Mekhet's Magnificient Seven, Redux

xenoflare

First Post
Interlude - The House Belarus bides its time

Somewhere close

**

The assassins waited, and frowned.

A moment of vague irritation visited them, as they considered how long they have been waiting for their leader’s signal to strike. Doubt fluttered briefly about the worthiness of their leader to undertake this operation – after all, their so-called “leader” has proven his disloyalty more than once to the House over a similar assignment.

There was an audible -plop-, as a small metallic object struck the Haagen River, its passage leaving minute floes of mud-flecked water to ripple forth in a crazily, rapidly splashing dance, the tiny sound accentuated by the drunken tirade of two tired seekers who had lost their faith.

Dark notions, soiled with malice, rippled in a similar fashion across the noisome minds of the assassins. Unspoken accusations of betrayal, mistrustful glances at one another, vehement suspicions of their orders, their superiors, even of each other within their own ranks and most of all, their own wills…

The passage of these tainted thoughts ran roughshod over their hearts, easily outpacing even the whitewater river’s turbulent rush. Their anger and displeasure supped upon themselves, though, and the growing strength of these unwholesome, self-cannibalizing emotions sharpened these darklings’ killer instincts to a greater edge.

Their thoughts turned to profit, of how they could possibly gain from this, and how if this situation was indeed a set-up, how each and every one of them could possibly turn it for their own individual advantage. They thought of the position that would be open if their leader, the much-vaunted "Antoine", was indeed a traitor, and they thought of the potential for their own promotion in the field if such traitor (or traitors? There's always room for more, on the end of my blade...) were to be exposed and duly punished…

Where strife and discord would have lessened the resolve and morale of normal men, these raptors were not normal men, not by any stretch of the imagination or by any charity of the soul.

They were the scourge-slayers of House Belarus, the hell-harriers of Lucian Belarus himself, whose meat and drink were despair and dissolution.

What the House Belarus marks for extinction… the laughing blade of Nerull the Reaper will soon follow.

This time is no different from any other.

Like a hive-mind, the killers dwelled upon their grim thoughts, each aware that every single other one of them was thinking the exact same thing, and like a hive-mind, they acted in concert seamlessly, upon these dark urges.

The assassins waited, and smiled.

**
 
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xenoflare

First Post
Happier times

The Prefecture of Nan Yuan, the Empire of Shou Long

**

The children continued to run, to play, to laugh, and to joke, but even the nigh-inexhaustible energy of the young has to end sometime. The kids stopped, all of them panting like puppies in summer, some clutching their sides in rueful agony as they remembered, too late, the stern admonishments their elders to not strain themselves so soon after mealtime, others flopping down in huge sprawling masses of little toddlers at the river’s edge, washing their sweat-grimed faces and thirst-parched throats eagerly with the emerald water.

One of the more precocious children asked, after rapidly drinking her fill,

“ Big Brother, Big Brother, will you be giving us a ride home later? We’re far too tired to walk home now… and it’s getting late!”

At first glance, it was hard to recognize towards whom this question was directed, for while the crowd of children were composed of boys and girls of varying age, there seemed to be no obvious leader who could claim any form of physical or social seniority, and there was also no steed or carriage to speak of, that could be used to ferry these children home.

A young lad lying on his back, seemingly engrossed in looking at the constellations of stars faintly tracing themselves out in the gossamer pale moonlight of the evening sky, got up and spoke in a vaguely amused, mock-irritable manner. “What? Not again? You children are very lazy, you know… always full of energy to run away from your study of the classics or your chores, but when it comes to going home for your supper, you start getting all soft-limbed and wanting free rides home.”

“Please, Big Brother! Pleaseeeeeee!!! We promise that we’ll go home to do our chores and read our books if you give us a ride back!”

The plaintive squeal of the young girl had been joined by the insistent pleas of the entire crowd of kids.

The boy looked on at his peers, and smiled indulgently… then went back to his prone position, and looked up again at the stars.

“No. Big Brother’s busy, you know… He's got to run back to do his own errands at the Monastery.”

The children looked disappointed for a while, and devilish glee crossed their faces as they thought of new mischief.

“Ok, Big Brother, if you won’t give us a ride back…”

The mass of small bodies suddenly inched closer towards the boy.

“… We’ll tickle you until you do!”

The press gang of kids suddenly pounced upon the solitary stargazer, and they tickled and pinched in the relentless way that only school children can be capable of. Underneath the torrential tide of tickles, muffled gasps of surprise soon gave way to helpless guffaws of laughter.

An old black crow pecked at the ground, 30 paces away, searching for a choice morsel or three, and stopped to gaze impassively at the spectacle. Its avian eyes seemed to betray just a hint of amusement, as if it was somehow aware of the human emotions permeating the situation.

“ Hahahahhaha… You kids… haha… you little fiends… hahahahah! Ok… if I give you an inch…. hahahhaha… you’ll take a yard…”

The children did not deign to stop to consider the accusations of the oppressed.

Perhaps they had learnt too well from the harsh martial laws of the Empire in our dark history of war. The ruthlessly bullied boy thought to himself ruefully. Oh well. Let’s just indulge them. It’s a good thing the Master isn’t here to see this right now…

With a surge of air and sudden flood of crimson light, the boy -changed-. Where a lad of 7 summers once was, a full-grown stalwart of 24 summers stood. Lian Wuhai somersaulted through the crowd of children with some difficulty, taking care not to step on any of them, and landed a little clumsily thirty paces away from the crowd, not noticing and nearly stumbling over the indignantly squawking crow.

It’s definitely a good thing that the Master isn’t here to see this right now.

“Ok, you young bandits, what do you want? A ride? Let’s get going, ok? What do you want to travel by this time?”

The children laughed and applauded, their youthful whims having being satisfied.

“We want to fly, Big Brother! We want you to become the Firebird, so we can rush through the air!”

“Hmmmm….”

The monk scratched his chin, pretended to deliberate on the issue for a while in order to tease the kids, but it is useless to pit the deceit of even a trained telepath against the insight of children who know that they’ve backed a grown-up into a corner.

“… oh, all right. Give me a while…”

With another surge of light and flame, the man concentrated, and –changed- again, transforming into a massive scarlet bird with a pheasant-like head, roc’s wings, and peacock’s tails. The kids laughed in excited delight and clambered onto the titanic beast.

Get on, and hold on tight. Here we go! The Phoenix’s voice passed wordlessly into the thoughts of the children, as it spread its resplendent wings and launched powerfully, gracefully into the sky, with the laughter of the children dancing on the winds in its wake.

The old crow pecked again at the ground, and gave up its search for food, and squawked as it saw the gargantuan bird glide through the air. Spreading its own night-black wings, it seemed to shake its head in faint disapproval, hopped over to a nearby log, and took off as well, blending into the evening sky.

**
 

xenoflare

First Post
-somewhat sheepish post-

Heya guys,

Thanks for reading! Sorry if the previous post about my own character seemed to be longer than the other posts.. i'm not being egotistical (i hope). it's just that i know less about their motivations and backgrounds than i know my own, so i'm just trying to paint more detail into the writing... I don't really have the "feel" of the other PCs just quite yet, so give me a bit more time and i'll work my groove out, k?

Once again, i have no intention to disparage others nor depict my own PC more favourably. Once we get into the swing of things, i'll be able to get down to better characterisation.

And oh yeah, once more to anybody reading this right now.. thanks for reading !

Yours,
shao :eek:
 

neveryours

First Post
One more post of this tantalising tale of morale boosting victories and so toally disheartening pyrrhic victories will put dear shao at the century mark! You go my friend! grins. ;)
 

xenoflare

First Post
oops

sorry for lack of updates these past few days. writer's block. and sorry for uninspired writing, apologies if it's dry and pedantic!

Yours,
shao
 
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xenoflare

First Post
tangling with tengu

10 minutes later, Half Crest Peak's Village, near the Monastery of 4 Dharmas

**

The whoops and squeals of childish joy diffused slowly as the throng of toddlers dispersed and returned home. Lian looked on contentedly and smiled as he imagined the tongue-lashings their parents would give them for having stayed out so late, and the children’s impossibly plaintive and creative excuses. With a sudden pang of emotion, the monk’s thoughts turned homeward.

Father, Mother, I wonder how you are doing now. Please be well! It has been so long since I have last seen you – please forgive this prodigal son’s lack of piety. Elder Brother, Younger Sister, I am very sorry to leave the burden of taking care of our parents to the both of you. It will be the Spring Festival soon – I hope that I will be able to see you again then.

The lengthening shadows cast by the setting sun loomed, heralding the coming of night’s passage and the end of yet another day. The harmonious, clear tones of the bells of the Monastery of 4 Dharmas began to toll through the darkening azure sky, signifying the call for the night praying ceremony.

Oh, I’ll only take a while to teleport home anyway. I’ll just go home to say hello, I’ve been meaning to do that for 3 months now but that business with the Black Mountain Ancient Demon-Spirit and his eunuch warlock collaborators just took all the time out of my hands. The seniors won’t even miss me for a while, the first 10 minutes of evening prayers are always so boring anyway…

The quasi-rebellious thoughts of the young monk were interrupted by the sudden swoosh of 3 very sharp, very quick feather-shaped shuriken that nearly coupled his left foot with the ground in a very painful manner.

“What…? These attacks, they’re in the signature style of Wu-Ya Sifu!”

From a nearby cryptomeria tree, a guttural squawk emerged, a loud cawing sound, not unlike the calls of crows and ravens. Lian turned quickly to the source of that noise and was rewarded for his efforts by having to dodge another fusillade of shuriken.

“Master? Why are you doing this? Where are you?”

Foolish disciple! I have been watching you for so long now! You did not even sense my presence until 3 milliseconds into my second attack! If a devil-tiger-spirit was allowed to come so close to you, it would be soaking its body in the bathing pool of your blood now!

“Sorry, Master...” Lian awkwardly dodged a razor-sharp dart and was knocked off his feet by a sudden forceful bolt of chi.

You’re not yet ripe, my student who revels in folly! Are you so lost in discursive thought, that your awareness is robbed by the bandits of illusion,, that you cannot even concentrate and be part of Akasha? A simple flurrying switch between physical and psychic attacks caught you off-guard – what sort of guardian phoenix are you? I will be the laughing stock of the Spirit Realms when the other 3 hear of this!

The harried acolyte concentrated and let go of his grip on Will in an effort to pierce the shroud of the dimming light, and entered the realm of Akasha, the Universal Mindscape.

“Grrrh... Om! Celestial Eyes of Prajnaparamita, Be Manifest!”

The roaring scream of countless neurons firing in tandem overwhelmed both master and disciple as they met on the chasm-cracked expanse of their combined mental landscapes. As Lian saw the black-swathed figure of his tengu master, he readied a fighting stance to unleash a mental sledgehammer blow that would multiply the force of his strikes by a factor of three.

There! I’ve got you now!

Suddenly, the raven-man issued a commanding mental shout for Lian to halt.

This certainly took you long enough, my puerile child! Cease your attacks! I have invited you here to inform you of an important development, it is much easier to speak here. In the realm of matter, misunderstandings are all too possible. Though I wonder why I bother sometimes, you are so dense that whatever I say will probably be misunderstood anyway…

Lian sighed and let the generated chi dissipate back into the Akasha, and prepared for his Master’s inevitable lecture, and wistfully thought of the children and their excuses.

A chi blast rocked him off his feet again.

You’re distracted! Silly ape! Listen!

Sighing, the monk got up, and listened.

**

2 seconds later, in the Akasha

"I have to do what?" -doubt-

Yes. You have to travel to the lands of the West to aid Master Yang in his search for the One. Between you and him, he’s more incompetent than you are (which is not that rare for a human, as you're my only disciple, and so you're the only human to have the grace of my tutelage, unlike everyone else), so he’ll need your help.

"But Master Yang is the disciple of the Grandmaster of the 3 Cliffs himself, and he’s the direct heir of the secret arts devised by the Thirteenth Generation’s Sect Head! And he’s so well-versed in theology and liturgy, whereas I’m not even a fully ordained monk! I’m just a wood-cutting junior acolyte!"

Bah! What is this foolish pedigree? Are we training dogs here, for exhibiting at country fairs for yokels and bumpkins? Are you saying that my training for you is not good enough to match up with Master Yang’s? Don’t answer that. From what I’ve seen of you so far, I know what the answer should be.

"No, Wu-Ya Sifu, this witless disciple meant no disrespect, but… why do I have to go now? Can somebody else be sent in my stead? Maybe the dragon or the tiger..."

Squawk! The Grandmaster of 3 Cliffs has already spoken with me at length on this matter. Do not question me any further! Will you mock our relationship as master and student with your disobedience?

"No, Sifu, but does it have to be now? My family… I was thinking I would just like to visit them as I haven’t seen them in a very long while." -subdued-

You depraved excuse of a monk! Family is of no consequence to you, you have already severed the four bonds of father, mother, brother, and sister when you severed your locks of hair- why wallow in attachment? The world needs the Phoenix now, not a homesick milksop!

"Sifu… I’m only human." -plaintive, childlike-

Human!? Squawk! Do not profane what it is to be mortal, you half-beaked idiot! You do not mean that you are “only human” – you mean to say that you are “selfish”. The One is also only human, and he left his loved ones behind to vanquish the evils of the world… If the One is not found because of your folly, then where will your –squawk- human family stand in the chaos that follows? Do not do things by halves and waste the whole – is that not what your human elders say, regarding matters of duty and responsibility? What sort of lucid cenobite are you, what sort of worthless disciple are you, that you have forgotten this most fundamental of truths?

The tengu’s harsh thoughts pounded relentlessly into the speechless monk’s consciousness.

"Yes, I’ll go now to the Monastery to prepare, then. But oh Exalted Master of the Black Feather… could you please do me a favour…?"

I will take care of your family if that is what you wish, though it irks me that you do not have faith in their ability to take care of themselves, or –squawk- that you do not have faith in my role as your master to anticipate the nature of your request.

"I am very much obliged, and very thankful, Sifu."

Before you go, young nestling, there are two gifts for you from me that will aid your quest. Do not thank my inexhaustible compassion - that would be acting against propriety, and you will insult my modesty. You will find my gifts for you, outside my shrine. Make sure you sweep the premises properly before you leave, and make sure that there is enough food on the offerings tray for my children and I.

"Yes, Sifu."

Space contracted and time dilated, as both raven and man disappeared in wreaths of shadow and flame to fulfil their roles as demanded by the winds of karma.

**
 
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xenoflare

First Post
cut-scene

Haagen River, 7 miles south of Selskar Vale

**

On the other side of the world, Yang wept, and laughed, sometimes one at a time, and sometimes both together, but always with the aid of his newfound best friend - the bottle.

The wandering drunk Wainswright had already staggered off earlier, searching for an empyreal paradise inspired by the sweet juices of the vineyard’s children, but had baptised Yang with a panoply of alcohol, and left the newfound convert to the goblet with enough ambrosia to last him for the next hour or two.

Some part of Yang’s mind rebelled against this treatment, and wondered to itself.

I’m immune to all sorts of poisons and venoms – after all, my mind is able to control my body, and thus my metabolism is the epitome of human perfection... so why am I drunk?

Yang grappled unsuccessfully with that trying problem for 2 very addled seconds? -Minutes? Hours? - before realising the very logical and simple answer.

Oh, I’m drunk because I want to be drunk. Cheers to that!

And with that, the ex-monk laughed uproariously, raised his bottle as a toast to the mad world around him, and ceased to think of all things that were irrelevant to drinking.

It was at this unlikely spectacle that Mekhet’s little wings halted their flight, as the young dragon stopped and wondered if his friend was doing all right.

And it was at this unlikely spectacle also, that the assasins of House Belarus closed in, their weapons at the ready, to do their deadly work.

**
 
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