Talespinner. In Erika’s hands, I fear that it will be set aside for use as a future bargaining chip.”</p><p></p><p> “That is not the intention that my friend Ayama had when she entrusted this mission to me,” Zanka said.</p><p></p><p> “I am afraid that I did not have the time to arrange to get you any higher in the bureaucracy,” Ramba admitted. “I will trust that you have the skill to surmount this obstacle. Another tactic you may consider is a direct appeal to one of the ruling gods. They may respond to a prayer directed to one of them, though in all fairness I should warn you that they receive a large number of prayers in this city, and so yours would have to be particularly noticeable.”</p><p></p><p> “I will consider that option.” Zanka took a bite from a large, reddish pear, and then dabbed her mouth with a napkin. “You have been a wealth of helpful information.”</p><p></p><p> “I like to know about the places I do business in,” he explained. “It helps to know how things work, who you can trust, how things can get done, who you can swindle.” He chuckled for a moment. “That reminds me of something rather outrageous I did a few months ago in Gem.”</p><p></p><p> “Oh, do tell.”</p><p></p><p> “Through some rather clever arrangements, I was able to corner the market on the year’s supply of firedust from Gem. I then approached the House Cathak and offered to sell it all to them – at double the market price. They agreed, of course – even at such a price, they would be fools to pass up a chance to get their hands on that much firedust. However, I then approached the leaders of Gem, and offered to sell most of their product back to them, at slightly less than market price, plus five percent of their profits. They, of course, were more than happy with these terms. I then took what firedust I had left, mixed it with sand and ash, and sold it to the Cathaks. They, in turn, resold it to other Houses, who are now quite irritated with House Cathak for being sold an inferior product. Those other Houses then returned to Gem to buy their firedust, which of course was now much more expensive. And I left Gem, many jade talents richer.”</p><p></p><p> “That is quite an impressive exploit.” Zanka studied Ramba for a moment. “I admit I have been unable to guess what caste you might belong to. I would guess you are not a Crowned Sun like myself, else you would not have been taken off guard by my sanctification of our agreement.”</p><p></p><p> “I am someone who can sell anyone to anything, and make a profit,” Ramba said. “The auspice of our Second Breath, I believe, is a polite suggestion at best. We all have our own natural talents, and this has always been mine. Truth be told, I did not use any Solar abilities in arranging the deal in Gem that swindled the Realm, as at the time I was not a Solar. My Exaltation came upon me at the end of that deal, which was unfortunate, really. It forced me to leave town rather more quickly than I had hoped, and it is difficult to carry sixteen talents of jade on your back out into the desert. I had to settle for one, and hid the rest.”</p><p></p><p> “Now I am even more impressed. For a mortal to execute such a grand deception…”</p><p></p><p> Ramba smiled. “There is little point in doing things on a small scale. It is all a game, after all; the money just helps you determine who is winning.”</p><p></p><p> “A philosophy that Ghost shares, I think,” Zanka replied.</p><p></p><p> “Ghost?”</p><p></p><p> “A friend.”</p><p></p><p> “Would that friend be Resplendent Ghost of Midnight?”</p><p></p><p> “You know of him?” Zanka was genuinely surprised.</p><p></p><p> “His name has been circulating up and down the coast of the Inland Sea,” Ramba said. “Lady Ragara Mmemon Luana, the lady whose house he visited… and whose property I believe you are currently wearing, is offering his head’s weight in jade to whoever brings Resplendent Ghost of Midnight to her, whether that head is still attached or not.”</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">۞</p><p></p><p> Shards of bone and globules of acid sprayed everywhere. Kaliel jumped backward, raising an arm to cover his face. When he lowered his arm, he realized that his leap had carried him much farther up into the air than he had expected – and he was still rising.</p><p></p><p> He shot past another large branch, several yards above where he had been standing, and his ascent stopped. He came to a landing on the higher branch, which was smaller than the one below but still almost five yards across. As he feet touched the surface, he felt something unhook for the back of his armor, and saw a black chain rising up swiftly into the canopy above.</p><p></p><p> A few yards away, a figure descended, clinging to the same length of chain. She was a woman, tall and statuesque, with flowing reddish-brown hair. She was nearly nude, dressed only in a few straps of leather and pieces of metal that looked as though they had been bolted to her flesh. The woman landed lightly on her feet, and the chain coiled around her arms. She assumed a martial posture.</p><p></p><p> “You, I think, will be a challenge,” she said, giving him a lascivious look. “That is good. I have not enjoyed such a thing in a long time.”</p><p></p><p> Kaliel regarded the woman and the metal that pierced her flesh. “That looks like it hurts.”</p><p></p><p> “Oh, yes,” she purred. “It does.” She took a step closer.</p><p></p><p> Kaliel brought his tetsubo forward. “I do not think you want to do this.”</p><p></p><p> “Oh, yes,” she moaned. “I do.” She began to walk more deliberately toward Kaliel. “I am Nine Wounds Laughing.”</p><p></p><p> “I am the Auric Lion,” Kaliel replied. “Prepare for your tenth and final wound.”</p><p></p><p> A tittering laugh was her only reply, and the sudden hardening of her exposed nipples gave tell to her reaction to Kaliel’s threat.</p><p></p><p> Far below, Ayama rose, her ears still ringing. She had quickly channeled Essence into her body when the man had exploded, and the jagged shards of bone had bounced off her skin harmlessly. She looked around, and realized that Kaliel was missing. As she began to look around for him, her attention was drawn by a loud noise, as four huge monstrosities crashed through the foliage as they charged her. They looked like huge, misshapen men who had been stitched together from spare parts, including a third, unusually long arm grafted to their back. Each creature bore a huge axe in its extra limb.</p><p></p><p> Ayama waited for the abominations to approach. When they drew near, Ayama’s eyes swam and her stomach churned from the unholy stench each of them emitted. As they converged and swung their axes over their heads, their bodies pitching forward, Ayama deflected the first blow, and then caught its arm, and when it pulled up, she was carried over its head and out of the way of the other three. As she rose, she caught sight of something small flying at her from the same direction these horrors had come from. Calmly, Ayama simply allowed the momentum of the abomination she had grabbed to carry her out of the projectile’s path. As it sailed by, she realized with horror that the missile was a stillborn baby, still connected to a long umbilical cord, and dripping a vile fluid. The cord went taut, and the foetal child suddenly exploded, much as the tribesman had. Iron-red acid rained upon the four monsters, rolling off their rubbery flesh, and Ayama managed to shield herself behind the bulk of one of them. Looking out through the foliage, Ayama saw a creature lurking in the brush that looked like a morbidly obese dead woman, whose lower jaw had been replaced with a flap of flesh. Something unnatural crawled around inside the woman’s abdomen.</p><p></p><p> Nine Wounds Laughing leapt at Kaliel, her chain wrapping around a branch overhead allowing her to swing at him. As she came close, she twisted, going past Kaliel and attempting to entangle him in the loose end of her chain. As she passed, she emitted some sort of foul black energy from her hands, which crawled up Kaliel’s arms and attempted to force itself down his throat, into his eyes, through his nose. He felt his own Essence rising from within, pushing the necrotic energy out. Kaliel stepped back, and brought his tetsubo around in a spinning arc, wrapping the chain around his own weapon. He then pulled on the tetsubo, jerking Nine Wounds Laughing forward into his range. As she drew near, he saw that a mark had appeared on her forehead – an empty ring, like the Night Caste symbol that Ghost bore, but instead of light, this symbol looked like an ugly bruise, that slowly dripped blood. As he swung his weapon around, he was surprised to realize that the woman had pulled herself even closer, and looked as though she was opening herself up to accept his blow.</p><p></p><p> His tetsubo crashed down into her left shoulder, tearing through bone and sinew until it stopped near her sternum. Nine Wounds Laughing, nearly bent in half, fell off the weapon with a sickening sucking sound. As she rose, however, the wound almost instantly sealed itself up, leaving her without a mark on her body. She skipped a few steps backward, her chain whirling about her body in a dizzying pattern, before suddenly charging forward, lashing out with several feints before unleashing an attack aimed just under Kaliel’s chestplate.</p><p></p><p>The Bronze Tiger responded by grasping his weapon high up on the handle, using his other hand to pivot the tetsubo around as the chain came at him. He planted his weapon into the solid wood of the tree, trapping the end of the chain even as he propelled himself into the air. He sailed over the head of Nine Wounds Laughing, spinning and lashing out with his tetsubo. Nine Wounds Laughing attempted to wrap her chain around Kaliel’s weapon and use the momentum to propel herself out of the way, but she misjudged his speed, and though she avoided his first swing, on the return his weapon landed on her left shoulder again, dislocating it. She shuddered in ecstasy at the impact, and as she danced away, she let out a satisfied sigh as she rotated her arm around, snapping the joint back in place.</p><p></p><p> Ayama landed a short distance away from the four creatures she was fighting, and immediately turned and rushed at them again, not wanting to give the creature in the brush nearby a clear shot at her. She leapt as one of them brought its axe down into the tree, grabbing its wrist and using it as a pivot to suddenly swing around and deliver a flying kick at one of the other creatures. Her attack was deflected as the creature swung about wildly, forcing her to roll away to avoid the heavy blades of the axes. Her righteous fury built up inside her as she whirled and dodged the filthy clawed arms, using her superior speed to constantly place one of the abominations between her and an attacker. Finally, offended by the very presence of the unnatural beasts in Creation, her power flowed out into her body, infusing her with the righteous wrath of the Unconquered Sun.</p><p></p><p> She dove at the nearest creature, jumping up as its axe descended and kicking it in the face. Bone crunched and foul blood sprayed as the creature’s head spun nearly completely around; for a normal creature, it would have been fatal, but for this stitched horror it was more of an inconvenience. She continued her assault, her blows now striking with much greater potency.</p><p></p><p> High in the tree above Ayama’s head, Nine Wounds Laughing deftly avoided Kaliel’s swings, and then whipped her chain in a wide arc, wrapping up Kaliel’s arms against his torso. As she jumped in, landing on his chest, she hooked her ankles inside the chain to support herself, reaching out with her hands to choke the life our of her enemy. Kaliel managed to wrest his arms free at the last moment, and grabbed her hands…</p><p></p><p>[SPECIAL]<em>He was in a large, well-appointed chamber, golden hued and lit from some unseen source. Stars glittered through a huge window behind him. He was in an opulent bed, a beautiful woman under him. They moved together in passion, her golden hair splayed out across bedding spun from the silk of spider-gods. He looked down at his illicit lover, and saw the empty ring of her caste symbol start to glow as she neared the peak of ecstasy. He knew his own Dawn caste mark was shining in unison with hers, and as they reached the moment of release, their animas flared bright, filling the room with light. His lover’s eyes opened at that moment, and caught his own.</em>[/SPECIAL]</p><p></p><p> Kaliel emerged from his dream vision, and saw those same eyes staring back at him, now framed with red-brown hair.</p><p></p><p> Nine Wounds Laughing, who had just emerged from the same memory, suddenly jumped away, the expression on her face a mixture of confusion, anger, fear, and desire.</p><p></p><p> “What trickery is this?” she hissed, unable to look directly at Kaliel due to the intensity of his aura.</p><p></p><p> “Not a trick. A memory.”</p><p></p><p> “No,” she whispered. Her voice quavered, repeating her denial in a growing crescendo. “No. No. No! NO!”</p><p></p><p> She backed away, not even trying to maintain a defensive posture. Then she turned and leapt away, sailing through the air to the branch of a nearby tree. She continued to bound through the forest, until she was swallowed by the darkness. Kaliel watched as she vanished into the forest, and then slowly he turned and walked to the edge of his own branch, looked down for a moment, and silently jumped off.</p><p></p><p> Ayama whipped around until she was behind one of the abominations, and then jumped up, grabbing the wrist of its third arm and forcing it upward, burying the axe into the creature’s skull. She struck with such force that the third arm ripped free, and went spinning off through the air. The other three converged on Ayama, axes slashing through the air, as she climbed up atop the misshapen, bloody creature. She leapt away at the last moment, and three huge axes buried themselves in the creature she had been standing on, chopping it into several large chunks of foul flesh.</p><p></p><p> “Come!” she shouted at the other three. “I will cleanse Creation of your taint!”</p><p></p><p> The entire branch shook as Kaliel descended from above, using the momentum of his fall to augment his blow as his tetsubo crashed down onto the back of one of the hulking constructs. Its spine shattered with a crack that echoed through the dense forest, and the undead creature was nearly split in half. Landing hard, Kaliel turned to advance on the two remaining constructs, when something struck him in the back, spraying a foul-smelling red liquid as it exploded. Kaliel whirled to see small chunks of flesh raining down, and the end of some sort of cord or tentacle receding rapidly into the brush. With a roar, Kaliel charged. He came upon the bloated abomination that had attacked him, and with a shout of rage he slammed the end of his tetsubo into her face, hearing the crunch of bone. He lifted her up bodily on the end of his weapon, carrying the obese body up over his head and slamming it into the ground behind him. The horrifying creature fell apart, acidic blood spraying everywhere and collecting in a pool, which sizzled as it ate into the wood of the tree.</p><p></p><p> A few feet away, Ayama charged at one of the stitched horrors, propelling herself up the folds of its flesh like stairs as she ascended its body. Grabbing its misshapen head, she slammed her knee into its face, shattering it into a pulpy mass. She leapt away as the creature staggered back, whipping around and landing a kick to the ribcage of the other construct.</p><p></p><p> With indecipherable roars of pain and rage, the abominations tried to attack the two Solars. Ayama evaded one blow by skidding through the pools of gore covering the battlefield, sliding out of the creature’s reach and coming to a stop within arm’s reach of Kaliel, who was preparing to meet the charge of the other abomination. As it drew close, he stepped aside, and with a quick spin planted his tetsubo into the back of the creature’s skull. The beast flew several feet through the air, landing in the midst of the pool of acids left by the death of the horrifying pregnant female construct. As the abomination thrashed wildly, the acid melting its flesh, Kaliel came around with his backswing and took the head off the last remaining creature. The body staggered, and then tumbled off the branch, falling into the infinite forest until it could no longer be seen.</p><p></p><p> “Where did you go?” Ayama asked. Kaliel was about to reply, when they both heard the roar of a tiger, not too far off.</p><p></p><p> Standing Oak emerged from the underbrush, backing up toward the two Solars slowly, his bow out and drawn. He fired a glowing arrow into the brush. When he came close, they saw the bright caste mark of a Dawn Solar on his brow.</p><p></p><p> “More are coming,” he said. “Undead, very large. Kringer is leading some of them off on a false trail.”</p><p></p><p> Looking out through the forest, both Ayama and Kaliel could see the movement of several dark shapes converging on them.</p><p></p><p> “It looks like there are a lot of them,” Ayama said.</p><p></p><p> “Not a very fair fight,” Standing Oak replied.</p><p></p><p> “I agree,” Kaliel said, shaking the gore off his tetsubo. “They do not stand a chance.”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Delemental, post: 5003595, member: 5203"] Ghost emerged from his tent at what he thought was an unseemly early hour, only to find Lear waiting for him, fully dressed and packed. Ghost saw that a number of the small gold and orichalcum objects he had found among Lear’s possessions now festooned the Twilight. He also bore a monocle on his right eye, which appeared to have grafted itself to his temple. “Are you ready?” Lear asked. “A moment, please.” Ghost went about pulling on his boots and grabbing a quick bite of his trail rations, washing it down with a quick swallow of watered-down wine. “So,” he said while chewing, “what are all those things for? Should I be looking for similar objects?” “Most of these are keys to enter some of the buildings I have already explored,” Lear explained. “I have found it useful to have several places to hide from the patrolling automata. The monocle I found in Denandsor as well, and it allows me to see Essence flows – that is how I knew you were a Solar. I have found a few such interesting objects inside.” “I believe that is the objective for everyone who comes here,” Ghost joked. “Yes, but it helps to be able to distinguish a chunk of gold with Old Tongue markings on it from the orichalcum control mechanism for an automated guardian, even though they may appear physically identical.” They walked for half an hour before reaching the walls of Denandsor. Roots and vines crawled all over the white stone walls, though none looked sturdy enough to climb. Lear led them to the northwestern gate. “I prefer to enter here,” he explained. “It is the least observed of all the entrances, and I prefer my explorations go unnoticed.” In the midst of the gate was mounted a circular disk of stone. Lear stepped forward and touched the center of the stone with a finger. “This will take a few moments,” he said. “Keep your eyes open.” As Lear concentrated, Ghost could hear something moving inside the door, which sounded like huge tumblers spinning. After about thirty seconds, there was a click, and the gate slid open. “Inside, quickly,” Lear said. The full weight of Denandsor’s curse hit Ghost the moment he stepped through. His breath came in shallow gasps as he was overwhelmed by a feeling of terror. His heart pounding, it was all Ghost could do to focus his thoughts. At last, he focused on imagining himself being hailed as the first being in Creation to conquer the cursed city of Denandsor, the first to steal its greatest secrets… A few moments later, he calmed, and was able to open his eyes and look around. The forest growth that surrounded the city had penetrated inside as well, and Ghost could see plants and tree roots everywhere. But underneath, Ghost could see the exquisite construction; windows still held panes of glass, and the flagstones in the street, though they had been dislodged by protruding roots, had not broken. Ghost could see glimpses of jade, orichalcum, and other rare materials used everywhere in the construction. “You did well for your first time,” Lear said. “But the curse will assault your mind constantly. You must be vigilant.” He looked around to make sure no one was nearby, and then shouldered his pack. “Come. We will head east, and then south to reach the part of the city you wish to explore. I am not certain how close we will be able to get, as I fear the defenses will be more formidable.” Ghost nodded, and his caste mark flared to life as he prepared some of his Charms in case he had to move quickly. Lear looked at him, and then said, “Though I do not think the exposure of your caste mark will cause problems here, I suggest you take care not to allow your anima to become visible outside the walls. If we need to retreat, it could prove problematic.” They walked along what looked to have been a small road, used mostly for foot traffic, which paralleled one of the main avenues. Even in this back alley, Ghost marveled at the buildings he saw. A few times Lear held up his hand to stop Ghost, and after peering around for a few moments, they continued on their way. When they had crossed roughly half of the city, Ghost heard a strange noise behind them, coming from a crossroad to their left. It sounded like several large crystals moving around, chiming as they contacted each other. Ghost estimated the sounds were about thirty yards away, and approaching slowly. He looked at Lear, who appeared not to have noticed. “Lear, I can hear the sound of what I believe are many large, chiming crystals coming this way from over there.” “Oh!” Lear said, excitement on his face. “The crystal guardians! Those are most interesting. I theorize that…” Lear suddenly trailed off, and his face turned from glee to concern. “Oh. We should probably hide.” They ran over to a nearby doorway, crouching in the entry as Lear surveyed the many objects in his pockets and belts. “Damn,” he said quietly, “I do not have a key for this door.” Hearing the chiming sound drawing closer, Ghost looked around frantically for another hiding place. Unfortunately, the section of the city they were in held few other doorways, and those he could see were too far away. He cast a glance at the door at their backs, to take a guess at how difficult it would be to break through. But then he saw the symbol etched on the door; a spider monkey, overlaid with the image of a spider. A sudden twinge of ancient memory intruded into his consciousness. “The gods of luck must love me,” Ghost whispered. He slapped his palm on the center of the symbol, and forced a small amount of his Essence into the stone. The door slid open, and Ghost and Lear tumbled into the pitch-black room, the stone door sliding shut silently behind them. [center]۞[/center] Zanka awoke late the next morning, and set about leisurely preparing for her breakfast with Ramba at noon. She had been advised by the Solar merchant on the many diversions that Great Forks offered, and had opted to attend a play, feeling that most of the other forms of entertainment offered were more of Ghost’s forte. The play she had attended was a classic within Great Forks, so much so that although the performance was excellent, the theater was sparsely attended, with most of the audience being visitors like herself. It was the tale of the founding of the city, how the gods Spinner of Glorious Tales, Weaver of Dreams of Victory, and Shield of a Different Day had come together to defeat the Deathlord known as Princess Magnificent With Lips of Coral and Robes of Black Feathers. Zanka delighted at the thought of a story being the weapon that defeated such a potent menace to Creation, and also knew that familiarity with the city’s most basic myth would help her acclimate to the culture more quickly. She arrived at the inn where Ramba was staying just a few minutes before noon. She wore a light, elegant dress which matched the local style, and had chosen to wear the moonsilver and white jade stole that Ghost had given her. She was shown to a private dining chamber, where a large repast of various meats, cheeses, and tree fruits were arranged on platters. Ramba sat facing the curtained entry, and the chair facing away was clearly occupied by someone else. “Good morning,” Ramba said, rising slightly as Zanka entered. “You are a little early. My companion was just preparing to leave before her next appointment. Zanka Odokari, may I introduce you to Quon Qi Xi, a popular courtesan in this city.” “A pleasure to meet you, Quon Qi Xi,” Zanka said. Pearlescent Lotus Whispers’ head peered around the side of the high-backed chair. “How lovely to make your acquaintance, Zanka,” she said. Zanka’s expression did not falter. “You have exquisite taste, Ramba.” “I know.” He grinned as he looked at both Zanka and ‘Quon’. “In my profession, one must be a good judge of merchandise. Not that either of you are merchandise, of course.” “But of course I am,” Quon replied. “But I must be on my way.” She rose, and after bowing to both Ramba and Zanka, she departed. As she brushed by Zanka, the Eclipse felt the courtesan slip something into a pocket. Zanka took Pearl’s chair once clean dishes were laid out. She took a sampling of some fruit as Ramba continued. “I am afraid I cannot entertain you as long as I would like. We are setting sail for Nexus this afternoon. I need to pick up a load of slaves to bring back here to Great Forks.” “I see.” Zanka could not help but feel disappointment at this news. She hated the slave trade, having almost become a victim of it herself. “At least they are well treated here.” “Which is why I make a point of buying slaves from there and bringing them here,” Ramba said. “The profit is terrible, but at least they will have a better life than most slaves. And I enjoy the feeling of beating the Guild at their own game in their own domain.” “I think some of my companions would agree with your philosophy,” Zanka admitted. “But if you are leaving this afternoon, does this mean you will not be able to meet with your contacts in the government?” “I sent a messenger to the Ministries last night,” he said. “He had to be a bit forceful, I’m afraid, but you have an appointment in two days’ time to meet with Erika Rednails, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Other Matters.” “The Ministry of Other Matters?” questioned Zanka. “Great Forks has nine ministries, three each under the auspices of Talespinner, Dreamweaver, and Dayshield. The Ministry of Other Matters handles those issues which do not fall under the purview of the other eight. The nine Ministers are the ruling body of Great Forks, under the three gods themselves, of course.” “I see. What can you tell me about this Erika Rednails?” “She is very ambitious, as many bureaucrats are. She believes that taking over the job of her superior, Minister Vandereth Senzak, will be the key to greater power in the city. Unfortunately for her, the Ministry of Other Matters is commonly the destination for those officials who are seen as… less than useful. Now, Minister Vandereth himself, despite the reputation of his ministry, appears to be genuinely interested in the welfare of the city and in doing his job well. Were you able to meet with him, I feel fairly certain that your information about this plague and its cure would soon reach Vandereth’s superior, Talespinner. In Erika’s hands, I fear that it will be set aside for use as a future bargaining chip.” “That is not the intention that my friend Ayama had when she entrusted this mission to me,” Zanka said. “I am afraid that I did not have the time to arrange to get you any higher in the bureaucracy,” Ramba admitted. “I will trust that you have the skill to surmount this obstacle. Another tactic you may consider is a direct appeal to one of the ruling gods. They may respond to a prayer directed to one of them, though in all fairness I should warn you that they receive a large number of prayers in this city, and so yours would have to be particularly noticeable.” “I will consider that option.” Zanka took a bite from a large, reddish pear, and then dabbed her mouth with a napkin. “You have been a wealth of helpful information.” “I like to know about the places I do business in,” he explained. “It helps to know how things work, who you can trust, how things can get done, who you can swindle.” He chuckled for a moment. “That reminds me of something rather outrageous I did a few months ago in Gem.” “Oh, do tell.” “Through some rather clever arrangements, I was able to corner the market on the year’s supply of firedust from Gem. I then approached the House Cathak and offered to sell it all to them – at double the market price. They agreed, of course – even at such a price, they would be fools to pass up a chance to get their hands on that much firedust. However, I then approached the leaders of Gem, and offered to sell most of their product back to them, at slightly less than market price, plus five percent of their profits. They, of course, were more than happy with these terms. I then took what firedust I had left, mixed it with sand and ash, and sold it to the Cathaks. They, in turn, resold it to other Houses, who are now quite irritated with House Cathak for being sold an inferior product. Those other Houses then returned to Gem to buy their firedust, which of course was now much more expensive. And I left Gem, many jade talents richer.” “That is quite an impressive exploit.” Zanka studied Ramba for a moment. “I admit I have been unable to guess what caste you might belong to. I would guess you are not a Crowned Sun like myself, else you would not have been taken off guard by my sanctification of our agreement.” “I am someone who can sell anyone to anything, and make a profit,” Ramba said. “The auspice of our Second Breath, I believe, is a polite suggestion at best. We all have our own natural talents, and this has always been mine. Truth be told, I did not use any Solar abilities in arranging the deal in Gem that swindled the Realm, as at the time I was not a Solar. My Exaltation came upon me at the end of that deal, which was unfortunate, really. It forced me to leave town rather more quickly than I had hoped, and it is difficult to carry sixteen talents of jade on your back out into the desert. I had to settle for one, and hid the rest.” “Now I am even more impressed. For a mortal to execute such a grand deception…” Ramba smiled. “There is little point in doing things on a small scale. It is all a game, after all; the money just helps you determine who is winning.” “A philosophy that Ghost shares, I think,” Zanka replied. “Ghost?” “A friend.” “Would that friend be Resplendent Ghost of Midnight?” “You know of him?” Zanka was genuinely surprised. “His name has been circulating up and down the coast of the Inland Sea,” Ramba said. “Lady Ragara Mmemon Luana, the lady whose house he visited… and whose property I believe you are currently wearing, is offering his head’s weight in jade to whoever brings Resplendent Ghost of Midnight to her, whether that head is still attached or not.” [center]۞[/center] Shards of bone and globules of acid sprayed everywhere. Kaliel jumped backward, raising an arm to cover his face. When he lowered his arm, he realized that his leap had carried him much farther up into the air than he had expected – and he was still rising. He shot past another large branch, several yards above where he had been standing, and his ascent stopped. He came to a landing on the higher branch, which was smaller than the one below but still almost five yards across. As he feet touched the surface, he felt something unhook for the back of his armor, and saw a black chain rising up swiftly into the canopy above. A few yards away, a figure descended, clinging to the same length of chain. She was a woman, tall and statuesque, with flowing reddish-brown hair. She was nearly nude, dressed only in a few straps of leather and pieces of metal that looked as though they had been bolted to her flesh. The woman landed lightly on her feet, and the chain coiled around her arms. She assumed a martial posture. “You, I think, will be a challenge,” she said, giving him a lascivious look. “That is good. I have not enjoyed such a thing in a long time.” Kaliel regarded the woman and the metal that pierced her flesh. “That looks like it hurts.” “Oh, yes,” she purred. “It does.” She took a step closer. Kaliel brought his tetsubo forward. “I do not think you want to do this.” “Oh, yes,” she moaned. “I do.” She began to walk more deliberately toward Kaliel. “I am Nine Wounds Laughing.” “I am the Auric Lion,” Kaliel replied. “Prepare for your tenth and final wound.” A tittering laugh was her only reply, and the sudden hardening of her exposed nipples gave tell to her reaction to Kaliel’s threat. Far below, Ayama rose, her ears still ringing. She had quickly channeled Essence into her body when the man had exploded, and the jagged shards of bone had bounced off her skin harmlessly. She looked around, and realized that Kaliel was missing. As she began to look around for him, her attention was drawn by a loud noise, as four huge monstrosities crashed through the foliage as they charged her. They looked like huge, misshapen men who had been stitched together from spare parts, including a third, unusually long arm grafted to their back. Each creature bore a huge axe in its extra limb. Ayama waited for the abominations to approach. When they drew near, Ayama’s eyes swam and her stomach churned from the unholy stench each of them emitted. As they converged and swung their axes over their heads, their bodies pitching forward, Ayama deflected the first blow, and then caught its arm, and when it pulled up, she was carried over its head and out of the way of the other three. As she rose, she caught sight of something small flying at her from the same direction these horrors had come from. Calmly, Ayama simply allowed the momentum of the abomination she had grabbed to carry her out of the projectile’s path. As it sailed by, she realized with horror that the missile was a stillborn baby, still connected to a long umbilical cord, and dripping a vile fluid. The cord went taut, and the foetal child suddenly exploded, much as the tribesman had. Iron-red acid rained upon the four monsters, rolling off their rubbery flesh, and Ayama managed to shield herself behind the bulk of one of them. Looking out through the foliage, Ayama saw a creature lurking in the brush that looked like a morbidly obese dead woman, whose lower jaw had been replaced with a flap of flesh. Something unnatural crawled around inside the woman’s abdomen. Nine Wounds Laughing leapt at Kaliel, her chain wrapping around a branch overhead allowing her to swing at him. As she came close, she twisted, going past Kaliel and attempting to entangle him in the loose end of her chain. As she passed, she emitted some sort of foul black energy from her hands, which crawled up Kaliel’s arms and attempted to force itself down his throat, into his eyes, through his nose. He felt his own Essence rising from within, pushing the necrotic energy out. Kaliel stepped back, and brought his tetsubo around in a spinning arc, wrapping the chain around his own weapon. He then pulled on the tetsubo, jerking Nine Wounds Laughing forward into his range. As she drew near, he saw that a mark had appeared on her forehead – an empty ring, like the Night Caste symbol that Ghost bore, but instead of light, this symbol looked like an ugly bruise, that slowly dripped blood. As he swung his weapon around, he was surprised to realize that the woman had pulled herself even closer, and looked as though she was opening herself up to accept his blow. His tetsubo crashed down into her left shoulder, tearing through bone and sinew until it stopped near her sternum. Nine Wounds Laughing, nearly bent in half, fell off the weapon with a sickening sucking sound. As she rose, however, the wound almost instantly sealed itself up, leaving her without a mark on her body. She skipped a few steps backward, her chain whirling about her body in a dizzying pattern, before suddenly charging forward, lashing out with several feints before unleashing an attack aimed just under Kaliel’s chestplate. The Bronze Tiger responded by grasping his weapon high up on the handle, using his other hand to pivot the tetsubo around as the chain came at him. He planted his weapon into the solid wood of the tree, trapping the end of the chain even as he propelled himself into the air. He sailed over the head of Nine Wounds Laughing, spinning and lashing out with his tetsubo. Nine Wounds Laughing attempted to wrap her chain around Kaliel’s weapon and use the momentum to propel herself out of the way, but she misjudged his speed, and though she avoided his first swing, on the return his weapon landed on her left shoulder again, dislocating it. She shuddered in ecstasy at the impact, and as she danced away, she let out a satisfied sigh as she rotated her arm around, snapping the joint back in place. Ayama landed a short distance away from the four creatures she was fighting, and immediately turned and rushed at them again, not wanting to give the creature in the brush nearby a clear shot at her. She leapt as one of them brought its axe down into the tree, grabbing its wrist and using it as a pivot to suddenly swing around and deliver a flying kick at one of the other creatures. Her attack was deflected as the creature swung about wildly, forcing her to roll away to avoid the heavy blades of the axes. Her righteous fury built up inside her as she whirled and dodged the filthy clawed arms, using her superior speed to constantly place one of the abominations between her and an attacker. Finally, offended by the very presence of the unnatural beasts in Creation, her power flowed out into her body, infusing her with the righteous wrath of the Unconquered Sun. She dove at the nearest creature, jumping up as its axe descended and kicking it in the face. Bone crunched and foul blood sprayed as the creature’s head spun nearly completely around; for a normal creature, it would have been fatal, but for this stitched horror it was more of an inconvenience. She continued her assault, her blows now striking with much greater potency. High in the tree above Ayama’s head, Nine Wounds Laughing deftly avoided Kaliel’s swings, and then whipped her chain in a wide arc, wrapping up Kaliel’s arms against his torso. As she jumped in, landing on his chest, she hooked her ankles inside the chain to support herself, reaching out with her hands to choke the life our of her enemy. Kaliel managed to wrest his arms free at the last moment, and grabbed her hands… [SPECIAL][i]He was in a large, well-appointed chamber, golden hued and lit from some unseen source. Stars glittered through a huge window behind him. He was in an opulent bed, a beautiful woman under him. They moved together in passion, her golden hair splayed out across bedding spun from the silk of spider-gods. He looked down at his illicit lover, and saw the empty ring of her caste symbol start to glow as she neared the peak of ecstasy. He knew his own Dawn caste mark was shining in unison with hers, and as they reached the moment of release, their animas flared bright, filling the room with light. His lover’s eyes opened at that moment, and caught his own.[/i][/SPECIAL] Kaliel emerged from his dream vision, and saw those same eyes staring back at him, now framed with red-brown hair. Nine Wounds Laughing, who had just emerged from the same memory, suddenly jumped away, the expression on her face a mixture of confusion, anger, fear, and desire. “What trickery is this?” she hissed, unable to look directly at Kaliel due to the intensity of his aura. “Not a trick. A memory.” “No,” she whispered. Her voice quavered, repeating her denial in a growing crescendo. “No. No. No! NO!” She backed away, not even trying to maintain a defensive posture. Then she turned and leapt away, sailing through the air to the branch of a nearby tree. She continued to bound through the forest, until she was swallowed by the darkness. Kaliel watched as she vanished into the forest, and then slowly he turned and walked to the edge of his own branch, looked down for a moment, and silently jumped off. Ayama whipped around until she was behind one of the abominations, and then jumped up, grabbing the wrist of its third arm and forcing it upward, burying the axe into the creature’s skull. She struck with such force that the third arm ripped free, and went spinning off through the air. The other three converged on Ayama, axes slashing through the air, as she climbed up atop the misshapen, bloody creature. She leapt away at the last moment, and three huge axes buried themselves in the creature she had been standing on, chopping it into several large chunks of foul flesh. “Come!” she shouted at the other three. “I will cleanse Creation of your taint!” The entire branch shook as Kaliel descended from above, using the momentum of his fall to augment his blow as his tetsubo crashed down onto the back of one of the hulking constructs. Its spine shattered with a crack that echoed through the dense forest, and the undead creature was nearly split in half. Landing hard, Kaliel turned to advance on the two remaining constructs, when something struck him in the back, spraying a foul-smelling red liquid as it exploded. Kaliel whirled to see small chunks of flesh raining down, and the end of some sort of cord or tentacle receding rapidly into the brush. With a roar, Kaliel charged. He came upon the bloated abomination that had attacked him, and with a shout of rage he slammed the end of his tetsubo into her face, hearing the crunch of bone. He lifted her up bodily on the end of his weapon, carrying the obese body up over his head and slamming it into the ground behind him. The horrifying creature fell apart, acidic blood spraying everywhere and collecting in a pool, which sizzled as it ate into the wood of the tree. A few feet away, Ayama charged at one of the stitched horrors, propelling herself up the folds of its flesh like stairs as she ascended its body. Grabbing its misshapen head, she slammed her knee into its face, shattering it into a pulpy mass. She leapt away as the creature staggered back, whipping around and landing a kick to the ribcage of the other construct. With indecipherable roars of pain and rage, the abominations tried to attack the two Solars. Ayama evaded one blow by skidding through the pools of gore covering the battlefield, sliding out of the creature’s reach and coming to a stop within arm’s reach of Kaliel, who was preparing to meet the charge of the other abomination. As it drew close, he stepped aside, and with a quick spin planted his tetsubo into the back of the creature’s skull. The beast flew several feet through the air, landing in the midst of the pool of acids left by the death of the horrifying pregnant female construct. As the abomination thrashed wildly, the acid melting its flesh, Kaliel came around with his backswing and took the head off the last remaining creature. The body staggered, and then tumbled off the branch, falling into the infinite forest until it could no longer be seen. “Where did you go?” Ayama asked. Kaliel was about to reply, when they both heard the roar of a tiger, not too far off. Standing Oak emerged from the underbrush, backing up toward the two Solars slowly, his bow out and drawn. He fired a glowing arrow into the brush. When he came close, they saw the bright caste mark of a Dawn Solar on his brow. “More are coming,” he said. “Undead, very large. Kringer is leading some of them off on a false trail.” Looking out through the forest, both Ayama and Kaliel could see the movement of several dark shapes converging on them. “It looks like there are a lot of them,” Ayama said. “Not a very fair fight,” Standing Oak replied. “I agree,” Kaliel said, shaking the gore off his tetsubo. “They do not stand a chance.” [/QUOTE]
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