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[Exalted 2e] Chosen of the Second Age
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<blockquote data-quote="Delemental" data-source="post: 4665635" data-attributes="member: 5203"><p><strong>The Lion and the Rose</strong></p><p></p><p>The children gathered at Grandfather’s house as early as the possibly could the next day, rushing though their chores at an alarming speed. They chattered impatiently amongst themselves until the door finally opened, and Grandmother slowly emerged.</p><p></p><p> “And what are all of you doing out here?” she asked. “Grandfather!” she called back into the house. “Were you expecting the little ones today?”</p><p></p><p> Grandfather shuffled his way to the door. “Well, I can’t imagine what they would want today,” he said, barely suppressing a grin.</p><p></p><p> “Grandfather!” several of the children cried out in exasperation. “We want to know what happened to Berta!”</p><p></p><p> “Oh, that!” he said. “Very well then, hold on a moment.” He turned and shuffled back into the house, and finally, after what seemed like entirely too long, he emerged at last with a scroll in hand.</p><p></p><p> “So,” he groaned, settling into a chair, “where were we… ah, yes of course…”</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">☼ ☼ ☼</p><p></p><p> "Sergeant, what is a merchant train doing burning in my domain?" Kaliel shaded his eyes. The smoke was rising from the road normally used by merchants on their way from Crystal to Rubylak. This being the off-season, the road was little used these days, and seldom patrolled. Suddenly a flare, reminiscent of the aurora, emerged from the wagon in the center of the road.</p><p></p><p> "Well, since they don't have your permission,” Sergeant Brusk replied, “perhaps we should find out, my lord. Guard, move out!"</p><p></p><p> Some distance away, a different conversation was taking place. "Well, little snow princess, now that we know you are Anathema, we can rest assured no-one will ever care that we ambushed this caravan." The Dragonblooded captain of House Cynis stepped closer to the young woman crouched in the back of the wagon. The covering had been removed, and the other slaves taken out, so that the Anathema was left isolated. The captain’s anima flared with reddish flames, igniting small pieces of paper and the remains of a parasol. The woman's Caste mark was prominent, the circle and dot of the Eclipse glowing through disheveled blonde hair. She tried again to speak, but his companion shoved his sword close to her throat, distracting her. Her blue eyes hardened, and then opened wide in surprise.</p><p></p><p> "So, you just realized how strong I am, little flower?" The Terrestrial posed momentarily, khatar held pointed at her. "No Anathema can defeat me."</p><p></p><p> "More likely, she saw your death before you did, wormspawn." The deep voice rumbled. The Dragonblood turned his head just in time to see the ax sweep toward him, but it was too late. Spears launched over the shoulders of his killer, emerging like quills from the bodies of the soldiers.</p><p></p><p>Golden wings flowed from the shoulders of the man with the axe, blossoms falling from the folds to sparkle on the ground for a moment before dispersing. He casually kicked the body to the side, and held out his hand to the woman.</p><p></p><p> "I am Kaliel. May I have the honor of leading you from this place to more comfortable surroundings?"</p><p></p><p> “Y-Yes, of course,” she replied, extending her hand. She felt as though she was still trying to catch up to the whirlwind of events that had transpired in the past few minutes.</p><p></p><p> “I am honored to make your acquaintance,” the man said. “I am Kaliel, known in these lands as the Auric Lion. I am a Solar Exalt, like yourself. My men and I will take care of you and the other slaves.”</p><p></p><p> One of Kaliel’s men brought over the Cynic captain’s horse, a fine animal that did not seem perturbed by the lingering aura still surrounding him. Looking it over approvingly, Kaliel then handed the reins to Berta. “Do you ride?” he asked.</p><p></p><p> “Well enough,” she replied, and climbed into the saddle. The animal was larger than what she was accustomed to, but was mercifully patient with her. Looking around, Berta saw that Kaliel’s men were unshackling the other slaves and helping get the wagons turned to head overland. The bodies of the slaves that had died in the burning wagon were being loaded on another, but the bodies of the slavers and the Realm soldiers were being stripped and then dragged to the side of the road.</p><p></p><p> “What is your name, Sun-Child?” Kaliel asked.</p><p></p><p> “I am…” she paused. Somehow, giving her birth name of Bertaleiva Eisblume seemed wrong. She realized that it was because that name was tied to her old life, a life that was lost to her forever. Even if she could somehow return to her tribe, the Immaculate monks would realize what had happened and simply enslave her again. And if she resisted, and her power emerged again… then her own people would probably help with the execution. She glanced up at the sky, still filled with the shifting colors of the aurora.</p><p></p><p> “I am Zanka Odokari,” she said at last.</p><p></p><p> Kaliel nodded. “I am less familiar with some of the northernmost dialects of Skytongue, but in High Realm your name would translate as ‘Beguiling Flower of Dancing Lights’, am I correct?”</p><p></p><p> “Indeed. So, where are we bound, Kaliel the Auric Lion?”</p><p></p><p> “To the city of Chrysanthemum,” he said. “To home.”</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">۞</p><p></p><p> Zanka ended up staying in Chrysanthemum, as did almost all of the other rescued slaves. Many of them took jobs in the town – a few of the hardier ones were recruited into the Chrysanthemum Knights. All of the locals were glad for the infusion of fresh blood, especially ones as comely as these former slaves, and a number of them were betrothed within a few months of their arrival. Zanka herself was hotly pursued by many, but she demurred. Most thought it was because she was courting the attention of Kaliel, a rumor she allowed to persist even though it was false. The people’s respect for the two Solars was enough to discourage them from interfering with the alleged ‘courtship’, which cut down on the number of suitors Zanka had to fend off.</p><p></p><p> Still, life was not easy. Kaliel had explained how the Tepet Legions had destroyed the local spirit which had watched over the lands around his city, which left the land wild and unregulated. Kaliel himself had stepped forward to fill that role as best he could, but while he had great skill at organizing and leading men, he could not calm the wind nor compel the herds of caribou to remain within range of the city’s hunters.</p><p></p><p> Zanka also found she was growing restless. Her Exaltation had opened up a new world to her, as had meeting another of her kind. She had always suspected there was more to the stories of the Anathema than the Terrestrials had let on, and she was living proof of this. After all, she had not become a demon, nor lusted after blood, had she? She felt that she could help others understand this, to understand that somewhere along the way the Solars had been misjudged. But she could not do this from Chrysanthemum.</p><p></p><p> She tried to speak to Kaliel about this. “You and I are meant for greater things than hiding in a small town and rescuing the occasional slave,” she said. “All of Creation awaits us. I suggest we travel to the East – I have heard they are more welcoming of our kind there, and are no friends of the Scarlet Empire.”</p><p></p><p> “I have responsibilities here,” was all he said in reply.</p><p></p><p> One day, however, alarms began to ring throughout the city, and runners came to find Kaliel. Zanka followed him to the main gate, and found him looking out over the parapet beyond the gate. A huge creature stood there; it looked something like a man, but was ten feet tall, and looked as though it was made of glacial ice mixed with twisted, water-logged tree branches.</p><p></p><p> “I am Blizzard That Topples the Oak!” the creature bellowed. “I challenge the lord of this domain!”</p><p></p><p> Kaliel looked down at the raging elemental for a moment, then turned and made his way down the stairs. “Brusk, bring my axe,” he said.</p><p></p><p> As they neared the bottom of the stairs, they heard a voice call out from above. “And what would you challenge him for?” Zanka asked.</p><p></p><p> “The spirit who once held these lands is long dead,” he answered in a voice that sounded like an icy wind racing through treetops. “In her absence, the lesser spirits have become chaotic and unruly. Clearly, the new lord is not up to the task of keeping them in line. I will have no such difficulty.”</p><p></p><p> “I am certain that is true,” replied Zanka, “but I have never known a spirit of the air who wished to administer a city full of humans.”</p><p></p><p> “I care not for your city,” Blizzard growled.</p><p></p><p> “Oh, but you cannot have one without the other, for the lord of this land is also lord of this city.” Zanka paused for a moment. “Come to think of it, that places you in quite a conundrum, doesn’t it? If you ignore your duties to the city, then you could be censured by the Celestial Bureaucracy, and possibly deposed. But if the Terrestrial Exalts of the Immaculate Order catch an elemental trying to claim dominion over mortals…”</p><p></p><p> Blizzard That Topples the Oak growled. From the tone, Zanka could tell that this little god had tangled with the Order before, and had not come out victorious.</p><p></p><p> “Might I suggest an alternative?” When Blizzard did not protest, she continued. “I believe that the current lord of this domain would be willing to concede the point that he is ill suited to the task of keeping those unruly lesser spirits in line. What if I were to convince him to cede to you control of his territory, save for the land upon which this city rests, and a distance of a half-mile from the walls in all directions. In addition, an additional mile beyond that will be considered neutral territory between you.”</p><p></p><p> “So, I control the land, and he keeps his city?” Blizzard growled.</p><p></p><p> “Precisely, and neither Bureaucracy nor Order can protest this. In addition, as a token of good faith between you, I am sure that if you were to help provide for the sustenance of the town – say by keeping the weather mild and encouraging the herds to come within bowshot of our hunters, things of that nature – then the townsfolk might be willing to extend to you certain offerings beyond what would be expected. Of course, should the Empire come snooping around, we would deny any such arrangement for your protection as well as ours.”</p><p></p><p> “Let us see what your lord says first,” Blizzard That Topples the Oak said.</p><p></p><p> Zanka descended the stairs to where Kaliel and Brusk waited. “Your intervention was not necessary,” Kaliel said.</p><p></p><p> “Not all problems need be solved with the blade of an axe. Let him have the land. You avoid a fight, your people don’t have to struggle to survive, he gets the worship he craves, and you have a powerful ally should the Realm return here. Your city would practically run itself.”</p><p></p><p> “You’re using this as an opportunity to get me to agree to accompany you to the East, aren’t you?” </p><p></p><p> She smiled. “Never pass up the chance when Fortune smiles upon you.”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Delemental, post: 4665635, member: 5203"] [b]The Lion and the Rose[/b] The children gathered at Grandfather’s house as early as the possibly could the next day, rushing though their chores at an alarming speed. They chattered impatiently amongst themselves until the door finally opened, and Grandmother slowly emerged. “And what are all of you doing out here?” she asked. “Grandfather!” she called back into the house. “Were you expecting the little ones today?” Grandfather shuffled his way to the door. “Well, I can’t imagine what they would want today,” he said, barely suppressing a grin. “Grandfather!” several of the children cried out in exasperation. “We want to know what happened to Berta!” “Oh, that!” he said. “Very well then, hold on a moment.” He turned and shuffled back into the house, and finally, after what seemed like entirely too long, he emerged at last with a scroll in hand. “So,” he groaned, settling into a chair, “where were we… ah, yes of course…” [center]☼ ☼ ☼[/center] "Sergeant, what is a merchant train doing burning in my domain?" Kaliel shaded his eyes. The smoke was rising from the road normally used by merchants on their way from Crystal to Rubylak. This being the off-season, the road was little used these days, and seldom patrolled. Suddenly a flare, reminiscent of the aurora, emerged from the wagon in the center of the road. "Well, since they don't have your permission,” Sergeant Brusk replied, “perhaps we should find out, my lord. Guard, move out!" Some distance away, a different conversation was taking place. "Well, little snow princess, now that we know you are Anathema, we can rest assured no-one will ever care that we ambushed this caravan." The Dragonblooded captain of House Cynis stepped closer to the young woman crouched in the back of the wagon. The covering had been removed, and the other slaves taken out, so that the Anathema was left isolated. The captain’s anima flared with reddish flames, igniting small pieces of paper and the remains of a parasol. The woman's Caste mark was prominent, the circle and dot of the Eclipse glowing through disheveled blonde hair. She tried again to speak, but his companion shoved his sword close to her throat, distracting her. Her blue eyes hardened, and then opened wide in surprise. "So, you just realized how strong I am, little flower?" The Terrestrial posed momentarily, khatar held pointed at her. "No Anathema can defeat me." "More likely, she saw your death before you did, wormspawn." The deep voice rumbled. The Dragonblood turned his head just in time to see the ax sweep toward him, but it was too late. Spears launched over the shoulders of his killer, emerging like quills from the bodies of the soldiers. Golden wings flowed from the shoulders of the man with the axe, blossoms falling from the folds to sparkle on the ground for a moment before dispersing. He casually kicked the body to the side, and held out his hand to the woman. "I am Kaliel. May I have the honor of leading you from this place to more comfortable surroundings?" “Y-Yes, of course,” she replied, extending her hand. She felt as though she was still trying to catch up to the whirlwind of events that had transpired in the past few minutes. “I am honored to make your acquaintance,” the man said. “I am Kaliel, known in these lands as the Auric Lion. I am a Solar Exalt, like yourself. My men and I will take care of you and the other slaves.” One of Kaliel’s men brought over the Cynic captain’s horse, a fine animal that did not seem perturbed by the lingering aura still surrounding him. Looking it over approvingly, Kaliel then handed the reins to Berta. “Do you ride?” he asked. “Well enough,” she replied, and climbed into the saddle. The animal was larger than what she was accustomed to, but was mercifully patient with her. Looking around, Berta saw that Kaliel’s men were unshackling the other slaves and helping get the wagons turned to head overland. The bodies of the slaves that had died in the burning wagon were being loaded on another, but the bodies of the slavers and the Realm soldiers were being stripped and then dragged to the side of the road. “What is your name, Sun-Child?” Kaliel asked. “I am…” she paused. Somehow, giving her birth name of Bertaleiva Eisblume seemed wrong. She realized that it was because that name was tied to her old life, a life that was lost to her forever. Even if she could somehow return to her tribe, the Immaculate monks would realize what had happened and simply enslave her again. And if she resisted, and her power emerged again… then her own people would probably help with the execution. She glanced up at the sky, still filled with the shifting colors of the aurora. “I am Zanka Odokari,” she said at last. Kaliel nodded. “I am less familiar with some of the northernmost dialects of Skytongue, but in High Realm your name would translate as ‘Beguiling Flower of Dancing Lights’, am I correct?” “Indeed. So, where are we bound, Kaliel the Auric Lion?” “To the city of Chrysanthemum,” he said. “To home.” [center]۞[/center] Zanka ended up staying in Chrysanthemum, as did almost all of the other rescued slaves. Many of them took jobs in the town – a few of the hardier ones were recruited into the Chrysanthemum Knights. All of the locals were glad for the infusion of fresh blood, especially ones as comely as these former slaves, and a number of them were betrothed within a few months of their arrival. Zanka herself was hotly pursued by many, but she demurred. Most thought it was because she was courting the attention of Kaliel, a rumor she allowed to persist even though it was false. The people’s respect for the two Solars was enough to discourage them from interfering with the alleged ‘courtship’, which cut down on the number of suitors Zanka had to fend off. Still, life was not easy. Kaliel had explained how the Tepet Legions had destroyed the local spirit which had watched over the lands around his city, which left the land wild and unregulated. Kaliel himself had stepped forward to fill that role as best he could, but while he had great skill at organizing and leading men, he could not calm the wind nor compel the herds of caribou to remain within range of the city’s hunters. Zanka also found she was growing restless. Her Exaltation had opened up a new world to her, as had meeting another of her kind. She had always suspected there was more to the stories of the Anathema than the Terrestrials had let on, and she was living proof of this. After all, she had not become a demon, nor lusted after blood, had she? She felt that she could help others understand this, to understand that somewhere along the way the Solars had been misjudged. But she could not do this from Chrysanthemum. She tried to speak to Kaliel about this. “You and I are meant for greater things than hiding in a small town and rescuing the occasional slave,” she said. “All of Creation awaits us. I suggest we travel to the East – I have heard they are more welcoming of our kind there, and are no friends of the Scarlet Empire.” “I have responsibilities here,” was all he said in reply. One day, however, alarms began to ring throughout the city, and runners came to find Kaliel. Zanka followed him to the main gate, and found him looking out over the parapet beyond the gate. A huge creature stood there; it looked something like a man, but was ten feet tall, and looked as though it was made of glacial ice mixed with twisted, water-logged tree branches. “I am Blizzard That Topples the Oak!” the creature bellowed. “I challenge the lord of this domain!” Kaliel looked down at the raging elemental for a moment, then turned and made his way down the stairs. “Brusk, bring my axe,” he said. As they neared the bottom of the stairs, they heard a voice call out from above. “And what would you challenge him for?” Zanka asked. “The spirit who once held these lands is long dead,” he answered in a voice that sounded like an icy wind racing through treetops. “In her absence, the lesser spirits have become chaotic and unruly. Clearly, the new lord is not up to the task of keeping them in line. I will have no such difficulty.” “I am certain that is true,” replied Zanka, “but I have never known a spirit of the air who wished to administer a city full of humans.” “I care not for your city,” Blizzard growled. “Oh, but you cannot have one without the other, for the lord of this land is also lord of this city.” Zanka paused for a moment. “Come to think of it, that places you in quite a conundrum, doesn’t it? If you ignore your duties to the city, then you could be censured by the Celestial Bureaucracy, and possibly deposed. But if the Terrestrial Exalts of the Immaculate Order catch an elemental trying to claim dominion over mortals…” Blizzard That Topples the Oak growled. From the tone, Zanka could tell that this little god had tangled with the Order before, and had not come out victorious. “Might I suggest an alternative?” When Blizzard did not protest, she continued. “I believe that the current lord of this domain would be willing to concede the point that he is ill suited to the task of keeping those unruly lesser spirits in line. What if I were to convince him to cede to you control of his territory, save for the land upon which this city rests, and a distance of a half-mile from the walls in all directions. In addition, an additional mile beyond that will be considered neutral territory between you.” “So, I control the land, and he keeps his city?” Blizzard growled. “Precisely, and neither Bureaucracy nor Order can protest this. In addition, as a token of good faith between you, I am sure that if you were to help provide for the sustenance of the town – say by keeping the weather mild and encouraging the herds to come within bowshot of our hunters, things of that nature – then the townsfolk might be willing to extend to you certain offerings beyond what would be expected. Of course, should the Empire come snooping around, we would deny any such arrangement for your protection as well as ours.” “Let us see what your lord says first,” Blizzard That Topples the Oak said. Zanka descended the stairs to where Kaliel and Brusk waited. “Your intervention was not necessary,” Kaliel said. “Not all problems need be solved with the blade of an axe. Let him have the land. You avoid a fight, your people don’t have to struggle to survive, he gets the worship he craves, and you have a powerful ally should the Realm return here. Your city would practically run itself.” “You’re using this as an opportunity to get me to agree to accompany you to the East, aren’t you?” She smiled. “Never pass up the chance when Fortune smiles upon you.” [/QUOTE]
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